It's time to get HUGE!

[Elvia1023]

Things are really good now but I will start with the bad I trained the other day and it was a great workout but in the following days my diet wasn't the best. I kept saying to myself it's time to start cleaning up my diet but I ordered a few takeaways. It ended with me eating a 4 person fried chicken bucket. It tasted amazing but after having half then the rest 40 mins later I felt disgusting The food volume and oil was enough to have me on the toilet about 5 times in 2 hours later in the night. I then decided enought was enough and I have been eating clean ever since. I have also been making sure I have protein with each meal so I am back on track. Sometimes it's good to have some off time but I did get a bit lazy over the last few weeks. If it wasn't for Flex I would have done next to nothing but I still take him out a few times every day.

I also trained again today and I plan (have a rule) to train in some form everyday now. Even if that is just some cardio or calf raises I will make sure it is done. Actual hardcore training will be done approx 4 times per week.

There is absolutely no reason why we can't all get good results in this period. Obviously in a perfect world we would all have home gyms full of great equipment and lot's of free weights. I think we can all maintain most of our size and improve body composition over the next few weeks/months. We could even grow if we put the effort in but as I have already posted my goal is to lean up and improve my cardiovascular fitness. I want to prime my body for when I have access to the gym again and I will add in hormones and put some quality muscle on. My goals have definitely changed in regards to how much water/fat I am prepared to put on whilst growing.

Anyway my training the other day was very high volume and felt great. I like to do that after a long break. I don't recommend it to others as most would probably be better just easing into things but occasionally I personally like to push my body hard so that was approx 2 hours of training and 30 mins of cardio afterwards. The really cheap bands I bought without handles are my favourite and I use them more than the more expensive ones. Literally cheap pieces of elastic but you can do so much with them. It would be worthwhile me getting some longer bands (most common) that are are connected so I can do squats etc but mine are just marketed for pilates and yoga They can take alot of tenson but when doing calf presses I snapped one of them but it's not too bad as now it means I have 4 bands instead of 3

I basically just stand on one side of the band and wrap it around my hand and can perform pretty much everything like that. For rowing movements I used 2 bands and put them through a lock on my window and could perform various standing rows like that. After the bands I use my db and also bodyweight movements. My workout included...

Resistance Band shoulder stretches, shoulder presses, front raises, lateral raises, bi-cep curls, hammer curls, standing tri-cep extensions (2 variations), rear delt raises, back rows (high, medium and low).
DB back rows, bi-cep curls, hammer curls, concentration curls, overhead tri-cep extensions, skull crushers, squats, stiff leg deadlifts, split squats, calf raises.
Push Ups.
Stretches.
Cardio.

Today I done similar but no push ups.

For calves on both days I done some unilateral sets going from right to left and repeated with no rest. Then I done 2 feet at a time for very high reps. Literally over 200 reps for 1 or 2 sets. I play about and the burn is crazy. I will do reps were I squeeze and hold at the top for a few secs then swop over to ones were I squeeze but don't hold and come back down and to a tibialis raise so bring my toes up off the floor and squeeze. Then I will do reps were I don't come fully back down (touch the floor) and I always play about with rep speed through the giant set. Basically changing it up after every 10-20 reps but never resting. My calves were sore for days after the 1st session and looked much fuller. I don't have any steps in my apartment (could use a book) but I will go outside on the stairs and do some on there to get a good negative stretch some days.

Now a key thing I am doing is utilizing cardio to train my legs. You will definitely be able to hold onto leg fullness by doing this if you don't have access to db's/barbells. I will also start doing days with loads of squats to failure to hit my legs hard. But I have an exercise bike at home and if you do you can use it to your advantage. My bike has 32 levels to give an indication. The first day I done 30 mins cardio but for 20 mins straight I cycled on level 32 at a steady/slow pace. That was brutal but manageable even for me were my fitness isn't the best right now. My legs when I got off were super pumped and felt like I had done a hard session with weights.

Now my 2nd approach is amazing and I recommend you all do the same. It's simply HIT training but you get what you put in. Meaning for the working periods you need to put everything into it. I done 4 blasts for 30 secs which may not sound much but it was harder than the most brutal leg sessions I do. The key is the resistance and pushing through the pain. The key is your all out blasts and putting everything into them like you would a working set with weights. Do them like someone has a gun to your head and you have to put everything you have into them. The resting period isn't important you simply want to get your heart rate down but don't rush yourself. When I felt ready I would wait until 20 secs past the minute so let's say 8:20 as an example. I would start pedalling fast at that time and would get the resistance up to level 32 by 8:30 and then it would be all out until about 9:00. Then I would come down to about level 8 but later on it was more like 5 due to the pain. This is about working your legs and not so much cardiovascular fitness. I didn't fail because of my cardio I failed simply due to my legs. So you don't have to do this over and over just go in as hard as you can and after 4-8 blasts call it a day. I was practically crying at the end and when I got off the bike I couldn't stand up properly. Obviously it's the 1st time in ages I have done this so I will get better each time but literally do it until you are crying in pain. My legs were so pumped and felt like I had just done a triple drop set with hack squats.

Now I have the motivation again so I am looking forward to getting this waist down. I am looking ok though and fairly lean I just need to sharpen up alittle. Get in a 100% routine then simply start adding in calories and some drugs to pack on solid muscle. My diet today was...

Protein plant cereal with blueberries, raspberries and coconut milk.
4 whole eggs, 2 pieces of super thin steak and toasted walnut bread (had steak and fried egg sandwiches).
Train (intra EAA's).
2 scoops of synthepure, pineapple, oats and mixed berries.
Minced Beef with mushrooms and beans.
Minced Beef with mushrooms and beans.
Protein shake and peanut butter.

Nothing perfect and I will probably fade out the cereal soon and have eggs as my 1st meal. I have also snacked on some fruit today as well (grapes, clementine and half an avocado). I will add in more greens and I will lower things slightly over time if I need to (no snacking comes first).

