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the difference with your body touching everything and your feet touching the bathroom floor is obvious. You can wash your hands. Then you shower and change your clothes. You wash your feet in the shower then walk across the fungus floor again. So your feet definitely get the worst of it. I don't really care what you do, staph infection is fucking gross and painful. Good luck with that
Please tell me you're trolling about peeing in the drain though. That is fucking disgusting. Why are you such an arrogant prick? Yeah it all goes to the same place. But, try being respectful of other people. More people use that shower that don't want to smell or walk in your piss. Hence why you're arrogant prick and why I wear sandals.
So you why do you care if i dont wear sandals? you obviously feel strongly about it...
As for pissing in the shower- i piss into the drain so none gets onto the tile. Even if i did pee staight onto the floor, do your really think its as gross as the asscrack soap flowing onto that floor? There is fecal matter in that... but youre A-Okay with it. What about sumbell handles- you think those ever get cleaned?
And honestly dude, you have contributed nothing to this thread except negativity. no help, no advice, nothing. On top of that, at no point was i disrespectful to you, yet you call me a prick? sweet dude.
californiagrownSo you why do you care if i dont wear sandals? you obviously feel strongly about it...
As for pissing in the shower- i piss into the drain so none gets onto the tile. Even if i did pee staight onto the floor, do your really think its as gross as the asscrack soap flowing onto that floor? There is fecal matter in that... but youre A-Okay with it. What about sumbell handles- you think those ever get cleaned?
And honestly dude, you have contributed nothing to this thread except negativity. no help, no advice, nothing. On top of that, at no point was i disrespectful to you, yet you call me a prick? sweet dude.
I'm saying you're a prick because you pee in a public shower. And other peoples piss smells nasty. Last thing I want to do is walk in it. I said I don't care what you do though, that's why I wear sandals. And dumbbells get lots of nasty sweat on them, but that's why you wash your hands. You can also wash your feet. But, then you walk barefoot again. That's how you get athletes foot and/or staph infection.
louie.miragsI'm saying you're a prick because you pee in a public shower. And other peoples piss smells nasty. Last thing I want to do is walk in it. I said I don't care what you do though, that's why I wear sandals. And dumbbells get lots of nasty sweat on them, but that's why you wash your hands. You can also wash your feet. But, then you walk barefoot again. That's how you get athletes foot and/or staph infection.
You say im a prick because i do something, and then say you dont care what i do. Obviously you do care.
You dont want to walk where there are such trace amounts of pee that Gil Grissom couldnt find it, but youre cool standing 1ft away from me while my asscrack water splashes down around you? Yeah, that makes sense. To me, it sounds like you have just been preconditioned to think certain things are nasty, while others arent, with absolutely no logical reasoning behind it.
DIX~What about sumbell handles- you think those ever get cleaned?/quote]
What kind of fucking shithole do you lift in where they don't clean the weights daily?[/QUOTE]
Ive been a member at a lot of gyms in my life- from the bottom of the spectrum to the top.
I would be stunned if ANY gym that costs under $150/month wipes down all bars, dumbells, cable attachments, or plates on a daily basis. And even if they did, a quick wipe down wouldnt do a whole lot because the knurling creates hard to clean pockets for skin, sweat and chalk to sit in.
Im not gonna get into it here(unless folks really want to know), but a few years ago i worked graveyard for a few months at a national chain big-box gym and part of my duties were to assist the nightime janitor. When germaphobic folks talk about gyms and certain things being nasty, i get a little chuckle cause they dont know the half of what is really nasty.
On a lighter note, whats the best gym you guys have been to? Mine would a certain Equinox. It is significantly nicer, better maintained, and has btter equipment than any of the other Equinox Gyms(a high end gym) in the greater Bay Area. It was pretty cool because the clientelle was a whose-who of silicon valley, but the gym was fucking stacked with everything you could ever want- sleds, racks, chains/bands, specialty bars, oly platforms, huge range of dumbells, all the great machines without any of the the shitty ones. Huge seperate cardio and stretching area, and the locker rooms where basically day spas. I have never been to a gym that was so fully stocked with everything i could have wanted, and ontop of that it had stupid nice lockerrooms.
californiagrownYou say im a prick because i do something, and then say you dont care what i do. Obviously you do care.
