Post: #1

Hi guys,

I would like to ask you all for some workout advice. Thank you up front for reading this.
Typically the first helpful responses on these threads are about the poster's goals so let me try to answer those questions first.

Here are some of the weightlifting goals that I can think of:
1) Limit strength - Powerlifting.
2) Explosive strength - Olympic weightlifting.
3) Size & mass gain - look bigger with clothes on.
4) Vascularity - look better with clothes off.
5) Health - reduce risk of injury and reduce recovery time from injuries.

Some of these goals seem to typically overlap other goals:
1) Explosive strength seems to grant at least some amount of limit strength.
2) Vascularity seems to often be combined with some amount of mass gain. Here there is a spectrum that ranges from Coleman to Schwarzenegger to Brad Pitt in Fightclub.
3) Long term size gain seems to require increase in limit strength.

My original goals were to increase limit strength and improve health, but now my goals are:
1) Size & Mass gain - so that it is (a) obvious that I work out when I have my clothes on and (b) so that I have muscles that look vascular.
2) Vascularity - to look better with clothes off.
3) I don't have a desire to look huge or shredded, just to look really good.
4) I would also like this to be relatively time efficient. Frankly, I would be happy to spend 3 hours a day 5 times a week on this, but I'd rather spend only an hour a day if I could.

This is what I think I need to get there:
1) A wide back.
2) Big shoulders.
3) Strong core.
4) Big triceps for large arms.
5) Decent sized traps.
6) Decent sized biceps.
5) Decent sized chest.
7) Low body fat ratio.
6) Decent enough legs so that it doesn't look like I skipped leg day.
4) Small obliques and lower back muscles.

If you guys could point me to programs that would focus on this it would be great.
For example I found this: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw8.htm
Some background one me - mid 30s, 1 year of doing starting strength, 15%-20% bodyfat.

There has been a lot of useful advice on the forum but they don’t focus on programs. These are some of the main points I found on two of the best threads on this.
/thread-31338.html
/thread-31948.html
Swimming
Wide grip pull ups (overall back)
Wide grip back pulls (sit on the row machine grab a bar with handles wide and on the ends pull to chest back straight)
Lat Pull downs, most guys do this wrong, stand using cable pull down with pull-up bar and grab it wide pushing down and engaging lats
You can do dumb-bell pulls on a bench just use an exaggerated motion to work out your lats + back
All the regular chest movements.
Barbell shoulder press
Deadlifts.
Rowing.
Planks.
Bent over rows.
Cable Rows.

Post: #2

I found these links that might be good.

This is link is about the programs used in 70's body building http://boldanddetermined.com/2011/12/01/...g-routine/

This is a guide to building a better v-taper with 3 phases http://www.prosource.net/content/article...-plan.aspx

Have you guys seen programs like this work?

Post: #3

I like doing this program:

http://strengthvillain.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=89

You can also search the store on that site for the ebook, but he gives up the program for free somewhere in that thread. Good luck!

Post: #4

Define limit strength.

See, you can build "explosive" strength with the Big 3 as well (Power lifting), it's just a matter of how you utilize the excersises. I recall utilizing fast explosive squats in order to increase my vertical jump. Explosive squats alone added a couple of inches towards my ability to dunk...

But I digress.....

If you've done SS for a year, I'm assuming you have a decent strength base. In that case, any kind of Hypertrophy program will do, for your goals. Look into Layne nortons PHAT, as well some of Lyle Mcdonalds Bulking routines. German Volume training also works wonders, my friend put on 15 lbs of muscle and strength on that program alone.

PHAT: http://www.simplyshredded.com/mega-featu...-2011.html

It provides a good combo of strength + hypertrophy, powerbuilding so to speak.

Post: #5

I don't understand what you're asking.

Why not make a concrete goal like a 500 pound deadlift, 400 pound squat, and a 300 pound bench press. Maybe you'll be happy with how you look once you get there. Oftentimes people have like 20 different workout goals because they lack focus and haven't accomplished anything.

Post: #6

How about you go out there and study some of the strongmen and olympic weightlifters who you'd like to emulate?

As far as I can tell, you've got a lot of goals that have some overlap and you're not sure how to get to where you need to go.

Here is an ebook written by a man who has been successful in powerlifting and still looks good enough to be accused of bodybuilding at meets. Does he take gear? You decide. Is his lifting advice valid, helpful, and informative? Yes, yes, and also yes.

http://www.chaosandpain.com/issuance-of-...2008-2010/

If you don't want to buy any books, read up some sample routines from the former and current lifting greats and start from there. Most people here are going to tell you that your dick will fall off and you'll die of AIDS if you spend more than an hour a day in the gym (or doing any other physical activity, for that matter).

Post: #7

(02-09-2014 05:23 PM)Hannibal Wrote:  Most people here are going to tell you that your dick will fall off and you'll die of AIDS if you spend more than an hour a day in the gym (or doing any other physical activity, for that matter).

Post: #8

Go to a training facility...not a gym...and work with a personal trainer for 12-16 weeks. Absorb all the knowledge you can. Ask a ton of questions. The regimen they create for you is for a purpose. Then, after you have a foundation of lifting knowledge and experience, tailor your workout to your specific goals. Like Hades said, have a few concrete goals that you would like to hit and use that new found knowledge to achieve them.

