Running Big Beyond Belief

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Starting up the program tomorrow… Was wondering if anybody here has any experience with it and could help me out with some questions.

Im running the 4 day program because my partner cant make it 6 days a week. Would it be alright to upp the volume on shoulders and arms? the 4 day seems to neglect these body parts and coincdentually im lagging in the arm department.

Also hows my tricep exercise selection looking?

15 rep range: Overhead Extensions
12 rep range: v bar push downs
10 rep range: db floor presses

im also doing 2 presses for my shoulders and 1 lateral movement. after the each workout i was planning to do 3 sets of rear delt work to keep my shoulders healthy as well.

2

Is this the same thing as boring but big?

3

[quote]chobbs wrote:
Is this the same thing as boring but big?[/quote]

nope .

Its a 4 or 6 day program that works you up to a point of overreaching/overtraining in a spand of 3 weeks. On the 4th week you back off and start reaping the rewards . Everything is training 3 times a week and everything is done to failure.

Look it up . I know a few guys used it here before and got great results.

4

Do NOT up the volume for ANY part of the program.

DON’T. Seriously, this program is made to run you into the ground, build you back up, rinse and repeat.

I loved this program, made my best gains on it.

If your pressing every day for chest, plus 2x for delts, and once for triceps, then yeah exercise selection looks fine.

If you want to lay out the whole split, I’d be down to help you out. Though, I’ve only done the 6x a week split

5

[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
Do NOT up the volume for ANY part of the program.

DON’T. Seriously, this program is made to run you into the ground, build you back up, rinse and repeat.

I loved this program, made my best gains on it.

If your pressing every day for chest, plus 2x for delts, and once for triceps, then yeah exercise selection looks fine.

If you want to lay out the whole split, I’d be down to help you out. Though, I’ve only done the 6x a week split[/quote]

Thanks would appreciate it . The reason i wanted to up arms was because the volume on the day for arms is lower than it is on the 6 day .

Heres what i was planning to do:(NOTE: Where ever i have noted “keep the same sets”
means the amount of sets for the whole program on that exercise will remain the same)

Day 1:13-15
HS Row
BB Flat Press
Cable Curls
Rear Delt Machine 3 x 15-20(keep the same sets)

Day 2:13-15
DB Shoulder Press
Overhead Extensions
Leg Press
BB Shrugs 3 x 10-15(keep the same sets)

Day 3:10-12
High Row
DB Flat Press
Leg Curls
Lateral Raises 2 sets(keep the same sets)
Pushdowns 3 sets(keep the same sets)
DB Curls 3 sets(keep the same sets)

Day 4:8-12
Leg Press
BB Flat Press
TBar Row
DB Shoulder Press 2 sets(keep the same sets)
Hammer Curls 3 sets(keep the same sets)
Floor Press 3 sets(keep the same sets)
Rear Delt Machine 3 x 10-15(keep the same sets)

6

Ok I can’t remember off the top of my head, but are you keeping the sets the same on the lifts you noted on days 3 and 4? Or is that in the program?

Also, are you not hitting abs and calves like it says? I would.

I’ll go day by day:

Day 1: Looks good, though personally I would just do high rep band pull-aparts or some shoulder rehab stuff pre-WO instead of the rear delt flies everyday. Also, why HS rows as opposed to something like DB Rows?

Day 2: I would personally do a Squat variation. The whole principle of the book is to do big, compound movements that ideally have you moving your body through space. Also, traps aren’t hit in this program directly, so I would drop the shrugs. Do calves/abs

Day 3: Would do a SLDL or a variation for hamstrings/legs. And I would do a vertical pull, like chins or pulldowns for back.

Day 4: Would do Squats again.

I suggest the Big lifts you want to increase, like Bench, Squats, OHP, do once on high rep day, then repeat on low rep day. So you get a lot of ‘practice’ with them.

Also, do you have the ebook? If not, find it and read it. You want BIG, COMPOUND movements. Only time I used machines/cables were usually for small BP’s like arms, calves, rear delts, etc. Machines for Legs and Back movements are likely not going to be great.

Personally, I would do something like this:

Day 1: Weighted Chins
BB Bench Variation
Curl variation
Calve Raise variation

Day 2: OHP variation
Isolation Tricep
Squat Variation
Abs

Day 3: DB Rows
DB Bench variation
SLDL
Laterals
Curl variation
Tricep Compound (CGBP, Dips, CG Floor Press)

Day 4: Same lifts from Days 1 & 2

This is all opinion, but this what I would do, and only make adjustments after at least going through a 6-week cycle of the program.

