Hey CT,
I have a couple of questions one on training and one of nutrition for a type 2A individual…
Firstly on training as a 2A, Ive found that following a Dorian Yates style HIT works best for me and my training. Psychologically this training makes sense (hit failure, spark protein synthesis, done) compared to volume training where I completely get lost and unmotivated after only a few weeks. For me results wise, HIT training allows for continuos growth and motivation for me…
Questions:
I follow a split similar to Dorian Yates but with an extra arm day currently:
Sunday- Chest / Calves / Core
Monday- Quads/ Hamstrings
Tuesday- Off
Wednesday- Triceps / Biceps (Only isolation exercises, no compound exercises)
Thursday- Shoulders / Traps / Core
Friday- Back
Saturday- Off
With this set up Im obviously training 5 days a week, but Ive noticed you wrote an article saying it is best to train 4 days a week. So is training 5 days a week this way optimal for gains for a 2A individual? Could the Triceps and Biceps day be seen as a less demanding day compared to the other 4 making this routine optimal?
Could you elaborate on what you meant by 4 days week?
Also on nutrition:
Im currently eating for size/weight gain (aim is for 0.5 lbs a week as a guide) where I need 3,000 calories a days or a little bit more to achieve this which is currently split:
Protein- 250g
Carbs- 325g
Fat- 90g
In your Type 2 write up, you mentioned a split of 40% Protein, 30% Carbs, 30% Fat, as a guide for a 2A individual. Where for me as your type 2A description says carbs I do well with medium amounts where it seems around 300g works best for me.
With my current allocation of protein, carbs and fat, as a type 2A, am I best to increase my protein and bring my carbs down (say 275g protein and 300g carbs) and keep fat around 90g - 100g as a 2A individual. For me I can gain strength easily with only like 200g carbs, I have just increased them to 325g for purpose of size/weight gain.
With this in mind would I better to revamp my percentage distribution of protein, carbs and fat as above? Some guidance on whats best for a 2A individual would be great.
Thanks for the help with this really appreciate it,
PK
Hi bigmax,
Thanks for the reply. An old coach put me onto it, he was an ex fitness model going from 75kg to 105kg only using HIT and he swore by it. He had a great look to, although he was a bodybuilder/fitness model his look was also athletic and not just bulky which is the look i prefer.
In terms of the training I go between strength and hypertrophy phases where they last somewhere between 8-12 weeks per phase. This type of training I have found you basically do a phase until progress stops which for me is normally between 8-12 weeks, you just go off how your body is responding.
Now in terms of reps-
For the strength phase ill do between 4-8 reps for the main set with back and legs mostly in 6-8 range (they tend to respond better to higher reps compared to chest/shoulders/biceps/triceps/). The main set taken to failure with maybe 1 assist to make sure you hit failure.
For the hypertrophy phase ill do between 7-12 reps for the main set again back and legs mostly in 10-12 range. The main set is taken to failure with added assisted reps for 3 reps or drop set or rest pause for 3 - 5 reps until failure.
And sometimes after the hypertrophy phase slows down I might do a macro phase where I step up the intensity more for about 3-4 weeks and do slightly less reps for the designated main set but do double assisted reps or triple drop set or triple rest pause to really squeeze as much growth out of the muscles as you can after the hypertrophy phase.
Than normally take a week off or if feeling good go straight back into the strength phase and repeat the process.
Hope you enjoy, this training I have found continues to motivate me, working the muscles directly once a week (low volume, high intensity) just seems to fit my profile as I feel fresh and motivated every week and excited to hit each muscle once their day comes around per week. It also allows for continuous gains month to month and year to year. It is a slow approach to strength gains, but if you look at the big picture, my main lifts can go 30-60lbs per year when I stay consistent. Which is the approach I take to gaining weight as well, so they work well together. For me the long term view motivates me the most with my training.