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The Quest For MUSS (now with added humility and new routine)


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In my introductory post here, I foolishly stated my intention to have my own VBB&F profile within 12 months. Although I am currently wholly acceptable, with a nice level of muscle and a bodyfat percentage of, I'd estimate, 8-9%ish, I have decided to dedicate myself to packing on solid muscular goodness over the course of 2009 (with a brief break for wedding and honeymoon in late Sep/early Oct). Being merely happy with myself isn't good enough. I must be prepared to be awed by my own glistening MUSS.

 

The year began with a mini-cut (1 day of full body compound lifting and 3 cardio sessions per week) to dispose of the remnants of the holiday season. I now plan to be lifting solidly, with only playing capoeira serving as cardio, through until summer, when I may well consider a second brief period of cutting just in case England decides to actually give me weather warranting shirtlessness.

 

I'm performing a 3-day split as follows :

 

Day 1

 

Deadlifts (pyramided until failure)

Bench Press (pyramided until failure)

Lat Pulldown (3x8)

Seated Cable Row (3x8)

Single Arm Bent Over Row (3x8)

DB Chest Flye (3x8)

Cable Crossover (3x8)

Reverse Crunch (3x8)

 

Day 2

 

Squats (pyramided until failure)

Seated Military Press (pyramided until failure)

Leg Press (3x8)

Leg Curl (3x8)

Calf Raise (3x8)

Arnold Press (3x8)

Front Delt Raise (3x8)

Rear Delt Raise (3x8)

Reverse Crunch (3x8)

 

Day 3

 

Shrugs (3x8)

Upright Row (3x8)

Rope Pulldown (3x8)

Rope Curl (3x8)

EZ Bar Curl (3x8)

Overhead Cable Extension (3x8)

Hammer Curl (3x8)

Reverse Crunch (3x8)

 

I made some pretty lovely gains when experimenting with a Stronglifts-esque routine towards the tail end of 2008, so I will probably switch between a routine of this ilk and one much like that listed above every 6-8 weeks. Actual weights for each exercise will be posted as I update the journal, but the current PBs that count are 95kg bench, 100kg deadlift, and 115kg squat (or for my non-metric friends, 209lb, 220lb and 253lb respectively). I aim to have added at least 15-20kg to each in the nearish future, and hopefully a further 15-20kg by the end of 2009.

 

So that's my current position in my efforts to attain glorious MUSS. I'll be in touch as things progress. Any comments or criticisms are welcomed.

 

Later!

Edited by WhenDanSaysJump
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Yesterday was Friday, and I did this :

 

Shrugs @ 26kg (3x8)

Cable Upright Row @ 55kg (3x8)

Rope Pulldown @ 55kg(3x8)

Rope Curl @ 50kg (3x8)

EZ Bar Curl @ 32kg (3x8)

Overhead Cable Extension @ 40kg(3x8)

Hammer Curl @ 12kg (3x8)

Reverse Crunch (3x8)

 

I appreciate this workout because a) I am targetting growth in arms specifically at present, so this is separate from other workouts, and b) it comes at the end of a tiring week, when I don't necessarily have the requisite GRRR to really kill myself in the gym.

 

More to follow.

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Yesterday was filled by a capoeira workshop, so that's cardio taken care of for the next few days. Today, I decided to treat myself to a day of deadliftery. It progressed thusly :

 

50kg x 15

60kg x 10

70kg x 8

80kg x 6

90kg x 4

95kg x 1

100kg x 1 (NEW PB~!)

105kg x 1 (SECOND NEW PB IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER~!)

70kg x 10

 

Good times and, despite the burning in my muscles right now, I have no regrets.

 

I'll be heading gymward again tomorrow.

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Yesterday's fun :

 

Bench Press (60kg x 10, 70kg x 8, 80kg x 6, 90kg x 4, 95kg x 2, 100kg x 2) - new PB and now all of my big three are in the 100kg club. Good times!

Lat Pulldown @ 60kg (3x8)

Seated Cable Row @ 75kg (3x8)

Single Arm Bent Over Row @ 23kg (3x8)

DB Chest Flye @ 18kg (3x8)

Cable Crossover (3x8)

Reverse Crunch (3x10)

 

Tonight, capoeira.

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you planlooks like it'll make you massive. hope the diet is sound too. stay strong dan!

 

Thank you, and I certainly hope so. I'm not quite getting the calories I want as I've been damn near broke since Xmas/new year, but this will be rectified within the week as life resets itself.

 

As for today : I was scheduled for legs n shoulders, but have decided to put this back a day, as last night's capoeira lesson was utterly, utterly brutal. Moreover, that was the fifth day in a row that I'd intensely exercised, so I'm in dire need of a rest before I completely fly apart.

 

Legs and shoulders will therefore take place Thursday. Pics to arrive this weekend.

