The Bodybuilding Bible

Training Bodybuilding
161

[quote]kaoticz wrote:
i sleep atleast 8 hrs a day
eat 2500-3000 cals and 150-200g of protein a day.
Could somebody please point to an ideal “bodybuilding split” in that case, i can see the guidelines but if anybody has an example for one with actual exercises etc.
Thanks.[/quote]

There is NO ideal split - only one that works well for you!

Check CT’s:

Beginner Series
How to Write a Damn Good Program Series
Pump Down the Volume
Training Strategy Handbook

The Training Strategy Handbook article SHOULD put an end to all questions on what split to use! Here it is:

Read EVERY WORD OF THAT IN FULL!

162

[quote]ANIMAL M0THER wrote:

[quote]ANIMAL M0THER wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
Animal Mother:

Thanks.

I don’t know anything about military training. I have two RD friends that work for the military, though. What do you want to know? [/quote]

I’m getting into law enforcement and have been training more like a power lifter. I do my main lifts 5/3/1 and then do assistance lifts to add more balance and muscle. I also do a lot of conditioning(sprints, jump rope, body weight circuits.) When the weather is better, I do strongman training out doors.

Currently I am 6’5 and in the 220s. BF is not bad as I can see the outline of my abs. My arms are 17inches (if that reference means anything.) I also eat as much as I want but never eat junk and rarely drink(when I do drink I never get drunk.)

Basically what I’m saying is that I want to look like a bodybuilder but keep my intense conditioning and athletic ability. I’m asking if you feel what the short-comings, if any, are for bodybuilding type training. Especially when it comes to people who need to be able to run, climb, etc.

Maybe this goes back to what you wrote earlier where you said that you can’t have everything.
I have to train based on priorities. (see, sometimes writing it out helps us answer our own questions.)

[/quote]

Also, Brick what is your opinion on body weight exercises like chins and dips for heavier bodybuilders or for guys over 220lbs?[/quote]

They’re still great. And if you can’t do them with full-range reps yet, perform static holds and negatives.

For a heavier guy, they’re gonna put more strain on the shoulders though. I still did them when I was 250. I could bang out a lot of dips at that weight, but chins were very difficult. I had to break up the reps over more sets (eg, 8 x 3 - not to failure vs. 3 x 8-12).

163

[quote]ds1973 wrote:

[quote]ANIMAL M0THER wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
Animal Mother:

Thanks.

I don’t know anything about military training. I have two RD friends that work for the military, though. What do you want to know? [/quote]

I’m getting into law enforcement and have been training more like a power lifter. I do my main lifts 5/3/1 and then do assistance lifts to add more balance and muscle. I also do a lot of conditioning(sprints, jump rope, body weight circuits.) When the weather is better, I do strongman training out doors.

Currently I am 6’5 and in the 220s. BF is not bad as I can see the outline of my abs. My arms are 17inches (if that reference means anything.) I also eat as much as I want but never eat junk and rarely drink(when I do drink I never get drunk.)

Basically what I’m saying is that I want to look like a bodybuilder but keep my intense conditioning and athletic ability. I’m asking if you feel what the short-comings, if any, are for bodybuilding type training. Especially when it comes to people who need to be able to run, climb, etc.

Maybe this goes back to what you wrote earlier where you said that you can’t have everything.
I have to train based on priorities. (see, sometimes writing it out helps us answer our own questions.)

[/quote]

Animal Mother, Check out the following T-cell thread regarding the member known as dathibluline.

Also check out the videos in his profile and see how quick this 230 lb, 5’9 police officer moves in his ladder work. Looks like he’s huge and conditioned.

Maybe you can PM him with questions.
[/quote]

Nice. Thanks dude.

164

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

[quote]kaoticz wrote:
i sleep atleast 8 hrs a day
eat 2500-3000 cals and 150-200g of protein a day.
Could somebody please point to an ideal “bodybuilding split” in that case, i can see the guidelines but if anybody has an example for one with actual exercises etc.
Thanks.[/quote]

There is NO ideal split - only one that works well for you!

Check CT’s:

Beginner Series
How to Write a Damn Good Program Series
Pump Down the Volume
Training Strategy Handbook

The Training Strategy Handbook article SHOULD put an end to all questions on what split to use! Here it is:

Read EVERY WORD OF THAT IN FULL![/quote]

Thanks ill read them tonight

165

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
And another thing…

Pigging out because your poundages are going up isn’t always justified for bodybuilding because your strength goes can go up for other reasons - getting better at a lift because you practice it (how about we use the fancy term “neural adaption” that gurus love) and because you gained… FAT.

Yup, you might actually be stronger in a lift because you gained nothing but fat, which, as I wrote, can aid in getting stronger in some lifts because of leverage, cushioning, and shortening of strokes in some lifts (eg, the bench press is the lift most affected by bodyweight gains).

