Right now I am working on a Upper Push/Upper Pull/Lower body 4X per week rotation with a few cardio sessions.
Goal~ lean out to about 125#, reevaluate what I look like, and then work on building up again.
How is it going? Spinning my wheels and wasting time because I cant get myself dedicated to the diet aspect.
I know that and hate it…
GAH!
[quote]coyotegal wrote:
Right now I am working on a Upper Push/Upper Pull/Lower body 4X per week rotation with a few cardio sessions.
Goal~ lean out to about 125#, reevaluate what I look like, and then work on building up again.
How is it going? Spinning my wheels and wasting time because I cant get myself dedicated to the diet aspect.
I know that and hate it…
GAH! [/quote]
Ya i think we’ve all been there at one point so your not alone on this one.
Lifting weights. Eating. And doing cardio. In the gym 6days a week.
I’m currently using a 3 way split.
Chest,Arms.
Legs (including deadlift variation).
Back/Shoulders.
Off.
Repeat.
I do 4 sessions with am accumulation phase then 4 sessions with an intensification phase. Each session is slightly different as the intensity or volume changes slightly within each phase. I find this style of training keeps me stimulated as well as helps me control my injuries (knee, shoulder, elbow).
I would prefer to train a powerlifting style but unfortunately due to years of football I need to add the higher reps and volume to give my joints a rest.
I’m still training, 6 days a week, mainly because I just like it. Not really training for anything in particular except looking good. My days of bulking are over, since I don’t figure I’ll add much more mass for the rest of my life. I mean, how much sacrifice is another 10lbs worth? Not much, at least not to me.
My weight used to fluctuate between 250 in winter to 220 in summer. Now I just get a little softer in the winter and get shredded for summer. Less yo-yoing = more enjoyable life (and not needing two separate wardrobes LOL). Overall, I’m pretty happy with my level of muscularity. When I was a little kid and I thought of what I wanted to look like when I was an adult, this was basically it (only taller, LOL).
Would’ve loved to hit a big raw total in PL but it’s just not in the cards for me. I’m not willing to deal with the shit it would take to get there. I hit some lifetime goals with a 600 DL and 405 bench in the last few years, and I’m happy with that. My joints (mainly my hip) are just too fucked up to push it too hard without dealing with constant pain every day.
I briefly toyed with the idea of BBing but I ultimately just don’t give a fuck.
So, what I’m doing is sitting here, content with what little I’ve accomplished, and maintaining the lifestyle because I like looking good and just enjoy training.
[quote]xXSeraphimXx wrote:
What are you doing now? [/quote]
Sitting here with a rum and diet coke after a hard day of work.
5 days a week, 2-3 days Heavy 5/3/1 workouts and 2-3 days of CF actually with Running about 12-20 miles a week.
Just did the Warrior dash and have Tough Mudder the 15 mile one next month.
5/3/1 Frequency Project variation that Wendler came out with a couple months ago…if you have a hankering for pain and volume, give it a try.
http://www.jimwendler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/frequencyproject.pdf
[quote]UtahLama wrote:
5/3/1 Frequency Project variation that Wendler came out with a couple months ago…if you have a hankering for pain and volume, give it a try.
http://www.jimwendler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/frequencyproject.pdf[/quote]
Looks interesting…
[quote]RATTLEHEAD wrote:
[quote]UtahLama wrote:
5/3/1 Frequency Project variation that Wendler came out with a couple months ago…if you have a hankering for pain and volume, give it a try.
http://www.jimwendler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/frequencyproject.pdf[/quote]
Looks interesting…[/quote]
6 days a week, lots of leg work…I really liked it after 3 years of regular 5/3/1
[quote]UtahLama wrote:
[quote]RATTLEHEAD wrote:
[quote]UtahLama wrote:
5/3/1 Frequency Project variation that Wendler came out with a couple months ago…if you have a hankering for pain and volume, give it a try.
http://www.jimwendler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/frequencyproject.pdf[/quote]
Looks interesting…[/quote]
6 days a week, lots of leg work…I really liked it after 3 years of regular 5/3/1[/quote]
I am definitely a fanboy of 5/3/1 since it has given good results, will definitely consider this after my prep!
Something I’ve been running for months that’s giving me solid gains despite dropping bodyweight
Day 1: Heavy deadlift singles
Day 2: bicep/vertical pulls
Day 3: Heavy bench + tri + shoulder
Day 4: Speed squats/deadlift
Day 5: Heavy rows + moderate military press
Day 6: rest/gpp
Day 7: Speed bench + tri + rear delt
Not exactly the most conventional workout but it’s been working fantastic for me.
