Best workout programs / ebooks?

[Bigbadwolf250]

Looking for a program I can follow and adjust. I know most guys are gonna bash programs but I actually like them. Especially busy with work and stuff and my schedule is nice to not have to think to just look and see what day it is and follow a workout.

Do you guys reccommend any?. Advanced lifter and on the juice so want something that's gonna keep up with me.

Done body Spartan programs in the past which I liked.

Was looking at thibs programs seemed interesting.

Want to see if you guys know of any good ones

[Bigbadwolf250]

5'10 240lbs about 12-14 percent bf

Looking through this 12 week cycle to gain 5-10 lbs lean muscle mass while maintaining or dropping a little bf

[GearHeaded]

proper programming for an advanced lifter is fairly critical imo .. a new lifter can get by with mediocre training programming and still make gains, but once you get to the advanced levels you need your programing to be really dialed in

heres some key notes to take home right now to decide wither your in a position to purchase a program online (which 90% of them are crap)

- you should know what these things are .. MRV, MEV, RIR, RPE, Meso Micro and Macro cycles, progressive overload, periodization, etc..

then you should know about basic concepts like how to equate for volume.. if you have 18,000 pounds of volume for your chest based on 8 working sets for 10 reps at 225 pounds (volume = reps x sets x load) then you'll know exact numbers to manipulate it up or down

then of course you'll need to consider frequency and intensity.. then progressions, then deloads etc etc..

if your not well versed on the basics then purchasing a "program" is not going to do a whole lot for you being you can't put it into practice . most programming needs to be 100% individualized and custom tailored. no cookie cutter program can know what your MRV, MEV, etc.. is .
you have to know these things ahead of time, then take the pogromming and adapt it to your personal situation

[HoldMyBeer]

5-10 lbs of lean muscle is not a reasonable expectation for a 12 week cycle. I have hear pros say the most they have ever gained in a year was 12-15lbs, most I've ever heard of was 17 that I believed (but that's still less than 5lbs in 12 weeks)

[Myers]

5-10 lbs of lean muscle is not a reasonable expectation for a 12 week cycle. I have hear pros say the most they have ever gained in a year was 12-15lbs, most I've ever heard of was 17 that I believed (but that's still less than 5lbs in 12 weeks)

Id say it depends on what lvl you are, if its ur 1st or 2nd cycle, why not? Unless youre on ur genetic max, its quite possible to gaint 8 to 10 lbs of muscle, yeah pros dont make that kinda gains anymore because they are already huge.
For advanced cyclers id say up 4 to 6 lbs maybe depends how far off they are, how u react to certain compounds, doses etc.. Probably harder to keep gains at advanced level, guess body just wont take what it wasnt meant to hold, unless ure blasting and cruising

[Windex]

Following a cookie cutter mediocre program is going to give mediocre results.

[GearHeaded]

5-10 lbs of lean muscle is not a reasonable expectation for a 12 week cycle. I have hear pros say the most they have ever gained in a year was 12-15lbs, most I've ever heard of was 17 that I believed (but that's still less than 5lbs in 12 weeks)

Jordan Peters went from a 127 pound skinny college rugby player, to a 300+ pound pro bodybuilder (and he's still in his 20s I believe and not quite done with school). to put on that much muscle in that short of time, he had to have years where he made substantial gains.

Dave Palumbo also went from a 140 pound distance runner to a 320 pound bodybuilder.. during that time I think he said one year he had put on about 40 pounds.

Stan Efferding, another example of a scrawny 120 pound guy in college, to a 300 pound bodybuilder and power lifter


none of these guys would of gotten to that size that quickly without having years with massive gains much more then 12 pounds in a year


but yeah I think its based on your levels of training and where your at .. if your already advanced, like say Mike Ohearn, your gonna be lucky to even get 2 pounds in a year , but if your a total beginner , 20 pounds is very doable

[HoldMyBeer]

Jordan Peters went from a 127 pound skinny college rugby player, to a 300+ pound pro bodybuilder (and he's still in his 20s I believe and not quite done with school). to put on that much muscle in that short of time, he had to have years where he made substantial gains.

Dave Palumbo also went from a 140 pound distance runner to a 320 pound bodybuilder.. during that time I think he said one year he had put on about 40 pounds.

Stan Efferding, another example of a scrawny 120 pound guy in college, to a 300 pound bodybuilder and power lifter


none of these guys would of gotten to that size that quickly without having years with massive gains much more then 12 pounds in a year


but yeah I think its based on your levels of training and where your at .. if your already advanced, like say Mike Ohearn, your gonna be lucky to even get 2 pounds in a year , but if your a total beginner , 20 pounds is very doable

Good point. How about those who are not the 1%?
What's the average your clients gain in lean muscle on their first cycle? I ask because I'm thinking maybe people usually do a poor job (including me) on their first cycles so I've never seen real results?

