So that basically should give everyone a glimpse of what I have been doing the last three months. Its basically Push (shoulders, chest, triceps), Pull (back and biceps), Legs. Probably been averaging 3.5 workouts per week. I've always responded decently to Push, Pull, Legs. This last month I started squatting, deadlifting, and bench pressing. So you'll soon see those numbers (still weak but getting stronger). I'll post a pic on Wednesday with new measurements. Then I'll post my workouts as they occur, right now I am on 4 day split but that ends on Wednesday because I have to travel again
.

Hopefully by June I will be settled down at a real gym and I am going to proceed with Lyle McDonald's generic bulking program. The reasons I am going to try that program are

* Train each bodypart twice a week (I have never done this so hoping it works)
* Squat, deadlift, bench press at least 1 per week (I get lazy on the squats)

However since I train to failure I may have to modify it. Or geez I may have to not train to failure. To tell you the truth I rather not even go to the gym if I am not going to train to failure. But who knows maybe I'll try it and realize that I do need medium/light intensity on some days (I'll make sure the medium intensity days are on leg days since I hate squats so much).

Thanks, fixed it.

Fast forward to present time. Have the old workouts on my iphone but rather not bore you with the basic push, pull, legs routine I am on.

5/14 Workout
Warmup (not to failure)
Deadlift
135 x 6
185 x 4
205 x 2
235 x 2

Form seemed decent. Going have to do a form check video though, just in case. Just started doing these again recently after 10+ years of not doing them

Pendlay Rows
135 x 4
135 x 4

I don't recall seeing these back in the day. Glenn claims they have better EMG results than regular barbell rows. I tried them for the first time today as a warmup and liked them enough to include them later in my workout.


Today's workout (everything to failure)
Chin ups
bodyweight x 10
bodyweight x 9

Form a little sloppy. Going to concentrate on stricter form next time.

Wide grip pull ups
4 x 1 (Slow mo negative only)

Felt a little tinge on my bothersome elbow. Not sure if going to wide grip bodyweight pull ups anytime soon because of this (was planning on switching from chin ups to pull ups)

Behind Neck wide grip lat pulldown
120 x 9
120 x 9

Strict form, negative accentuated and relatively slow reps. Elbow felt fine

Cable Face Pull*
90 x 13
Cable stiff arm lat pulldown*
60 x 14

* accessory exercises. One for peak contraction and the other for stretch on the negative. Voodoo for sure. That stiff arm lat pulldown sure gets you sore if you try 3 x 12 and accentuate the negative. Not that getting sore means anything. Damn Lyle said getting sore mainly means connective tissue damage but did not provide a reference.

Pendlay Rows
135 x 8
135 x 7
Like these. Need a form check video on these also

Hammer Strenght low Rows (unilateral)
70 x 12
70 x 13

Was so exhausted just did the weight that was left on there by someone. Form was strict and negative accentuated

Was supposed to do a set of biceps today also. But was exhausted. I think I am starting to overtrain. But its okay I am taking the rest of the week off starting Wednesday and I am going to eat like a pig the next few days.

GL loco. If you're having trouble training consistently you should find a program imo (GSLP/Texas method/etc). That way your training can be more structured.

I switched to Greyskull LP about a month ago and I love it. It's a very flexible program. You should definitely buy the e-book if you're interested in GSLP. He lines out a bunch of different programs that are suited for different goals.

Yeah definitely going on a program soon, just have to get me a homebase gym. Probably in june. Send me the e-book through facebook Busto right now, FTP has my monies.

True Broscience workout today. Went with my gf's brother to the gym since I wanted a spot on bench presses. Ended up doing his workout. He is ripped. We have about same lean body mass (close to 150lbs), but this guy is only carrying 8-9% bodyfat. His arms are freaking huge. His legs are pathetic. True practioner of the broscience. Our form was excellent on most exercises, I went to failure on almost everything and started paying the consequences toward the end of the workout.

