Meat and no potatoes

[Synthesis_108]

Hey guys,

I'd like to hear your opinion about my routine. I brought it down to 2 days and 2 movements per day.
The idea is lent from the Hardgainer Training Manual where there's a reference to Jack Stocks and the way he trains: two movements on two different days of the week.
After a bit of research, I found it's similar to Jim Wendler's "I'm not doing Jackshit", too. So I seem to be on the right track here...

Day 1:

Dips 1x10 (I am thinking about changing it to 2x8, but Dips really take a toll on me, almost like Romanian Deadlifts and I've seen a lot of success with a single set as can be seen with the RDLs.)

Rows 2x8 (Shall I change to a single set also?)


Day 2:

Romanian Deadlift 1x5

Gripper 2x6

Thumbs 2x8 (here i am closing a clamp)


I created this new routine as my progress on the RDLs is working EXTREMELY well in relation to other exercises. My PR is 320 x 7. I'm 6'2, 190 pounds. I've been training for 6 months, started at a regular DL of 160. All the other lifts were hardly going up (yes i know that i can only add 0.5 - 2 pounds on the small movements). And I always felt horribly overtrained.
I wanted a super-simple routine where I only have to think about adding weight and eating properly.
As far as work capacity: I think only a routine like this, or within these volume confines, could last for the following 6 months. And I think that's what weightlifting is about: Adding weight within your recuperative abilities over the long term.

In the future, so after reaching 2xBW on the RDLs, I'm gonna up the reps to 8-10 so I can add a bit more size, as I've understood that reps 1-5 lead to mostly neural gains (although I've added size to my hams and my back with 1x5) but I'll stay with the 1-set-approach.

Regarding work capacity, I'm working in a law office as a student once a week, moving and carrying stuff mostly for 8-10 hours.

I'd be very pleased to hear your opinions, guys.


Best regards,

Synthesis 108.

[JohnCaesar]

Greeting Synthesis, welcome to the board.

Here are some questions I would like for you to answer before I really comment on what you wrote above.

1. Have you logged your food consistently for an extended period of time i.e. 4 weeks? If so, I would like to see your macros intake average.

2. How much sleep are you getting?

[Synthesis_108]

Hello JohnCaesar,

1. Well, for the last 6 months, I got in 150-200 gr of protein, 120 gr of fats and 200-250 gr of carbs. What I always watch out for by reading the package and counting it is the amount protein I get in per day. As supplements, I use fish oil, HCl and Multivit. capsules. The reason for not being so strict with my diet is my law study. If I eat big throughout the day I can't study like a champion And my study is the affair I care the most about. I'm in university for 9 - 10 h (beginning at 8 in the morning) a day studying. I always eat breakfast (50 gr carbs 10-15 gr protein) and I eat 60 gr of protein 25-30 gr carbs at lunch in the cafeteria ( we have tuna there. and i can estimate the proper amount, i was living by myself for a year basically eating tuna cans every day.)
So in the evening, I eat 100-150 gr of protein in 2 meals before going to bed at 10 or 11 pm.
I'd definitely qualify myself as skinnyfat. I lose weight very easily, however it's mostly muscle and water. As a kid, I was never skinny, just EXTREMELY weak and slow. I was the tall, heavy kid that beat all the other kids EASILY in marathons and cross country races, but was always the last in the sprint. And normally, the fat kids have strength as most of them are endomorphs. So it's not that I'm not gaining weight, because I don't eat enough. I gain weight easily, but I also lose it easily. I hope that helped your question. So, basically: I get in 150 - 200 gr of protein. And I fill the rest up with healthy stuff ( I can't eat too much candy as I'm allergic to artificial sweeteners). And I just want to keep my routine also as simple as possible. Because I'm content with progressing a bit slower if that's the only to keep a balance between lifting and university (which takes up almost my whole time, I don't even party that much. Maybe like once a month or so.). You know, I want it to be fun. And if I have to watch every damn detail, then it's not fun anymore. However, I don't want to offend anyone doing so. I respect the guys who give so much to the lifting game. It's just that I'm not really one of them. I have shitty genetics for lifting but I still want to keep doing it because I enjoy it.

2. I'm getting in between 6-8 hours.

I hope this answers your questions.

[Texas Savage]

One small thing you could change.

Add in more protien at breakfast. 15g is 2 eggs. Add some egg whites, and throw some turkey or chicken in with it. Could easily add 40g of protein there, getting your total up to 190-240g per day. It would help with recovery.

As for the routine, not experienced enough to give advice on that.

[Synthesis_108]

Ok guys, a short update:

I'm gonna take a different path now. I think the thing I'm lacking is work capacity. As IA said it I'm not yet "in shape to train."

So for the upcoming weeks I'm going to focus on that. So I'll be training with fixed weights or bodyweight and I'm going to up the frequency time by time until my body gets adapted to it. I mean, how come some of strongest guys grew up on farms? Well, they just built their work capacity from day one. And then when they touch weights, they get strong fast as they're able to recover fast. Matt Hughes comes to mind here, Brock Lesnar. I just read that Jay Cutler grew up on a farm, too. But don't worry, I know that these guys have ÜBER-genetics. So I probably won't turn into 300 pounds of pure muscle. But I'm not in a hurry with my body. So I'm going to do it properly, means build work capacity and then add in progressive overload over time while reducing frequency of training.

Can I get any opinions on this decision?

Best regards and thank you for your answers in advance. This site is awesome.

[Angra Mainyu]

I might be wrong but a major point that seems overlooked is IA said that its really important for hard gainers to bring up work capacity and that "hard gainer" style routines etc. are really only meant to be temporary and eventually worked past