Pericles
New Member
There is a good compromise between size and functionality if you train, eat and supplement properly.
Personally, I want very much to be as big as possible, but I also value highly overall athletic ability and cardiovascular fitness. Here is a program to consider:
I train to get as big and strong as possible. However, I do higher rep schemas now (10-14 reps). I continually try and increase the reps I get w/ a certain weight. If I do, then I up the weight. I trained vary heavy and basic for 35 years. I should have gone lighter earlier.
In regards to pain, my tolerance is high, as I consider pain as weakness leaving the body. I had the left side of my face smashed in from a knee in a challenge match. I submitted the guy w/ a shoulder lock and then drove myself to the hospital. I fought 2 matches at a grappling tourney on a broken leg.
BTW, MMA training is much, much more painful than BB'ing, although it does not require 7 meals a day and is actually much safer than bbing. Train hard, have 3-4 meals, vitamins and a protein drink and you are good. I would train so hard that I could not get out of bed, but MMA is not a 24/7 endeavor like BB'ing. BB will consume ALL 24 hours in a day.
I have very bad arthritis in my ankles. In fact, the last time they were x-rayed, the doc took them around to everyone saying "have you ever seen something this bad", lol. There were stalactites every were. When I get up in the morning I can barely walk. I am also developing arthritis in my right hip. One of my shoulders was scooped out, and will require full replacement next time (this even is what convinced me to go high rep). However, once I am up and running I feel better. Unless I drive somewhere. Then everything tightens up again.
For a younger man, the above would be pretty daunting, but at 51 I am grateful to stilll be able to train, and give 100% in the gym.
Here are my recommendations: For starters, I am 50lbs smaller than ^ so keep that in mind. Having said that, I am 227 @ 5 '9. If I were 5 '11 I would weigh close to 260, and considering that am still pretty big. I am very small framed and was 135 and the same hight when I started lifting 37 years ago. As mentioned, I do all higher rep workouts now. You must get at least 5-10 years of power/bodybuiilding however, and that is a minimum. Heavy bench, squats, and deads. Train utilizing a 5 rep schema. You should be able to come close to a 1600 total (w/ gear and full pl equipment, not natural...if you are under 25, STAY NATURAL). Then start adding in more auxiliary exercises, again lifting heavy.
Eventually, you will be doing a full bb routine w/ a wide variety of lifts, all heavy. This time is also when you should start gear, having hit your natural potential.
Run a bulking cycle first, w/ no cardio, and shoot for a huge gain in size. Rinse, repeat until you are big. At that point, start changing your work outs. Eventually go to a heavy light/rotation. Also, get back into cardio, 3 days a week of steady state cardio. Now, if you want to compete in BB, you will take a different path than the one I propose.
What I propose is to start doing martial arts, Yoga, and or cross fit style w/ outs.
If you want to learn Muay Thai, find a good instructor, someone who can take extra time for a beginner. Don't do any sparring, however, as veterans would love to put a beating on the big muscle bound guy. MT training is intense cardio. Train twice a week. Lift 4 times a week. Run gear, as you will 100% need it for recovery. However DO NOT TOUCH TREN! After a year, substitute grappling for striking, again twice a week, and lifting 4 times a week. You can do 1 steady state cardio session, or a Cross Fit style workout once a week. I say style, because CF did not create these kinds of workouts, they just turned them into a system for the masses.
To illustrate, do a back, trap, rear dealt routine. It must be at a time that the gym is crowded. I start w/ chest pad rows. Warm up, and then do a working set of 14 wide grip w/ say 3 plates (what I do). Do a quick stretch, then do narrow grip.
Go back and forth w/ minimum rest. You will not be able to get more than 6-8 reps at the end. Then, get over to the lat pulldowns, 4 sets of wide grip w/ no more than 15 seconds between sets. Do the same w/ narrow pulldowns (but only 3 sets) and then shrugs, and bent over dumbell raises for rear delts.Your cardiovascular system will be taxed, even if you do lots of steady state cardio. You will be gasping for air (see a doc to make sure you are healthy before starting). This HIT training will actually enlarge your cardio abilities.
Finally, you will not be running a gram of test and 800 mgs of deca, as those amounts will negatively affect your cardio abilities. However, smaller dosing will actually increase your stamina. 500 test, 300 EQ, and 10 mgs of halo before training are sufficient.
So, what does this all mean, in terms of getting big?
Lets turn to the original author. Lets say he started this^ type of training and cycling. For starters, he will probably be 20 lbs lighter. But come on, 260 is still big....even huge to some. Ironically, if we split them into 2, the 282 lb guy vs the 260 lb guy, I can guarantee the lighter version would destroy the bigger version in a fight, w/ out even breaking a sweat.
That is my advice. Yes, get as big and strong as possible. Spend a year or 2 doing so w/ no cardio. However, eventually you want to start cardio, and eventually do high intensity cardio. Still, follow the BB eating program. For flexibility start doing Yoga.
The result will be a very big and formidable 260 pounder, who does not gas walking up a flight of stairs, is a cardio animal, and is very very healthy.
