Anyone Still Doing Big Beyond Belief?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
41

Think I’ll post my routine aswell, keep people updated and get feedback etc.

I train at home, so equipment is very limited (always has been lol). So twice a week I’ll be using the same exercise (gives me more options later), which I find helps you progress faster on the exercise anyway so I think it’s actually a plus.

Here’s the routine I’m doing, 6 day, once a day (3 days into so far):

Mon:
Wide grip pullup
Incline DB Bench
EZ bar biceps curls
Barbell calf raise

Tue:
Seated DB shoulder press
Squats (narrow-ish/shoulder width stance)
Triceps cable push-down

Wed:
Flat DB Bench
1 arm DB rows
Incline DB curls
1 leg calf raise (off an edge for fuller ROM)

Thu:
Seated side laterals
Hammer triceps extensions
Lunges (stationary)

Fri:
Repeat Monday (except swap exercise order)

Sat:
Repeat Tuesday (except swap exercise order)

I put the exercises twice in the week where I want to specialise (e.g. upper chest, back width etc). Not sure about doing heavy pressing that much (hence the side laterals for delts half way through the training week). Calf training’s crap, not sure what exercises to do for them (just alternated a heavy lift with a “detail” lift). Never been passionate about training Abs, they’ve always been good responders…got good training from deep squats and pullups. I will consider direct ABs training if I need to/if highly recommended. Deadlifts have always been a weak point of mine due to improper set up early in training journey (dodgy lower back, long legs compared to torso causes excessive lower back arching…if only I knew about sumo deadlifts at the start!). If I did put deadlifts in this cycle I would do them on Thursday along with lunges. As soon as I get a leg curl attachment for my bench I’ll be adding them to the routine for direct hamstrings focus. Don’t really want to tax lower back too much especially on this routine and considering past training history. Besides, whenever I put both squats/deadlifts in the same cycle, both exercises lagged behind…always found it more beneficial to focus on one at a time.

As for diet, I’ve been eating 4000 cals per day, been much higher than this before but I was gaining slowly on this while training low volume 3-4 times per week so I kept at it…but so far on this program I’ve lost 3lbs in just a few days! So I’m just doing a shotgun approach - blast calories! Upped calories to 5000/day. At this rate, I won’t be surprised if I’m on 6000+ calories by the end of the phase…damn my fast metabolism!

-----------

Sorry, I’m actually eating 5500 cals/day not 5000…

42

[quote]its_just_me wrote:
Think I’ll post my routine aswell, keep people updated and get feedback etc.

I train at home, so equipment is very limited (always has been lol). So twice a week I’ll be using the same exercise (gives me more options later), which I find helps you progress faster on the exercise anyway so I think it’s actually a plus.

Here’s the routine I’m doing, 6 day, once a day (3 days into so far):

Mon:
Wide grip pullup
Incline DB Bench
EZ bar biceps curls
Barbell calf raise

Tue:
Seated DB shoulder press
Squats (narrow-ish/shoulder width stance)
Triceps cable push-down

Wed:
Flat DB Bench
1 arm DB rows
Incline DB curls
1 leg calf raise (off an edge for fuller ROM)

Thu:
Seated side laterals
Hammer triceps extensions
Lunges (stationary)

Fri:
Repeat Monday (except swap exercise order)

Sat:
Repeat Tuesday (except swap exercise order)

I put the exercises twice in the week where I want to specialise (e.g. upper chest, back width etc). Not sure about doing heavy pressing that much (hence the side laterals for delts half way through the training week). Calf training’s crap, not sure what exercises to do for them (just alternated a heavy lift with a “detail” lift). Never been passionate about training Abs, they’ve always been good responders…got good training from deep squats and pullups. I will consider direct ABs training if I need to/if highly recommended. Deadlifts have always been a weak point of mine due to improper set up early in training journey (dodgy lower back, long legs compared to torso causes excessive lower back arching…if only I knew about sumo deadlifts at the start!). If I did put deadlifts in this cycle I would do them on Thursday along with lunges. As soon as I get a leg curl attachment for my bench I’ll be adding them to the routine for direct hamstrings focus. Don’t really want to tax lower back too much especially on this routine and considering past training history. Besides, whenever I put both squats/deadlifts in the same cycle, both exercises lagged behind…always found it more beneficial to focus on one at a time.