As well as the training and cardio I have taken Flex out 3 times today for approx 2 hours total so I have been fairly active. Now it's just time to be consistent with it all and I will be looking sharp in a few weeks.

 

[JJT]

Hey Elvia, hope you are good. I was wondering if you have any ideologies on arm training if they are a weak bodypart?

 

[Elvia1023]

Hey Elvia, hope you are good. I was wondering if you have any ideologies on arm training if they are a weak bodypart?

I am good and I hope you are the same. I had planned to update this thread a little later and will do but just noticed your post as well. I think like with most training it can be very individualized and all methods can work. That's why I will often rotate between methods either through the year or even through 1 training session. So I will do a mix of lower (not too low) and higher rep ranges. Although for arms I generally recommend higher reps and really controlling the weight so slower reps. Big weights and low reps still obviously work and have a place but I would be careful with them. I tend to do anything from 8 to 30 reps for arms with most working sets being between 10 and 20 reps. Those lower reps (8 to 10) sets are on certain movements such as close grip bench, db hammer curls and certain machines.

I personally don't train arms for a long period because they get hit so much through the week (back, chest, shoulders). I keep arm training short but intense. I often to super or giant sets. Generally bi-ceps will go after back (pull) and tri-ceps after chest (push) but I rotate methods. On certain times I may even do an arm day... well arms and calves. For that I will often superset bi-ceps with tri-ceps and do approx 4 exercises for each and approx 2-4 supersets for each so much more volume than usual but a nice approach for me.

Just keep it simple though. I tend to stick to the basic movements but will add in something else (rotate) as well. My fav tri-cep movements are close grip bench, skull crushers (ez bar on the floor and deadstop reps), dips (plate loaded machine or with chains) and a tri-cep extension variation. I will generally pick one of the first 2 movements then do dips and extensions so 3 movements. If I do a giant set then it's about 8 sets of multiple stations and lot's of extensions, pushdowns and dip variations. For bi-ceps I like machine curls, db hammer curls, ez bar spider curls, db concentration curls (dead stop reps) but there are many effective movements. You can't go wrong with some preacher curls either. Again I tend to do 3 of those movements but if I do a giant set it's about 8 movements and no rest in between and done in approx 8 mins.

I personally like to directly train my forearms as well and notice a big difference when I do consistently. Having impressive and vascular forearms really stands out especially in a t-shirt. They get hit when doing heavy biceps and back movements but I do some form of wrist curl, reverse curl and/or barbell twists. Sometimes I do a giant set of all 3 and finish with hanging from a pull up bar squeezing it as hard as possible.

If your arms are actually a weak bodypart then the first thing you need to look at is execution. I would go on you-tube and watch video after video on execution and form for arm training. I would slow down your reps and concentrate on the contraction and squeezing on every rep. Now in regards to volume that all depends upon what you are doing currently. When many have a weak bodypart they train it more so often they would be better lowering the overall volume/frequency. It also depends how you have your routine set up. For most I recommend 1-2 times weekly. For many once is plenty as they get hit on other days. However I think training them twice weekly is great especially if you want to bring them up. Although you have to look at overall volume and if doing twice I would recommend doing bi-ceps after back and tri-ceps after chest then have their own day perhaps with calves or just cardio and abs. On the days after back and chest make the training very intense but short. No more than 15 mins and about 5 working sets. You could even do a giant set of about 5-8 movements if you wanted and keep the weight moderate (never too heavy) and the reps controlled and concentrate throughout the movement.

What is your current training plan? Let me know and I can give you an example of how you could set up your arm training in that plan if you want. Although the overall mentality and approach to form, volume and intensity is most important. Meaning I could write you out a list of exercises to do in order but it's impossible to do in your busy gym. Giant sets can be done with 1 bench and db's if needed. I don't believe in complicated exact plans for the gym because sometimes you are stuck to certain movements. Although sure in an empty gym you can do what you want which is great and we could set up something detailed. Although there is a lot of bullshit about and they make it out like if you do a certain sequence of movements you have tapped in to the secret of muscle building and it's all complete crap.

 

[JJT]

Hey Elvi, thanks for the detailed reply. Very much appreciated mate! Due to this corona shit i only have access to my garage gym which is literally a rack, barbell, adjustable bench and 150kg total (including the 20kg bar, 5kg, 10kg 20kg mostly plates). I've ordered some bands and handles too but fuck knows when that gets here. So unilateral arm shoulder work is just holding the plates in the hole with middle and ring fingers lol.

But here is my current training plan, currently 4 on 1 off, on cycle (3ish weeks left), 5k steps a day, 4400 cals training days and 3400 on rest days, "off-season" but diet is primarily clean bar the coco pops post workout.

I know i just asked you for arm advice but i would appreciate if you can take a look at the whole plan. I would say I'm primarily torso dominant but at the same time i'm still at the early development stages. 6ft 218lbs pushing past 15% bf on wake. Cheers

COVID Training

Push
Incline Bench - 2x5-8, 1x12-15
Flat Bench - 3x8-12
Low Incline Plate Flys(Stretch-Pause) SS Push-ups - 4x12-15
Lateral Raises SS Upright Row - 4x10-30, RestPause last set
Incline Skullcrushers SS Close Presses - 4x10-15
Abs

Pull
Meadows Row - 3x8-10
One Arm BB Lat Row - 3x8-12
Plate Pullovers - 3x15-20
Rack Chins - 3x12-15 RestPause last set
Rear Delt Flies - 4x12-20, RP last set
Barbell Curl SS Plate Hammer Curl- 4x12-15, RP last set
Calves

Legs
Squats - 3x10-15
Sissy Squat - 4xfail
Split Squat - 4x15-20
Weighted Lunges - 2x15-20
Banded Leg Curl - 1 Rest Pause to till zero reps left
Abs

Arms
CGBP - 3x8-12
BB Curl - 3x8-12
Plate Skullcrushers - 4x12-15
Seated Hammer Curl - 4x8-12
Single Arm Lying Tricep Extension - 4x12-15
Incline Single Arm Curl - 4x8-12
Calves

 

[Elvia1023]

Hey Elvi, thanks for the detailed reply. Very much appreciated mate! Due to this corona shit i only have access to my garage gym which is literally a rack, barbell, adjustable bench and 150kg total (including the 20kg bar, 5kg, 10kg 20kg mostly plates). I've ordered some bands and handles too but fuck knows when that gets here. So unilateral arm shoulder work is just holding the plates in the hole with middle and ring fingers lol.

