# Experienced Advice needed in Workout Selection for Size



## m1cetro (Apr 21, 2011)

Hey guys, I'm a 23 year old male 6'0 225. I've played football all my life and graduated college in Dec. of 2010. Now that I'm no longer playing football, strength is not that great of an importance to me since I am no longer competing. My strength coaches usually had us doing workouts utilizing pyramid techniques. Eventually I would plateau. Since I have stopped playing football and have been working out on my own, I have tried to switch my workout around and have been using split training. I have been splitting upper body and lower body between workouts on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday for about 4 months now.  I now want to focus on just gaining size, strength gains are ok but my main focus is to make my muscles bigger. I have been doing my research on the different types of workout programs available. To my understanding, the programs best tailored for size are: German Volume Training, HST training, FST-7 training, some articles said 5x5 training, and I've also been eyeballing the 12 week split workout featured in Jim Stoppani's article titled "Stop Training Like An Idiot! The 12-Week Shortcut To Size"   My question here is to ask any advice on which program would be most beneficial for me given my background. Or maybe more insight to these particular programs to help me make the best decision. Also any personal experiences with these programs would be greatly appreciated!  While you're at it, if you could name any non-steroid supplements that you have had a good experience with in gaining muscle size.  Im not sure if you would need any additional information to give me better advice, but I'm pretty experienced with weight lifting, so I know the ropes. If you need any more info, let me know!  1 Rep Maxes Bench - 380 Incline - 345 Squat - around 500    Thanks in advance guys! I would love to hear any type of advice!


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## ihateschoolmt (Apr 21, 2011)

I like HIT training. 5x5 is more for strength, I hear good things about german volume training, and I don't know what the other ones are.


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## FitnessBlogger (Apr 22, 2011)

Imo, to increase muscle mass you want to keep the reps in the 8-12 range.
Any less will build strength, more will build endurance. I haven't tried the split 
program you mentioned, but as long as the program includes compound movements(squats,deads,bench) then it's ok.

Supplements to increase mass? I don't think you really need anything besides the basics, quality protein, maybe a weightgainer but I doubt it. You're 225 at 6'0, what's your bf%, if you dont mind my asking?

Lastly, don't forget about diet. It will make or break the program you decide to use.


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## m1cetro (Apr 22, 2011)

FitnessBlogger said:


> Supplements to increase mass? I don't think you really need anything besides the basics, quality protein, maybe a weightgainer but I doubt it. You're 225 at 6'0, what's your bf%, if you dont mind my asking?



 Thanks for the advice man, last time I checked was about 2 years ago and it was around 9%. I know the whole diet thing, I eat well. But I have a high metabolism so a supplement is necessary for me to gain weight.


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## Anabolic5150 (Apr 22, 2011)

Seems you have the training down, that's good. The best supplement for gaining size, food. Being dead serious, nothing is going to help you pack on quality size like quality nutrition. You can use a whey protein, maybe mixed with whole milk for additional calories and creatine is a good supp as well. But get your diet in order first, maybe post a days typical diet for review.


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## x~factor (Apr 22, 2011)

FitnessBlogger said:


> Imo, to increase muscle mass you want to keep the reps in the 8-12 range.
> Any less will build strength, more will build endurance.



I understand the endurance part... but to build strength will also result in muscle mass. They come hand in hand, I thought.


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## ihateschoolmt (Apr 22, 2011)

x~factor said:


> I understand the endurance part... but to build strength will also result in muscle mass. They come hand in hand, I thought.


Sort of, there are two ways to cause hypertrophy. You can train in a way that maximizes strength gains with little size/weight gain, or you can train to get bigger and the strength will still come but not as fast. Most people want a balance between the two.


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## FitnessBlogger (Apr 23, 2011)

6'0 225 at 9% BF is pretty big. Your stats tell me you know what you're doing. Just keep lifting hard and eating big. If you truly are around the 9% BF area you can definitely get away with a weight gainer.


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## Anabolic5150 (Apr 23, 2011)

ihateschoolmt said:


> Sort of, there are two ways to cause hypertrophy. You can train in a way that maximizes strength gains with little size/weight gain, or you can train to get bigger and the strength will still come but not as fast. Most people want a balance between the two.


 

I disagree. I don't think one comes without the other. As you get stronger, you get bigger. As you get bigger, you get stronger. Muscle cannot increase without an increse in strenght, and strength gains result in muscle getting bigger. Or at least for me, as I got stronger, I got bigger and vica versa.


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## ihateschoolmt (Apr 23, 2011)

Ya but you want both to happen, if you are not in a caloric surplus you will not get bigger. Haven't you seen someone get stronger on a cut? Some power lifters compete in the same weight class every time and continue to make progress for years. Also, when any untrained person starts a workout routine they will make huge strength gains due to motor unit recruitment becoming more efficient. It does get harder to gain strength without size the longer you do it though. Myofiberillar hypertrophy results in the increase of the contractile proteins actin and myosin, which doesn't really add size. I would agree that is it much easy to get stronger while you also gain size, but at least to some degree you can gain strength without size.


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## Anabolic5150 (Apr 23, 2011)

ihateschoolmt said:


> Ya but you want both to happen, if you are not in a caloric surplus you will not get bigger. Haven't you seen someone get stronger on a cut? Some power lifters compete in the same weight class every time and continue to make progress for years. Also, when any untrained person starts a workout routine they will make huge strength gains due to motor unit recruitment becoming more efficient. It does get harder to gain strength without size the longer you do it though. Myofiberillar hypertrophy results in the increase of the contractile proteins actin and myosin, which doesn't really add size. I would agree that is it much easy to get stronger while you also gain size, but at least to some degree you can gain strength without size.



Now I see where you were coming from, and I do agree. But I also think that even in a deficit, some muscle size increase does occur. But in the case of the OP, he is trained and his increases will be based on nutrition and training. But you are right in your post, I respect that.


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## ihateschoolmt (Apr 23, 2011)

Anabolic5150 said:


> Now I see where you were coming from, and I do agree. But I also think that even in a deficit, some muscle size increase does occur. But in the case of the OP, he is trained and his increases will be based on nutrition and training. But you are right in your post, I respect that.


I think really what I was getting at is  that you can train a power lifter routine and you will see the biggest results in strength. If you want to do a body builder type routine geared towards sacraplasmic hypertrophy will make you bigger with strength coming second. Like a routine with a bunch drop set isn't going to do as much for your 1rm as much as a 5/3/1 routine. That's all I was really saying... I think lol I don't even know what question I was answering anymore.


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## Anabolic5150 (Apr 23, 2011)

I got lost too! I think it's simple, train heavy and you will get stronger and muscle will grow through adaptation. Train light, not enough stimulus to create growth. For me it's simple, I lift heavier to get stronger, as my strength increases, so does my size as long as my nutrition is dialed in.


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## buddhaluv (Apr 23, 2011)

HST - gained 20 pounds of lean mass within 4 months , natural. add some gear in that & you'll literally explode


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## m1cetro (Apr 24, 2011)

Thanks to everyone for your info, glad to see that people take the time to help others on here! I'll take all these things into account.


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## m1cetro (Apr 27, 2011)

buddhaluv said:


> HST - gained 20 pounds of lean mass within 4 months , natural. add some gear in that & you'll literally explode


 
Buddhaluv, I plan on starting HST soon. Your results are impressive! Can you send me the workout you did? or is it posted anywhere!?


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