[GearHeaded]

Good point. How about those who are not the 1%?
What's the average your clients gain in lean muscle on their first cycle? 5-10lbs is a lot in less than 3 months...

heres a first cycle example .. about 20+ pounds gained here in about 5 months with just trt dose of test


a member here, Jayd, who is an advanced lifter and came to me with an already quality physique,, in about 7 months time he went from 185 to about 215 pounds and maintained a 6 pack the whole time (we used insulin and growth hormone for the first time, as well as phase cycling and compound rotation)

balance, who I gave the free coaching give away to last Christmas, worked with me for 3 months,, but then implemented a lot of things he learned in that process has went from like 195 to 215 and super lean in like 8 months time. and again, he came in as an already advanced lifter on TRT , not newb gains

another example, 100% natty.. a 25 year old kid at my gym hired me when he joined the gym. he had zero lifting experience and did not know how to eat. I got him on a solid diet and kicked his ass in the gym and he put on about 25 pounds in a few months. he could barely dead lift 135 pounds when we started and he was quickly pulling 315.
but thats newbie gains and should be expected ..


but either way, even with more advanced people. when things get optimized , big gains are highly possible

[Bigbadwolf250]

I just want a solid program to follow something different to mix things up. Everything out there is the same thing each week just increasing reps or weight. I like doing different workouts and stuff. If anyone knows of any good ones please let me know

[GearHeaded]

I just want a solid program to follow something different to mix things up. Everything out there is the same thing each week just increasing reps or weight. I like doing different workouts and stuff. If anyone knows of any good ones please let me know

well I write workout programs for a living.. its part of my job. so I'm probably not going to be one to direct you to some cookie cutter bullshit stuff you find online. exercise programming is actually considered a science (which it is), and people that are authorities on the topic or have careers working as a coach for a college football team for example, generally have a masters degree or even doctorate degree specifically on exercise sciences . yes , you have to be as smart as a medical doctor and be in school as long as a medical doctor to become a professional "exercise programmer"
most people don't realize this or don't think that a doctorate in exercise science is even a thing . but it is. proper programming is a very advanced subject. its not something you just discover in a Flex magazine.


the best way to learn about setting up optimized exercise programming is not by purchasing some crap online.. its by getting a coach that knows what he's doing, or being your own coach and following people who do have the education, who do have the doctorate phd in exercise sciences, like Dr Mike Israetel .
I would advise doing a youtube search on dr Mike Israetel and listening to as much of his stuff as you can before ever deciding on a program .

the best programs are generally written from scratch . not purchased or found in a book or article. that book or article or program you purchased has no clue what your situation is, therefore from the very start its already not optimal

[i_SLAM_cougars]

^^^This dude is your best bet. I’m not plugging for him, just talk to him. He’s like a bodybuilding Siri.

[Windex]

I just want a solid program to follow something different to mix things up. Everything out there is the same thing each week just increasing reps or weight. I like doing different workouts and stuff. If anyone knows of any good ones please let me know

If you are an advanced lifter then you need a coach that can match your needs.

Like everyone said, just following a cookie cutter program is not going to benefit you.

It's like asking "what car do I buy and which one is the best." Well a soccer mom with 3 kids is not going to buy a 2 seat convertible, she is going to need an SUV or large sedan.

[HoldMyBeer]

I just want a solid program to follow something different to mix things up. Everything out there is the same thing each week just increasing reps or weight. I like doing different workouts and stuff. If anyone knows of any good ones please let me know

A lot of the Mountain dog programs switches up the routine appropriately. Keeps certain exercises consistent but changes others or the set/rep scheme

[KINGKONG]

I agree with posts above..it’s something you either have to have a master show you how to do not the 20 yo gym trainers that got the ACE or something be but a guy who’s done it 20 years and understands the pitfalls..experience cannot be bought.,you will fumble and possibly injure yourself if you don’t know what your doing..I’ve yet to see a guy at my 24 hour fitness who deadlifts correctly..takes a toll on your body as time goes by with improper posture and form
I saw this book back in the day when I was still learning the basics it helped me to put pictures and exercises together to understand the muscle groups that are used as ancillary’s and main muscles in most common bodybuilding or powerlifting training I put a pic up of it still got mine on my coffee table scroll through occasionally

[KINGKONG]

Btw it just takes time man..if it’s not in budget at least pay for a experienced trainer to at least have him go through one training session for each body part to get the basics then really focus on using the muscles that your supposed to be don’t worry about weight or ego..you wanna look good?then use strict form and full range of movement switch up your programs but they are all basic and there are 1 million on YouTube or a bodybuilders site..is that their actual routine who knows?let your body decide your routine after trial and error..

[Oliver47]

Everyone has different needs, so I recommend to try some free apps, then buy the one you really like. The choice is huge, I suppose paying before trying is waste of money. But if you need my personal recommendations, check out this https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...eusebi.gymlife

[Oliver47]

One of my personal favorite apps for health and fitness is MyFitnessPal. This free app lets you count the calories that you consume everyday as well as tally up the calories you expend, and then see if they balance. Also careyourbodynow is a good place to start