On cycle routine adjustments??

**PWGriffin** · 03-25-2006, 04:42 PM

As of right now I've been doing upper/lower body splits (really diggin em too, p funk, cowpimp and co. are the shit) And again at mr. funks advice I'm periodizing volume, increasing volume over 4 weeks and then dropping off and repeating...I'm also going back and forth between 6-8 rep sets and 8-12 rep sets...if time permits I superset 1 exercise for bi's and tri's too, here's a sample of monday's workout:

Upper/Horizontal:
Flat BB Press: 3 sets
One arm dumbell rows: 3 sets
Decline BB Press: 3 sets
Hammer Strength High Row: 3 sets
Super set overhead ext and BB curls: 3 sets
Abs.

The question first off of course, is this alright?? Does it follow the advice I was given previously??? Secondly...I start my next cycle monday consisting of test prop/tren ace and was wondering what changes I might make to this routine in light of that?? Of course I don't want the volume to get out of control as it has in the past but I would like to be doing everything I can.

Thx in advance for any advice to be offered, I'm open to all suggestions/criticisms..

**Adamjs** · 03-25-2006, 05:01 PM

I really have no idea on being on a cycle - but I always thought the idea of being on a cycle was so that you could decrease the rest period and increase the volume without it negatively affecting your CNS? So wouldn't the only difference between being on and off cycle be an adjustment to these magnitudes?

**PWGriffin** · 03-25-2006, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by Adamjs

I really have no idea on being on a cycle - but I always thought the idea of being on a cycle was so that you could decrease the rest period and increase the volume without it negatively affecting your CNS? So wouldn't the only difference between being on and off cycle be an adjustment to these magnitudes?

Don't know about rest periods per say...I tend to get my full 2 minutes between sets...If I was more cardiovascularly fit I would try shorter intervals....I'm just looking for advice as to what people think the BEST way to manipulate/increase volume would be...I don't do anything without consulting the fitness Gods of IronMagazine anymore...Everything I know I learned it here, asking questions..

I was also wondering about traps too...is direct work necessary when doing upper/lower body splits??

**Adamjs** · 03-25-2006, 05:45 PM

By rest I meant rest days between working like muscles. Like i said though - test isn't my thing. Have you tried checking on the Anabolic forum? Changes to routines when on a cycle seems like a common question people would/should have.

**P-funk** · 03-25-2006, 08:03 PM

teh workout looks good. As far as doing a cycle I am not the best person to give you advice on what to do. You could probably go with training total upper body, instead of movement planes, to bump the volume up a little bit (since you are "on" i would assume you could handle more work). Or, you can go with something that allows you to ramp the volume up a graet deal over the first three weeks and then taper it off to more intensity....accumulation/intensification.

May looks something like this:

upper/lower (on; on; off; on; on; off; off)

week 1-3 (accumulation):
week 4= unload
week 5-7 (intensifictation)
week 8= unload

day1- upper- 3 sets x 8-12 reps- RI= 90sec
bench
cable row
shoulder press
pulldown
superset:
a) low incline DB flye
b) rev. pek deck
superset
a) bb curl
b) skull crushers

day2- lower- 3 sets x 8-12 reps- RI= 90sec
back squat
RDL
lunges
calves

day3- upper - 3 sets x 8-12 reps- RI= 90sec
standing BB press
chin ups
Db bench press
bent over BB row
superset
a) lateral raises
b) pull overs
superset
a) pressdowns
b) hammer curls

day4- lower- 3 sets x 8-12 reps- RI= 90sec
deadlifts
front squat
leg curls
calves

week2
increase volume to 4 sets x 8-12 reps

week 3
increase volume to 5 sets x 8-12 reps

week 4 (unload volume but increase intensity slightly)
drop down to 2 sets x 8-10 reps

week 5 (intensification)
drop the isolation exercises (the supersets) and drop the 3rd exercise on the leg days (the lunges and the leg curls) and increase your intensity to 3 sets x 4-6 reps

week 6
4 sets x 4-6reps

week 7
5 sets x 4-6 reps

week 8 (unload the volume but increase intensity)
3 sets x 1-3 reps

**P-funk** · 03-25-2006, 08:07 PM

of course, you could also do something like jsut ramp up the volume int he first 3 weeks, drop the volume in week 4 and then in week 5 ramp it up again for 3 straight weeks and not do the intensity increase, if maximal strength is not your goal.

You may be better off just increasing volume, then decreasing it in week 4 and going like that. In week for shoot for about a 60% drop off in volume to unload and then start the next 4 week block of training.

**P-funk** · 03-25-2006, 08:13 PM

or, you could rotate rep ranges weekly, like alternating periodization, over the course of the 3 weeks....something like:

week1- 3 sets x 6-8 reps (18-24 total reps)
week2- 3 sets x 10-12 reps (30-34 total reps)
week3- 4 sets x 8-10 reps (32-40 total reps)
week4 (unload)- 2 sets x 10-12 reps (20-21 total reps....about 60% of week threes total volume.

man, i am just full of ideas tonight.

