Some questions

[Scott Stevenson]

Yeah i know that i need to eat a surplus to gain.

My point is a bit more specific - your'e trying to bring up specific muscle groups, which means that those are likely even more stubborn and less likely to grow.

What do you mean by 2 rotations? I listed 3 (A, B, C). Different exercises each week. The template i listed was for tier I basic, sorry for actually forgetting to mention that.

My bad on the two rotations comment - I had to switch computers mid-replying. (I was cleaning up the quoting in your response, too while dealing with an injured dog who was trying to run around the house - thus the computer switch. Long story... LOL

The only thing i altered was putting upper load first thing in the week (in the book it says you can do that). Also i put back after delts and chedt wich in the book you mention can be done (i feel my pressing suffers with a tired back).

That's cool, but it threw me off - see below.

I think there was a missunderstanding, im willing to do your program as written, and wanted to start at tier 1. If i got it right for upper load its 1 set for chest 1 for delts and 2 for back right? And for lower load 1 set thigs 1 set quads 1 set hams and 1 set adductors? Thats what i wrote in the template. I didnt mention calves because i have and old ankle injury and training them heavy feels really bad.

That's all good, man - you called it a "Template" which it's really not, as all those loading exercises with change over time. The template would be the Overview sheets, where the type of exercise (not specific ones) are noted.

Here's, for example, more specifically, why my initial glance at at what you posted didn't come across as if you were doing FT. (You mention some of this now, of course, I recognize.)

A1
Inc smith press
Smith btn press
Lat pd wide
BB row

You've reverse the typical order, not mentioned this would be Tier I and that you'd be doing Pump sets, too. (Perhaps you would order those differently somehow, too?) I had to guess (but wasn't 100% sure) that these would be your version of Loading sets...

Other than this, the only thing left for me to look at is your exercise selection and that's up to you to determine. Loading sets are your go to exercises for gaining size - that's your call.

So, this is your "Template" that has simply an exercise listed for chest, shoulders, back width and back thickness. It's missing the other pieces of FT that you would do (Pump set) and the typical order of exercises (with no mention of this changing), so that this simply came across to me as something that you came up with. I honestly didn't even get the impression you were going to try to do FT here.

A2
Smith front squat
Sommersault squats
RDL
Adduction machine"

Here of course, you've got Day 1 and Day 2 switched in (which is OK, but you didn't mention it).

Here there IS possibly an issue with exercise selection (as with C2), in that you're going to have to commandeer a barbell (I guess - you didn't specify) to do your ham exercise, but this ham exercise isn't really an isolation exercise d/t the low back involvement. (Still not a terrible choice b/c you'll not hit low back to much on the smith front squat. A RDL on the SMITH machine might be more doable). With C2, you'd have to hold a leg press and a smith machine. Kind of a pain in the butt.

You don't list any calf exercise here (or elsewhere) and again, no mention of that you would actually be doing Pump sets.

So, again, my apologies, b/c with all of the above, and no specific question about what you're concerns are, nothing noting all the changes you feel like you need to make before even doing the program, I really didn't even recognize that you were doing FT.

My opinion is still still the same that you're greatly overanalyzing here, before doing the program. (I've seen this literally HUNDREDS of times over the years - it doesn't behoove good progress in my experience.) As far as losing pressing power after back work - as long as you're progression, this may be a moot point.

I really appreciate your honesty. Are there any other weak points you see?

Sure!


I'd need full body shots hitting "Relaxed" (¼ turn) shots or basic bodybuilding poses to really say much more.

Still, my opinion should be secondary to yours. If you want crazy huge arms that wouldn't be rewarded on a BB'in stage, that's OK by me.

Btw sorry if my post wasnt 100% clear english isnt my first language.

Thank you

You're welcome!

I didn't notice poor English at all - just a general lack of detail and specificity that put us on different pages. (Also, I dropped the ball on the rotations, too. My bad there.)

-S