I’m not familiar with a pyramid scheme, but it’s probably first do 20 pounds then 25 pounds then 30 pounds right? That’s my guess based on what everyone keeps telling me.
That’s one of the things in your post that burned into my retinas.
I read the whole post, but have yet to let it all sink in. I know how taxing it is to write a giant post, so I’ll do you the courtesy of trying my best to absorb it all.
Magnus: Holy…shit. Way to spit the truth! I’m listening to everything you say from now on! *note: i’m a beginner.
Even though I call myself a “beginner” I will tell you this, i’ve done EXTENSIVE reading into building muscle/losing fat and I’m taking biology in university. EVERYTHING this guy has said makes sense, especially the part about training once a week is garbage. Your muscles ONLY grow for 48 hours after your work out then they stop, why make them sore for extra days? “Researchers in Taiwan found that performing heavy biceps curls with sore muscles didn’t slow recovery from a bout of exercise 3 days earlier. And although soreness can linger for several days after you lift, previous research has shown that muscles grow for just 48 hours after a training session.”^1
One thing however Magnus I am going to question… i’ve read SEVERAL places it’s best to go fast (2 seconds) when you’re contracting, and slow (4 seconds) when you’re relaxing in an exercise. Thoughts? Their reasoning is it breaks down more muscle… but I guess the answer may lie in my previous paragraph.
I’m assuming the 3x full body work out will be based on all these rules? =p Do you have rules for nutrition as well?
Alright shu, as promised ur full body program…to be done in this fashion…on/off/on/off/on/off/off.
Day 1:
Squats (quad dominant)
Bench Press (horizontal push)
Bent Rows (horizontal pull)
Hyper Extensions (hip/ham dominant)
Standing BB Military Press (vertical push)
Close Grip Lat Pulldowns (vertical pull)
Day2:
Deadlifts (hip/ham dominant)
Pull ups (assisted or weighted, just get the reps desired) (vertical pull)
Dips (vertical push)
Lunges (quad dominant)
Close Grip Pulley rows (horizontal pull)
Incline Press (not TOO steep) (Horizontal Push
Day3:
Front Squat or Hack Squat (quad dominant)
Seated DB Military Press (vertical push
Wide Grip Lat Pulls (vertical pull
Stiff Legged Deadlifts (hip/ham dominant)
Decline Press (horizontal push)
DB Rows (horizontal pull)
Since you are kinduva newb, I want you doing 12-15 rep sets the first couple weeks with this program…once you are CERTAIN that form is flawless and stabilizers are up to the challenge of heavier weights…periodize in this manner
Week 1: 3x6-8 reps
Week 2: 3x8-12
Week 3: 3x10, supersetting movements on opposing planes…for example…on day 1 week 3 you would superset bench presses and bent rows…and superset the arnolds and CG lat pulldowns.
Week 4 (UNLOAD): 2x15 light weights.
Repeat…except next week 4, instead of unloading…just take the week off. At this point, you might try a different program or a different form of periodization…If you like it alot, then after the third cycle, start changing exercises, keeping them on the corresponding movement planes…and definitely change forms of periodization…I like undulating periodization too. Or you could do linear too…here’s a couple examples
Undulating:
Week 1: 3x10
Week 2: 5x5
Week 3: 4x8
Unload
Or
Linear: Accumulation
Week 1: 3x8
Week 2: 4x8
Week 3: 5x8
Unload.
The exercises that say BB or DB, I want you using that particular aparatus (sp?)…for some of those pressing exercises, it’s up to you, barbell or dumbells whichever you prefer…I listed the different movement planes in italics so you can kind of see how I put together this program, also…if you want to change up exercises from time to time you can do so, just make sure the exercise you are swapping out is in the same movement plane, so as not to fuck up the program I laid out. For instance…You want to do dips instead of military presses…well they are both vertical pushing movements, so you could swap those out at will.
You don’t have to train to failure, but with intensity…since you are periodizing rep schemes you will want to keep a journal so you know what weights you are using for what reps…feel me?
