training... back to basics?

LK3 · Sep 19, 2017

guys...
i have been struggling to write this post.
i have been struggling to get back into the gym. lol

last year when i kind of peaked where i was at and needed some time off, things got a lil extended. a few weeks off turned into months off, where are we??? september... shit, i think i stopped around march/april.. so 5-6 months.

5-6 months of not doing shit.
well been busy with life stuff.

need to get back into things. need to reassess where im at.

that is like the first thing to training.
figure out where you are at, then make a goal!

now this training thing.. this gym thing.. this is for life! lol
for me..
i think.

physcial work makes me feel better.
its taken a long time to figure that out but it is the truth, without hard work without the gym my life goes to shit. i end up doing all kinds of other stuff. yeah. other...

my life is not stable
i am not stable
i have been in and out of the gym a lot, starting over from all kinds of possitions. i have started big, fat, small, skinny, crazy and everywhere in the middle.
now...
im old! lol well trying to be.
i have realized i have taken the whole gym thing to plenty of unhealthy extremes. yes, that makes me nervous as do all the other variables that i have added to it.

so now. im just trying to be "healthy" lol

well my version of.
so i need to get back to the gym. back to basics.

this is life shit!
it is not cycle shit!

the cycle...
the cycle is this endless training cycle!

that is what its supposed to be!
when it comes down to it, if you have done this for a long time you see it is just that... this long progressive evolution, a training cycle! sculpting a new you!

that is what most of us are here for, that to me is the reality of all of this, carving a new image of us!

that image changes over time, thats ok.

we see lots of examples of guys here of all ages who have done this, guys who explained pure and simple how to get from A to B.

and really it is quite simple, boaring mindless hard work.
go lift weights
lift bigger weights eat more food get more you!

really 100% it is that simple.

the problem is people over complicate it!

look at this entire page!
it basically all bs about drugs this that n the other...
i know, i get it, they are fun cool blah balh balh. but no joke... the drugs mean shit!

i know, i tried them! all, all of them, at the same time at different times whatever. tried them all. use your imagination, sure they can help sure they can hurt, really we need to take the mystery out of all of them.

drugs are not the answer!

i even proved this to myself, repeatedly actually.
i spent about a year on npp/mast/test, hadnt really used aas in some time. i did it for a reason. i stopped for a reason.

now i feel like shit! i feel that the drugs sort of allowed me to be lazy, get a good look minus the real work! i feel like i need to get back to training!

training:headbang:
my trianing... shit
i am in no shape for this! lol
i am old, brittle broken and delicate!
i need to work on cardio! need that heart rate up, need to work on lungs... i smoke way too fucking much... need to work on that and redo all of my supps...

so maybe ill share a little of the back to basics in an on going way...
maybe some of my friends can help out with suggestions or just talk about back to basics training!:lightbulb:

we are supposed to be strong, fit ATHLETES!

self assessment is where this all starts.

how to plan a training cycle?
what is a training cycle?
how and when do we add "supplements" to that? and why?

lets start there!

help me out!

:headbang:

Matsuo Munefusa · Sep 19, 2017

when I am in between really intense training phases for the sport I play....I go back to basics with weightlifting....because I love to weightlift.

As I got older I noticed I couldn't just jump back in deadlifting and squatting my ass off and feel even halfway decent for the rest of life during the week (work, hobbies, family time, etc).

So when I phase back into weightlifting 100% I choose to do a HIIT routine with machines mainly. I can go quickly from machine to machine and do a full body workout in 45 minutes. Top it off with 30 minutes of cardio and I am in and out of gym in under 2 hours. 3x/week and you're good (throw 1-2 more cardio sessions on off days and you have 4-5 cardio seshs and 3 weight sessions/week). This is great for functional strength and maintaining athleticism.

Maybe some kind of approach like this would work for you LK!? Much easier on your joints than trying to go for PRs on overhead barbell press, deadlift, etc.

And of course......up your IM curc!!!!! :headbang:

ALLEX · Sep 19, 2017

You sound weird. Are you ok?

Anyways...