But here is my current training plan, currently 4 on 1 off, on cycle (3ish weeks left), 5k steps a day, 4400 cals training days and 3400 on rest days, "off-season" but diet is primarily clean bar the coco pops post workout.

I know i just asked you for arm advice but i would appreciate if you can take a look at the whole plan. I would say I'm primarily torso dominant but at the same time i'm still at the early development stages. 6ft 218lbs pushing past 15% bf on wake. Cheers

COVID Training

Push
Incline Bench - 2x5-8, 1x12-15
Flat Bench - 3x8-12
Low Incline Plate Flys(Stretch-Pause) SS Push-ups - 4x12-15
Lateral Raises SS Upright Row - 4x10-30, RestPause last set
Incline Skullcrushers SS Close Presses - 4x10-15
Abs

Pull
Meadows Row - 3x8-10
One Arm BB Lat Row - 3x8-12
Plate Pullovers - 3x15-20
Rack Chins - 3x12-15 RestPause last set
Rear Delt Flies - 4x12-20, RP last set
Barbell Curl SS Plate Hammer Curl- 4x12-15, RP last set
Calves

Legs
Squats - 3x10-15
Sissy Squat - 4xfail
Split Squat - 4x15-20
Weighted Lunges - 2x15-20
Banded Leg Curl - 1 Rest Pause to till zero reps left
Abs

Arms
CGBP - 3x8-12
BB Curl - 3x8-12
Plate Skullcrushers - 4x12-15
Seated Hammer Curl - 4x8-12
Single Arm Lying Tricep Extension - 4x12-15
Incline Single Arm Curl - 4x8-12
Calves

You have a great set up. I have some basic bands and 1x 7.5kg db and that's it I did order some good looking bands which I thought was from a European site but they just sent me the tracking 2 weeks after ordering and it's coming from Singapore so will probably take ages

When I replied about arm training I assumed it was moreso for when the gyms are back open. In my head right now I automatically just assume most are maintaining (or improving condition) when it comes to training. However there is no reason why all of us can't improve with home workouts especially with a set up like yours. All you need is the basics and you have them. The bands should make a big difference for you though.

If you are at early development stages I would just keep things simple and make sure your diet is 100%. In regards to training master your execution for each movement and always have an eye on progressive resistance. The key is consistency in all elements. From the way you write about training and your training split I have no concerns about your plan and I can see you're on a good path and are very knowledgeable so I don't need to write half the things I do because you get it already!

I could write certain changes but quite frankly they would make little difference but one thing that stands out is all your working sets. Now I don't know your exact approach when it comes to performing all the sets you list but if they are all brutal sets I would look at limiting your working sets to just 1-2 per movement. I assume your plan just consists of working sets and no warm ups. For me when doing multiple exercises such as what you have listed I generally prefer to have 1 all out working set per movement (instead of 3-4). Although if movements are limited then I love the 1 lower rep working set followed by 1 higher rep working set (you do similar on incline presses). There are no wrong answers I would just be careful with the amount of working sets you implement especially when training 4 on 1 off. I think a good number of working sets is approx 10 per day but it can vary depending upon other variables.

Another thing could be just playing about with rotation. An example could be starting with calves and hams before quads. If you start with squats make sure you warm up effectively (calves, hams and hips etc are all warmed up and loose). I love the low volume on arms on push and pull days so stay with that. Short and intense so those supersets are great. I wouldn't take all 4 (8) sets to complete failure though. Your arm day looks good and you could even superset bi-ceps and tri-ceps together. Again watch out for working set volume. For me workign sets are when you can't do another half rep for reference as I know many may write "4 sets of 8-12 reps" but all 4 sets aren't to complete failure. If they are and you are literally going to hell on all sets I would lower that as you don't want to do too much (especially on 4 on 1 off).

If you are 15% bodyfat I would actually be trying to lose bodyfat and not "off season" even if cals are clean. Energy balance is the most important thing regardless of clean or dirty calories so if you are eating at a surplus you will gain weight. Ideally you want to get your bodyfat closer to 10%. See how you go on your plan and if needed lower calories slightly (carbs and/or fats) just to get that excess bodyfat off. Growing even with clean calories when starting at 15% bf is never ideal. 15% is about the max I would want most men to be when bulking so it gives you no room. Now if someone effectively "lean bulks" especially after they have been off then went on they could build muscle and maintain or even lose bodyfat at the same time. I don't know your past details so it's hard to comment. If you think you can grow and not put any bodyfat on or even lose it (perhaps you were off for awhile recently and relaxed your diet etc) then go for it. However for most I would want to see them start growing on a max of approx 12% bodyfat. Again I don't know your past and a picture (you can pm me) would tell me everything. Meaning some guys say they are 15% and they are really 20% but others are actually closer to about 12% so it can vary. The leaner you are when trying to grow the better though so never forget that.

 

[gungalunga]

And remember.....a 12 piece bucket of chicken from KFC does have a lot of protein...but it might not help in keeping bf% under 15%. The same is true for chicken McNuggets.....

 

[Elvia1023]

And remember.....a 12 piece bucket of chicken from KFC does have a lot of protein...but it might not help in keeping bf% under 15%. The same is true for chicken McNuggets.....

It's the salt that gets you 5 days worth of salt in 1 meal and you will be bloated for about 3 days! 12 piece... it was more like 24! I am seriously close to breaking my 15% rule My diet has been clean since and definitely no more takeaways for me now. McDonalds is actually closed here now so I am safe I actually took a pic of my last food shop so I can show everything I am eating but need to post it. I might update 2moro though as I am tired. Things are finally good though so it's just a matter of consistency and time. I am motivated to transform myself over the next few months.