As for diet, I’ve been eating 4000 cals per day, been much higher than this before but I was gaining slowly on this while training low volume 3-4 times per week so I kept at it…but so far on this program I’ve lost 3lbs in just a few days! So I’m just doing a shotgun approach - blast calories! Upped calories to 5000/day. At this rate, I won’t be surprised if I’m on 6000+ calories by the end of the phase…damn my fast metabolism![/quote]

I use squats/Lunges alternated also. Are you adding in any hamstring work?

43

[quote]aspengc8 wrote:
I use squats/Lunges alternated also. Are you adding in any hamstring work?[/quote]

I will be when I get the leg curl attachment (ordered one a few days ago)…other than that, I may have to do something like stiff legged deadlifts (depending on lower back and recovery).

Recovery seems to be pretty good so far, not all that sore like I expected to be (energy is pretty great). I guess this is because of the variety of rep ranges and not doing too much maximal work in the lower rep ranges.

44

Update:

3 weeks into BBB, done ramp 1 (weeks 1-3), and am starting phase 1 (growth phase).

Over these 3 weeks I’ve added 7lbs bodyweight and only added one point on the callipers (~1%+ bf)…which means that out of that 7lbs, roughly 5lbs of it was muscle. Considering the short time frame of adding this bodyweight, this by far has been my leanest bulk and it shows in the mirror! This is despite calories being at ~5500/day, which is a bit higher than previous bulks.

Very surprised at results so far, arms have added 1/4 of an inch and I’ve noticed I’m looking a lot fuller. This is very encouraging since I’ve not even done the growth phase yet. Another thing that was surprising is the amount of fatigue I’ve been feeling and yet I’ve made steady gains. I’ve just gotten over a virus too (sore throat, fatigue, congestion etc).

Felt like crap over the past couple of weeks, but I guess this is just my body adjusting (besides the fact that you’re supposed to over-reach anyway). I’ve had typical over-training symptoms (depressed, lethargic, light sleeping, increased resting heart rate, irritable etc), but still making muscle/strength gains - something I always thought impossible in the past.

45

[quote]pars wrote:

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:

[quote]pars wrote:
yep![/quote]

According to my calculations, you’ve been on it for so long now that you should be benching 625 for 5-7, squatting in the 7-800’s for reps and pulling 900+ for reps while weighing approximately 340 lbs.

How close am I? :slight_smile:

[/quote]

Ha! No I wish! I tend to train in streaks and when I am able to “get on a roll” this is how I train- Unfortunately, I tend to travel more and more for work so its getting harder to be consistent. Still, it is extremely effective for me and at the age of 42 ( soon to be 43 ) I am still stronger than the average bear and able to keep my bodyfat under control.

I find that as I get older the higher frequency lower volume approach works the best for me- I also need the higher rep days too since my joints don’t like the real low rep stuff anymore-at least not for any length of time![/quote]

When will guys learn, that age only exists in your mind. when you tell yourself, “hey, im 42, i need to train differently now” guess what, your body will do exactly what your mind is telling it. if you believe your no longer the man you once were, then, you won’t be. if on the other hand, you believe that age is a myth. guys get weaker, cause guys get families, they get lazy, they stop working out. thats why they lose what they once had. nothing to do with age.

46

[quote]roguevampire wrote:
When will guys learn, that age only exists in your mind. when you tell yourself, “hey, im 42, i need to train differently now” guess what, your body will do exactly what your mind is telling it. if you believe your no longer the man you once were, then, you won’t be. if on the other hand, you believe that age is a myth. guys get weaker, cause guys get families, they get lazy, they stop working out. thats why they lose what they once had. nothing to do with age. [/quote]

You’re a monster! lol

How old are you, and what’s your training like?

And why don’t you post more often - PX isn’t going to be happy :slight_smile:

47

I’m giving this program another shot. I tried it in early 2010 but got burnt out trying to roll with the 6x per week, full-time schooling and two jobs (one a full-time graveyard shift gig). Sleeping during the day really fucked me up.

I’m in a better place to hit the program, now, but I gotta admit that those 13 - 15 rep sets are tough as fuck when you aren’t used to going that high. Not going to enjoy squatting that shit out tonight for those sets, that’s for sure.

