Help ME GET A ROUTINE, END MY CONFUSION

[Soldier]

Your logic is sound, so I'd say go with whatever gives you the most confidence in the context of the information we've discussed.

As for your diet, if you want chicken caesars and beef patties, then you need to join me in the glory of carb cycling! (no wraps though, lol)

Here's what I ate today, which is a non-training day;
breakfast- 4 egg omelet with turkey sausage and cheddar cheese.
lunch- protein shake with whole milk and a little olive oil.
afternoon meal- 2 chicken breasts, 2 hamburger patties, and 4 ribs at the in-laws.
evening meal- Probably another protein shake or omelet.

One of my favorite meals is a package of ground beef or turkey mixed with 4 eggs and cheese.

The only tough thing is not combining fats and carbs. They just taste so good together.

If you google carb cycling you'll find enough info to get your head spinning. Just keep reading and eventually it will start to make sense, and you'll know way more about things like insulin response and macro ratios than you ever wanted.

[gethuge69]

Again soldier thanks. I just dont like my diet cuz im still always hungry man!! and those chicken ceasar wraps are daaaa bombbb!!!

but i appreciate all the advice and info. WHat i got out of this is: go with an upper/lower cuz im a natty lifter, and hitting my legs and back and big muscles will release more testerone which will inturn lead to more growth.right?

so stay with Lyle McDonalds bulking routine for as long as possible, untill the volume gets to be too much then cut down the volume a bit, and i'll be straight for my career?

and carb cycle?

[Soldier]

Well, you certianly don't HAVE to carb cycle, but you do have to eat over maintenance to grow. That one is a law for a natural, and it's a law you won't know you're following if you don't track your diet like your life depends on it, at least for a little while until you have a better idea of the caloric values of what you're eating.

As for when to switch programs, eventually you'll almost certainly stall with a specific program, even with the right diet. That's the time to try something else. It may be in 3 months, 3 years, or 13 years.

[gethuge69]

K thanks. I got it. I'll stay with my diet, and if im not gaining weight i'll add more.

Can you Soldier and/or you guys tell me if this routine is good (hell I could be following it for the next 13 years lol)

Mon: Lower
Squat: 3-4X6-8/3' (3-4 sets of 6-8 with a 3' rest)
SLDL 3-4X6-8/3'
DB Lunges: 2-3X10-12/2'
Another leg curl: 2-3X10-12/2'
Calf raise: 3-4X6-8/3'
Seated calf: 2-3X10-12/2'

Tue: Upper
Flat bench: 3-4X6-8/3'
Row: 3-4X6-8/3'
Incline bench 2-3X10-12/2'
Pulldown: 2-3X10-12/2'
Triceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'
Biceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'

Thurs: Lower
Deadlift: 3-4X6-8/3' (3-4 sets of 6-8 with a 3' rest)
leg curl: 3-4X6-8/3'
Leg Extensions: 2-3X10-12/2'
AnotCalf raise: 3-4X6-8/3'
Seated calf: 2-3X10-12/2'
Shrugs 3x8-10 (I know this is an upper exercise, but just did it here so upper day isn't too cluttered)

Fri: Upper
Flat bench: 3-4X6-8/3'
Row: 3-4X6-8/3'
possibly add in incline flys 3x10
shoulder press: 2-3X10-12/2'
weighted chin up: 2-3X10-12/2'
Triceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'
Biceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'

Hows this look? Will my arms grow also with only 4 sets a week? and is that enough shoulder work?

[Soldier]

Originally Posted by gethuge69

K thanks. I got it. I'll stay with my diet, and if im not gaining weight i'll add more.

Can you Soldier and/or you guys tell me if this routine is good (hell I could be following it for the next 13 years lol)

Mon: Lower
Squat: 3-4X6-8/3' (3-4 sets of 6-8 with a 3' rest)
SLDL 3-4X6-8/3'
DB Lunges: 2-3X10-12/2'
Another leg curl: 2-3X10-12/2'
Calf raise: 3-4X6-8/3'
Seated calf: 2-3X10-12/2'

Tue: Upper
Flat bench: 3-4X6-8/3'
Row: 3-4X6-8/3'
Incline bench 2-3X10-12/2'Replace with weighted dips
Pulldown: 2-3X10-12/2' Replace with pull ups or chins
Triceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'
Biceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'

Thurs: Lower
Deadlift: 3-4X6-8/3' (3-4 sets of 6-8 with a 3' rest)
leg curl: 3-4X6-8/3'
Leg Extensions: 2-3X10-12/2'
AnotCalf raise: 3-4X6-8/3'
Seated calf: 2-3X10-12/2'
Shrugs 3x8-10

Get rid of leg extensions and shrugs and replace with explosive movement like high pulls or power cleans

Fri: Upper
Flat bench: 3-4X6-8/3'Since you do bench first the other upper day, do shoulder press first on this day
Row: 3-4X6-8/3'
shoulder press: 2-3X10-12/2'
weighted chin up: 2-3X10-12/2'
Triceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'
Biceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'

Hows this look? Will my arms grow also with only 4 sets a week? and is that enough shoulder work?