**P-funk** · 03-25-2006, 08:16 PM

how about increasing the volume linearly:

week1-3= 3 sets x 10-12 reps
week4-5= 3 sets x 6-8 reps
week6-7= 3 sets x 3-5 reps
week 8= unload intensity

**P-funk** · 03-25-2006, 08:25 PM

yuo could always do things undulating too:

week 1
day1 (upper)= 3 sets x 12 reps
day2 (lower)= 5 sets x 5 reps
day3 (upper)= 3 sets x 10 reps
day4 (lower)= 3 sets x 12 reps

week2
day1 (upper)= 5 sets x 5 reps
day2 (lower)= 3 sets x 10 reps
day3 (upper)= 3 sets x 12 reps
day4 (lower)= 5 sets x 5 reps

week3
day1 (upper)= 3 sets x 10 reps
day2 (lower)= 3 sets x 12 reps
day3 (upper)= 5 sets x 5 reps
day4 (lower)= 3 sets x 10 reps

etc..

**pengers84** · 03-25-2006, 09:32 PM

Ive heard that being on cycle should make no difference to training, except of course as your strength goes up your weights go up. But i have no direct experience, just what ive read.

**Yanick** · 03-26-2006, 01:27 AM

this is all just me brainstorming so take it with a grain of salt, plus maybe it might spark an interesting discussion.

based on what Pat has said about the fitness/fatigue model recently on this site i think you might be able to accumulate volume either more aggressively, like Pat said, or over a longer period of time and then take less time off as you cycle is peaking, which again i don't know much bout roids but i know that diff cycles have different times of their 'peak' gains. so basically, you accumulate volume to accumulate fatigue but since your recovery etc is better you can probably get away with a larger accumulation of volume over a longer period of time with a smaller window for taking a step back and letting your fitness catch up with your fatigue.

just an idea, can't give you any crazy layouts like pat did, i'm in the middle of a 30hour work weekend.

**PWGriffin** · 03-26-2006, 05:54 AM

Originally Posted by Yanick

this is all just me brainstorming so take it with a grain of salt, plus maybe it might spark an interesting discussion.

based on what Pat has said about the fitness/fatigue model recently on this site i think you might be able to accumulate volume either more aggressively, like Pat said, or over a longer period of time and then take less time off as you cycle is peaking, which again i don't know much bout roids but i know that diff cycles have different times of their 'peak' gains. so basically, you accumulate volume to accumulate fatigue but since your recovery etc is better you can probably get away with a larger accumulation of volume over a longer period of time with a smaller window for taking a step back and letting your fitness catch up with your fatigue.

just an idea, can't give you any crazy layouts like pat did, i'm in the middle of a 30hour work weekend.

Well since I'm using two short esters and injecting every other day....My blood levels will be up almost right away. Pat has offered lots of different ways to do things...I'm gonna read more when I'm sober....lol...

**PWGriffin** · 03-27-2006, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by P-funk

teh workout looks good. As far as doing a cycle I am not the best person to give you advice on what to do. You could probably go with training total upper body, instead of movement planes, to bump the volume up a little bit (since you are "on" i would assume you could handle more work). Or, you can go with something that allows you to ramp the volume up a graet deal over the first three weeks and then taper it off to more intensity....accumulation/intensification.

May looks something like this:

upper/lower (on; on; off; on; on; off; off)

week 1-3 (accumulation):
week 4= unload
week 5-7 (intensifictation)
week 8= unload

day1- upper- 3 sets x 8-12 reps- RI= 90sec
bench
cable row
shoulder press
pulldown
superset:
a) low incline DB flye
b) rev. pek deck
superset
a) bb curl
b) skull crushers

day2- lower- 3 sets x 8-12 reps- RI= 90sec
back squat
RDL
lunges
calves

day3- upper - 3 sets x 8-12 reps- RI= 90sec
standing BB press
chin ups
Db bench press
bent over BB row
superset
a) lateral raises
b) pull overs
superset
a) pressdowns
b) hammer curls

day4- lower- 3 sets x 8-12 reps- RI= 90sec
deadlifts
front squat
leg curls
calves

week2
increase volume to 4 sets x 8-12 reps

week 3
increase volume to 5 sets x 8-12 reps

week 4 (unload volume but increase intensity slightly)
drop down to 2 sets x 8-10 reps

week 5 (intensification)
drop the isolation exercises (the supersets) and drop the 3rd exercise on the leg days (the lunges and the leg curls) and increase your intensity to 3 sets x 4-6 reps

week 6
4 sets x 4-6reps

week 7
5 sets x 4-6 reps

week 8 (unload the volume but increase intensity)
3 sets x 1-3 reps

This I like the most of ur ideas....training total upper body AND ramping volume to 5 sets on the 3rd week might be tough....might make for a really long day in the gym...but I will try ANYTHING. I really like the idea on accumulation and later intensification...don't know how much strength I can hope to gain while I'm cutting though.

Thanks for all your help funk.

**P-funk** · 03-27-2006, 03:21 AM

if you train for strength you should gain strength or at least maintain it when dieting.

5 sets shouldn't take long. This is a hypertrophy phase and the reps are low enough in intensity that you should be hitting it in 45-60sec rest.

**PWGriffin** · 03-27-2006, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by P-funk

if you train for strength you should gain strength or at least maintain it when dieting.

5 sets shouldn't take long. This is a hypertrophy phase and the reps are low enough in intensity that you should be hitting it in 45-60sec rest.

Well I did total upper body in the exact fashion you posted earlier...great workout...I was pretty focused, and got abs in too in only about an hour and 15 minutes. Not too bad eh?? I was freakin exhausted though, it was great. My lifts have suffered from the shorter resting intervals but oh well.

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