I’ve been subjected to a lot of conflicting information lately and I figure who better to ask than the people that have already been there and done it.
I just got done reading Berardi’s “Scrawny to Brawny” and I’ve been in the process of adapting his principles into my training. I’ve been going with moderately low reps and heavy weight (typically 5 x 5). I understand the reasoning behind that being to stimulate the slow twitch fibers and establish a good foundation for strength.
However, I hear more than often that “going very heavy is for strength gains, not size gains.” It makes sense to me, which is why powerlifters are so much stronger than bodybuilders but bodybuilders usually have more impressive muscular proportions and cuts.
I understand all the basic concepts, I’m just a bit conflicted as to what I should adopt. Perhaps a bit of both?
Keep in mind, I’m ectomorphic, looking to pack on as much mass as possible right now to build a good foundation. I’ve got my diet pretty well intact but I just want to make sure I’m going in the right direction with my training so I don’t waste precious time that could have been more productively spent.