I think that’s it…hope that helps…If I remember something else that’s important I’ll post up later.
Heheh…although I do agree with everything I posted just then, I can’t take credit for that post…I got that from the bodybuilding forum I frequent, that I recommend you all check out from time to time…IronMagazineForums.com…my name is Perry, not Matt LOL. I will post little gems like this as often as possible from now on.
And I thought u had ur diet in check already?? With the 2000 cals a day and a carb loading day or two a week right? Stick with that unless you aren’t seeing what you want…you may want to zip over the diet and nutrition threads on IronMagazine.com and post ur diet up…there are licensed dieticians that will rip it apart I assure you…much better than I could.
About the rep tempo…placing excessive emphasis on eccentric phases of a lift does cause more muscle trauma, yes, and you will be more sore…but when working a muscle more than once a week, that may be counterproductive, we want to recover in 3 days. If you read that paragraph in the rules of weight training regarding TUT (time under tension) It doesn’t advocate slower eccentrics because you can’t do as much work…and advocates just going natural, not super slow but not super fast and bouncy.
Dude, I love you! I’m sortof scared because i’ve seen people do these exercises and they look TOUGH! But I love a challenge! 
Good thing i’m starting off with light weights…
Few questions:
How do I make sure not to hit failure? I’m thinking when I feel I can do one more just stop then? Would that be a good indicator?
Squats, quad dominant? How do you make them quad dominant? lol… when I do them my glutes and hamstrings get most of the heat… ALSO, Free weights or machine??
Hyper extensions?!? :looney: What are those?
How close, is a close grip lat pulldown?
Never done deadlifts, and can you write up how to perform it with good form?
Lunges?
Hack squat?
Stiff legged deadlifts?
WtF is undulating and acclimiation?! and I’m confused as to what i’m suppopsed to do in week 3 and week 4.
I could probably google this… but i’m lazy right now and hoping you’re willing to answer.
Yes…you add weight each set and do less reps. It’s pretty shitty, but a fuck ton of people do it…I used to do it…sometimes still getting caught up in it.
I answered the questions in your quote in bold…you do need to either google this shit or ask someone at the gym to show you these exercises…some of them aren’t easy (bent rows, standing military press) so start light and really be careful…Hope this all wasn’t too advanced.
Magnus: Thanks bud.
Also, This routine may be kinda tough for a somewhat beginner…if it proves difficult at first…you can cut back the volume by doing less sets or even leaving out an exercise here and there…just don’t cut out the leg exercises ever…they are very important.
Definitely a good read, I use to do pyramid every once in a while, but I won’t anymore. I’ll try to breakdown what I’ve been doing and re-create a new workout plan.
Big thanks man. :tup:
http://ironmagazine.com/FitnessMistakes.pdf
Page 15 is interesting reading.
+++
P-funk
P-side…the only side
Moderator:
upper push- bench (flat, incline, decline. barbell and DB), shoulder press (DB and BB), dips
upper pull- pulldowns (various grips), pull ups (various grips), bent over rows (barbells and DBs. Various grips), cable row, face pulls, shrugs (Db or BB)
lower body quad dominant- squat (back and front. no smith machine), lunges, bulgarian squat, one legged squat, multidirectinal lunges
lower body hip dominant- deadlifts, Romanian deadlift, Straight Legged deadlift, trap bar deadlifts, step ups, hyperextensions, glute ham raises, reverse hypers
with these exercises and all their varieties and progressions you can put together years of workouts. Be creative.
P-Funk and CowPimp are the fucking shit…their knowledge is just sick. Props for checkin out IronMagazine.
Fuckin’ search…is there a way to dig up posts by a certain user WITHIN a thread?
I’ve been digging through different places so I’m not sure if I read it here.
While I know you don’t believe in full body workouts, Romie, is 95-100% of your workout in those items mentioned?
Let’s see:
These are the only ones I disagree with (I only disagree 50% with number 7, I’ll explain later). Everything else is pretty much spot on. My workouts are centered around heavy, compound movements; squats, bench press, deadlifts, shoulder press, etc.