A/B training MON/WED/FRI

A:

- Leg Press - 3x15
- Leg Curl - 3x15
- Standing Calves - 3x20
- Seated Calves - 3x20

B:

- Push-ups - 3x12
- Close grip push-ups - 3x12
- Pull-ups - 3xMax
- Chin-ups - 3xMax
- Lateral raises - 3x15

Finish with 20 min on step machine.

40 min brisk walk when off the gym.

juggy38 · Sep 19, 2017

I like 2 way DC.

I always have to re read dantes posts....basically just get retard strong in the 8-12 rep range for upper body and 12-20 for legs

I just imagine a guy on hack squat with 4 plates per side pumping out 17 reps with a controlled 3 second eccentric.....he's gonna habe BIG fucking legs

MAD_SCIENTIST · Sep 19, 2017

LK3 said:
guys...
i have been struggling to write this post.
i have been struggling to get back into the gym. lol

last year when i kind of peaked where i was at and needed some time off, things got a lil extended. a few weeks off turned into months off, where are we??? september... shit, i think i stopped around march/april.. so 5-6 months.

5-6 months of not doing shit.
well been busy with life stuff.

need to get back into things. need to reassess where im at.

that is like the first thing to training.
figure out where you are at, then make a goal!

now this training thing.. this gym thing.. this is for life! lol
for me..
i think.

physcial work makes me feel better.
its taken a long time to figure that out but it is the truth, without hard work without the gym my life goes to shit. i end up doing all kinds of other stuff. yeah. other...
my life is not stable
i am not stable
i have been in and out of the gym a lot, starting over from all kinds of possitions. i have started big, fat, small, skinny, crazy and everywhere in the middle.
now...
im old! lol well trying to be.
i have realized i have taken the whole gym thing to plenty of unhealthy extremes. yes, that makes me nervous as do all the other variables that i have added to it.

so now. im just trying to be "healthy" lol
well my version of.
so i need to get back to the gym. back to basics.

this is life shit!
it is not cycle shit!

the cycle...
the cycle is this endless training cycle!

that is what its supposed to be!
when it comes down to it, if you have done this for a long time you see it is just that... this long progressive evolution, a training cycle! sculpting a new you!

that is what most of us are here for, that to me is the reality of all of this, carving a new image of us!

that image changes over time, thats ok.

we see lots of examples of guys here of all ages who have done this, guys who explained pure and simple how to get from A to B.

and really it is quite simple, boaring mindless hard work.
go lift weights
lift bigger weights eat more food get more you!

really 100% it is that simple.

the problem is people over complicate it!

look at this entire page!
it basically all bs about drugs this that n the other...
i know, i get it, they are fun cool blah balh balh. but no joke... the drugs mean shit!

i know, i tried them! all, all of them, at the same time at different times whatever. tried them all. use your imagination, sure they can help sure they can hurt, really we need to take the mystery out of all of them.

drugs are not the answer!

i even proved this to myself, repeatedly actually.
i spent about a year on npp/mast/test, hadnt really used aas in some time. i did it for a reason. i stopped for a reason.

now i feel like shit! i feel that the drugs sort of allowed me to be lazy, get a good look minus the real work! i feel like i need to get back to training!

training:headbang:
my trianing... shit
i am in no shape for this! lol
i am old, brittle broken and delicate!
i need to work on cardio! need that heart rate up, need to work on lungs... i smoke way too fucking much... need to work on that and redo all of my supps...

so maybe ill share a little of the back to basics in an on going way...
maybe some of my friends can help out with suggestions or just talk about back to basics training!:lightbulb:

we are supposed to be strong, fit ATHLETES!

self assessment is where this all starts.

how to plan a training cycle?
what is a training cycle?
how and when do we add "supplements" to that? and why?

lets start there!

help me out!

:headbang:

Hi LK3. Wow...your post seemed so poem-ish. Kind of like a super long Haiku. You got some deep thoughts going for yourself. Good luck on this journey and we got the best on this board to help get you there.
Take care.
MS

thethinker48 · Sep 19, 2017

I never understood why people didn't train the way THEY wanted to train.

