[quote]skinnymuscles wrote:
Thanks Mark for the feedback! How do the workouts look to you? And are my starting reps/sets ok? How about the exercise selections/pairings? Any recommendations in any of those areas?
Also, can you give me some pointers/tips regarding diet. I never told you my weight, for fear that you would dismiss me as a weakling, but I am female, only 100 pounds. I am strong as hell though and obviously can handle quite a lot in the weight room and am tough as nails. I really want to pack on 10-15 pounds of lean mass and compete one day. What sort of ratios should I consume? What do you recommend pre/post workout?
I don’t do well on high carbs/starches… I love oatmeal to death and eat it every morning but I find it bloats me and makes me extremely tired. Any recommendations? What do you recommend I take postworkout? And if I chose to cycle cals/carbs, how should I go about this? What days would be best for high carbs, and which for low carbs? I would love some help with my diet, because I know that is crucial with my training regime and goals![/quote]
Ha, knock me over with a feather.
I seriously thought you were male (you reminded me so much of myself when I was younger and 116lbs at 6 feet :))
All that work and you are a lady? Wow. Let me regroup for a moment.
I do like the workouts mind you, but again, it is a lot.
Basically I like to start at 24 reps per exercise and work up to 36 reps with my heavy sessions and I like to work from 36 reps to 48 reps with my medium sessions. Ligt sessions are usually 48-100 reps.
So for me the progress is:
8x3 to 9x3 to 10x3 to 8x4 to 9x4 then I add weight and start over (sometimes i will do 10x4 to 9x5 to 10x5 but that’s when i sense adding weight will lead to worse exercise form)
Or:
3x12 to 4x10 to 4x11 to 4x12 to 5x10 add weight and repeat sequence
Or:
2x24 to 2x26 etc till I can do 1 set of 100 reps, add weight and repeat sequence.
Do you see what I mean? I have room to progress by adding reps, then sets and then weight.
When you start out with 6x5 for example you are already at 30 reps. The effective range according to Chad (and I have noticed many similarities) is 24-36 reps with a heavier weight.
in your case you could do 6x6 and then you would have to add weight already.
My fear is that it’s too quickly. And doing: 6x5, 6x6, 7x5, 7x6, 8x5, 8x6 is an option but the volume get’s out there.
From your posts I am sensing that you need to work with heavier weights. You seem hesitant to do so due to the fact you do not have a partner (hope I remembered this well) but that’s for example where unilateral exercises are so darn effective.
A one arm floor press, or dumbell row, or one arm barbell row even, you can do step ups, bulgarian split squat, luggage deadlift, one arm barbell presses, one arm barbell curls, one legged romanian deadlifts with barbell or dumbell. Etc etc. these exercises are very difficult to perform and will cause a unique tension effect on the muscles.
My barbell curl is 150lbs but my one arm barbell curls i do with 80lbs at the very most causing more stress on one muscle but less on the whole body!
I like your program and exercises choices but I also would like you to consider going heavier and doing that by yourself you would be best served choosing unilateral exercises.
You can train very heavy and never be in danger and you do not need a partner at all. Chad’s latest program was full of exercises that can be done heavy, at home and alone.
I hope Standtall and the other will glance over your posts again because I am running a bit short on time, and chime in because I really think that yes, your program and exercises choices can be done (although again it is an enormous amount of work) but I think that you would reach your goals by training heavier.
In regards to diet:
I have experimented with Chad’s 33/33/33 and feel great on it and I simply do all my meals that way, including the one before training and before bed. During training and right after it is just protein and carbs.
I have also had great success with a ‘sort off’ anabolic diet (lots of veggies the whole day and three pieces of fruit a day spread out).
For mass I choose to eat 15 calories per lbs and work up to 20 calories per lbs. In your case at 100lbs that’s where i would start, seriously. I would not start you on 1500 calories with the amount of work you are going to do.
I would have an enormous amount of calories during and after my sessions and a heavy meal before bed (I take cottage cheese with olive oil and several pieces of fruit and honey for eaxample). If you can afford Surge during and right after the session, great if not, make your own version and get Biotests big jug and mix it.
I have done chocolate milk as well and I have made my own by putting Biotests powder, yoghurt, water and honey in a blender and take that with me.
33/33/33 works really well for me and I do 45 grams protein, 45 grams carbs and 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of fat, 6-10 times per day.
If oatmeal makes you tired you have an extremely fast metabolism and I then cannot stress enough for you to increase your protein and fat at each meal! try 33/33/33 and if that doesn’t work try 40/20(carbs)/40 while steadily increasing calories.
Since you love oatmeal, eat a few egg whites with it to increase the amount of protein so it matches the carbs and add some cream to the water or milk you are using (yummie and it will slow the digestion process).
best is steak and eggs though but hey 
Gotta run…
Good luck. Hope I am not frustrating you!
marc
I have too much work this summer. Then Monday I can hit it hard again. It is really hard for me coming back to the gym after 3 days usually. I think I will use Spike to get my mind back in the game.