Bo Flecks' Training Lean and Power Density Experiment

[IronAvalanche]

Wow! Your pullups and dips are in a class all by themselves. Your really moving some weights with those. The dip work is showing in the tricep pic. Well done!

[fitmom43]

I'm jealous of the pullups I will get one unassisted before the year is over fantastic work in here Bo!!! Hope you are having a great summer and enjoying the family

[Bo_Flecks]

Excellent work today Steve and it's always great to have that strong feeling! I really wish I could bottle that feeling somehow, lol.

Definitely looking very lean man, no problem seeing the horseshoe.

ditto - especially the part in bold!

I cannot complain about my strength and energy in the gym at all. Out of the gym, especially at night, is a little different story.

I've been having some sleep issues for the past couple of weeks. I have my yearly physical next week so I am going to talk my doc about it to get his opinion on what is going on. My best guess is allergies causing an inner ear problem. It could also be caused by a minor case of reflux brought on by the stomach virus I had, too. I am just not sure at this point exactly what is going on.

Whatever it is, a bodybuilder who cannot eat and sleep like he wants is not a good combination.

Wow! Your pullups and dips are in a class all by themselves. Your really moving some weights with those. The dip work is showing in the tricep pic. Well done!

So far I am enjoying working with the reduced reps and higher weights. I am interested in seeing if that translates into some new muscle gains.

I'm jealous of the pullups I will get one unassisted before the year is over fantastic work in here Bo!!! Hope you are having a great summer and enjoying the family

Just keep working with the assisted pull-ups. When I first started doing them, I would cross my ankles, and have my training partner hold my feet and assist with only what I needed to get the reps. I made very fast progress that way.

[2nd_chance]

Just getting caught up on the past few days' work. Stellar as always. The pics, along with the avi look to be putting you back around 6% bf... is that correct?

[Bo_Flecks]

The pics, along with the avi look to be putting you back around 6% bf... is that correct?

According to the calipers, I am in the neighborhood of 8%.

As I stand right now, I figure I am somewhere around 15lbs over contest conditioning which is the range that I would like to stay for the next nine months. While I was not pleased with the results of the bulk I did over the winter, it did teach me a few things:

• To keep my body fat in the 6% range, I really need to limit the amount of food I eat
• In the 8% range I am free to eat a lot more food, and I am stronger and have more energy in the gym
• When I drove my body fat to the 10% range, I experienced no difference in strength and energy in the gym
• The only difference I noticed by running by body fat much past 8% was visually I was much softer
• At 10% was carrying several extra pounds of fat which could mean an additional month or more of dieting for contest prep

Approximately 15lbs over contest condition seems to be about the right number for me at this time. I am hoping that will be the optimal point for me to gain as much muscle as possible in the remaining off season time I have, yet allow me to spare as much muscle as possible as I cut down for the stage.

[bamazav]

According to the calipers, I am in the neighborhood of 8%.

As I stand right now, I figure I am somewhere around 15lbs over contest conditioning which is the range that I would like to stay for the next nine months. While I was not pleased with the results of the bulk I did over the winter, it did teach me a few things:

• To keep my body fat in the 6% range, I really need to limit the amount of food I eat
• In the 8% range I am free to eat a lot more food, and I am stronger and have more energy in the gym
• When I drove my body fat to the 10% range, I experienced no difference in strength and energy in the gym
• The only difference I noticed by running by body fat much past 8% was visually I was much softer
• At 10% was carrying several extra pounds of fat which could mean an additional month or more of dieting for contest prep

Approximately 15lbs over contest condition seems to be about the right number for me at this time. I am hoping that will be the optimal point for me to gain as much muscle as possible in the remaining off season time I have, yet allow me to spare as much muscle as possible as I cut down for the stage.

This sounds like a smart plan. It allows you a week or two to tweak when you start your pre-contest cut and will keep you from having to work to lose more than a pound a week. That will allow you to keep more muscle than if you had to lose more weight.

