Project 235lbs - Help a Bro out

[BigCasino]

Ok bros I need your help in designing a good strength and size routine that is spread preferably across a 4 day split (5 days if I have to). I'm 19yr currently sitting at 213lbs about 18% bf, on a 5'10" frame, and I am hellbent on hitting 235lbs before I start cutting.

This is what I was thinking for my routine:

Monday - Chest
Tues - Back
Wens - REST DAY
Thurs - Arms / shoulders
Friday - Legs


Below are my usual exercises for each day:

Chest = DB bench, DB incline, and then for the third exercise I alternate each week between DB flyes and DB decline
Back = Deadlifts (12 reps, 10 reps, 8 reps, 5 reps, 3 reps), Lat pulldown (machine), lat pull down (cable), DB Rows, T-Bar row.
REST
Arms / Shoulders = Barbell Curls, Hammer curls, Preacher Curls, Skull crushers, tri-cep extension, tricep cable pulldown, Arnold presses, DB side laterals
Legs = Squats (10, 8, 6, 6, 20 reps), Leg Curls, Leg extension, Seated calf raises, and every other week I throw in leg press.

For most exercises I try to do 8 reps, as I feel it is a good comprise between size and strength


Diet is solid as it is taken care of by our very own Bobo. High protein, over 320+ grams, but only thing I am worried about it might be a little low overal calorie wise (it was designed when I weighed a bit less so I have been adding calories to it slowly as I grow) so I might add some more carbs early in the day, and more good fats.

Supps:
Vitamins
Creatine Monohydrate
Olive Oil
Whey
BCAAs

 

[CROWLER]

Ok bros I need your help in designing a good strength and size routine that is spread preferably across a 4 day split (5 days if I have to). I'm 19yr currently sitting at 213lbs about 18% bf, on a 5'10" frame, and I am hellbent on hitting 235lbs before I start cutting.

This is what I was thinking for my routine:

Monday - Chest
Tues - Back
Wens - REST DAY
Thurs - Arms / shoulders
Friday - Legs


Below are my usual exercises for each day:

Chest = DB bench, DB incline, and then for the third exercise I alternate each week between DB flyes and DB decline
Back = Deadlifts (12 reps, 10 reps, 8 reps, 5 reps, 3 reps), Lat pulldown (machine), lat pull down (cable), DB Rows, T-Bar row.
REST
Arms / Shoulders = Barbell Curls, Hammer curls, Preacher Curls, Skull crushers, tri-cep extension, tricep cable pulldown, Arnold presses, DB side laterals
Legs = Squats (10, 8, 6, 6, 20 reps), Leg Curls, Leg extension, Seated calf raises, and every other week I throw in leg press.BCAAs

You said you are looking for a good strength and size routine.

IMO I would concentrate on one or the other. Of course they are not mutually exclusive but working towards one eg. the 3 and 5 reps sets are not needed if you are going for size.

IMO you don't need so many back exercises. Infact I think you have too many sets overall. You are doing 10 sets of lat pull down some with machine and some with cable.

To me if you were to cut your sets back by 75% you would be better off. I just don't see the reason if you have exhausted a muscle with 10 reps of an exercise why you have to then do 8 reps 5 reps 3 and THEN do 3 more exercises. To me it then becomes an exercise in endurance and not in maximizing growth.


CROWLER

 

[Knowbull]

I would go for 3 full body work outs a week using an HST type routine, the less you work out the more weight you can gain, no more than 3 sets per exercise, no more than 2 exercises per body part, work opposing groups, limit wo to 1 hour or less, thats 3 hours a week etc.

 

[BigCasino]

You said you are looking for a good strength and size routine.

IMO I would concentrate on one or the other. Of course they are not mutually exclusive but working towards one eg. the 3 and 5 reps sets are not needed if you are going for size.

IMO you don't need so many back exercises. Infact I think you have too many sets overall. You are doing 10 sets of lat pull down some with machine and some with cable.

