Less was More Later On

This is the first time I have ever posted anything in this site. In the past year I have been researching different ways I could improve my body from this website. I have been around the internet and this is definitely the best site, with people serious about lifting, and most importantly without the crap, like most sites have.
When I talk about less is more, I mean using less total sets per body part, and being able to squeeze in more workouts. When you’re able to apply this, you’re able to stimulate more muscle throughout the week with out burning out your body. I used the combination of Ian King, Chris Shugart, Christian Thibaudeau, and my experience together for a program that I have been able to get strength gains and also more muscle, in less time than from my traditional higher volume workout I was using for the past 3 to 4 years. When first started to use my higher volume workout I had great gains, then after 2 to 3 years my body wasn’t responding I it used to. So this is why I used different information from this site to be able to finally get a kick start for more gains. Probably a year or two ago I thought I knew it all, until I came upon this site.

My traditional volume workout
Day 1 Back – 12 to 14 sets
Day 2 Chest -12 to 14 sets
Day 3 Quads- 12 to 14 sets
Day 4 Bicep & Triceps 10 to 12 sets each
Day 5 Shoulder 12 to 14 sets
Day 6 Hamstring 12 to 14 sets
Day 7 off
*Alternating calf’s and Abdominals

Some of you might say this is might be a bit much, but you see the thing is that I’m 20 years old. My body responded pretty well when I first started out. Before I started this kind of workout, I was using more of a power lifting program, because all I cared about at that time was strength. I was pretty strong for my size in high school, but I changed gears when I hurt my hip and my lower back for about a month. After I recovered I started bodybuilding.

My New workout
3-1-1 tempo

Day 1 Power/Legs/Calves Day 7 Bicep/Triceps/*calves
Power clean- 4 sets **Standing Wide bar curls-3 sets
Dead lift- 4 sets **Behind back press up’s- 3sets
Ham curl- 4 sets Dumbbell preacher curls- 3 sets
Leg press- 4 sets Reverse press down- 3 sets
Calves- 10 sets *calves- 5 sets

Day 2 Pec/Back/Shoulder/Ab’s *Notes
Ab work-out -the upper body use 6 to 10 reps
Pull up’s-3 sets - the legs use 8 to 14
**Bench press- 4 sets -do not go to failure, only every
Shoulder press-2 sets once and a while
Pull downs- 3 sets -Power movement’s use 2 to 6 reps
Pec deck- 2 sets -*warm-ups
Lateral raises- 4 sets -
optional

Day 3 Bicep/Triceps/*calves
**Standing curls- 3 sets
**Skull crushers- 3 sets
Incline curls- 3 sets
Press downs-3 sets
*claves- 5 sets

Day 4 day-off

Day 5 Legs/Calves
Seated ham curl- 3 sets
Leg ex- 2 sets
**Squats- 4 sets
Ham curls- 3 sets
Abductors- 4 sets
Claves- 10 sets

Day 6 Pec/Back/Shoulder/Ab’s
Ab work-out
Lawn mower pulls- 3 sets
**Incline bench press- 4 sets
Up right row- 3 sets
Wide pull backs- 3sets
Decline flies- 2 sets
Shrugs- 2 sets
Farmer’s walk- 1 set

Day7 bicep/triceps/*calfs
**standing wide bar curls- 3 sets
**Behing head tricep press- 3 sets
dumbbelll preacher curls- 3 sets
reverse press down- 3 sets

  • calves

**warmups
-optional
-do not go to failure
After about 6 weeks I started using a regular tempo and my lifts where so much better.
I started using more of a combination of my traditional program and my new program and after a couple of more weeks my strength and size kept on going up.
Example
Bench press previously
275 six times
Bench press now
320 six times

I want to say thanks to t-nation for its great resources, with out you I wouldn’t be able to put together a program that help so much physically and also raised back my self-esteem where it should be.