T Nation

What Worked for You to Get Strength and Add Size

Bigger Stronger Leaner
#1

Fellas, im on a point in my life where size and strenght doesnt come easy and fast, in fact as mighty stu told once, you actually have to belive in your gains, lol
So, i figured out that adding strenght might be the diferencial for me to keep my progress after 6 years of training, but every time that i add frequency and lower the volume some points of my body just shrink, mostly lateral shoulder and arms…
Im looking for some program/plan to add strenght but keep my size…my main focus is bodybuilding but i looking after strenght.

thanks!

#2

[quote]criature wrote:
Fellas, im on a point in my life where size and strenght doesnt come easy and fast, in fact as mighty stu told once, you actually have to belive in your gains, lol
So, i figured out that adding strenght might be the diferencial for me to keep my progress after 6 years of training, but every time that i add frequency and lower the volume some points of my body just shrink, mostly lateral shoulder and arms…
Im looking for some program/plan to add strenght but keep my size…my main focus is bodybuilding but i looking after strenght.

thanks![/quote]

Then why not just add isolation exercises to a strength program that hit those that lose size.

#3

Problem is that i dont exclude isolation but i dont seem to keep the size anyway
For example, for shoulders i do 2 main lifts, 2 movements for lateral head , one for front and rear delts…Lots of volume

#4

[quote]criature wrote:
Problem is that i dont exclude isolation but i dont seem to keep the size anyway
For example, for shoulders i do 2 main lifts, 2 movements for lateral head , one for front and rear delts…Lots of volume
[/quote]

Then I am totally confused as to why you would lose delt size.

#5

This…

and running through a bunch of routines from ‘Beyond Bodybuilding’ by Pavel

#6

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]criature wrote:
Problem is that i dont exclude isolation but i dont seem to keep the size anyway
For example, for shoulders i do 2 main lifts, 2 movements for lateral head , one for front and rear delts…Lots of volume
[/quote]

Then I am totally confused as to why you would lose delt size. [/quote]

Diet could be the issue. Or its just a mental block he’s having when he loses the pump after a session

#7

d28c0_ORIG-11117244_10100295538051808_6167441777949297207_n.jpg540×960 62.5 KB

[quote]criature wrote:
Fellas, im on a point in my life where size and strenght doesnt come easy and fast, in fact as mighty stu told once, you actually have to belive in your gains, lol
So, i figured out that adding strenght might be the diferencial for me to keep my progress after 6 years of training, but every time that i add frequency and lower the volume some points of my body just shrink, mostly lateral shoulder and arms…
Im looking for some program/plan to add strenght but keep my size…my main focus is bodybuilding but i looking after strenght.

thanks![/quote]

Do more deadlifts and eat more.

#8

5/3/1 Boring But Big? It looks to me like it fits your bodybuilding focus while also getting you stronger. Looking at it I can’t see you lose ANY size anywhere doing it as long as you eat enough. Haven’t done it myself though.

My main size gains while training for strength (without trying to get bigger) have come from using the higher end of the 3 to 5 rep range at 80% while also hitting the 1 to 3 range from 85% upwards and doing some 5 to 8 rep range stuff between 60 and 70%. That’s just hitting the big three and their variations with rowing and some pressing thrown in (a fair amount or rowing between pull ups and Kroc rows mostly). That being said, you’ve been training for longer than I have so something that basic mightn’t work. All up that put about 6 lbs on me in about 3 months with pretty much no change in bodyfat as far as I can tell - if anything its dropped a tad. I know it isn’t much but I’ve been told I look a bunch bigger than I did at the beginning of march.

The quickest growth I’ve seen was my chest/upper back when focusing on bench for a few weeks using bands for the speed work. I did some specific size work too but I felt a huge pump in my chest doing sets of three of flat bench between 60 and 70% with bands that put about 40 lbs at the top of the movement and then using the same bands and set/rep scheme for close grip bench.

Speaking of bands for size and strength https://www.T-Nation.com/training/bands-for-size-and-strength

#9

[quote]criature wrote:
Fellas, im on a point in my life where size and strenght doesnt come easy and fast, in fact as mighty stu told once, you actually have to belive in your gains, lol
So, i figured out that adding strenght might be the diferencial for me to keep my progress after 6 years of training, but every time that i add frequency and lower the volume some points of my body just shrink, mostly lateral shoulder and arms…
Im looking for some program/plan to add strenght but keep my size…my main focus is bodybuilding but i looking after strenght.

thanks![/quote]

What are your stats and some main lifts?

#10

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#11

[quote]pushharder wrote:

[quote]Bauber wrote:

Do more deadlifts and eat more.[/quote]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS![/quote]

I agree too.

In my opinion, if you have a decent program based on compound lifts, have a good diet (important), put good intensity into your workouts, and are consistent, then there’s no reason you shouldn’t put on size…

#12

[quote]Aopocetx wrote:

[quote]pushharder wrote:

[quote]Bauber wrote:

Do more deadlifts and eat more.[/quote]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS![/quote]

I agree too.

In my opinion, if you have a decent program based on compound lifts, have a good diet (important), put good intensity into your workouts, and are consistent, then there’s no reason you shouldn’t put on size…[/quote]

I think MANY noobs are missing this point. Any sane program, even with the most basic setup, with variations of deadlifts, chinups, bench press, overhead press, rows, squats, and some added isolation exercises where you need them is going to work!

#13

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]Aopocetx wrote:

[quote]pushharder wrote:

[quote]Bauber wrote:

Do more deadlifts and eat more.[/quote]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS![/quote]

I agree too.

In my opinion, if you have a decent program based on compound lifts, have a good diet (important), put good intensity into your workouts, and are consistent, then there’s no reason you shouldn’t put on size…[/quote]

I think MANY noobs are missing this point. Any sane program, even with the most basic setup, with variations of deadlifts, chinups, bench press, overhead press, rows, squats, and some added isolation exercises where you need them is going to work!
[/quote]

that’s so crazy it might just work!

#14

what brickhead said , keep it simple get lifting and diet pretty consistant