**Marcus's HIT Dungeon**

[ghettoboyd]

looking big bro, solid...much respect sir...

[Sfla80]

Had the day off from the gym. Shoulders tomorrow. I keep whispering to them. Your dead meat. I'm going to kill you. If they only knew.

So the issue u have with your delts doesnt affect your workouts?

[Igifuno]

Just remember "Body building is a way of life or gets in the way of your life". Dont let it depict the direction of it. Because on a drop of a dime you may not be able to train any more and may have to live with regrets because of it. Bb'ing is a selfish sport....especially if you have a family. Being selfish is no way to live life.

Wow.. Eye opening words of wisdom. Thank you.

[Capebuffalo]

So the issue u have with your delts doesnt affect your workouts?

It would if I let it.

[Hazard]

It would if I let it.

I said that too.... Delts won eventually lol! I had to lighten up

[Sfla80]

It would if I let it.

Lol...touché

[Igifuno]

Back/Tris today

Back

Wide grip reverse grip seated rows
100x12 slow, big squeeze at the top
140x10
160x4, drop to 120x8

Bent over DB rows (incline instead of flat as usual)
80x12
125x6, RP+4 - this was increadible for me. Heaviest I've ever gone on this excersise. Had to be real careful because I felt straining in my neck and had to focus hard on the movement to help ensure I was isolating the lat and not forcing reps, which I think may have caused a neck pull
Drop to 80x12.. didn't think I'd get 12 here but just kept going and got it. It hurts.. I like it. High intensity.. already sweating like a whore in church

T-bar
90x10
115x6, drop to 90x6.. .lower back pumps are so severe I have to lean on a machine.. I planned on doing deads to finish back but not sure I'll be able to...

Close grip pull downs
120x10
160x4, RP+4

Seated lat pullovers (hammer strength) - doing these instead of deads... lower back pain is crazy
120x10
160x4, drop to 120x6

Tris

seated dips
90x12 (warm up)
180x10
270x0 Lol.. that ain't happening.. sh*t didn't even move... just testing the waters a bit
Let's try that again
230x6 - not feeling great on my elbows.. need to purchase some neoprene wraps tonight

Skull crushers
90x10
110x6
110x6

Rope pull downs
Not sure of the weight.. these are numbered pins
Did one feel set, then two heavy sets x6, RP+4

Seated extensions
90x6, drop to 70x8, drop to 50x10....painful..

10 minutes cardio

[Capebuffalo]

Back/Tris today

Back

Wide grip reverse grip seated rows
100x12 slow, big squeeze at the top
140x10
160x4, drop to 120x8

Bent over DB rows (incline instead of flat as usual)
80x12
125x6, RP+4 - this was increadible for me. Heaviest I've ever gone on this excersise. Had to be real careful because I felt straining in my neck and had to focus hard on the movement to help ensure I was isolating the lat and not forcing reps, which I think may have caused a neck pull
Drop to 80x12.. didn't think I'd get 12 here but just kept going and got it. It hurts.. I like it. High intensity.. already sweating like a whore in church

T-bar
90x10
115x6, drop to 90x6.. .lower back pumps are so severe I have to lean on a machine.. I planned on doing deads to finish back but not sure I'll be able to...

Close grip pull downs
120x10
160x4, RP+4

Seated lat pullovers (hammer strength) - doing these instead of deads... lower back pain is crazy
120x10
160x4, drop to 120x6

Tris

seated dips
90x12 (warm up)
180x10
270x0 Lol.. that ain't happening.. sh*t didn't even move... just testing the waters a bit
Let's try that again
230x6 - not feeling great on my elbows.. need to purchase some neoprene wraps tonight

Skull crushers
90x10
110x6
110x6

Rope pull downs
Not sure of the weight.. these are numbered pins
Did one feel set, then two heavy sets x6, RP+4

Seated extensions
90x6, drop to 70x8, drop to 50x10....painful..

10 minutes cardio

Go heavier. You're not pushing your limits. You can go farther. I know you can.

