Looking for Comments

[BikeCombo]

So It's been about 6 months since I last posted, working on a split schedule strength routine. Since then I have changed routine as well as diet, and gained about 30 pounds. I'm pretty content with schedule, but I'm looking to fine tune it, as well as diet.

I lift 3 days a week, monday, wednesday, and friday. I do an alternating A/B schedule.

A) Squat (3x5)
Benchpress (3x5)
Deadlift (1x5)
Dip (2x8)

B) Squat (3x5)
Powerclean (5x3) - I recently replaced this with shrugs (2x8) and Pendlay rows (3x5)
Strict Press (3x5)
Chinup (2x5)

One week will be A/B/A, then the next B/A/B lather rinse repeat. I also tried a popular diet known as GOMAD (gallon of milk a day)to bulk up, I was wondering if anyone had any reviews or comments on it.

[swanso5]

1 - not sure about squatting heavy twice a week
2 - if doing cleans they should be done first
3 - volume seems low if you're trying to bulk up
4 - you need more horizontal pulling work in there, a lot more, you don't have any
5 - the milk thing seems a bit silly...why not just eat the same amount of cal's? if you're eating a tonne of one thing then it probably means you'll overload on what is in it and then get deficient in all the things you aren't eating


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[Packard]

I think you can make more progress by having just one heavy day for each exercise per week. The other days should be light days and you would use about 20% lower weights with the same number of sets and reps.

After a week or two you will be able to increase your heavy days as you will be better recovered between workouts. Keep your light days about 20% light (relative to your heavy days).

Try this for 6 weeks and see how you make out.

[cassiegose]

So It's been about 6 months since I last posted, working on a split schedule strength routine. Since then I have changed routine as well as diet, and gained about 30 pounds. I'm pretty content with schedule, but I'm looking to fine tune it, as well as diet.

I lift 3 days a week, monday, wednesday, and friday. I do an alternating A/B schedule.

A) Squat (3x5)
Benchpress (3x5)
Deadlift (1x5)
Dip (2x8)

B) Squat (3x5)
Powerclean (5x3) - I recently replaced this with shrugs (2x8) and Pendlay rows (3x5)
Strict Press (3x5)
Chinup (2x5)

One week will be A/B/A, then the next B/A/B lather rinse repeat. I also tried a popular diet known as GOMAD (gallon of milk a day)to bulk up, I was wondering if anyone had any reviews or comments on it.

What does your diet look like? Besides the gallon of milk...

[BikeCombo]

Thanks a lot for all the input. For a little background, I have an ectomorphic frame, so It was incredibly hard for me to put on weight, and it takes body a long time to repair. I benefit more from being out of the gym than in it, in a sense. When i was doing GOMAD, I ate normally (or more than normally, trying to bulk). It is also probably the cheapest way to gain large amounts of protein (128 grams)and calories (~2300), necessary for weight gains. That's why I chose it over just eating an absolute ton of food. As for vitamin/mineral deficiency, I took multivitamins, and ate a pretty balanced diet amounting to ~4 meals a day. Now, I stopped doing milk (you need to cycle it), and eat about 5 or 6 meals a day, probably around 3000 calories.

Thanks for the advice on the cleans Swanso, I was thinking that as well. What would you say to doing supersets of squat/cleans? Is that too much? And wouldn't pendlay rows count as a horizontal pull? They're really diagonal, but just because you bend over. As for squats, I suffered a lot for the first two weeks (squatting heavy 3 times a week), but now legs feel great and I have been making steady gains. legs were pretty well conditioned to start compared to upper body, as I did cross country.

I am also wondering how I should adapt to adding intense cardio for rugby training.

[swanso5]

bent rows are they? yes they are a horzontal pull but you need a heap of these, the back stabilisers all upper body movements and without stability you have nothing...

don't bother supersetting them, do as straight sets cleans and squats

there's really no need to squat 3 times a week unless your an olympic wt lifter who fluctuates their load daily

oh and you have no single leg work either, life is spent on 1 leg

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[BikeCombo]

Won't squats, deadlifts, pendlays, and strict press (I stand when I do it) all stabilize your core? Also, deadlifts strengthen lower back and chinups/pendlays/shrugs strengthen upper back. Also, I change weight every workout, by about 5 pounds depending on the lift and how difficult I am finding it to be.

Thanks for the advice on supersets, but what do you mean about single leg workouts?

[swanso5]

i was talking posteriour chsin stabilisation, not just core stabilisation...for example if you lack upper back stabilisation then you won;t be able bench press shit as if you can't stabilise the lift then the body percoeves this as a threat and the body perceives this a danger so it shuts off the prime movers (in this case chest) and won;t "let" you lift it...this is why a lot of poeple get stuck and can;t progress

all those exercise stress the prime movers a lot more then the stabilisers and the sabilisers need some direct work or the prime movers do all the work and the stabilisaers never really get stronger, the movement does from prime over strength increase, but not stabiliser strength..kinda hard to explain without a novel

single leg exercises like lunges, step ups etc

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[BikeCombo]

Ahhh I get you on the back exercises, any that you would recommend?

And I actually started lunges today

[swanso5]

db rows
chest supported rows
standing cable rows
seated rows


and they have plenty of variations too each of them