Dropping strength

[Power36]

Interval training will keep the chub off better than regular cardio...and I think more often abs are carved in the kitchen....

If I train twice a day and hit it hard intervals in AM and heavy lifts in PM, I can get away with eating some junk or carbs and not being a big deal..when I cut my activity down, its totally noticable how much diet has an impact....

If you are overtrained and need rest, take the full rest on days in between, just keep working on the diet if you feel you are gaining or keeping chub...most likely its diet....doing heavy lifts like you are crushes way more calories over time from EPOC...so cardio I think is overrated if you are liftin super hard...intervals are a lot better for shredding up....

I forget if you posted your diet, but that might be culprit...but again, if you are banging heavy weights in major movements and weight is going up, I wouldnt be too worried about not being "ripped" or shredded up right now...I know some folks kill two birds with one stone, but I think its easier to concentrate on one goal at a time...do you want major strength? stick to working on strength...do you want to be skinny and cut? work on diet and cardio or intervals...

seems like you are doing some great work and making progress...i wouldnt overthink this...just enjoy the process..enjoy the lifting, enjoy the gains, enjoy your life outside of the gym, and dont stress too much...life is good!

 

[Draxgear]

I hit a minimum of 16 sets per bodypart on small groups. And 20 for large. Every workout. It's the only thing I dont switch ever. Everything else gets changed every week or other week. (rep range, angles, machines, exercises, you name it) I always slam the heavy stuff first with compound moves, then isolate after but I still hit the volume until I shred all muscle fibers I'm working. It has worked for me for years. I know everyone is different but I've toyed with ppl's workouts for years until I figured this out on my own. Hell the only workout I've tried that I haven't thought up was Nelson montanas calf and bicep workout...which are freakin crazy awesome. Besides that, I kinda pick and choose bits from here and there and Frankenstein something together until it fits perfect. Never overtrain either..so far. And that's training natty. Juiced I felt as Tho I could do two workouts in one.

 

[Power36]

I know there are folks who do hybrid programs and it works for them...but seems what you are talking about is stricly bodybuilding stuff...there is a huge difference between "typical" bodybuilding, versus powerlifting, versus olympic lifting type workouts...and there are more "typical" workouts such as what most Division One athletes do (with the few exceptions of jack ass schools that do dumb ass HIT still), that is typically starting off a workout with dynamic flexibility and dynamic warm up, moving into an olympic lift or variation, then into strength lifts (what most call powerlifts), and maybe a few push pull sets of other ground based multi joint movements, finished off with some interval or circuit training...and no isolation work....

Ive venture to say that there are shitloads of Division one football players, wrestlers, hockey players, track athletes, etc....that guys on here and guys reading the fitness or bodybuilding magazines would KILL to look like...and most of them never touch a machine or a isolation movement, look amazing, and can perform at very high levels of athletics few in the general population could imagine....

If you are talking real "research" there are certrain truths that would turn upside down most of the bodybuilding world myths....

Im half asleep guys...so dont know if Im making sense....read Mel Siffs Supertraining book, just for starters..give yourself 3 months to try doing a more athletic based program, without the isolation movements, no machines, no bodypart training...train movements not muscles, ground based getting after it like an athlete would...you might just be surprised at the kind of growth and fat burning you can get...shake things up...then go back to strictly hypertrophy based isolation training if thats what you enjoy most....you are going to get a heck of alot more natural hormonal response of Test and GH from doing full body lifts, and mch more overload on your muscles by doing heavy ground based multi joint lifts versus isolation lifts

 

[NOS2.0]

in the weightlifting section I have a good push/pull/legs routine i outline. you should look into it. it is perfect for someone who likes to hit the gym frequently and won't overwork the muscles.

under it you will hit the bench press approx every 4 days.. which gives those push muscles 3 days to rest. while its resting you are working other muscle groups.

Can you link this layout please.
I cant seem to find it.