 

[JJT]

You have a great set up. I have some basic bands and 1x 7.5kg db and that's it I did order some good looking bands which I thought was from a European site but they just sent me the tracking 2 weeks after ordering and it's coming from Singapore so will probably take ages

When I replied about arm training I assumed it was moreso for when the gyms are back open. In my head right now I automatically just assume most are maintaining (or improving condition) when it comes to training. However there is no reason why all of us can't improve with home workouts especially with a set up like yours. All you need is the basics and you have them. The bands should make a big difference for you though.

If you are at early development stages I would just keep things simple and make sure your diet is 100%. In regards to training master your execution for each movement and always have an eye on progressive resistance. The key is consistency in all elements. From the way you write about training and your training split I have no concerns about your plan and I can see you're on a good path and are very knowledgeable so I don't need to write half the things I do because you get it already!

I could write certain changes but quite frankly they would make little difference but one thing that stands out is all your working sets. Now I don't know your exact approach when it comes to performing all the sets you list but if they are all brutal sets I would look at limiting your working sets to just 1-2 per movement. I assume your plan just consists of working sets and no warm ups. For me when doing multiple exercises such as what you have listed I generally prefer to have 1 all out working set per movement (instead of 3-4). Although if movements are limited then I love the 1 lower rep working set followed by 1 higher rep working set (you do similar on incline presses). There are no wrong answers I would just be careful with the amount of working sets you implement especially when training 4 on 1 off. I think a good number of working sets is approx 10 per day but it can vary depending upon other variables.

Another thing could be just playing about with rotation. An example could be starting with calves and hams before quads. If you start with squats make sure you warm up effectively (calves, hams and hips etc are all warmed up and loose). I love the low volume on arms on push and pull days so stay with that. Short and intense so those supersets are great. I wouldn't take all 4 (8) sets to complete failure though. Your arm day looks good and you could even superset bi-ceps and tri-ceps together. Again watch out for working set volume. For me workign sets are when you can't do another half rep for reference as I know many may write "4 sets of 8-12 reps" but all 4 sets aren't to complete failure. If they are and you are literally going to hell on all sets I would lower that as you don't want to do too much (especially on 4 on 1 off).

If you are 15% bodyfat I would actually be trying to lose bodyfat and not "off season" even if cals are clean. Energy balance is the most important thing regardless of clean or dirty calories so if you are eating at a surplus you will gain weight. Ideally you want to get your bodyfat closer to 10%. See how you go on your plan and if needed lower calories slightly (carbs and/or fats) just to get that excess bodyfat off. Growing even with clean calories when starting at 15% bf is never ideal. 15% is about the max I would want most men to be when bulking so it gives you no room. Now if someone effectively "lean bulks" especially after they have been off then went on they could build muscle and maintain or even lose bodyfat at the same time. I don't know your past details so it's hard to comment. If you think you can grow and not put any bodyfat on or even lose it (perhaps you were off for awhile recently and relaxed your diet etc) then go for it. However for most I would want to see them start growing on a max of approx 12% bodyfat. Again I don't know your past and a picture (you can pm me) would tell me everything. Meaning some guys say they are 15% and they are really 20% but others are actually closer to about 12% so it can vary. The leaner you are when trying to grow the better though so never forget that.

Thanks a lot for the feedback bud!

Maybe I can expand my thought process here. Most of the compound moves you see for '2-3 sets' are taken to almost "failure", reason being safety. Most of these are barbell moves done on cheap rack with no safety, if i rack the bar too hard the rack itself might tip over. Most of the time I have to rack with a half a rep left or a shitty form rep left in tank. Another thing to notice is I'm coming to free weight movements after a long time. So there is the neurological adaptation factor? So I'm hitting mechanical failure before muscular failure?

You know the gun to the head analogy? Imagine if there was another guy with another gun to your head saying you also die if you don't re-rack the weight

So I have to make up for training like a pussy with additional volume.

But you may be on to something here as after the 2nd set there is a significant drop off in reps in the 3rd set. For example on Incline Bench 1st set 120x6, 2nd set 100x13 and 3rd set 100x6 with 3 min rest between each set. Will axe the 3rd set and report back.

Now speaking for the '4 sets' these are done with perfect execution and mind muscle connection moving the weight with the intended muscle as much as possible E.g flies done with straight arm stretch pause squeeze, etc with 1 minute rest in between to accumulate a lot of blood volume/metabolic stress in the muscle as much as i hate this fluffy shit (painful too). Its definitely paid off as opposed just pounding out heavy sets (muscle looks fuller? maybe placebo goes away if i don't keep doing these type of sets). With regards to failure with these volume sets, i honestly don't know, I keep going to till I cant get anymore the form I started with. Sure i can crank out another if i drop my elbows touch, etc but whats the point?

This covid shit is going to last a whole lot longer than we thought aswell. So if i do these methods I can progress for longer with the limited kit i have.

Finally with regards to frequency, I normally do 3 on 1 off 2 on 1 off. But seeing as we are in lockdown (UK) with the amount of food I'm eating, on cycle and limited equipment the chances of overtraining are very slim and i wanted to push it. So far i feel good If you think about it its almost oxygen gym like eat sleep train repeat. Not sure if you follow darren farell, jamie do rego, those boys train hard 2x a day and take 1 day off per week. So i thought i love training and might as well capitalise on this time haha.

But you are far more experienced than I am and can maybe chime in what you think

 

[b_cornelius]

Elv3, my time is about coming for this again. Test Undecanoate 750mg, Nortest Decanoate 600mg, then add the Trest Deca @100mg+. Lots of intelligent processes with peps and proteins.

 

[jeroendebleser]

You have a great set up. I have some basic bands and 1x 7.5kg db and that's it I did order some good looking bands which I thought was from a European site but they just sent me the tracking 2 weeks after ordering and it's coming from Singapore so will probably take ages

When I replied about arm training I assumed it was moreso for when the gyms are back open. In my head right now I automatically just assume most are maintaining (or improving condition) when it comes to training. However there is no reason why all of us can't improve with home workouts especially with a set up like yours. All you need is the basics and you have them. The bands should make a big difference for you though.