[Bo_Flecks]

This sounds like a smart plan. It allows you a week or two to tweak when you start your pre-contest cut and will keep you from having to work to lose more than a pound a week. That will allow you to keep more muscle than if you had to lose more weight.

Yep. That will be the plan exactly. I intend to have my dieting done at least 10 days to two weeks in advance to let my skin tighten up and make sure I get my carb loading right.

I really don't want the dieting to go right down to the wire and come in flat.

[Bo_Flecks]

**Workout Bumped to New Page**

Tuesday 8/2/11- Back/Triceps

Medium Grip Pull Ups
10xBW+50
8xBW+60
6xBW+70
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x BW+20
15x BW+20

Seated D-Handle Cable Rows
10x150
8x160
6x170
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x130
15x130

Weighted Tricep Dips
12xBW+80
10xBW+90
8xBW+100
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x BW+40
15x BW+40

Seated OH Cable Extensions
12x80
10x90
8x100
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x 70
15x 70

Hanging Knee Raises-Obliques
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW

Hanging Knee Raises-Abdominals
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW

Decline Oblique Crunches
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW

Observations
Felt strong as a bull today.

Back Workout
Medium Grip Pull Ups:
Moving to this rep scheme, the weight used will increase. I will need to be very careful with the elbow tendons.
Seated D-Handle Cable Rows:
Slow controlled reps with no momentum allowed to build up. Squeezing and holding at the apex.

Tricep Workout
Weighted Tricep Dips:
Chest upright and looking up to focus on the triceps. The increased weight felt very manageable today.
Seated OH Cable Extensions:
Targeting the medial head of the tricep. So far, this extension movement has not caused any elbow issues.

Direct Ab Work
Hanging Knee Raises
Continued emphasis is being place on my obliques.

Final Thoughts
Checking out the horseshoe.

[Athena]

This sounds like a smart plan. It allows you a week or two to tweak when you start your pre-contest cut and will keep you from having to work to lose more than a pound a week. That will allow you to keep more muscle than if you had to lose more weight.

Yep. That will be the plan exactly. I intend to have my dieting done at least 10 days to two weeks in advance to let my skin tighten up and make sure I get my carb loading right.

I really don't want the dieting to go right down to the wire and come in flat.

Briliiantly thought out and well-planned. (I may have mentioned how smart you're being about competing some time earlier this year...can't recall!)

How are the legs coming along?

~A

[Bo_Flecks]

Briliiantly thought out and well-planned. (I may have mentioned how smart you're being about competing some time earlier this year...can't recall!)

How are the legs coming along?

~A

Quad development has been up and down.

On the up side, I am seeing much more development in the intermedius and lateralis. As far as sheer size goes for the upper leg, I have added a little to the circumference (not what I had hoped by this time, but I will take it).

On the down side, I blew out the disc in my lower back (again) about a month ago doing reverse hacks and had to totally re-vamp my leg training. I figure that cost me about a month of leg development in the grand scheme of things.

I changed my leg program from the Glass method to the Yates method. The Yates method allows me to bomb the quads without placing a lot of weight/stress on my lower back. I am just now really getting rolling with the new method, so we will see how it plays out in the next few months. One thing is for sure... I simply cannot afford to blow the disc out again in the next 14 months.

[Vytis]

If you do come up with another exercise to target the hammies please let me know - my back doesn't allow for any RDLs or SLDLs either...

[induced_drag]

Subbed for sure!!! I'll be following along

[alex2363]

**Workout Bumped to New Page**

Tuesday 8/2/11- Back/Triceps

Medium Grip Pull Ups
10xBW+50
8xBW+60
6xBW+70
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x BW+20
15x BW+20

Seated D-Handle Cable Rows
10x150
8x160
6x170
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x130
15x130

Weighted Tricep Dips
12xBW+80
10xBW+90
8xBW+100
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x BW+40
15x BW+40

Seated OH Cable Extensions
12x80
10x90
8x100
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x 70
15x 70

Hanging Knee Raises-Obliques
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW

Hanging Knee Raises-Abdominals
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW

Decline Oblique Crunches
20xBW
20xBW
20xBW

Observations
Felt strong as a bull today.