7

[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
Ok I can’t remember off the top of my head, but are you keeping the sets the same on the lifts you noted on days 3 and 4? Or is that in the program?

Also, are you not hitting abs and calves like it says? I would.

I’ll go day by day:

Day 1: Looks good, though personally I would just do high rep band pull-aparts or some shoulder rehab stuff pre-WO instead of the rear delt flies everyday. Also, why HS rows as opposed to something like DB Rows?

Day 2: I would personally do a Squat variation. The whole principle of the book is to do big, compound movements that ideally have you moving your body through space. Also, traps aren’t hit in this program directly, so I would drop the shrugs. Do calves/abs

Day 3: Would do a SLDL or a variation for hamstrings/legs. And I would do a vertical pull, like chins or pulldowns for back.

Day 4: Would do Squats again.

I suggest the Big lifts you want to increase, like Bench, Squats, OHP, do once on high rep day, then repeat on low rep day. So you get a lot of ‘practice’ with them.

Also, do you have the ebook? If not, find it and read it. You want BIG, COMPOUND movements. Only time I used machines/cables were usually for small BP’s like arms, calves, rear delts, etc. Machines for Legs and Back movements are likely not going to be great.

Personally, I would do something like this:

Day 1: Weighted Chins
BB Bench Variation
Curl variation
Calve Raise variation

Day 2: OHP variation
Isolation Tricep
Squat Variation
Abs

Day 3: DB Rows
DB Bench variation
SLDL
Laterals
Curl variation
Tricep Compound (CGBP, Dips, CG Floor Press)

Day 4: Same lifts from Days 1 & 2

This is all opinion, but this what I would do, and only make adjustments after at least going through a 6-week cycle of the program. [/quote]

Thanks for the reply . Will be very mindful of your answer.
Reason im not squating or doing lower back exercises that involve my lower back is because i have a very injury prone lower back… I love heavy squating but 4 weeeks ago i tweaked it and once it healed i’ve been weary of squating again. Main reason being is im being shipped off to the Navy and a big injury to the lower back could result me into be disqualified from joining…

Also the High Row exercises is actually a pulldown movement but for some reason Hammer Strength named it a High Row lol. Targets the lats pretty well.

EDIT: on the day 3 and 4 the program wants u to keep those lifts i noted the same amount of sets(1 for each exercise) but i felt it was not enough volume so i upped it to 2 or 3 more sets.

8

[quote]TheDon12 wrote:

[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
Ok I can’t remember off the top of my head, but are you keeping the sets the same on the lifts you noted on days 3 and 4? Or is that in the program?

Also, are you not hitting abs and calves like it says? I would.

I’ll go day by day:

Day 1: Looks good, though personally I would just do high rep band pull-aparts or some shoulder rehab stuff pre-WO instead of the rear delt flies everyday. Also, why HS rows as opposed to something like DB Rows?

Day 2: I would personally do a Squat variation. The whole principle of the book is to do big, compound movements that ideally have you moving your body through space. Also, traps aren’t hit in this program directly, so I would drop the shrugs. Do calves/abs

Day 3: Would do a SLDL or a variation for hamstrings/legs. And I would do a vertical pull, like chins or pulldowns for back.

Day 4: Would do Squats again.

I suggest the Big lifts you want to increase, like Bench, Squats, OHP, do once on high rep day, then repeat on low rep day. So you get a lot of ‘practice’ with them.

Also, do you have the ebook? If not, find it and read it. You want BIG, COMPOUND movements. Only time I used machines/cables were usually for small BP’s like arms, calves, rear delts, etc. Machines for Legs and Back movements are likely not going to be great.

Personally, I would do something like this:

Day 1: Weighted Chins
BB Bench Variation
Curl variation
Calve Raise variation

Day 2: OHP variation
Isolation Tricep
Squat Variation
Abs

Day 3: DB Rows
DB Bench variation
SLDL
Laterals
Curl variation
Tricep Compound (CGBP, Dips, CG Floor Press)

Day 4: Same lifts from Days 1 & 2

This is all opinion, but this what I would do, and only make adjustments after at least going through a 6-week cycle of the program. [/quote]

Thanks for the reply . Will be very mindful of your answer.
Reason im not squating or doing lower back exercises that involve my lower back is because i have a very injury prone lower back… I love heavy squating but 4 weeeks ago i tweaked it and once it healed i’ve been weary of squating again. Main reason being is im being shipped off to the Navy and a big injury to the lower back could result me into be disqualified from joining…

Also the High Row exercises is actually a pulldown movement but for some reason Hammer Strength named it a High Row lol. Targets the lats pretty well.

