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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Volume and load thoughts

I started the Starr/Pendlay Advanced 5 x 5 on Monday. While I wasn't sore, I was noticably tighter. I was perplexed as my starting weights are far lighter than what I finished my last 5 x 5 . I was thinking through this and came to the conclusion that while the weight is, for the moment, lighter, the volume is higher leading to an increased tonnage.

Let me use my squats as an example. My last Heavy Lift on the pervious 5 x 5 was 5 sets of 5 reps ramping up to 200lbs for a total tonage of 3750lbs. This was after 6 weeks of lifting on this routine. My first set of this current 5 x 5 was 5 sets of 5 reps at 150lbs for a total tonage of 3750lbs. While I am lifting 50lbs less weight per set, the increased volume raised the tonnage. This increase in tonnage taxes the body harder, causing me and my muscles to feel the work. The tonnage lowers in four weeks as I will shift back to heavier weights but less volume. That is the beauty of this periodization. If I continue on this routine, I would then shift back to an increased volume/ tonnage after week 9. The concept is interesting. You should examine your routine and consider increases (periods) of increased volume to shock you rmuscles a bit.

Posted by David at 1:18 PM
Categories: 5x5, Training

Monday, September 21, 2009

Training Log 9/21/09

I am returning to a 5 x 5 routine. I took a little time off for recovery and thought, thinking of switching routines. I spent a week doing a rest/pause workout, but felt a little lost. I am returning home, to what I feel comfortable with and like.
Starr/Pendlay 5 x5 Squats 4 ramped warm up sets Working sets 5 x 5 x 150 Bench Press 5 x 80 5 x 85 5 x 95 5 x 100 5 x 105 Pendlay Rows 5 x 105 5 x 110 5 x 115 5 x 120 5 x 130 Kneeling Cable Crunches 3 x 8 x 50 Reverse Hyper-Extensions 2 x 8 x 25 - went light to focus on the extension, I needed this. Great exercise for the lower back
Posted by David at 1:51 PM
Edited on: Monday, September 21, 2009 1:51 PM
Categories: 5x5, Journals.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Routines for strength and mass

There has been an on going discussion on numerous sites about bulking or building muscle and fat. The traditional view is that you eat like crazy, work like crazy and then when you have bulked sufficiently you begin a cut to lose the fat accumulated during the bulk. There are some that advocate a "slow bulk" where you eat clean, work hard and seek to gain mass without gaining excess body fat. While I am by no means an authority, that is the direction I am heading. My current plan is to follow a carb cycling model that will allow me to loose body fat and gain muscle mass while getting stronger. I have been using some sort of a 5x5 training model for months (yes even BGB is based around a 5x5 model). For the next few weeks I am going to use a DC style rest-pause method of training. This is higher reps to failure, rest/pause and then knock out a few more reps, rest a few more breaths and then knock out a few more. Increases of weight or reps occurs each workout. Each exercise has a goal for reps, when that goal is reached, the weight is increased. You are trying to break either your rep or weight goal every workout.

Today was my first session. The focus was on the upper body. While my weights are lower than the big guys, I am learning the process. It was a fun session, that wore my arms out. I am looking forward to learning more and giving this a full try. What has worked for you as you have tried to build lean muscle mass?

Posted by David at 11:59 AM
Categories: 5x5, Training