Thread: I have an idea, need opinions though?

If you aren't gaining weight, eat more.

500 above maintenance isn't the bottom line when in comes to weight gain. If you've calculated your maintenance wrong you could be only eating 100 calories above and you wouldn't know. Err on the side of caution and eat MORE than more than enough.

Adding more activity in the way of extra sets/exercises won't help you gain weight for reasons that should be obvious. In case they aren't, more activity just equals more energy requirements which means a lower calorie surplus.

Fix your diet with more calories. Keep focusing on big compound exercises - they've been adding muscle to millions of people for hundreds of years, they'll work for you too but only if you have the food there to let them.

Read the stickied threads regarding setting up a program. Periodization is just as important for gaining muscle as it is for strength.

maybe i should elaborate

i was thinking an



workout1 =Chest + shoulder+ bis _ 2 days rest all sets taken to failure (Limit the amount of chest exercises to 8, chest is not a priority)

workout2 =Legs +_2 days rest all sets taken to failure

workout3 back+ tris_ 2 days rest all sets taken to failure

i know i have been eating enough food and the right food as i have put on 2 stone the last year and none of it has been muscle! diet is not the problem so peeps please stop saying eat more or check your diet because diet is not the problem!!!! i think its just my body to do with muscle fiber types or something else, i read somewhere this guy cudnt make any gains then started training twice a week and made gains

i added more sets because i have the 2 days off after so i can recover so i can make the use of the extra sense, im a making any logical sense or is my idea most likely not going to work

Originally Posted by mufc

Despite a very good diet, eating 500 cals or more above maintenance, plenty of sleep, trying different splits 4 days, 3 days, madcows 5x5, personal trainer routines, i do not get big but i do get stronger and my arms do not grow from compounds. The only time i got bigger was the first months i was training when i wasn't working out legs and other muscle groups and focused on my chest mainly being a stupid kid. I was doing endless sets to failure, but that's the only hypertrophy i have ever seen. Since then of course i have refined all the details but its been 2 years and still not hypertrophy gains, bearing in mind i also have a slow metabolism.

I am thinking of trying a 1 on 2 off split continuously

im not sure wherever i should train muscle groups together in the popular fashion chest, back+bi, shoulder+Tris legs, or chest+shoulders+Tris back+bis legs

and wherever i should do 10 sets for chest and shoulders, 12 for back and legs and 5 or 6 for tris and bis and wherever to use the advantage of two days rest and go to failure on all sets, i find it very hard to gauge going one or two reps short

or for the second split do i do 8 sets for chest 5 shoulders and 5 for tris 8, 10 or 12 sets for back, 5 or 6 for bis and 8, 10 or 12 sets for legs including wherever to go to failure all the time or not

i had an idea for a rep scheme, heavy compounds should start at 5 reps and i should not increase the weight until i can do 8 solid reps then repeat the process. while either minor compounds/isolation's would start at 6 reps and work to 10 and when i can do 10, i should increase the weight

know there's a lot to answer but help would be appreciated?

each individual is different , i have known a guy who works out like a mad man
and for so many years and did not get significantly any bigger although he got stronger. it is normal that you 'll grow faster at first no matter what exercises you do..then gains will slow down and sometimes you will start gaining again then stop and so on....genetics play a very big role on how you respond to a type of sport like weight lifting , perhaps you respond better to endurance sports .
unlike what some may suggest food is not going to make you gain muscle i mean excess food, it will make you gain weight but not muscle. just go to the gym relaxed, forget about how much weight you lifted the last time and how much you should lift now....just make each workout as if it is your only fist and last workout. i never keep track of how much i lift etc... as i step in the gym i switch into an attack mode 10 mns warm up then 45 minutes to an hour max i am out.
big muscles 12 sets 10-12 reps , small muscles 8-12 sets 5-8 reps.
use supersets , rest at least 2days for each muscle group, vary your workout and don't rest more than 1 minute between sets.

Post your diet, your weight, your bodyfat percentage, how long you've been training, and your training routine.

Also, don't train to failure every time. That will seriously hinder your gains.

eggs, oats, fruit, fish oil and multivit
steak potatoes, veg
tuna steak, brown rice, veg
post shake
steak, rice, veg
steak,veg 2 tablespoons of olive
cottage cheese, olive oil

And correct me if im wrong but wont two days of rest after the training session compensate for the stress on he cns and training to failure

drink 3.5-4liters of water a day 6-8 hours of sleep

20

180 pounds

body fat about 16 to 18% going to cut before my next bulk anyway

currently on madcows, been training for about 2 years

I posted a routine of mine My Routine: Rough outline

Check that out, lemme know what you think.
Try a solid routine, and build on it. For instance, if you were to try something like mine start at X amount of weight and increaes that weight every week as long as you can. Once you can't increase anymore then you have a few options:
- Drop the weight a little and add a set or two. then work your way back up
- Keep the weight the same and work at it for 2-3 weeks, then try to increase
- Drop your reps and keep the weight. Work at at for 2-3 weeks then try to increase it.
- Do what feels best for you. Just remember your goal is to increase weight over time. Think small, small gains over time increase to big gains over time.

