Mars' 1st shot at the Blueprint

Unfiltered Tips & Techniques centered around Blueprint Training
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

OK let's take it step by step...

Thanks for the quick and efficient reply but i must say im still confused, sorry lol.

Okay so 5 day famine phase. Followed by the 5 workout HIT protocol in the feast phase.

A. Perfect, you got that spot on.

Take a few days off and you say initiate Russian Loading Pattern #1 but i think you mean German volume loading pattern 1 right?

A. Yes, German loading pattern #1.

I think the easiest way for me to understand this is to come up with a workout template for the first phase then i can truly understand it.

A. I can do that but I'd prefer to start with Famine workouts. Are you good on those or would you like me to write it out for you?

Also what is EDT fashion, 2 pr zones etc. Lets go with workout 1:
1. 6 sets of bench press using german loading pattern 1. Then you write EDT Block 1 heavy weighted pullovers supersetted with seated rows. What is EDT Block 1?


A. EDT is the brainchild of Charles Staley. Stands for Escalating Density Training. Charles' premise (and he's correct) is that one of the ways muscle grows is to force it to do more work per unit of time. Let's look at a sample PR Zone..

PR Zone 1

A- Dumbell Pullover
B- Cable rows

- Your target weight is one that you can do 10 clean reps with.
- You will begin with alternating sets of 5 or 6 reps.
- Do a set of 5-6 pullovers, immediately into a set of 5-6 cable rows
- Rest 2 to 3 minutes in between sets. IMPORTANT: Keep track of how
long you rest and how long it takes you to complete all sets. Suggest 4
rounds. If you rest 3 min between sets, it'll take you about around 15
minutes to complete each PR Zone
- As you tire, you may reduce set reps to 4 then 2 and end with singles.
- Your goal is to do as many reps with good form as possible in the PR
Zone.
- Do not work to, or near failure in the early sets.
- You may reach failure at the end as you try to beat your previous
record.
- Once able to do 20% more reps than your prior workout, increase load
5% and begin again.


Then you have EDT Block 2, with incline dumbell curls supersetting with tricep extensions. Is all this then in 1 workout? and what is the whole EDT stuff? So my 1st workout of this german pattern would be benchpress, pullovers,seated rows,dumbell curls, tricep extension

A. Yes, this is all in one workout. If this seems onerous, I'd drop the EDT block #2 as your arms will get plenty of indirect work given the pressing/pulling movements. EDT is as I describe it above.

Workout 2 would be Squat and do romanian deadlifts with it and abs/calves

A. Correct. The Romanian Deads and leg sled can be combined in EDT fashion as above. I seriously doubt you'll have alot left for calves/abs but if so, feel free to add those. The squats/romanian deads and leg sled are going to take a LOT out of your big basic muscle groups..

Workout 3 would go back to bench press with the aforementioned excercices or can i throw in shoulders in there as well? I notice we dont have any barbell rows t bar rows or shoulder excercies here along with regular deadlifts so how do i incorporate that?

A. Correct on going back to workout #3. You can add an EDT block for shoulders but I find the shoulders already get plenty of work between the benching, rowing etc over various planes. I am careful not to recommend too much shoulder work due to oveuse, which I consider the root of most shoulder injuries (including your's truly).

Sorry for all the questions again im just pretty confused. Also the 6 set protocol i imagine is only for the big 3 lifts and for the other excercies we do just 1-2 sets?

A. The 6 set protocol is to be applied to the bench and squat. The supplemental exercises are to be trained in EDT fashion over 4 or so sets...


So then workout 4 we'd squat workout 5 bench workout 6 squat.. or can i throw in regular deadlifts to replace a squat workout?

A. I'd alternate between the bench and squat. I for sure wouldn't substitute regular deadlifts in place of the squat workout. Different prime movers stressed there (hip vs. quad dominant). Your Romanian Deadlifts are designed to complement your squat. And they will.

If you could sorta come up with a template like how you did for my famine phase in regards to exactly what id be doing for each workout it would help alot, if you have the time of course. Thanks rob

A. Not a problem. What I think would be beneficial in your case (I do this too) is to break it up into smaller pieces and focus on executing those pieces to the best of your ability, starting with the Famine Phase workouts.

Long road ahead and undoubtedly, you'll make adjustments here and there so whatever you put down on paper may change. I too, like to see it all laid out but I've learned...things change.


Let me know your thoughts on that and I'll proceed accordingly. And please, no apologies on asking too many questions. My pleasure.. always.
mars88
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Post by mars88 »

That def clears things up more rob, thanks again! And your right we'll proceed with famine phase first and when im nearing the end of that it'd be nice to have a template.