Back Workout
Medium Grip Pull Ups:
Moving to this rep scheme, the weight used will increase. I will need to be very careful with the elbow tendons.
Seated D-Handle Cable Rows:
Slow controlled reps with no momentum allowed to build up. Squeezing and holding at the apex.

Tricep Workout
Weighted Tricep Dips:
Chest upright and looking up to focus on the triceps. The increased weight felt very manageable today.
Seated OH Cable Extensions:
Targeting the medial head of the tricep. So far, this extension movement has not caused any elbow issues.

Direct Ab Work
Hanging Knee Raises
Continued emphasis is being place on my obliques.

Final Thoughts
Checking out the horseshoe.

awsome w/o...I wanna see ur biceps w/o...i cant get mine to grow as i want.

[2nd_chance]

According to the calipers, I am in the neighborhood of 8%.

As I stand right now, I figure I am somewhere around 15lbs over contest conditioning which is the range that I would like to stay for the next nine months. While I was not pleased with the results of the bulk I did over the winter, it did teach me a few things:

• To keep my body fat in the 6% range, I really need to limit the amount of food I eat
• In the 8% range I am free to eat a lot more food, and I am stronger and have more energy in the gym
• When I drove my body fat to the 10% range, I experienced no difference in strength and energy in the gym
• The only difference I noticed by running by body fat much past 8% was visually I was much softer
• At 10% was carrying several extra pounds of fat which could mean an additional month or more of dieting for contest prep

Approximately 15lbs over contest condition seems to be about the right number for me at this time. I am hoping that will be the optimal point for me to gain as much muscle as possible in the remaining off season time I have, yet allow me to spare as much muscle as possible as I cut down for the stage.

Sounds like staying around 8% is the key for you then Steve. Should make your contest prep much easier. I know you... you will step on the stage absolutely shredded.

[Brackneyc]

According to the calipers, I am in the neighborhood of 8%.

Damn that's awesome. I cannot imagine how that would look and feel. I am afraid the only thing making me look like I lift at all IS the fat covering my muscles. My crash diet two years ago really took a toll on me.*

[ArchAngel'73]

In! I remember when you were AVI'less and posted in my fitness factory thread, almost scared the sh*t outta me when I thought you were the Bo I was talking about in there.
Then you put you're AVI up and my mind was blown as to how good of shape you're in! You're really kicking azz with your training and I'm now subb'd to follow along for your comp.

[Bo_Flecks]

Thursday 8/4/11- Shoulders/Traps

Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press
10x85
8x90
6x95
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x 70
15x 70

Scooby Press
12x50
10x55
8x60

Glass Seated Lateral Raises
12x30
10x32 1/2
8x35

Seated Bent Lateral Raises
12x35
10x40
8x45

Wide Grip Barbell Shrugs
12x245
10x255
8x265
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x 225
15x 225

Narrow Grip Barbell Shrugs
12x225
10x235
8x245
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x 200
15x 200

Seated Calf Raises
12x275
10x295
8x305
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x 250
15x 250

Observations
Due to last week's de-load it had been 14 days since I worked shoulders. Because of that, and the modified rep scheme, I adjusted the weights accordingly. I pretty much hit it right across the board.

Shoulder Workout
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press:
I move the seat back up a notch to put myself in a more upright position. I have been concerned about the weight pushing down on my lower back and wanted to be in a more vertical position. This throws the balance point a little more forward, and decreases the amount of weight I can handle.
Scooby Presses:
This weight scheme was plenty heavy today. Keeping this movement slow and controlled to put total MMC on the front delts.
Glass Seated Lateral Raises:
The seated Glass protocol gives a very good burn with relatively light weights.
Seated Bent Lateral Raises:
Bent over until my chest touches my quads. Concentrating on pulling the dumbbells up with the elbows, forcing the work to be done by the rear delts.

