Nineteen Eleven

Jstampz wrote:Is there a way to continue the stimulation throughout the week?

Ex. Having consistency 80-80-80-70. Or something to that effect.

I've always hit muscle groups 2x a week, and 3x a week if a certain muscle group isn't "up to par". But I'll have to try hitting muscle groups more often.

The numbers were just to illustrate extent of protein synthesis in a given session. So if you're doing chest:

Chest exercise 1 = 100/100 stimulation
Chest exercise 2 = 80/100
Chest exercise 3 = 50/100
Chest exercise 4 = 20/100

Don't look at those numbers across a given week but rather within a single lifting session. But, no, there's no real way to make it so everyone of those chest exercises remains at a high level; it WILL decrease. This is a physiological mechanism that, to my knowledge, even steroids can't ****. Even the IFBB guys have limits, their ceiling is simply much higher.

The only way to continue stimulation throughout the week is to increase frequency, unless you want to do steroids. You can stick with 2x per week, it just likely won't be as optimal. But at the same time, we're talking about relatively minimal gains. First time lifters who do everything perfectly might gain 20-25 pounds of muscle their first year of lifting (again, if they are perfect), and each subsequent year they will cut that number in half. So:

Year one = 25 pounds muscle gain
Year two = 12 pounds muscle gain
Year three = 6 pounds muscle gain

And so on.

So the difference between lifting 2x per week vs. 3x per week may not be substantial enough for you (depending on your goals). It might mean an increase of 1-5 pounds of muscle each year and a couple dozen pounds of strength on the big lifts (I honestly don't know how MUCH of a difference it'd be, just that protein synthesis is indeed maximized in the greater frequency format). Some people simply like doing the volume-focused routine more, and if that's what keeps them going to the gym, then they should stick with that.

Jstampz wrote:I'll only do heavy flat bench 1-2 times a week. Sometimes I'll start with 205 rather than 225 to shock the muscle and add more reps. I mix in drop sets, and pyramid weight.

Now, what about over training?
After that chest workout I posted, I'm still sore today and couldn't think to hit 225 for anymore than 5 reps.

Would you recommend less chest workouts per workout, and more chest workouts throughout the week?

I would absolutely do less chest/workout and more chest/week. You said you were doing ~5 chest exercises per session, 2 sessions per week? So, 10 chest exercises per week? There's little doubt that you'd be better off splitting that across 3 days per week than 2, thereby increasing the amount of time your body is in an anabolic state.

2x per week = chest is gaining mass 3-4 days/week
3x per week = chest is gaining mass 6-7 days/week

It depends on how you define overtraining. Some people treat that as a concept where you have to stop lifting for weeks at a time and let your central nervous system catch a break. I don't think there's any data to suggest such a thing. Simply don't lift if you're injured or too sore to do so, and get back to it once you are.

You need to make heavy compounds your focus. Last I recall from the last data I had seen (this being 2-3 years ago so it could have changed) is that for mass you want to stimulate your muscles at about 80% of your 1 rep max, which translates to about 8 repetitions. I know some people have adapted this by doing 2-3 lifts per muscle group in a given day (e.g., 2-3 chest, 2-3 back, 2-3 shoulder), and for the first lift they aim for the 6-8 rep range and for the other 1-2 lifts they are more in the 8-12 rep range (sometimes slightly higher depending). I'm not sure it matters THAT much whether you aim for 8 reps vs. 10, or 10 vs. 12, but in general you should be concerned with increasing BOTH strength and mass; these are not independent things, they absolutely play off one another. If you aren't gaining strength then you will not be gaining mass much at all.

Hmm.. I'll have to try this.


Thanks for the info.

I definetely have to add more meals/fats per meal

I've got a steroid cycle ready to go whenever, so if in a few months I'm not liking much of the 3-4x per week style workout, I'll go back to my 1-2x per week style and add the cycle.

Jstampz wrote:Hmm.. I'll have to try this.


Thanks for the info.

I definetely have to add more meals/fats per meal

I've got a steroid cycle ready to go whenever, so if in a few months I'm not liking much of the 3-4x per week style workout, I'll go back to my 1-2x per week style and add the cycle.

I would not even consider a steroid cycle until you've maxed out your genetic potential...this is life-long, irreversible shit we're talking about, and all it takes is a cycle or two of being off in the slightest amount and you'll look like you're 40 years old and balding. I'm not anti-steroid use, just pro-responsible steroid use. I couldn't give two shits less about what people do so long as they have someone, ideally a professional, who has access to legitimate stuff and can offer meaningful guidance on how to use it.

And that's ONLY after you've put in your time for years as a natural lifter, when you are literally in the area of gaining maybe half a pound of muscle per year.

Need to focus on those traps and biceps little dude

You've got a wide ass frame, get those arm and traps bigger and you'll be a monster

Where mah copenhagen Milo at tho?!

My meal tonight. Gains!

FLuXXuHH wrote:guys talking about lifting and gains and have no idea how to spike your insulin levels, **** lightweights lol

Uhh, eat carbs? Protein actually spikes insulin, too, which too few people seem to remember. Or injecting slin yourself if you want to go that route. Using insulin as a benchmark for gain/loss in muscle or fat is largely meaningless. Long-term insulin change is what ultimately matters, not spiking it in a narrow window of time. Your body will naturally fluctuate between states of fasting and feeding, with insulin following accordingly. Whether you spike your insulin right after a workout or a couple hours later really means little to nothing. Unless you're using steroids or artificially spiking insulin beyond physiologically "normal" levels.

kirk wrote:

FLuXXuHH wrote:guys talking about lifting and gains and have no idea how to spike your insulin levels, **** lightweights lol

Uhh, eat carbs? Protein actually spikes insulin, too, which too few people seem to remember. Or injecting slin yourself if you want to go that route. Using insulin as a benchmark for gain/loss in muscle or fat is largely meaningless. Long-term insulin change is what ultimately matters, not spiking it in a narrow window of time. Your body will naturally fluctuate between states of fasting and feeding, with insulin following accordingly. Whether you spike your insulin right after a workout or a couple hours later really means little to nothing. Unless you're using steroids or artificially spiking insulin beyond physiologically "normal" levels.

y'all toasting in a roll bread bro

Barely read anything, but I saw Alex Kirk's name in here which must mean there's a lot of lies throughout these three pages.