So from what i understand now

Workout 1 can look like this
6 sets of bench press Finish off the 6 sets first.

Then PR zone 1
Dumbell pullovers superset with seated rows for 6 reps
rest 2 minutes
Dumbell pullovers superset with seated rows for 6 reps
rest 2 minutes
Dumbell pullovers superset with seated rows for 6 reps
rest 2 minutes
Dumbell pullovers superset with seated rows for 6 reps

Then PR zone 2
Incline Dumbell Curls superset with lying tricep extensions for 6 reps
rest 2 mins
Incline Dumbell Curls superset with lying tricep extensions for 6 reps
rest 2 mins
Incline Dumbell Curls superset with lying tricep extensions for 6 reps
rest 2 mins
Incline Dumbell Curls superset with lying tricep extensions for 6 reps

So thats about 30 minutes for both PR zones and probably 15-20 minutes for the 6 sets of bench press. This then is my First workout. Right? And in regards to the weight used for the EDT training you say pick a weight that i can handle for 10 reps but im only aiming for 5-6 reps for a total of 4 sets.

Now thats workout 1 and then you say once able to do 20% more reps than this workout increase load 5% so can you give me an example of what this means exactly?

And in regards to the famine you already wrote me a template for that and im pretty good with that part, got the diet and workout plan in order for famine.
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

OK great. Glad that helped..

And yes, you've got it now on how the hybrid German Loading Pattern #1/EDT template works. Following are my comments on your remaining questions:

Q. "So thats about 30 minutes for both PR zones and probably 15-20 minutes for the 6 sets of bench press. This then is my First workout. Right?"

A. About right on the amount of time. The EDT rest periods you'll need to adhere to strictly. On the German Loading Pattern #1, I'd encourage you to experiment with minimum 5 minutes of rest between sets, perhaps goin up to 10-15 minutes when things start feeling heavy. The reason is that CNS recovery is slower set to set than muscle substrates. Meaning glycogen, phosphagens etc are replenished in 2-3 minutes but your CNS is going to take a bit longer. No worries, just rest a bit longer. Use this time to mentally rehearse your next set.

Q. And in regards to the weight used for the EDT training you say pick a weight that i can handle for 10 reps but im only aiming for 5-6 reps for a total of 4 sets.

A. Correct. Your first sets will find you hitting these reps with ease. As you tire though, you'll find it gets more and more challenging. In effect, you're managing fatigue from set to set and this is another way of growing....packing more work in per unit of time. I think once you go through it, this will make a lot more sense.

Q. Now thats workout 1 and then you say once able to do 20% more reps than this workout increase load 5% so can you give me an example of what this means exactly?

A. Sure, let's look at an example:

First time through

Then PR zone 1

Dumbell pullovers superset with seated rows for 6 reps
rest 2 minutes (assume 50lbs used on pullover and 150lbs on rows for 6 reps each)
Dumbell pullovers superset with seated rows for 6 reps
rest 2 minutes (assume 50lbs used on pullovers and 150lbs on rows for 5 reps each)
Dumbell pullovers superset with seated rows for 6 reps
rest 2 minutes (assume 50lbs used on pullovers and 150lbs on rows for 4 reps each)
Dumbell pullovers superset with seated rows for 6 reps
(assume 50lbs used on pullover and 150lbs on rows for 3 reps each)

Total tonnage =

Pullovers = 900lbs (50x18 reps)
Rows = 2,700lbs (150lbs x 18 reps)
TOTAL = 3,600lbs/15 minutes = 240lbs/minute

A few workouts later your total tonnage reaches 4,320lbs by doing more reps with the same weight. You'd add 5% more weight by using 55lbs on the DB pullovers and 155lbs on the cable row.
mars88
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Post by mars88 »

Wonderful, this clears things up! Thanks for the effective and quick resposnes yet again Rob. A little off topic but i just finished 30 days of activate xtreme stacked with lean xtreme and 21 days of animalcuts.

I'd like to post my results here so you can check it out and gimme some feedback i also have a log running on bodybuildingsupplements.com

https://forum.bodybuildingsupplements.com/showthrea ... t462136531

But here they are
Starting Pic Day 1 of log: Image


Ending pics day 29 of log:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image


Starting weight at log was 145, Weight today 142. Dropped 3 pounds which i believe is pure fat in just 29 days and i dunno if i gained any muscle but from the way my strength went up and how i look i think its entirely possible that i gained a pound or two of muscle. Calipers had me at 13% starting the log, today checked and was at 10.9%.. What do ya think? I'm gonna run 4 more weeks of actx with mitotropin to finish it off then its time for the blueprint to pack on teh size. Comments criticism be appreciated, thanks man
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

Great work there Mars, no doubt about it.

