First cycle, pics

[mrjenkies]

Hey, I'm 21 years old, and just started my first cycle 5 days ago on Saturday. I'm just doing your basic newb cycle of 500 mg test e/week, some people might say I'm too young, but I believe I have a good base to work from and 500 mg test e/week isn't too outrageous. I've always had an excellent diet, and I plan on clean bulking for 12 weeks and hope to put on a good 15 quality pounds. I'm 6'0" and weigh 205 right now. Here are my starting point pics.






I'll update with pics as the cycle progresses.

[Undecided09]

Solid upper body base for certain....Got 22s to match the Hummer???(I'm asking if you got legs to match, if you didn't pick up on that, lol)
~M.A.D.

[Hackamaniac]

I agree your upper body does look very solid...I think you have a good base and will blow up on cycle if everything is on point..

[2.minutes]

good luck bro

[IBdmfkr]

Look good for your age bro.. good base

If I were to critique I'd say chest/lower back and delts are lagging a bit. You probably favor certain lifts as most do at that age.

[mrjenkies]

Thanks for the comments.

Chest has always been a problem for me, although it's in alot better shape than it used to be, it just doesn't grow as well as my other body parts. I think overall my back is my best muscle group though, the back shot is kind of dark so my lower back doesn't look too great.

[IBdmfkr]

Throw up some full-body pics if possible to compare the legs. As far as chest goes, it seems many people either overtrain chest as it is actually considered a smaller muscle group or simply don't know how to stimilate it properly with certain movements and lifts. If you're merely doing flat presses and using mainly the barbell for your chest days then that could deff be the problem. Lemme know if you want a good chest routine that'll spark growth.
Here's a before/after of mine over the last few years.

[Undecided09]

Hey B D i might actually want that chest routine as well, my chest struggles as far as growth goes, shape seems to be pretty good, as well as separation, growth....not so much, lol...Ill send you what I'm currently doing too, soo you can get an idea of what I'm doing....

~M.A.D.

[IBdmfkr]

no problem..

[Undecided09]

Awsome, PM coming soon....

~M.A.D.

[GlobalRiot]

I just realized I cant accept pm's . . . . can you post on here ? ?

[IBdmfkr]

I have one of them posted but it's not what I use currently, but it is what developed where I'm at now.. let me find it to save from copy/pasting PM's.

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=251225
Currently I utilize more Incline sets as my upper chest is lagging, but form has to be extremely strict as to not use the anterior delts during the lifts which is commonly done causing overdeveloped shoulders which are often seen.

[mrjenkies]

Yeah I'd be interested in a good chest routine too, if you can post it ehre that'd be cool, because I can't send or receive PM's yet either. I don't only do flat presses, although dumbell presses made my chest blow up from what it used to be, and have gotten me alot stronger. I haven't done flyes in a lonnnggg time because they never really did much for me.

[Undecided09]

Ok well seeing as were gonna do this in here, I'll post up mine....

1. Incline barbell or Dumbell press (alternates each week, opposite of flat that day):
Sets...8,6,4,6,4-->dropset, 50% of 4 rep weight for 15 reps...

2. Flat Bench or Dumbbell press (alternates each week, opposite of incline that day):
Sets...8,6,4,6,4

3. Dumbbell Fly of choice (alternate each week):
3 sets 6-10 reps....

4. Burnout of Choice (Cable Cross (bottom, top, middle), Peck Deck)
3 sets 6-8 reps..

I know burnout usually suggests high reps, but I prefer the term 'good squeeze' to high rep...from experimenting I've found that I'm super fast twitch, and heavy load/lower rep ranges generate the best pumps for me, even on an isolated, burnout, machine movement....

Its all yours B D....

~M.A.D.

[IBdmfkr]

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=251225

[Undecided09]

Critiques? I know its not the point of this thread, if you could PM me about my routine though that would be great.....

~M.A.D.

