***best ever training style***

[the big 1]

i thought it would be interesting to see what training style is most used by the majority of the members on the board purely for building muscle mass....

i know a lot of people change and cycle routines so lets hear them aswell please...

be it HIT, periodization, german volume, 5x5 or just straight sets, lets hear them...

what routine do you find the most effective for purely building muscle and size ? also, why do you think its superior to most others....

personally i love HIT, and alternate between it with a higher volume program which is based on straight sets....

[DSM4Life]

HITT anal.

[the big 1]

HITT anal.

yep, thats how this thread turned out, intensily anal !!! lol...

dsm, i thought you were a dogg crap enthuiast ? lets keep your bedroom fantasys private for now, all this anal talk is putting me off my lunch !!!

[Knockout_Power]

I do nothing fancy, just keep chaning up my routines exersises and use predominantly dumbells... seems to work not bad.

[DSM4Life]

yep, thats how this thread turned out, intensily anal !!! lol...

dsm, i thought you were a dogg crap enthuiast ? lets keep your bedroom fantasys private for now, all this anal talk is putting me off my lunch !!!

Like knock out said I change it up. I did it for a little bit and liked it. After about 6 weeks I changed it up. It'll come back around and when it does I have the numbers in my log to see how I am improving.

[the big 1]

so you guys dont use a log book or have a set routine...?

i used to just set out what muscles to train on certain days, then just thrash the hell out of it...that worked well up to a certain point like most programs i suppose...but then i got overtrained and started to feel like shit...gains stopped...

now im trying to structure everthing so i dont platue as fast...

[MACHINE5150]

I use a log book, but don't do anything fancy..
Typical week is

Monday - Back/Biceps/Shoulders
Wednesday - Legs/Abs
Friday - Chest/Triceps

3-4 sets of 8-12, last set of each muscle group is always to failure..

always do 6 workouts (5 for legs) in 60 minutes then just recently follow up with 15 min cardio...

i always stick to the basics, focus on form and try to incorporate Negatives when possible.. Put on about 20-24lbs of muscle in the past year using nothing but protien shakes doing this.. Problem is im a smoker and a drinker on the weekends (I'm Irish what do you want from me) so I had put off Cardio until recently...

Ive always been a believer that your DIET is more important then your TRAINING, especially if you got proper genetics/supplementation

[dec11]

if im going all out, then 3 day splits, if im maintaining i'll hit it 5-6 days a week

[Knockout_Power]

so you guys dont use a log book or have a set routine...?
...

I set out my routines every 6 - 8 weeks... find it too annoying to carry a log book.

[the big 1]

I use a log book, but don't do anything fancy..
Typical week is

Monday - Back/Biceps/Shoulders
Wednesday - Legs/Abs
Friday - Chest/Triceps

3-4 sets of 8-12, last set of each muscle group is always to failure..

always do 6 workouts (5 for legs) in 60 minutes then just recently follow up with 15 min cardio...

i always stick to the basics, focus on form and try to incorporate Negatives when possible.. Put on about 20-24lbs of muscle in the past year using nothing but protien shakes doing this.. Problem is im a smoker and a drinker on the weekends (I'm Irish what do you want from me) so I had put off Cardio until recently...

Ive always been a believer that your DIET is more important then your TRAINING, especially if you got proper genetics/supplementation

good gains for a year, have you just started out ?

i also use negatives, but only on a 3 day split as they tax my CNS majorly.

i think diet and training is a 50/50 thing, your diet can be spot on but you have poor training and vice versa, both are equally important to me...

[Gaspari1255]

For mass and strength or during a bulk: DC Training
For cutting or trying to maintain: basic training, something like this:

M:Chest
T:Back
W: Legs
Th: Shoulders
F: Arms
Sat/Sunday: Rest

[the big 1]

I set out my routines every 6 - 8 weeks... find it too annoying to carry a log book.

yeah, it can get annoying. when im logging my results in the gym my book gets covered in sweat, and my hand writing is shit where im shaking so much...

[the big 1]

For mass and strength or during a bulk: DC Training
For cutting or trying to maintain: basic training, something like this:

M:Chest
T:Back
W: Legs
Th: Shoulders
F: Arms
Sat/Sunday: Rest

damn, i could never do 5 days straight !!!

[the big 1]

if im going all out, then 3 day splits, if im maintaining i'll hit it 5-6 days a week

what training style?

[dec11]

what training style?

nothing fancy, similar to machine 5150, all out strength stuff i tend to keep my compound lifts 4-6 reps

[Skyler]

Powerlifting...
You know, building your routine around the three major lifts, Bench Press, Deadlift, and Squat.
Always going heavy, and going to failure.

Whatever else you do, you will see the best results if you incorporate heavy bench, squat, and dead.