[Igifuno]

Go heavier. You're not pushing your limits. You can go farther. I know you can.

If the amount of reps is any indication, then you're right. I'm experiencing an increase in strength right now and will continue to increase each workout.

I may need to jump on the DMSO bandwagon.

[MajorPectorial]

If the amount of reps is any indication, then you're right. I'm experiencing an increase in strength right now and will continue to increase each workout.

I may need to jump on the DMSO bandwagon.

Give it a shot man. I am. Along with msm crystals (helps collagen synthesis so plus for joints/tendons/connective tissue etc) the msm assisted me slightly over a long period 5gs a day every day n only bout 20 pounds for a years supply too so cheap as hell. Gunna see if this DMSO works its magic over a few months. If not totally healed I'm on the tb500 bandwagon ;-)

[Doom44]

Back/Abs

Reverse grip pulldown 1 set 7 reps 1 rp 1 drop
Barbell bent over rows 1 set 8 reps 2 rp 1 drop
One arm hammer strength dy row 1 set 8 reps 2 drop
Cable seated overhand grip row 1 set 8 reps 1 rp 1 drop
Hyperextension 1 set 8 reps 1 drop
Deadlift (Dy version ) 1 set 8 reps.

Toes to bar 3 sets to failure.

30 minutes done.

[marcus300]

Last shoulder workout

pre exhaust due to cuff injury


Machine side laterals
2 warm up sets -slow strict and full range of motion
1 working set to failure hit 6 reps, drop to failure for another 2, drop for another 3 then went down to halfs for a couple

db front raises
2 feel sets
1 working set to failure + 2 drops plus halfs at the end

At this stage my shoulders are blown and extremely pump finding it hard to rest them they ache that much, very focus doing the sets and got right into the zone.

smith machine front shoulder press
2 feel sets
1 working set to failure + 2 dropsets which both went to failure

Machine rear delts
2 feels sets
1 working set to failure + 2 drops plus halfs

BB shrugs
2 feel sets
1 working set to failure plus 3 drops sets and went right down to halfs


shoulder were glowing red there was that much blood pumped into them, felt good and only did delts and went home to eat.

I can feel the devil inside again ready to do some damage and start increasing intensity/weights

[Java Man]

Over the last few weeks and the health issues ive been going through I did still carry training the best I could, infact I really had some hard heavy sessions but I will say this to everyone so you all know I am not some robot without emotion. It was the first time in my life I was really scared the thoughts what were going round in my head were bad and I couldn't stop them. I didn't sleep for a week maybe got an hour a night and once I got the results back the weight off my shoulders was immense. I cant describe the sleep I had that night ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I it was nice. So guys you may see me strong and training like a mad man and have a strong mind set but I can honestly say the last few weeks I was weak and down BUT not out cold.

What? All this time I thought your name said 'machine300' It's good to have you back and we're all relieved it turned out to be relatively minor. I don't like to presume to speak for others but I think I'm safe this time.

[marcus300]

Repost for someone


This is just a reminder how I go about my training, many of you use different HIT approaches which is fine but for me these below work and they will also help some of you have a better understanding what this style is all about. I've seen many training styles being mixed up but I just want to get this out there for the people who are getting confused. It also explains some of the terminology I and others use.