[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
Welp, I’m slowly trying to gain weight while not getting too fat. So hopefully I can put on some quality weight, where I could cut a bit this fall and compete in a local Physique show. Right now I’m 6’2", and 190-195 lbs. Not really that lean, avi is current, so whatever that looks like. lol
I did BBB for 3-4 months straight and got my best results lifting wise, so used it’s principles and combined it in a way with Layne Norton’s PHAT Routine. Looks like this:
Monday: Chest/Back/Tris/Bis
5 sets, 4-7 reps, 90s rest
Tuesday: Quads/Hams/Delts/Abs/Calves
Same as Monday
Wednesday: Off or Cardio
Thursday: Chest/Back/Tris/Bis
4 sets, 8-11 reps, 2 min rest
Friday: Quads/Hams/Delts/Abs/Calves
3 sets, 12-15reps, 2:30 rest
Saturday: Chest/Back/Tris/Bis
Same as Friday
Sunday: Off or Cardio
Really liking it so far. Definitely unorthodox, but really works for me. I only one lift per day for each body part, and rotate between 2 that I feel actually work for me. So it’s kind of DC’ish in that respect.
Diet, Macros are roughly 450g C/ 220g P/ 100g F right now. Kind of CBL, though I’m not anal about when I eat carbs (time of day), more so just keep them until intra and PWO. Including Carbs + BCAA’s intra-WO recently has been amazing for energy and performance in the gym. [/quote]
Just an update on this. Still going good, but tweaking two things. Realized compound movements are just not nailing my triceps how I want, and I’ve had some good gains in the last few months with biceps and delts (smaller muscle groups) by doing John Meadows style high rep pump work, so doing the same strategy with tris. Just like my biceps and delts still get hit ‘heavy’ with Back and Chest work, triceps will still be getting ‘heavy’ work with Chest pressing. So just iso moves for triceps (extensions and pushdowns)
Also, for arms and delts, rep ranges will be bumped up. So first day 8-11, second day 12-15, and last day 16-20 reps. Thin this will be beneficial in the long run.
The Routine I’m Trying Right Now
Overview
Day One - Quads and Hamstrings
Day Two - Chest, Shoulders and Traps
Day Three - Lats, Quads and Ham Strings
Day Four - Arms and Calves
Quads & Hamstrings
A) Leg Extensions - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE), make sure the setup of the machine is the same every time. Warmup with sets of 3, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 40 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
B) Hammer Strength Squat - Do not go ATG, however, do not cut depth short of what you can do safely. Warmup with sets of 3, focusing on exploding up. 30 total reps. You must start the next set within 90 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about depth.
C) Front Squat - Do not go ATG, however, do not cut depth short of what you can do safely. Warmup with sets of 3, focusing on exploding up. 20 total reps. You must start the next set within 90 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about depth. NONE of the reps should come even close to failure.
D) Leg Curl - Do not arch the lower back too hard on these. Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE), make sure the setup of the machine is the same every time. Warmup with sets of 3, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 40 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
E) Stiff Leg Dead Lift - You must focus on the stretch, and be objective about it. Warmup with sets of 3, focusing on exploding up. 30 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about depth.
Chest, Shoulders, & Traps
A) Machine Press - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE), make sure the setup of the machine is the same every time. Warmup with sets of 5, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 60 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
B) Floor Press - Warmup with sets of 3, focusing on exploding up. 30 total reps. You must start the next set within 90 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. After you hit the 30, rest 2 minutes, drop the weight by 20 percent and do a set to complete exhaustion.
C) Arnold Press - Warmup with sets of 3, focusing on exploding up and bringing the weight down in a controlled fashion. 40 total reps. You must start the next set within 90 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under.
D) Farmers Walk (hold) - Warmup doing sets of 5 on shrugs. When you find the right weight, hold it for 5 total minutes, when you do this in under 8 minutes, move up to the next weight. If it takes you more than 12 minutes, move down in weight.
Lats, Quads and Hamstrings
A) Lat Pulldown - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE), make sure the handle of the machine is the same every time. Warmup with sets of 5, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 50 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
B) One Arm Lat pulldown - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE), make sure the handle of the machine is the same every time. Warmup with sets of 5, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 50 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
C) Leg Press - Do not go ATG, however, do not cut depth short of what you can do safely. Warmup with sets of 3, focusing on exploding up. 30 total reps. You must start the next set within 90 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about depth.
D) Front Squat - Do not go ATG, however, do not cut depth short of what you can do safely. 20 total reps. Warmup with sets of 3, focusing on exploding up. You must start the next set within 90 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about depth. NONE of the reps should come even close to failure.
E) Back Squat - Start with the last weight you used on Front Squat. 20 total reps. Focus on exploding up. You must start the next set within 90 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about depth. NONE of the reps should come even close to failure.
Arms & Calves
A) Rope Curl - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE). Warmup with sets of 5, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 75 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
B) Supinated DB Curl - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE). Warmup with sets of 5, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 50 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
C) Seated Calf Raise - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE), make sure the setup of the machine is the same every time. Warmup with sets of 3, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 75 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
D) Leg Press Toe Pushes - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE), make sure the setup of the machine is the same every time. Warmup with sets of 3, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 75 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
E) V Handle Pushdown - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE). Warmup with sets of 5, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 50 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
F) Rope Pushdown - Focus on the contraction (SQUEEZE). Warmup with sets of 5, and make sure you contract on these to get the nervous system ready. 50 total reps. You must start the next set within 75 seconds of completing the last one. Increase weight when you complete this in 5 sets or under. Note that you MUST be objective about squeezing hard.
