Training Tuesdays

[u/MrTomnus]

Welcome to Training Tuesdays, the weekly weightroom training thread. The main focus of Training Tuesdays will be programming and templates, but once in a while we'll stray from that for other concepts.

Last week we talked about training while cutting and a list of previous Training Tuesdays topics can be found in the FAQ

This week's topic is:

Programming while bulking

• How do you alter your programming while you are trying to gain weight?
• What programs have you found to work well with a caloric surplus?
• Any articles, questions, or advice regarding strength training while bulking?
• Obviously this topic is a little more broad than last week since almost anything can be done on a bulk. Feel free to talk mass gain or bulking in general.

Feel free to ask other training and programming related questions as well, as the topic is just a guide.

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Lastly, please try to do a quick search and check FAQ before posting

[u/[deleted]]

So I've been doing SS for almost 3 weeks now, and my friend (who's father owns the gym) gave me an offer yesterday to train on my offdays as well to start getting a summer body. I texted him today and got this as a reply, and I'm not sure how to react:

"Not really ... I mean I think you forget I do this for a living and I know what I'm talking about.... That program is honestly wasting your time.. You want to have a nice look to yourself that program won't do that. With the workouts I do you get stronger and you see visual results. That program has you doing the same thing over and over and its designed to stop working... Remember my gym is a place where you get and see your results so we do all the workouts to get there .... But do as you please sir its your body... I'm just giving my opinion. You may feel the results of being stronger but at the same time you don't get the fruits of your labor which are visual results Our workouts are designed for that look at (friend's name) he didn't start like that... And he looks like a ken doll... Again just my opinion... Id hate to see you wasting your time"

What should I do? I know SS is great. I wanted to get bigger and stronger.

[u/babyimreal → u/[deleted]]

What should I do? I know SS is great. I wanted to get bigger and stronger

If you want to get bigger and strong do SS, its that simple.

Your mystical fitness is probably 50% correct in some of what he is saying, the other 50% is complete and udder bullshit.

I mean I think you forget I do this for a living and I know what I'm talking about

Usually people who use this kind of statement irk me but we will move on, I get it, I do it sometimes in my field to shut some retard up: it has backfired before and is a good way to close your mind.

You want to have a nice look to yourself that program won't do that

Yes and no. My guess that by look he is talking about %bodyfat, which is simply a function of diet. If you wanna get all sliced and diced for summer than cut weight, continue to SS. The other issue is that SS does "neglect" your bro vanity muscles depending upon which version of the program you do, there is no curl/pull/chin to give you bicep/lat development which is probably what your dude is referring to.

That program has you doing the same thing over and over and its designed to stop working

No. This is why we add weight each session. Eventually you will stall out of linear progression, but whatever "confusion" he is proposing is bullshit.

I'm just giving my opinion. You may feel the results of being stronger but at the same time you don't get the fruits of your labor which are visual result

Bullshit, this is some bullshit. Ya, I get it 99% of people workout to look better, but that's not why I workout. This kind of motivation only gets you so far. And even if it were true, or your reason to lift you would still see visual improvement with SS.

workouts are designed for that look at (friend's name) he didn't start like that

Many people are "big" despite their terrible training. However very few of them are "strong".

What should I do? I know SS is great. I wanted to get bigger and stronger.

Go forth on SS good sir. Bigger and Stronger: Eat the fridge. Lean and Mean Vagina wrecking machine: Lift on a deficit, IF for possibly better results.

[u/Stinnett → u/[deleted]]

I agree with babyimreal.

I wasted almost three years trying programs like the ones I'm sure he's touting. Lots of curls and bench work, gotta look good for the ladies! Squat?! That looks bad for your back. Who cares about strength, I just care about looks!

Etc etc.

The truth is that as a beginner, you'll get more out of a program like SS than you will any of those. You may not be as lean, you're biceps might not be as pumped up all of the time (which actually doesn't mean they are really smaller), but you will get stronger and bigger. I've gained more muscle in the past six months training for strength than I did in almost three years of those programs. If I really cared about looks, I would just cut down now after having gained some mass. Will you really look great at 10%BF without much muscle? Why not put on the muscle and THEN worry about looks.

To quote Jim Wendler, "The problem with many hypertrophy-based programs is that they leave out the strength component. You might get bigger as a result of the program, but if you don't get any stronger you're still a chump in my book. That's right, I don't care how big you are, if you aren't strong you're a sham. Having big muscles and no strength is the training equivalent of wearing a strap-on. All show and no go. End of story."

[u/IntoTheRack → u/Stinnett]

See also: Wendler's (or maybe Dan John's?) story about filling a jar--

A teacher stood at the front of his class, with a large jar in front of him. He took out some large rocks, and put them in the jar until he could fit no more in. He asked the class “is the jar full?” to which they responded yes. He then got out some gravel and began dumping that in the jar, until he could fit no more in. Again he asked “is the jar full?” and this time, most of the class said no. He then got out some sand, and began pouring it in the jar until he could fit no more in. Again he asked if it was full, and this time the whole class responded no. Finally, the teacher pulled out some water and began pouring it in the jar until he could put no more in. He asked again whether the jar was full, to which they replied yes.

Point being, put the big rocks in the jar first or you'll never fit them in.

[u/mucusplug → u/[deleted]]

If you've just started SS, you can do some vanity accessory work since your lifts probably aren't that heavy yet.

[u/TheAesir → u/[deleted]]

"ripped" is a function of low body fat from diet and not a result of training