Holla

Originally Posted by mufc

Despite a very good diet, eating 500 cals or more above maintenance, plenty of sleep, trying different splits 4 days, 3 days, madcows 5x5, personal trainer routines, i do not get big but i do get stronger and my arms do not grow from compounds. The only time i got bigger was the first months i was training when i wasn't working out legs and other muscle groups and focused on my chest mainly being a stupid kid. I was doing endless sets to failure, but that's the only hypertrophy i have ever seen. Since then of course i have refined all the details but its been 2 years and still not hypertrophy gains, bearing in mind i also have a slow metabolism.

I am thinking of trying a 1 on 2 off split continuously

im not sure wherever i should train muscle groups together in the popular fashion chest, back+bi, shoulder+Tris legs, or chest+shoulders+Tris back+bis legs

and wherever i should do 10 sets for chest and shoulders, 12 for back and legs and 5 or 6 for tris and bis and wherever to use the advantage of two days rest and go to failure on all sets, i find it very hard to gauge going one or two reps short

or for the second split do i do 8 sets for chest 5 shoulders and 5 for tris 8, 10 or 12 sets for back, 5 or 6 for bis and 8, 10 or 12 sets for legs including wherever to go to failure all the time or not

i had an idea for a rep scheme, heavy compounds should start at 5 reps and i should not increase the weight until i can do 8 solid reps then repeat the process. while either minor compounds/isolation's would start at 6 reps and work to 10 and when i can do 10, i should increase the weight

know there's a lot to answer but help would be appreciated?

Man, I'm not a huge beast of a man or anything, but here's what I can tell you from personal experience.

1) I feel like I gain better in the 8-10 rep range. If you're not gaining with low reps, give the higher reps a try.
2) I think I gain better with lower volume. If you've been doing lots of sets, cut back a bit. Maybe some warm ups then only 1-2 working sets.

only time and experience will make you realize what is the best workout for you: number of sets, reps, type of exercise etc...

Originally Posted by mufc

And correct me if im wrong but wont two days of rest after the training session compensate for the stress on he cns and training to failure

drink 3.5-4liters of water a day 6-8 hours of sleep

Nope, because the vast majority of muscle repair and recovery is done the night you sleep after the workout. If you train to failure each time, there might simply be too much damage for your body to repair, and 2 days won't make a difference (most of the synthesis happens on the first day).

Also, you MUST get at least 8hrs of sleep a day. This is crucial. You will NOT gain on 6 or 7 hours of sleep.

I suggest cutting - you may be gaining muscle and not noticing because of the fat on top.

i try and get as much sleep as i can but we all have other things in our life too so its not always possible, do you have any scientific evidence to claim that 6 hours will not make you gain. Definitely no muscle gains just fat!

you say that taking all sets to failure is too much but what if you compensate for not doing as many sets , i personally find it very hard to know if i am one or two reps short and end up not getting efficiency at the end of it.

training failure is going to be the baseline unfortunately if i defo know i would only get one or two reps short il stop but think of the sets as if i am going to failure, was thinking....

Chest+shoulders +Biceps_ 2 days rest
Chest 6 sets(not a priority area) shoulders 6 sets to failure, bicep 5 sets to failure_2 days rest

Legs 8 _ 10 sets to failure (advice needed on amount of sets when i plan to go to failure) 2 days rest

Back+Triceps
Back 8_10 sets to failure (advice needed on amount of sets when i plan to go to failure) Triceps 5 sets to failure _2 days rest

as soon as i get past this stage including building some sort of personalization in, then i can move on to the exercises i was thinking heavy compounds should start at 5 reps and i should not increase the weight until i can do 8 solid reps then repeat the process. while either minor compounds/isolation's would start at 6 reps and work to 10 and when i can do 10, i should increase the weight

what yal think

Super Sets, Giant Set, Drop Sets and Triple Drop sets. All to complete failure and if you can force 1 or 2 reps past failure, even better.

doesnt that go against the grain of what people are saying about failure intensity on here lol?

Originally Posted by mufc

doesnt that go against the grain of what people are saying about failure intensity on here lol?

TJTJ was making a funny