Post: #9

Goals should be concrete. For example: Bench your own weight. Deadlift twice your own weight.

"Explosive strength" is not a fitness goal. It is a magazine ad.

"Decent sized" is meaningless. How will you gauge your progress?

At the basic level, all you have to do is eat right and work hard in the gym with any program of your choosing. It is hard but simple. Don't micromanage yourself before you have encountered a plateau where effort alone does not get you closer to your (concrete) goals.

I personally would like to get my deadlift up to 500 at 175lb body weight. So, first I will lose weight by running or erging for an hour daily. Then, at my target weight, I will work out three days a week. One day deadlift max and legs, one day deadlift 5x5 and abs/core, one day squats and rack pulls. Plus miscellaneous other, smaller exercises.

See how concrete goals shape a concrete program?

Post: #10

You're wayyyyy over thinking this.

Post: #11

Simplify and repeat. Stacking muscle is a process.

Stack while you are still a rookie. Once you spend a year or so doing mostly heavy compound lifts, then you can start to fine tune things.

When I was younger I spent four years stacking mass. I did follow Joe DeFranco's Westside For Skinny Bastards for half a year with good results. Other than that the only program I followed was my own creation of high weight, low rep, compound lifts.

I was up at 210lbs at 5'10'' for a while, then one summer before college I decided to cut down to 190. At that point my physique was insane. I am glad I have photos to document it, thanks to the girls in the dorms who took pictures of me coming out of the shower and posted them on Facebook...

Obviously my goals were on the extreme side, but you get the general idea.

Keep it Simple.
Eat Big.
Lift Heavy.
Then Cut.

Another advantage to building a good base first is that you can survive lapses in your training and people will still think you are stacked. And, you can laugh at the dudes trying to curl huge dumbbells, while you don't ever curl and your forearms are still bigger than their biceps.

Post: #12

I agree with Rionomad. You're way overthinking this.

Eat Big. Lift Heavy.

I would recommend checking out bodybuilding.com forums for more info. The Misc is a crazy place but there are guys that know their stuff there.

Post: #13

Read Starting Strength. Read it again.

When you hit big PRs, you'll have learned enough to tweak from there.

Post: #14

Lol @ bigbaits 2nd link...12 12 10 10 pullups?? That alone is for a pro, this is def. No beginner program

Post: #15

Since you're still relatively new... You should just focus on getting in the gym 5 days a week. Lifting heavy and eating right.
don't complicate it by.

Honestly, you are already putting a limit on yourself by saying "you don't want to look huge"
So you might not agree with me when I say to train like a bodybuilder... But that's what will get you "looking good" in the quickest amount of time.
Hitting it 5 days a week using split training.

Post: #16

(02-12-2014 10:30 PM)StrengthBySonny Wrote:  Since you're still relatively new... You should just focus on getting in the gym 5 days a week. Lifting heavy and eating right.
don't complicate it by.

Honestly, you are already putting a limit on yourself by saying "you don't want to look huge"
So you might not agree with me when I say to train like a bodybuilder... But that's what will get you "looking good" in the quickest amount of time.
Hitting it 5 days a week using split training.

5 days a week is overkill. You would not be able to recover and build muscle by lifting heavy and taking only 2 days off.

Post: #17

Yeah, I'm a newb and cannot keep up 5 days, I find going every other day works since the muscles worked ache like crazy.

10 pounds first two days, squats and bench press, after 2 days I was up to
25 pounds, two more days up to
65 pounds...

I increase the weight as soon as I can comfortably do 10 reps.

Post: #18

This was posted on another thread about time restricted workouts, but you may want to consider it. You can build a fine physique with the basics. Add other movements if you have the time.

Like many things in life, just keep it simple

Post: #19

(02-13-2014 02:54 PM)DJ-Matt Wrote:  Yeah, I'm a newb and cannot keep up 5 days, I find going every other day works since the muscles worked ache like crazy.

10 pounds first two days, squats and bench press, after 2 days I was up to
25 pounds, two more days up to
65 pounds...

I increase the weight as soon as I can comfortably do 10 reps.

Work different muscle groups. You shouldn't be benching and squatting every time you go. Super sets are going to be your best friend. Also, when you work your big muscle groups, just be sure to work the smaller muscles that support the larger ones as well.

Post: #20

(02-13-2014 03:43 PM)Remington Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 02:54 PM)DJ-Matt Wrote:  Yeah, I'm a newb and cannot keep up 5 days, I find going every other day works since the muscles worked ache like crazy.

10 pounds first two days, squats and bench press, after 2 days I was up to
25 pounds, two more days up to
65 pounds...

I increase the weight as soon as I can comfortably do 10 reps.

Work different muscle groups. You shouldn't be benching and squatting every time you go. Super sets are going to be your best friend. Also, when you work your big muscle groups, just be sure to work the smaller muscles that support the larger ones as well.

I also hit the barbells, and for my "every day is leg day" I always warm up for 45 on the treadmill.

Post: #21

Keep it simple, follow a basic program for now such as SS, Stronglifts.
You can always modify a program and add or change to your liking.

I recommend doing bodyweight exercises as well because they help burn fat and build definition.