In short: just because your got stronger in some lifts, doesn’t mean you’re gaining muscle from a mega-kcal diet. [/quote]

The whole essence of eating according to your lifts is so that beginners don’t get the wrong impression and go the opposite way (from not eating enough to eating too much). The statement to let your strength gains determine whether you increase calories or not is actually on the side of conservatism.

It is not a justification of pigging out, it is more a feedback tool to STOP one from pigging out without good reason. It would be unreasonable to feel the need to increase calories more than usual simply because you’re “only” gaining a few pounds a month.

The problem being, that beginners/in-experienced ones (as regards diet) tend to be impatient and don’t understand how long it takes to build decent muscle (despite already gaining, they will tend to eat more in an effort to FORCE muscle growth that just won’t happen).

To illustrate; a intermediate may get impatient if he doesn’t gain 2 pounds of bodyweight a week, when in reality, 2-4 pounds a month is good going. Or to make a completely random example about progress in the gym; it may take an increase in your lifts by 15-30% for your body to justify an increase in muscle mass by 5-8lbs…so you wouldn’t expect to gain 5-8lbs in only 4 weeks (unless you’re still a newbie or on a heavy “cycle”). Of course that’s pure speculation and isn’t THE rule, but it illustrates the point.

166

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

[quote]Berserkergang wrote:

[quote]Zepto wrote:
Peanut is a legume, not a nut. That alone should make people at least question some of Bricknyce’s advice.[/quote]

lol![/quote]

Very big overstatement by Zepto. [/quote]

It was a stupid statement by me. Please keep up the good posting you have been doing as of late.

167

Three things I would humbly add to a bible:

i) Keep a log-book

  • Daily = calories & macros
  • Work-out = exercises, reps, poundage, notes
  • Monthly = weight, measurements, photos

Whenever brik says “you need to find what works for you”, this is a necessary tool unless you have the memory of an elephant.

ii) Avoid major injury

  • a) Don’t ignore pain of minor injuries and make them major
  • => if in pain, rotate excercises or take time out of the time out the gym to heal
  • b) Don’t train with dangerous form or ego weights
  • => monitor form and realise there is always more to learn as the poundages increase
  • c) Don’t ignore imbalances or flexibility issues
  • => simple types of self-assessment take minutes. Dorian stretches, you should too

IMHO injury is the greatest threat to your progress yet too many of us have caused ourselves permanent injury that with more experience we realise was easily avoidable. New lifters keep repeat the same old mistakes, be bright instead.

iii) Realistic routine you keep superior to hardcore routine you will break

You need to be enjoying your routine, looking forward to the gym and comfortable with whatever sacrifices you make out of the gym. If you can’t tick these boxes, you are not going to make it.

168

What are your thoughts on the frequency of meals? For years, people carry food around so as to not miss a meal every 2-3 hours. CT seems to have posted recently that eating frequently is not as important and that having peaks and valleys for a protein pulse is more critical and that as long as we end up with similar total calories, it doesn’t matter how many meals it took to get there. Thoughts?

169

I believe it does matter. If I recall correctly, there were studies or a single study that showed that consuming more than 750 kcals at a meal lends to fat gain. That creates a problem if your caloric need exceeds 3,000 calories, which it does most of us. There are health and physique benefits from eating frequently. I haven’t looked into the whole protein pulse thing, so I can’t comment on it. Consuming less frequent meals can slow your metabolism down though. I’m not into it, except in the cases of extremely fast metabolism and trouble with weight gain or maintenance secondary to extremely high caloric expenditure or need. In those cases, 3 to 4 very large meals may be the key. Less than a handful of men on this board have outrageous caloric need (eg, Professor, Waylander - can’t name anyone else).

170

[quote]its_just_me wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
And another thing…

Pigging out because your poundages are going up isn’t always justified for bodybuilding because your strength goes can go up for other reasons - getting better at a lift because you practice it (how about we use the fancy term “neural adaption” that gurus love) and because you gained… FAT.

Yup, you might actually be stronger in a lift because you gained nothing but fat, which, as I wrote, can aid in getting stronger in some lifts because of leverage, cushioning, and shortening of strokes in some lifts (eg, the bench press is the lift most affected by bodyweight gains).

In short: just because your got stronger in some lifts, doesn’t mean you’re gaining muscle from a mega-kcal diet. [/quote]

The whole essence of eating according to your lifts is so that beginners don’t get the wrong impression and go the opposite way (from not eating enough to eating too much). The statement to let your strength gains determine whether you increase calories or not is actually on the side of conservatism.

It is not a justification of pigging out, it is more a feedback tool to STOP one from pigging out without good reason. It would be unreasonable to feel the need to increase calories more than usual simply because you’re “only” gaining a few pounds a month.

