one thing i want to add.. an i have said this before so those who have read it bare with me.. i hear guys stating that they want builds like haidar.. (as a example).. yet they assume haidar does things differently than ruhl or coleman.. he does not.. he rows with a 150 pound dumbell.. i have seen the video.. he rows with 405 on the barbell.. ect ect.. he does what they do in all regards.. HE JUST DOES NOT HAVE THE GENETICS TO GET BIG!.. sorry but true.. he eats 6 times a day.. takes super supplements.. does the almost exact training as the others and trys his "damndest" to get stronger.. and he has gotten stronger and with that came more size.. but dont assume that he does not train heavy and just goes by "feel".. he does not..
the same can be said about nubret.. nubret was quite strong in his early days.. he used well over 400 pounds for fairly high reps in the bench.. then switched his training style.. but look at what he was still able to do.. 6 sets of 12 with 225-250 with 30 seconds rest!?!? that takes some strength and endurance.. but he could not have done those weights if he started out training like that.. he had a strength base already built..
my example is simple.. i started to train more by "feel" last year.. i trained hard.. intense.. it was not easy.. but i increased my reps to 10-15.. slowed the reps down quite a bit.. held the contraction ect ect.. why? well i convinced myself that i was getting "older" and was being safer.. after all, as long as i trained intensely all would be ok ..right? well in my case i was wrong.. i always trained in the 6 rep range for years.. it worked for me.. it was the only way i could keep increasing my poundage no matter how little the increases were at times.. anything over 6 or so reps i could not continue to increase my workloads at all.. i got a "great" workout but i stayed the same and eventually started to lose size and density.. (i am not saying that you can not increase your poundages in the 10 rep range.. you certainly can.. but not the way i was doing them..)
well i grew tired of playing it safe and went back to my old ways.. i started to do my old 6 reps with slow negatives and generally just training heavy again again with good form.. in about three weeks everyone started to ask " are you getting bigger"
.. my poundages started back up.. and i started to fill out more.. now i do want to say this..when i was training "by feel" i was using about 700 mgs of test a week.. just test.. (just being honest here lol).. when i started going heavier i was using 500 test and was getting more comments about gaining size then previously..
so as i stated already in previous post in this thread.. you may never have a 500 pound squat.. but if it is heavy to you and you are able to increase poundage consistantly you are heading in the right direction.. i will never be a exceptionally strong guy.. never have been for my size.. but as long as i train with the intent of adding weight, no matter how little, i am going in the right direction.. and so are you..