Only thing I found wrong with the article is 3 and 7 are somewhat contradictory, he says isolation work is crap but he mentions curls and back raises, which are isolation exercises.
Isolation exercises aren’t useless. It’s just another way of working out a muscle. Your triceps don’t know the difference between heavy military presses and skull crushers. It won’t react differently. It won’t grow differently. Isolation exercises have their uses, but shouldn’t be the focus of the routine. I agree with Magnus when it comes to building a workout around heavy compound movements.
As for training a each bodypart once a week… I’ve tried it, and I’ve gotten better results with the more traditional principles. I’ve tried a variety of different routines, HIT, HTST, twice a week full body routines, etc. and I’ve found what works for me. I’m 19, been working out since I was 14, and I can honestly say in only the past 2 years I’ve found what works for me. I started, kept adjusting and tweaking, trying different training methods, and kept going until I found out what makes my body grow the fastest. It’s trial and error. If the first bodybuilding thread was still here, you’d see my routine last year was completely different from what I’m doing now.
i wouldn’t mind it as a lifestyle change, because it would help me get better at my gymnastics stuff i do in martial arts.
i dont like chips to begin with, i just eat them…cause well…its their in the house.
and if i stopped eating pizza it would be better for my body since im semi allergic to it…but still eat it cause i love pizza. i am alleric to lactate thats in milk products…it effects my asthma.
i need a starting point, i dont care about a lifestyle change…im already trying to work on it. but i know me eating less these past few weeks isnt the best idea…so instead of eating less i wanna eat healthy.
but have no idea whats healthy or not. i need specific foods i should be eating to cut my fat down. and maybe a meal plan if one of you is kind enough.
im willing to do the work i just need help getting started.
I can give you a whole list for what’s good to eat. A couple of years ago, my health teacher wrote up a list of foods to eat and when to eat them to reduce body fat. If you follow it fully, you lose 1/4 a lb. a day which is pretty good without doing any type of cardio.
What’s a good brand for benches? I went to a few stores today, but I’m still not sure which brands are good. I’m looking for an olympic-sized with inclined and declined positions. Suggestions or links I can check out?
Hook me up with that list. I need all the healthy food I can get. I been eating a lot of fruit lately whenever I am hungry but I would like to see what will be good for a meal.
i need a list of high-calorie foods. i really can’t stand eating (just a little and i’m full). currently i’m getting probably 1700-1800 with around 170 g of protein and i don’t think it’s enough. i’m around 5’10" and 165ish
another way to make your squat session more “quad” dominant is to do FRONT squats…
additionally, you can put like 10 lb plates on the floor and step on them with your just your heal while you are doing the squats…so basically it will be forcing you to stand on your tip toes…
that article was rediculous…for example #4, the first question that comes to mind is Why does it create a “rut” in your training that you cannot dig yourself out of???
he says nothing of why this is, just that it is…i would like at least something that would make sense…any emperical evidence??? studies???
also #11, what he calls TUT or ultra slow reps are not completely worthless at all, what they are good for is increasing strength…many studies have been done with athletes that have shown incredible strength gains…so how does this apply to bodybuilding, well if you want to increase strength to put up more weight for your 10 reps, then this is a good way to do it…
im outi
Roberth
ps…working out a body part 4 times a week as he mentioned is one of the most rediculous things i have ever heard…
Frustrating…so much conflicting information.
Despite that, it’s good to hear various opinions.
Robert, can you elaborate the 10 lb plates thing? What are front squats?
Actually, can you elaborate on the whole post?
About changing your rep schemes, is there such a thing as changing too often?
e.g. Curls, 3x8, then next time I get back to curls, I do 5x5, then next time 3x15 or something? I ask 'cause I’m sure if I waited each month to change out my rep scheme, I’d forget to do it, so I’m just going to change it every time.
Does everyone agree that rep schemes should be changed often? (Unlike the other topics that can be debated.)