Quote: (07-29-2014 07:58 PM)Remington Wrote:
When you lift, you need to go through lifting cycles. I usually do something along the lines of 6-8 weeks of heavy lifting with many sets and low reps. Then, go to a little lighter weight with many reps and fewer sets. The heavy lifts I do help me build that muscle, the lighter sets help me cut. Plus it increases your strength tremendously. You just need to find that happy medium.
I agree. I actually just got off a "cutting bulk(?)" routine myself, (and said fuck it and just started bulking again), but I was instructed by a trainer of mine (Was a bit lost myself on how to reach my specific goals), this guy didn't come cheap. I had always got the bulking thing down, but being 6'6" 250, the idea of eating 1200 calories less than my bulking seemed crazy. Anyway, me and him worked out a heavy week/light week schedule. A bit different than Rem's plan but the same concept, periodization/cycling.
It was mainly at least 3 days a week, 4 if we planned it right and got good lifts/progress in, but doing 4 days for a full, lifting (light/heavy) cycle/period. So back/bis, chest/tris, legs, and shoulders, then we would repeat the next week except do them "heavy" (less reps/more sets/heavier weight). In between cycles (so after a full body work-week) we would do an "anerobic day" (these were fucking killer). These were the ones that really pushed you over the edge mentally and sometimes physically (had to <strike>sit</strike> lay down between sets of burpees super-set with prisoner squats, at the beginning).
One of the things I liked about this type of split, is that it gave me the flexibility to go when I could. I tried sticking to not missing more than 2 days without going, and no more than 2 days in a row.
Like he said, the heavy weeks will help you gain muscle while the light weeks will keep your heart rate up and your nervous system/ligaments/muscles active and strong. This combination is deadly if you eat the right foods.
If you want to be lean as fuck but still slowly gain, diet is gonna impact you more. Keep eating protein until your liver begs you to stop(not really), and stay away from anything that's processed, or has a shit load of starch/fat in it. Stick to "cleaner" carbs (fruits/veggies/brown rice/sweet potato/oatmeal).The only reason I say stay away from fat is because if you're taking the right vitamins (i.e. fish oil/flaxseed oil) you wont' need a shit load to make up for calories. I tried to stay under 50g of fat a day, around 270g protein and 220 for carbs(*starting out*) (I don't remember exact numbers, and these are obviously based on my weight). Of course you want to remember the first law of thermodynamics and eat below your caloric intake, for something like this I would recommend only around 300-400 under.
As the weeks go by, you want to start to reduce the amount of carbs, (I struggled with this). Go at whatever rate you want, but after a full light/heavy week, you should reduce the carbs by at least 10%. I got down to eating just over 120g of carbs and still staying conscious during my workouts. It didn't last long, but there was a point where I was (what I consider) lean.
If you're looking to gain a litter fast weight at the expense of shredding some fat, increase the calories with slightly more carbs/fat. The reason I saw fat is because no matter what, you should always be getting minimum 1-1.5g protein/1 lb. of bodyweight.
Overall, if you have the discipline to go on the weekends, and not flake for out for 4 days on multiple occasions, you should be able to get a really good rhythm going.
Again, this is all from my personal experience, and in no way am I certified nutritionist/trainer. Hell, I've only been (educated)lifting for 3 years.
But, you might find some of this useful, as it worked for me. Let me know if you decide to do something like this. I gained a lot of resources during this period, some of which I still have access to, not to mention my target numbers, workouts I did, reps/sets all that good jazz, so I can hook you up with whatever you might think will help.
Cheers