Basically had a blast in the gym.

Most of us aren't gunning for the the nationals or to be competitive on stage. I am fortunate (and unfortunate

) enough to go into the gym with the sheer mentality of beating my logbook numbers. That's what I love to do (I blame Dante for messing me up at an early age

).

People should train the way they like to train, and have fun with it. Will it be the most optimal? It depends on many things.

There's plenty of different good training programs out there. Fortitude Training and John Meadows's stuff comes to mind; check them out. You can adjust your intensity so you don't go comatose in real life either

1234trew · Sep 19, 2017

LK3 said:
and really it is quite simple, boaring mindless hard work.
go lift weights
lift bigger weights eat more food get more you!

really 100% it is that simple.

:headbang:

I don't know your age but at a certain point, bigger weights and more food no longer fit into the equation. There is a happy medium.

brownbanana · Sep 19, 2017

You are over complicating it.

We are always a lost and confused before we find our bearings. That is normal.

This as well as everything else in life is gradual progress. First, get to the gym and start at a level you can manage easily. If you only train one muscle group, that is perfectly fine. Throw in 20 minutes of cardio after lifting. Add 5 minutes to cardio starting the second week. Work your way up.

Structure and environment are more comfortable when they seem familiar to us. What is in our control and what is outside of our control is essential to finding stability.

Controlling what you put into your body is exercising control. Don't just exercise your muscles - exercise your ability of conscious will. Remind yourself of that before each time you train. That is, you are training more than just your body - you are also training your freedom of will.

More and more, what is unfamiliar will become familiar to you.

I think getting back to basics has a deeper meaning that just basic training. It also has to do with finding your center.

To be more precise, given this is a bodybuilding forum. Start with this:

Monday: legs (this will remind of consequences of weekend partying)
Tuesday: chest
Wednesday: back
Thursday: shoulders
Friday: arms

As for Diet (remember this is also an exercise of conscious control)

Meal 1: eggs and toast
Meal 2: cottage cheese and a serving of fruit
Meal 3: chicken and rice
Meal 4: Greek yogurt (Whey protein mixed in / 20 almonds) pre-workout meal))
Meal 5: steak and a salad
Meal 6: cottage cheese

Split them 2.5 to 3 hours apart.

My diet and exercise is just an example of how simple you can make it.

brutus69 · Sep 19, 2017

thethinker48;2525694[B said:
]I never understood why people didn't train the way THEY wanted to train.
[/B]
Basically had a blast in the gym.

Most of us aren't gunning for the the nationals or to be competitive on stage. I am fortunate (and unfortunate ) enough to go into the gym with the sheer mentality of beating my logbook numbers. That's what I love to do (I blame Dante for messing me up at an early age ).

People should train the way they like to train, and have fun with it. Will it be the most optimal? It depends on many things.

There's plenty of different good training programs out there. Fortitude Training and John Meadows's stuff comes to mind; check them out. You can adjust your intensity so you don't go comatose in real life either

exactly. i love training heavy, or we'll say 6-10 reps compound, 12-15 arms and calves.
switched to volume, lightened the loads cuz thats what everyone else was doing, and ended up LOOKING like everyone else...small and weak.
so fuck that. i like heavy. i like low volume and higher frequency. not dc style all out but a saner version, like this. https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-muscle-building-workout-routine/
so much more fun again for me at my age and on trt im not gonna destroy myself for 90 minutes doing back day and chest day, etc.
push/pull/legs. the end. simple. plus i changed gyms so i dont have the social scene like i did before which means i hung out talking for an hour. ok, i still do that here too cuz why not? real friends are always better than internet forum strangers.

heavyhitter · Sep 19, 2017

I kind of recently felt the same way. Went back to DC three way split a couple months ago. Less volume, focus on compound movements, progressing the log book. And honestly its been great. I was feeling really beat up. Joints hurt, everything cracked and made noises. Since lowering my volume ive gotten stronger, feeling less pain in joints and tendons, and have put on about 5 pounds(doesn't sound like much but after years and years of banging away at this 5 pounds is huge to me). Its been great. Following something dante recently posted too and im pounding protein, doing a moderate amount of cardio a couple days a week, running a very small amount of t3(15-25 mcgs) to help keep me lean(Its actually increased my appetite too which is always a problem for me) and timing carbs around my workout

