Growth Stimulus Training (GST)

[kilgoreklink]

Reverse lunges are so awkward! Forward lunges are bad for me too, though....my left foot/leg balances well, my right foot/leg SUCKS. I can't balance, it doesn't go where I want it to, and my knee/hip refuse to stay in line. It takes every.single.ounce. of concentration I have to make that foot go where I want, and even more to try to keep my knee and hip from shooting out of line. I've been doing BW lunges in front of a mirror at work to try and get it better...not helping yet :\

I love RDL's, every time I do them I think of wayne's world and say "scha-wing!"

Lift night tonight (back-to-back pull/liftday + chest weak point training = rawr) with 190lbs, which is nearly what I did for my 4th microcycle just a few weeks ago! Going to be ready for my 3 day weekend of rest.

Just started learning the RDL this last week, this was the first time using them in a workout. It really forces the concentration when learning a new movement. I felt the move from my heel all the way through the hams to the shoulders. I think I am going to have DOMS in the hams.

[ranthal]

ok- ill try adding dips instead of incline bench next time and see how it feels. I havent done dips much before, and next week is my 15-20 rep day, so do you think i coul ddo that many with bodyweight? Just wanted a rough estimate based on my other lifts- thanks.

Ill try ask someone to spot me on my AMRAP bench next time.

It's hard to say, I still can't do my BW for 15-20 but our weights differ a lot. My next goal on the dips are +45 for the 8-10s and BW for the 15-20s. Won't stop there but I'll feel like that's a nice milestone. So yeah, I'd recommend you start on an assisted dip machine and adjust as you go.

And as far as asking people to spot for press day... the gym I work out at has free membership through my work so most of the time I have buddies from work there who know me well to spot me. Well yesterday I didn't and I had to ask somebody else who's another regular I see all the time to spot me. I was nervous because how somebody spots can vary a lot, whether they assist and make you force out that last rep, are too bar happy and touch it 2 reps too early, etc. Well anyways, got this guy to spot me and ended up nailing 12 on my AMRAP, same number as I had hit the micro before at 15 lbs less! I actually put up 13 but I think he helped me on the last one so I didn't count it. But yeah, I think having a random person spotting me got me to really focus on form and get what I needed out of the set so don't be afraid to ask!

Here is a video I filmed about a year ago or so:
[utube]2W6fGhJYT5Y[/utube]

Dude, you look tiny in that video compared to now! And I'd be happy to have the size you have in that video lmfao

I'd say that's about the depth I go for, form on that was nice. Forget that guy and his 45 with way less ROM.

Btw asked my buddy why he thought squat was a 15 rep exercise but deadlift isn't, he didn't have much of a response. It was basically 2 main ideas-1. it's more taxing of a lift on the CNS and such and 2. because you actually set the weight down, "dead" lift it, it;s like doing 15 1 rep sets. Meh, I'm not very convinced.

[2020Wellness]

Btw asked my buddy why he thought squat was a 15 rep exercise but deadlift isn't, he didn't have much of a response. It was basically 2 main ideas-1. it's more taxing of a lift on the CNS and such and 2. because you actually set the weight down, "dead" lift it, it;s like doing 15 1 rep sets. Meh, I'm not very convinced.

1. So does that mean that the bench is less taxing than the squat? If so, should I start to see people doing 30 rep sets on the bench?

2. You might set the weight down and break the tension a bit, but you should still remain tight. That doesn't really matter as much as my next point though.

If he said its like doing 15 1 rep sets, thats fine. Its fine because you are using a small percentage of your 1RM, therefore keeping it low intensity. Its not like you're doing 15 1 rep sets with 95% of your 1RM!

In all reality, if he's a power lifter, he should be doing high numbers of low rep sets on his speed work days (something like 10 x 3). He should be doing this on squats, deads, and bench, and he should be using a low percentage of his 1RM, which is essentially what you're doing and also what he is questioning you on. You see what I'm saying?

[leedsjack93]

First GST Lift Day today, went well. I love those deadlifts, I find them much more comfortable than squats. Romanian deads give such a nice 'pull' on the backs of my legs as well... I love the feeling.

I also did some leg extensions as a warm up and 3 sets of 10 as a 'finisher' at the end to burn out on. Lactic acid burnnnns, and I love it!

