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About the program
We don't know your size and shape, so we're in no position to second-guess your instructor. For now, go with what he says.
About the diet
Protein powder is something we use when our regular diet doesn't offer enough protein. It's a supplement, nothing more. It doesn't replace anything, it just adds.
You are right!
In most cases, you ...
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Nothing inherently wrong in the math, just in the model you are using. As it turns out, Greg Nuckols just published an article on Muscle Math, which sheds some light on why it is simply not feasible in practice to go from 300x3 to 840 lbs in 1 year (52 weeks).
Some of the major take-aways are:
Recovery activities have a power law distribution (i.e. the ...
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You can try Smolov method for squating
How Smolov Works
The Russian Smolov Squat routine is split into 3 phases for a total of 13 weeks. As always, start with a weight you're 100% sure you can Squat instead of starting too heavy and hitting plateaus. The 4 Smolov cycles.
Weeks 1-2 - introduction cycle to prepare your legs. Week 1 you Squat 3 day in a row ...
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A program should be switched out when you feel like you're hitting a plateau, and are no longer progressing. If your program doesn't have a "here's what you do if you plateau", then switch it out.
As ever, variation is key, which means that unless your program has built-in variation for when progress stagnates, every program is only temporary.
It sounds ...
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You can add cardio on off days if you wish, and if you do it right. The most important thing to consider is whether or not your body is getting proper recovery.
The reason Mehdi says not to change the routine at all is because when people do, it's almost always too much. The routine is already difficult, and a BIG aspect of the 5x5 SL routine is in its rest ...
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Since your stated goals are to gain mass and to lose some bodyfat, I highly recommend that you consider the Starting Strength Program. With it, you can use your gym time much more efficiently and gain strength and useful bodymass much more quickly. When you're stronger, losing bodyfat is easier.
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"For example I always feel my quads after squatting and hardly ever feel my hamstrings."
This is because squatting is a quad dominant exercise, this is normal. Yes squats use your whole leg but you wouldn't 'feel it' in your hamstrings as much (if at all) than your quads.
"I can go to parallel but an attempt to go below results in form degradation "
Why ...
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This is simultaneously an easy problem and a hard problem.
The easy part is that it sounds like you're a novice without other training to work around. Programming for novices is easy. Many times an off-the-shelf program is sufficient. (The hardest part about this is finding a program that suits your goal. You're right that many so-called "strength" ...
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There are a few reasons why those exercises in particular are chosen in beginner programs.
They're foundational. Every beginner needs to build on a foundation of something. These are full body strength exercises which are ideal for building a solid foundation of fitness to move on to more difficult tasks.
They're simple to perform. Push, pull, squat, and ...
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Whether your goal is to gain muscle, strength, or endurance, it is always better to do your exercises together (with short breaks between sets) than spaced throughout the day.
In general, 3 sets of one exercise won't actually give you any noticeable changes in strength or endurance. You need to do more. You can try adding some exercises that would help ...
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First off, congratulations to your progress!
With those numbers though, just like you say, I believe you still have some to gain from a foundational (linear progression) strength program. My personal favorite is StrongLifts but others swear by Starting Strength. Either would work for you.
StrongLifts took my squat from 90 kg to 125 kg (5RM) in two months. ...
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Your math is fine. The problem is you're just plotting your current progress. From Aimee Avaya Everett:
New people come on the scene, their lifts continuously go up week after week, and they are the fucking bomb! Their confidence is through the roof! Do we have the next World Champ? [They think,] 'At the rate I am PRing in my snatch and clean & jerk, 3-...
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Something to consider:
Machines restrict your range of motion. You are going to have less restriction on range of motion with dumbbells. Generally this means that machines encourage good form. With dumbbells you will have to focus on form because there is no machine to do it for you.
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TL;DR - Go read Dan John's stuff
I remember a while back (several years, so my memory of it may be slightly off) I went through a phase of reading books by old time strongmen, especially Eugen Sandow. Admittedly, back then, there wasn't really any research into physical fitness, but one of the ideas that he kept coming back to was how strength training and ...
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Bodybuilder with rotator cuff tear here.
I have a shoulder injury as well in my rotator cuff although I'm very curious about yours because most tears heal. Either way, I'd suggest seeing a few different bone specialists or orthopedics or physiatrists and a well qualified physical therapist. Making sure they specialize in sports will help too.
The treatment ...
