Operation swole as F*ck

UnholyGregor

Hi guys,
This might be interesting and productive, and might help a few people too, so might as well give it a shot.

Lifting seriously for 6months now, after years of messing around in the gym like most teenage guys, not really getting anywhere. Recently stepped it up a lot, and am practically a full time bodybuilder/powerlifter outside of college term.

So yeah current stats:
http://imgur.com/SrkZsz4
The 1rm on ohp was 69kg if anybodys interested. Havnt actually tested my 1rm's but thats a rough idea at least.

My goals are aestethics and strength. Wanna get the best of both worlds. Bulked to 88kg from 63kg last summer at 6foot 1, have progress pics if anybody's interested. But for now, I'm planning on bulking until next feb, then cutting for summer 2014 to get shredded. That's the plan at least, no point in being lean until you have enough mass to make it worthwhile.

I'm doing Mike o Hearn's power bodybuilding routine, http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mike-ohearn/power-bodybuilding/leg-workout.html
and enjoying it so far. It is an insane amount of volume though, so i wouldnt say its beginner friendly, and for anyone that only cares about raw numbers, it probably isn't the best for strength. But I think its a decent tradeoff getting both body-building and powerlifting in a programme together.

In terms of strength. My goals are to hit a 180kg deadlift, a 140kg atg squat and a 100kg bench press by the end of summer, all for reps. Its pretty ambitious, and possibly naive, but my progress is on track and I feel pretty confident about it, at the very least the high goals will keep me pushing hard towards something, whether its obtainable in the time frame is irrelevant.

In terms of bodybuilding, I just want to gain as much muscle as humanly possible between now and feburary, eating a large calorific surplus (about 3600 cals per day). Then its gonna be time to shred my fat like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, or something similarly poetic.

Anyway, Ive got plenty of pics if anybody's interested (no homo) and ill keep ye posted on the progress. Id be happy to answer any q's, and im gonna start recording some of my lifts, esp squats for form if anybody wants a look.
We're all gonna make it

UnholyGregor

KK after reading up and a bit of frustration with my stalling deadlift, I switched to a new routine, as I feel that a bodybuilding split just doesnt cut it wihtout excessive amounts of insulin and anabolics. From what Ive read on different forums, fullbody splits are the best way to go for naturals, as each muscle group needs to be stimulated 2 or 3 times per week for best gains. Frequency>volume.

This led me to Jim wendler's 5/3/1 big but boring.
So far, on my second day of it, deadlift day, and my god, Ive never had such a gruelling session. There are few things more humbling that a sh1tload of deadlifts. anyway here's some deadlifts from last week I never got around to uploading, and some bonus footage squats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH_CCXITAPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxr1LGckJo8

Edit: forms a bit ****e on dl, I know my hips are too high and im lifting too much with my back. Working on it
Also ive got a new approach to squatting, as i felt i was getting too wrapped up in raw numbers and forgetting about actual muscle stimulation. Now im doing less weight but im going ass to grass, i should have a video soon

Sangre

5/3/1 is also a split routine...

UnholyGregor

Sangre wrote: »

5/3/1 is also a split routine...

its more of a full body rotation. works muscle groups twice a week. short splits are okay, like 3day repeat, but the one i was doing only allowed me to hit a group once every 6days, which is just stupid at this level without anabolics

JJayoo

5/3/1 has to be the worst possible choice for hypertrophy. Plus your deadlifts are spot on form wise, some people become obsessed with "squatting" the bar up as if you have to be below parallel to pull the fecking bar.

UnholyGregor

Bad for hypertrophy? All the articles ive read love it for all round mass and strength ( this is the big but boring accessory template, not just 5/3/1, its designed for hypertrophy ! ) And I have the sweetest back doms ever today. pretty happy so far, I added in a few isolations for good measure also.
As for the form on deadlifts, Ive asked around a few forums and im being told to sort of lean back more when Im pulling from the ground to engage glutes more, I feel like i'm very back heavy, and its really hurting my numbers (read: ego)

Sangre

I have done 5/3/1 and 5/3/1 before myself.

If you are chasing big numbers there are definitely better programmes to do. It will improve your 5RM, 7RM etc but won't do increase your 1RM as much as it should imo.

You should try to be squatting and benching at least 2x week and deadlifting 1x.

Also, when deadlifting, drop that mofo during reps. No need to tire yourself during the eccentric portion.

UnholyGregor

ill keep that in mind cheers man, the programme is 4days then a rest day, so thats like a 5day rotation, so its pretty hard to bench and squat 2 times a week unless i change the routine specifcally for it

Inspector Coptoor

5/3/1 is a week long programme.

You'd be better doing something like
Monday - Squat
Tuesday - bench
Wed - off
Thursday - Deadlift
Friday - OHP
Sat - conditioning
Sun - off

I ran 5/3/1 for around 17 months, it's ok for increasing 5-10RMs as mentioned above but absolute strength won't come up much.

UnholyGregor

yep im running a pretty similar variant to that, pity about the 1rm's, was getting so close to 4plate deadlift ;_;

UnholyGregor

k pulled 165x2 today, wasnt planing on going for a max, but it was one of those days, had the gym to myself and felt super hyped. It actually felt suprisingly managable, I feel like I could have pulled 170 for a single, but I'll leave that for next time I guess
Aside from that, nothing crazy going on, though 5 sets of 10 deadlifts is one of the most physically and mentally demanding tasks imaginable.