My tricep's (I think) and also my lats (again, I think its them) are still a bit sore from pull day, and my quads STILL ache from those squats. I'm becoming submerged in body-pain... its a terrific feeling, and keeps me motivated as hell. I swear its addictive.

I also did a few very light squats to practice form more than anything else, and I conclude that I dont think I go down far enough. It feels like my ankles get in the way, or something. I'll keep at it though.

Bring on more leg-ache tomorrow!

[damirk]

1st press, 4th Macro

Standing Push Press (65%=75lb)

50-8x w/u
55-6x w/u light bar push press 6x
60-6x w/u light bar push press 5x
65-4x w/u light bar push press 4x
70-3x w/u light bar push press 4x
75-8x w/s light bar push press 2x
75-8x w/s light bar push press 2x
75-16x AMRAP light bar push press 2x

BB Bench press

100-15x
100-15x
100-13x

Dips

B/W-10x
B/W-8x
B/W-8x

Skull Crushers

30-15x
30-15x
30-15x

Decline Crunches

B/W+10-20x
B/W+10-20x
B/W+10-20x

First Press Day on the new program (4th macro). I was able to push out 16 reps for the AMRAP set on push press which Im happy with. I only got 13 reps out on the bench for my last set though (which was my next exercise) which tells me I hit the shoulders pretty good with the push press. Looking forward to some cardio tomorrow then Squats on Saturday....super pumped for Saturday, I love destroying my legs!!!

[Yank11]

Had my lift day today, deadlifts and RDL, and hyperextensions. Then went to my Gross Anatomy class and removed the erector spinae muscles from my cadaver, weird coincidence lol

[2020Wellness]

Had my lift day today, deadlifts and RDL, and hyperextensions. Then went to my Gross Anatomy class and removed the erector spinae muscles from my cadaver, weird coincidence lol

Simply awesome! What is your major??

[Yank11]

Simply awesome! What is your major??

exercise science/pre-physical therapy

we're required to take a summer anatomy class focused on the muscles and basically have to dissect a cadaver to find each muscle for the most part, very interesting if you workout because you actually see/hold the muscles and know what they look like

[kilgoreklink]

Had my lift day today, deadlifts and RDL, and hyperextensions. Then went to my Gross Anatomy class and removed the erector spinae muscles from my cadaver, weird coincidence lol

Bet that gives the cadaver DOMS

[K-Krakrz]

forget what i said about not feeling romanian deads in my hams - just woke up today and have more soreness then them then 10 sets of leg curls lol

anyway, todays workout:

65% 1RM Pull Training

5 mins exercycle

Corelift: BB bent over row
WU 12 x 10kgs
8 x explosive inverted rows
WU 8 x 20kgs
6 x explosive inverted rows
WU 6 x 25kgs
6 x explosive inverted rows
WU 3 x 27.5kgs
WU 2 x 30kgs
WS 9 x 30kgs
WS 9 x 30kgs
AMRAP 15 x 30kgs

Supplement lifts:

Assisted Pullup:
WU 8 x 21 kg assistance
WS 12 x 18 kg assistance
WS 12 x 18 kg assistance
WS 11 x 18 kg assistance
WS 11 x 18kg assistance

In a fortnight, when i do these in the 8-10 rep range should i decrease the assistace weight? As you can see i hit some solid reps there, but the next weight increment is 15 kg assistance, which im not sure if i can handle.

T-Bar Row
WS 13.75 kg x 10
WS 12.5kg x 10
WS 10kg x 10

Cable Row
WS 23kg x 11
WS 23 kg x 12
Ws 23 kg x 12

^^^Same as Assisted pullup:

Overall: Average workout. I got all my targeted amrap reps, and everything went smotthly, but i just didnt feel that much in the 'zone today'. Usually i have a slight sweat after a workout, but not today- probably because of the weather.

Does anyone here feel not completly stimulated after 1 AMRAp set of an epper body evercise compared to lower body? I mean, even before i started GST i felt knackered after 1 intense set of deads or squats, but not so much with bench or rowing. Just curious, thats all.

I recommend doing a few less warm up reps, see the numbers I changed to bold. Not a big deal, but when you're weight get's higher (especially towards microcycles 3 and 4) you will find yourself fatigued before you even get to your first working set! Myself and others have made this same mistake.