Trap Workout
Wide Grip Barbell Shrugs:
Chest supported at a 45 degree angle. I increased the width of my grip to put force the traps to pull a little more to the rear. Holding and squeezing at the top.
Narrow Grip Barbell Shrugs:
Chest supported and narrow grip at a 45 degree angle. Trying to focus more on the traps close to my neck. Holding and squeezing at the top.

Calf Workout
Seated Calf Raises:
Soleus work day. With the new rep scheme, I increased the weight quite a bit.

Final Thoughts
After a 14 day break from working shoulders, I should be fairly sore tomorrow.

[bamazav]

Good work BoStevus. Curious to see how the deload has treated you. Work looks great, will the DOMS feel great?

[Bo_Flecks]

If you do come up with another exercise to target the hammies please let me know - my back doesn't allow for any RDLs or SLDLs either...

Before I hurt my back that last time, I was experimenting with Glute-Ham Raises. I did not have my system quite down like I would have liked it before I had to stop doing them to let the disc heal. Since my back is healthy again, I am going to put them back in to my leg rotation with some modifications to my equipment to see if I can get the feel right. It seems like a promising exercise, but I just need to get the logistics correct. I will keep you posted.

Subbed for sure!!! I'll be following along

I'll be glad to have you along. I have always enjoyed reading your stuff out in the open forums. Another hardcorez lifter in here would be a great addition.

awsome w/o...I wanna see ur biceps w/o...i cant get mine to grow as i want.

Currently, I am running a A Week, B Week schedule in my training. I also have my bicep and back work separated so that the bis have a primary day (Saturday=bicep day) where they are worked directly, and a secondary day (Tuesday=back day) where they are worked indirectly.

My A Week routine for bis looks like this:
Incline DB Curls 12x________ 10x________ 8x ________ 15 x________ 15 x________
Tricep Bar Spider Curls 12x________ 10x________ 8x ________ 15 x________ 15 x________

My B Week routine for bis looks like this:
Seated DB Curls 12x________ 10x________ 8x ________ 15 x________ 15 x________
4x4 Curl ___________ ___________ ___________ 15 x________ 15 x________

Sounds like staying around 8% is the key for you then Steve. Should make your contest prep much easier. I know you... you will step on the stage absolutely shredded.

I carefully re-comped this last time using the notes I took when I did the winter bulk. What I found was that by keeping my training weight between 183lbs to 187lbs (which is that 8% range), I am a lot freer to increase my carbs which in turn increases my strength and endurance in the gym. If I let my bodyweight get any higher than that, it starts packing onto my gut which is just extra dieting I will have to do.

You know my belief on protein intake. I believe that most nattys have their protein intake set way too high, which in order to keep their macros straight causes them to eat too many calories. If I am going to take in extra calories, I want it to be in carbs and fats so they can actually be used in the gym.

Damn that's awesome. I cannot imagine how that would look and feel. I am afraid the only thing making me look like I lift at all IS the fat covering my muscles. My crash diet two years ago really took a toll on me.*

I believe there is a benefit in getting your fat levels down and keeping them down. I have read a lot of theory on body weight set points. It seems that if a person can keep himself in a lean condition for an extended period of time, everything in the body adjusts to that. In my case, I have kept my body fat relatively low for several years now. When I did the deep cut last fall, I did not have a lot of the strength loss and catablolism that a lot of guys experience when attempting a deep cut. I really did not notice any real difference in my gym performance until the fat on my stomach got below 4 mm. That is pretty thin.

I have also read studies that show testosterone production is the highest in men who keep their bodies relatively lean, and have a diet with plenty of fats. But that is another discussion.

