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21 November 2008 02:29

Today's Article

Ephedrine, is it really a killer

Most of you may have heard of a new 'study' supposedly showing how dangerous ephedrine is and the death of baseball player Steve Belcher is being blamed on ephedrine. Both are complete shams!

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malek256

20 November 2008
10 days until my vacation!

malek256

14 November 2008
Hey Mr. World Traveller - back to lifting huh? We are off to the Dominican Republic Barnz!

barnz2k

13 November 2008
Hey - still alive. Back IN London. At square one but back in the Gym. Woohoo Malek - where you going?

malek256

12 November 2008
17 days!

malek256

11 November 2008
oh we will!!!!!

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Gaining Mass : Muscle Building Workouts and Diet Advice | Build Muscle Mass | Gaining Muscle Mass Forum - Training Routines and Brute/Volume Discussion

Author

Updated Volume Routines

malek256

Body Sculpter Guru

Joined: 13.09.03
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2108

Status:

Posted on 11 March 2006, 18:53

This thread is for people to post their own volume routines they have used with Odd/Even training, or for routines suggested for use there.

If you don't know what that is, the link to this article is here:
http://www.gaining-mass.com/building-muscle-with-odd-even-training-by-malek256-r42.htm

MALEK'S 3-DAY VOLUME ROUTINE

For guys who are very experienced or very fit or who have strong endomorphic/mesomorphic tendencies, try the 10x10 routine given in the Odd/Even article. This 3-day will be insufficient for you.

All exercises listed (except those noted with an asterisk) are 6 sets of 6 reps with 30 seconds break in between. Take a 2 minute rest between exercises.

Tempo should be 5/0/2 (5 second negative, 2 second up). Weight selection should be about 75% of your current maximums - but its better to be SLOW AND CONTROLLED so if you can't do it, KEEP CUTTING THE WEIGHT BACK (don't sweat 'strength loss' - brute phase will take care of it).

Warmup with an empty bar for 2 reps, then 2 reps with 40% of your max weight. (Getting "stuck" or having a joint "jam" with heavy weight is for certain a path to an injury, getting them moving first with preclude it and note that's 2 REPS not 2 x 6 reps, just total of 4 lifts)

THIS ROUTINE WILL OVERTRAIN MOST GUYS - for once that is OKAY for a hardgainer. It is for no more than 4 weeks, after which you must immediately switch to a brute phase. It is deliberate, to allow for the mini-boom to take effect. For some, this phase might need to be cut down to only 3 weeks.

(Get ready, your muscles can really really get Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness from these! If you get it really bad, an Epsom Salt bath can help with recovery)

DAY 1 - UPPER BODY

Shoulder press (to front only, no behind the neck work)
Bent-over side lat work (for rear delt hits) - note below
Narrow grip flat bench press (45 incline), keep bar low on chest
Tricep pulls (cable) - 2 sets 30 reps (this will hurt)
Barbell Curl (EZ bar is okay here
On Incline bench, 1 arm dumbbell curl (* 3 sets per arm, x 6 reps)

Note: you may have to really cut the weight down for this - most guys (including me!) unconsciously "throw" the weight at the upper part of that lift, the 5 tempo will really kill you if you're doing it properly

DAY 2 - LEGS

Squat - full range (to ground) and pause at the bottom
Leg Extensions* - 1 set of 30 reps
Ham Curls * - 1 set of 30 reps
Standing Calf Raise (if you cannot, then do 1-leg calf raises on a stair/raised platform holding a dumbbell in the other hand) * - 1 set of 30 reps
Seated Calf raise

DAY 3 - CHEST, ABS, BACK

Lat pulldown (close grip), at bottom, use abs to crunch the weight another 3-5 inches
Bent-over dumbbell row (both arms at once)
Dumbbell Bench Press, Incline
Bar dip, lean forward slightly (do not go too low)
Cable crossovers or Malek cross if you do not have cables
Seated cable row

2 days rest after day 3, only 1 day rest after day 1

For guys who have never been small in their life (just carried a lot of extra fat), a full-body workout is a good idea after day 3. Keep the exercises to just 2 sets of 6 reps using only 40% of the weight but do all the above. This helps to keep metabolism humming for those guys and keeps mobility going. For hardgainers, do NOT do the full-body day.

It is very important to get solid pre- and post-workout nutrition. You may even need a whey+dextrose drink to sip on during the workout. This is a HARD routine.

(Note: in anticipation of the question I seem to get asked a lot, if you're poor, chocolate milk will do in a pinch for post workout, but soda pops will NOT!)

You lose when you stop trying.

Edited by malek256 on 03 October 2006, 02:07

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

matsgd

Body Builder

Joined: 04.01.06
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 55

Status:

Posted on 26 May 2006, 19:05

Great post! Two questions:

What specific exercise do you mean when you write Bent-over side lat work ?

Is there no ab work except for the extra inches during lat pulldown?

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

malek256

Body Sculpter Guru

Joined: 13.09.03
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2108

Status:

Posted on 26 May 2006, 19:29

1) Rear lat raises - Oops, thanks Mats, I meant to add a note and never did!

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidPosterior/DBRearLateralRaise.html

I don't like the form illustrated in that link, I prefer to keep back completely parallel, head down and ensure core keeps it that way. These are very effective for getting the rear delts to respond. As you know I tore my right rear delt from a muscle cramp after heavy benching because I failed to pay attention to them. Scott Milne mentioned he knew several hardcore lifters who had "cannonball" shoulders but totally lagged at the back.