I know that doing too many warm up sets is bad, but i can only get a good mind muscle connection by doing lots warm up reps prior.

[m.c]

Hey what are your thoughts on beginning a second Macroccycle and then getting sick + now having commitments for a few days. I started the cycle and got through the first two workouts, Squats and Pulls - but now will miss 4-5 days between.

Do you usually start the Macro over? Or just take the days of rest and run with it?

I'm never sure what to do when I miss days because of sickness or other commitments when I'm running a program.

Thanks much.

[p0fell0w]

i went last night to do legs after my agility test for the FD....lol awful day, but that was expected when they make you strap on a 40lb weighted vest and do 7 events including one where they make you carry an additional 70lb hose pack up 4 stories and back down 4 stories

so me (202lbs + 40lbs + 70lbs = 312Lbs up and down all those steps)

[bballjoe12]

Hey Ryan,

I'm 5'8 and weigh 177 pounds. Over the past 3-4 months, my lifts have been pretty stagnate. So far my 1RM stats are:

Squat-295
Bench-225
Row-195
Deadlift-370
Military Press-160

Would this program be suitable to break through my months of stagnating (is this a word, LOL)?

I prefer to stay at 177 pounds rather then gain some more weight.

[2020Wellness]

Hey what are your thoughts on beginning a second Macroccycle and then getting sick + now having commitments for a few days. I started the cycle and got through the first two workouts, Squats and Pulls - but now will miss 4-5 days between.

Do you usually start the Macro over? Or just take the days of rest and run with it?

I'm never sure what to do when I miss days because of sickness or other commitments when I'm running a program.

Thanks much.

I recommend to carry on where you left off. Keep it simple and don't worry about repeating anything. Extra rest never made anyone weaker

i went last night to do legs after my agility test for the FD....lol awful day, but that was expected when they make you strap on a 40lb weighted vest and do 7 events including one where they make you carry an additional 70lb hose pack up 4 stories and back down 4 stories

so me (202lbs + 40lbs + 70lbs = 312Lbs up and down all those steps)

That makes me anxious to try out my new pulling harness! I've got 50,000lbs of tolerance on this thing and am looking forward to hooking it up to a car to pull around. Sounds like a brutal training event for you man.

Hey Ryan,

I'm 5'8 and weigh 177 pounds. Over the past 3-4 months, my lifts have been pretty stagnate. So far my 1RM stats are:

Squat-295
Bench-225
Row-195
Deadlift-370
Military Press-160

Would this program be suitable to break through my months of stagnating (is this a word, LOL)?

I prefer to stay at 177 pounds rather then gain some more weight.

Hey BB,

I'm pretty sure you've been posting on and off in here for awhile now, so I think you know the basics of the program and what its designed for. You know your lifts, you know the weights you can hit on them, and you seem ready for the GST experience. If you read through the pages, you'll see how much people who partake in the program like it.

This program is definitely suitable for you. With the inclusion of proper nutrition, GST will advance you forward.

Glad to have you considering the plan.

[bballjoe12]

Thanks a lot Ryan. Can you give me some important nutrition tips I need to know? I currently try to take in about 2700-3000 calories a day. Anything else I need to make sure I do?

[leedsjack93]

Thanks a lot Ryan. Can you give me some important nutrition tips I need to know? I currently try to take in about 2700-3000 calories a day. Anything else I need to make sure I do?

Yeah, some nutritional advice would be appreciated here too. As I'm only 16, and as a result am in the midst of puberty, I dont know how many kcals to eat... lol

I dont want to eat way too much so that I get too fat, but neither do I want to waste one milligram of muscle-building by not eating enough. So basically some fat is fine by me, just not too much. Any ideas? Bar doing my 4 lift days, I'm pretty much a couch-potato... Should 2750 have me covered? (Im 5'10 and 124lbs)

Cheers again mate, been a while since I had a question... a whole couple of days

[kilgoreklink]

My traps are singing today along with my hammies, all I can think is that the RDL's did it.
Did conventional deads, rdl's, reverse lunges and flat bench flys.
Are RDL's supposed to smoke the traps too? Just curious to see if I may not be doing these things correctly.

