Is it OK to extend a program 1/3 longer than outlined in the book?
Hi all, I've been lurking here for a long time beng a huge fan of NROL and decided to finally register... I've been doing NROL since August, I've finished the break-in and Hyp I. I'm currently wrapping up Hyp 2.
My question is whether or not there would be anything wrong with extending Hyp 2 for one more round (i.e. 4 more weeks in addition to the 8 outlined in the book) before moving on to the next routine?
The reason the workouts come to an end as they do is to stave off adapatation. The body only grows when it's challenged, so when it adapts to the stimulus it's receiving, it stops growing.
There is several forms of adaptation: load, TUT, movement, etc. From Bipennate, movement pattern is one of the last the body will adapt to, load is one of the first, meaning TUT is somewhere in between.
I'd recommend moving on. You can come back at a later date. Two months is long enough for one program.
Yeah but adaptation will occur in different people in different time frames. If the op is still making good gains on the program, feels he has not peaked on it yet, why not? I did exactly what he wants to do with Hyper I. I had to take a week off in the middle to nurse a bad knee and felt like I did not get everything out of the program that I could have. So I just kept at if for another round.
I did exactly what he wants to do with Hyper I. I had to take a week off in the middle to nurse a bad knee and felt like I did not get everything out of the program that I could have. So I just kept at if for another round.
Actually, you didn't do what he wants to do. You took a week off to nurse an injured knee and started at the beginning again.
He wants to add to the end with no break, as far as I can tell.
True, Cynic. However, my uninformed opinion is still think that if you feel you have not yet got everything out of the program, there is no reason not to run through another set of the workouts.
After all, Alwyn did not have the OP, or you, or I, in front of him when he designed the workouts. He had to generalize.
True, Cynic. However, my uninformed opinion is still think that if you feel you have not yet got everything out of the program, there is no reason not to run through another set of the workouts.
After all, Alwyn did not have the OP, or you, or I, in front of him when he designed the workouts. He had to generalize.
I think this is where we differ. I tend to thing we are poor judges of what we need. We tend to go with what we like, not with what is best for us.
I think it's strange that people can feel like they've made specific hypertrophy gains from a phase of a program.
You're on a program for 8 or 12 weeks, for instance. Everything you do is building on a previous part of the program. What you see now may just as well be supercompensation from what you did three weeks ago.
By the time it stops working and you stop "seeing gains" you may find that you've wasted three more weeks on the same program. How long did it take for the gains to stop?
And AC didn't know who he was designing the program for, but if he saw a burst of progress, he may very well know that a particular stimulus can only continue to be THAT effective for a short period of time. Maybe he would have had you change things up last week.
That being said, the difference between perfect and pretty good is probably not that great. I doubt the gains would be better for sticking, but I don't think they'll be that much less either.
A big part of motivation is having fun with the program, too. If you like it and it keeps you going...
I didn't mean that harshly. But it looks harsh. I do get why people think that. I just think they need to look at the program differently. Look ahead at what you need to do, and don't assume that what you're doing now is causing the result you see today.
Hey thanks for your input everyone. As it turned out I got to the last week of Hyp 2 and felt like there was no way I could do another day of it anyway. I was ready for a week off. So I took a break and now I have begun Fat loss 1.
Interesting you should say that. I agree, I want to put more muscle on. Problem is I still have this bit of gut that didn't budge when I did my initial weight loss. After 5 months of bulking and adding 15lbs of mostly lean muscle I want to try again to lose that bit of gut (you can't see it in the avatar, it's just where it cuts off). Do you think I'm taking the wrong approach? Should I bulk more and then do the fat loss?
Interesting you should say that. I agree, I want to put more muscle on. Problem is I still have this bit of gut that didn't budge when I did my initial weight loss. After 5 months of bulking and adding 15lbs of mostly lean muscle I want to try again to lose that bit of gut (you can't see it in the avatar, it's just where it cuts off). Do you think I'm taking the wrong approach? Should I bulk more and then do the fat loss?