You dont want to walk where there are such trace amounts of pee that Gil Grissom couldnt find it, but youre cool standing 1ft away from me while my asscrack water splashes down around you? Yeah, that makes sense. To me, it sounds like you have just been preconditioned to think certain things are nasty, while others arent, with absolutely no logical reasoning behind it.
A person washes themselves after working out in the shower. Yes you wash yourself in a shower that has soap scum from your asscrack. But, that's why you're showering. Walking around barefoot, you're walking right through the same nasty route you took to the shower. So why even wash your feet?
I never would imagine somebody trying to argue that pissing in a public shower is normal.
-benedettoShouldn't walk barefoot in case you're the one carrying the fungus. Then it's everyone's problem.
Other people would have to be walking barefoot then. Which they shouldnt(says you). do you see the cyclical nature of what you are saying?
The only logical solution, as far as i can see, is for people who are concerend about foot fungus etc, to wear flip flops, and the barefooters will just be taking there chances that others are clean or they are immune.
californiagrownOther people would have to be walking barefoot then. Which they shouldnt(says you). do you see the cyclical nature of what you are saying?
The only logical solution, as far as i can see, is for people who are concerend about foot fungus etc, to wear flip flops, and the barefooters will just be taking there chances that others are clean or they are immune.
Oh ok. And you're not arrogant and your shit smells like roses.
-benedettoOh ok. And you're not arrogant and your shit smells like roses.
no im serious. how am i hurting you anymore than you are hurting me if you wear flip flops, and i dont? Or if we are both barefoot? or if we are both sandal-clad?
Barefoot-barefoot: we both have an equal chance of foot fungi
Barefoot-sandal: you have zero chancce of fungi, i have a chance of fungi
sandal-sandal: we both have a zero chance of fungi
Can you think up a combination where i present more of a health risk to you than you would present to me?
californiagrownI do it all the time. What's your problem with it? im guessing you ARE wearing sandals, so other people going barefoot has the same effect on your feet as if they were wearing sandals. Not to mention, common dude. You realize how many bodily fluids are on everything in a gym?
Go for it. See if you like it. You will see benefits for sure. Just remember that its a sport and has the same benefits and drawbacks of any other intense sport. As a training program...well, lets just say that there are more than a few programs out there that are superior.
Since you are new to resistance training i would suggest easing into it: maybe 2-3 workouts per week for the first week or two. If you are digging it you can keep upping the frequency unitl you stop being able to recover. Remember that when you are young you have similar amounts of test and GH to that of a 30 year old on a cycle- meaning that your recovery rate is through the roof. "Overtraining" is a tem that gets thrown around a lot, but rarely actually happens. Listen to your body. if you are feeling run down, or achy and tired go ahead and skip a day or two, or three.
If you want to see aesthetic results, then diet is going to be about 80% of it. there is no getting around it.
Not trying it till Wednesday so will see how I go. What training programs do you use for skiing? Some of my friends love mountain athlete, but I think the group aspect of crossfit will push me harder than I would push solo.
I'm almost 30, so now you made me sad about my lack of testosterone!
RosbifNot trying it till Wednesday so will see how I go. What training programs do you use for skiing? Some of my friends love mountain athlete, but I think the group aspect of crossfit will push me harder than I would push solo.
I'm almost 30, so now you made me sad about my lack of testosterone!
Haha its all good. atleast your not 40!
The closest sport that i can think of,which already has traiing protocol in place and mimics the forces skiing puts on the body is football. You need to be explosive, fast, powerful, and have a high resistance to both blunt impact injury and joint/soft tissue injury. So i train similar to how a football player trains. think heavy weight, low reps, compound movements, partial olympic variations, plyometrics etc. Ill ramp up my mountain biking towards late fall to bump up my cardio capacity and lactic acid threshold as well.
