Well i've only read about people using the cutting rountines so would like to hear from anyone who has done or is doing hypertrophy or strength and how they found the workouts and results.
The phases i've done.
Break In- harder then it looks. Quite different exercises that i'm used to and a different form of training. Glad i didn't choose to skip it because it made a solid foundation to work on later.
Fat loss 2- I actually feel like i've had a workout when i leave the gym. Great exercises and i like the periodization of the reps so its always changing. I've been able to up my weights significantly since i started.
Fat loss 3- to come.
P.S i've gone from 24% BF to 16%. Went from 213lb's to 198 and i feel great. Doing these rountines and actually watching my diet for once is the key to my success. Thanks lou and alwyn.
I have done the break in progam and I am now a little over 1/2 way done with Fat Loss 1. After doing a lot of 4-6 rep range stuff this has been a refreshing change but it's kicking my butt, wookout B with the deads, lunges and rom. deads about killed me yesterday. I can't even imagine what phase 3 will do to me..
I've done Strength I which rocked. It added Squat and DL strength.
Hyper I, which I liked, but kinda disagreed with the squats and DLs on the same day. It was a lot for the lower back to take, especially on the higher reps days. The upside is that I looked huge all the time while doing it. As Arnold would say I pretty much had a constant 'pump'
I'm back on Strength 2 now and it's good so far. Doing the heavy quarter squats and rack DLs really lets you 'feel' how much heavier the weight can get, and gets you used to it. I was doing quarter squats with 385 the other day and my mind is starting to think it's not so heavy anymore. Now if my body will catch up :p
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"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -- T.S. Eliot
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-- Aristotle
I'm finishing the Break-in tomorrow, then I'll be going in to Hypetrophy I (and then Hypertrophy II, Strength I). I also considered skipping the Break-In, but am very glad I didn't: it took me 3-4 days to recover from the early work-outs. It also took me a few tries to get the proper form on the squats & deadlifts.
I have 1 more week of the Break In workouts and then im moving on to Hypertrophy 1, The break in has been a tough workout, Squats followed by split squats is just cruel
I am on my last week of the break-in before moving to hypertrophy 1. I think its the static lunges after squats & the DB step-ups that have given me the greater burn. This is the first time that i've done a rep range greater than 10 so the exhaustion has meant that i have slept like a baby every night when i've got back from the gym!
What is your overall plan from working out? Do you want to get bigger or stronger??
Iwant IT ALL MM!!!!
I just was wondering if there was any added advantage to one or the other, based off the fact that the Fat loss 1 is rep ranges that are more endurence ranges( higher reps with some in hypertrophy ranges).
I mean would your body better respond by being thrown a complete curveball by switching to a strenght low rep phase before going to Hyper??
But to answer your question since summer is coming and I don't really want the added fat that would come with bulking, I would be leaning towards strenght... Thanks for helping me answer my own question MM !!!
I would still be interested to hear any thoughts on the above...
In that case i'd do a couple of the strength routines so that after the summer you can really lift heavy on the hypertrophy routines. That way you should see some really good size gains when you want them.
Just an update. Earlier I mentioned I've done Strength 1 and Hyper 1. Right now I've been doing Strength 2 for about 4 weeks (probably going to switch it up to hyper 2 soon). Last Thurs I crushed my old Deadlift PR of 365 and pulled 405 with good form w/o any sort of straps or belt. I haven't tested against my squat PR lately, but my workout weight has gone up significantly. The rack DLs and quarter squats really help prepare the body for the heavier weight.
I've also dropped a couple pounds during this whole set of workouts. Losing weight isn't a goal, but between the intensity of the workouts and basketball a couple times/week I've lost about 5lbs (which mostly looks to be BF since I'm much more vascular now)...down from 200lbs.
So yeah, I highly recommend NROL
__________________
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -- T.S. Eliot
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-- Aristotle
I am going to be starting Hyp. 1 this evening. I finished the break-in programs and I will say they are harder than they first appear to be. Having never done sets of 15 reps it was definitely something my body was not used to. Ill keep people updated with how Hyp. 1 is going for me.
I have now started the Hypertrophy 1 program (after an enforced 2 week break due to illness). I really enjoyed the variety, and it's the first time that i have properly done high-pulls. I couldn't get over the volume in Workout A (yet to do B). 6 lots of 5x5 are a killer!
How have the rest of you found the Hypertrophy 1 program???
I have now started the Hypertrophy 1 program (after an enforced 2 week break due to illness). I really enjoyed the variety, and it's the first time that i have properly done high-pulls. I couldn't get over the volume in Workout A (yet to do B). 6 lots of 5x5 are a killer!
How have the rest of you found the Hypertrophy 1 program???
Workout B for me was always special. I would mutter Lou and Alwyn's names under my breath during the workout and for 3 days after. What I would mutter, other than thier names cannot be printed here. JP would banish me from posting. In fact I'm still muttering like that with Hypertrophy II's workout B!
Great program! I don't measure myself other than weight and body fat. My weight is going up without too much fat gain, (these workouts make me very, very hungry) and in looking in the mirror and feeling how my clothes fit I can tell that I'm putting on some muscle.
I've four more workouts (2/wk) left in Breakin. I've gotten used to the volume, but the weight I can do for 15 reps seems inconsistant.
Things are a bit more consistant around work the next couple weeks, so I plan to accelerate the last week by a day (M-Th-Sn-W) and begin FL-1 (MWF) the week after (5/15). That will bring me up to the week we move when I'm pretty sure I'll be taking a break from lifting, just sayin'
reports on phases people have done
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