Bench Press
175 x8
175 x7

He did four sets but less intensity, doesn't go to failure
Decline Press
175 x 6
155 x 9
155 x 7
135 x 12

Lol, way too many sets. But he claims that's how I get my chest "carved up". LOL

Pec deck
80 x 7
80 x 7
80 x 7

Probably a waste of 10 minutes of my life here. Again he did 4 sets

Pullover
55 x 12
55 x 10
55 x 8

Didn't go to failure, my elbow didn't like these

Arms
Preacher 75x8,7,7
Barbell curl 65 x 10,7, 7
Hammer curl unilateral 30x10,9,8

So basically his workout is 4 exercises for bench press times 4 sets. And 3 exercises for biceps times 4 sets. So his volume is way too high for me. I am mostly a practitioner of high intensity 1-2 sets per exercise (once in a blue moon 3 sets). I've had good results with high intensity. He does more volume but lower intensity. At the end of the day probably equivalent except he burns off more calories and stays longer. His arms have had excellent results. They are over 15" at bodyweight of around 166. That's pretty good and my guess is that its not just genetics but basically he responds well to destroying his biceps twice per week (during back workout and during biceps workout).

I asked him, "Wait let me get this right, you basically do 12 sets for bicep per week and then 16 sets for back per week, right? Well then you are basically doing 28 sets for biceps and for legs you do 4 set squats, 4 set leg extension, 4 set abductors? But the bicep is what, 10% the size of your legs? That makes no sense."

His answer was that "I only wear shorts when I go to the beach. That's 3 time a year. I wear short sleeve shirts every day of the year."

Sometimes the broscience just makes sense

Current measurements and pics
Weight 176
BF% 15-16 (estimate using army bodyfat calculator)
Waist 34" (around navel, been measuring there for the bodyfat calculator)
Chest 41.5"
Arms 14.75"
Neck 16"
Calves 14.5"
Legs 23"
Forearm 12"
Wrist 6 1/4" (and obviously always going to be 6 1/4")






Back is somewhat muscular but look at the pic, zero width. WTF? Really going to have to fight genetics on this one. Chest needs a lot of work also and so do legs. Basically still a long ways to go. Don't ask me about tricep, that thing grows by itself.

One thing I am really excited about is that I am getting close to my previous maximum lean body mass (which was when I was 22). However, I am nowhere near my max lifts, I am still a big wimp. So its exciting that I am going to have all these gains in strength coming up and hopefully the lean body mass reaches new heights!!! The goal is 15 pounds more of lean body mass. Going to be real tough, but hey got the rest of my life to achieve this goal.

Note: Have not said anything about bodyfat% for my goals?? That's because I am not sure where I want to be. I am shooting for 12% in the future, however I may not like that and may go to 8-10% (better said than done!!!).

Nasty strech mark visible on my left pectoral (right pec in the picture). Proof I was once 118 pounds. I use to hate those two stretch marks. But now I love them, remind me I have trained and I am no longer skinny (relatively speaking).

How tall are you? I scanned quickly but couldnt spot it...

Oops, should have included that. I am 5'10".


I can't edit previous posts. How does one go about editing a post from a while back?

PM Anklebreaker and I think he can edit the OP on your behalf

I was guessing you'd be shorter. I'm more or less the same weight, an inch shorter and have a **** (upper) physique in comparison. i guess that is the price for an emphasis on squats over bench press!

My squat is pathetic (but my quads are decent). I'll post pics of the legs on my next update. I don't feel they are out of proportion or anything. My really bad bodyparts are lats, biceps, hamstrings, and calves (and probably forearms). Going to be a nightmare to get those to decent proportions.

Aidan you need to practice more broscience. I have been on push, pull, legs for most of my training. That's two days for upperbody and one day for lower body. But as we all know the largest muscle is the gluteus maximus. And lo and behold the largest muscle group are the quads. Push, pull, legs training in itself is broscience. Why two days for upper body and one for lower? Makes no sense.

look into getting an irongym and doing pullups every single day. Forumz user Busto in Hawaii did this with great success. I did it too and built a lot of width, but he actually posted pics.

Broscience: I think it builds more width/hypertrophy than just doing standard back workouts once a week. Like if somebody worked up to being able to do 16 bw pullups at 200lbs but did it doing pullups once a week would have less developed back muscles than somebody who could do the same amount of pullups at the same bdwt but does pullups every single day. My lats were definitely bigger when I was doing them every day, even though I have pretty comparable pullup strength compared to when I did them daily.

Temporary swollertrophy doesn't count imo. But obv daily pullups are still a good idea. As long as your elbows aren't wrecked doing them.

OP looks pretty damn good for someone who is uber fat and has cholesterol of like 23423423423423 and is about to die from fat health issues.

Just sayin' .