Weight Gainers: Week 1

musclebuilder

It's been about 8 weeks, initially was mlan attempt at MAX-OT that modified by adding more reps/sets because I wasn't completely convinced that 4-6 reps would be enough put on muscle mass - looked more like a strength building regimine.

So I've been doing something like 15 sets of 6-10 reps per muscle group but only about once a week and you're suggesting to do everything 3 days a week but only 3 sets or 30 reps all together per muscle group... I guess i could try that.

Hey Whyflysouth. Ever tried a power/hypertrophy split? Where you train each muscle group twice a week but one half of the week is lower rep heavier weight training and the second half is more of the traditional BB type of WO. Higher rep ranges ect..This way you can get the best of both styles of training since you seem interested in both.

whyflysouth

It's been about 8 weeks, initially was mlan attempt at MAX-OT that modified by adding more reps/sets because I wasn't completely convinced that 4-6 reps would be enough put on muscle mass - looked more like a strength building regimine.

So I've been doing something like 15 sets of 6-10 reps per muscle group but only about once a week and you're suggesting to do everything 3 days a week but only 3 sets or 30 reps all together per muscle group... I guess i could try that.

Hey Whyflysouth. Ever tried a power/hypertrophy split? Where you train each muscle group twice a week but one half of the week is lower rep heavier weight training and the second half is more of the traditional BB type of WO. Higher rep ranges ect..This way you can get the best of both styles of training since you seem interested in both.

Haven't tried it, although sounds like something I would like. At this point is might be a good time to switch things up.

One thing that I end up getting fixated is set/rep volume. How many reps should each workout cover in total? 30 reps per muscle group total? E.g. Power workout: 5 sets x 6 reps, Hypertrophy: 3 sets x 10 reps?

Would that be enough? I feel like that wouldn't be enough, but I think I may have gotten obsessed with overdoing it as I've been doing between 90 to 150 reps total per muscle group lately.

musclebuilder

Haven't tried it, although sounds like something I would like. At this point is might be a good time to switch things up.

One thing that I end up getting fixated is set/rep volume. How many reps should each workout cover in total? 30 reps per muscle group total? E.g. Power workout: 5 sets x 6 reps, Hypertrophy: 3 sets x 10 reps?

Would that be enough? I feel like that wouldn't be enough, but I think I may have gotten obsessed with overdoing it as I've been doing between 90 to 150 reps total per muscle group lately.

Wfs, how many reps/sets will vary. If for my heavy training the week before I did 225lbx5 squats for example then the next week I increase the weight. If I did 4 reps then the next week my goal will be 5 reps. If I did 225lbx3 the week before the next week I may try and do 2 sets of 225lbx3. Both approaches are a means to an end. How many reps/sets for the hyper WO's will vary as well. If for example I am doing 10 reps of weight that is not very taxing to accomplish those 10 reps then I can increase sets with that weight each week to increase volume and overload the system. Or I can increase weight the next week in which it will be more taxing to try and reach 10 reps so I will realy only fully exert myself on that final all out set and then move on to my next exercise.

musclebuilder

btw..yesterday I was able to reach 375lbx5 squats to parallel which beats my previous best from my last microcycle of training and is a PR at my current body weight. Last time I squatted 375lbx5 I was 40lbs heavier. Maybe in the not so distant future I can post up a vid of me squatting 405lbs for the first time ever.

Also I did not get to bed til 1am last night and I am toast today. Had a real bad leak in my ceiling the night before during a terrible all night andday rain storm which had me in anxiety mode all night and got very little sleep. But even so I was able to have a very productive day of training yesterday and that is what matters.

YeaILift

btw..yesterday I was able to reach 375lbx5 squats to parallel which beats my previous best from my last microcycle of training and is a PR at my current body weight. Last time I squatted 375lbx5 I was 40lbs heavier. Maybe in the not so distant future I can post up a vid of me squatting 405lbs for the first time ever.

Also I did not get to bed til 1am last night and I am toast today. Had a real bad leak in my ceiling the night before during a terrible all night andday rain storm which had me in anxiety mode all night and got very little sleep. But even so I was able to have a very productive day of training yesterday and that is what matters.

