esvec1’s BodyBlog

I think I need to make a decision here.  My original plan was to bulk until the beggining of April, and then start cutting so I could get abs for beach and pool season, because I want a lady. 

My other option, and better for bodybuilding I think, is to bulk through the summer and hopefully get massive, and then cut for next spring or whenever. 

Question - I’m 188 now.  I was 170 with abs.  If I bulked to 225, how far back down do you think I would have to go to be nice and cut?

My bodyfat isn’t that high to begin with, but do I honestly have a better chance of getting lucky with more cut physique?  I know it isn’t about looks as much as personality,  but I’ll try anything nowadays.  Well, thats what’s going on in my head if anyone was wondering.

     I have always, always, always trained to failure in my sets.  It was the way I was brought up by Arnold’s book…I think.  And also hearing all of those quotes by famous bodybuilders getting the most out of every set.  It just seems like the better way to build muscle because it is more hardcore on the surface.

Of course, the other option is to stop one or two reps short of failure.  Well, I tried it on my biceps routine.  I stopped most of my sets one rep short of failure.  For comparison, I did a failure workout four days earlier.  Btw I controlled all the variables that I could.  Here is the first exercise.

EZ bar curls (sets to failure) 

110 x 8,  110 x 6,  105 x 5,  100 x 5

Ok here is the same exercise four days later (NOT TO FAILURE) 

110×7, 110×7, 105×7, 105×6, 105×5

Analysis - More sets with more poundage and a pretty good stiffness the next day.

Conclusion - going to failure is a good tool, but it takes up too much energy that could be used for the next lifts.  Your poundages go down too quickly when you train to failure, or you have to cheat a lot to get them up.  I think this is what the pros mean when they brag about volume training.  By not going to failure, you can use more weight for more reps and sets over the span of your workout.  However, training to failure could be used effectively on your last set of an exercise or just at the end of your workout along with drop sets and all that.

I know it sucks, but I’m going to start using training to failure a little more sparingly for a while to see what kind of results I get.

Im reading some articles and I would like to know what my bodytype is.  Everyone calls me skinny. Am I an ectomorph?

I have recently been having pain in my forearms like shin splints.  I have been doing a lot of heavy arm work, and I don’t want to lose what I gained.  I bought wrist wraps and I’m wearing them all the time now.  Also, last night I did an entire hour of supersetting bis and tris with high reps and it felt pretty good except for a few specific times.  I would love to be pain or at least injury free once in my life.  Any suggesstions? thanks in advance

I have recently been having pain in my forearms like shin splints.  I have been doing a lot of heavy arm work, and I don’t want to lose what I gained.  I bought wrist wraps and I’m wearing them all the time now.  Also, last night I did an entire hour of supersetting bis and tris with high reps and it felt pretty good except for a few specific times.  I would love to be pain or at least injury free once in my life.  Any suggesstions? thanks in advance

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