The absolute best bodybuilders, strongmen, and various other athletes from different sports all credit their success to having a background in powerlifting.

There is a video I saw recently, I will try to find it. The first half is Scott Mendelson talking about his life and training, and the second half is talking about powerlifting and its benefits in general. Only about 10 minutes long, but I really enjoyed it.

[Skyler]

Ok, this is the video, worth the watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSDgkPTeRww

[the big 1]

Powerlifting...
You know, building your routine around the three major lifts, Bench Press, Deadlift, and Squat.
Always going heavy, and going to failure.

Whatever else you do, you will see the best results if you incorporate heavy bench, squat, and dead.

The absolute best bodybuilders, strongmen, and various other athletes from different sports all credit their success to having a background in powerlifting.

There is a video I saw recently, I will try to find it. The first half is Scott Mendelson talking about his life and training, and the second half is talking about powerlifting and its benefits in general. Only about 10 minutes long, but I really enjoyed it.

I agree, a solid foundation is always built from lifting heavy with the big 3, thanks for the video

[ghettoboyd]

i just recently started the 5x5 routine and am liking it so far....ive always trained high volume with straight sets to gain muscle and it has worked well but know i want to really increase my lifts so ill try training for strenght/power for a while and see how it goes....

[Hazard]

I developed my own routine and it's working wonders for me. Took me 8 years to figure out what works for me really. I use mainly dumbells for bench..... barbell is crap IMO. Squats I no longer do with a barbell either..... it's all deep hack squats. All three heads are now poppin on my leg and my knees are thanking me!

I really just wear out whatever muscle i'm working. Every 4-5 weeks I might hit a muscle group twice in that week.

~Haz~

[ghettoboyd]

I developed my own routine and it's working wonders for me. Took me 8 years to figure out what works for me really. I use mainly dumbells for bench..... barbell is crap IMO. Squats I no longer do with a barbell either..... it's all deep hack squats. All three heads are now poppin on my leg and my knees are thanking me!

I really just wear out whatever muscle i'm working. Every 4-5 weeks I might hit a muscle group twice in that week.

~Haz~

im going to have to try the hack squat...ive always done barbell squats cus i thought that would give me the best results but i need to develope the teardrop more so i think its time for a change....and you find it easyer on the knees?..ive always thought that thay where tougher on the knees but then again ive never really played with the angle of the base plate so maybee thats my problem....its good to pick others brains once in a while to get ideas...thanx....

[Dukkit]

im going to have to try the hack squat...ive always done barbell squats cus i thought that would give me the best results but i need to develope the teardrop more so i think its time for a change....and you find it easyer on the knees?..ive always thought that thay where tougher on the knees but then again ive never really played with the angle of the base plate so maybee thats my problem....its good to pick others brains once in a while to get ideas...thanx....

ive been doing barbell hack squats for past few months and damn... they work well. overall quads are def growing. i think they are easier on my knees also.

[PC650]

dc training is what im doin now.. with a 4 day split

[BgMc31]

modified westside

[the big 1]

i just recently started the 5x5 routine and am liking it so far....ive always trained high volume with straight sets to gain muscle and it has worked well but know i want to really increase my lifts so ill try training for strenght/power for a while and see how it goes....

sounds like a good idea...5x5 is one of them old school routines that never got left behind...

[the big 1]

I developed my own routine and it's working wonders for me. Took me 8 years to figure out what works for me really. I use mainly dumbells for bench..... barbell is crap IMO. Squats I no longer do with a barbell either..... it's all deep hack squats. All three heads are now poppin on my leg and my knees are thanking me!

I really just wear out whatever muscle i'm working. Every 4-5 weeks I might hit a muscle group twice in that week.

~Haz~

thats cool, would say the big 3 played a key role in your early years of lifting though..?

[the big 1]

modified westside

respect... hows that going for you?

[MACHINE5150]

good gains for a year, have you just started out ?

i also use negatives, but only on a 3 day split as they tax my CNS majorly.

i think diet and training is a 50/50 thing, your diet can be spot on but you have poor training and vice versa, both are equally important to me...

i just started again.. i trained from when i was 16 till i was 21.. had a job that required 12 hour days 6 days a week for five years... so i just started in the gym again a year ago.. I love muscle memory.. i'm just about where i was six years ago.. gonna do my first cycle in 6 years starting in a couple weeks..

I agree it is 50/50.. what i should have said is diet is too often neglected.. atleast in my own opinion.. that is the hard thing to get around.. training has always come natural to me and easy to others.. it is done in a few hours a week... Dieting is something you have to do every day five or six times a day.. constantly in the back of your mind..

[the big 1]

dc training is what im doin now.. with a 4 day split

tried it, love it !

