[quote] Brook wrote:
I’m not arguing that this phenomena doesn’t exist, but I refuse to believe it
Your car gets stuck in a ditch periodically - do you:
a) Push the throttle as hard as possible, pushing harder and harder refusing to admit you are in a ditch?
b) Accept the fact you are in a temporary hole and make adjustments to rectify the situation?[/quote]
How much horsepower and torque does my car have? And do I have chains on my wheels?
lol 
jk man, I get it.
As already very importantly mentioned, drugs and nutrition combined with training do not necessarily equal growth. It’s one thing when dealing with an untrained person, but at a high level there is certainly no guarantee.
If there were, then why did (for example) Lee Haney come in only 3 lb heavier, on average, each year he was Mr Olympia? Because he was an idiot, or because of a fundamental reality?
Second, while I don’t know (perhaps I should know but if so memory has failed) Waylander’s training methods.
There are a lot of guys who have gotten very far on keeping doing things the same way. “I always work up to a heaviest set of 5,” or what have you.
The damned Communists were not wrong that the body does better with changing workloads. I am not denying many have gotten very far indeed while paying zero attention to that.l
However, if you have been training months on end in the same low or moderately low rep range – therefore fairly high percent 1RM – you could likely do yourself a big favor by backing down to about 60% 1RM and working up by about 5% 1RM per week.
If you don’t have 1RM’s, an example would be, with that 405x5 bench, drop down to about 285-305 for 9 or 10 reps. Restrain yourself from using any higher weight that week. Then increase by about 20 lb per week, expecting to drop a rep or so per week.
Therapeutic, and aiding gains.
Of course, maybe you’ve been avoiding constant load already.
In short, periodisation works wonders.
OT:
There is just an inherent hatred in Americans for all things Communist! It is bred into you from a young age - maybe it is genetic actually - given the creation of the country etc. (my wife is American so i have given it some thought clearly)
Coupled with [quote]“I don’t know (perhaps I should know but if so memory has failed) Waylander’s training methods”[/quote]
Made this is one of the funniest posts i have read this month!
/OT
Actually, while I despise Communism itself, it’s my impression that most Americans have quite high respect for the Russians both as a people and as a truly formidable adversary, as do I personally.
Myself I much admire the training done there. I have even considered getting a CCCP T-shirt for the gym, or other Commie gear to use when doing Smolov or what-have-you, though I haven’t actually done it.
The “damned Communists” line was intended to be amusing
Mostly from being so unexpected in the context.
My vote for the best thing to come out of communism is the Kalashnikov
I actually had been going to mention in the previous post, besides wanting the Commie T-shirt I would like a genuine Kalashnikov to go along with my Soviet-era Makarov (big price premium over an export or Eastern European model.) But it seemed a digression. What, me digress?
[quote]Bill Roberts wrote:
I actually had been going to mention in the previous post, besides wanting the Commie T-shirt I would like a genuine Kalashnikov to go along with my Soviet-era Makarov (big price premium over an export or Eastern European model.) But it seemed a digression. What, me digress?[/quote]
What, no Dragonov? Come on Roberts, step your game up!
Well I took yesterday off, didn’t really do shit. Had my normal meals and a few beers, stayed up late and watched a movie. Worked out today, great session. Gained 3 lbs over night and almost hit some new leg PR’s even after doing pre exhaust work, and tied my DB shoulder press PR after ever after doing some serious lat raises and front delt work prior to that. Guess I’ll make sure I keep taking Sunday off.
OP: I’m no expert on bodybuilding, but it sounds to me like you need some time off of training. Do you have regularly scheduled deloads, or are you just linear progression all the way until you hit this wall? Is your training periodized at all? Not an accusation, I just can’t tell from your original post. In addition: I’ve read an article on here recently about taking entire months OFF. Depression, loss of intensity in the gym, stalled out gains… general adaptation syndrome? If you’re TRULY overtraining, you may see your strength start to drop some. Are you having increased muscle tremors? When I was training for decathalon, that was how I knew I was pushing the envelope.
Also: dude… you’re 287. Assuming you’re somewhat lean, how big do you think you are gonna get? There’s a reason we haven’t seen 400lb bodybuilders. There’s an upper limit, and unless you’ve got a shot at the olympia, it might not be worth pushing that upper limit. You’re probably going to see diminishing rates of return both on drug use and training. I’m nowhere near that point myself, so much respect to you for getting there. Maybe you can work on other aspects of your sport: proportion, symmetry, your posing, tanning, finding sexier purple thongs to pose in, whatever. 