Rep range
The ideal rep range for building size and stimulating hypertrophy is the 6 to 12 reps. Less than 6 reps will more or less increase strength and a degree of size, performing more than 12 reps will help build muscle endurance. Make sure that your reps fall within this range and your hitting true positive failure for the best chance of hypertrpohy. If your implementing one of the beyond failure methods such as forced & negs, rest pause or dropsetting you use a weight what is heavy enough to bring your positive failure at the low end of the rep range. An example for rest pause you use a weight what you will hit true positive failure at around the 4th rep then you would rest for around 10-15 seconds and do another couple of reps, then rest again for another 10-15 seconds and hit another 2 reps with the same weight. In total your doing 8 reps which is within range and your going to failure on each rest pause so you have a high chance of stimulating the right fibers to produce the best gains. As your rep range and strength increases towards a total of 12 reps you simple increase the weight being used so your constantly increasing intensity and overload, the two keys principles of any HIT programme. You use feeler sets to determine what weight you will be using on your working set, as you use different methods like dropsetting always makes sure you don't drop the weight to much so your not going over 12 reps in total. If you are you need to be using heavier weight on the drops so your rep range hits below the 12 reps in total. I always like to use around the 8 rep range in total and increase the reps upwards until I feel i can increase the weight so my rep range falls around the 8 rep range again. We are aiming for maximum muscle fiber recruitment hitting these rep ranges at failure will have the greatest potential for muscular growth. The above advice is for someone who is already advanced and is looking to build bigger thicker muscles, its not for someone who is building a base and foundation because these people can really benefit from using a lower rep range aswell as the above.


Stimulating growth
Remember going to true positive failure like I've describe previously hits the toughest muscle fibers what grow the biggest these are the fast twitch type 2b fibers, you hit these fibers and you will have the biggest chance of increasing in size. What we are aiming for is progression overload so you keep hitting the muscles with an increased weight so they need to change and adapt to the overload its being put under. This kind of continuous stress will have a reaction on the body and it will have no other alternative but to grow. We keep within the right rep range what stimulates the biggest growth and we continuously try and increase the intensity by increasing the reps then once the reps increase you increase the weight to bring the reps down within the correct range again. I can't stress enough about taking your muscle to true positive failure, this takes a lot of mental preparation. Before any muscle contraction occurs it originates from the brain sending signals to the nerves, the stronger the signal the more forceful the muscle contraction, in other words control your mind set pre working set and you will be in the best position to take your body to failure and beyond. I've commented many times how I go about doing my mental preparation but you master the mental side and you will see huge leaps in achieving your goals.Release the aggression by talking to your inner self and you will take your body to places its never been before. Stimulate growth by overloading your body to a state were its screaming for you to stop and no matter what you couldn't do one more rep even if your life depended on it, if you don't train in this fashion your not training hard enough.

Advanced training techniques
Forced and negatives
When your going to be implementing forced and negatives you need to be using a weight what your going to be hitting around the 3-4 rep range at true positive failure, then your spotter with help you with another 2 reps. I say 2 reps because its about the limit you can do once you have come to true positive failure and your partner is taking some of the weight off you, these forced reps will dig very deep into your muscle fiber recruitment. Once you have finished the forced reps the weight will be at the starting position and you start to complete negatives by lowering the weight very slowly, make sure you resist and fight the weight coming down and once at the bottom your partner will assist you to get the weight to the top of again and you will do another negative and you keep going until you cant do another negative, usually its around 2 negatives. Negatives done at this stage of a working set after positive muscle failure causes serious trauma to the muscle which will stimulate the release of growth factors. Your also 40% stronger on the eccentric part of the lift so once you hit failure in the lifting part of the exercise by yourself and adding forced with your partner the negatives will take you beyond and recruit further fibres like nothing I've experienced with any other training routine. Once this as been hit there is no need to do anything else because the damage has occurred and no more can be recruited only burn out and exhaustion. If we add the reps up you would be doing around 3-4 reps on the positive then 2 forced and then around 2 negative so in total your hitting around the 8 rep range. You have 3 strengths you have the positive, static and negative, the negative causes the most damage to the muscle and is the biggest cause of DOMS, you master negatives and you will see a huge improvement in muscle size and fullness.

Rest Pause
Again use a weight what you will be hitting true positive failure around the 3-4 reps range, put the weight down and rest for around 10-15 seconds which should give you around another 2 reps, then repeat and rest again and hit another 2+ reps again. Your completing a set of around 8 reps than you would normally use but your rest a couple of times within the set for around 10-15 second so you recover just enough to complete another 2 reps each time. This will recruit those tough type 2b muscle fibers and if you use your feeler sets correctly you can really cause some serious damage to your muscle and create an extreme amount of over load your body isn't use to. I like the 8 rep total mark but this isn't set in stone, you may prefer 10 reps in total or even 6 but just try and makes ure your in the 6-12 rep range and work from that to increase the intensity and overload.

