Next week I will detail the results of this current 12-week phase including my DEXA scans and pictures every 4 weeks starting after being untrained for over 10 weeks. This week, I am detailing the changes that I am making for the next 12 weeks and my goals.
The goal for the next 12 weeks is quite simple, really: Grow as much as possible while increasing body fat as little as possible. I am going to try to not increase body fat, at all, but I doubt that can happen. I anticipate that even if this CAN happen as I get started on this next phase, it likely will not happen as the phase progresses. The priority is to grow, FIRST, and to stay as lean as possible, SECOND. Still, make no mistake, staying lean is still a big focus of mine as I move through 2019.
I will start this phase with my weight at 220-221 pounds. I do not have a "goal" weight as much as I am anticipating that I can increase my weight by 10 pounds by being fuller and adding muscle in the next 12 weeks without increasing body fat. If this sounds lofty, keep in mind that I come into the weekends right now depleted due to dieting for the last 12 weeks. I feel this is quite doable and might even be conservative. Again, though, I am not fixated on this 10-pound increase in weight as much as I feel this is a good possibility over the next 12 weeks.
Here are the bullet points for the changes I am making for this next phase and what everything will look like:
*Training is changing from 4 days to 5 days per week.
I did not want to do this, but I have no choice due to the fact that I feel my workouts are perfect OTHER THAN finishing biceps after back day and triceps after chest and shoulders. It is just too much work. My arms are likely going to suffer if I continue to do this and I feel that the extended workout times aren't the best option.
The change will look like this:
I was training M/T/Th/F and the only change I am making is that I am going to do arms on Wednesdays with calves, consistently. I am staying with the same rotation for training so that I train a different schedule every week:
Monday
chest/side and front delts/abs
Tuesday
back/rear delts/traps
Wednesday
arms and calves (this day will NOT rotation - I will do arms every Wednesday)
Thursday
stretch/quads/hams
Friday
chest/side and front delts/abs
REST on Saturdays and Sundays
I will not train on the weekends unless it is to make up for a scheduling change during the week
The following week will pick up where the rotation left off from the previous week and look like this:
Monday
back/rear delts/traps
Tuesday
stretch/quads/hams
Wednesday
arms and calves (this day does not rotate)
Thursday
chest/side and front delts/abs
Friday
back/rear delts/traps
REST on Saturday and Sunday
The following week will rotation, as well:
Monday
stretch/quads/hams
Tuesday
chest/side and front delts/abs
Wednesday
arms and calves (does not rotate)
Thursday
back/rear delts/traps
Friday
stretch/quads/hams
REST Saturday and Sunday and then the 3-week rotation starts over again with chest/delts on Monday.
*Diet changes are as follows:
Addition of 12g of fat/46g of carbs/15g protein on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday (training days). Total of 352 calories, roughly.
On top of the above changes, Thursday and Friday training days will also have an additional 55g of carbs per day for a total of 101g of carbs per day over what my diet has been for the last 12 weeks. This means that Thursday and Friday diets will both be an additional 572 calories for those 2 days instead of 352.
The Saturday diet will be no carb and lower calorie to set up the Skipload on Sundays.
The reason for the additional carbs on Thursdays and Fridays is so that I can continue to keep my training volume high due to the fact that I really enjoy this type of training and I feel I am progressing with it quite well. This should allow me to not fall off and start to flatten out as the week progresses - or at least nowhere near as much.
The structure, duration and intensity of the Skiploads on Sundays are going to be based entirely on how the week goes, especially for the first few Skiploads. At this point, I cannot structure the Skiploads simply because I don't know how depleted or full I will be, come Sunday after a week of higher-caloric intake than I am used to. I do plan to do a 12-hour Skipload, but the amount of food, calories, and carbs is going to depend entirely on how my week goes that precedes the Skipload.
