back to a bulk or strength train then bulk?

[mike27]

coming to the end of my cut

2.5weeks to go. then 1 full rest week

question is.... should i do an 8 week strength training program and then bulk? or just go into bulking straight away

my goal is 90kg @10% BF

currently 78kg or so

[lightscribe]

You mean bulk in terms of diet? You'll need a calorie excess to improve your strength anyway. Yes cycling regular training with strength training is a good idea. I was just reading how Hany Rambod has his clients do 5X5 regularly. Hany Rambod is the Trainer to Pros like, Jay Cutler an Phil Heath.

[mike27]

yeah bulking either way

but in a calorie surplus and only do 1-3reps on each exercise to focus on strength building and not muscle mass

whats 5x5?

[lightscribe]

yeah bulking either way

but in a calorie surplus and only do 1-3reps on each exercise to focus on strength building and not muscle mass

whats 5x5?

You'll still add size... 5X5 is just a simple program body-builders often use to increase strength; To help break a Platos, or to help increase the usable weight when training for optimal hypertrophy/growth. Which is done using the 8-12 rep range, instead of lower reps.

5X5 is done using 5 sets, for 5 reps each. Look it up if it sounds like a bit of you. It's very effective, an I'm over due to do a cycle of it myself. :nod:

[Beowulf]

I wouldn't wanna touch a program with a rep range under 4 bro just the amount of stress you could put on the body lifting that big that often will give you a big risk of injury.5x5 is probably your best bet :nod:

Just my 2 cents

[TonganTerror]

yeah mike If your going to do a strength faze then it would be good to utilize it by adding calories so you can maximize gains.... so a simplistic answer would be definitely start the calorie surplus diet whilst doing your strength building :-)

[Phedder]

You'll need a calorie excess to improve your strength anyway.

No you don't. Improving strength is more about improving your muscle recruitment and the nervous system. You can do that on deficit and many people do, just go look at any of the journals of people dropping weight at the moment, body weights going down but strength still goes up. I ditto the 5x5 program though, simple and effective.

Mike you say you want to be 90kg at 10%, what %bf are you now and what do you think you'll be when you've finished your cut?

[tinytraps]

If you want to weigh 90kgs and your 78 now after a cut I would suggest get your ass on a permanent bulk!

I dont think lifting 90%+ loads will cause you to get injured thats total bullshit unless your technique is terible. Westside guys will lift 90% plus loads twice a week. Eastern weightlifters lift those kinds of loads many times in a week. Yet these dudes manage to find a way to get jacked and strong while staying injury free(most of the time).

Strength should always be incorporated into your system. The stronger you get the bigger you can become as a result. Lifting loads in the "strength" rep range result in myofibril hypertrophy ie size increase of the actual muscle fibres. Doing hireps induces sarcoplasmic hypertrophy which is basically swelling of all he stuff inside the muscle cell. Thats why bodybuilders often have that pumped look while strength trainers are alot thicker especially in the back and legs.

Then again what ive been told could be a crock of shit and you should ignore everything Ive just said.

[Mrbig]

shot TT finally someone who understands the physiology behind muscle growth instead of some bs read in a magazine your muscles cant count they only respond to a load so the more load put thru them the more damage to the fibres meaning a bigger stronger muscle

[mike27]

thanks all

yeah 78kg and nearly down to 10% BF

90kg 10%BF is my goal for the future, prolly take me 12 months to achieve or longer

ill do a 5x5 i think for 8 weeks or so and then go into a 6month bulk on a 4 or 5 day split using 6-10 rep range

looking forward to it

starting the 5x5 in mid nov, until feb i wont be working! yay long holiday, so lots of food,rest and sleep for 3-4months! while training of course

[mike27]

just looked up 5x5

looks good 8)

so 2 warm up sets then 5 working sets of 5 reps?

or somthing like that

simple compound exercises, ill prolly do a 5 day split or maybe 4 day is better? ill be on holiday tho so resting all day afterwards anyway

[Phedder]

There are a tonne of different 5x5 variants, the Bill Starr variant is probably the best for increasing strength. It's relatively simple and follows linear periodization to keep the strength gains coming. But 5 working sets of 5 isn't the goal, you ramp the weights up to a top set and then try and beat the weight you did on that top set the next time you do that workout.