If you are at early development stages I would just keep things simple and make sure your diet is 100%. In regards to training master your execution for each movement and always have an eye on progressive resistance. The key is consistency in all elements. From the way you write about training and your training split I have no concerns about your plan and I can see you're on a good path and are very knowledgeable so I don't need to write half the things I do because you get it already!

I could write certain changes but quite frankly they would make little difference but one thing that stands out is all your working sets. Now I don't know your exact approach when it comes to performing all the sets you list but if they are all brutal sets I would look at limiting your working sets to just 1-2 per movement. I assume your plan just consists of working sets and no warm ups. For me when doing multiple exercises such as what you have listed I generally prefer to have 1 all out working set per movement (instead of 3-4). Although if movements are limited then I love the 1 lower rep working set followed by 1 higher rep working set (you do similar on incline presses). There are no wrong answers I would just be careful with the amount of working sets you implement especially when training 4 on 1 off. I think a good number of working sets is approx 10 per day but it can vary depending upon other variables.

Another thing could be just playing about with rotation. An example could be starting with calves and hams before quads. If you start with squats make sure you warm up effectively (calves, hams and hips etc are all warmed up and loose). I love the low volume on arms on push and pull days so stay with that. Short and intense so those supersets are great. I wouldn't take all 4 (8) sets to complete failure though. Your arm day looks good and you could even superset bi-ceps and tri-ceps together. Again watch out for working set volume. For me workign sets are when you can't do another half rep for reference as I know many may write "4 sets of 8-12 reps" but all 4 sets aren't to complete failure. If they are and you are literally going to hell on all sets I would lower that as you don't want to do too much (especially on 4 on 1 off).

If you are 15% bodyfat I would actually be trying to lose bodyfat and not "off season" even if cals are clean. Energy balance is the most important thing regardless of clean or dirty calories so if you are eating at a surplus you will gain weight. Ideally you want to get your bodyfat closer to 10%. See how you go on your plan and if needed lower calories slightly (carbs and/or fats) just to get that excess bodyfat off. Growing even with clean calories when starting at 15% bf is never ideal. 15% is about the max I would want most men to be when bulking so it gives you no room. Now if someone effectively "lean bulks" especially after they have been off then went on they could build muscle and maintain or even lose bodyfat at the same time. I don't know your past details so it's hard to comment. If you think you can grow and not put any bodyfat on or even lose it (perhaps you were off for awhile recently and relaxed your diet etc) then go for it. However for most I would want to see them start growing on a max of approx 12% bodyfat. Again I don't know your past and a picture (you can pm me) would tell me everything. Meaning some guys say they are 15% and they are really 20% but others are actually closer to about 12% so it can vary. The leaner you are when trying to grow the better though so never forget that.

My resistance bands came from China and it took 3 weeks for them to get here. I don't really understand why all of these resistance bands have to come from the East

 

[Elvia1023]

That's exactly how I would do things. If you don't have a spotter and can't go to true failure on certain exercises I would always bump up the volume of hard sets slightly. I do the same so may do 2 hard sets as opposed to one set to complete failure. There are no wrong answers so just do what you feel is best and adjust if needed. As long as you are going to (or close to) failure on a few movements per body part you are fine. We all want to do the best we possibly can but I find we can all be guilty of overcomplicating things at times. The key is just having a good plan and being consistent with everything and you will be fine.

You are spot on with what you state and you should always be trying to maintain perfect form throughout a set. Obviously when we fatigue things can alter slightly and that is fine as well as long as you don't get too sloppy (as you state whats the point). Although we can set up safely and when form is going to break I may even finish with partial reps on some final sets to safely increase intensity.

Some people's idea of "fluff" I wouldn't count as it because it's highly effective. Not every set has to be huge weight with a compound movement for example. I rotate methods but generally I like to include some "pump" work usually at the end of a body part. Those sets may still be to failure or they could be 2-4 sets close to failure on the same movement with minimal rest between and high reps just to get as much blood into the muscle as possible. It's definitely not placebo feeling fuller after doing them and I think they have other beneficial effects. The bread and butter are the big weight main movements but there is definitely room for some isolation and pump work. Just keep it at certain times and relatively low volume and not like others were they just do set after set of fluff.

Overtraining obviously exists but I definitely don't feel like many on the subject and they think if you go over 1 hour in the gym you are overtraining. I understand some guys want to be as time effective as possible but our bodies adapt and we can take them to extremes at times. The key is mainly how our diet and sleep are set up. Many are stressed, work many hours, don't eat optimally so for them training hard daily it's just going to cause issues over time. At a time like this when you can probably sleep lot's and don't have too much going on and can prepare your meals easily then you could train to the extreme if you really wanted to. Although that's were productivity come into things as well. More is not always more and some common sense needs to be used at times. Just do what you like and eat and sleep to support that volume/intensity.

It's funny you bring up oxygen gym as that is another good example of not overcomplicating training. Many guys over there get great results because they can basically sleep and eat all day. But just looking at training solely many of them just completely destroy a body part and it goes against what many think but it shows how some just overcomplicate training. Obviously you don't want to go too crazy but you can push your body to the extreme and the more you can sleep and eat then you should be gtg. Just use common sense and have the occasional break. I see some guys over there and they will do multiple sets close to failure (or to complete failure) on every single movement and they do at least 7 movements and often many are exactly the same. So they do a seated chest press then a machine flat chest press, then another seated chest press, then an incline one, another incline, machine flyes, cable flyes etc. It's literally just using every piece of equipment and not even worrying about sequence and overtraining and just destroying a bodypart. Whilst it may not be the smartest approach is can still work if all you do afterwards is eat, lay about and sleep.

Thanks a lot for the feedback bud!