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Tonight's festivities :

 

Squats - 60kg x 10, 70kg x 8, 80kg x 6, 90kg x 4, 100kg x 2, 105kg x 2, 110kg x 1, 115kg x 1

Seated Military Press - 40kg x 10, 45kg x 8, 50kg x 6, 55kg x 4, 60kg x 4

Leg Press @ 235kg (3x8)

Leg Curl @ 55kg (3x8)

Calf Raise @ 15kg in each of my greasy mitts (3x10)

Arnold Press @ 15kg in each of my lumpen, cloddish hands (3x8)

Front Delt Raise @ 10kg (3x8)

Rear Delt Raise @ 10kg (3x8)

Reverse Crunch (3x10)

 

I am sore. Very sore.

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Here's some hawt video action. Excuse my odd voice, and the shorter bar I found myself using today. Form not absolutely perfect, but nothing worth killing myself over.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7ane9QSEEA

 

Deadlift day progressed like this :

 

50kg x 15

60kg x 10

70kg x 8

80kg x 6

90kg x 4

95kg x 2

100kg x 1

105kg x 1

106kg x 1 (New PB)

70kg x 10

Edited by WhenDanSaysJump
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A couple o'hours ago :

 

Squats - 60kg x 10, 70kg x 8, 80kg x 6, 90kg x 4, 100kg x 2, 105kg x 1, 110kg x 1, 115kg x 1

Seated Military Press - 45kg x 10, 50kg x 8, 55kg x 6, 60kg x 4

Leg Press @ 235kg (3x8)

Leg Curl @ 55kg (3x8)

Calf Raise @ 15kg per side (3x10)

Arnold Press @ per side (3x8)

Front Delt Raise @ 10kg per side (3x8)

Rear Delt Raise @ 10kg per side (3x8)

Reverse Crunch (3x10)

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Friday Evening :

 

Shrugs @ 29kg (3x8)

Cable Upright Row @ 55kg (3x8)

Rope Pulldown @ 55kg(3x8)

T-Bar Curl @ 55kg (3x8)

EZ Bar Curl @ 32kg (3x8)

Overhead Cable Extension @ 40kg(3x8)

Pull-Ups (3x10)

 

Since then I've been resting up, save for a brief bodyweight blast on Sunday. I have decided that I will have at least half a week off every four weeks. Well, except for capoeira and the odd snippet of cardio.

 

So currently, I am on DOWNTIME.

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"not absolutely perfect" is defenitely not the right way to describe this form, sorry. please, do yourself a favor: watch these videos and start to learn deads again from the very beginning. the barbell is swinging all the time, your back is rounded all the time and that sumo style lifting you're trying is done wrong, too. i don't want to talk you down or offend you, all i want is to help you. deadlifts are maybe one of the most difficult excercises and it's absolutely neccessary to take your time and learn the proper technique.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6aM0CYPh3w

 

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No offence taken, I'd rather be told that my form is a mile out than carry on oblivious to the truth and end up injuring myself.

 

I will study the videos and get my shit together!

 

Thanks dude

 

EDIT : On studying the videos you provided, I think my trouble may be less my overall form... I think I might just be trying to be a badass and lift heavy rather than intelligently. I'll get a video of myself deadlifting a far lower weight up soon just to get some additional tips from y'all.

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Well, my routine has been changed around somewhat, to accommodate what I'm actually capable of, as opposed to the self-congratulatory back-slapping ego-fapping of my previous program.

 

I am too damn tired to inform you folks of the minutae of this plan right now, but mark my words... this thread will be resurrected following its brief hiatus, and I will be posting with renewed vigour. Lucky you!!!

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  • 4 weeks later...

So, the much-vaunted new routine to help me pack on size.

 

I've stripped away the needless faffery and given myself a bullshit-free routine. Compound movements across the board, more or less, hitting two upper body and one lower body part each day. Coupled with a surplus of calories, I'm finally starting to put on some size, which I can then chip away at with a cutting routine, incorporating plenty more isolation exercises. My frame is still fairly slight, but I can see this routine being a keeper and, over enough time, provided I keep increasing the weight at a sensible rate, allowing me to fill out tremendously. I'm also discovering that :

 

Lower Weight With Good Form > Higher Weight With Crappy Form

 

...which is fantastically encouraging. I'm making gains without feeling horribly pained the next day. Which is nice.

 

As for the routine itself :

 

Day 1

 

5x5 Bench

4x10 Pull-ups

5x5 Deadlift

2x15 Decline Reverse Crunches

 

Day 2

 

4x10 DB Shoulder Press

4x10 Single Arm DB Row

4x10 DB Lunge

2x15 Decline Reverse Crunches

 

Day 3

 

5x3 Barbell Bent-Over Row

4x10 Dips

5x3 Back Squat

2x15 Decline Reverse Crunches

 

Delicious.

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