Advice wanted

[James432213]

Hi, so I started first ever training 3 years ago.

For that year I for some reason wanted abs asap, so I dieted while I was already skinny. After poor results perhaps after 6months I started to eat more and stuffed my face. I never counted calories, I didn’t fully understand the concept of bulking and cutting. I ate 100% clean thinking, with the idea of "clean" and "dirty" foods. Although I did make some good gains.

My training in my first year was to hit every body part once a week however the workouts were immensely intense. Visually I made some impressive gains, but over progress on the scales wasn't the best.

I then realised its ok to eat "dirty" foods and became more educated. And then I really badly hurt my wrist + other things , which forced me to stop working out for about a year.

I lost alot of strength and size. I then learnt about counting calories. But again I made a massive mistake and gained something like 15kg in 3 months, only to cut. Which was a waste of time. I literally have no idea why I bulked so hard. I think because I was so skinny and just wanted to be a normal size.

Half of the next year I then got depressed and once again lost alot of the gains I had.

Only in the past 3months have I been aiming to make a flawless attempt to grow. I've been counting calories and doing a smart bulk of about +300 cals, and getting adequate protein. My diet is full of micro nutrient dense food too.

For training I’ve been doing full body work outs every 2nd day, as for naturals I've been reading that protein synthesis is only elevated for approx 36 hours and hence after that time there is no growth, so therefore hitting muscles every 2nd would be the frequency for best results.

I've been doing cardio/cycling for 20/40mins everyday(with a few rest days) for the fitness aspect. My calves and quads are getting a beating. This is the most growth I've obtained in my legs compared to using weights. I have a bad knee so its kinda hard to squat anyway.

In the last 3 months I feel I've made the most gains in all of the time I've every trained.

My goal is to strictly train until I reach my genetic potential ( which I sure every ones goal is to do that)

I feel I’ve wasted soo much time (years) and I don't want to waste any more. If any one could give me any advice it would be much appreciated. I have some concerns about training every muscle every second day. It doesn't seem very common however the science suggests otherwise. And the gains I've had have been sky-rocketing.

Has any one else been through some thing like me? Injury/layoffs/uneducated/wasted time etc...?

 

Thank you

 

[jimmybro1]

Everyone has had injuries that has been training long enough. As for wasting time and training "incorrectly" I'm sure most beginners are like that unless they have someone showing them the ropes. Which I wish I did... 

As for training I think frequence is the key for natural guys. For example a Push/Pull/Lower workout is commonly used. 

Day 1: Push - Bench Press, Shoulder Press etc

Day 2: Pull-ups, Rows, Curls, etc

Day 3: Quads & Hamstrings

Day 4: Rest 

Repeat. 

So you can be working out up to 6 days a week. 

[Ninja]

Working out each body part twice a week is optimal for natty guys like jimmy said.

its good to make all your mistakes in the first couple of years because now you know what doesnt work for your body.

Making slow, steady gains and staying injury free is whats key if you want to stay jacked into your 30's and 40's.

the only lay offs ive had have been 1 week breaks on holiday so i cant help you there, you have to find a reason to train all year round, not just to look good but maybe you train to keep you feeling good so you dont feel depressed again.

dont get to hung up on your 'gentic potential ' youve only been training 3 years and if its crap training you wont be anywhere near it yet especially if your young.

go hard

[FellowshipOfTheRon]

man don't stress it. what you have described is pretty much what all of us have experienced except for those lucky to have had like a big brother or father or whoever knowledgeable person who knows how to do it right.

 

injuries are part and parcel of any physical training regiment whether it be for sports or just bodybuilding what you have to do is work around them (well there are some things you might not be able to work around but wrist problems is not one of them for example, not to try kick you while you're down though!).. if your joints are having trouble see what you can do with machines. if your grip is suffering, there are machines for that too.

 

you've made some mistakes but through that have gained much experience, much knowledge as to how your body works and you are gonna be a better person from all this in some years.

