Anyone train without a set routine?

[el numero uno]

If you're natural then food quality matters. For me, I see a difference between eating brown rice and white rice, I'm serious.

[dfresh]

no doubt from health standpoint its important to get healthy foods in your diet, im not saying i dont. but if you want that slice of pizza, or go out to eat and can fit that into your macros for the day while adjusting accordingly, then i see no harm and see no difference that it would make in your physique. now if you ate doughnuts and hot dogs all day then you are simply an idiot haha

[no one]

X2

x3

a lot of times i dont really even know what im going to train. i might have an idea, but that can easily change by the time i get done my first set.

[slaveboy1980]

If you're natural then food quality matters. For me, I see a difference between eating brown rice and white rice, I'm serious.

It matters for drug pigs too but most don't give a shit and you also have to remember that if you are 280lbs and need 5500 calories daily you are not gonna do it on chicken and rice.

As for white rice vs brown rice. They are actually not the same and I would recommend white rice instead of brown rice. Not because of calorie voodoo but because white rice is healthier (this of course doesn't mean you will die if you eat brown rice ). This is backed by research.

[slaveboy1980]

no doubt from health standpoint its important to get healthy foods in your diet, im not saying i dont. but if you want that slice of pizza, or go out to eat and can fit that into your macros for the day while adjusting accordingly, then i see no harm and see no difference that it would make in your physique. now if you ate doughnuts and hot dogs all day then you are simply an idiot haha

Of course you can be flexible and there is no need to be orthorexic. That's not what I'm talking about.

[no one]

It matters for drug pigs too but most don't give a shit and you also have to remember that if you are 280lbs and need 5500 calories daily you are not gonna do it on chicken and rice.

As for white rice vs brown rice. They are actually not the same and I would recommend white rice instead of brown rice. Not because of calorie voodoo but because white rice is healthier (this of course doesn't mean you will die if you eat brown rice ). This is backed by research.

the amount of cals guys of a certain size are assumed to need is vastly overstated.

you can eat like a bird, and if your taking enough drugs you'll grow, and grow lean.

[FAST LANE]

the amount of cals guys of a certain size are assumed to need is vastly overstated.

you can eat like a bird, and if your taking enough drugs you'll grow, and grow lean.

this x1000

[Jaime]

the amount of cals guys of a certain size are assumed to need is vastly overstated.

you can eat like a bird, and if your taking enough drugs you'll grow, and grow lean.

Prob means shit on this board, wrong place lol

But this does not work natural, i tried it when i first started training, never had much of an appetite. Strength goes up, muscle does not build.

[slaveboy1980]

the amount of cals guys of a certain size are assumed to need is vastly overstated.

you can eat like a bird, and if your taking enough drugs you'll grow, and grow lean.

I was making the point that the caloric need of a a huge drug pig is not the same as for example a 180lbs natural (unless he has a very physical job etc).

And for sure drugs change a lot of things but you ain't gonna grow from thin air either if the goal is to be a monster. But yes drugs let you use incoming calories more efficiently for growth so a drug pig can get away with stuff that a natural can't (both in terms of undereating and overeating).

[el numero uno]

It matters for drug pigs too but most don't give a shit and you also have to remember that if you are 280lbs and need 5500 calories daily you are not gonna do it on chicken and rice.

As for white rice vs brown rice. They are actually not the same and I would recommend white rice instead of brown rice. Not because of calorie voodoo but because white rice is healthier (this of course doesn't mean you will die if you eat brown rice ). This is backed by research.

Nah, brown rice suits me better when trying to lose fat. I don't count calories anymore, I count the amount of carbs, protein, fat I'm eating. Last time I checked how many calories I was eating (for fat loss), it was around 1300. But according to all the "info" out there, I should be eating at leats 1900   I'm a fat fuck if I eat those calories.

[slaveboy1980]

Nah, brown rice suits me better when trying to lose fat. I don't count calories anymore, I count the amount of carbs, protein, fat I'm eating. Last time I checked how many calories I was eating (for fat loss), it was around 1300. But according to all the "info" out there, I should be eating at leats 1900   I'm a fat fuck if I eat those calories.

You don't get what I'm talking about. White rice vs brown rice doesn't side step calories in vs calories out. That was not what I meant with white rice being healthier. Anyways I'm out. I don't have the patience for this shit.

[el numero uno]

You don't get what I'm talking about. White rice vs brown rice doesn't side step calories in vs calories out. That was not what I meant with white rice being healthier. Anyways I'm out. I don't have the patience for this shit.

lol, why are you mad?  Anyway I'm out too lol I'm tired I need to sleep

[slaveboy1980]

lol, why are you mad?  Anyway I'm out too lol I'm tired I need to sleep

I ain't mad at you. I just need to stay away from forums.

[el numero uno]

I ain't mad at you. I just need to stay away from forums.

Fair enough 

[dfresh]

Of course you can be flexible and there is no need to be orthorexic. That's not what I'm talking about.

calm down lol

[dfresh]

lets keep this thread going, its a good one!

[First Blood]

lets keep this thread going, its a good one!

Well training this way has worked well for me. I train 3-5 days per week and take the weekends off (usually). I have no set routine anymore. I train for 30-60min just before the gym closes or very early in the morning  and eat 3 times per day when I'm hungry. If I eat 5-6 times per day I always end up eating too much. Dieting when eating 3 meals per day has also been a piece of cake as I can eat larger meals when I actually do eat.