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The quick answer is either "When you've reached the end of the program" or "When you're not longer progressing or your goals change".
I don't know anything about the program you're following, so I'm going to address two different types of programs and introduce a concept by Dan John, bus bench and park bench programs.
The two different types of programs ...
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(In this answer I am only addressing muscle growth.)
Muscle growth occurs on a per need basis within certain genetic and environmental parameters. Presenting a challenge to the muscles (typically by training) creates a stimulus for growth. Environmental factors (relative to the muscle tissue) such as stress and nutrition can promote or discourage additional ...
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I used to compete regularly, and based on my experience I train differently when I am close to a meet than when I am just building strength. I was also working with a coach when I was trying to get my nutrition dialed in along with getting stronger. Whether I used common training plans like Wendler's 5-3-1, or my coach's outline, my training cycle was a ...
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Making sure that your workouts are properly spaced out in the week, and you are taking advantage of the deload weeks, you could probably run 5/3/1 for a long time. This also depends on what sort of 5/3/1 variant you might be following since 5/3/1 is very flexible and more of an approach than an actual program.
Nutrition-wise, since you're striving for a body ...
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People all learn things differently. Some may be able to figure out a complex movement from just a diagram, whereas others might need a video, and then there are those that learn simply by doing.
Regardless of your particular brand of learning, however, there are two things that will remain constant:
Form / safety always comes first.
Practice makes perfect....
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Looking at what's in there currently, you'd write in your sessions sets and reps or time for the given exercise, i.e. 3 / 12, 3 / 60s, 30s, etc.
The issue with this way of recording things is that it doesn't really give you much room.
One of the key things when trying to get in shape is to get yourself stronger (everything is easier when you're stronger), ...
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There are 3 good programmes I am aware of that are dumbbell focused. They do require your dumbbells to go up to quite a high weight though.
Dumbbell Stopgap
Alternative Dumbbell Stopgap
Frankoman's Dumbbell only split
A good program is one you will do consistently.
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What do you have available, or what are you willing to buy?
If you don't have much in the way of weights, then bodyweight is the way to go, a healthy diet of bodyweight exercises is a fantastic way to stay in shape, and I'd highly recommend checking out the Reddit bodyweight fitness sub for info and routines.
If you have a little room and don't mind ...
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Everything being ideal, you might expect to lose 6 lbs of fat and put on 3 lbs of muscle. To achieve this, you’ll want to do some LISS cardio (ie taking a long walk) everyday as well as doing strength training and HIIT cardio. You’ll also want to eat in a (roughly estimated) 300 calorie deficit off of your TDEE, and get plenty of protein (maybe up to 1 gram ...
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First of all, working out for 3 months is a very short amount of time to notice significant differences, so there might be changes to your body that you haven't noticed. You might have become stronger without it showing yet, you might have become faster without you noticing it during your workouts.
Secondly, if you want to look good, because I think that's ...
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Dumbells are "heavier" than machines, why ?
because dumbells work on the balance and not only the weight like machines.
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Since this question is a bit old, I'd be interested to hear where you went.
Answering the question for anyone else out there who sees this, I think the Texas method is my particular favorite to move onto. Bill Starr / Madcow / 5/3/1 tend to be very structured and by the numbers which is great because intermediate lifters need to ditch the idea of just ...
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If you've undergone strength building programs such as Strong Lift's 5X5, then, the only way you'll derive much benefits from a 45-lb plate is through high intensity and high repetitions/sets. While compound exercises are highly recommended, a lot of high repetitions/sets exercises are isolation movements (which allows some parts of the body to rest while ...
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I sincerely hope no-one reading these answers in the future get's the wrong idea here. Hence I feel the need, four years after the original asker was here, to add some context.
What Starting Strength does
Starting Strength is designed to add maximal strength as quickly as possible whilst not specifically building hypertrophy or work capacity. It does this ...
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Spartan Workout courtesy of Mens Health magazine.
THE BEGINNER 300 WORKOUT
Body-Weight Rows - 15 reps
Body-Weight Squats - 25 reps
Pushups - 15 reps
Jumping Jacks - 50 reps
Mountain Climbers - 20 reps
Close-Grip Pushups - 10 reps
Body-Weight Rows - 15 reps
THE INTERMEDIATE 300 WORKOUT
Pullups - 25 reps
Dumbbell Deadlift - 50 reps
Pushups - 50 reps
Body-...
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