[BgMc31]

respect... hows that going for you?

Working great! I've seen tremendous gains through it. I've modified it a little bit because I also compete in strongman as well as powerlifting. Westside principles increase both strength and muscle size as well as good conditioning when you incorporate slep pulls and tireflips, as well as high rep cleans and/or snatches for conditioning.

Quite different training style from when I was playing football. Then I did mostly Rippetoe's advanced 5x5 workouts but I combined lots of football type conditioning and explosive work as well.

IMO, there is no perfect routine. Every person is different so one must continually modify their work depending on how their feeling, injuries, level of athleticism, and their goals.

[jbm]

keep changing every week, I do workout 5 straight days sat and sun is my rest day...
I mixed them doing drop sets, straight sets, supersets, ect....

[F4iGuy]

I like to use the big 3 every week. I'll change my form every 4 weeks. (ie decline bench, db bench or smith bench... Sumo deads, db deads or standard deads....close stance squat, sumo squat or smith squat) Mixing up a combo of the big 3 keeps my routine from getting stale.

[lovbyts]

For mass and strength or during a bulk: DC Training
For cutting or trying to maintain: basic training, something like this:

M:Chest
T:Back
W: Legs
Th: Shoulders
F: Arms
Sat/Sunday: Rest

Looks like what I do and love it.

damn, i could never do 5 days straight !!!

Really? If I dont do 5 days straight I feel like I cheated.

Like knock out said I change it up. I did it for a little bit and liked it. After about 6 weeks I changed it up. It'll come back around and when it does I have the numbers in my log to see how I am improving.

Log book????? I could never do a log. I think to many people get disapointed to easily if they dont always see the numbers go up. We all have bad days. I use the Camera and mirror log. LOL

keep changing every week, I do workout 5 straight days sat and sun is my rest day...
I mixed them doing drop sets, straight sets, supersets, ect....

Same Same, 5x a week MOST of the time if possible. Change up routine ever few week. I like dumbell for bench/flys/curls but I also like to throw in straight bar ever so often and can get/feel a good burn especially in the chest if you do SLOW reps and really push at the top.

[the big 1]

Working great! I've seen tremendous gains through it. I've modified it a little bit because I also compete in strongman as well as powerlifting. Westside principles increase both strength and muscle size as well as good conditioning when you incorporate slep pulls and tireflips, as well as high rep cleans and/or snatches for conditioning.

Quite different training style from when I was playing football. Then I did mostly Rippetoe's advanced 5x5 workouts but I combined lots of football type conditioning and explosive work as well.

IMO, there is no perfect routine. Every person is different so one must continually modify their work depending on how their feeling, injuries, level of athleticism, and their goals.

totally agree with that last comment...

i bet your one big dude

im also utalizing 5x5 training a little, strength is size IMO

[the big 1]

keep changing every week, I do workout 5 straight days sat and sun is my rest day...
I mixed them doing drop sets, straight sets, supersets, ect....

I like to use the big 3 every week. I'll change my form every 4 weeks. (ie decline bench, db bench or smith bench... Sumo deads, db deads or standard deads....close stance squat, sumo squat or smith squat) Mixing up a combo of the big 3 keeps my routine from getting stale.

im getting an ongoing vibe that most people just like keeping things mixed, i always have, but now ive platued i need more strength...i think PL is going to be my next endevoir..

[the big 1]

Looks like what I do and love it.



Really? If I dont do 5 days straight I feel like I cheated.



Log book????? I could never do a log. I think to many people get disapointed to easily if they dont always see the numbers go up. We all have bad days. I use the Camera and mirror log. LOL



Same Same, 5x a week MOST of the time if possible. Change up routine ever few week. I like dumbell for bench/flys/curls but I also like to throw in straight bar ever so often and can get/feel a good burn especially in the chest if you do SLOW reps and really push at the top.

mate, if i do more than 3 days training in a row, i feel like im hungover for about a week !!! my intensity exceeds my recuperation abilitys if my training frequincy is too high...

[terraj]

For bulk DC.....nothing I have done comes close.

It's all about the log book!

[Mr.Rose]

Modified Smolov. Now starting modified pro-precomp shieko.

[the big 1]

For bulk DC.....nothing I have done comes close.

It's all about the log book!

amen

i did dc for a while and it worked well.

when you cruise, do you find it hard to not go balls to the wall ? i certainly did, it programmed me to just destroy my body every workout !!!

Modified Smolov. Now starting modified pro-precomp shieko.

Powerlifting ??

does it involve alot of % work ?

[Mr.Rose]

Im not a powerlifter, im a strength athlete, but i train powerlifter/strongman style.

Very high volume, with all 5-10 sets all at 80%+ of your 1rm, most at 90%.