A lot of people tend to do cable crossovers wrongly. I've uploaded a video up me doing a set of 15 reps with 60 pounds. Here we go:-

Yeah I definitely was 55kg. And there's no such thing as starting off as one. I am still an ectomorph. Despite my musculature, my bones and joints are still pretty small.

Anything is still better than nothing bro. But some strength and size loss will be there. It's fine, muscle memory is there for a reason.

HVT is a solid style of training. Try it. Just go in with guns blazing. The routine is in my journal.

Here's a post I made just 2-3 days ago to another trainee:-

And from my journal, it's pretty obvious the strength gains are still coming despite my so called "erratic" style. My newest training partner has increased his strength levels by 2 times since 1-2 months of training. Pretty effective I'd say. I have a video of one of him who's pressing the 60 pounders for dumbell bench press for reps after 4 weeks of training.
My other training partner who's been with my for 2 months plus, heh... let's just say people at the gym are already commenting on his size gains which are very obvious.

Well, the first thing me and my training partners do the moment we enter a gym would be to discuss the exercises we'd do on that day and the order which we'd do them. For example our chest routine, we get to pick from a list of compound exercises:-
Flat barbell bench press
Machine chest press
Incline barbell bench press
Flat db bench press
Incline db bench press
Smith machine incline bench press
Gironda neck presses

Then isolations:-
Flat db flyes
Incline db flyes
Cable crossovers

So we'd pick 3 compounds and 1 isolation, decide upon the order of exercise and have a go. Rep ranges are meant to be between 10-15 reps but if we feel like maxing out for 3-5 very heavy reps, we do it on the first exercise, either for PR's in the 3-5 rep ranges or PR's in the 10-12 rep ranges.

Intensity extending techniques such as forced reps, drop sets, rest pauses, etc are decided at the spur of the moment but they are used sparingly. The other 2 compound exercises, we do not attempt to make anymore PR's but if we feel that we can go heavier than the previous week, then we raise the poundage by a notch or so.

I'll give you a list of the amount of compounds we do for each bodypart if you want. Based on request.

This post has been edited by darklight79: Dec 2 2008, 09:06 AM

No no. Lol. I only have you an example for chest. It may be different for other bodyparts. For example on back day we do 5 compound exercises. I'll compile the list in a while, maybe later in the day.

As for the leg day thingie, You need to understand my goals are bodybuilding oriented. Hypertrophy first, strength second. The problem with compounds are that even though they are most useful to a beginner, in the long term they only serve to keep improving your strong points and neglect your weak links. Isolation exercises help strengthen the weak links which in turn improve your compounds get it? =)

Sometimes i fail to hit 10 reps because of muscular failure so i reduce the weight accordingly in order to complete at least 10 reps in the next set. Even though i decide to max out occasionally with 3-5 reps, the last set of a compound exercise should always be a high rep burn/pump set of at least 12 repetitions. This helps flush blood into the muscles as well as prevent wear and tear on the joints. Your muscular strength usually advances faster than your joint strength, which is why sometimes you don't see me making poundage PR's too often, I try for endurance PR's on some workouts.

Oh wow no. Every workout session is extremely intense. It doesn't necessarily mean a lesser requirement of pushing oneself, but it reduces the chance of getting demotivated, if you fail at a strength PR, no biggie, go for endurance PR's. Volume is the key word here as i keep saying. One cannot keep progressing in their poundages in a linear manner, else we'd all be pushing insane numbers by now.

Back 2 December 2008
Workout time 1 hour with 2 partners

Seated cable rows
Warm up
70lbs x 12
70lbs x 12

Work sets
170lbs x 12 (vid)

200lbs x 10
170lbs x 12
150lbs x 12

Wide grip suppinated pulldowns
110lbs x 11
120lbs x 8 drop set to 100lbs x 4 drop set to 80lbs x 3
100lbs x 12
110lbs x 11

Close grip pulldowns
100lbs x 12
110lbs x 10
110lbs x 10
100lbs x 12

Medium grip machine rows
100lbs x 12
110lbs x 10
90lbs x 20
90lbs x 17

This post has been edited by darklight79: Dec 2 2008, 10:42 PM

Yeah, it's a big change if you're used to planned training compared to instinctive training.

