Thread: Question for bulk phase of ABCD

Originally Posted by jmorrison

Using the Anabolic Burst Cyling Diet, I will have 2 weeks of bulking and 2 weeks of cutting per month. Built has assisted me with my diet and my training for the cutting phase, but I was wondering if anyone could assist me with designing a program for the 2 weeks of bulking.

I was looking at Pfunk's 5x5 workouts, but didn't know if that would be my best bet for 2 weeks of bulking. I will be going with the 3 day split of 5x5 if no one can think of anything better

what is the program that you are using for cutting and why are you going to try and adjust it for such a short period? If anything, you can increase some volume while you eat more. But, I would probably just keep it as is.

Patrick

This is what I am currently using during my dieting phases. Built has suggested that I lower some of the reps because of the lower recovery involved with the low calories. Any suggestions on rep range would be great also.

I guess I was looking at switching for bulking because I had always been taught that heavier, more compound movements were better for bulking phases. This may be wrong, it's just what I have been taught So I was looking for a solid, more intense workout during my bulk cycles. I should be much stronger and have much more endurance than I do now with my diet.

Thanks Pfunk.


Day Target Exercise Sets X Reps

Day1 Chest/Tri
Bench Press 4x12/10/8/6
Barbell Press 3x10
Butterflys 3x10
Cable X-overs 4x15/12/10/8
Overhead Press 3x10
Skull Crushers 3x10
Cable Pushes 4x15/12/10/8


Day2 Back/Bi
Barbell Deadlift 4x12/10/8/6
Lat Pulls 4x12/10/8/6
Upright rows 3x10
Closed-grip pulls 3x10
Barbell Curls 3x10
Seated Conc curls 3x10
Hammer Curls 3x10
Cable curls 4x15/12/10/8


Day3 OFF
XXXX

Day4 Legs
Front grip barbell squat 4x12/10/8/6
Lunges 3x10
Extensions 4x12/10/8/6
Hamstrings 4x12/10/8/6
Calf raises 4x15/12/10/8

Day5 Shoulders
Barbell Cleans 3x10
Military Press 4x12/10/8/6
Upright Butterflies 3x10
Cable Shrugs 4x15/12/10/8
Side Raises 3x10
Front Raises 3x10

Day6 OFF
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Day7 Circuit Incline/decline/cable 1/.30/1
Front squat/Lunges/Calf
Curls/Hammers/Cable
Overhead press/skulls/cable push
Military press/Stding Butterflies/Shrugs


Rest 1 day before beginning cycle again

Originally Posted by jmorrison

Day Target Exercise Sets X Reps

Day1 Chest/Tri
Bench Press 4x12/10/8/6
Barbell Press 3x10
Butterflys 3x10
Cable X-overs 4x15/12/10/8
Overhead Press 3x10
Skull Crushers 3x10
Cable Pushes 4x15/12/10/8

Day5 Shoulders
Barbell Cleans 3x10
Military Press 4x12/10/8/6
Upright Butterflies 3x10
Cable Shrugs 4x15/12/10/8
Side Raises 3x10
Front Raises 3x10

A bit much for shoulders dont you think?? seeing as they get worked when doing chest and back exercises and squats. And if the upright butterfly is that raise where your arms are at 90 degrees, then it's basically a bent arm lateral raise, so if you do that theres no need for side raises.
Is there anything for the rear delts when doing shoulders??

Maybe also you want to do back/bi's first so you have 3 days to recover from deadlifts before doing your legs.

I would switch upright rows to shoulder day is it hits the shoulders/traps the most. Doing them after a chest workout which you also did some shoulder workouts would seriously hurt.

I think you're doing a bit too many exercises but try it and see if it works.

I'd love to understand how a 2 week bulking and 2 week cutting routine works.

I don't get that concept at all.

What is it that you look to achieve here?

KY

Originally Posted by kyoun1e

I'd love to understand how a 2 week bulking and 2 week cutting routine works.

I don't get that concept at all.

What is it that you look to achieve here?

KY

me either. it is hardly enough time to get the body to adapt to the fluctuation in calories. I would extend it out, like 5 weeks bulking, 3 weeks cutting, or something like that.

patrick

wow, that program looks intense. are you really at a point where you need to splitt things up that much?

and I don't get the 2 weeks thing either. normally I'd recomend people to do 4-6 week phases of first muscle endurance, then hypertrophy and last maximal strength training. And then a 1-2 week phase of increased cardio, and only light weight training to allow the muscles to fully recover before the next cycle.

Maybe the 2 week thing is a philosophy by some guru?

Sorry for the slow response, and thank all of you very much for the input.

In regard to the too many excercises. I think I may have too many in there also. I am having trouble completing my sets towards the end of a workout, and to be honest, am just out of gas about 3/4 of the way through a workout. Any tips on what to cut out or add?

As for the 2 week switch, it is a program I used years ago called ABCD. Here are a couple of articles if anyone is interested in reading about it:

Muscle Media
Anabolic Burst Cycling (Diet) Nutrition - Bodybuilding.com Forums
* Anabolic Burst Cycling of Diet & Exercise (ABCDE)

When I was serious about this around 8 years ago, this was the diet plan I used. I got great results, but that could have simply been the sheer amount of physical activity I was involved in with the weightraining, rugby, military PT, and wrestling. So I have no idea if the "science" behind the diet is legit or not. The thing is, I work on an oil rig in the gulf of mexico on a 2 week on 2 week off schedule, and all of my food is prepared for me out here. All the chicken/tuna/cottage cheese/fish I can stand so the diet is convenient for my lifestyle.

