What To Do

[macattack]

Lately my lifts have been going out the roof not sure whats happened but i think i've finally passed over that wall of natural genetics.

I'm just worried i'm going to end up getting hurt and how hard and far should i set my goals?

For intance last year on incline barbell my max was 295 then i did a few cycles of M1T and other prohormones and 1 cycle of M1T with test E, I had wanted to lay off the steroids for awhile because i wasn't getting enough results last year to make it worth while anyhow this year my strength has blown the hell up i hit 330 on the incline last night each week for the last several months my lifts go up 5 pounds i am repping 315x4-5 times i am throwing up the biggest DB's we have in the gym which are 125 pounders and repping them 10 times on the incline bench.

I have surpassed all goals as far as weight but haven't sculpted my body to where i would like to see it i am around 18% BF weighing in at 285 last night 6-0".

My routine for the last 6 months is 9 sets per body part 3-6 reps range 1 warmup and stretch before i start i do a bit more for arms but that covers back, shoulders and legs i was shoooting for strength gains and have gotten them not sure what to do now though?

 

[Grizzly]

What's the question? Are you looking for someone to tell you "now it's time to cut" or "now you should work on this or that"? I don't get it.

 

[Texas Renegade]

I'm with Grizz, I'm not really sure what your asking?

You are saying that everything has changed for you. Do you feel that this is a problem? Injury should be a concern if your straining too hard.... If you feel that you have more in you, then keep the weights where they are and see how long this continues. Bump the weights up small amounts on a regular basis. Can you give us more info?

 

[macattack]

Hell i'm not even sure what i'm asking.....

I love the strength gains but i look more like a power lifter i've got the gut even, my abs are hard as a rock and there's a six pack under there and i hate to lose the gains while cutting i want to keep going but not sure that i should i've had a bad shoulder injury last year and a low back strain also last year so far no trouble with either also had problem with separated trap 2 years ago but that's healed up also.

The change has been great i was stuck at a wall for several years making little gains now all of the sudden making leaps so not sure whats happened other then changing my routine so i'm not sure how long to keep doing this same routine? until i stop making gains? and then what back to what i was doing before which was one body part per week 5 days a week lower weight and higher reps.

Right now i am doing most days 2 body parts back and biceps, chest and traps, shoulders and triceps i'll mix that up so it's not the same and so i shock muscles more, also take of EOD and 2 days at the end of a cycle most weeks so plenty of recovery time.

I don't know if i am being any clearer or not just looking for other points of view.

Thanks.

 

[Texas Renegade]

Hell i'm not even sure what i'm asking.....

I love the strength gains but i look more like a power lifter i've got the gut even, my abs are hard as a rock and there's a six pack under there and i hate to lose the gains while cutting i want to keep going but not sure that i should i've had a bad shoulder injury last year and a low back strain also last year so far no trouble with either also had problem with separated trap 2 years ago but that's healed up also.

lol, good god man, your falling apart!!!

The change has been great i was stuck at a wall for several years making little gains now all of the sudden making leaps so not sure whats happened other then changing my routine so i'm not sure how long to keep doing this same routine? until i stop making gains? and then what back to what i was doing before which was one body part per week 5 days a week lower weight and higher reps.

What has your doc said about the injuries? IF he's given you the green light, then I say keep up the routine untill you see signs again of no more growth. Then change up to something else or the 5x5 system. You can, if your goal is bodybuilding, add more cardio. I hate the stuff, but it's a nessessary evil for a BB'er. On the topic of changing your routine, thats it. I think everyone should read this post to ensure that everyone can see the significance of change!!!
You body had become acustomed to your daily grind. Now you made it have to respond to something else. If you had the same routine for years, then the change happens, now you have remarkable growth...

Keep this reoutine untill it gives you nothing, or untill you get board with it. JMHO...

Right now i am doing most days 2 body parts back and biceps, chest and traps, shoulders and triceps i'll mix that up so it's not the same and so i shock muscles more, also take of EOD and 2 days at the end of a cycle most weeks so plenty of recovery time.

I don't know if i am being any clearer or not just looking for other points of view.

Thanks.

If thats working for you and it seems that it is, stick with it. Just remember to see the doc if anything gets funky or at the first sign of trouble. Safety first!
I can't really see anything wrong, other than your going to have alot of bros trying your system to see if it works for them, lol.

Peace,

T.R.

 

[Grizzly]

If you are having trouble with fat accumulation then simply eat less. Not so much to the point where you don't gain weight, but if you're gaining 1lb/wk, then eat a little less each week so that you're only gaining .5lb/wk. Get what I'm saying?