[GSZ1]

I'm curious about your thoughts on a slight modification to the program, Ryan. My idea combines the lift and pull days into one workout. Basically Deadlifting as my core exercise and then doing BB Rows and Bodyweight pull ups as my supplemental exercises.

I ran one macro of GST during the month of March and followed the program exactly as you laid out. Was planning on running a second macro right after, but have been sidelined while I recover from surgery and haven't been able to do much in the gym. I'm definitely gunna start back up with GST in about 2 weeks when I get the OK from my doctor to start lifting regularly again. I believe GST to be extremely effective, due to the sound foundation and principles you've built it around such as planned progression and intensity / volume variation. Due to my current work and school schedule, I'm able to workout 3 days a week. My available days to hit the gym are basically Monday-Thursday. So I was training Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (depending on what my body was telling me, if I felt good Tuesday I'd train, if I felt like a rest was needed, I'd train Wednesday instead) and then again on Thursday. This makes for a 9-10 day progression between micro cycles, which I believe to be less than ideal.

ANYWAY, here's my reasoning behind making the modification:

1) 9-10 days between a particular type of workout seems less than ideal. I know rest is important, but too much rest isn't necessarily good, and can lead to slower progress. By adjusting the program to 3 workouts, I'll be able to start micro cycles at the beginning of a week, and finish them by the end of a workout week. Additionally, it'll allow 3 full days of rest between the end of an old micro and the start of a new one, allowing me to really attack each workout hard, effectively putting that extra rest to work for me instead of against me.

2) I'm not sure 3 variations to the deadlift for a total of 9 sets are totally necessary. I'm not saying doing it this way is a bad thing, I'm just suggesting progress can be made with less volume for this particular function (lifting). The deadlift, if done properly is amongst the most taxing exercises somebody can do. I was able to progress my deadlift in linear fashion on Starting Strength for over two months by performing 1 set of the deadlift 1.5 x per week. Went from a 225# 5 RM to a 315# 5RM in that time frame. It's from that personal experience that I'm basing my idea of being able to progress effectively on the deadlift by lifting HARD and FOCUSED for 3 sets a week on GST.

3) A lot of the muscles of the back worked by the deadlift are also worked by exercises done in the pull workout. So a pull/lift hybrid workout could look something like this:

Core Exercise:
- Dead lift (Follow Weight and set / rep schemes laid out by program)

Supplements:
1. Body Weight Pull Ups ( 3 sets of AMRAP) *
*Not sure if doing 3 sets of AMRAP here or following the rep scheme laid out by the program would be better here. I'm thinking since it's a body weight exercise, cranking out 3 sets of AMRAP once a week wouldn't hinder gains, and should result in gains.

2. Bent-Over BB Rows (Follow rep/set scheme laid out by program)
3. Optional 3rd supplemental lift. Could be something like hamstring curls or GHR or a 3rd pull exercise. Probably wouldn't even be needed.



4) This kind of ties in with point 3.... The way the program works on a 4 workout 'split', you're either pulling after a lift day, or lifting after a pull day. I found during my first macro of GST that my pull workout was being negatively affected by having a sore back from my lift workout. By combining the two, into a single hybrid workout, this will be avoided.


I'm not suggesting this should be a mass modification made to the program by any means. The way you currently have it laid out is probably better for the masses. I'm thinking setting it up like this would work better for me personally given my schedule however. Looking for your feedback and thoughts on this, Ryan.

This is what I have laid out:

Squat Workout

Core Lift:
- BB Back Squats

Supplements:
1) BB Lunges
2) Single Leg Press


Press Workout

Core Lift:
- Incline Bench

Supplements:
1) Hang Clean and Presses
2) Dips


Lift/Pull Workout

Core Lift:
- Dead Lift

Supplements:
1) Body Weight Pull Ups
2) Bent-over BB Rows

[K-Krakrz]

Ryan- just a few questions:

Do you get sore much after lat workouts? I try my hardest to isolate my lats in rowing exercises and pullups, but in the end i always end up with pumped forearms, and the next day, ( unlike chest + legs ) my lats are barely sore. Does this still mean im making progress?

And what kind of BB rows do you prefer? The one where row it off the ground, or let it hang off your arms?

[2020Wellness]

Thanks a lot Ryan. Can you give me some important nutrition tips I need to know? I currently try to take in about 2700-3000 calories a day. Anything else I need to make sure I do?