Suggestions are in bold, with your original bolds removed for clarity. You've got plenty for your arms. If you work hard and hit everything else hard, your arms will have no choice but to grow, not to mention that dips and chins will hit your arms just as hard as any arm isolation movement you can do.

If you find your shoulders lagging, add in some lateral raises to build width and roundness in the medial head.

[gethuge69]

thanks a lot for all your help bro. i really appreciate it soo much, thanks for ending the confusion. now i can actually see results hopefully, will be in the gym one day less, and hopefully see better gains.

im doing 3 days of hiit cardio also, dk if this is too much or not

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by gethuge69

thanks a lot for all your help bro. i really appreciate it soo much, thanks for ending the confusion. now i can actually see results hopefully, will be in the gym one day less, and hopefully see better gains.

im doing 3 days of hiit cardio also, dk if this is too much or not

I'd say this is not a good idea at all. You are already having trouble building mass, so this kind of cardio this frequently is reducing your gains.

[Soldier]

No problem man. I'm glad I could help.

As for the cardio, thats important because its burning calories which affects how many calories you'll need to build muscle. That being said you CAN do cardio during a bulk, you just have to eat even more than you would without doing it. Your plan of adding to your intake until you are gaining consistently is a good one that will work even with the cardio.

I do have one more suggestion, and that's regarding the type of cardio your doing. Hiit is a great way to burn fat, but it can kill your ability to recover and grow between lifting sessions. I'd highly recomend cutting it to one hiit session a week, and make your other two sessions LIT, or low intensity training. Walking is one of the best things you can do. It increases circulation which will actually assist with recovery, and actually does a better job of burning fat than many think, without using up so many calories that you don't have any left over to get your muscles growing.

If you do keep the hiit with multiple sessions a week, then pay close attention to your strength. If it isn't going up, even when you increase your food intake, then you aren't recovering between sessions and will need to cut down on the hiit accordingly.

[big_swede]

Originally Posted by gethuge69

K thanks. I got it. I'll stay with my diet, and if im not gaining weight i'll add more.

Can you Soldier and/or you guys tell me if this routine is good (hell I could be following it for the next 13 years lol)

Mon: Lower
Squat: 3-4X6-8/3' (3-4 sets of 6-8 with a 3' rest)
SLDL 3-4X6-8/3'
DB Lunges: 2-3X10-12/2'
Another leg curl: 2-3X10-12/2'
Calf raise: 3-4X6-8/3'
Seated calf: 2-3X10-12/2'

Tue: Upper
Flat bench: 3-4X6-8/3'
Row: 3-4X6-8/3'
Incline bench 2-3X10-12/2'
Pulldown: 2-3X10-12/2'
Triceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'
Biceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'

Thurs: Lower
Deadlift: 3-4X6-8/3' (3-4 sets of 6-8 with a 3' rest)
leg curl: 3-4X6-8/3'
Leg Extensions: 2-3X10-12/2'
AnotCalf raise: 3-4X6-8/3'
Seated calf: 2-3X10-12/2'
Shrugs 3x8-10 (I know this is an upper exercise, but just did it here so upper day isn't too cluttered)

Fri: Upper
Flat bench: 3-4X6-8/3'
Row: 3-4X6-8/3'
possibly add in incline flys 3x10
shoulder press: 2-3X10-12/2'
weighted chin up: 2-3X10-12/2'
Triceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'
Biceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5'

Hows this look? Will my arms grow also with only 4 sets a week? and is that enough shoulder work?

1. What makes your arms grow, is the growth and weightgain of your whole body. Isolating arms @ 148lbs wont sell no tickets to the gun show, rows, squats, deads and presses is what makes your arms grow, not curls. The body function as an entity and blasting the whole of it into growth will take care of the minor parts in the same tempo as the rest.

2. That routine is just overkill, @ your current lifts and bw the main thing should be size and strength. The routine above will just wear you out. Starting strength or the texas method - thats what i reccomend. And dont bother to much about what you eat, i know its tempting to stay lean and ripped while gaining muscle, but strength and size will not be there if you dont eat, and eat more than ever before!

Focus on SQUAT, presses and deadlift, these lifts should make up 75% of the time spent on a workout, what you do beside that is up to you.


Good luck with this!

[LtL]

^^ Swedish has hit the nail on the head here ^^

Less is more.

LtL