BALDNAZI · Sep 19, 2017

Great thread old friend. Had my shoulder surgery a week ago (elbow and knee surgery coming up as well) so I will be coming back in the spring of next year at the earliest. I'm miserable right now, muscle is disappearing fast BUT I'm thinking big picture. Why? Back about 10 years ago when my liver gave out I was at rock bottom, recovering from surgery and small as fuck. I lost every ounce of muscle I ever put on, down to 190lbs which is super skinny on my frame. Scrawny as fuck.

Long story short, within 2 years I shot up to 305lbs. Bigger and stronger then ever. How? HRT dose of 200mg test cyp/week, lots of food and very basic, heavy DC training 3 days a week. At some point I lost my way and let higher doses and more complicated training take over and things just went nowhere and regressed in a lot of ways over time.

My point is your point. BACK TO BASICS. I'm just like you and so many of us, more is better and we forget what got us there. We rely on drugs to do all the work. At some point we must face truth. And thats where your at right now.
Same for me. You will love your comeback if you do it right.

As for me, I'm not doing anything besides cardio during the next few months of recovery. HRT down to 100mg/week(maybe even drop it for a couple months and just do hcg with arimidex to completely rewire), and IF 16/8 diet the rest of the way. I don't care how small I get, fuck it. Because when my comeback starts, fuck everybody lol. I will be healthier then ever and look fucking awesome.

You can do this my brother, just do it right. Looking forward to the feedback you will be getting.

OutToLunch · Sep 19, 2017

Been doing 4 sessions per week. Two full body as well as an upper and lower. Hitting everything 3x per week. Really liking it so far.

rmtt · Sep 20, 2017

thethinker48 said:
I never understood why people didn't train the way THEY wanted to train.

Basically had a blast in the gym.

Most of us aren't gunning for the the nationals or to be competitive on stage. I am fortunate (and unfortunate ) enough to go into the gym with the sheer mentality of beating my logbook numbers. That's what I love to do (I blame Dante for messing me up at an early age ).

People should train the way they like to train, and have fun with it. Will it be the most optimal? It depends on many things.

There's plenty of different good training programs out there. Fortitude Training and John Meadows's stuff comes to mind; check them out. You can adjust your intensity so you don't go comatose in real life either

Same here. I'm back into it after being out of the gym for a long time. Kept my diet in check, but no lifting at all. When I was training, I was using a Wendler routine and found out my body liked it.

Now that I've got a few serous months back under my belt, I'm doing a variation of a Wendler program. Its called nsuns 5/3/1.

Its a 5 day program with two programmed compound lifts per workout. Every time you make your weights and sets, you increase your weights depending on how many reps you hit on your last set which is a AMAP (As many reps as possible) set.

Each compound lift gets a strength and volume workout with different weights/rep scheme.

You keep progressing until you stall for a couple of weeks, then reset about 10% lower on your training maxes and start over, change to a different variation of the main lift, etc.

Anything after your main lifts are considered accessory exercises to work on your weak points. As many or as few as you want. But you pick those.

Biggest thing I like is that most people I talked with superset push/pull set for set for shoulder health and imbalances.

For example on bench day one it's strength for bench and volume for overhead press. After every bench set I do a "rowing" exercise like db rows, bent rows, etc....whatever I feel like. Then on overhead press, I do the same....pull up, pull down, whatever is the opposite of the motion I just performed.

Legs are just pounded with squats and I will add core work in. Then you have deadlift day which is the compound lift for that day, but you can add in trap work.

Every workout you set your accessory exercises as you want, don't really have to log them if you don't want.

The program is built around squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press....that is where you want to make your progress.

Run as many days as you can until you need a rest day, then pick up with the next workout.

There is even a cool app on Android for it. I just set my maxes for the main lifts, and it sets everything up for me so all I have to do is go into the gym, do what is listed, and try to beat the logbook on the last set when it prompts me to. Then it automatically increases my weights the correct amount for the next workout.

