How Did The Pro's USED To Train?

[Vanchatron]

All we see now from IFBB Pro's is them training with ridiculous volume/intensity/frequency such as 5x a week Morning AND Night, yet they STILL make gains. Now obviously this has something to do with the AAS they're on and their genetics and it'd never work for somebody who is "average" in terms of bodybuilding genetics.

But surely the Pro's used to train in a simple way just like the rest of us, before actually becoming Pro didn't they? E.g. Did they ever use methods such as 5x5 or German Volume Training (10x10) etc? They can't have ALWAYS trained the way they do now. For example, I just watched Branch Warren training and he didn't even seem like he had a set routine, he just went into the gym & did a shit LOAD of exercises.

 

[OMEGA]

Old Shcool = Volume
Eastern Block and German = Volume
Brits = more or less Heavier ala Heavy Duty or slightly heavier Volume
USA = Heavy Duty, Power lifting, and Some volume guys, and the worst of them all one body part a week guys

 

[desmond]

The early pros did less AAS than the current ones.

And personally, Arnie/Frank Zane looked a hell of a lot better than Coleman/Cutler.

I have heard that Zane to train twice daily often took sleeping pills after the morning session to be refreshed for the late session lol

 

[Vanchatron]

and the worst of them all one body part a week guys

^^ I had to quote that part of what you said. Are you saying training a bodypart ONCE a week is bad for optimal gains? Surely if you train it hard enough, it's alright isn't it?

It's just that I'm on a 3 day split at the moment, and can't really see how I can train a bodypart more than once per week WITHOUT resorting to a TBT routine.

 

[OMEGA]

yep the one body part a week splits are Horrible in my opinion

 

[layinback]

yep the one body part a week splits are Horrible in my opinion

+1


if i wanted to play a cruel joke on someone, i'd suggest that they train one
body part once a week.

 

[Vanchatron]

yep the one body part a week splits are Horrible in my opinion

+1


if i wanted to play a cruel joke on someone, i'd suggest that they train one
body part once a week.

So what alternatives are there? This is what I mean by "conflicting info" all over the Internet. I asked this same question on another forum and I had people respond with "Splits are great for size, don't let anybody tell you different" and "Splits over Full body workouts ANY day" etc. I guess there's something like HST which is Total Body Training, but then again I've heard opinions on THAT (and any type of TBT) being a load of shit aswell.

I don't really delve too deep into the way OTHERS train as I'm usually to caught up in the way I train myself, but how do YOU guys train if you say training a muscle once a week is bad for gains? Is it only possible to train a muscle group more than once per week on a 4-5 day split as opposed to a 3 day split? If so, then this means 3 day splits are crap aswell, and I'm back to the drawing board.

6 Years training & STILL I'm facing this crap trying to figure everything out. I thought I would have known what does & doesn't work for me by now. I'm left with a tough decision because I know I like working out 3x a week as opposed to 4-5, but how else can I train other than using a bodypart split or Full Body Workout when training only 3x a week?

 

[OMEGA]

+1


if i wanted to play a cruel joke on someone, i'd suggest that they train one
body part once a week.

ohhh like say all the popular mags?

lol

 

[layinback]

ohhh like say all the popular mags?

lol

flex and muscle and fiction? lol

those publications should be ashamed of themselves. of course they're purpose

is to sell advertisement for products that don't work..............what do you expect?

 

[layinback]

So what alternatives are there? This is what I mean by "conflicting info" all over the Internet. I asked this same question on another forum and I had people respond with "Splits are great for size, don't let anybody tell you different" and "Splits over Full body workouts ANY day" etc. I guess there's something like HST which is Total Body Training, but then again I've heard opinions on THAT (and any type of TBT) being a load of shit aswell.