That's awesome that you got your squats back to 375. I'm hoping to hit 200 sometime in the next couple months :glasses:

Also, your traps pic has me so jealous haha.

musclebuilder

btw..yesterday I was able to reach 375lbx5 squats to parallel which beats my previous best from my last microcycle of training and is a PR at my current body weight. Last time I squatted 375lbx5 I was 40lbs heavier. Maybe in the not so distant future I can post up a vid of me squatting 405lbs for the first time ever.

Also I did not get to bed til 1am last night and I am toast today. Had a real bad leak in my ceiling the night before during a terrible all night andday rain storm which had me in anxiety mode all night and got very little sleep. But even so I was able to have a very productive day of training yesterday and that is what matters.

That's awesome that you got your squats back to 375. I'm hoping to hit 200 sometime in the next couple months :glasses:

Also, your traps pic has me so jealous haha.

Thanks YIL! You are obviously making very good progress yourself. and you are 21 years old and your body is as primed for strength and growth as it is ever gonna be.

whyflysouth

Ahh yes to be 21 again... lol. I remember I took up weight training religiously for about 10 months back in 2000 and I put on a good 10 lbs of muscle. That's a great time to get into it, you get good gains at that age - just remember to EAT and LIFT and you'll get there. Unfortunately I had gotten away from the weights for a couple months, came back to them and got serious DOMS from trying to keep pushing the same weight and didn't follow through... and here I am about ten years later :laugh:

What good about doing stuff when your 30 is you're much more patient to wait for results, or at least I am, I have a larger timescale - I can accept that a process can take years towards fruition. My eldest son is 7 years old. I want to be able to challenge him when he's 15.

musclebuilder

Ahh yes to be 21 again... lol. I remember I took up weight training religiously for about 10 months back in 2000 and I put on a good 10 lbs of muscle. That's a great time to get into it, you get good gains at that age - just remember to EAT and LIFT and you'll get there. Unfortunately I had gotten away from the weights for a couple months, came back to them and got serious DOMS from trying to keep pushing the same weight and didn't follow through... and here I am about ten years later :laugh:

What good about doing stuff when your 30 is you're much more patient to wait for results, or at least I am, I have a larger timescale - I can accept that a process can take years towards fruition. My eldest son is 7 years old. I want to be able to challenge him when he's 15.

Wfs I have a friend who got in to weight training at 48 years old. When he began he was obese and in very poor health. Now at 50 he is around 220lbs and has a truely amazing physique and is in remarkable health. So you are still very much capable of getting yourself in to as good a shape as you want.

Here is a sample of what the power/hypertrophy routine may look like. You can design it with the exercises ect..that you prefer. This is just a sample guide that may be helpful..You could also make this a 5 day routine and do your lower/upper hypertrophy training over the course of 3 days not 2.

Monday Heavy lower

Standing calves (As many warm up sets as needed then the working set or sets(this goes for all exercises)
Squats
Deadlift
(4 to 8 sets of static stretching post WO every day you WO)

Tuesday Heavy upper

Bench press
Barbell row
Shoulder press

Wed-Off

Thursday-Lower hypertrophy

Standing calves
seated calves
Squats
Leg press
Leg curl
Leg extension

Friday.Upper hypertrophy

Incline press
seated row
Barbell curl
close grip press
shoulder press

Weekend-off

YeaILift

I actually was reading some stuff about the power/hypertrophy routine yesterday. It looked pretty interesting. However, I'm going to give Max OT at least a full year which will be September when I start my senior year of college.

I've been attempting to get all the principles down, but I am struggling a little with the progressive loading. Which is probably because I have only been lifting for a few months. I am hoping that since I have a lifting goal to hit in five weeks it will help. Before I was just doing my workout, and if I felt like I could handle a little more weight I would go up. Also barbell exercises are much easier to progressive load on. My last routine was mostly dumbbells because I wasn't as sure of my strengths for each lift. I am much more confident now.

whyflysouth

Yeah, I think I'm gonna take a break from my Max OT mutated routine. I'll give this power/hypertrophy routine a shot. I did a little lifting last night and after about 5 sets my left bicep started acting up again so I stopped there... don't want to aggravate it till it keeps me off the weights for a month or something. In the meantime, I'll take a week off, prepare my new routine, eat, and maybe do body weight squats, pushups, do some light work with some of the dbs I have at home, got a pair of 15s, 20s, and 30s and a bench. Avoid the biceps and I figure it shouldn't take more than a week to get back to normal.

