[jornT]

Hi, a friend of my is planning on joining the army in a couple of years. First finishing his education. Anyway he's now talking al kind of stuff about training the moee long heads of muscles. And going more for condition than mass. Well He's 6'2, and I think between 72-75 kilo's and probaly at 8% bodyfat. So I think He should definitly use dome more mass. Well we both do. But he has read some stuff on their sites that training with 8,8,16,16 reps each excerzise is best.
Doens't makes sense to me. He's far from a mass monster, has a great condition. (plays soccer). Is pretty fast. Extra mass won't harm him at all, would it? I can understand that too much mass, wouldn't be really effective as an soldier and that endurence is much more important. But unless he packs like an insane amout of weight, I think it's only beneficial not? Besides, as the slow bodybuilders threads shows out, extra mass also barly effects speeds, I mean if Kevin Levrone, one of the biggets guys, can keep up with one of the best track athletes. And extram mass doesn't really effects flexibility right?
Anyway, what kind of training would your recoomend? I would find it a shame if he isn't going to gain mass when there's really no reason to do not.

[Rocky]

At the end of the day I suppose it's down to him and what he wants. If he WANTS to get more mass but thinks it will hinder him, then he's wrong.
If your stats of him are right, I'd say there's nothing wrong with adding mass. The only thing I would say that if he's a hardgainer (which if he's that height and lean with it, I'm guessing he is!) then he will probably find it difficult to gain mass, as I definately wouldn't advise doing a full on mass cycle cos this would potentially affect his cardio fitness.
Personally I would get him to do a mass building routine (i.e. compound movements, low reps) and alternate it each week with a higher rep lower weight routine and keep to a high calorie diet that enables him to put on a bit of size but not at the expense of his cardio which for the army is the greater requirement! In doing the 2 tyoes of routines he's satusfying the 2 muscle fiber types and more likely to keep his fitness and mass levels at a good balance imo.

[philosopher]

Originally Posted by Rocky

At the end of the day I suppose it's down to him and what he wants. If he WANTS to get more mass but thinks it will hinder him, then he's wrong.
If your stats of him are right, I'd say there's nothing wrong with adding mass. The only thing I would say that if he's a hardgainer (which if he's that height and lean with it, I'm guessing he is!) then he will probably find it difficult to gain mass, as I definately wouldn't advise doing a full on mass cycle cos this would potentially affect his cardio fitness.
Personally I would get him to do a mass building routine (i.e. compound movements, low reps) and alternate it each week with a higher rep lower weight routine and keep to a high calorie diet that enables him to put on a bit of size but not at the expense of his cardio which for the army is the greater requirement! In doing the 2 tyoes of routines he's satusfying the 2 muscle fiber types and more likely to keep his fitness and mass levels at a good balance imo.

totally agree with rocky

[jornT]

Thanks guys. I though about it the same way. He shouldn't whine and become the biggest baddest army dude ever! Well he still got two years so he can pack on some mass, but I also think it's definitly not a burden.