It is tremendously useful to be brutally strong when skiing- from being able to powerr out of backseat landings, to stomping larger cliffs at speed, to using your upper body muscle to absorb big impacts. And as an added benefit, if you are doing all the exercises properly you will work out a ton of flexibility issues and muscle imbalances in the proccess, injury proofing your body even further.
lol at the people worrying about walking barefoot if you dry and wash your feet properly you're pretty unlikely to pick up a fungus, although if you have something and walk barefoot thats pretty nasty. the gym is a seriously unhygienic place deal with it.
Maybe you can help with my other question, is this true? Do I really have to do this?:
Kind of funny, my gym finally opened after 6 or 7 months of them putting it off (in a new condo building). I found after months of not working out I was actually stronger in my "dominant" arm.
for the first time since my last surgery I can squat, deadlift, bench, and clean more than my own bodyweight, and my deadlift is close to double bodyweight so I'm really stoked. I know thats basic for most gymrat types but it's progress for me. had to share.
californiagrownIve been a member at a lot of gyms in my life- from the bottom of the spectrum to the top.
I would be stunned if ANY gym that costs under $150/month wipes down all bars, dumbells, cable attachments, or plates on a daily basis. And even if they did, a quick wipe down wouldnt do a whole lot because the knurling creates hard to clean pockets for skin, sweat and chalk to sit in.
Im not gonna get into it here(unless folks really want to know), but a few years ago i worked graveyard for a few months at a national chain big-box gym and part of my duties were to assist the nightime janitor. When germaphobic folks talk about gyms and certain things being nasty, i get a little chuckle cause they dont know the half of what is really nasty.
On a lighter note, whats the best gym you guys have been to? Mine would a certain Equinox. It is significantly nicer, better maintained, and has btter equipment than any of the other Equinox Gyms(a high end gym) in the greater Bay Area. It was pretty cool because the clientelle was a whose-who of silicon valley, but the gym was fucking stacked with everything you could ever want- sleds, racks, chains/bands, specialty bars, oly platforms, huge range of dumbells, all the great machines without any of the the shitty ones. Huge seperate cardio and stretching area, and the locker rooms where basically day spas. I have never been to a gym that was so fully stocked with everything i could have wanted, and ontop of that it had stupid nice lockerrooms.
Lol my uni gym is free and the PTs literally do a lap of the gym every hour or so and give everything a good wipe down with sanitizer. Every morning they clean the dumbells and bars, even grease the ends of the bars up a bit (which I hate, forces me to use collars). When I get in bright and early there's not a speck of chalk or anything in the knurling. Everyone that lifts there also does a really good job of cleaning up once they're done with something, I love my gym.
DIX~What about sumbell handles- you think those ever get cleaned?/quote]
What kind of fucking shithole do you lift in where they don't clean the weights daily?[/QUOTE]
Lol my uni gym is free and the PTs literally do a lap of the gym every hour or so and give everything a good wipe down with sanitizer. Every morning they clean the dumbells and bars, even grease the ends of the bars up a bit (which I hate, forces me to use collars). When I get in bright and early there's not a speck of chalk or anything in the knurling. Everyone that lifts there also does a really good job of cleaning up once they're done with something, I love my gym.[/QUOTE]
So you call any gym that isnt OCD about wiping down EVERYTHING constantly a shithole? you are in for a rude awakening when you get out of school my friend.
What school are you going to? School gyms can be very hit or miss. I was really lucky that the gym where i went to school was built only 2 or 3 years prior, was an absolutely massive complex, and was totally state of the art. I miss it.
You ever checked out other gyms? im guessing you go home for the summers?
nothing wrong with going to the gym unless you take countless instagram pictures with some life changing captions such as #gains #gymrat #snoozeyoulose or some bullshit like that
Display_ScreenSerious question: I just today benched 195 lbs and am 17 yrs old, 140 lbs... Is that good?
Yeah if that's true that's good. Free weights? I'm a small framed guy so bench press has never really been my strength but I max out at about 200 for only a few reps.
Display_ScreenSerious question: I just today benched 195 lbs and am 17 yrs old, 140 lbs... Is that good?