Yes, we can't keep hitting poundage PR's all the time. Strength progression is never linear. So sometimes we would do a few workouts without attempting to increase the poundage from the previous week but we try hitting more reps with it or doing straight sets with the heaviest set from the previous week.

Yeah, gimme a while. I'm still pooped from my workout.

Response to mofonyx and yeahs4.1:-
Chest:-
Compounds
Flat barbell bench press
Machine chest press
Incline barbell bench press
Flat db bench press
Incline db bench press
Smith machine incline bench press
Gironda neck presses

Then isolations:-
Flat db flyes
Incline db flyes
Cable crossovers

Pick 3 compounds, 1 isolation


Back
Seated cable rows (H)
Machine rows (H)
Barbell rows (H)
Close grip suppinated pulldowns (V)
Wide grip suppinated pulldowns (V)
Hammer grip pulldowns (V)
Behind the neck pulldowns (V)
One arm db rows (H)
T-bar rows (H)
Shrugs (Done at the end of every back workout)
*H - horizontal
*V - vertical

Pick 2 horizontal and 2 vertical pulling movements


Shoulders
Compounds
Smith machine shoulder press
Seated barbell shoulder press
Seated dumbell shoulder press
Military press

Pick 2 compounds

Isolation for side delts
Db side lateral raises
Cable side lateral raises

Pick either 1 for side delts

Isolation for rear delts
Bent over rear delt raises
Seated rear delt raises
Face pulls

Pick 1 for rear delts

Legs
This is a bit different. We alternate between GVT (German Volume Training) and squats every week.

Then we finish off with:
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Calf presses

Arms
Biceps
Standing dd curl
Concentration curls
E-Z Bar curls
Seated incline dumbell curls
Machine curls
Preacher curls

Triceps
Tri extensions
Close grip bench presses
Weighted dips
Machine dips
One/2 armed overhead tri extension
Tricep pressdowns

Pick 3 each. Done superset style, which means NO rest at all. The moment you finish a set of bis you move straight to tris.



This post has been edited by darklight79: Dec 4 2008, 01:13 PM

He doesn't take whey. That's all the more impressive because of that. He has milk and oats in the morning, modifies his meals the way i taught him to, and joins me and my other partner for dinner after almost every training session. We try eating within an hour after gym. Milk and oats preworkout. And he takes milk before he sleeps.

It's alright bro. I'm here to help. =)

I don't eat 6 times a day. I have breakfast at 7.30am, lunch at 12-1, preworkout at 5pm, protein shake PWO, then dinner at 8pm and milk before i sleep. Pretty convenient no? And as for sample meals:-


http://www.friendster.com/viewphotos.php?u...938&a=841374091

There's a mixture of healthy and unhealthy food in there, so i'm sure you'll know which is which.

Bro, you think too much. =) This is instinctual training. You do NOT go in with calculations. If you feel you can lift heavier, go ahead, if not, cut back the weight and do more reps. It's pretty simple but you will get stronger and bigger. That's the beauty of the program.

It depends, are you talking about pre-exhaustion or using leg extensions as a for of warm up? The principle of specificity applies my friend. You wanna do squats, warm up with light squats. You wanna bench, warm up with that. Pretty simple.

However IF you're talking about pre exhaustion where one does flyes before bench press, leg extensions before squats, etc, I for one do not recommend it. There was a study done on the progression and growth of trainees who did pre exhaust and those who did it the traditional way. The results were more in favour of the latter.

Notice that i do NOT use body momentum to pull the weight towards my torso. Only when the weight has reached my torso then I lean backwards for the greater contraction.

No problem.

Thanks, it's good to know. You're welcome.

I need some feedback. Would you guys rather I put the exercise selection of HVT on the front page or continue it here?

This post has been edited by darklight79: Dec 3 2008, 01:08 PM

I dunno, I mean it's not like I'm describing an exercise, I'm just stating exercise selection.

