Any advice for me, hows my setup?

[CountryLiftin]

Well, if I leave anything out you want to know, just tell me!

Ive been lifting 2.5 years, with a break until about last fall. so Its coming up on a full year since Ive been lifting. heres my history:

I started out around 150, same height as I am now, 5'9". I run track, in addition to lifting, but Im a sprinter, so the workouts don't have such negative effects on eachother as long distance running can. I started out 150, and worked out lightly, then joined the cross country team (why? I still ask myself...) so I was running about 6 miles a day, and wed do days in the gym every once in a while. anyways by the end of season, like november ish. I was at 158 and almost no upper body muscle beyond your average. My legs, and core, yea I was pretty solid, and I had better cardio that 95% of anyone out there. It was crazy. but I was a little chubby, I gained weight partiall in muscle, in my legs, and some in fat upper body. well I decided to start lifting through the winter, and by around jan I was down to 145. track season was approaching, but I said screw that, and barely did any sprint work, just continued to workout, and gained upper body back to around 152-155. Went through track season, went to the gym for an hour everyday after practice, and maintained through the season. I lifted pretty easy until summer. and this summer I really hit it. I started to eat like crazy ( diet around 5kcal a day, sometimes more) but all the food was healthy, no candy soda fats to a minimal. I worked out hard, and as of yesterday I was 171.5. I feel better than ever, and I am constantly getting "wow, you bulked up over summer".

The sad thing is, I have rotator cuff troubles in both shoulders, pain in forearms from curls, and tenis elbow/muscle strain (I got so many different names/diagnoses, its ridiculous) that inhibited my lifting. I lifted through the injures, and only have slight elbow pain and the forearm pain (which is only muscle, easy to ignore). the rotator cuff I healed by drinking black cherry juice daily, and ibuprofen reduced swelling helping everyhting to heal. I also did rotator cuff bungee strethening exercises.

anyways, thats my progress so far, and Im looking to take it to the next level. I havnt grown much at all (1/4") in the past year, and bsically an inch in the past three, but still a good chance for another growth spurt ahead. but right now, im happy with my height because that may be all I get. I was on medication that had a 60% chance of long bone growth reduction ( this is sad ) and lifting isnt all that great for growing taller, or so the tale goes.

I right now take a Multi V, Jack3d, and Universal Torrent as my PWO, along with a meal 1 hr after workout. I eat a good breakfast and lunch, all my food is health as I stated. I love fruit and veges and everything too when I get get them. I havent been able to bench in around 2 months because of my elbow/shoulder problems, but Im getting ready to hit it again once everything is 100%. I was maxing 225 x 3 or 255x1 (almost 2) back in spring, before I hurt anything, and before my gains. Im pretty happy with most of my exercises, im just going for a little more bulk size, as I have been cutting down fat since Ive been working out hard again the last week and a half. I want to hit bench in excess of 255 x3 by winter time. I know a good bit about the techniques and how to mix up reps, and what to do. I always do full reps (to the chest) so no cheater reps or throwing the weights. I concentrated on good form since injuries prevented me from heavy weights.

My additionally supplements wil lbe here by monday. Im starting Hemavol, Xtend, and Creatine Mono powder to add to bump up my intake from whats just in jack3d and torrent.

My workouts consist of a day or too of full body, a back and bi day, chest and tri, I through abs in when I feel hardcore. sometimes Ill do abs, shoulders, with shrugs. I just kinda mix up my workouts but I have a few favs I love to do ( although this isnt the best for long term workouts) and I hit up a leg day every so often ( usually I hit the track and do sprints/repeats/ stairs/ abs/ cardio with pushups and abs on sat). I have a pad and pencil ready if anyone things I should start using a preset and recorded workout plan, which I have seen alot of people do, but never had the patience for.

I would just like to know if there is anything I should adjust or focus on to get my gains, and what you guys think of my progress. Either way, im gona be in that gym tearing it up

Thanks to all, and your opinions!

 

[ZiR RED]

Train your legs. Sprinting is great, and I am sprinter, but it does not equate to a lower body workout. You need to be doing squats and deadlifts, and if you'd like to increase your speed, cleans as well.

Second, once you have an RC injury, you always have one. It will come back to nag you if you are not careful. Thus, it is important that you train your external rotators, scapula retractors, and scapula depressors. Its also important you increase flexibility in the posterior shoulder capsule and try not to exascerbate (what I'm assuming is) hypermobility in the anterior shoulder capsule. Google the "sleeper stretch" to see a good exercise for the posterior capsule.

Next, match your pushing and pulling work. This means if you perform a set of bench press you need to perform a set of rows. If you perform a set of chest flyes, you need to do equal work for the posterior deltoids. Over head presses should be matched with pull ups. Avoid front raises and upright rows.

Finally, lifting DOES NOT stunt growth. This is an old wives tale. The impact on the growth plates from running is greater than performing squats with 100% bodyweight, and jumping from 4 feet up is equal to (if I remember correctly) about 5 fold that number. Thus, if weight training closed growth plates, and if running jumping imposes more force, then our species would never make it over 4' tall.

You can google some of the work and research articles by fred hatfield (ie: dr. squat) on this subject. I'd post links, but I haven't reached a 50 post count yet.

Finally, ditch the curls. You get plenty of bicep involvement from rowing and pulllups, and if they are causing you pain in the forearm and elbow, they are certainly not worth it.

Br

 

[CountryLiftin]

Ok, thanks for the great advice! yea Ive been trying to do alot more stretching before and after workouts, just to keep stuff working. I think your right about ditching the bicepts, I just get that He man feelings when Im pumping out huge weights/reps/sets on a good day. But I guess I need to go mind over ego. and I am also gona try to balance out my workouts as you said with the push-pull, I think thats something I really slacked on lately and didnt consider enough. Ill go take a look at some of those stretches, thank you so much! Sadly I cant do cleans because we have no rubber weights at our gym and some of the workers get worked up over noise and stuff.... it just depends on the time of day. I think ill start squats again today and maybe some deadlift too thanks again.

 

[MongoSS]

Look into Westside type templates.