It's pretty brutal once you get into heavy poundage, but you can always do the reset listed above, or even incorporate a deload week into it.

Plus I include a lot of band work and face pulls into it for my shoulders.

My body really responds well to it, but you need to make sure your diet and sleep are on point for proper recovery!

Sent from my LG-H871 using Tapatalk

Girth · Sep 20, 2017

Been away for a while due to life events, but when I see a good bro call out for help, I gotta jump in. There is so much good advice here from some guys that have been around the block a few times.

When I see LK3's post, I don't see a request for, "do this or that"....I see a man searching for a reason to make himself WANT to treat himself right. That is step 1....identify the reason that YOU want to do this. LK3 has just as much knowledge on training/diet as anyone. He knows what to do. More importantly, he knows what to do FOR HIM. At least he/we all should at some point.

So back to "what is driving ME?" For some it's vanity, for some it's control, for others it's an escape from the everyday. It doesn't matter, but what does matter is that it's so important to you that you will not trade it for anything, and will do what it takes to achieve it........EVERY day.

"Back to basics" is kind of covered above with training and diet. But the truth is, that after some 4 years of solid training, you are 95-98% of the way there. It's at that point you have to hold on to that desire and ONE thing that is driving you.

Is what we enjoy doing "normal". HELL NO. You can't live as a normal person if you don't want to look and feel like one. Sorry to say it, but if you think you can, then you are either seriously far from your potential or just aren't all in/all the time.

I could ramble on forever, but the point is this. LK3/we all have to identify our driving force/feeling. Know what delivers that, and then find the most efficient way to attain it. And I'm sorry, but those who want to be their best will often find that they become isolated in such that few others have such desire. Thus they can't stand with or understand the level of dedication some of us have.

BALDNAZI · Sep 20, 2017

Girth said:
Been away for a while due to life events, but when I see a good bro call out for help, I gotta jump in. There is so much good advice here from some guys that have been around the block a few times.

When I see LK3's post, I don't see a request for, "do this or that"....I see a man searching for a reason to make himself WANT to treat himself right. That is step 1....identify the reason that YOU want to do this. LK3 has just as much knowledge on training/diet as anyone. He knows what to do. More importantly, he knows what to do FOR HIM. At least he/we all should at some point.

So back to "what is driving ME?" For some it's vanity, for some it's control, for others it's an escape from the everyday. It doesn't matter, but what does matter is that it's so important to you that you will not trade it for anything, and will do what it takes to achieve it........EVERY day.

"Back to basics" is kind of covered above with training and diet. But the truth is, that after some 4 years of solid training, you are 95-98% of the way there. It's at that point you have to hold on to that desire and ONE thing that is driving you.

Is what we enjoy doing "normal". HELL NO. You can't live as a normal person if you don't want to look and feel like one. Sorry to say it, but if you think you can, then you are either seriously far from your potential or just aren't all in/all the time.

I could ramble on forever, but the point is this. LK3/we all have to identify our driving force/feeling. Know what delivers that, and then find the most efficient way to attain it. And I'm sorry, but those who want to be their best will often find that they become isolated in such that few others have such desire. Thus they can't stand with or understand the level of dedication some of us have.

Great post from a great guy. Well said Girth.

Wasn't it Cobain who said "you all laugh at me cause I'm different but I laugh at you cause your all the same"?

Fuck normal, fuck average. You know damn well why you began this lifestyle LK, it's time to unleash hell and get back in the gym.

LK3 · Sep 20, 2017

ALLEX said:
You sound weird. Are you ok?

Anyways...

A/B training MON/WED/FRI

A:

- Leg Press - 3x15
- Leg Curl - 3x15
- Standing Calves - 3x20
- Seated Calves - 3x20

B:

- Push-ups - 3x12
- Close grip push-ups - 3x12
- Pull-ups - 3xMax
- Chin-ups - 3xMax
- Lateral raises - 3x15

Finish with 20 min on step machine.