Rest Days
Steady State Cardio
Over the past 8 Weeks I have been working with Mike Turscherer and his Reactive Training System. Its the first time I have been using an auto-regulation method and perceived rate of exertion. Its very challenging and incorporates a lot of paused squats and Deads. The program generally has me squatting and deading twice a week as well as benching twice a week. While I am use to heavy volume I am not used to this amount of volume and frequency on the big three. He also incorporates very little / if any assistance work.
He does great programming, I always felt if you want to get better learn from the best, and so far so good.
After 4 months exclusively training oly lifts, I ended up with a torn shoulder ligament. Took a week off then modified my training in order to work around it.
This has evolved into a 4 day template. A modified ‘5/3/1’ so to speak.
Mon - Deadlift(531), Romanian DL, Ab Wheel Rollouts, Glute Ham Raises (All 5 x 10)
Tue - Front Squat(531), Chin ups, Floor Press, DB Curls (All 5 x 10) , Kroc Rows(AMRAP)
Thu - Weighted Chins(531), Elevated Weighted Push Ups, Seated Row, Rear Delt Flyes (All 5 x 10)
Fri - Back Squat(531), Front Squat, Back Extensions, KB Swings (All 5 x 10)
Conditioning consists of cycling to work. Usually HIIT for 12 minutes. Managed to get 5k in ten minutes. Using a single speed bike as well.
Diet consists of following mostly paleo foods within an intermittent framework. Been doing a 16/8 protocol however thinking of going for 1 -2 24 hour fasts weekly.
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Over the past 8 Weeks I have been working with Mike Turscherer and his Reactive Training System. Its the first time I have been using an auto-regulation method and perceived rate of exertion. Its very challenging and incorporates a lot of paused squats and Deads. The program generally has me squatting and deading twice a week as well as benching twice a week. While I am use to heavy volume I am not used to this amount of volume and frequency on the big three. He also incorporates very little / if any assistance work.
He does great programming, I always felt if you want to get better learn from the best, and so far so good.
[/quote]
That’s great to be working with Mike T! He’s always been an inspiration and many of his teachings have been applied to my own training. When it comes to getting stronger, frequency of the lift definitely plays a key role and it seems he is setting you up on the right track! Good luck!
[quote]Doh wrote:
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Over the past 8 Weeks I have been working with Mike Turscherer and his Reactive Training System. Its the first time I have been using an auto-regulation method and perceived rate of exertion. Its very challenging and incorporates a lot of paused squats and Deads. The program generally has me squatting and deading twice a week as well as benching twice a week. While I am use to heavy volume I am not used to this amount of volume and frequency on the big three. He also incorporates very little / if any assistance work.
He does great programming, I always felt if you want to get better learn from the best, and so far so good.
[/quote]
That’s great to be working with Mike T! He’s always been an inspiration and many of his teachings have been applied to my own training. When it comes to getting stronger, frequency of the lift definitely plays a key role and it seems he is setting you up on the right track! Good luck![/quote]
Thanks Brother, yeah he has shown me the way, a way that I wish I knew long ago with regards to strength training, I really believe this may be my preferred way of training for the foreseeable future. I was in the past a real assistance work whore, and spending way too much energy with the stuff that didn’t count, now its the other way around.
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Thanks Brother, yeah he has shown me the way, a way that I wish I knew long ago with regards to strength training, I really believe this may be my preferred way of training for the foreseeable future. I was in the past a real assistance work whore, and spending way too much energy with the stuff that didn’t count, now its the other way around.
[/quote]
Yep. I spent a lot of time in the past doing useless exercises that didn’t bring my main lifts anywhere, the only thing it did was it got me better at doing those certain exercises. I believe some assistance exercises have their merits but I used to place too much emphasis on them. Now I’m only doing the main lifts and it’s giving me strength gains despite the fact that I am losing weight.
[quote]Doh wrote:
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Thanks Brother, yeah he has shown me the way, a way that I wish I knew long ago with regards to strength training, I really believe this may be my preferred way of training for the foreseeable future. I was in the past a real assistance work whore, and spending way too much energy with the stuff that didn’t count, now its the other way around.
[/quote]
Yep. I spent a lot of time in the past doing useless exercises that didn’t bring my main lifts anywhere, the only thing it did was it got me better at doing those certain exercises. I believe some assistance exercises have their merits but I used to place too much emphasis on them. Now I’m only doing the main lifts and it’s giving me strength gains despite the fact that I am losing weight. [/quote]
x2…I was in the exact same shoes, I still do some assistance stuff…but much less and my strength in the main lifts are progressing much better than before.