In! I remember when you were AVI'less and posted in my fitness factory thread, almost scared the sh*t outta me when I thought you were the Bo I was talking about in there.
Then you put you're AVI up and my mind was blown as to how good of shape you're in! You're really kicking azz with your training and I'm now subb'd to follow along for your comp.

I only recently realized that you were Fiend73 and wrote the Fitness Factory thread. That was awesome stuff. It really reminded me about the characters that I ran into when I was working at the gym in college.

I need to get into your journal so I can pick up some tips on contest prep. I've been following along with MHL and taking notes along the way. Even though I have been working with a prep coach, you can never have too much knowledge.

Good work BoStevus. Curious to see how the deload has treated you. Work looks great, will the DOMS feel great?

DOMS in the shoulders and traps are light this morning. The way I have been doing my 5 day walk away de-loads has afforded the CNS and connective tissue the rest I have been looking for, but allows for enough work to keep the muscles from completely going dormant for a week.

The last six weeks of training were spoiled by the back injury and viruses. The first week of this six week rotation started off extremely solid. I am hoping it continues that way.

[Payton1221]

[b]Medium Grip Pull Ups
10xBW+50
8xBW+60
6xBW+70
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x BW+20
15x BW+20
Weighted Tricep Dips
12xBW+80
10xBW+90
8xBW+100
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x BW+40
15x BW+40

Steve, I just subscribed to my first journal . . . YOURS! I'm sure to learn a lot. Great work on these by the way. Very inspirational!

[alex2363]

Currently, I am running a A Week, B Week schedule in my training. I also have my bicep and back work separated so that the bis have a primary day (Saturday=bicep day) where they are worked directly, and a secondary day (Tuesday=back day) where they are worked indirectly.

My A Week routine for bis looks like this:
Incline DB Curls 12x________ 10x________ 8x ________ 15 x________ 15 x________
Tricep Bar Spider Curls 12x________ 10x________ 8x ________ 15 x________ 15 x________

My B Week routine for bis looks like this:
Seated DB Curls 12x________ 10x________ 8x ________ 15 x________ 15 x________
4x4 Curl ___________ ___________ ___________ 15 x________ 15 x________



.

is this your routine for on regular basis for biceps growth?

[Runic]

Just out of curiosity did the power and density routine come from x-reps training? *Somewhere along the line I got on a mailing list for these guys and they sell ebooks with different routines. *One of them was Power and Density. *Just curious.

[Whatanejit]

Lots of methodical training and prep going on in here as usual Steve. I echo the others re 8%? Wow!


With the risk of appearing lewd... I did notice how you skipped over the testosterone and performance topic *whistles*

[Bo_Flecks]

Steve, I just subscribed to my first journal . . . YOURS! I'm sure to learn a lot. Great work on these by the way. Very inspirational!

Welcome! I learn a lot in here, too. The quality of the input from the folks who visit this journal is simply top notch.

is this your routine for on regular basis for biceps growth?

This will be my direct bicep work for hypertrophy over the next six weeks. I will usually run a selection of exercises from one de-load to the next, and then change something out. The decision on what to change and how to change it is always predicated on the need I have at the time.

Because I have to be careful with tendinitis in my medial elbow tendons (golfer's elbow), I stick with exercises I can do with a hammer grip.

Just out of curiosity did the power and density routine come from x-reps training? *Somewhere along the line I got on a mailing list for these guys and they sell ebooks with different routines. *One of them was Power and Density. *Just curious.

I picked up the method from this article on Bodybuilding.com: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/powe...y-training.htm

The article talks about emphasizing 2A muscle fibers for mass building. It gives a few different ways to attack the 2As, but the one I chose to use is progressive pyramiding, followed by density chasers. I liked that approach because reportedly, it was the one Arnold used .According to the article, if you set your rep scheme up this way, you will get the most out of the 2A muscles, which are dual capacity - they have both a power and endurance component.

