The Line: When to shape the Mass

[Elementality]

Hi, I've been doing the 5x5 for a little over one month. Using the excel sheet, been working great for me. I plan to continue doing the 5x5 for a while, but, at some point I want to "shape up the mass" a little bit.

when i started the 5x5 program I was able to bench 150 pounds probably 10 times (1RM of 185) before you could see any struggle and break down of form. Now I can bench 170 10 times before you any struggle/form defects with an 1 RM of 210 - 220. These numbers may not be exact, but, they should be able to get the point across which is that 5x5 has been working out and ive been increasing weekly, parralel, with the excel sheet.

As I mentioned, im going to keep doing this. I think my goal is to be able to bench a little shy of 300 lbs comfortably, <similar adjusted results with dead lifts/rows/squats> and then I'd like to shape myself up. Currently, I am just growing...I've always been a husky <not fat or BIG> but husky guy, and I think I grow faster than others. When Im at parties or around people who know me, they all comment on how Im just starting to look like a tank..which is nice, but I dont want to end up looking like someone who can smash someone with their pinky <thats just not me, I want to look dominantly strong with attractive shape> In Omegas analogy with the ferrari and yellow dump truck, I think I want to be right inbetween those two extremes.

So, my question is, when i hit my goals with the 5x5, what is a good routine to switch to where i can maintain my strength, and start to focus on six packs, defined muscle structure, and good flexibility throughout my entire body. I realize i still got ways to go with the 5x5, but, I'd like to begin researching this now so I have my long term goals planned out while Im in the 5x5 stage.

 

[tehkevroy]

well if you still get good progress after 5x5 you should go with some BB routine those are good to keep str up and do more body part .

 

[Elementality]

Cool, do you have a link or anything that discusses this type of workout ...or access to an excel template like the 5x5?

 

[jumpmaster82]

if 5x5 is working for you thats great. but you should switch your routine up every so often so you dont get board. and so your muscles dont get "used" to the same thing.

 

[Tatyana]

I agree with Jumpmaster.

Some even go so far as saying a highly trained athlete will adapt in 6 workouts (Charles Polliquin).

I have been doing an interesting training program called Power/Rep Range/Shock, in which the routine is changed weekly.

It is in the women's forum in 'Tat's don't get fat off season journal'

That being said, there is no shaping the mass.

The shape of your muscles is genetically determined by where your insertions are and a few other factors, like the amount of red or white fiber types.

You will SEE the muscle when you lose bodyfat.

Bodybuilding is also not about how much you can lift, that is powerlifting or strongman.

Here is part of an article from Charles Polliquin that was on Testosterone Nation.





7. Elite athletes must pay attention to the specificity of contraction force.

Generally speaking, reps in the 1RM to 5RM range increase maximal strength with minimal gains in mass.

Reps in the 8RM to 15RM range produce greater gains in hypertrophy, while reps between 6RM and 7RM produce equal changes in hypertrophy and strength.


However, when considering athletes who have several years of training experience, low repetitions (1-5) must be used with high loads (85% or higher) for both relative and absolute strength, while mid-repetitions (6-12) must be used with sub maximal loads (70-84%) for absolute strength gains.

High repetitions should be combined with light loads for strength-endurance (less than 70%).

In other words, athletes with more years of experience can train with a broader range of repetitions.

Along the same lines, periodically "straying" into unfamiliar rep ranges can have positive training effects that are not consistent with the norm. For instance, in athletes seeking hypertrophy, periodically employing programs that use 1RM to 5RM ranges can lead to increases in muscle size in addition to strength.

8. Don’t perform low reps too frequently.

Sport scientist Robert Roman has written extensively on the training of competitive lifters and he concluded that the most successful weightlifters tend to do most of their sets in the 3RM to 4RM range.
This observation was echoed by Canadian weightlifting coach Pierre Roy, who believes that the average rep range for athletes should be 3.
The take home point is that if an athlete does singles or doubles for too long, he will stagnate. This, of course, is especially true for athletes who seek hypertrophy.

9. Each muscle group or lift responds best to a specific average rep range.

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to analyze the training logs of the hundreds of athletes that I’ve coached. As such, it has become apparent that the optimal rep range should be specific to the muscle group or exercise chosen.

For instance, in the case of the elbow flexors, the best strength gains were obtained when no less than an average of 2.5 reps per set were performed, with a minimum total of 15 reps per workout.

Along the same lines, for hypertrophy purposes, triceps generally respond better to fewer reps than the biceps (because the triceps are generally more fast-twitch). Another example regards the hamstrings, which generally require fewer reps than quadriceps, or the gastrocs, which require fewer reps than the soleus.

10. The function of the muscle dictates the number of reps.

You have no doubt heard your physiology professor say, "Form dictates function." It is also my experience there are specific rep ranges that are more appropriate for certain muscle functions.

As an example, training the knee flexors (hamstrings) with sets of 12 results in little hypertrophy. However, when training the knee extensors, sets of up to 50 reps (leg press) can induce hypertrophy. This probably has to do with the fact that the knee flexors are used for explosive tasks, while the knee extensors are used primarily for maintaining posture and in the execution of certain stretch-shortening tasks.

11. Vary reps for the upper body more than the lower body.

Recent studies confirm that using programs that employ variation in rep ranges was more beneficial for the upper body than the lower body.
For example, if designing a program for the bench press, it’s more important to vary the reps often than it is for movements like the squat and deadlift.

12. High-rep training can increase capillary density.

Studies have shown that sets of more than 20 reps can increase capillary density, and capillary dense muscle can eventually lead to hypertrophy when one resumes more traditional rep schemes.

One such study, performed in 1973, showed that as little as one high-rep workout was enough to double the amount of mitochondria in muscle cells.
I think this is one reason why cyclists and speed skaters have such large quadriceps – they expose the muscles to an extreme amount of time under tension, thus facilitating capillary growth and hypertrophy of lower threshold motor units.

However, from personal experience, it seems that the quads, deltoids and lats would benefit from this type of training more than other muscle groups