Joe, I dont disclose full nutrition plans for free, but I can give you some general tips. Since you laid out a calorie number already, I'm going to keep it simple and tell you to hit 1.25g of protein/lb bodyweight, take in enough fat calories to equal 20-30% of your daily calorie needs, and get the rest of your available calories from smart carb choices. I use different plans for on and off days as well, which differ in macro and calorie levels.

Yeah, some nutritional advice would be appreciated here too. As I'm only 16, and as a result am in the midst of puberty, I dont know how many kcals to eat... lol

I dont want to eat way too much so that I get too fat, but neither do I want to waste one milligram of muscle-building by not eating enough. So basically some fat is fine by me, just not too much. Any ideas? Bar doing my 4 lift days, I'm pretty much a couch-potato... Should 2750 have me covered? (Im 5'10 and 124lbs)

Cheers again mate, been a while since I had a question... a whole couple of days

Jack, you need to be concerned with really eating ALOT of food. Eat tons of clean foods and thats all you have to be worried about right now. If you are too afraid of a little fat addition, you will more than likely not reach your size goals.

My traps are singing today along with my hammies, all I can think is that the RDL's did it.
Did conventional deads, rdl's, reverse lunges and flat bench flys.
Are RDL's supposed to smoke the traps too? Just curious to see if I may not be doing these things correctly.

Yes, my traps are always sore after any type of deadlift. This means that you're doing things right by trying to keep a tight squeeze and arch all the way up to your upper back. You're sore in the traps, and its a good sign!

I'm curious about your thoughts on a slight modification to the program, Ryan. My idea combines the lift and pull days into one workout. Basically Deadlifting as my core exercise and then doing BB Rows and Bodyweight pull ups as my supplemental exercises.

I ran one macro of GST during the month of March and followed the program exactly as you laid out. Was planning on running a second macro right after, but have been sidelined while I recover from surgery and haven't been able to do much in the gym. I'm definitely gunna start back up with GST in about 2 weeks when I get the OK from my doctor to start lifting regularly again. I believe GST to be extremely effective, due to the sound foundation and principles you've built it around such as planned progression and intensity / volume variation. Due to my current work and school schedule, I'm able to workout 3 days a week. My available days to hit the gym are basically Monday-Thursday. So I was training Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (depending on what my body was telling me, if I felt good Tuesday I'd train, if I felt like a rest was needed, I'd train Wednesday instead) and then again on Thursday. This makes for a 9-10 day progression between micro cycles, which I believe to be less than ideal.

ANYWAY, here's my reasoning behind making the modification:

1) 9-10 days between a particular type of workout seems less than ideal. I know rest is important, but too much rest isn't necessarily good, and can lead to slower progress. By adjusting the program to 3 workouts, I'll be able to start micro cycles at the beginning of a week, and finish them by the end of a workout week. Additionally, it'll allow 3 full days of rest between the end of an old micro and the start of a new one, allowing me to really attack each workout hard, effectively putting that extra rest to work for me instead of against me.

2) I'm not sure 3 variations to the deadlift for a total of 9 sets are totally necessary. I'm not saying doing it this way is a bad thing, I'm just suggesting progress can be made with less volume for this particular function (lifting). The deadlift, if done properly is amongst the most taxing exercises somebody can do. I was able to progress my deadlift in linear fashion on Starting Strength for over two months by performing 1 set of the deadlift 1.5 x per week. Went from a 225# 5 RM to a 315# 5RM in that time frame. It's from that personal experience that I'm basing my idea of being able to progress effectively on the deadlift by lifting HARD and FOCUSED for 3 sets a week on GST.

3) A lot of the muscles of the back worked by the deadlift are also worked by exercises done in the pull workout. So a pull/lift hybrid workout could look something like this:

Core Exercise:
- Dead lift (Follow Weight and set / rep schemes laid out by program)

Supplements:
1. Body Weight Pull Ups ( 3 sets of AMRAP) *
*Not sure if doing 3 sets of AMRAP here or following the rep scheme laid out by the program would be better here. I'm thinking since it's a body weight exercise, cranking out 3 sets of AMRAP once a week wouldn't hinder gains, and should result in gains.