Unless it takes you into a range where you are unhealthy, I'd say to try to get where you want to be.
I used to be fat, and have the same issue. I can be lean all over, but I have a "reserve" of belly fat that seems to like to hang on for dear life. I don't like it.
I, also, would like to have more muscle, but if I could choose either flat belly and smaller than ideal or the perfect amount of muscle (for me) and belly fat, I know I'd be happier at the leaner choice.
In the end, I've cycled up and down, slowly getting leaner, then more muscular, then leaner, etc.
Just don't allow yourself to get discouraged in your goal.
Interesting you should say that. I agree, I want to put more muscle on. Problem is I still have this bit of gut that didn't budge when I did my initial weight loss. After 5 months of bulking and adding 15lbs of mostly lean muscle I want to try again to lose that bit of gut (you can't see it in the avatar, it's just where it cuts off). Do you think I'm taking the wrong approach? Should I bulk more and then do the fat loss?
If you do have a gut, I would bet that it's something that only you can notice. Looking at how skinny you are from the top up, there just simply can't be a gut that's that much bigger under where the picture cuts off. I would bulk for a few years if I were you. Don't do a hardcore bulk, trying to gain weight quickly. Just eat a lot of healthy stuff, and never skip workouts. You will continue to build muscle, and your stomach will flatten out over time due to all the added muscle, exercise, and healthy eating. I honestly don't think that cutting would get you to where you want to be in the long run. You may lose that tiny bit of fat, but at the expense of a good portion of the muscle that you worked for over the last 5 months. That's just my opinion though.
If you do have a gut, I would bet that it's something that only you can notice. Looking at how skinny you are from the top up, there just simply can't be a gut that's that much bigger under where the picture cuts off.
There sure can be. I don't know how heavy he was, but many formerly heavy guys can be left with quite a bit of fat around the belly and midsection and be rather lean over the rest of their body.
I'll agree that it might not be huge, but it's still a thick layer of fat.
Quote:
I would bulk for a few years if I were you. Don't do a hardcore bulk, trying to gain weight quickly. Just eat a lot of healthy stuff, and never skip workouts. You will continue to build muscle, and your stomach will flatten out over time due to all the added muscle, exercise, and healthy eating. I honestly don't think that cutting would get you to where you want to be in the long run. You may lose that tiny bit of fat, but at the expense of a good portion of the muscle that you worked for over the last 5 months. That's just my opinion though.
If there's a layer of fat, there's really no way to fill it out with muscle. you'll have more muscle under the same layer of fat, I'm afraid. You have to actually lose fat to flatten it out.
Thanks for the advice! Both of your ideas sound good. The dilemma I face is which one will work better for me. I've posted some pics, maybe that will help you advise me further.
Pic 1: Before (185 lbs, 5'9)
Pic 2: After months of weight loss (152 lbs, bf 18%)
Pic 3: Flexed, After bulking for 5 months and doing Nrol BI, H1, H2 (172 lbs, bf unchanged 18%)
Pic 4 & 5: Relaxed
My goals are putting on more muscle and to lose that gut.
A big part of motivation is having fun with the program, too. If you like it and it keeps you going...
FWIW, I have extended programmes too. For no other reason that when I got into them, the better at the exercises I got, and the more I wanted to improve my form so I could push myself harder. Basically, I was having too much fun...
I stop for a break when my mind has given up, which (fortunately?) is after my body.
Well, I did Nrol fat loss I and a calorie deficit for about two weeks and realized it wasn't really what I wanted. I don't think I've put on enough muscle yet to do the fat loss. I felt like I was losing what muscle I had put on during the bulk and that's a crap feeling. I don't have enough to lose any right now! Also my bodyfat % didn't really go up during my 5 months of bulking, so I decided there's no reason to abandon it. I'll just have to put the abs/flat gut on hold again for another round of bulking. I'm going to do NROL Hyp 3 and when finished I may even go back to Hyp 1 & 2 for another round.
Is it OK to extend a program 1/3 longer than outlined in the book?
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