Can’t argue with the results some people see, though. I’ll be taking progress pics after every ramp/growth phase as well as a bunch of notes about each microcycle to see which one works best for me (gonna be pissed if it involves Ramp Two!).

48

^^^
All I can say is you’ve got to eat like an animal on this program, it’s not going to work otherwise.

Also, the sets that I did were not all to failure (I kept a rep in the tank)…too many times in the past failure training (especially with much volume) just ran me into the ground and progress stopped.

49

[quote]roguevampire wrote:

[quote]pars wrote:

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:

[quote]pars wrote:
yep![/quote]

According to my calculations, you’ve been on it for so long now that you should be benching 625 for 5-7, squatting in the 7-800’s for reps and pulling 900+ for reps while weighing approximately 340 lbs.

How close am I? :slight_smile:

[/quote]

Ha! No I wish! I tend to train in streaks and when I am able to “get on a roll” this is how I train- Unfortunately, I tend to travel more and more for work so its getting harder to be consistent. Still, it is extremely effective for me and at the age of 42 ( soon to be 43 ) I am still stronger than the average bear and able to keep my bodyfat under control.

I find that as I get older the higher frequency lower volume approach works the best for me- I also need the higher rep days too since my joints don’t like the real low rep stuff anymore-at least not for any length of time![/quote]

When will guys learn, that age only exists in your mind. when you tell yourself, “hey, im 42, i need to train differently now” guess what, your body will do exactly what your mind is telling it. if you believe your no longer the man you once were, then, you won’t be. if on the other hand, you believe that age is a myth. guys get weaker, cause guys get families, they get lazy, they stop working out. thats why they lose what they once had. nothing to do with age. [/quote]

Hmmm- maybe you need to re-read what I wrote above. This workout has produced the best results in size and strength for me of everything I have done over the years. I continue to use it for that reason- sometimes I have to miss a workout along the way due to work and family responsibilities- its called having a life.

I don’t appreciate the comments especially from someone I don’t know.

Pars

50

I’m going to start this program in a few weeks when I back to school from winter break. I read the whole other thread from BBB and I was wondering if someone wanted to focus on their shoulders more than their chest, would it be possible to trade every chest day for shoulders and every shoulder day for chest. Just swap them. My chest explodes easily since I used to have training ADD and did chest alot more than any other bodypart. I dont want to look unproportional and I would really like to focus on my shoulders. Let me know if anyone has tried that or any advice. Thanks

GIS

51

[quote]GetItSon wrote:
I’m going to start this program in a few weeks when I back to school from winter break. I read the whole other thread from BBB and I was wondering if someone wanted to focus on their shoulders more than their chest, would it be possible to trade every chest day for shoulders and every shoulder day for chest. Just swap them. My chest explodes easily since I used to have training ADD and did chest alot more than any other bodypart. I dont want to look unproportional and I would really like to focus on my shoulders. Let me know if anyone has tried that or any advice. Thanks

GIS[/quote]

maybe you should just use incline barbell press as your main chest excersize, that’ll still hit the chest but should help your shoulders as well

52

[quote]GrindOverMatter wrote:

[quote]GetItSon wrote:
I’m going to start this program in a few weeks when I back to school from winter break. I read the whole other thread from BBB and I was wondering if someone wanted to focus on their shoulders more than their chest, would it be possible to trade every chest day for shoulders and every shoulder day for chest. Just swap them. My chest explodes easily since I used to have training ADD and did chest alot more than any other bodypart. I dont want to look unproportional and I would really like to focus on my shoulders. Let me know if anyone has tried that or any advice. Thanks

GIS[/quote]

maybe you should just use incline barbell press as your main chest excersize, that’ll still hit the chest but should help your shoulders as well[/quote]

x2

You could also throw dips in as one of your other chest exercises to get a little more delt work as well

53

Had my first BBB session today. It felt really nice getting in and out in 40 minutes, even though high rep DB rows made me feel nauseous as hell. One question…how do you guys handle rest periods for unilateral lifts like the aforementioned, i.e. do you start counting the rest after having done sets for both sides?