To me if you were to cut your sets back by 75% you would be better off. I just don't see the reason if you have exhausted a muscle with 10 reps of an exercise why you have to then do 8 reps 5 reps 3 and THEN do 3 more exercises. To me it then becomes an exercise in endurance and not in maximizing growth.


CROWLER

CROWLER

Ah my fault, I forgot to specify and stupidly left this important part out!!

I do three sets for each exercise, the only ones I do more for are the ones I put in parathens after the exercise. So for example for back it is 5 sets for Deadlift (the first is a warm up), and then three sets for every exercise after that, but I think you are still right deff for back that is too many exercises which is probably why I feel like I am gonna passout when I am done hehe, the two lat pull downs would be better alternated instead of done the same week, and I could alternate T-bar rows and DB rows as well perhaps?

Lemme give a little breakdown of no. of sets per muscle, just to clarify:

Chest = 9 sets
Back = 17 sets (planning to reduce this to 11 sets, per your advice guys )
REST
Arms / Shoulders = 9 sets biceps / 9 sets triceps / 6 sets shoulders
Legs = 14 sets

And unless specified in paraens after the exercise, all exercises are done in 10-8 rep range


Knowbull,

I have actually been considering HST and reading up on the official site, I am planning on giving it a try soon, but I don't want to switch just yet because I really want to hit certain strength goals before I go to a routine more solely geared towards size. Are you currently training HST style, and if so how as it been working for you?

 

[CDB]

For size I would say HST or DC training would be best. Since you already have a few exercises for each muscle group you're in a unique position to be able to go into DC training fairly easily. HST is great for size though.

 

[Knowbull]

Thanks for posting more details, you seem to know what your goals are regarding this... personally I wouldnt do more than 15 to 18 sets per work out. Yes I am using an adapted version of HST and it is working well for me and, from what I understand, its working well for many others who use a common sense approach to muscle building. I firmly believe that when you find what works for you, as an individual, a guy should stay with it. If what you are doing now, works, then stay with it.

 

[CROWLER]

For size I would say HST or DC training would be best. Since you already have a few exercises for each muscle group you're in a unique position to be able to go into DC training fairly easily. HST is great for size though.

I agree

 

[BOHICA]

I would go max ot or DC training for size. I'm going to start on DC's training probably next week. Not for sure yet, but I'm super interested in trying it. I've heard nothing but great things about it.

 

[BigCasino]

Alright guys, I am going to start reading up on DC training you've got me curious. I'm also reading up on the HST website more as well. I hadn't really considered DC because at one point someone had told me that it only really worked well if you were on cycle. I'm only 19 (20 in a few months), so I am too young to use adrogens just yet, which one do you think would give the best size gains for a natural trainee?

 

[Knowbull]

HST was pretty much designed for naturals.

 

[BOHICA]

DC is designed for your body to grow, whether on or off cycle. If you wanna look up that stuff, check out intensemuscle.com for DC training methodes.

 

[CROWLER]

If I may make a suggestion about DC training. To do it right you REALLY should record every set you do including weight used and # of reps. The idea is if you can not go up at least 1 or 2 reps or up in weight every workout then you have to change the exercise you are performing.

It takes a few weeks to get into the groove of doing it correctly.


CROWLER

 

[BOHICA]

After reading more, this post was wrong and I would go with Crowlers suggestion lol!!

 

[exnihilo]

how fast do I have to gain strength and size to show people just how good WSB's training method is. When I'm benching over 6 and squatting over 9 (by the end of next year the way things are going now) and rock hard ~300lbs people will probably still be like "but your goals are strength other programs are better for size blah blah". Am I going to have to get shredded just to prove a point ?

 

[BOHICA]

how fast do I have to gain strength and size to show people just how good WSB's training method is. When I'm benching over 6 and squatting over 9 (by the end of next year the way things are going now) and rock hard ~300lbs people will probably still be like "but your goals are strength other programs are better for size blah blah". Am I going to have to get shredded just to prove a point ?

yes