I think 12 months is a quite a realistic time frame, I've gone from 78kg at ~8% to 91kg at ~10% atm in 8 months but I had a bit of muscle memory on my side plus being new training legs. I'd suggest not letting yourself get over ~15% bf so you can see the gains clearer as well as staying healthier and leaving you with less fat to drop once you've hit say 95kg or so.

[mike27]

yeah ill have a clean bulk, slow and steady

try to hit 95-97kg and then cut, ideally maintaining 90kg around the 10% mark

about to order a load of supps for my goal

whey,caesin,carb powder,bcaa's,multi vit,fish oil,vit c,zinc tablets,creatine,glutamine and a pre-wo... maybe jacked

then to hit pak n save for a massive shop for meat and flax seed oil ,PB,frozen berries,oats and loads other goodies :shock:

[lightscribe]

You'll need a calorie excess to improve your strength anyway.

No you don't. Improving strength is more about improving your muscle recruitment and the nervous system. You can do that on deficit and many people do, just go look at any of the journals of people dropping weight at the moment, body weights going down but strength still goes up. I ditto the 5x5 program though, simple and effective.

Mike you say you want to be 90kg at 10%, what %bf are you now and what do you think you'll be when you've finished your cut?

Generally speaking.. You gonna tell novice to get his strength up with out eating a calorie excess?

They are all running grams... :pfft:

[mike27]

no ill start the 5x5 after my cut. and thus be in a surplus

far sooner bulk than cut!!!

[Phedder]

You'll need a calorie excess to improve your strength anyway.

No you don't. Improving strength is more about improving your muscle recruitment and the nervous system. You can do that on deficit and many people do, just go look at any of the journals of people dropping weight at the moment, body weights going down but strength still goes up. I ditto the 5x5 program though, simple and effective.

Mike you say you want to be 90kg at 10%, what %bf are you now and what do you think you'll be when you've finished your cut?

Generally speaking.. You gonna tell novice to get his strength up with out eating a calorie excess?

They are all running grams... :pfft:

No, a calorie excess always helps and he'll gain strength quicker, but it's still possible to gain strength while on a calorie deficit or maintenance. Powerlifters can be great examples, staying in the same weight class yet their lifts go up and up. And No, none of the people I had in mind are running gear.

[lightscribe]

^Good 2 know..

[TonganTerror]

yeah ill have a clean bulk, slow and steady

try to hit 95-97kg and then cut, ideally maintaining 90kg around the 10% mark

about to order a load of supps for my goal

whey,caesin,carb powder,bcaa's,multi vit,fish oil,vit c,zinc tablets,creatine,glutamine and a pre-wo... maybe jacked

then to hit pak n save for a massive shop for meat and flax seed oil ,PB,frozen berries,oats and loads other goodies :shock:

big year coming up for you if you want to put on 12kg of lean mass this will be an exra ordinary effort but one worth pursuing bro good luck sounds like you are committed and keen which is half the battle won :-)

lightscribe :pfft: :pfft: :pfft: GOLD post lol.

[mike27]

yeah ambitious goal.... but ill be able to train hard and rest great etc and watch my diet very closly for the 1st 4 months or so. then after that ill be a student for 6months so also able to rest lots and keep my diet 100% all the time

also gained at a steady 1kg - 1.3kg per month for 10months previosly too. begigner gains i quess, and obvisouly not all of that weight is muscle

good for a goal and ill do everything i can to achieve it. ill use my knowledge from what ive learnt from my past 12months training and also this website and others ive learnt a lot from

i should post some before and after pics i quess