54

[quote]bcingu wrote:
Had my first BBB session today. It felt really nice getting in and out in 40 minutes, even though high rep DB rows made me feel nauseous as hell. One question…how do you guys handle rest periods for unilateral lifts like the aforementioned, i.e. do you start counting the rest after having done sets for both sides?[/quote]

I start counting after finishing both sides. While this makes the rest intervals longer than prescribed for each side, I feel that it is the reduction in rest over the course of a ramp that is important… not so much the specific number of seconds one waits.

Besides, I’m a little too lazy to time myself on a set and then do mental math to figure out just how long to wait. I don’t think it matters in the grand scheme so long as you reduce the rest periods according to the program’s specifications.

And, yes, high rep dumbbell rows are extremely nauseating. It kinda blows doing them first in a workout as it really makes shit hazy for the next few exercises.

55

[quote]bcingu wrote:
Had my first BBB session today. It felt really nice getting in and out in 40 minutes, even though high rep DB rows made me feel nauseous as hell. One question…how do you guys handle rest periods for unilateral lifts like the aforementioned, i.e. do you start counting the rest after having done sets for both sides?[/quote]

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend unilateral lifts in BBB because it screws up your rest periods. Not only that, but they are far more demanding on the nervous system (it’s like doing twice the volume especially 1 legged variations). I actually switched out the 1 DB rows for “normal” barbel rows (not bent too far over, lift to lower stomach, act as if you’re shrugging the load rather than rowing it and concentrate on shrugging shoulder blades together).

I also switched out the lunges for leg extensions (so I alternated squats with leg extensions/curls every week). My thighs have grown more (concentrate on outer thighs and upper range of extensions) and my recovery has improved allot (less over-all demand).

You’ll understand what I mean when the rest periods get to as low as 90 seconds in weeks 2 and 3 of the ramp - if doing unilateral movements you’re not getting any cardiovascular rest - once one set is done, you’d have literally less than 20 seconds rest. This means that intensity suffers dramatically.

If you insist on doing them, I’d increase rest periods for them (e.g. rest one minute between every set which would give you about 90 secs between each side).

56

Thanks for your input, guys. I’m going to keep them for now, but I’ll start resting after both sides.
And anonym, a “haze” is definitely right. I was pretty much still catching my breath by the time I was wrapping up calves.

57

is there anywhere that I can see the workout to give it a quick read/scan. I have scoured the net for it but no luck…all the posted links seem to be dead.

thanks in advance…

58

[quote]wasme wrote:
is there anywhere that I can see the workout to give it a quick read/scan. I have scoured the net for it but no luck…all the posted links seem to be dead.

thanks in advance…[/quote]

2nd link.

59

[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
Changed my mind and decided to do the 6 day program.
Modok said I should post my program here so other people have an example to base their programs off of if they decide to give BBB a run.

Notes:Every thigh exercise is broken up into a quad and hamstring exercise, and conventional deads are listed as a hamstring exercise on one of the days. Starting tomorrow probably.

Monday:
Chest: DB bench
Back: BB row (supinated grip)
Bicep: Barbell Curls
Calves: Leg press calf raises

Tuesday:
Delts: DB seated press
Triceps: JM press (free weights)
Thighs: Squats, Glute/Ham raises
Abs: Weighted cable crunches

Wednesday:
Chest: Wide Grip Hammer Str Bench
Back: Wide Grip Pulldowns
Bi: DB Hammer Curls
Calves: Seated Raises

Thursday:
Delt: Lateral Raises
Tri: Tate Presses
Quads: Leg Extensions
Hams: Deadlifts
Abs: Weighted Cable Crunches

Friday:
Back: Seated Cable Rows (v grip)
Chest: Incline DB Bench
Calf: Smith Calf Raises
Bi: Alt DB Curls

Saturday:
Delt: BTN Presses
Tri: CGBP
Quad: Back Squats
Ham: Hamstring Curls
Abs: Weighted Cable Crunches
[/quote]

The 6 day program looks similar to what arnold used to do.

60

Does anyone have an issue with the ‘endurance’ rep range (13-15) with pressing?? It seems like no matter the excercise, all my pressing muscles go to shit after about rep 10. I’ve tried ‘checking the ego’ and using lighter weight, but the weight I have to use to get a ‘clean’ 13-15 is such a huge drop off, it’s almost like I’m not even doing a working set, more like a warm-up. I dont get this on any other movements, just the pressing. Anyone else experience this???