Originally Posted by
The Titan99
Hi Ron,
I'm currently on a deload after 5 VERY successful reloads. This last reload went great in some respects, not so well in others. I had great gains on legs, back and finally broke a plateau with my arms. However, I've had a real problem with my chest workout, particularly my right rotator cuff (super supinius I believe) As you can see from my workout I've been doing decline, incline and cable crossovers. Unfortunately my bench has dropped from 135 kg to 90 kg due to pain, usually starting around the 4-6 rep and getting progressively worse. I took a week off of pressing exercises and last week skipped working out all together. I felt guilty as hell, but I've been blasting for a year straight, so I guess I needed it. Anyway, I started my actual deload tonight with 75 kg for my first working set and only had slight pain on flat bench (I switched from decline) maybe 2/10 on the pain scale, and nothing on incline or crossovers. Do you think I should deload just this week then start my reload, or should I continue to deload for the the following week too? I would do a 2 week deload and ship heavy sets on all chest work with next reload until pain clears up. You must let that shoulder heal before it tears!I gained some fat which I don't like, but that's all part of the game I guess. The next 4 months I plan on a slow cut/lean bulk to try and hit 5% body fat by the end of October. You already sorted me out on my anabolic doses 700 mg Test Prop/80 mg Tren E/ 50 mg Proviron ed and I was thinking 100 mg Var ed for the last 60 days. Would you dose the var like that or should I do 75 mg ed for the last 90 days? i think 75 mgs of var is plenty and some tend to do fine using only 40 per day.Also, I was toying with one more bulking reload with 1.5 grams test Prop/ 700-800 mg NPP followed by a 800 mg Test Prop/800 Tren E/ 100 Var ed cut...but would 8 weeks be enough time to cut from 12-13% down to 6% BF? Or would it be better to do a long slow cut for 4 months? You can probably go from 12 down to around 6-8% in 8 weeks but dont lose over 2lbs per week.
Now to my real question. I've been hitting my arms twice a week to try to overcome a plateau as well as balance out my tri's. My right one lost a lot of strength/size due to some nerve damage or something when I had disk replacement surgery last October. They are almost balanced now. The thing is that the last 8 weeks I think I've been over training them (20 sets a week) and would like to get back to 12 sets per week if you think this is wise. Also, my workouts have been going 2-2.5 hours long and I REALLY need to get this time down. I've printed my workout below and highlighted in red my ideas of how to change it to achieve both of these things. 12 sets once per week or 6 sets twice a week is the maximum amount of work sets you should ever do. Genetics determines how big your arms will get in the end. I am only doing 8 sets per week and it's working well for me.Lastly cardio. I switched from 5 days a week of moderate intensity cardio for 35 minutes (fasted) to 3 days/30 minutes at your advise. I also was drinking a scoop of whey protein with water 30 minutes before the cardio. I found it hard to do and would like to go back to 5 days a week. I know how you feel about cardio, but it feels better/easier to do it more often. I'm also afraid vanity is rearing its ugly head as I believe I got fatter because of it. You can do cardio 5 days per week but keep in mind that the more you do the less effective it becomes during a cutting phase. I'm 8 weeks out from a show and doing no cardio but I can stick to the diet and I am not an endomorph. Go back to 5 days per week of cardio. Up from 8% to 12%. I think the switch from 1.5 grams of sust to 800 mg prop will help here. Not a lot if you are eating low carbs but some. What do you think? How should I deal with this cardio business with the goal of being 6% BF and as big as possible by the end of Oct? I wish I had or could afford HGH, but it's not an option. Cardio is not the key its your diet and supplements! Are you carb sensitive?Here's my workout...
Monday - Chest/Bi's - Chest Decline Bench - Warm up, Prep Set 1-4, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Incline Bench 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Cable Cross Overs 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Biceps Spider Curls 10-15, 10-15, 10-15, 10-15 Incline Bench Curls 10-15, 10-15, 10-15, 10-15 AM Cardio 35 min Maybe remove Biceps work from here and add in 6 sets of weighted incline situps?
Tuesday - Back Back Width Palm Facing Medium Grip Pulldowns 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Wide Grip Pulldowns 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Back Thickness Underhand Bent Over Yates Rows Warm Ups, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Close Grip to Upper Stomach Cable Rows 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 One Handed DB Rows 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 I,m doing a lot of sets for back thickness here. Was thinking either 4 sets underhand rows and 4 sets cable rows OR 3 sets underhand, 3 sets cable rows, 3 sets chest supported one hand machine rows? Dead lift Warm up, Prep Set, 1-4, 5-6, 5-6, 5-6, 5-6 AM Cardio 35 min.
Wendsday Off - AM Cardio 35 Min
Thursday - Shoulders/Traps/Tri's/Abs Shoulders Overhead Seated Dumbbell Presses 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 One Arm Leaning Lateral Raises 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Reverse Flies 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Reverse Standing One Hand Cable Flies 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Traps Seated Dumbbell Shrugs 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Triceps Rope Pushdowns 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Yates Tri DB Press 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Abs Weighted Decline Sit ups 6 Sets to failure AM Fasted Cardio 35 min This is one long-ass workout!! Thinking of dropping Tri's and moving abs to chest day (Mon.)
Friday - Legs Squats Warm ups, Prep Set, 1-4, 8-12, 8-12 Hack Squats 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Leg Extensions 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Leg Curls 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Standing Calf Raises 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Seated Calf Raises 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 No Cardio I really made some nice gains on legs during this last reload. All I can think is adding another set of squats and another set to hack squats or possibly changing hack squats with leg press? Other than that I like this work out.
Saturday - Arms Biceps Standing Wide Grip Barbell Curls 6-10, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Spider Curls 6-10, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Concentration Curls 6-10, 6-10, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Triceps Skull Crushers Warm ups, 6-10, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Overhead Tri Extensions 6-10, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Rope Cable Pushdowns 6-10, 8-12, 8-12, 8-12 Had some elbow joint problems this last reload (probably from over training arms, 20 sets!!) but I was kind of stuck on arms so I think it helped break the plateau, but in the long run I know your right, 12 sets a week for arms is plenty. I like these exercises (stopped weighted dips and I now do skull crushers on a slight incline to alleviate shoulder and elbow pain. I have here but I'm always willing to change if you have a suggestion. Also, what do you think about the 6-10 reps for the first working set? AM Fasted Cardio 35 min
Sunday - No Cardio
BTW, there's a few pics now and one from before you started helping me Ron. I suppose I don't even have to say it do I...Lol!!!You look sooo much better! I feel you are over-training! For example: your chest is a small muscle group so try decreasing sets 3 sets per exercise giving you 9 sets total. Thats why your shoulder is probably aching! Keep leg workout where it is! Reduce back workout to 12 sets total 6 sets for width and 6 sets for thickness. Reduce bis and tris to 8 sets a piece. Shoulders do 9 sets for 3 exercises. This will harden you up more and get you out of the gym much faster. .
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