That doesn't mean I won't chuck it if you guys think it is bunk. BB has changed a lot in the years since I was involved with it, and if it is a garbage program I would be more than willing to change. It just worked for me once, and is the only real program I have a good knowledge of.

Thanks guys, your feedback is appreciated.

Day Target Exercise Sets X Reps

Day1 Chest/Tri
Bench Press 4x12/10/8/6
Dips 3x10
Incline Bench Press 4x15/12/10/8
Skull Crushers 3x10

With chest you wanna hit the major and minor muscles equally for full development. My upper chest never grew till I started doing incline.


Day2 Back/Bi
Bent over rows 3x10
Lat Pulls 4x12/10/8/6
Closed-grip pulls 3x10
Hammer Curls 3x10

You were doing 2 upper back exercises and 4 bicep exercises! Bicep overkill maybe.

Day3 OFF
XXXX

Day4 Legs
Normal Squats 3x10
Calf raises 4x15/12/10/8
Deadlift 3x10

This should work your lower back as hard as it hits your legs. You wont be able to move after the set of deadlifts & squats in the same day.

Day5 Shoulders
Military Press 4x12/10/8/6
Upright Rows 3x10
Cable Shrugs 4x15/12/10/8

The delts get hit on every day basically so you only need 2 exercises for them, focusing on the side delts and traps, yet also hitting the rest of the shoulder.

Day6 OFF
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Day7 OFF
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Need atleast 2 consecutive days off a week to let CNS recover. Also, why do circuits when bulking?? You'll just be losing all your gains by doing cardio and cutting instead of bulking. Circuits are a great way to burn fat.. (and therefore calories needed to make muscle)

Originally Posted by jmorrison

Sorry for the slow response, and thank all of you very much for the input.

In regard to the too many excercises. I think I may have too many in there also. I am having trouble completing my sets towards the end of a workout, and to be honest, am just out of gas about 3/4 of the way through a workout. Any tips on what to cut out or add?

As for the 2 week switch, it is a program I used years ago called ABCD. Here are a couple of articles if anyone is interested in reading about it:

Muscle Media
Anabolic Burst Cycling (Diet) Nutrition - Bodybuilding.com Forums
* Anabolic Burst Cycling of Diet & Exercise (ABCDE)

When I was serious about this around 8 years ago, this was the diet plan I used. I got great results, but that could have simply been the sheer amount of physical activity I was involved in with the weightraining, rugby, military PT, and wrestling. So I have no idea if the "science" behind the diet is legit or not. The thing is, I work on an oil rig in the gulf of mexico on a 2 week on 2 week off schedule, and all of my food is prepared for me out here. All the chicken/tuna/cottage cheese/fish I can stand so the diet is convenient for my lifestyle.

That doesn't mean I won't chuck it if you guys think it is bunk. BB has changed a lot in the years since I was involved with it, and if it is a garbage program I would be more than willing to change. It just worked for me once, and is the only real program I have a good knowledge of.

Thanks guys, your feedback is appreciated.

Why 2 on 2 off? Sounds like a terrible idea.

I cant find the article, but you are more insulin sensitive after a phase of dieting, meaning if you go straight into a bulk your more likely to gain fat.

I dont know how relevant this is after only 2 weeks if dieting, but its still not a great idea.

How about bulk(8 weeks), maintain(2weeks), cut(6 weeks)? Just a thought.

Originally Posted by T_man

Day Target Exercise Sets X Reps

Day1 Chest/Tri
Bench Press 4x12/10/8/6
Dips 3x10
Incline Bench Press 4x15/12/10/8
Skull Crushers 3x10

With chest you wanna hit the major and minor muscles equally for full development. My upper chest never grew till I started doing incline.


Day2 Back/Bi
Bent over rows 3x10
Lat Pulls 4x12/10/8/6
Closed-grip pulls 3x10
Hammer Curls 3x10

You were doing 2 upper back exercises and 4 bicep exercises! Bicep overkill maybe.

Day3 OFF
XXXX

Day4 Legs
Normal Squats 3x10
Calf raises 4x15/12/10/8
Deadlift 3x10

This should work your lower back as hard as it hits your legs. You wont be able to move after the set of deadlifts & squats in the same day.

Day5 Shoulders
Military Press 4x12/10/8/6
Upright Rows 3x10
Cable Shrugs 4x15/12/10/8

The delts get hit on every day basically so you only need 2 exercises for them, focusing on the side delts and traps, yet also hitting the rest of the shoulder.

Day6 OFF
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Day7 OFF
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Need atleast 2 consecutive days off a week to let CNS recover. Also, why do circuits when bulking?? You'll just be losing all your gains by doing cardio and cutting instead of bulking. Circuits are a great way to burn fat.. (and therefore calories needed to make muscle)

that few of exercises work?? then i have been going way overkill!!!

Yea. I was overkilling it in the past but now that I started doing much less I found myself growing like a bitch. And if you included your shoulders in your chest workout with like 2 exercises (I do military/DB press and upright rows) it does even more imo. Your shoulders get worked with most other exercises anyways.

every 3 weeks just switch it up and do a different exercise. E.g doing decline bench instead of dips, cable x-overs in an incline position for upper chest etc