Increasing Intesity on 3-Day/Week Program

I will be switching up my six-day/week training program (one area of the body per day) after a long summer. I have seen some of the best gains ever now that I have a good sense of what I’m doing. I’m also doing most of this on a budget since I’m still an on-campus college student.

Anyways, my new program will be a three-day/week training program (with one day rest in between) that hits the big exercises each day that I lift in order to increase the intensity and volume of my workouts. After reading some of CT’s recent articles, I have really grasped the significance of training based on the physiological response by my body during a given point during my routine for that day. I will also be employing the rep with those thoughts in mind about force and what all goes into the rep.

My supplement program doesn’t entirely suck. But like I said, I am executing the muscle building on a budget plan. So I guess I was hoping to get any advice on the best way to go about the training program with that budget in mind. The only supplements I have are whey protein powder (Vitamin Shoppe Whey Tech Pro 24), Biotest L-Leucine, and I am waiting on getting my order of Alpha-GPC sometime soon this week.

I usually like to get my protein shake in with some whole-grain bread with a generous portion of natural peanut butter spreaded and a banana for some immediate carbs and protein. Then I go get an additional meal without starchy carbs. I am about 150lbs., 10% bf, and my goal is to reach 165 to 170lbs. one year from now (at longest). Any suggestions about how I should go about “stacking” my real food with my supplements before and after workout would be appreciated. Or even a link is fine.

Thanks guys!

If you’re trying to save money, there are much cheaper options than whey tech pro 24.

My honest advice would be to spend your money on food first, and of what is left, then get some supplemental products.

I would also suggest if you want to add 20lbs of muscle, you (assuming you are the slim guy in your avatar) should get in plenty of carbs.

A high fat content with carbs can make people lethargic when consumed before training - peanut butter may cause this to happen (unless you only eat a bit i guess).

A shake and some bread and a fruit isn’t too bad at all. I enjoy such pre-workout foods, do the job (preventing catabolism, promoting anabolism and providing energy).

As i said first though, if on a budget - i personally don’t prioritise supplements, but food.

[quote]J-J wrote:
My honest advice would be to spend your money on food first, and of what is left, then get some supplemental products.

I would also suggest if you want to add 20lbs of muscle, you (assuming you are the slim guy in your avatar) should get in plenty of carbs.

A high fat content with carbs can make people lethargic when consumed before training - peanut butter may cause this to happen (unless you only eat a bit i guess).

A shake and some bread and a fruit isn’t too bad at all. I enjoy such pre-workout foods, do the job (preventing catabolism, promoting anabolism and providing energy).

As i said first though, if on a budget - i personally don’t prioritise supplements, but food.[/quote]
Well, we are in agreement for once :slight_smile:

Op, supplements are there to supplement… I.e. if you can’t cover necessary protein intake via food (that should not be the case at your stage yet, though of course shakes are nice to have at school or at work if your time is really damn limited), then get some protein supp. However, cottage cheese, curd(quark? if you get that stuff wherever you live), ground beef etc are fairly cheap (at least over here) and ideal to add protein to your meals (for example).