[IBdmfkr]

Simple, you're overtraining

My chest routine now consists of 2 excercises with 2 sets each, yes you read that right... 4 total sets for chest and I get stronger each week.. So who's making gains? That's right, ME lol

[Undecided09]

haha, Who said I wasnt making gains??? lol, I'm not, hahaha....

can you PM me a more thorough explanation of my chest routine?? problems that is and what to change???

~M.A.D.

[IBdmfkr]

I thought you had a national competivie BB'ing trainer?

I'd have to know more about your whole routine/current goals/diet/schedule etc before I could access what exactly you are doing wrong or make suggestions.. but one thing I can tell is that you're overtraining and don't even see it. Many people are guilty of this and it slows (sometimes even halts progression), it can be very frustrating at times, I still do it to this day because it is hard to stay out of the gym at times even when you know you're not 100% recovered.

[Undecided09]

I do, but I like multiple opinions, and that chest day is my own concoction, hahaha....I agree completely about it being hard to stay out of the gym too when ur not recovered, lemme give u the routine my trainer gave me, see what you think of this, definately old school....

This is a chest and Back day....

Lying Dumbbell pullover:
sets...8,6,4,6,4,-->dropset, 50% of 4 rep weight for 30 reps

Multi-angle Chest Fly (start on a certain level of incline, working way down to flat continuously immediately after 6 reps at each level):
2 sets, 6 reps at each level continuously until you reach and complete flat....

[IBdmfkr]

Much better, shock the muscle and get out.. Not tons of different excercises hitting the muscle at different angles which isn't needed IMO.. High intensity, low frequency is where it's at IMO.
With his program and mine though you must go 110% intensity EVERY time you step foot in the gym or you will not utilize the program.. Not everyone has a mindset like that so HIT programs do not work for them, they are called "weak-minded" people LOL.. Therefore marathon routines are better for these people who think the gym is a playground instead of a torture chamber

[Undecided09]

haha, I can't get over the analogies on this website, too funny....Yeah but that multi-angle chest fly is absolutely brutal....Also, his explanation of the pullover was that "everyone has done pressing movements for their chest, but when you switch to the pullover for a few weeks or so, it shocks your chest in a different way than its used to and it gives the parts of the chest that have been worked your whole life time to relax. When you go back to pressing moves, your gains will come on so much quicker and you will be much stronger than before..." I liked that idea, but I have to admit, pullovers don't realy "do it" for me, but I trust him.....

~M.A.D.

[IBdmfkr]

You remind me of this one guy who always talks about competing in my gym that constantly interupts my workouts to ask me questions, but when I give him the answers to his questions he chooses not to listen because he doesn't feel it's the right answer or he'll come back with a retorical question as if my answer didn't suit what he expected to hear. lol Not a putdown at all, I just see how you guys are thinking, but you gotta get over the mainstream BS that's been burned into your brain bro and open your mind a bit. This info isn't easy to take in or even take the initiative to experiment with in fear that you may lose muscle or slow your progress. I can understand where you might see it undesirable to give in to the ideas.

Keep doing what you're doing up until the contest and then maybe try a few new things out in the off-season to see how you respond.

[Undecided09]

This info isn't easy to take in or even take the initiative to experiment with in fear that you may lose muscle or slow your progress. I can understand where you might see it undesirable to give in to the ideas.

Ya think??? hahaha, I'll say this much, the more experience with my lifting routines and the feel of my body, the more I have been able to tell when the muscle is done and you have broken down as much as you can, and the point at which it feels like its more catabolic than beneficial....especially chest day...

Keep doing what you're doing up until the contest and then maybe try a few new things out in the off-season to see how you respond.

ok, we will work on that later i guess, hahaha...I'm just nervous about undertraining (laughing as you read), but you can see how this is hard to adjust. We will work on my new routine after the show is done, till then I'm gonna keep pluggin along, I think my split is actually pretty good though, besides that chest day...Ill send it to you in a PM when I get a chance....

~M.A.D.

[cfiler]

You have a great base. Good luck with the cycle!

[CSAR]

Best of luck with your cycle! Keep this thread up to date with pics!