Maybe I can expand my thought process here. Most of the compound moves you see for '2-3 sets' are taken to almost "failure", reason being safety. Most of these are barbell moves done on cheap rack with no safety, if i rack the bar too hard the rack itself might tip over. Most of the time I have to rack with a half a rep left or a shitty form rep left in tank. Another thing to notice is I'm coming to free weight movements after a long time. So there is the neurological adaptation factor? So I'm hitting mechanical failure before muscular failure?

You know the gun to the head analogy? Imagine if there was another guy with another gun to your head saying you also die if you don't re-rack the weight

So I have to make up for training like a pussy with additional volume.

But you may be on to something here as after the 2nd set there is a significant drop off in reps in the 3rd set. For example on Incline Bench 1st set 120x6, 2nd set 100x13 and 3rd set 100x6 with 3 min rest between each set. Will axe the 3rd set and report back.

Now speaking for the '4 sets' these are done with perfect execution and mind muscle connection moving the weight with the intended muscle as much as possible E.g flies done with straight arm stretch pause squeeze, etc with 1 minute rest in between to accumulate a lot of blood volume/metabolic stress in the muscle as much as i hate this fluffy shit (painful too). Its definitely paid off as opposed just pounding out heavy sets (muscle looks fuller? maybe placebo goes away if i don't keep doing these type of sets). With regards to failure with these volume sets, i honestly don't know, I keep going to till I cant get anymore the form I started with. Sure i can crank out another if i drop my elbows touch, etc but whats the point?

This covid shit is going to last a whole lot longer than we thought aswell. So if i do these methods I can progress for longer with the limited kit i have.

Finally with regards to frequency, I normally do 3 on 1 off 2 on 1 off. But seeing as we are in lockdown (UK) with the amount of food I'm eating, on cycle and limited equipment the chances of overtraining are very slim and i wanted to push it. So far i feel good If you think about it its almost oxygen gym like eat sleep train repeat. Not sure if you follow darren farell, jamie do rego, those boys train hard 2x a day and take 1 day off per week. So i thought i love training and might as well capitalise on this time haha.

But you are far more experienced than I am and can maybe chime in what you think

 

[Elvia1023]

My resistance bands came from China and it took 3 weeks for them to get here. I don't really understand why all of these resistance bands have to come from the East

I could have checked but I wasn't too bothered as I ordered bands from 2 different websites. But the way they had the website it definitely looked like they would be shipped from Europe. The whole website was in French and they had the country of France laid out in a graphic and translated as "French satisfaction service". I haven't even checked (googled the website) but I assume the person behind the website is in France and just uses suppliers in Singapore. Although it wouldn't surprise me if they whole website was registered in Asia. They even charged me 2 or 3 euro for shipping so even more reason why I thought it was local. So it was definitely a surprise when it stated Singapore on the tracking but not a huge surprise because many websites set up like that pretending to be based in Europe.

Hopefully I have them in 2 weeks but I am fine with the bands I have now so no major issue. I have been using my cheap ones and the more expensive good looking ones I barely touch. These new ones will be good for training back though due to the higher resistance and the attachment I can use behind a door. Although I am hoping the gyms will be open here in a few weeks and things are looking promising. Some countries in Europe will be easing restrictions soon.

 

[JJT]

That's exactly how I would do things. If you don't have a spotter and can't go to true failure on certain exercises I would always bump up the volume of hard sets slightly. I do the same so may do 2 hard sets as opposed to one set to complete failure. There are no wrong answers so just do what you feel is best and adjust if needed. As long as you are going to (or close to) failure on a few movements per body part you are fine. We all want to do the best we possibly can but I find we can all be guilty of overcomplicating things at times. The key is just having a good plan and being consistent with everything and you will be fine.

You are spot on with what you state and you should always be trying to maintain perfect form throughout a set. Obviously when we fatigue things can alter slightly and that is fine as well as long as you don't get too sloppy (as you state whats the point). Although we can set up safely and when form is going to break I may even finish with partial reps on some final sets to safely increase intensity.

Some people's idea of "fluff" I wouldn't count as it because it's highly effective. Not every set has to be huge weight with a compound movement for example. I rotate methods but generally I like to include some "pump" work usually at the end of a body part. Those sets may still be to failure or they could be 2-4 sets close to failure on the same movement with minimal rest between and high reps just to get as much blood into the muscle as possible. It's definitely not placebo feeling fuller after doing them and I think they have other beneficial effects. The bread and butter are the big weight main movements but there is definitely room for some isolation and pump work. Just keep it at certain times and relatively low volume and not like others were they just do set after set of fluff.

Overtraining obviously exists but I definitely don't feel like many on the subject and they think if you go over 1 hour in the gym you are overtraining. I understand some guys want to be as time effective as possible but our bodies adapt and we can take them to extremes at times. The key is mainly how our diet and sleep are set up. Many are stressed, work many hours, don't eat optimally so for them training hard daily it's just going to cause issues over time. At a time like this when you can probably sleep lot's and don't have too much going on and can prepare your meals easily then you could train to the extreme if you really wanted to. Although that's were productivity come into things as well. More is not always more and some common sense needs to be used at times. Just do what you like and eat and sleep to support that volume/intensity.

It's funny you bring up oxygen gym as that is another good example of not overcomplicating training. Many guys over there get great results because they can basically sleep and eat all day. But just looking at training solely many of them just completely destroy a body part and it goes against what many think but it shows how some just overcomplicate training. Obviously you don't want to go too crazy but you can push your body to the extreme and the more you can sleep and eat then you should be gtg. Just use common sense and have the occasional break. I see some guys over there and they will do multiple sets close to failure (or to complete failure) on every single movement and they do at least 7 movements and often many are exactly the same. So they do a seated chest press then a machine flat chest press, then another seated chest press, then an incline one, another incline, machine flyes, cable flyes etc. It's literally just using every piece of equipment and not even worrying about sequence and overtraining and just destroying a bodypart. Whilst it may not be the smartest approach is can still work if all you do afterwards is eat, lay about and sleep.