.
Personally, I want very much to be as big as possible, but I also value highly overall athletic ability and cardiovascular fitness. Here is a program to consider:
I train to get as big and strong as possible. However, I do higher rep schemas now (10-14 reps). I continually try and increase the reps I get w/ a certain weight. If I do, then I up the weight. I trained vary heavy and basic for 35 years. I should have gone lighter earlier.
In regards to pain, my tolerance is high, as I consider pain as weakness leaving the body. I had the left side of my face smashed in from a knee in a challenge match. I submitted the guy w/ a shoulder lock and then drove myself to the hospital. I fought 2 matches at a grappling tourney on a broken leg.
BTW, MMA training is much, much more painful than BB'ing, although it does not require 7 meals a day and is actually much safer than bbing. Train hard, have 3-4 meals, vitamins and a protein drink and you are good. I would train so hard that I could not get out of bed, but MMA is not a 24/7 endeavor like BB'ing. BB will consume ALL 24 hours in a day.
I have very bad arthritis in my ankles. In fact, the last time they were x-rayed, the doc took them around to everyone saying "have you ever seen something this bad", lol. There were stalactites every were. When I get up in the morning I can barely walk. I am also developing arthritis in my right hip. One of my shoulders was scooped out, and will require full replacement next time (this even is what convinced me to go high rep). However, once I am up and running I feel better. Unless I drive somewhere. Then everything tightens up again.
For a younger man, the above would be pretty daunting, but at 51 I am grateful to stilll be able to train, and give 100% in the gym.
Here are my recommendations: For starters, I am 50lbs smaller than ^ so keep that in mind. Having said that, I am 227 @ 5 '9. If I were 5 '11 I would weigh close to 260, and considering that am still pretty big. I am very small framed and was 135 and the same hight when I started lifting 37 years ago. As mentioned, I do all higher rep workouts now. You must get at least 5-10 years of power/bodybuiilding however, and that is a minimum. Heavy bench, squats, and deads. Train utilizing a 5 rep schema. You should be able to come close to a 1600 total (w/ gear and full pl equipment, not natural...if you are under 25, STAY NATURAL). Then start adding in more auxiliary exercises, again lifting heavy.
Eventually, you will be doing a full bb routine w/ a wide variety of lifts, all heavy. This time is also when you should start gear, having hit your natural potential.
Run a bulking cycle first, w/ no cardio, and shoot for a huge gain in size. Rinse, repeat until you are big. At that point, start changing your work outs. Eventually go to a heavy light/rotation. Also, get back into cardio, 3 days a week of steady state cardio. Now, if you want to compete in BB, you will take a different path than the one I propose.
What I propose is to start doing martial arts, Yoga, and or cross fit style w/ outs.
If you want to learn Muay Thai, find a good instructor, someone who can take extra time for a beginner. Don't do any sparring, however, as veterans would love to put a beating on the big muscle bound guy. MT training is intense cardio. Train twice a week. Lift 4 times a week. Run gear, as you will 100% need it for recovery. However DO NOT TOUCH TREN! After a year, substitute grappling for striking, again twice a week, and lifting 4 times a week. You can do 1 steady state cardio session, or a Cross Fit style workout once a week. I say style, because CF did not create these kinds of workouts, they just turned them into a system for the masses.
To illustrate, do a back, trap, rear dealt routine. It must be at a time that the gym is crowded. I start w/ chest pad rows. Warm up, and then do a working set of 14 wide grip w/ say 3 plates (what I do). Do a quick stretch, then do narrow grip.
Go back and forth w/ minimum rest. You will not be able to get more than 6-8 reps at the end. Then, get over to the lat pulldowns, 4 sets of wide grip w/ no more than 15 seconds between sets. Do the same w/ narrow pulldowns (but only 3 sets) and then shrugs, and bent over dumbell raises for rear delts.Your cardiovascular system will be taxed, even if you do lots of steady state cardio. You will be gasping for air (see a doc to make sure you are healthy before starting). This HIT training will actually enlarge your cardio abilities.
Finally, you will not be running a gram of test and 800 mgs of deca, as those amounts will negatively affect your cardio abilities. However, smaller dosing will actually increase your stamina. 500 test, 300 EQ, and 10 mgs of halo before training are sufficient.
So, what does this all mean, in terms of getting big?
Lets turn to the original author. Lets say he started this^ type of training and cycling. For starters, he will probably be 20 lbs lighter. But come on, 260 is still big....even huge to some. Ironically, if we split them into 2, the 282 lb guy vs the 260 lb guy, I can guarantee the lighter version would destroy the bigger version in a fight, w/ out even breaking a sweat.
That is my advice. Yes, get as big and strong as possible. Spend a year or 2 doing so w/ no cardio. However, eventually you want to start cardio, and eventually do high intensity cardio. Still, follow the BB eating program. For flexibility start doing Yoga.
The result will be a very big and formidable 260 pounder, who does not gas walking up a flight of stairs, is a cardio animal, and is very very healthy.
.
fftopic::hijack:
