[Iron_Mercenary]

Even though the way you have things currently set up you have space in between legs & back, those spaces are filled with training. So in that case you are not allowing yourself full systemic recovery. After a hardcore workout your brain is fried, you need time to recover all of those millions of neural connections in the brain. Also you need to have time to replenish your glycogen storages and flush your muscles with amino acids.

Try this out:

Day 1: Legs
Day 2: Bis tris and forearms
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Chest delts
Day 5: Back and traps
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Off

This will give you a more sound regimen in which you know what part you're working for each day of the week. I know the two off days at the end of the week are enough to drive you crazy, but this split is garunteed to give you adequate recovery time between parts. Which in turn will allow you to have maximum power output. This way you can hit 270 this week and maybe 290 next week; not 270 on a "good" day.

My program includes two bench press sessions because the chest needs to be stimulated twice per week in order to maximize power & strength. On the light day I'm working with 10reps with 245. Thats the hypertrophy day. Heavy bench day is all about raw power. Last week I worked with 2 sets for 2reps a piece with 325.

And about the M&F article, yes lack of endurance does play a part in muscle failure, but I believe overtraining is a far greater cause. Its like powerlifter Shawn O'Halloran says: "Be consistant, patient and don't over train. If you are missing a rep you are overtraining." Interview With Powerlifter Shawn O'Halloran
Basically, you should be hittin all of your reps, and if you're not then simply lighten the weight. And just make sure to keep eating like a BEAST!

[MikeNYY420]

*As I eat 2 chicken breasts* That split would allow me to train bis and tris together which I've been wanting to do because I need to strengthen my triceps. I might switch around back and chest day so I can make sure that my triceps are fully recovered before chest day because I usually train those very hard. To fight the overtraining factor I was thinking about training everything one day 3 times a week, but I like the split that you said. Will this be good for strength?

Today is bis traps and back day

Deadlifts(heavy)- 240lbs-5/ 245lbs-5/250lbs-3/245lbs-1

Close reverse grip pulldowns-100lbs- 10/110lbs-10/ 115lbs-6
Seated rows- 110lbs-10,9,8
Dumbbell shrugs-85lbs- 15,13,12
Farmer's walk- 85lbs each hand 30 feet
Cable preacher curls- 30lbs-10,8,7,6
Barbell curls-55lbs-6,6,5 dropset-45lbs-5
Pullups-5,4,4

I got a lifting belt for my birthday, but it's too big so we need to drill holes in it. Well today while not wearing it on my set of 245lbs for deadlifts I felt a pull in my back and it feels like I have a knot in it. I think I'll just rest it the most that I can for a few day and see how it feels. The weights I have are too big to really do shrugs with my legs just end up in the grip area of them and make it hard to move. I need to start using ones with smaller ends. I had to compromise my workout because of the back pain, I was gonna do bent over rows for my middle back since I had hit every other section pretty well. But that hurt so, I did seated rows instead. Still trying to get a good powerlifting routine done and trying not to get hurt in the process.

[Iron_Mercenary]

Yes, that split will help with both building mass and adding strength. Try to be more careful with those deads. Nothing will set you back further than an injury. That belt is begging for you to use it.

[MikeNYY420]

I drilled the holes today so I'll be using it on my heavy set of squats tomorrow. And don't worry tomorrow will be my last day doing leg and back day close together. What's the reasoning behind that anyway?

[Iron_Mercenary]

Legs and Back are the two biggest bodyparts, so they require extended time periods for full recovery. Blasting one part to close to the other will deprive the other from maximizing nutrient uptake. Also the Central Nervous System (CNS) needs time to recover after an exhausting workout. Plus on top of all that many of the same muscles are used for back & leg day - Squats & Deads work almost the entire body. Now on the other hand, chest can be trained close to back since they are opposing muscle groups.

[MikeNYY420]

Ah, I get it, ok I'll be starting a new split tomorrow.

Yesterday was leg day and I did some high weight and low reps.

Squats- 245lbs-4,6/250lbs-4,4/ 225lbs-10
Pause squats-205lbs-4, 195lbs-6
One leg leg extensions- 70lbs-3x 10 full, 10 force each leg
One leg leg curls- 35lbs- 3x 10 full,10 force each leg
SLDLs-160lbs- 10,9,9

I had a great pump in my legs after doing the one leg stuff with the force reps. I was wearing a belt for the heaviest sets, but nothing else. The pause squats were really intense and hard to do so I was only able to do two sets of those.

[MikeNYY420]

So today I'm continuing my low reps in pursuit of max weight. Also I started a new split, much like the one suggested by Iron Mercenary. Today was chest and delts.

Flat bench press- 155lbs-6,5,165lbs-2
Incline barbell press- 120lbs-6,6/ 125lbs-5
Flat dumbbell press- 55lbs- 7,6,6 each hand
Flat push ups-13
Incline push ups-13
Decline push ups-11
Military press- 80lbs- 6,5,4(Too wide of a grip)
Shoulder press- 55lbs-7,6,6
One arm bent over raises- 30lbs-3 sets of 10 each arm


I just realized that I have much too wide of a grip and just tried a military press quick with 95lbs and did it no problem with this wider grip. I'll try to rep around 100 next time, I wonder if my grip for shoulder presses is too wide too. I was wondering why my shoulder exercise weights are down so much.

[MikeNYY420]

So today I'm continuing my low reps in pursuit of max weight. Also I started a new split, much like the one suggested by Iron Mercenary. Today was chest and delts.

Flat bench press- 155lbs-6,5,165lbs-2
Incline barbell press- 120lbs-6,6/ 125lbs-5
Flat dumbbell press- 55lbs- 7,6,6 each hand
Flat push ups-13
Incline push ups-13
Decline push ups-11
Military press- 80lbs- 6,5,4(Too wide of a grip)
Shoulder press- 55lbs-7,6,6
One arm bent over raises- 30lbs-3 sets of 10 each arm


I just realized that I have much too wide of a grip and just tried a military press quick with 95lbs and did it no problem with this wider grip. I'll try to rep around 100 next time, I wonder if my grip for shoulder presses is too wide too. I was wondering why my shoulder exercise weights are down so much. I was keeping the reps low and some how I forgot to increase the sets, I should have been doing 4 or 5 sets for compound stuff not 3. The muscle I hurt in my back is still sore so I don't know what I'm gonna do for back day tomorrow.

[MikeNYY420]

More heavy stuff today, but I'm wearing a belt so I don't injury my back again. The muscle's still sore, but I can lift fine so I'm not too worried about it.Back and traps day today.

Deadlifts-135lbs-10(warmup)225lbs-9/245lbs-6/250lbs-5/255lbs/2

Reverse close grip lat pulldown- 110lbs-10/115lbs-10/125lbs-7

Front lat pulldowns-105lbs-10/110lbs-8,7
Dumbbell shrugs- 90lbs-each hand-12,13,12

Close grip barbell shrugs-235lbs- 10,8,7 drop set 180lbs- normal grip 12 reps

I really have a hard time with the dumbbell shrugs not because I can't shrug them, but because I can't pick them up or set them down too easily. I could shrug 100lbs each hand, but I can't pick those up. Not really sure what to do here. I've been doing close grip and normal grip shrugs with the barbell for a while now and I think I have some pretty good traps.

For the reverse close grip lat pulldown the weight I do pulls me off the ground so I had my brother stand on my feet today and it made it so I got do alot more weight. My deadlift number have also gone up, next time I'll try for 260lbs- for 2 or 3.

I've been meaning to start a nutrition log which I'll do tomorrow if I can remember.

[mr_bhana]

Nice back day bro, Once your confident that your back has fully recovered, il stop using the belt, mainly to allow youre core to develop and to let it do the job your belt would be doing

When you say you cant pick the DBs/BBs up on shrugs, is it that you cant lift it from the ground or that you lose grip???

Good job though

[MikeNYY420]

For the dumbbells it's partially both, The weights are really big in diameter making them hard to get up without having them against my legs. I think if the diameter of the 25lbs weights I have on there were smaller it'd be easier(I have collars on these dumbbells).