YeaILift

Here's a great video/movie of a guy who used Max OT for about 8 or 9 months. My diet hasn't been as strict as his, but he had some amazing results by the end of the video.

http://vidreel.com/video/NTk0MDU0/

chrisdavey

YIL: got malware from that link.

If it is "I want to look like that guy" I've got the full documentary and it is very interesting. Don't really remember him talking about Max OT training though. Looked like a regular body building type split.

And to your question re more reps.

Say I did Bench last time at 75kg and made 8,6,5 for 19 reps. This time I would strive for at least 20 reps e.g. 8,6,6. If I made one more rep that is progress. If I made 8,5,5 then I would add another set and maybe end up with 8,5,5,5. This adds the volume

YeaILift

It is "I want to look like that guy". Jeff Willet (the guy who trains him) is one of the main supporters of Max OT.

Idk about the malware. I didn't have any problems with it, just an add you have to skip past.



Do you go back to your original sets the next time you workout, and then only if you don't meet the reps add another set again?

chrisdavey

Aah ok. That movie is great. Crazy transformation but the dude goes through so much to get there. Bigger, Faster, stronger is another good documentary.


Have went like this previously went 8,6,5 then 8,6,4,4 then next one 8,7,7. Then was feeling great and just made 8,8,8

I have a slight program with program hopping but after reading this http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete I want to give it a go.

Going to go for my 3rm's on squat, DL, bench, incline bench and SOHP tonight.

whyflysouth

Yeah, that guy, Stuart and that video was the reason I got interested in max OT also. It's funny how much that video succeeds at selling that lifting program - he got really amazing results in what appeared to me like a short period of time. It wasn't so much the fat loses that impressed me but moreso the muscle he was able to put on - he's got a video with a time lapse where by 3 months his chest develops dramatically.

chrisdavey

Best session ever! Was testing 3rm's. Made PBS on overhead press, squat and deadlift and equalled on bench press.

Sohp 60.5 x 3
bench 93x2
squat 125x3
dl 150x3 and 160x1

musclebuilder

I actually was reading some stuff about the power/hypertrophy routine yesterday. It looked pretty interesting. However, I'm going to give Max OT at least a full year which will be September when I start my senior year of college.

I've been attempting to get all the principles down, but I am struggling a little with the progressive loading. Which is probably because I have only been lifting for a few months. I am hoping that since I have a lifting goal to hit in five weeks it will help. Before I was just doing my workout, and if I felt like I could handle a little more weight I would go up. Also barbell exercises are much easier to progressive load on. My last routine was mostly dumbbells because I wasn't as sure of my strengths for each lift. I am much more confident now.

Max OT is a very good program. Are you currently using this program YIL?

musclebuilder

Best session ever! Was testing 3rm's. Made PBS on overhead press, squat and deadlift and equalled on bench press.

Sohp 60.5 x 3
bench 93x2
squat 125x3
dl 150x3 and 160x1

Congrats on the new personal bests cd!

YeaILift

Best session ever! Was testing 3rm's. Made PBS on overhead press, squat and deadlift and equalled on bench press.

Sohp 60.5 x 3
bench 93x2
squat 125x3
dl 150x3 and 160x1

Took me a second to realize it was kilograms. Crazy metric system haha.

Max OT is a very good program. Are you currently using this program YIL?

Yeah, on about Week 19, but this is the first time I've tried bulking with it though.

YeaILift

Best session ever! Was testing 3rm's. Made PBS on overhead press, squat and deadlift and equalled on bench press.

Sohp 60.5 x 3
bench 93x2
squat 125x3
dl 150x3 and 160x1

Took me a second to realize it was kilograms. Crazy metric system haha.

Max OT is a very good program. Are you currently using this program YIL?

Yeah, on about Week 19, but this is the first time I've tried bulking with it though.

I just realized this topic was in Food and Nutrition. Haha. Hopefully I won't be as rushed for Week 2.