[B]

But how much? Given the following:

I do not want to have the ultra lean (lean lean) look. I am very comfortable with 12/13% bf because there I can operate most effective. Was lower than 10% in the past, so I can compare.

@Allison suggested ‚a bit’. 4-5 kilos down and then back up about 10?

[B]

Thanks. The link should lead to for pictures

https://postimg.cc/gallery/FQx3BT7

So judged on my perspective I would continue (maybe slower). But I trust you guys if you tell me I’d run into a disaster.

[B]

Here a link.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/FQx3BT7

[B]

So there are some pics. Didn’t play with light – just daylight. Minus 5kg would be a day and night difference. But I enjoy good progress and think there are some pounds muscle in the tank and do not want to stop lifting progress for now to be honest. Feeling, digestion and so on is also good for now.

[B]

Hi mate

This sounds really positive, and importantly, that you’re learning along the way what are good choices for you , and what is working well for you.

Is there anything you’re struggling with at all, or is it straightforward as things are?

Thanks,

I would say chest and arms are the most difficult to develop. For the rest I think it will progress as time goes by. Also got the impression that a barbell bench works better for my chest than a dumbbell because of more stabilization. So in one full cycle I got all the “good” exercises. Maybe it is also due to volume. Hitting six sets of push on Monday and then five in Friday. Progress is there but is slow.

The other thing is the fat that accumulates. Maybe half of the mass I put on is fat. But i am convinced that this is part of the process. Trying to cut the excess fat (energy surplus not used for muscle building) down to just gain muscle is not possible for me. So I do not think about it. Unfortunately the most fat is distributed to the hips. That’s a bit annoying.

If my lower lats would be growing more they would compensate it a bit because my upper midsection then would not be so thin anymore. Two weeks ago I figured out that some horizontal lat row really hits that lower lat area (attached to the pelvis). Didn’t saw that coming, thought always a higher pull down would do this trick better … so always learning.

[B]

Hey everyone,

me again. Plan works. Sometimes little setbacks (mostly chest loosing a rep or two …) but viewed over span of months its going up.

Interesting finding for sumo deadlifts. It seems to be a good overall mass contributor. Just did it for 4 times and smoked previous records. With a frequency of 1x every 2 weeks. Better than in the past with different powerlifting approaches. Back gets also a nice stimulus. Maybe 300kg are possible in a few years. Deadlifts always made the most fun.

Arms are a bit different. But as they are very long (related to other parts) they need more to get a certain circumference.

I am up 17-18 pounds now. Rate was slow, maybe I left some muscle gains on the table for a while due to not having the best choices exercise wise (limited equipment). But I took care of this now. so getting up about 1.5 – 2 pounds a month which would be 1% bodyweight should be fine. The with 30 pounds up I would cut or if progress continues to be good chase it further.

[B]

Thanks guys!

Yes more consistency with the weight gain and progression should got the most out of it. Sometimes I ask myself if progress is fast enough. For example within two weeks I could get another rep and 0.25kg on my incline bench. Not much, but if I could get this progression for twenty times this year it would be a huge step forward.

Another thing I see you guys often do is rotating between shoulder and chest as first exercise and thought for myself if this could be helpful for tricep too. Maybe put triceps (Dips or close grip) before I shoulder press (which is more stable). If I was to compare I think shoulders are best at pushing compared to chest and triceps. I do not loose any sleep about but noticed you do this often with chest and shoulders.

[B]

Any Ideas for this thought

Now I think I could manage some more volume. But adding straight sets or new exercises is quite fussy because it stretches the length of the workout even further. Maybe some RPS or partials to conclude a given set would be good to get in a bit extra stimulus?

[B]

I forgot to mention, I train 3 times a week. Monday (U), Tuesday (L) and Friday (FB)

[B]

This last week I implemented the Full body workout after upper and lower.

Full Body A

1. Incline Benchpress (Barbell) 6 – 9; 12 – 15

2. High Incline Press 6 – 9

3. Stiff arm lat pullover with cable 8 – 10; 12 – 20

4. Barbell Row 2 Sets

5. Drag Curls 12 – 20

6. Push-downs 12 – 20

7. Nordic hamstring Curls 2 Sets 10 – 20

8. Sissy Squat 2 Sets 12 – 20

Was a good Day. Some new exercises. With the increased Frequency there is a slight increase in Volume. Looking forward to get some nice gains.