40 min brisk walk when off the gym.

im always wierd brotha.. recently having a hard time making any sense though. lol plus having computer issues, the combo makes my usual 3rd grade education seem worse. lol

but dude...
if thats your work out, now we know why your out of shape! lol

ALLEX · Sep 20, 2017

LK3 said:
but dude...
if thats your work out, now we know why your out of shape!

No, it's something basic for someone who's coming back and is full of pain all over.

Weren't you asking for that?

But, by all means, there's DC, Big Beyond Belief, GVT, Stronglifts, Fortitude, etc, etc, etc...

LK3 · Sep 20, 2017

thethinker48 said:
I never understood why people didn't train the way THEY wanted to train.

Basically had a blast in the gym.

Most of us aren't gunning for the the nationals or to be competitive on stage. I am fortunate (and unfortunate ) enough to go into the gym with the sheer mentality of beating my logbook numbers. That's what I love to do (I blame Dante for messing me up at an early age ).

People should train the way they like to train, and have fun with it. Will it be the most optimal? It depends on many things.

There's plenty of different good training programs out there. Fortitude Training and John Meadows's stuff comes to mind; check them out. You can adjust your intensity so you don't go comatose in real life either

i think the problem is that people train the way they want to train, rather then the way they NEED to train.

agian a problem... sooo many different systems.

lets be real. basically anyone you mention or anyone BIG on this board has learned a very large % from dc. the first time i saw a JM vid i was liek wow! that is the next step of DC!!! LOL

100% i will give credit where due. dc showed me the way. how to change the body as fast as can be. he gave me the tools.

what he showed me basically "worked" for ten years straight some adjustment sure but the fucking basics are all you need.

i think we see so many small guys and so many drugs because people do not put the work in to understanding and developing one training program, the switch! they try stuff and make all sorts of other attempts.

:naughty:

LK3 · Sep 20, 2017

brownbanana said:
You are over complicating it.

We are always a lost and confused before we find our bearings. That is normal.

This as well as everything else in life is gradual progress. First, get to the gym and start at a level you can manage easily. If you only train one muscle group, that is perfectly fine. Throw in 20 minutes of cardio after lifting. Add 5 minutes to cardio starting the second week. Work your way up.

Structure and environment are more comfortable when they seem familiar to us. What is in our control and what is outside of our control is essential to finding stability.

Controlling what you put into your body is exercising control. Don't just exercise your muscles - exercise your ability of conscious will. Remind yourself of that before each time you train. That is, you are training more than just your body - you are also training your freedom of will.

More and more, what is unfamiliar will become familiar to you.

I think getting back to basics has a deeper meaning that just basic training. It also has to do with finding your center.

To be more precise, given this is a bodybuilding forum. Start with this:

Monday: legs (this will remind of consequences of weekend partying)
Tuesday: chest
Wednesday: back
Thursday: shoulders
Friday: arms

As for Diet (remember this is also an exercise of conscious control)

Meal 1: eggs and toast
Meal 2: cottage cheese and a serving of fruit
Meal 3: chicken and rice
Meal 4: Greek yogurt (Whey protein mixed in / 20 almonds) pre-workout meal))
Meal 5: steak and a salad
Meal 6: cottage cheese

Split them 2.5 to 3 hours apart.

My diet and exercise is just an example of how simple you can make it.

lol
sorry..
this did actually make me laugh...

thank you for that!
:sta:-wars

LK3 · Sep 20, 2017

brutus69 said:
exactly. i love training heavy, or we'll say 6-10 reps compound, 12-15 arms and calves.
switched to volume, lightened the loads cuz thats what everyone else was doing, and ended up LOOKING like everyone else...small and weak.
so fuck that. i like heavy. i like low volume and higher frequency. not dc style all out but a saner version, like this. https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-muscle-building-workout-routine/
so much more fun again for me at my age and on trt im not gonna destroy myself for 90 minutes doing back day and chest day, etc.
push/pull/legs. the end. simple. plus i changed gyms so i dont have the social scene like i did before which means i hung out talking for an hour. ok, i still do that here too cuz why not? real friends are always better than internet forum strangers.