Nah, the H & F main area is cluttered up with threads already. I think it's better if I put it on page one of my journal. Don't want to give poor MP a headache.

Cool, lemme know how it goes.

Ok thanks for the feedback. Page 1 will be updated. I've got gym in a while, but when i get my ass back, I'll update tonight.

You either increase the volume with the same weight or increase the weight with the same volume. It's how you feel, go by feel. That's the beauty of instinctive training. If you think you can do a lil heavier compared to last week, do so. IF you feel you can do a LOT heavier, go for it. IF you feel a lil under then sun and can't lift as heavy, cut back on the poundage and grind out more reps per set.

No. Terry's suggestion.

Yes. =)

Shoulders, 3 December 2008
Time take with 2 partners : 45 mins

Smith machine shoulder presses
Warm up
115lbs x 10
135lbs x 10

Work sets
205lbs x 7
205lbs x 5 drop set to 185lbs x 3 drop set to 155lbs x 3
185lbs x 12
135lbs x 15 (partials)

Dumbell shoulder press
50lbs x 10
50lbs x 12
45lbs x 12
45lbs x 11

Cable lateral raises (per side)
30lbs x 12
30lbs x 12
20lbs x 12
20lbs x 12

---

Added on December 4, 2008, 1:22 pmUpdated exercise selection:-


Response to mofonyx and yeahs4.1:-
Chest:-
Compounds
Flat barbell bench press
Machine chest press
Incline barbell bench press
Flat db bench press
Incline db bench press
Smith machine incline bench press
Gironda neck presses

Then isolations:-
Flat db flyes
Incline db flyes
Cable crossovers

Pick 3 compounds, 1 isolation


Back
Seated cable rows (H)
Machine rows (H)
Barbell rows (H)
Close grip suppinated pulldowns (V)
Wide grip suppinated pulldowns (V)
Hammer grip pulldowns (V)
Behind the neck pulldowns (V)
One arm db rows (H)
T-bar rows (H)
Shrugs (Done at the end of every back workout)
*H - horizontal
*V - vertical

Pick 2 horizontal and 2 vertical pulling movements


Shoulders
Compounds
Smith machine shoulder press
Seated barbell shoulder press
Seated dumbell shoulder press
Military press

Pick 2 compounds

Isolation for side delts
Db side lateral raises
Cable side lateral raises

Pick either 1 for side delts

Isolation for rear delts
Bent over rear delt raises
Seated rear delt raises
Face pulls

Pick 1 for rear delts

Legs
This is a bit different. We alternate between GVT (German Volume Training) of leg presses 10 x 10 and squats (traditional style of 4 sets) every week.

Then we finish off with:
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Calf presses

Arms
Biceps
Standing dd curl
Concentration curls
E-Z Bar curls
Seated incline dumbell curls
Machine curls
Preacher curls

Triceps
Tri extensions
Close grip bench presses
Weighted dips
Machine dips
One/2 armed overhead tri extension
Tricep pressdowns

Pick 3 each. Done superset style, which means NO rest at all. The moment you finish a set of bis you move straight to tris.

This post has been edited by darklight79: Dec 4 2008, 01:23 PM

Well, to tell you the truth, we've been tempted to try GVT for other large bodyparts but we're still hesitant. One thing i can tell you is if you don't feel like throwing up after 10 sets of leg presses resting just 15.20 secs, it's not considered real GVT. =P

Yep.

Nope.

Nope.

Yep.

Ok, my split is like so:-
Monday chest
Tuesday back
wednesday legs
thursday shoulders
friday arms

So you can do

Monday Chest, shoulders, biceps (for shoulders don't do shoulder presses, just do 5 sets of lateral raises instead)
Wednesday legs
Friday Back triceps

The 3 day thingie still hits all bodyparts.

And what did I do?

From a bodybuilding point of view, seated. Cos you can use more weight. Do NOT do behind the neck, it increases the risk of rotator cuff injury. Not many people have sufficient shoulder girdle flexibility to benefit from behind the neck presses and you don't want to find that out the hard way believe me . And all that talk about standing military presses for core isn't very applicable to bodybuilding.