I don't think benching is as a big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be. I've got a 255 snatch, 300 clean and jerk, 425 back squat, 505 deadlift, but only a 245 bench. Actually all of my presses (bench, overhead, sn grip, etc) all suck.
You're over bodyweight though, so that's something.
saskskierI don't think benching is as a big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be. I've got a 255 snatch, 300 clean and jerk, 425 back squat, 505 deadlift, but only a 245 bench. Actually all of my presses (bench, overhead, sn grip, etc) all suck.
You're over bodyweight though, so that's something.
I agree. As nice as it is to say you can bench 245, it really is not a great indicator of overall strength. Additionally, it is hard to judge benching without seeing it. For all we know, you go half way down then back up, or you bounce it off your chest, etc.
Deadlifts, squats, cleans, jerks, etc. are much better indicators of overall strength. Those require core, back, legs, and grip strength while benching is primarily pec/biceps/triceps.
.MASSHOLE.I agree. As nice as it is to say you can bench 245, it really is not a great indicator of overall strength. Additionally, it is hard to judge benching without seeing it. For all we know, you go half way down then back up, or you bounce it off your chest, etc.
Deadlifts, squats, cleans, jerks, etc. are much better indicators of overall strength. Those require core, back, legs, and grip strength while benching is primarily pec/biceps/triceps.
FWIW you could say the same thing about squats, deads, and oly lifts. without being there you dont know if they did a "bro" version or not...not that there's anything wrong with that.
I would ask you though, whats a better measure of upperbody strength than the benchpress? It is the upperbody-only movement with which you can move the most weight, so why isnt it the best measure of upper body strength? whats a better measure of pure upperbody strength?
saskskierI don't think benching is as a big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be. I've got a 255 snatch, 300 clean and jerk, 425 back squat, 505 deadlift, but only a 245 bench. Actually all of my presses (bench, overhead, sn grip, etc) all suck.
You're over bodyweight though, so that's something.
Seems like it's just a big deal since everyone grew up doing it. Whether you did it for football testing in highschool, PE testing or whatever, it seems that everyone can relate and has that "I benched this much back in the day" rah rah rah story. Obviously if you're powerlifting it's a different animal.
In my opinion, OHP is a far better gauge of pressing strength if that's what you're into. Then again, I've kind of got a half chub for OHP and just really enjoy it.
flatlandSeems like it's just a big deal since everyone grew up doing it. Whether you did it for football testing in highschool, PE testing or whatever, it seems that everyone can relate and has that "I benched this much back in the day" rah rah rah story. Obviously if you're powerlifting it's a different animal.
In my opinion, OHP is a far better gauge of pressing strength if that's what you're into. Then again, I've kind of got a half chub for OHP and just really enjoy it.
Yeah exactly and it's also a good gauge of upper body strength
californiagrownFWIW you could say the same thing about squats, deads, and oly lifts. without being there you dont know if they did a "bro" version or not...not that there's anything wrong with that.
I would ask you though, whats a better measure of upperbody strength than the benchpress? It is the upperbody-only movement with which you can move the most weight, so why isnt it the best measure of upper body strength? whats a better measure of pure upperbody strength?
True in regards to form with olympic lifts, but you are more likely to get injured doing them incorrectly and quickly learn your mistakes. At my school gym there is an olympic lifting club and quite often the guy who runs it will offer you advice on your form if it is putting you in a position to harm yourself.
If I had to say the best measurement for pure upper body strength, I would say a combination between bench and shoulder presses/clean and jerks. Bench is great, but it focuses a lot on the front of your torso, not the back or top. But in regards to one workout, yes I would have to say it is objectively "the best" measurement as it takes in biceps, triceps, and chest.
californiagrownSo you call any gym that isnt OCD about wiping down EVERYTHING constantly a shithole? you are in for a rude awakening when you get out of school my friend.
What school are you going to? School gyms can be very hit or miss. I was really lucky that the gym where i went to school was built only 2 or 3 years prior, was an absolutely massive complex, and was totally state of the art. I miss it.
You ever checked out other gyms? im guessing you go home for the summers?