*Supplementation is not changing much. The only significant change is that the SCGS compound (super-compensation glycogen storage compound) will come into play in low dose for M/T/Th/F workouts. I plan to do this for 3-4 weeks in duration and then use Metformin for 2 weeks to resensitize and repeat.
*Sleep
I am going back to using my FitBit like I was when I was prepping earlier in the year. It made me track my sleep better and made me focus more on getting in bed at a structured time and rising at a structured time and when I did this, I ended up with more total sleep per night. Obviously, more sleep equals the potential for more growth so I would be remiss if I went into this next phase without focusing on maximizing my sleep to maximize my recovery and ultimately my gainz (yes, with a "z").
*Training Partner
I have pretty much not trained with someone else for a very long time, consistently. You might think it is not very hardcore to train with your wife, but when my wife is consistent and in the gym killing it, my workouts improve considerably due to having her there not only for support but to spot me. In 2018 she would go into the gym at the same time I would but would do her cardio and then do her own thing. She is committing to doing her cardio in the mornings in 2019 so that we can train together in the PM.
I am also excited about training with my longtime friend Alex Witthoft once or twice per week, as well. We just started doing this a couple of weeks ago and it is a really nice change to be able to feed off of each other and bang the shit out of some weights. He will come down to Titan Gym and I will start going up to University Fitness, as well, where he trains.
I am excited about 2019 and very excited about this next 12-week phase. I keep saying it, but oh well: Training is fun again and I am really enjoying being back in bodybuilder/meathead mode after many years. I am just in a different place right now and it feels good to "be back."
I hope you follow along - not just the next 12 weeks but the entire year as I enjoy a long and productive off season as I close in on my 50th in another year.
Also, please check my Coach Log next week as I detail the progress from the first (and current) 12-week phase.
Oh, and Merry Christmas ya filthy animals.
Can you elaborate on your high volume training routine?
Exercises total/ Sets/rep/volume (how many to failure) etc.
Do you plan out your workout before the gym or go as you get in?
Looking forward to seeing your results!
Can you elaborate on your high volume training routine?
Exercise total/sets/reps/volume (how many to failure)?
Do you plan your workout prior to arrive to the gym or when you get there?
Looking forward to seeing your results!
Nothing is set in black and white because I am unsure as to what amount of volume I can handle as I increase the calories. I will go into the first couple of weeks with about the same volume as I am using right now and here are a few examples (working sets only):
chest - 12-14 (3 to 4 exercises - usually 4)
back - 15-18 (4 to 5 exercises but sometimes I will do 5-7 working sets on the first exercise - just depends)
quads/hams - 20-24 (same as back here - if the first exercise feels good I might do 6-8 working sets)
Tris - 12-14 (3 to 4 exercises)
Bis - 10-12 (3 exercises)
All working sets are to failure. If I don't go to failure, it is not a working set.
Reps are all over the place and change all of the time. One workout I might warm up to my starting sets and stay at the same weight for 3 or 4 working sets, hitting something like 12-14, 10-12, 8-10, 8-10. Other times I might want to go up in weight or come down. It just depends on how I feel that particular day. It is incredibly uncommon for me to drop to reps of 6 but if I do, it is on the LAST set of an exercise so that I am warmed up the best I can be to avoid an injury.
I plan my exercise sequence for that day when I am in the tanner on my way to the gym. I always have the same routine: I have my last meal prior to the gym and wait roughly 20 minutes to leave. I hit the tanner on the way to the gym and while in the tanner, I plan my exercise sequence for that day.
protein - 300g
carbs - 0-75g
fats - 30g-40g
The above depended on whether it was a training day or non-training day.
Plus, I made a diet change about 4 weeks in so you would have to go back to that coach log to see what that adjustment was. I detailed everything in my logs but can't always recall what those numbers were at a later date.
I also do not count trace amounts of protein, carbs and fats in some of my foods, when accounting for my macros listed above so those are approximate totals and not numbers you would get from something like a fitness app. In reality, my total calories are going to higher than if you just take those listed macros and do the math.