2. Bent-Over BB Rows (Follow rep/set scheme laid out by program)
3. Optional 3rd supplemental lift. Could be something like hamstring curls or GHR or a 3rd pull exercise. Probably wouldn't even be needed.



4) This kind of ties in with point 3.... The way the program works on a 4 workout 'split', you're either pulling after a lift day, or lifting after a pull day. I found during my first macro of GST that my pull workout was being negatively affected by having a sore back from my lift workout. By combining the two, into a single hybrid workout, this will be avoided.


I'm not suggesting this should be a mass modification made to the program by any means. The way you currently have it laid out is probably better for the masses. I'm thinking setting it up like this would work better for me personally given my schedule however. Looking for your feedback and thoughts on this, Ryan.

This is what I have laid out:

Squat Workout

Core Lift:
- BB Back Squats

Supplements:
1) BB Lunges
2) Single Leg Press


Press Workout

Core Lift:
- Incline Bench

Supplements:
1) Hang Clean and Presses
2) Dips


Lift/Pull Workout

Core Lift:
- Dead Lift

Supplements:
1) Body Weight Pull Ups
2) Bent-over BB Rows

Awesome post btw, just gotta say that first. I actually go over an option like this in the eBook. This option is fine, and is the first step I would make if I wanted a 3 day cycle myself. The book also outlines a 2 day cycle as well, fyi. Your ideas and setup are excellent, and are very similar to those outlined in the book.

I am wondering if you will maximize your overhead press poundage by performing the hang clean first though. Can you hang clean more than you can press? You might wanna go with a push press instead, depending on your own discretion.

Great post once again, and I'm actually considering this option for my next cycle as well. I'm also looking at running a new set/rep/intensity core scheme as well! Its a bit shorter in duration, running through 3 schemes instead of 4. I have it working on some current clients and they are seeing both strength and size gains from it.

I'll keep the crew informed

Ryan- just a few questions:

Do you get sore much after lat workouts? I try my hardest to isolate my lats in rowing exercises and pullups, but in the end i always end up with pumped forearms, and the next day, ( unlike chest + legs ) my lats are barely sore. Does this still mean im making progress?

And what kind of BB rows do you prefer? The one where row it off the ground, or let it hang off your arms?

Yes, I get sore lats from my pull workouts. I always do, as I think it comes with experience. When I do my pulling movements, I can feel it in my lats. What kind of pullups are you doing btw?

As far as BB rows, I like to keep the weight off of the floor lately to be honest. I switch back and forth though too, so go with what works best for you. Do what feels most comfortable.

[kilgoreklink]

Ryan- just a few questions:

Do you get sore much after lat workouts? I try my hardest to isolate my lats in rowing exercises and pullups, but in the end i always end up with pumped forearms, and the next day, ( unlike chest + legs ) my lats are barely sore. Does this still mean im making progress?

And what kind of BB rows do you prefer? The one where row it off the ground, or let it hang off your arms?

I was told that you start with the bar on the floor each rep. Here is a link that was given to me for reference. Its got description and a vid.
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-perfor...per-technique/

[kilgoreklink]

Yes, my traps are always sore after any type of deadlift. This means that you're doing things right by trying to keep a tight squeeze and arch all the way up to your upper back. You're sore in the traps, and its a good sign!.

Good to hear, starting to learn how to do these movements correctly. Guess this is why experienced lifters get more out of a set than us beginners. There sure is a hell of a lot more to weight lifting than I ever thought. Now if I could just get my bench movement solid. I must have been doing something right when using the incline for core for 3 macros. Though my 1RM didn't increase by much, my upper pecs sure grew nicely and filled in much better than they ever have. Mikey Likey

[K-Krakrz]

Yes, I get sore lats from my pull workouts. I always do, as I think it comes with experience. When I do my pulling movements, I can feel it in my lats. What kind of pullups are you doing btw?

As far as BB rows, I like to keep the weight off of the floor lately to be honest. I switch back and forth though too, so go with what works best for you. Do what feels most comfortable.

I cant manage a full pullup, so im doing them on the pullup machine- the one where you kneel on a pad with resistance on it and pull youself up on the two handles at the top.

Any tips on how to isolate my lats? Like today, when i woke up i did a lat stretch and i feel barely anything.

