My new split (AKA triumphant return)

[Jihad]

Lol @ sister comment. Understood, but I'm really only focusing on appearance, so that's probably the best indicator of success and progress. Without getting into it too much, I'd really entertain any ideas for metrics as the weeks go on if I continue. I have no problem sharing information, its just that I've never taken any time to measure anything except for jumping on a scale, so I wouldn't really know where to begin.

[shemp]

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I'm really only focusing on appearance

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That wasn't among your listed goals, which are kinda what I've been going by. Anyway, bodybuilding isn't really my thing, so I'll mosey along. I'm as vain as the next guy, but my strategy is to meet fitness goals and figure things will work out well if I've chose them well. That and the bodybuilding aesthetic is unappealing to me.

Good luck with the program.

[guids]

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guids,

Thankx for the input, your worries are mine. I feel like I'll be able to get through the first week and take a good look at the future of the routine. After posting it, I thought some more about it and called up my old lifting partner from college, and he relayed similar concerns. As far as I can tell though, this is very similar to what I was doing in college, but with a little more thought and a lot better diet, so hopefully the outcome will be positive. Either way I'll be able to objectively look at it all and make changes next sunday. We shall see.

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GL, though, imo everyone should do something like this to realize how far you can push yourself. Most people in all honesty have no idea how far they can push themselves before their body just says "no more", therefore they rarely work out with enough intensity imo. Im betting most of you guys have probably never overtrained, you guys should imo. the difference between the hardcore guys, adn the average lifter is that the hardcore guys know exactly how hard to push themselves before they start to hurt themselves, then they walk that fine line, and you can only learn this by doing. Walking that fine line is what makes them gain faster and lift more.

[Jihad]

Yeah that's fine, I just mean that appearance is my only immediate measure of success/failure because I've never really been a measurements guy. I will judge my own results on both the mirror, and strength/energy in the gym. #'s will go up.

[Lefort]

I used to go to the gym for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week too. Your body will respond initially and you will make some muscle gains and fat losses, but you will eventually hit a wall... and you can make greater gains using way less time if you spend a little more focus on the third and often forgotten aspect of weight training... recovery! Your individual muscles may recover by the time you work them out again later in the week (but maybe not, depending on how intense you actually work them..) but your overall energy levels will never recover when spending 12 hours a week at the gym. There's no reason to go more than every other day, even if you lift like a girl when you are there. If you lift stronger, twice a week. If you lift like a real gorilla, once a week. If you are a true body builder and in competitions, once every two weeks. I know its hard to believe, but its only now becoming known that working every day is way over-doing it. Read Max Contraction Training by John Little.

[Thremp]

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I used to go to the gym for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week too. Your body will respond initially and you will make some muscle gains and fat losses, but you will eventually hit a wall... and you can make greater gains using way less time if you spend a little more focus on the third and often forgotten aspect of weight training... recovery! Your individual muscles may recover by the time you work them out again later in the week (but maybe not, depending on how intense you actually work them..) but your overall energy levels will never recover when spending 12 hours a week at the gym. There's no reason to go more than every other day, even if you lift like a girl when you are there. If you lift stronger, twice a week. If you lift like a real gorilla, once a week. If you are a true body builder and in competitions, once every two weeks. I know its hard to believe, but its only now becoming known that working every day is way over-doing it. Read Max Contraction Training by John Little.

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How often you lift should be dependent on your recovery ability, not the other way around. We can throw out any of those dense definitions such as "lifting like a girl" and sub in intensity and volume and actually make headway. Essentially more sleep, more food and less stress = more workouts = more progress.

[Lefort]

Yes I agree with your point. Well said.

I was just noting the fact that one of the biggest problems that motivated weightlifters has is, their motivation. People don't realize that they can't just workout again because "their muscles feel better". Every time you work out at an intense level, your whole body endures it including your energy systems.

[Thremp]

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Yes I agree with your point. Well said.

I was just noting the fact that one of the biggest problems that motivated weightlifters has is, their motivation. People don't realize that they can't just workout again because "their muscles feel better". Every time you work out at an intense level, your whole body endures it including your energy systems.

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Exactly, CNS recovery is very important and overlooked. Going to the gym and working upto a heavy triple of the big three each day will destroy your CNS and you'll spin your wheels despite ultra low volume.

[Blarg]

Yup, that's when your immune system gets depressed, rendering you vulnerable to all the cold and flu germs you already have in your body. Getting sick can really throw your fitness goals way off. And it's also when you find you have no energy even when your muscles feel pretty good.

[Jihad]

Monday: Awesome. Really blasted everything, felt great afterwards and now today. I'm way further off my old #'s than I thought, and I have a feeling that will be a common thread in the coming week.

Tuesday: Gonna have to remove the high intensity intervals. Just plain not enough gas left over after doing deads and failure sets. Biceps are currently shaking, expecting nastiness tomorrow morning in my back. I miss the days when I was doing 320 lb. pull downs, and I've got a long way to go. Its very strange not to be extremely strong in my back, but with my current motivation and diet, I'll get back there.