We had a pretty good discussion last summer debating the 2As vs. the 2Bs. David (2ndChance) posted some information that didn't quite match up with the study that x-rep used in the article.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post504870791

Unfortunately, all that is pretty typical of conflicting bodybuilding studies. The bottom line always seems to be to try something and see if it works for you.

Lots of methodical training and prep going on in here as usual Steve. I echo the others re 8%? Wow!

With the risk of appearing lewd... I did notice how you skipped over the testosterone and performance topic *whistles*

Yeah... 8% according to the calipers. I'm not sure where I would come in if I were tested with a more accurate and expensive method. For the purpose of doing my pre-contest math it's close enough.

lolz at your "lewd" testosterone comment . I just wasn't in the mood to address that any further because it gets into a bunch of other conflicting studies.

[BergMuscle]

Unfortunately, all that is pretty typical of conflicting bodybuilding studies. The bottom line always seems to be to try something and see if it works for you.

TOTALLY true! There is no "one-size-fits-all" muscle building program. Lots of approaches work for some people; the trick is determining if you are one of those people.

[Bo_Flecks]

Saturday 8/6/11- Chest/Biceps B Week

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
10x100
8x110
6x120 <-----Iz heavy
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x80
15x80

Incline Dumbbell Flyes
10x80
8x85
6x90
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x60
15x60

Seated Dumbbell Curls
12x40
10x45
8x50
Hi Rep Density Chasers
15x30
15x30

4x4 Curls
4x4x4x30
4x4x4x30
4x4x4x30
Hi Rep Density Chasers (Concentration Curls)
15x25
15x25

Observations
This begins the B Week exercise rotation. The workout today was completely dumbbell centric. One of the keys I applied in putting this A/B schedule together was to alternate dumbbell and bar work wherever I could. I think this will afford the most muscle "shock" value, as well as provide the most possible rest for my connective tissue.

The way I have the Power-Density protocol set up now closely mirrors how I trained in my younger days. I trained with two competitive bodybuilders, and we rarely if ever did the same exercises two weeks in a row. They were both multiple winners. I am hoping to join them soon.

Chest Workout
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press:
Done at a 30 degree bench angle. The set with the 120s felt heavier than I expected. Not sure what was up with that, but the 6th rep was slow and dicey.
Incline Dumbbell Flyes:
Done at a 30 degree bench angle using the classic "hug the tree" form. Dropping the weight deep enough that the backs of my arms break the parallel plane.

Bicep Workout
Seated Dumbbell Curls
I started the dumbbells at the bottom in the hammer position and put a quarter twist on them as I raised them to their apex. I work hard on my bicep movements to use a controlled speed so that no momentum builds up. Constant tension stays on the biceps.
4x4 Curls:
Bench set at a 45 degree angle. I am not sure why, but these brought an extra level of burn today. I followed them up with one arm dumbbell concentration curls for the density chaser sets.

Final Thoughts
Since it was chest and bicep day, I thought I would check out the pecz and gunz.

[Athena]

On the down side, I blew out the disc in my lower back (again) about a month ago doing reverse hacks and had to totally re-vamp my leg training.

PM heading it's way towards you w/questions re/PT, etc. We'll see if we can get you and keep you healthy before this contest. Being in caloric deficit leads to additional risk of injury, so just be extra careful (I know I'm preaching to the choir). And am I the only one whose browser hates this new interface?!

[nvrstopworking]

Holy crap Ste-Bo! That Back/Tri workout was an eye-popper!

Great stuff man!

Oh yeah... I recall you saying that you were trying to work the part of your chest that's right under your pecs... and some of us DID mention pullovers as an exercise that you may want to try. I picked up a copy of the latest "MuscleMag" for fun and I saw a picture of a guy doing them on an incline bench! Never seen that before.... maybe you want to give that a try too and see how it feels?

[VoxExMachina]

120 on DB inclines is moving a load, Steve. That's why it felt heavy.

[nvrstopworking]

120 on DB inclines is moving a load, Steve. That's why it felt heavy.

Ummmm... this! ^^^ LOL!