I was told that you start with the bar on the floor each rep. Here is a link that was given to me for reference. Its got description and a vid.
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-perfor...per-technique/

like ryan said, theres different types of barbell rows. I can handle more weight on the one where i start with the bar on the floor every rep, but ive already started this macrocycle so i wont change corelifts halfway through.

[damirk]

Cardio+Complexes

About 30 minutes of HIIT cardio on an indoor track. Did 2.5 sets of sprinting 1/4 lap, jog the rest, sprint 1/2 lap jog the rest, sprint 3/4 lap jog the rest then sprint an entire lap, jog a lap, then do it over again in reverse order (sprint 1 lap, jog 1 sprint 3/4 jog rest sprint 1/2 etc), this equals 1 set.

Complexes: BB+30lb (75lb total weight)

Push-up wide hands, feet elevated 4x10
Cleans 4x10
Good mornings 4x10
alternate standing behind the neck/front overhead press 10x,7x,5x,4x

felt pretty drained after the cardio so I only chose 4 exercises for the complexes as opposed to the usual 5, good workout nonetheless. Off to work now, 11p-7a, yet another weekend of midnight shift. The next few days are going to be rough.

[2020Wellness]

Everyone that hits a GST workout today should remember something:

There is another person out there hitting a GST workout as well. Are you gonna let that person work harder than you?

I promise that thought will push you through today's workout with serious intensity!

[kilgoreklink]

Journal
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post493940621

Really kicked out the AMRAP set. Got 140x18. Felt good, man I got to be patient with my bench presses.
Really like the push presses, what a movement. Dips still suck. I got pretty big tri's as far as I am concerned. Just measured my arms, 16 1/2 inches. Not great but not puny, at least to me. I put on some weight again too. Been eating like a fiend. Not very cleanly either. Enough of this crap food.
All in all a good pressing day, those decline crunches, man they hurt at the end. I was really running out of gas by that time. Went with the 4 set scheme today on the supps instead of my normal 3.

[leedsjack93]

Everyone that hits a GST workout today should remember something:

There is another person out there hitting a GST workout as well. Are you gonna let that person work harder than you?

I promise that thought will push you through today's workout with serious intensity!

Funny, that... Today's press day literally kicked my arse. Increased the bench from 10kg to 12kg for my core lift, and got 8,7,10.

By the end of my workout I was sweating, and the veins in my arms were bulging! Was pretty cool

And I've been gaining about 0.2kg a day on my current calories, which I think is decent, and would equate to 1.4kg a week... thats 3lbs a week. So long as some of it's muscle, I dont care about the fat either. I dont want to go and do a 'dreamer bulk' (if you havent seen the pictures, just do a search, its hilarious), but neither do I want to impare my gains. Any thoughts/experience/recommendations on GOMAD?

I've read a bit about the GOMAD thing as well today, 'the gallon of milk a day' suggested by Rippetoe for skinny's on SS. He basically suggests that if you train really hard, then the more calories the better. Its supposedly gives 25lbs of gain in a month (not all muscle, but still!) which I think sounds great--but unrealistic, too. That would, if true, put me way ahead of my 65kg by September target.

One more thing: I've seen a few posts about 'noob gains'. Now I'm a BB noob in every sense, so I assume these would likely apply to me-even more so perhaps with my age, and puberty, still getting taller (hopefully), etc. So my question is, will GST help me get the most out of these noob gains? And realistically, if I gain say 3-4lbs a week, how much is likely to be muscle (remembering I should have noob gains + puberty + growing taller)? I always push hard in the gym, until I physically can't do any more (with good-ish form).

If thats all a bit much for once, i'm sorry. I've just had such a good workout today and I'm really excited by it. My PWO Cyto Gainer tasted all that bit sweeter, too (probably due to the bit of milk I threw in!)

Cheers, Jack
(bloody hell I feel like I've just typed up an English assignment, its such a long post)

EDIT:
This is the 'dreamer bulk':

[leedsjack93]

Bump, cant lose this thread lol

[2020Wellness]

Bump, cant lose this thread lol

This thread won't be lost, lol. Plus, you can always search it out as well

[rocky_mtn]

Did lift/pull this morning, feeling good!!! Figured out all my 1rm's and stuff now so thats good, still a bit confused as to how i change the core lift for pullups, im currently doing about 10 x 2, then last set AMRAP. For next microcycle how do i change the weight???