Firstly I wanna thank everyone for your comments. Makes me feel like I've done something right for a change
nclifter6feet6 said:
awesome muscle gain in 5 months, youve really transformed between 1 and 2......you never train to failure right?????i thought about doing the same. but im a "bodybuilder" though. would u suggest not training to failure for a bodybuilder. like hit a muscle 2 or 3 times a week without goin to failure. once again great gains. you look like youve added over 20 pounds or so of muscle from the first and last pics, maybe more
Well I used to train to failure - which is where I was in the first pic. Between Pic one and two, I changed completely and trained trying never to go to failure on purpose. I also started training faster in terms of rep speed.
It made a huge difference, because I could train more often and not get into overtraining. I think it works well for anyone. If I can gain mass on it, why can't a bodybuilder get the same results? . Frequency and volume over the course of a week still give the most mass gain IMO. The body becomes its function. Give the msucle a reason to get bigger. If you sit on your ass all day long, your gonna shrink. On the other hand if a muscle gets constant stimulation every few days, its gonna have no choice but to grow.
Like everyone has said my traps, back and shoulders grew the most. Guess which muscles get hit the most frequently? Yep the same 3
They get hit on my back day, lifting things, when I do olympic lifts several times a week etc
Thaibox said:
CCJ,
I've gotta be honest bro. When you first came on here and showed your first pics, I was thinking "who the hell is this guy to be tossing out advice so much?" Then I payed attention to your posts and noticed you did know your shit.
Now, its very clear that you can also apply your knowledge. Very impressive for a 5 month period. Big difference overall, but great progress with your delts, lats and traps.
Also, you're going to have some BIG goddamn wheels.
Thanks - I know I haven't been training that long, but I really do have the overall feel for this stuff and the neural recruitment of someone more advanced. Hard to put into words, let just say I'm not like most people who train in gyms
Not sure if i want huge legs
I've been keeping my reps really low to minimise non-functional hypertrophy. If I so much as squat above 5 reps, the suckers just blow right up easy! Pretty high ratio in white fibers.
DrBones said:
[BBy the way... I wouldn't mind hearing more about your hypertrophy/strength/power cycles..... You should make a post outlining your training from top to bottom... I'm sure it would benefit a TON of people here!
Thanks [/B]
Well I have a basic framework that I more or less stick with and just change every now and then. The difference between the cycles is mainly to do with % of 1RM, volume of sets, speed of the reps and sometimes choice of exercises. I still train somewhat instinctively in a sense depending on how I feel at the gym, but there is still an overall direction. And so far Ive been taking 2 week layoffs to soften the body up every 9-12 weeks depending on how I feel.
I'll post a new reply to this thread once I get it sorted. I think I outlined my basic split in my previous progress pic thread. See if I can find it. But really I'm not doing anything really special. In some ways the way I train has some parallels to what they use at Westside in that I use some of the same research to base my training on, but that's where the similarities end
the People's Champ said:
also, it is good that you posted the numbers as far as the amount of weight you were lifting, then to now. are you taking any supplements? if so, what?
Supplements - pretty basic stuff I've been taking since I started.
One serving of whey+vit C powder and water on waking up plus breakfast. Multi-vitamin
2xFish oil capsules at every meal. There is definietly something positive in these to help you stay lean or get leaner. Helps your strength too IMO.
whey+vit C powder and water before training.
whey+vit C powder + Fast Carb powder mixture+ water after training.
And at last meal I add some calcium complex tablets.
That's it. he Whey and carb powder has 6 grams of glutamine in them each, per serve.
Lifts - well its hard to say exactly on some of them - but I'll give it a shot. I didn't do some exercises all the way through
Full Squat - I pretty much started with just a bar and around the time of the first pic or just after I was using about 95lbs for 5 reps. This was not to failure but pretty heavy for me back then.
95x5 to 245x5
Incline Dumbell B.P - 55x6 to 90x6 - I stopped doing em a month ago.
70 degree bent over rows - 115x6 to 230x6
Dumbell Decline tricep extensions - 25x6 to 50x5
Dumbell curl - 25x6 to 50x4
Chins - BWx3 (on bar) to +30x6 (on power rack)
Deadlift 1RM about 205 to 405+ (yet to retest a new max yet - soon)
Romanian Deadlift - 115x6 to 205x6
That's about the exercises I did all the way through I think
Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