 

i really like jimmies approach as mentioned above and following something very similar. only thing i'll add is also keep those workouts short. when you're in the gym 6 days a week last thing you want is to be working to failure for 2 hours each of those sessions. when you train each body part twice a week you can mix it up a little say incline bench on 1st push session of the week and flat/decline 2nd session just as an example.

 

also who cares what your genetic potential is don't aim to train until whenever that is because that's really an intangible goal. if you want motivation to train consistently all the time aim to do something by a certain date that'll get you a true focus and you'll actually acheive it if not work your ass of trying in the process. for example "today i am 80kilos at 20% fat and i will be 70kilos at 8% by Dec 1st 2013"

[Realtalk]

You can't be training very hard if you can train each body part every other day and have had the most growth in your legs from cardio. You need volume and rest to grow if your not using shit. Smash every body part once a week. You can't say your muscles are recovered in 36 hours that would totally depend on what you did to them so that's not really such an accurate fact. Age, diet, training too many factors. 

Whats your goals anyway I can't recall if you mentioned them.

[James432213]

@RealTalk

I have been training with high intensity every second day, and the frequency of the workouts do not seem to be taking a toll on performance. In fact improvement is seen every week.

 I always used to get sore if I trained each muscle once a week, but now I never get sore. Repeated-bout effect? In regards to my legs I wasn’t skimping on my calves at all, but since doing vigorous cycling they have noticeable grown. TBH, I don't see how vigorous cycling should be bashed as a poor way of growing your legs, as long as there's high resistance. It's epically good for me because of a ACL reconstruction years back which is difficult to train legs.

In regards to not being able to fully recover in 36-48 hours, how would I disprove this if, gains keep going up? My age is 22 and my diet is the typical "body-building" diet.

Goals were hypertrophy.

 

[Realtalk]

You said calves and quads. Bottom line is there are more successful ways to train for hypertrophy. Your training program is a full body workout  every other day I would prescribe that to a 60 year old woman. Definitely not for an aspiring bodybuilder. 

I don't understand Hows it possible to put maximal effort into  a chest exercise when you've just smashed your lats or  into a shoulder press when you've just smashed ur chest. You obviously don't train very hard if you say you can do all that. Gee lol if I wanted to workout all my muscle groups in one workout id be in the gym for 4 hours.

all your doing is burning calories. I don't want to come across as negative but if you want to look like a bodybuilder then training like one may be a good place to start. 

Maybe post up your training program.

[FellowshipOfTheRon]

Realtalk it could just be that a lot of us don't know how to train calves with weights but I can vouch just as James does that various cardio work has also been having a greater effect on my calves development than say the usual seated and standing calf raises. All just down to finding what works best for each individual and sticking with it until it stops working.

[Realtalk]

I was talking about legs not calves, he says most growth he has experienced in his legs.

read the posts properly.

anyway good luck if you post up ur actual training program is be happy to suggest In my opinion any improvements you might want to hear.

chur.

[FellowshipOfTheRon]

I was talking about legs not calves, he says most growth he has experienced in his legs.

read the posts properly.

last i checked calves were also part of the legs hence why i mentioned them specifically with no pointers at the quads, hamstrings, hips glutes, whatever else involevd in legs. in any case man i agree with your point as a whole - "couldn't have been working hard enough if gains from cardio > gains from weights". IMO probably a case of couldn't or a bit afraid to work out hard enough to experience effective gains with the traditional weights exercises given the knee injury.

from what I can see he's just trying his best to work around the injury without agitating it. in that case would you still suggest a very conventional bodybuilding split to him considering risk of further injury? very curious on what kind of suggestions experienced lifters would give to people in that situation since I'm also in somewhat of a similar pickle with the lower limb joints *bad*

also agree full body workouts every 2nd day is more the way an oldy would train for general fitness than someone who wants to be a bodybuilder but seeing as he has had so much time off pretty much anything he does as long as it's consistent will get him gains pretty quickly.