Drop sets
This method needs a bit more thinking about but first lets explain what a drop set is. If we use DB curls for an example you would pick a weight again were you would be hitting around 3-4 reps at true positive failure and then get a set of lighter DB's and rep again for another couple of reps and then drop the weight again and curl another set of lighter bells for another 2-3 reps. You have to make sure you drop the weight enough to make sure you get around 2-3 reps out at failure but make sure you don't drop the weight to much, if your repping loads of reps out remember your trying to be hitting around the 8 rep range so when your doing your feeler sets its crucial to make the lighter db set just enough so you keep within the total rep range.

Halfs/quarters or partials
With partials you are doing a standard working set to which will involve you conducting a strict full range of motion to true positive failure, at this stage you would carry on doing half reps until its impossible to complete another half rep then do a quarter reps right down till you cant move the weight. A fine example would be DB side laterals were you would do strict reps till failure then carry on doing half reps so the DB's are only coming up half way then keep going till your hardly moving the weight from the side. There will be a bit of body assistance and sloppy form come into play towards the end but at this stage its fine just to get those deep muscle fibers working by going beyond failure. Extremely effective way to recruit those tough fibers we require with a constant tension approach.

Hit Supersets
Hit supersets entail you doing one exercise right after another with very little rest as in-between the two movements. With these types of supersets your still hitting the 6-12 rep range so your not doing anymore than 12 reps over two exercises, this is very important. Example you would go to true positive failure lets say on DB shoulder press and be at failure around the 5-6 rep then go straight into db side laterals for another 6 reps at the most which would be failure again. You have to make sure you use the right weight to hit the correct rep range so you don't go over the 12 rep ceiling otherwise you will trigger the muscle endurance and exhaustion and you wont tap into the tough fibers we require. Great examples is coupling compounds movements with isolation.


Combination
This protocol would consist of a combination of any of the above methods, you could use rest pause and on the second rest pause you may not be able to do anymore reps so you could go straight into a drop set to finish the working set of to failure and beyond. You could even use drop sets with partials on the last drop set to really increase the burn and intensity. The combination is endless, its how you feel to complete the workings set and what you need to do to make sure its a productive one. These are great for a back up plan if your working set starts to go wrong for any reason.

Rest
Using the above protocols is extremely tasking on your body and CNS so you need to make sure the training session are short but intense enough to stimulate growth. You also need to make sure you rest enough and have a good solid diet to suit your requirements. There is one thing for sure its impossible to train like this correctly for weeks on end, no matter how anabolic you are your going to need to pull back on the above movements and decrease the intensity and let the body fully repair and heal. This doesn't mean you have to stop training in this style just take a pullback training routine for a few weeks and lower the intensity and increase the rest days. Cortisol will fight against muscle growth so if you experience any over training symptoms its time to change things around to help your body repair and heal.


Feel sets
The feel sets are sets what you will do previous your working set, these sets are done so you can determine what weight you will be doing on your working set. Sometimes on my first feeler set it feels light and I'm very powerful so the next feeler set I will put some poundage on and see how that feels, again if that feels easy I know I can go heavier on my working set. I also take in consideration what I am going to be doing whether its forced and negs or rest pause or drops, I just judge a weight what I will be hitting failure around the 4th - 6th rep mark or less and then incorporate the beyond failure protocols. I also remember what I did last time I did that movement because in the back of my mind I know I have to overload my body. I am always pushing heavier weights or trying to increase the intensity.