@ Oscar

So you wouldn’t even implement Rest-Pause just to try if it could bump up the weaker parts the progress slower than the other parts? I think if progress continues as it is, Back and legs will be stronger 20 – 25% at the end of 2024. Chest maybe 5%. I really need to fight for this and I do. But it’s slow as hell.

One think about the barbell rows. Got hooked because of Jordans videos. Was quite fun and would like to implement them for overall back development as they are now to be a mass builder. Filmed the second set. Difficult to terminate when is failure so I used the feeling of control at the eccentric to guide if the set is done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw0k9i3QHB8

[B]

Thanks, I think the bro split is nothing for me, because I am too weak to really get some benefit of this low frequency.

Increasing the frequency just like Clare suggested at the beginning of the thread is now on the menu.

So everything is hit 2 times a week now.

Any Ideas to “optimize” this split are welcome. I thought about using rest pause maybe on chest stuff (only the last chest set on a given day) to boost the progress a bit. The rest will progress at least a few months I think.

[B]

So i made some thoughts:

Upper A (On most exercises: 2 Sets, 6 – 9(10) reps and 10 – 20 reps)

1. Chest Press

2. Seated Shoulder Press from Pins

3. Dips

4. Lying laterals

5. Lat Pullaround (vertical)

6. Lat Row (horizontal)

7. Upper Back Row wider grip

8. Tricep

(9. Abs)

Lower A (On most exercises: 2 Sets, 6 – 9(10) reps and 10 – 20 reps)

1. RDL (just one set? One leaves me gassed but is progressable)

2. Cable Curls

3. Beltsquat partials (stretched position; works fine)

4. Leg extensions

5. Calves (these fuckers won’t grow)

6. Forarms (Flexors)

7. Abs

NEW:

Full Body A

1. Incline Benchpress (Barbell) 6 – 9; 12 – 15

2. High Incline Press 6 – 9

3. Stiff arm lat pullover with cable 8 – 10; 12 – 20

4. Barbell Row 6 – 10 (getting them </font>to 140kg x 10 means bigger back, didn’t it?)

5. Drag Curls 12 – 20

6. Push-downs 12 – 20

7. Nordic hamstring Curls 10 – 20

8. Sissy Squat 12 – 20

Upper B (On most exercises: 2 Sets, 6 – 9(10) reps and 10 – 20 reps)

1. DB Bench

2. Shoulder Press machine

3. Tricep Press

4. Laterals Machine

5. Cable Lat Pulls (Vertical)

6. Lat Row (horizontal)

7. Upper back Row parallel grip

8. Tricep

9. Abs

Lower B (On most exercises: 2 Sets, 6 – 9(10) reps and 10 – 20 reps)

1. Preacher Curls

2. Leg Curls cable

3. 1.5 Beltsquat

4. Quadiso

5. Calves

6. Abs

7. Forarms (extensors)

Fullbody B

To be constructed

That leaves me with about for example 6 Sets of chest per Week. My weakest part. Where progress is slowest. Rest (bigger exercises are steadily progressing faster than chest)

[B]

What would you recommend

[B]

Based on my routine as outline below …

“Upper A
• 30 degree Incline Dumbell Bench
• High Incline Barbell seated press
• Dips
• Lateral Raise chest supported
• vertical lat pull
• Horizontal lat pull
• T-Bar Chestsupported wide grip
• Lateral Raise chest supported
• Tricep press cables crossed (
 • abs 2 Sets

Upper B
• Machine chest press/low incline DB press
• Shoulder Press
• Tricep compound
• Latpull down unilateral
• Horizontal lat pull
• Chest supported T-bar with parallel Grip
• Lateral Raise Maschine
• Tricep overhead with cable
• abs 2 sets

Lower A
• Bicep Curl
• RDL/SLDL (would actually prefer RDL here )
• Belt Squat Banded
• Leg extensions
• Standing Calf raise
• abs 2 Sets

Lower B
• Bicep Curl variation
• Nordic hamstring curl/lying curl variation even if it’s DB
• Belt Squat
• front/back heel elevated split squat
• Leg extensions
• Standing Calf raise variation
• abs 2 sets”

How to set up a Full body in between. Should I decrease the volume slightly on the U/L or just only do one set of each at full body? As I have to and backoff sets could the full body set (if I just do one) just be in the 10 – 12 range?

[B]

I agree with Clare here that way you hit everything with a little more frequency

Hey Meg,

thanks for bringing this up. Honestly the u/l runs good. So with that as a functioning baseline maybe upping the frequency a bit should be a good idea to try. But that would reduce the frequency of my favorite exercises unfortunately a bit.