Nice to know I'm along the right lines although sometimes i wonder if we all overcomplicate this. DoRego recently did a podcast where he covers this training principles literally going to the gym and throwing the kitchen sink at it and then some. So many people specially in the U.K have downright adapted to low volume PPL and preach its the most "optimal way to train". But the progress these middle east boys are making is down right insane. For example here is Darren Farell being coached by Jamie Dorego:

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View this content on Instagram

Honestly man, what in the actual fuck.

For me John Meadows and Scott Stevenson has always been the voice of reason. They never mock anyone who does not train their preferred method and analyses and explains different training styles so most of us can understand. As you previously mentioned. Everything works!

Anywho, I've pinged you a PM with regards to some advice regards to nutrition and stuff. Would appreciate if you can grab a look. Ta

 

[Elvia1023]

Nice to know I'm along the right lines although sometimes i wonder if we all overcomplicate this. DoRego recently did a podcast where he covers this training principles literally going to the gym and throwing the kitchen sink at it and then some. So many people specially in the U.K have downright adapted to low volume PPL and preach its the most "optimal way to train". But the progress these middle east boys are making is down right insane. For example here is Darren Farell being coached by Jamie Dorego:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Honestly man, what in the actual fuck.

For me John Meadows and Scott Stevenson has always been the voice of reason. They never mock anyone who does not train their preferred method and analyses and explains different training styles so most of us can understand. As you previously mentioned. Everything works!

Anywho, I've pinged you a PM with regards to some advice regards to nutrition and stuff. Would appreciate if you can grab a look. Ta

I left a few pm's that require more time but I will reply to that later. I just wanted to quickly state many do overcomplicate training. Obviously everything is important and we want to train optimally but I think for most as long as they train hard and to failure using progressive resistance and they are consistent that is what is truly important. Many guys make it out if you do exercises in a certain order and do 8-10 reps there and over 15 at that time and add a band to this movement it somehow makes you mutate and it's nonsense. Obviously training is vital but look at so many of the "science guys" and they haven't changed using their comprehensive training programs. Basic and brutal training being smart about volume is most important plus I am very much a science guy in many ways and I am very detailed but try don't to get lost in the details.

It's the same for food in many ways but I eat for health as well but if you look at most of the biggest freaks out there they are literally eating chicken and rice for most meals an it's very basic. That is far from healthy but it's no nonsense and effective. The same goes for their training as well... basic and effective.

Lastly, the main reason why those guys mutate so much... well obviously it's everything combined. But it's not because they started doing a certain chest press or they upped the working sets to 15 from 12. It has nothing to do with minor training adjushments or using fancy machines. Whilst they do have an effect the main reasons are just consistency with diet and of course drugs. Then comes the tonnes of recovery time and laying about and resting and eating and that lifestyle is perfect for building muscle. Nutrition is everything and without it even with great training and high drugs you will never grow properly. Guys (including myself) should be putting more effort into their nutrition and staying consistent with it then any training plan. It should go without stating all elements need to be in place but most of us don't progress the way we want due to nutrition. I see loads of guys training hard but they don't eat right. So for many it's finding out why aren't they consistent with their nutrition and can they do things to make sure that doesn't happen again.

 

[JJT]

I left a few pm's that require more time but I will reply to that later. I just wanted to quickly state many do overcomplicate training. Obviously everything is important and we want to train optimally but I think for most as long as they train hard and to failure using progressive resistance and they are consistent that is what is truly important. Many guys make it out if you do exercises in a certain order and do 8-10 reps there and over 15 at that time and add a band to this movement it somehow makes you mutate and it's nonsense. Obviously training is vital but look at so many of the "science guys" and they haven't changed using their comprehensive training programs. Basic and brutal training being smart about volume is most important plus I am very much a science guy in many ways and I am very detailed but try don't to get lost in the details.

It's the same for food in many ways but I eat for health as well but if you look at most of the biggest freaks out there they are literally eating chicken and rice for most meals an it's very basic. That is far from healthy but it's no nonsense and effective. The same goes for their training as well... basic and effective.

Lastly, the main reason why those guys mutate so much... well obviously it's everything combined. But it's not because they started doing a certain chest press or they upped the working sets to 15 from 12. It has nothing to do with minor training adjushments or using fancy machines. Whilst they do have an effect the main reasons are just consistency with diet and of course drugs. Then comes the tonnes of recovery time and laying about and resting and eating and that lifestyle is perfect for building muscle. Nutrition is everything and without it even with great training and high drugs you will never grow properly. Guys (including myself) should be putting more effort into their nutrition and staying consistent with it then any training plan. It should go without stating all elements need to be in place but most of us don't progress the way we want due to nutrition. I see loads of guys training hard but they don't eat right. So for many it's finding out why aren't they consistent with their nutrition and can they do things to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Amen brother! Could not have said it any better. I've been a PubMed wank myself but end of the day Broscience "worked" better for me in terms long term adherence, better consistency and pure enjoyment. Wether that be training or nutrition. I feel most people start with broscience and get more and more into the rabbit hole of the "evidence based community", yet most of their gains came when they followed broscience.

No worries on the PM mate, did not mean to be pest. Just made sure you received it as it was my first time sending one lol

 

[Elvia1023]

Things are good but I guess you could state I have been a bit unlucky. Well not unlucky as I obviously pushed training too hard the last time I updated. The day after training I woke up and all my ribcage (back and front) was extremely sore. I am 100% certain it's from the intense cardio I done. I didn't train with the bands that hard especially when doing back and I have never had this injury before. I must have strained my intercostal muscles between my ribs when I was going crazy on the bike. It's hard to explain but it felt like my ribs had been crushed/squeezed in. It was surprisngly bad and I struggled to get up from a lying position and was in a lot of pain. It lasted about 1 week as well which surprised me. As a result I didn't train and just took it easy and got lazy again.