Nutrition
Food is a major player when we are building muscle tissue or shredding bf. We need to eat enough energy releasing foods to fuel our workouts and also to promote muscle building. Nutrition is a very individual thing and nothing is set in stone no matter who tells you it is, its not. We are all different and have different levels of activity and we need to establish a baseline diet and work off this to suit your needs and goals. Make no mistake if you want to grow bigger thicker muscles than your going to have to eat big, train big and be consistent with everything you do. Once you establish your maintenance diet you can put a strategy together to add muscle and body weight or shred body fat. Learning how your body responds to different amounts of calories will be one most beneficial things you can do because this will open a plan to determine how you go about attacking and achieving your goals.

[Java Man]

I haven't been on here a much as usual, had at least 3 pages to read and getting a little ridiculous with the 'like' button so I'm just going to do this for all posts in the past few days:

'like'

[AD]

how do i look?

[DCI]

Great job ad bud savage back and seperation unreal bud

[AD]

Great job ad bud savage back and seperation unreal bud

Thanks mate! I took those pics right after a brutal back and delt session. Taking full advantage of the pump. Lol.

Finishing wk2 of a standard 12wk testC cycle. Hopefully I can get better pics when I'm done.

[DCI]

Looks like you'll burst the shirt off ya

[AD]

Looks like you'll burst the shirt off ya

Are you sure you're not looking at Haz's pics instead lol.

[Igifuno]

Give it a shot man. I am. Along with msm crystals (helps collagen synthesis so plus for joints/tendons/connective tissue etc) the msm assisted me slightly over a long period 5gs a day every day n only bout 20 pounds for a years supply too so cheap as hell. Gunna see if this DMSO works its magic over a few months. If not totally healed I'm on the tb500 bandwagon ;-)

Thx man.. I don't know anything about msm I'll have to read up on it.

[Igifuno]

Back/Abs Reverse grip pulldown 1 set 7 reps 1 rp 1 drop Barbell bent over rows 1 set 8 reps 2 rp 1 drop One arm hammer strength dy row 1 set 8 reps 2 drop Cable seated overhand grip row 1 set 8 reps 1 rp 1 drop Hyperextension 1 set 8 reps 1 drop Deadlift (Dy version ) 1 set 8 reps. Toes to bar 3 sets to failure. 30 minutes done.

Short and effective.. Nice Doom.

[Capebuffalo]

how do i look?

I will just be damned. I have the worst back here. Good size and thickness AD
I can't wait to see it at the end of your cycle. You're on week 2 of how many.
I have to say you surprised me. Good work buddy.

Edit: Current stats?

[Igifuno]

Last shoulder workout pre exhaust due to cuff injury Machine side laterals 2 warm up sets -slow strict and full range of motion 1 working set to failure hit 6 reps, drop to failure for another 2, drop for another 3 then went down to halfs for a couple db front raises 2 feel sets 1 working set to failure + 2 drops plus halfs at the end At this stage my shoulders are blown and extremely pump finding it hard to rest them they ache that much, very focus doing the sets and got right into the zone. smith machine front shoulder press 2 feel sets 1 working set to failure + 2 dropsets which both went to failure Machine rear delts 2 feels sets 1 working set to failure + 2 drops plus halfs BB shrugs 2 feel sets 1 working set to failure plus 3 drops sets and went right down to halfs shoulder were glowing red there was that much blood pumped into them, felt good and only did delts and went home to eat. I can feel the devil inside again ready to do some damage and start increasing intensity/weights

We have the same issues. I had tendinitis in the shoulder and cuffs were damaged years ago from improper training. This is the reason I took a year off and only got back into it in April.

If I pre exhaust or warm up rotator cuffs prior to heavy movements, there is no way I'd be able to go heavy.. I've tried many times and, like you, my shoulders are in extreme pain throughout the workout.

[Igifuno]

how do i look? <img src="http://forums.steroid.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=145971"/> <img src="http://forums.steroid.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=145972"/>

Yeeaa buddy looking extremely solid AD. Wide back and lean.. Definition is very prevalent. Nice job

[Capebuffalo]

Igi what do have today?

[Igifuno]

Igi what do have today?

Shoulders - contemplating a rest day though. I need to make a decision and go with it.

You?

[Capebuffalo]

Shoulders - contemplating a rest day though. I need to make a decision and go with it.