No but if you're not cleaning shit once a day then yeah that's shithole tier.
All uni gyms I've been to are pretty nice, as long as the uni is respectable and not some community college.
Yes I've checked out other gyms, some are nice, some are shitholes. I don't lift at the shitholes.
timmiYeah if that's true that's good. Free weights? I'm a small framed guy so bench press has never really been my strength but I max out at about 200 for only a few reps.
Yeah free but I'm at a hotel and I usually use a machine that only goes up to 150
Display_ScreenSerious question: I just today benched 195 lbs and am 17 yrs old, 140 lbs... Is that good?
Well over what I was benching at 17.
Keep in mind that your training age and overall age is going to determine what is 'good.' There is a reason they call it 'grown ass man strength' and that most competitive powerlifters and strongmen are well north of 30.
cobra_commanderWell over what I was benching at 17.
Keep in mind that your training age and overall age is going to determine what is 'good.' There is a reason they call it 'grown ass man strength' and that most competitive powerlifters and strongmen are well north of 30.
Might that be why my collar bone area hurts like hell when I go higher than that?
For the guys that lift for purely aesthetics, do you focus on time under tension? Lighter weight, higher reps (~12-15 reps a set)? Long negatives and quick positive? Supersets?...Or do you still try to lift as heavy as possible for like ~4 reps per set?
Ill be honest, I was a scrawny bitch before, i never stepped foot in a gym. Then something happened in my life that got me pissed the fuck off and highly motivated. Changed my diet completely, started going to the gym, etc. I started this year at college weighing 140 and now im at a solid 175 while not putting on any extra fat. I feel like im starting to plateau, but obviously I want to keep on getting bigger (aesthetically speaking, not to worried about strength), and wanted to hear what your guys lifting approach/style is?
Before lacrosse season I lifted almost every day in my school's gym. Its not super nice, but it has a decent amount of stuff and is more importantly free. I started off using the machines and then slowly went to free wights and then did some crossfit because I didn't know what else to do, but then stopped because I hated the kids who did it. Is there a place for me to learn about different lifts or routines or whatever without getting lost in a shithole of forum arguments? I am a beginner and know next to nothing about lifting, but I don't want to have to deal with learning to deal with a new forum like I did on newschoolers. I guess I'm wondering if any of you have advice on how to look good and be bigger for lacrosse and if not where should I look for it?
pigglywigglyFor the guys that lift for purely aesthetics, do you focus on time under tension? Lighter weight, higher reps (~12-15 reps a set)? Long negatives and quick positive? Supersets?...Or do you still try to lift as heavy as possible for like ~4 reps per set?
Ill be honest, I was a scrawny bitch before, i never stepped foot in a gym. Then something happened in my life that got me pissed the fuck off and highly motivated. Changed my diet completely, started going to the gym, etc. I started this year at college weighing 140 and now im at a solid 175 while not putting on any extra fat. I feel like im starting to plateau, but obviously I want to keep on getting bigger (aesthetically speaking, not to worried about strength), and wanted to hear what your guys lifting approach/style is?
I am an ectomorph so i find my best gains come with just lifting heavy(4-6 rep range for work sets on my core lifts, 8-reps on accessory) with a moderate weekly volume. usually what i will do is right around this time of the year i will go on a 8-10 week bulking cycle. I put back on the 10-15lbs i lose during the ski season, and then add around 5ish more. This is almost all muscle mind you, i generally just dont really gain fat. I need to lift hard and then get the hell out. I try and burn the fewest calories i can in the gym while continuously progressing with another rep or 5 more lbs on the bar. This is really the only time of the year where i activly will physche myself up before lifts. As long as i eat enough, which is a true pain in the ass, i will keep gaining muscle. FWIW, its a very person-to-person thing, but the high volume stuff doesnt build muscle for me well.