[BIG ACH]

I train with a set 5 day plan, one muscle per day, but the actual work out is decided when i get to the gym...

[Super Natural]

I know some guys do well not following a plan, but I've always preferred to know what I’m going to do before I set foot in the gym. i find it's a powerful phycological tool to help me improve myself and gives me something to compete against.
I generally follow a set routine for 8-10 weeks and then take a week off and change it up.
I start off again with an acclimation week and slowly build up again.
I'm still flexible though, so if I'm not feeling something that day or get injured I substitute exercises and work around it.
I pay close attention and track my strength in the main lifts Squat, overhead press, Incl. DB Press and deadlift/BB Rows.

Progress for me isn't only about trying to add more and more weight to the bar I also gauge :
* Increase in no. reps
* Feeling more Explosiveness powerful
* perceived exertion (set feels easier from last week)
* Training Density - doing more in less time, less rest between sets - without a drop in poundage.
These are all indicators of progress to me.

If my workouts have reached a point of being super intense, I also believe not necessarily having to increase anything & just matching last weeks workout is a success. Sometimes I do this for a few weeks in a row. That's still progression - progression through consistency over time.

[dfresh]

now say someone isn't quite considered a "vet" in training, do you feel this style of training will still yield gains in muscle mass and strength? I'm under the impression that each workout must be more intense than the last one in one way or another, whether it be lifting more weight, more reps with same weight,etc. in order to do this Ive found it hard to keep track of what i did last workout without writing it down, as i have tried this style before and didn't seem to reap any benefits. BTW I'm 23 and have been training about 7 years

[Super Natural]

now say someone isn't quite considered a "vet" in training, do you feel this style of training will still yield gains in muscle mass and strength? I'm under the impression that each workout must be more intense than the last one in one way or another, whether it be lifting more weight, more reps with same weight,etc. in order to do this Ive found it hard to keep track of what i did last workout without writing it down, as i have tried this style before and didn't seem to reap any benefits. BTW I'm 23 and have been training about 7 years

Not every workout has to be heavier than the last...IMO you have to think in terms of months or years not week to week. But you obviously will reach a ceiling of strength (you can't keep lifting heavier indefinitley) that is when other methods of progression I mentioned come into play plus you can use undulating periodization (light weeks and heavy weeks)... you can always improve on something. if you increase volume and intensity You must increase you food & rest as well.

Enjoy it while you are young because at a certain point after the beginner stage (especially as you get older) the weight & strength gains will become less. That's just the way it is. if you are doing it without hormones. I believe low volume, high intensity progressive high tension overload (with good form) is the way to train to get bigger and stronger (I’ve always had good results with Max-Ot style training)

[First Blood]

now say someone isn't quite considered a "vet" in training, do you feel this style of training will still yield gains in muscle mass and strength? I'm under the impression that each workout must be more intense than the last one in one way or another, whether it be lifting more weight, more reps with same weight,etc. in order to do this Ive found it hard to keep track of what i did last workout without writing it down, as i have tried this style before and didn't seem to reap any benefits. BTW I'm 23 and have been training about 7 years

No one is going to be able to add weight every workout. It's the general trend over time that needs to point up.

[_bruce_]

Could work, but you have to have it down cold.
A set routine keeps you from slacking off.

[dfresh]

Not every workout has to be heavier than the last...IMO you have to think in terms of months or years not week to week. But you obviously will reach a ceiling of strength (you can't keep lifting heavier indefinitley) that is when other methods of progression I mentioned come into play plus you can use undulating periodization (light weeks and heavy weeks)... you can always improve on something. if you increase volume and intensity You must increase you food & rest as well.

Enjoy it while you are young because at a certain point after the beginner stage (especially as you get older) the weight & strength gains will become less. That's just the way it is. if you are doing it without hormones. I believe low volume, high intensity progressive high tension overload (with good form) is the way to train to get bigger and stronger (I’ve always had good results with Max-Ot style training)

great post, yea i tend to think too much a lot of times lol

[BiGHer]

I started out weight training for sports so a lot of times I was doing basic movements and doing as my coaches instructed me.

After sports ended, I became religious in tracking my workouts.  Log books, folders with loose papers, and each loaded with what I did each day.  8 week routines, 12 week routines... I knew each workout I was doing before I got to the gym.

As I progressed more, I learned what worked best for my body.  What exercises hit me the hardest and what proved most effective.  Also, as I got bigger, it became more obvious what body parts needed to be worked on.

Now, I go to the gym with a goal in mind.  I know what needs to be worked on and what I want to accomplish in the gym so I get it done.  I don't write things down religiously anymore and my workouts aren't set before I go in.  It leaves things open for me to adjust things throughout the workout.  If I go in thinking I'll do 4 sets of squats, but after 4 sets, I think I have more in me, I don't just stop!  I do another set or 2.  If I had a long day and I'm not able to do as much as much then I push myself to the max within what my body will allow on that day and I keep it moving.

I've tried all the training tools and all the methods... from weighted vests, plyometrics, sprints down a football field with a parachute harnessed on my back to basic squats and dealifts... at the end of the day, this is what you need to know:

Set your goals and train accordingly to reach your goals.  From there, just remember two basic rules - intensity and consistency... don't overcomplicate things.