You?

Shoulders as we speak. Still running a light week for recouping.

[Igifuno]

Glad to hear you're being easy on it. I feel like I got very lucky yesterday that I didn't pull in the muscle on those bent over rows. I really felt the neck straining.

[Capebuffalo]

Glad to hear you're being easy on it. I feel like I got very lucky yesterday that I didn't pull in the muscle on those bent over rows. I really felt the neck straining.

Form on those is everything. I hurt my shoulder not too long ago doing them. I pulled up and not back and bam.

[Igifuno]

Form on those is everything. I hurt my shoulder not too long ago doing them. I pulled up and not back and bam.

Ah that moment when you realize you've injured yourself... What a horrific feeling.

I herniated a disk several years ago (dead lifts) and was out for a good while. I wrote a thread and blog about it. No fun.. That rep and the 'pop'.. Please no... And then the pain sets in.

We are not getting any younger.. But still fighting for youth. I think we're holding our own.

[Capebuffalo]

Shoulder

Still light week. Not a true deload.

Smith Military Behind the Neck
135x10. 135x10

Arnold's
35x10 40x10

DB Side Raises
25x10 drop15x12

Reverse Grip raises(rear delt)
25x10 drop 20x12

. I love these reverse grip for rear delts



Ok work has been crazy diet has been less than stellar. Still haven't weighed myself but the mirror says I've lost size. Works only getting more hectic and will for a while. Having a hard time making all the pieces fit. Frustrating to say the least.

[Igifuno]

Nice cape. Got a good pump and exercised caution. Looking thick man.

[marcus300]

how do i look?

You've shocked me AD. Your have great size and symmetry and you have a great solid frame. Impressed well done

[Capebuffalo]

Nice cape. Got a good pump and exercised caution. Looking thick man.

Thanks but I've got to get my food intake back up. 3-4 meals a day is all I have time for right now. I'm non stop. I know I'm smaller. Ahhh. I hate shakes but may have to use them just to keep cals up.

[Igifuno]

Ok work has been crazy diet has been less than stellar. Still haven't weighed myself but the mirror says I've lost size. Works only getting more hectic and will for a while. Having a hard time making all the pieces fit. Frustrating to say the least.

Don't you hate when real life interferes with your passion?

With respect to the diet, do you have bars, shakes and nuts you can take with you? When I'm on the road for work (locally), I'll make some chicken or tuna wraps to go, or chicken breast and rice to take with me. Also a shake/bars/nuts

When I'm traveling it's a bit more challenging and I'm not happy with only store bought bars and shakes. I try to stop for sushi somewhere and will eat a huge dinner.

My boss no longer questions me, but he used to ask me if I was taking someone along for dinners when he reviewed my expense report. Lol

[Capebuffalo]

Ah that moment when you realize you've injured yourself... What a horrific feeling.

I herniated a disk several years ago (dead lifts) and was out for a good while. I wrote a thread and blog about it. No fun.. That rep and the 'pop'.. Please no... And then the pain sets in.

We are not getting any younger.. But still fighting for youth. I think we're holding our own.

Ouch. How long were you out

[Igifuno]

Thanks but I've got to get my food intake back up. 3-4 meals a day is all I have time for right now. I'm non stop. I know I'm smaller. Ahhh. I hate shakes but may have to use them just to keep cals up.

There are some good ones. My current favorite is syntha-6. 2 scoops is 400 cals, 30g carb and 44g protein. I highly recommend the orange smoothie flavor.

Obviously, there are some with a hell of a lot more cals (weight gainers). So there are plenty of options.

[AD]

You've shocked me AD. Your have great size and symmetry and you have a great solid frame. Impressed well done

Thanks boss! Wow. Made my day. . Lol.

[Igifuno]

Ouch. How long were you out

Long time man.. Months probably a year.. Was depressed, drank a lot. Eventually got sick of being fat and, frankly, had to lean up or buy another wardrobe cause my clothes wouldn't fit.