Once i am up to a sufficient body mass and strength level i will keep my diet basically the same(maybe not be so strict about eating every 2-3 hours, or skipping meals etc) but cut back the volume on my core lifts(squat, pulls, OHPs, bench, etc)and really bump up the accessory stuff i feel i need work to on(lateral raise, curls, wide grip seated row etc), and also really hit my abs hard focusing on what needs improvement. this helps me gain a little edge in cutting just enough fat to make striations really pop, and also really helps to bring out the muscle seperation in my big muscle groups, and it also makes what ever i thought was lacking a little fuller and better. This is the time i usually hit biceps hard. this also gives my body a chance to recover from the beatdown i just put on it with the heavy weight i was moving for the past 2 months.
My advice to you would be this, assuming you have been lifting ectremely consistently this past school year-
Take a week off from lifting. Go skiing, play tennis, ride a bike, or just be a lazy couch potatoe. It doesnt matter, just take a week off from anaerobic exercise. The following week when you come back begin to run either Wendlers 5/3/1 or Bill Stars 5x5. Hopefully you will be fired up to crush some weights after your week off, and a linear progression program like those two will work wonders to help you bust a plateau. Add in the fact that your body is fully rested, and is being hit with a brand new training protocol(idk maybe you already run something similar?), and you should see some pretty good gains. this is all assuming that you have a good idea of what needs to be done diet-wise to gain more muscle.
Z.J.H.Before lacrosse season I lifted almost every day in my school's gym. Its not super nice, but it has a decent amount of stuff and is more importantly free. I started off using the machines and then slowly went to free wights and then did some crossfit because I didn't know what else to do, but then stopped because I hated the kids who did it. Is there a place for me to learn about different lifts or routines or whatever without getting lost in a shithole of forum arguments? I am a beginner and know next to nothing about lifting, but I don't want to have to deal with learning to deal with a new forum like I did on newschoolers. I guess I'm wondering if any of you have advice on how to look good and be bigger for lacrosse and if not where should I look for it?
Honestly, at your age if you do any program consistently and have your diet on point, you will put on muscle quick. Just follow the guide and check out some of the programs at the end:
pigglywigglyFor the guys that lift for purely aesthetics, do you focus on time under tension? Lighter weight, higher reps (~12-15 reps a set)? Long negatives and quick positive? Supersets?...Or do you still try to lift as heavy as possible for like ~4 reps per set?
Ill be honest, I was a scrawny bitch before, i never stepped foot in a gym. Then something happened in my life that got me pissed the fuck off and highly motivated. Changed my diet completely, started going to the gym, etc. I started this year at college weighing 140 and now im at a solid 175 while not putting on any extra fat. I feel like im starting to plateau, but obviously I want to keep on getting bigger (aesthetically speaking, not to worried about strength), and wanted to hear what your guys lifting approach/style is?
at first i was just like you. a scrawny little guy at 6'2" weighing like 170 on a good day. i have good genetics however in the way my muscles are laid out and my overall structure. my friends were telling me, after a few times on and off lifting with them, that they couldn't see me with muscle at all and that i wouldnt get big cuz i never consistently went to the gym. that was when i was finally motivated to change my lifestyle of eating nothing but shit, to a healthy, larger diet and consistently go to the gym. they look like pussies standing next to me now and even lifting with me.
my original goal was more for the aesthetic but my skiing level this year was off the charts cuz i was so much stronger. also my golf game has improved like crazy. ive put on about 20lbs over the last year from when i started and the thing i noticed that helped me out the most was to switch it up every 3 months or even every month. a bit of muscle confusion might help break through your plateau and mix up your volume and rep sets whether you are going for strength or not, you need to hit all the fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers and the best way to do that is varying your set ranges from time to time. also make sure your diet is on point
VolkswagenSomeone should make me a workout routine I'm 17 6.3 180
You're already being lazy?? Google muscle and strength 4 day split. That's where I started as a beginner. Attention to detail with the how-tos and videos.
