Whats up guys. So i've been a pretty regular sight in the gym for a couple years or so, with the initial goal of weight loss, I started out at 255lb, and over time got down to 180, and im 6ft tall. However im now back to 205 ish range, mainly due to slacking off (i know i know...) So anyway here's my question: What style of lifting routine seems most effective for developing strength most of all, but also mass while trimming down the fat? Ive tried a few here and there but never really seemed to see any gains or improvements Ive gone from total body routines each visit, push/pull, targeting only certain combinations of areas, i even gave AX's own Big Arms guide a whirl. Strength and endurance are top priority mainly because whenever im at the gym, even when lifting comfortable weights it seems i hit failure rather easily...which is the main reason i havent tried total isolation (i.e. day 1: chest. day 2: back. day 3: legs. etc...) any insight is awesome and ill also be getting one of the free 8 week online trainer programs here soon to compare. thanks in advance!
I think that in order to make progress its best to have one single goal in mind, generally people are best off trying to either gain muscle or lose fat but not both at the same time. In order to achieve this combination of goals, diet would need to be spot on and even then progress would be very slow. In a bodybuilders "offseason" you will see that although they still look quite lean, their competition weight and off-season weight often varies by around 30ib as they try to gain muscle mass but as a result they also gain fat too. Although not what you are looking for, that's my input... Il leave someone else to give suggestions on actual training routines.
well i suppose to be more specific, main goals are strength/mass first. then cut down later on. looking for more of an athletic build, not so much full on competition/bodybuilder status.
Strength is not the same as Mass. Here's the difference: (Muscle) Mass - Literally how much muscle you have. Strength - the ability to utilize (muscle) mass at once.
yeah im well aware of that.... i put strength and mass together because do you not have to become stronger to effectively become bigger..? i can find help and what not elsewhere if i have to. i came here because of all the good things ive heard and read. and the products are pretty awesome too...
In the act of attempting to delineate the appropriate program for your goals, it's important to differentiate between things. Some of the biggest biceps I've seen were built curling 30's. The development of strength impedes the further development of mass, which is why many different programs feature 1-2 week breaks every 2-3 months.
It sounds like you've tried a variety of different routines. At 6' a weight of 205 should yield some solid results. Any idea where you bodyfat is at? I prefer supersets to allow for strength gains, but also keep the body at an even greater calorie burning furnace. LIFT HEAVY, as heavy weights burns more calories. If you want muscle mass, a hypertrophy focus is going to be key, so falling in a rep range of 5-12 reps will be ideal. There is also a factor of TUT/TUL, time under tension/time under load. Have you signed up for the AX training app?
Here is a recent program I developed, it's rather intense, but does get the job done. http://www.athleticxtreme.com/forum/threads/the-150-program.13055/
I have no clue where im sitting for BMI, but i know its not a good number. im sure i could get one of the trainers at my gym to help me out with that, but i know its not good so why bother until i feel like actually knowing and not resenting the answer. as for the plan you've developed, it looks insane. and definitely something a little different than ive found, good work. once i get back into the swing of things here in a week or two, i think im going to give it a shot. thanks a lot!