 

[macattack]

I'm almost 43 this month other then maybe trying a senior thing i won't be in any competitions too soon LOL i just love to lift.

Yeah last year was bad lots of injurys and lots of mistakes because i didn't know how to lift volumes of weight in the right way, you have to take a different tactic when doing that and the guy that gave me the advice is a trainer/ competitor in the Senior devision now but has been lifting close to 30 something years old school but he's tried it all and thought this routine would be good for me and my goals and it has been.

I also figured out pretty much on my own what to do about the shoulder thing i do alot of over head press's for shoulders it builds the whole entire shoulder so theres no weakness's anywhere plus i do alot of incline DB work where it hits the shoulders also and especially the front delt, i do heavy rear delt seated excercises also.

Shit 3 years ago i ripped my stomach open around the belly button and had to have surgery on that, herniated in 4 different spots LOL thats all good now too he did a nice job with meshing it.

I'll take a look at the 5x5.

Not putting on much fat i was 22% 2 years ago its gone down slowly cause i weighted the same then so it's muscle gain and i do have poor eating habits at times fast food mostly mac attacks ya know

Thanks guys comments are appreciated.

Looked at 5x5 thing is i don't do squats anymore just leg extensions and hammstring curls I have bad knees and squat will speed up the severity maybe i can change it a bit for myself it sounds good and real close to what i am doing other then i do arms but probably should do them less since MORE doesn't seem to be working with them either.

 

[Grizzly]

"Looked at 5x5 thing is i don't do squats anymore just leg extensions and hammstring curls I have bad knees and squat will speed up the severity "

Dude, the squats won't ruin your knees. More than likely they'll help with your weak knees.

 

[Texas Renegade]

Lol, leg extensions and hammstring curls killed my knees.

What is wrong with your knees?

Like Grizz said, squating with strict form, should not hurt your knees... Not that I'm an expert. But I've been a warehouseman for more years than I care to remember. Pounding cement on a palletjack for years. Everytime you hit a seam in the cement, it shoots through your ankels, knees, and hips/spine. I really feel that squating has helped me in that department. Other guys that I work with have arthritis and can hardly move sometimes. I do get stiff, but when I stretch, I feel better.

Now if there is a medical reason for not squating, then you need to mind it. But if it's just that it hurts and feels like something is not right. If your doc has cleared you, just squat your bodyweight for now. Get your body used to going low and watch your form. The slowly add the empty bar then add weight when the time is right.

Alot of bros have a real hard time squating. Some people are not really built for it. But when they work on strict form, then even more of them are able to perform the squat without injury and as a benifit.

But like I said, if there is a reason you have bad knees. Then you need to yield to good judgement.

 

[Grizzly]

I'll add two things. First, if you don't want to put undue pressure on your knees, then squat correctly- don't push your knees over your toes. You sit back, not kneel forward. That, right there, will make thousands of people's knees feel better while squatting.

Secondly, though it's hard to believe, it seems to me that stretching your calves is very important for squatting properly. I couldn't squat for shit until I started stretching mine regularly. Just a suggestion.

 

[macattack]

2 years ago i was squating had good forum i took it slow learning how to squat proper anyhow my leg strength went crazy i was squating over 600 pounds within 3 months then i started having severe pain in the knee cap used wraps and still had pain cut the weight way back but the pain was still there dropped leg extensions because someone told me that where the problem might be then i dropped them completely and stuck with extensions and hammstrings and i've been fine i am an interior painter and i am walking on my knees alot i can't afford to not be able to do that i can live without squats also have arthritis in the right knee joint so i'm not going to take any chances. Don't get me wrong i loved squats but when i am at work and theres searing pain going thru your knees it's not worth it.

If the foot is supported when doing extension there should be little trouble its when guys let the foot dangle that problems occur and i don't go real heavy even though i can i do go very heavy on lying hammstring curls though. And i do still stretch calves that helps out alot.

Gentically i got my ma's legs from the knees down knocked knee'd and flat footed LOL and i now also have the arthritis she's got she's 64 and in need of knee replasement soon so taking that in to account plus a past knee injury in my teens that bent my knee backwards and tour things i think i'll lay off squats.

The whole deal for me is no more injurys like i said i'm almost 43 and healing is alot slower these days but i love to lift heavy i talked to the old man who set me up with this workout i've been doing and he says i need to start Balancer support tissue training so i have another guy that's going to help me with that and i'm going to stick where i am at for now not going to raise the weight for awhile i just started a cycle of test/tren so maybe this is a good time to lean out some the tren always does that to me anyhow and clean my diet up.


Thanks again Tex and Griz

P.S headed to Killen Texas in a month and may be moving there soon.....