I don't really delve too deep into the way OTHERS train as I'm usually to caught up in the way I train myself, but how do YOU guys train if you say training a muscle once a week is bad for gains? Is it only possible to train a muscle group more than once per week on a 4-5 day split as opposed to a 3 day split? If so, then this means 3 day splits are crap aswell, and I'm back to the drawing board.

6 Years training & STILL I'm facing this crap trying to figure everything out. I thought I would have known what does & doesn't work for me by now. I'm left with a tough decision because I know I like working out 3x a week as opposed to 4-5, but how else can I train other than using a bodypart split or Full Body Workout when training only 3x a week?

you can be moderately successful with a 3 day split.

train all the "push" groups on one day, quads-hams-calve on one day and all
the "pull" groups on one day.

train each group in ascending order of size. up the volume since you'll be training each group only once a week.

i would suggest training each group at least every 5 or 6 days.

 

[SouthernLord]

Train lifts not muscles?!

Just trying to stir the pot....

 

[Chrisco915]

Wow............I can honestly say this is some of the most insane shit I have ever read.

Hit the Dungeon for a week and then get back to me about once a week training.

 

[cobracock1979]

Omega,

Would it be fair to say you favour volume training?

 

[layinback]

Train lifts not muscles?!

Just trying to stir the pot....

lol

 

[ExtraMile]

flex and muscle and fiction? lol
QUOTE]


Lol in the June addition of M&F their was a section about lifting for teens, this was like just as I was joining EF.. I was a n00b and was gonna follow it.. heres the routine for back:


BodyWeight Pullup 2xFailure
Seated Cable Row 2x10
Cable Pulldown 2x10
Shrug 2x10

LOL.

 

[OMEGA]

Omega,

Would it be fair to say you favour volume training?

Depends on what phase your in

 

[Vanchatron]

Train lifts not muscles?!

Just trying to stir the pot....

I do when I do my 6 weeks of 5x5, but seeing as I'm not training solely for strength, I don't see the point in ALWAYS training lifts.

Also, somebody said that this is the most insane thing they've read... OK, if it is then I'd appreciate some answers to the questions I asked, or at least point me in the direction of somewhere that WILL answer my questions for me.

People say "Body part Splits are shit" or "the way you're training at the moment is shit"... But they don't offer any decent alternative, which is what I'm asking for. Obviously it's not you guys' job to go looking for alternatives for me I know that, but in the 6 years I've been training I haven't seen a 3 day split which allows you to train a muscle group more than once per week, apart from a TBT (Total Body Training) routine and Bill Starr's 5x5.

As said, I like training 3x a week as opposed to 4-5x as I feel this gives my body enough time to recover etc, but then on the other hand I've heard that only training a muscle once per week isn't enough for optimal gains, and obviously I'm only going to be able to train a muscle once a week on a 3 day split, which is the problem. Unless of course I do a Full Body Workout, but I've heard they're shit aswell

 

[viciousness]

I still think a one bodypart a week split is perfect for anyone just starting to lift and every time i switch back to this from a while of doing other routines it still feels the best to me. Giving full concentration and attention to each group especially ones weakpoints is crucialllllll if your askin me. Give or take you can still crush it by doing 5X5 or 3 day splits or whatever really suits ya;s but one day a week is the foundation i got put onto i guess

 

[desmond]

A newb IMO should not be doing one body part per week.

For one, doing squats or barbel rows or other exercises that are moderately technical will be better learnt doing them > once per week.

Secondly, there is no reason why a newb should be doing 100's of exercises per bodypart necessitating a one bodypart a week split.

Third, my understanding was that the general concensus was that if anything a one bodyaprt per week program is less suited to a newb than an advanced trainiee

I still think a one bodypart a week split is perfect for anyone just starting to lift and every time i switch back to this from a while of doing other routines it still feels the best to me. Giving full concentration and attention to each group especially ones weakpoints is crucialllllll if your askin me. Give or take you can still crush it by doing 5X5 or 3 day splits or whatever really suits ya;s but one day a week is the foundation i got put onto i guess