The problem being, that beginners/in-experienced ones (as regards diet) tend to be impatient and don’t understand how long it takes to build decent muscle (despite already gaining, they will tend to eat more in an effort to FORCE muscle growth that just won’t happen).

To illustrate; a intermediate may get impatient if he doesn’t gain 2 pounds of bodyweight a week, when in reality, 2-4 pounds a month is good going. Or to make a completely random example about progress in the gym; it may take an increase in your lifts by 15-30% for your body to justify an increase in muscle mass by 5-8lbs…so you wouldn’t expect to gain 5-8lbs in only 4 weeks (unless you’re still a newbie or on a heavy “cycle”). Of course that’s pure speculation and isn’t THE rule, but it illustrates the point.[/quote]

Pigging out can’t be justified for most, considering that most of us are ordinary and that most non-behemoth men only require about 3,000 calories for maintenance. That means they can most likely grow off of 3,500 to 4,000, a cakewalk amount. So I don’t see the need for such hardcore eating for most - especially most on this board.

Right, 2 to 4 pounds a month is going good, considering that most people can expect to see only a gain of 1/4 to 1/2 a pound of dry muscle per week. And that’s if they’re doing everything correctly.

171

Can you go into partial reps

172

I never used them.

What about them? And why do you want to know about them?

173

[quote]tomkade wrote:
What are your thoughts on the frequency of meals? For years, people carry food around so as to not miss a meal every 2-3 hours. CT seems to have posted recently that eating frequently is not as important and that having peaks and valleys for a protein pulse is more critical and that as long as we end up with similar total calories, it doesn’t matter how many meals it took to get there. Thoughts?[/quote]

I think people with a slower metabolism can get away with doing this more-so. I have read older threads about CT’s pulsing but they didn’t say anything about less frequency of meals, rather, lower and higher portions.

You can cope with lower protein at times, but denying the body of total energy when it requires it is going to lead to catabolism no matter what.

174

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
Pigging out can’t be justified for most, considering that most of us are ordinary and that most non-behemoth men only require about 3,000 calories for maintenance. That means they can most likely grow off of 3,500 to 4,000, a cakewalk amount. So I don’t see the need for such hardcore eating for most - especially most on this board.
[/quote]

I guess I’m a bit biased here because of my really fast metabolism. Honestly, I weigh just over 210lbs, and I already need at least 4500 cals to increase my bodyweight. I tend to maintain my bodyweight at around 3800 lol. So pigging out to me is not what I would class as overdoing it…by much.

I think that saying “hardcore eating”, is very relatively speaking…

175

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
I never used them.

What about them? And why do you want to know about them? [/quote]

because its how Branch Warren trains. Ronnie coleman, too.

Im talking about ohp and bench

176

Are you talking about using say the middle 80% of the ROM on a movement?

177

[quote]celtics2022 wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
I never used them.

What about them? And why do you want to know about them? [/quote]

because its how Branch Warren trains. Ronnie coleman, too.

Im talking about ohp and bench[/quote]

Dude, why don’t you just answer his question instead of making yourself look like an idiot…

178

[quote]ridethecliche wrote:

[quote]celtics2022 wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
I never used them.

What about them? And why do you want to know about them? [/quote]

because its how Branch Warren trains. Ronnie coleman, too.

Im talking about ohp and bench[/quote]

Dude, why don’t you just answer his question instead of making yourself look like an idiot…[/quote]

I’ve got a better idea - why don’t YOU answer it then chief?

179

[quote]SkyNett wrote:

[quote]ridethecliche wrote:

[quote]celtics2022 wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
I never used them.

What about them? And why do you want to know about them? [/quote]

because its how Branch Warren trains. Ronnie coleman, too.

Im talking about ohp and bench[/quote]

Dude, why don’t you just answer his question instead of making yourself look like an idiot…[/quote]

I’ve got a better idea - why don’t YOU answer it then chief?[/quote]

Ooh, ooh, can I answer please???

Partials depend on the person I think, tall (long limbed) people tend to benefit the most. Even if that wasn’t the case, they are good at preparing the system and getting it used to heavier weights…

180

I don’t remember much from Ronnie’s videos. So I don’t remember much about what he does. I remember he used good form for most exercises. His form for back exercises is very loose, but it works for him. That sort of overly-loose form never worked for my own back development - just snapping shit up. Granted, you must use a bit of a hitch in the initial part of a bent-over barbell or dumbbell row, but his style isn’t good for ME.

Branch Warren trains like a jerkoff! If you want to try his form and see if it works, go ahead.

I don’t know why you’re even thinking of off-the-wall shit like partial reps when you should be concerned with gaining muscle with the most basic shit considering you’re not big. If you happen to feel more tension on some muscle groups by not locking out in pressing exercises, then go ahead. I say stick to completing ALL exercises in normal form for now. When you put on 30 pounds of mass, then worry about making some esoteric adjustments.