You're damn lean. Started lean and ended lean(er). Shoulders/abs is where I saw the most improvement so good going. Those stretch marks on your shoulders look like a Falcon took a swipe at you or something.

You are well positioned to gain heaps of size with Blueprint. You'll likely gain some fat as well but it will be very marginal. Really depends upon caloric intake. I would expect your strength to increase even moreso than size given some of the savvy loading/de-loading we'll be using.

Save these pics. I'd like you to take a pic on day 4-5 of Famine to compare. I can't imagine how lean you'd be at that point. Then perhaps a pic every two weeks during Feast. That, combined with the tape measure, increased strength, scale weight and other objective measures will guide us.

Again, great work and you no doubt have all the tools to bring Blueprint to fruition. It will not let you down...
mars88
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Post by mars88 »

Thank for the compliments rob! For sure ill save these pics and take a pic on the 4th day of famine i was wondering the same thing too thinking how lean id be then! I too have no doubt that your program will help me achieve the results im looking for!
beachpirate
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Post by beachpirate »

Awesome progress man! You are looking Great!!!
mars88
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Post by mars88 »

Thanks man, ill be following your blueprint run for sure!
mars88
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Post by mars88 »

Alright rob i got a quick question. Im finishing up my cut in the next 30 days mitotropin+ activate xtreme( total 8 weeks these are 2nd 4 weeks). That will be may 10th when im done. Originally i wanted to start my famine in the 1st week of june but im pretty excited and i saw great resulsts in my cut that i want to begin earlier. The only thing is that to follow mitotropin i'm going to run lean xtreme since mito affects thyroid and its good to run either cytolean or lean xtreme to follow and i know its okay to run lean extreme on a bulk anyway. Now the only thign come may 10 i would have been using activate xtreme for 8 weeks.

So now ill rest from may 10-may 17 week off. Then begin famine
May 17-May 24. So thats 2 weeks off a testorone booster. I'd then start feast on May 25( MY BIRTHDAY!) And on with ebol and tbol trib, and for the cruise phase you said cbol creatine and bioforge right? So my question is the 2 weeks off from activate xtreme enough for me to start tbol trib with the ebol? What are your reccomendations/suggestions in regards to this plan? Hoesntly if i knew my results would be this good at the end of my first 4 weeks of activate/leanxtreme and animalcuts i wouldnt have even bought the mitotropin and extended the cut but i have it now and i figure getting to about 8% will be nice anyway.

Oh and you say i will probably gain a little bit of fat. Lets assume that by the time i start my feast phase ill be just at 8 or 9% bodyfat. If we can control my calories effectively.. how much would you think i would gain after 6-7 months of the blueprint in terms of fat.. maybe back up to 12% BF? I intend on keeping the diet clean as possible with a cheat meal once ever two weeks or so and aditional cardio on those days. ESP because its summer wanna remain lean as possible! What do you think rob?
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

Back with more later Mars... have to take my little guy out for dinner.

I will be thinking about this while eating. You pose some interesting questions and I'll be kicking around some interesting answers in my head over some Tbone steak.... :)
mars88
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Post by mars88 »

haha sounds good man, have fun at dinner bro!
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

OK here we go..

Q. Then begin famine May 17-May 24. So thats 2 weeks off a testorone booster. I'd then start feast on May 25( MY BIRTHDAY!) And on with ebol and tbol trib, and for the cruise phase you said cbol creatine and bioforge right?

A. Correct. Ebol/tbol trib during feast, cbol creatine/BF during Cruise. Take careful notes on your experiences with each. You'll need those to properly evaluate vs. other supps. For example, highly suggest trying Adaptogen N/Kre-Anabolyn at a later date to evaluate. I think you'll find them quite effective yet, subtle differences exist. These subtle differences may well benefit you at strategic points down the line in your training career. The prices will always be comparable as quality isn't cheap. Still, I'll gladly pay once for quality vs. twice for junk.

Q. So my question is the 2 weeks off from activate xtreme enough for me to start tbol trib with the ebol?

A. Yes, 2 weeks should be adequate to re-sensitive the HPTA. The diet/training machinations you'll be going through are far more profound and will likewise influence this.

Q. What are your reccomendations/suggestions in regards to this plan? Hoesntly if i knew my results would be this good at the end of my first 4 weeks of activate/leanxtreme and animalcuts i wouldnt have even bought the mitotropin and extended the cut but i have it now and i figure getting to about 8% will be nice anyway.

A. Assuming packing on maximum amounts of muscle with BP will be your goal. it's a happy coincidence you decided to extend your re-comp.