The last few days I had planned to train but didn't so tonight I said to myself just start and be productive so I trained for about 90 mins starting at midnight which will fuck up my routine but it's not like it makes much difference at his time. From now on I will do some form of training everyday (as I posted last time). Tonight was mainly abs, some arms, pushups and calves. I hadn't done abs in awhile so I started with them and pushed it with multiple sets to failure. Arms were just with my light db with 25 reps sets rotating left to right and about 5 movements each. Push ups with different hand positions and abotu 10 sets to failure so I pushed it. Calves were multiple unilateral sets with my db then a giant set with both legs of over 300 reps changing form every 25-10 reps. I finished calves with some donkey calf raises. At the end were my usual stretches to keep my lower back loose.

I will do some band and db work tomorrow and intense cardio. I did actually did cardo the other day and it felt great. Only issue my gf has somehow managed to break the seat on my exercise bike so it's stuck on the lowest setting and I am 6ft 2 so it's far from ideal. It also makes it harder for me to generate power but it's still fine. As I was recovering from my injury I did do the same HIT style but instead of highs on level 32 I kept it at 28 and would go down to level 5 when trying to lower my heart rate. Although I done 5 intervals this time and after the 5th I kept it on level 10 for 3 or 4 mins and it was brutal. I genuinely felt like crying and would involuntary laugh but I love the feeling of pushing myself that way. When I stopped my legs totally gave and were pumped up back to front. I plan to do this every week even when I am back in the gym as it's a new way to push myself and I can see how effective it would be especially when combined with effective weight training.

I have ended up just using 150mg test e every 5 days and will stick at that dose. Even with minimal training I am holding ok but due to the many takeaways I noticed my stomach getting softer. When your abs go it makes such a big difference to your overall look because the rest of me hasn't changed a great deal just downsized slightly. So now I can train daily and my nutrition is on point I know my waist will tighten up super fast and I will look much sharper. I am not too bothered about downsizing because within 2 weeks of being on blast again and upping protein and being in the gym I will be back to normal so it's nothing major. The next month or so is just about getting in very good condition and getting my cardiovascular fitness up. My diet today consisted of...

4 whole eggs, 100g lean pork, onions, mushrooms, peppers and walnut bread.
1 apple, 1 kiwi, oats, mixed berries, 2 scoops of synthepure and water.
Beef mince, pineapple and basmati rice.
INTRA- 4 scoops of EAA's.
2 protein puddings, 1 banana, grapes and strawberries.
Beef mince, beans, rice, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach.

Snacks have been 2 squares of 87% dark chocolate before I trained and strawberries after a few of my meals.

Eating like the above when I am training daily will have me looking sharp fairly quickly. I tend to carb cycle so some days will be higher than others and I will throw in some low days. My low days are done with pretty much getting rid of rice (and beans) but keeping fruit in. Depending upon the meals I may also just stick to mainly low carb high fibre fruits (berries) but will throw in some pineapple and kiwi.

 

[Elvia1023]

I have been meaning to post for a few days. I trained hard 2 days in a row then had a few days off. I find it hard to motivate myself to train at home which is stupid. On the few days I had off I told myself every night that I would get up and train fasted but never did. I am sure many can relate but I sometimes wish I had the up and go of some people but I will work on that. I write it is stupid because within 10 mins of training I always feel amazing and have a great workout. I have been using some pre workout powder before sessions to help matters recently. All my sessions tend to be high volume and cover my entire body so the preworkout powder definitely comes in handy. Today I got up and I had 1 scoop of Excelsior and ended up training fasted for about 2 hours.

Resistance bands... various movements (back, shoulders, arms etc).
DB... various movements (arms, shoulders, back etc).
Suitcase... I put my 7.5kg db and some filled water bottles into a suitcase and done some heavy weight bi-cep curls, front raises and lateral raises.
Push ups.
Abs.
Bodyweight and DB... Calf Raises, Stiff Leg Deadlifts, Squats, Split Squats, Lunges etc.
Stretches.

No cardio today but I have been doing it every other training day. The same thing and HIT with the blasts lasting approx 30 secs on level 32 with maximum power and then I get my heart rate down on level 5. I usually end after a blast on level 32 and put it down to level 10 and pedal at a steady but moderate pace for about 3-5 mins which is complete torture. I genuinely struggle to get off the bike when I finish and I can't walk but it feels amazing. The only issue is the seat is broken and I can't lift it up so it's on the lowest setting. It's too much tension for my knees and they have hurt occasionally after sessions which they never do so I know I can't carry on doing the same. When the gym reopens I will just have to do my cardio there and keep home sessions minimal and less intense (steady state on approx level 10).

Today included a lot of sets and I was drenched in sweat at the end. Push ups are multiple sets of 30-10 reps using different hand positions and techniques. Although I am trying to increase the number of reps I can do in one set. At the end of push ups I rested for a few mins and tried a max rep set and got 59 reps. I saw Kali Muscle get over 100 reps and I definitely think I can beat that over time. It's only about the 6th day of doing them in years so I will continue to progress.

I added in HCG mainly for cosmetic reasons and literally because the vial has been in my fridge for years so I figured just use it. I am doing 500iu every 5 days and I dose it the night before my 150mg test e injections.

A few days ago I ordered a pair of 20kg dumbbells. A bit late but I saw them online and they were only $60 and free shipping so I will have them soon. I can use the suitcase with heavy objects in but 2 db's are much easier for obvious reasons so will definitely come in handy. My training has been great at home but I am getting a bit bored of the bands. I am still waiting for my other bands to come as well.

Tomorrow I will do more of the same but less volume and cardio at the end.

 

[johnjuanb1]

Tomorrow’s workout:
- standing Flex curls
- standing military Flex press
- lying Flex extensions
- Flex squats
- weighted Flex pushups

 

[Elvia1023]

Tomorrow’s workout:
- standing Flex curls
- standing military Flex press
- lying Flex extensions
- Flex squats
- weighted Flex pushups
View attachment 115796

I did actually squat with him the other day I can't do abs with him in the room because he just constantly tries to lick my face and arms

 

[johnjuanb1]

I did actually squat with him the other day I can't do abs with him in the room because he just constantly tries to lick my face and arms

I haven’t done abs since the gym shut down. But I’m dieting hardcore so my abs are starting to show.