LASTLY:
In communist Russia, BARBELL lift YOU!!!
But I’ll take my M4A1 any day. That or a mk19.
[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
Well I took yesterday off, didn’t really do shit. Had my normal meals and a few beers, stayed up late and watched a movie. Worked out today, great session. Gained 3 lbs over night and almost hit some new leg PR’s even after doing pre exhaust work, and tied my DB shoulder press PR after ever after doing some serious lat raises and front delt work prior to that. Guess I’ll make sure I keep taking Sunday off.[/quote]
Hell yah man, great deal! I smashed myself into the ground for 10 weeks straight, came off with a straight no workout deload for a week, and gained 3 lbs. doesn’t look like fat to me (could be wrong though… haha)
Of course, without drugs. Maybe one day…
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
waylanderxx wrote:
a few beers, stayed up late .
Your workout would have been more productive without this, lol. Buuut, I suspect you know this.
BBB[/quote]
haha, I don’t know. After doing everything right for so long I think it’s good to have a “oh fuck it” day.
Sometimes I think I’m a little too obsessive with bodybuilding and I need a break from it occasionally, even if it’s just for one day.
There is nothing wrong with obsession as long as you are equally obsessive ablot deloading - which i do not think you are.
rest is as important as work - but this is something that is learnt with time.
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Brook wrote:
There is nothing wrong with obsession as long as you are equally obsessive ablot deloading - which i do not think you are.
rest is as important as work - but this is something that is learnt with time.
Agreed. No point having an ‘ah fuck it day’, when you cannot plan proper rest days. Remember, you only grow when resting.
Much better to coincide a rest day with an ‘ah fuck it’ day.
BBB[/quote]
X3
Especially if you are still pursuing a professional career in Bbing. There is no benefit to alcohol consumption as a rest day. I would recommend a nice ice bath, a sufficient stretching session, a short hot tub session, a long nights sleep, and a super high caloric day. Now if you are no longer seriously wanting to go pro, you are probably fine with having some teenage drunken nights now and then. Although, I believe ethanol increases activity of the aromatase enzyme, so I still dont do it. = )
Oh come on now guys, it was just 3 beers haha. I used to be really good about taking 1 day off a week and I’ll have to make sure I keep doing that. I stopped because I despise school and lifting is the one thing that keeps me sane during the year…but I’ll just find some other way to occupy my sundays now.
AND - you should have a de-load period regularly too (as regular as e4w) and incorporate lower intensity days among your higher intensity ones - PLUS incorporate active rest too… and have a good 3-5 days off in full 3 or so times a year (depending on the macro-cycle you run)
There is more to BB than lifting as often as possible.
I suggest you read ‘Serious Strength Training’ by Tudor Bompa.
He is the ‘father’ of ‘western’ periodisation, and while the basics have evolved somewhat now (undulating and so on) - it is a good place to start if you don’t utilise any sort of periodisation at all.
One of the factors of bodybuilding that got me into training others way back when, was the fact i was so interested with the design of it - i created types of periodisation before i even knew it had a name, as well as learnt the movements of muscles and exercises to train those movements before i picked up a kinesiology book - and i still create my own takes on periodisation with all factors of fitness to this day.
It is all getting logged for publication of course!
The best bodybuilders EITHER hire a trainer like myself (not that i train the best bodybuilders - sadly!) or they educate themselves with the dynamics of programming - either way the knowledge is vital to success.
It was early strength/muscle trainees that created the 5x5 method, progressive partials, etc. NOT strength and conditioning coaches.
The point is, basic principles like periodisation are viatl to continued progression and very important - you should read up on it a little.
[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
Oh come on now guys, it was just 3 beers haha. I used to be really good about taking 1 day off a week and I’ll have to make sure I keep doing that. I stopped because I despise school and lifting is the one thing that keeps me sane during the year…but I’ll just find some other way to occupy my sundays now.[/quote]
That is what they all say… GO TO YOUR ROOM, WAY!!! Think about what you have done!
; )
Thanks Brook, any links to articles or anything about periodization?
I admit this is all new to me as it’s never really been an issue. As I mentioned before I’ve platuead only once or twice in my life so the idea of taking extra rest/lowering volume etc has never really been relevant to my training. I suppose now that I’m this heavy I will have to start being a little more intelligent with my rest/training.