EDIT: on the day 3 and 4 the program wants u to keep those lifts i noted the same amount of sets(1 for each exercise) but i felt it was not enough volume so i upped it to 2 or 3 more sets.[/quote]

If you can’t do lower back intensive things, I would still do something like Front Squats, and maybe high and wide stance Leg Press on Day 3 (to hit hams). Also, I would use DB rows then too, on a bench. No lower back issues with that.

I really am suggesting you don’t up the volume on arms and delts. The program is made with a certain idea in mind, with the ramp and the increasing sets/volume/intensity.

9

[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
Ok I can’t remember off the top of my head, but are you keeping the sets the same on the lifts you noted on days 3 and 4? Or is that in the program?

Also, are you not hitting abs and calves like it says? I would.

I’ll go day by day:

Day 1: Looks good, though personally I would just do high rep band pull-aparts or some shoulder rehab stuff pre-WO instead of the rear delt flies everyday. Also, why HS rows as opposed to something like DB Rows?

Day 2: I would personally do a Squat variation. The whole principle of the book is to do big, compound movements that ideally have you moving your body through space. Also, traps aren’t hit in this program directly, so I would drop the shrugs. Do calves/abs

Day 3: Would do a SLDL or a variation for hamstrings/legs. And I would do a vertical pull, like chins or pulldowns for back.

Day 4: Would do Squats again.

I suggest the Big lifts you want to increase, like Bench, Squats, OHP, do once on high rep day, then repeat on low rep day. So you get a lot of ‘practice’ with them.

Also, do you have the ebook? If not, find it and read it. You want BIG, COMPOUND movements. Only time I used machines/cables were usually for small BP’s like arms, calves, rear delts, etc. Machines for Legs and Back movements are likely not going to be great.

Personally, I would do something like this:

Day 1: Weighted Chins
BB Bench Variation
Curl variation
Calve Raise variation

Day 2: OHP variation
Isolation Tricep
Squat Variation
Abs

Day 3: DB Rows
DB Bench variation
SLDL
Laterals
Curl variation
Tricep Compound (CGBP, Dips, CG Floor Press)

Day 4: Same lifts from Days 1 & 2

This is all opinion, but this what I would do, and only make adjustments after at least going through a 6-week cycle of the program. [/quote]

Thanks for the input Spidey. Running the program pretty much exactly how you laid it out.

10

Awesome setto222. Like I said, I loved BBB.

Just a note, for me personally, BBB was a TON of volume on my shoulders, which aren’t the healthiest nor most mobile part of my body. So first time doing the program, I ended up getting hurt kind of. So I was careful with exercise selection the next go around.

If I used mainly BB for Chest work, I’d use mostly DB’s for delts/triceps, so I could turn my hands in a neutral position (usually less stressful on my shoulders). I would do incline presses at lower angles to put less stress on my shoulders, and made sure to keep up on prehab work.

So if you have pre-existing issues, like a wonky knee or elbow, take that into consideration when selecting lifts. You’ll be hitting things hard and frequently, so if you elbows suck doing skullcrushers 3x a week would be a bad choice while also pressing 6x a week. The program is awesome, but you need to know what works for you to a degree to get the most out of it.

11

[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
Awesome setto222. Like I said, I loved BBB.

Just a note, for me personally, BBB was a TON of volume on my shoulders, which aren’t the healthiest nor most mobile part of my body. So first time doing the program, I ended up getting hurt kind of. So I was careful with exercise selection the next go around.

If I used mainly BB for Chest work, I’d use mostly DB’s for delts/triceps, so I could turn my hands in a neutral position (usually less stressful on my shoulders). I would do incline presses at lower angles to put less stress on my shoulders, and made sure to keep up on prehab work.

So if you have pre-existing issues, like a wonky knee or elbow, take that into consideration when selecting lifts. You’ll be hitting things hard and frequently, so if you elbows suck doing skullcrushers 3x a week would be a bad choice while also pressing 6x a week. The program is awesome, but you need to know what works for you to a degree to get the most out of it. [/quote]

Yeah I think im going to trade BB shoulder press for seated DB shoulder press and see how that goes.