OVERTRAINING!?

[comingup]

I want to get the most out of my workouts, we all do, thats the point. The problem is I see so much conflicting info on training. Some say 5 days on 2 days off, some say every other day to let the nervous system recover. Whats the ideal schedule?? I know everyones different but some guidelines would help.

Also, I hear some people say they go to failure for 16 sets of chest and it works...which is what im doing now. But I also hear, do 2 or 3 working sets a week for any body part and that will allow you to recover and grow better. Your experiences may give me a better understanding of how to rework my training to get the max benefit.

I just want to get the most out of my cycle, its my first time....200mg a week test cyp.

Thanks for any help!

 

[notsobig32]

I guess i can save all the trying to talk you out of taking super supplements before you have a firm understanding of what you are doing in the gym and nutrition wise. So that being said, if you are truly looking to get the most out of your training, you may want to consider hiring a personal trainer. Phil Hernon is member of this board and i am sure that he could help you out.

A lot of what you are asking is specific to each person and you need to discover it for yourself. Personally i am good for 4 days a week and might bump it up to 5 occasionally. Normally i go 4 though.

 

[tkav1980]

DC training! or hire phil hernon. i pay for phils services so i wont tell you what he has me doing but its a great investment. dc works off of the same bacis principles that phil does...actually from what ive seen, and keep in mind this is personal opinion, all of the top guys in the field, like Phil and Dante, all follow the same basic set of principles. they do this because it works, plain and simple.

 

[jfunk316]

I would say hire Phil because everyone has gotten more than their money worth out of him. If you are not going to hire an online trainer I would suggest reading on the DC training. At least learn the principles and adopt you workouts based on them.

I typically only lift 3-4 days per week and the volume is a lot lower than my 5 day 20 sets + per day I was doing and the results are SO MUCH better now.

 

[comingup]

Thanks for the info guys...I have been working out for like 5 years, i'm about 228 and 10-11% body fat. My problem is that I dont gain muscle easily and I don't keep it well when i get it....thats why I wanted to get on a bit of test.

I know the exercizes and how to do them well, I know the food but don't always practice it as i love to eat for taste not just nutrition but I just wanted to get a feel for what works best....ill take a look at the DC program and definately consider hiring Phil, thanks guys!

 

[kjreid]

look at the sticky thread by Big A "growth principles for beginners". by no means am I calling anyone a beginner but it has very good information on muscle growth.

 

[comingup]

yeah, thats actually what brought this thread about....I read it and I wasnt sure what to think. It went against a lot of what iI have been spoonfed about nutrition and lifting.

Eat 500g of protein and 300g of carbs or less....only do a few working sets! I was just interested to see what other did! Thanks again for the comments.

 

[whiteknucks]

look at the sticky thread by Big A "growth principles for beginners". by no means am I calling anyone a beginner but it has very good information on muscle growth.

bump for big a's growth principles

 

[tkav1980]

yeah, thats actually what brought this thread about....I read it and I wasnt sure what to think. It went against a lot of what iI have been spoonfed about nutrition and lifting.

Eat 500g of protein and 300g of carbs or less....only do a few working sets! I was just interested to see what other did! Thanks again for the comments.

follow big a's advice to the letter. trust me. if you have questions feel free to pm me.

 

[Pekkerwood]

ComingUP:

Over the last ten or fifteen years the biggest change in my workout has been less sets over all and less worksets. I do at most a third of the total work of my previous workouts. Results? Better gains. It was the absolute hardest thing to get through my thick skull.

You've been given great advice already, Phil, Dante, and Big A all have great advice posted here from free and at least Phil is available on an ongoing basis for personal consults. Good Luck.

 

[oldfella]

frequency, volume etc are all relative to experience. I might work 12 days in a row and then have a couiple of rest days. I might go only 5 days and then have a rest day. See what I mean. I might do 9 sets for chest one workout and 12 the next. But for a beginner more is not better. I would follow the growth for beginners thread as it lays down some great guidlines to folow and will produce great results if given a chance to work.

 

[HeavyHands]

I was working off of the Growth Principles for Beginners training for quite some time with really nice success. Now that I have hired Phil, however, I feel I am making the best/most consistent progress of my life.

 

[tkav1980]

I was working off of the Growth Principles for Beginners training for quite some time with really nice success. Now that I have hired Phil, however, I feel I am making the best/most consistent progress of my life.

just so everyone knows what Phil teaches you is common sence. theres no magic secrete. yeah he is awesome at manipulating diet based on the results you get but the program just makes sence. i had my questions when we started but i hardly talk to phil now...i let the program do its job...when it comes time to prep for a show im sure well talk more but its so easy right now. honestly its the best money youll ever spend.

 

[Steve123]

I swear you can make progress just by applying Dante's stretching protocalls to your workout if nothing more.