I do ohp and flatbench on the same day. I've heard incline press hit chest and front delts pretty good. Could I just replace ohp and flat bench with incline on my upper days, or would my gains suffer? I'm training mostly for aesthetics atm.
californiagrownI am an ectomorph so i find my best gains come with just lifting heavy(4-6 rep range for work sets on my core lifts, 8-reps on accessory) with a moderate weekly volume. usually what i will do is right around this time of the year i will go on a 8-10 week bulking cycle. I put back on the 10-15lbs i lose during the ski season, and then add around 5ish more. This is almost all muscle mind you, i generally just dont really gain fat. I need to lift hard and then get the hell out. I try and burn the fewest calories i can in the gym while continuously progressing with another rep or 5 more lbs on the bar. This is really the only time of the year where i activly will physche myself up before lifts. As long as i eat enough, which is a true pain in the ass, i will keep gaining muscle. FWIW, its a very person-to-person thing, but the high volume stuff doesnt build muscle for me well.
Once i am up to a sufficient body mass and strength level i will keep my diet basically the same(maybe not be so strict about eating every 2-3 hours, or skipping meals etc) but cut back the volume on my core lifts(squat, pulls, OHPs, bench, etc)and really bump up the accessory stuff i feel i need work to on(lateral raise, curls, wide grip seated row etc), and also really hit my abs hard focusing on what needs improvement. this helps me gain a little edge in cutting just enough fat to make striations really pop, and also really helps to bring out the muscle seperation in my big muscle groups, and it also makes what ever i thought was lacking a little fuller and better. This is the time i usually hit biceps hard. this also gives my body a chance to recover from the beatdown i just put on it with the heavy weight i was moving for the past 2 months.
My advice to you would be this, assuming you have been lifting ectremely consistently this past school year-
Take a week off from lifting. Go skiing, play tennis, ride a bike, or just be a lazy couch potatoe. It doesnt matter, just take a week off from anaerobic exercise. The following week when you come back begin to run either Wendlers 5/3/1 or Bill Stars 5x5. Hopefully you will be fired up to crush some weights after your week off, and a linear progression program like those two will work wonders to help you bust a plateau. Add in the fact that your body is fully rested, and is being hit with a brand new training protocol(idk maybe you already run something similar?), and you should see some pretty good gains. this is all assuming that you have a good idea of what needs to be done diet-wise to gain more muscle.
juicedrummer11at first i was just like you. a scrawny little guy at 6'2" weighing like 170 on a good day. i have good genetics however in the way my muscles are laid out and my overall structure. my friends were telling me, after a few times on and off lifting with them, that they couldn't see me with muscle at all and that i wouldnt get big cuz i never consistently went to the gym. that was when i was finally motivated to change my lifestyle of eating nothing but shit, to a healthy, larger diet and consistently go to the gym. they look like pussies standing next to me now and even lifting with me.
my original goal was more for the aesthetic but my skiing level this year was off the charts cuz i was so much stronger. also my golf game has improved like crazy. ive put on about 20lbs over the last year from when i started and the thing i noticed that helped me out the most was to switch it up every 3 months or even every month. a bit of muscle confusion might help break through your plateau and mix up your volume and rep sets whether you are going for strength or not, you need to hit all the fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers and the best way to do that is varying your set ranges from time to time. also make sure your diet is on point
Wow, I was not expecting answers like this. Thanks alot guys! Ill take your advice and get back to you in a month or so. I really appreciate it
I think it is important to understand the difference between hypertophy work done in the 6-8 rep range and hypertrophy work done in the 15-20 rep range. It will help you figure out how to write your own programing, and where to utilize each style.
pigglywigglyWow, I was not expecting answers like this. Thanks alot guys! Ill take your advice and get back to you in a month or so. I really appreciate it
Some good advice there, but don't do 5/3/1. So many people run 5/3/1 because of its popularity but for 90% of people there are way more effective routines. 5/3/1 is a fucking amazing program, but it is designed for the advanced lifter (~2+ years lifting) who can't progress any faster. If you're purely looking for size gains and don't care about the strength too much you should change your opinion. As a beginner to intermediate natural lifter strength and size gains are ridiculously related. You should work for a 4/3/2 plate bench at the very least before doing a pure "hypertrophy" routine. Check out Layne Nortons PHAT for a great strength/aesthetics split, which in my opinion will give you the best gains from what you've posted, just be prepared to eat like a horse and sleep like a cat.