I say re-comp because it appears you didn't have significant bodyfat to lose, you lost what little you had and traded it for a few pounds of muscle. You're also smart to take a week off due to the physical, mental and psychological issues recomp demands. Obviously, keeping that kind of discipline/attention to detail up for any length of time is demanding.

Finally, a dedicated period of Famine will be a new experience/very beneficial for you. You'll be transitioning into uncharted waters which is what you MUST do to keep improving. BP auto-regulates this which in truth, is the key to its success.


Upon rebounding into Feast you will likely experience muscle growth/power like you've never experienced before. It will be explosive in every sense of the word as it was for DaCookie... he added 16lbs and heaps of strength his first run with Blueprint!

The ONE thing you'll need to be on guard about is bodyfat levels. Depending upon how psychologically tied to them you are, you may find that concerning if they creep up. There are ways of mitigating this and I'll be happy to walk you through it when the time comes. For now, I'll share the high level overview with you:

OPTION A: If using a carb based diet rotate 85% of maintenance calorie days (off days) with 100% of maintenance days (training days). My usual recommendation is 70/100 but given your somatype (ectomorph), the higher 85% recommendation is appropriate.

OPTION B: If using a lower carb diet, strategically re-feed carbs in the hour prior to, during and immediately after the workout. The specific type of carbs, amount and co-ingestion with other micro-nutrients I'll PM you about. This is one small part of BP 3.0 and I think it'll be a game changer for you.


Q. Oh and you say i will probably gain a little bit of fat. Lets assume that by the time i start my feast phase ill be just at 8 or 9% bodyfat. If we can control my calories effectively.. how much would you think i would gain after 6-7 months of the blueprint in terms of fat.. maybe back up to 12% BF?

A. This is a logical assumption. However, given the above two strategies (particularly option B), I'd be surprised if you exceeded 10%. Very surprised.

Q. I intend on keeping the diet clean as possible with a cheat meal once ever two weeks or so and aditional cardio on those days. ESP because its summer wanna remain lean as possible! What do you think rob?

A. Cheat meals are great ideas. However, I've found the whole idea of a cheat meal can be improved. What I'm saying is... the timing of that cheat meal needs to be placed within 30-45 minutes after the workout.

Doing so allows you to cheat even more.. meaning more simple carbs can be consumed at this meal and more total calories without being laid down as fat.

You may not need/want to be this particular but I present it here as an option. I've seen people place a cheat meal at the end of the day.... big cheat dinner topped off by a bigger cheat chocolate fudge Sunday after a day of no training. In that cheating scenario, there's a good chance it MIGHT hurt you and for sure won't help you grow any new muscle.

In my proposal, the chances of it hurting you go WAY down and the likelyhood of it helping you build new muscle go WAY up.
mars88
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Post by mars88 »

Wonderful, great responses thanks again mate! Good to know 2 weeks off activate is enough to start tbol trib this means i get to begin the blueprint in just about a month! Im so excited for this you have no idea. And for sure the week off at the end of this month is def gonna be needed, sticking to a keto diet has not been easy.

Now you say im an ectomorph id have to disagree because i was actucally a chubby kid all my life really up until i started working out i think i can gain weight rather easily but we'll see! I plan on using a carb based diet for the blueprint tho since the past 4-5 months ive been doing no carb i want my carbs back up lol. And damn if i dont exceed 10% BF that'd truly be amazing!

Agreed in regards to cheat meals i will no doubt place them after a hard workout to minimize the fat gain!

Oh right i remember earlier you wanted me to let you kno what the mitotropin diet was and here it is: Its esentially a carb cycling diet with high protein(1.5 gram per pound of DESIRED bodyweight at end of 30 days), low fat and moderate-low carb.

Day 1 would be 150 carbs, 170 protein low fat
Day 2 would be 100 carb 170 protein low fat
Day 3 would be 50 carb 170 protein low fat but add 1-2 tablespoons of healthy fat
Day 4 same as day 3
Then repeat cycle and then they eventually eliminate the 150 carb day and go 100,75,50,50.

Its pretty strict in that for carbs they say only potatoes,sweet potatoe, rice and vegies, NO breads,cereals,grains, fruits,sugars, dairy etc. With that said do you think i should abide by that or would it be okay if i had a sandwhich post workout. Whole Wheat Sub 6 inch would be 35 grams of carbs and chicken 30 grams of protein post workout or should i eliminate the bread and just stick to the potatoe/rice option?
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

I'd lay off the breads as they do have a tendency to spill over with the water..

That's an interesting carb cylcing approach. Gironda had something similar back in the day and it does provide the requisite relief. Good going and I'll note the "no ectomorph" in your file (yes, a keep a little file on all you guys).

Important to know as we refine your BP approach. Keep up the good work!
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