2) You can add additional ab work in, however there's no additional ab work in that suggested routine set as heavy squats will hit the core (upper/mid) along with the pulls. Your abs/erectors also take a beating from Brute phase.

I do not now do any additional ab work, but my core's pretty strong (I can do "pushups" off of dip bars while keeping my toroso parallel to the floor). So I don't believe it's needed for most - but could be wrong there.

If you're prone to fat storage, then ab work is a good fit on day 3 as it's relatively low intensity.

You lose when you stop trying.

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

matsgd

Body Builder

Joined: 04.01.06
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 55

Status:

Posted on 27 May 2006, 01:33

Okay, thanks for clarifying. I think I'll give this routine a shot once my brute ends (Sunday).

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

malek256

Body Sculpter Guru

Joined: 13.09.03
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2108

Status:

Posted on 28 May 2006, 15:40

Mats, how has this round of brute been for you? I know your strength's been climbing, but how is mass?

You lose when you stop trying.

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

matsgd

Body Builder

Joined: 04.01.06
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 55

Status:

Posted on 28 May 2006, 20:34

LBM has actually not increased as much as I would have hoped. I suspect my calorie intake has been a bit on the low side, but I was afraid of jacking it up so drastically after doing fatloss.

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

matsgd

Body Builder

Joined: 04.01.06
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 55

Status:

Posted on 28 May 2006, 22:37

Alright, I just came back from the gym. I decided to kick-start this routine, so instead of doing my last brute leg routine, I started the volume cycle's 'Day 2' -- legs. I cannot walk. Seriously. These full squats are an absolute nightmare. I got more light-headed than during 10x10 deadlifts. Felt like puking. And then leg extensions after that -- pure torture. Driving home from the gym was very difficult -- I couldn't use the clutch properly, and when I pulled up to the garage door of the apartment building, I almost ran into the door. Unable to apply enough break pressure. It must have been because of the whopping 75 pounds I squatted. Yeah, that's right. Seventy-five pounds.

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

malek256

Body Sculpter Guru

Joined: 13.09.03
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2108

Status:

Posted on 29 May 2006, 21:03

Honestly, some people tell me that the volume routine is not enough.

So I can tell who's actually walking the walk and who's just talking the talk... LOL

You lose when you stop trying.

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

smoothjeff

Newbie

Joined: 23.07.06
Location:
Posts: 2

Status:

Posted on 23 July 2006, 04:32

so matsgd, how did the odd/even routines work out for you?

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

malek256

Body Sculpter Guru

Joined: 13.09.03
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2108

Status:

Posted on 03 October 2006, 01:49

bumpity bump bump a bump

plus a few more chars

You lose when you stop trying.

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

goodkid

Intermediate Lifter

Joined: 30.11.05
Location: Ontario
Posts: 37

Status:

Posted on 03 October 2006, 05:05

Guess what I'm starting next week...?

Thanks Malek!

ectomatter.com

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

Passion

Body Sculpter

Joined: 10.10.06
Location:
Posts: 306

Status:

Posted on 10 October 2006, 19:05

The narrow grip flat bench press is technically an incline bench press if you are at 45degree correct?

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

malek256

Body Sculpter Guru

Joined: 13.09.03
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2108

Status:

Posted on 10 October 2006, 21:34

The narrow grip flat bench press is technically an incline bench press if you are at 45degree correct?

Yes, that is correct. You can still do flat bench if necessary, but let me explain why (actually I just posted this today for someone else, I'm gonna be efficient, i.e. lazy, and quote it LOL)

The major problem with flat bench is technique. Guys want maximum power. Maximum power = use as many muscles as you can. GREAT approach for powerlifting -> 100% WRONG APPROACH FOR BODYBUILDING

If you keep the forearms pointing straight up through the whole movement and keep the elbows close in, along with a slow tempo, you should feel the chest get involved. Expect to be weak as hell - your shoulder/triceps just don't get involved to the same degree, so guess what, your underdeveloped chest is used more.

Less developed = weaker. You'll feel the hit if you do this properly. It's hard to explain.

however, having said all that - a small incline will increase this involvement, not decrease it. (45 degrees is as far as you can push it - after that it becomes a shoulder exercise. I've listed 45 as most people don't have the luxury of 30 degrees which is actually better.)

My chest is finally beginning to properly grow. I bench less than half of what I used to - and my chest did NOT grow when I was pushing 300-350 regularly. I'm not gonna claim "damn I am huge" or anything but I am certainly doing better than I was - flat bench just didn't work for me. Gave me some good tricep work but that's it.

And I wrecked my shoulder one day going for a peak bench - goes to show you what was REALLY getting worked and what wasn't.

You lose when you stop trying.

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

Passion

Body Sculpter

Joined: 10.10.06
Location:
Posts: 306

Status:

Posted on 10 October 2006, 21:51

So along with the narrow grip, we are to keep our elbows in?

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

malek256

Body Sculpter Guru

Joined: 13.09.03
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2108

Status:

Posted on 14 October 2006, 04:12

Passion - yes, that's it exactly. Try it just while you are sitting - keeping the forearms / elbows in but forearms pointing "straight up". You should feel a stretch in the chest at the bottom.

Once you 'hit' the motion - you'll know exactly from then on!

You lose when you stop trying.

Author

RE: Updated Volume Routines

malek256

Body Sculpter Guru

Joined: 13.09.03
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2108

Status:

Posted on 23 October 2006, 03:16

Well, since we (now) have ready-to-go workout sheets, this thread's outlived its usefulness, so it's now 'unstuck'

You lose when you stop trying.

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