Simplify this for me

[sparkant]

hey guys - i joined a new gym 12 months ago and made the mistake of following the crowd and training the way they train (lots of sets medium weight etc) and i feel i have wasted a year of my training , before this i trained heavy in basic excercises and gained plenty of size and competed a few times in natural shows my question is this - will size equal strength for example i deadlift 480lb for 5 reps in the 5x5 system if i can increase this to 550-600lb over the next 6 months will my back be much bigger? if i get my squat to the same standard will my legs get bigger? i feel now like i am spinning my wheels with training programmes but i feel i should go back to what i know - i am a master of manipulating my body to give me a few extra reps or a bit more weight -Everyones opinion is apreceated

 

[bblazer]

I coach high school PL'ing, and I train with some of the strongest men in the world. The only thing I can tell you is that I have seen evidence and exceptions for it all.

For example, one kid I know well but don't train pulled 610 sumo as a 168 at age 18.

Then you have my partner who is 5' 10" @ 275 and can pull nearly a grand and easily squat 750 for 10, while a close friend of ours is around 6' 10", 390lbs and can do about the same.

At my gym there are guys who are just as big as our friend, shredded to hell, and can barely pull 405 for a double.

All that said, in my world, sheer body mass will get you some more pounds on a lift, and will make pulling that 60k lb truck easier.

B-

 

[Tblock1]

I coach high school PL'ing, and I train with some of the strongest men in the world. The only thing I can tell you is that I have seen evidence and exceptions for it all.

For example, one kid I know well but don't train pulled 610 sumo as a 168 at age 18.

Then you have my partner who is 5' 10" @ 275 and can pull nearly a grand and easily squat 750 for 10, while a close friend of ours is around 6' 10", 390lbs and can do about the same.

At my gym there are guys who are just as big as our friend, shredded to hell, and can barely pull 405 for a double.

All that said, in my world, sheer body mass will get you some more pounds on a lift, and will make pulling that 60k lb truck easier.

B-

I 've been wondering about sumo do you think it is worth it to switch to sumo vs conventional for the average person? I'm taller 6'1 and lean and I've tried sumo a couple time and it felt weird and I couldnt pull as much. That said it is such a shorter range of motion would it be worth trying?

 

[bblazer]

I 've been wondering about sumo do you think it is worth it to switch to sumo vs conventional for the average person? I'm taller 6'1 and lean and I've tried sumo a couple time and it felt weird and I couldnt pull as much. That said it is such a shorter range of motion would it be worth trying?

Unless you are a power lifter I would say no.

Remember that ROM has much less to do with the pull than does the levers involved. Someone with a long torso and shorter arms will have a harder time than the opposite.

B-

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Eat enough food to gain weight. If you are training hard you will gain muscle.

There are quite a few more experienced guys in here that can give more detailed advices, but this one trumps all imo.

 

[kx250rider]

My own experience says that when I ramped up the weight and did fewer reps and more sets, I saw radically better (bigger) results than when I was working with medium weight with 12-15 reps and 3-6 sets. Regular flat bench presses, for instance, I was doing 195 at 12 reps/3 or 4 sets (last set to failure), and I hit a plateau. Now I do a couple sets of 10 or 12 reps at 275, then 6 or 7 more sets at 305, with only 5-6 reps. I keep doing sets until I fail on the 3rd rep. Then I'm good and sore the next day, and hugely visible results in a few weeks!

Charles

 

[NOLOGY77]

I was doing 5x5 last year and ate like a pig. and YES the results were very obvious just think i couldnt take off my suit jacket by myself BUT i believe that if you want more definifio especially in your chest, shoulders etc i beilieve doing more reps/sets/ at particular exercises it gives you a more define muscle group. i.e i was doing 5x5 bench press yes i gained a lot but now i am doing bench press/decline dumbell press and incline also and even though i didint gain on strenght as 5x5 it gave me a more define look on how my chest looks. But in any case the program 5x5 really rocks and i will repeat it again tartin on january.