Swapping to volume training for mass advice

[Ishitrainbows]

Seeking the advice of some of our older and wiser vets if I may. This make strike you as being an odd question but hear me out.

All through my training life I have trained 3 days a week. I was a late bloomer, only starting at 36 and just went to town on Starting Strength and milked the shit out of linear progression over a few years until i had a squat around the 400lbs mark. The three squat days started to take their toll on recovery so ever since I have been training DC style. Coming up to my 47th birthday soon and I’m conscious that this style of training is getting more risky as I get older. Being that the gyms are soon to open post lockdown I need to get back on it but was thinking of swapping over to a more high volume pump style of training. Working from home also means I can devote 5 days a week and rest easily. Due to all the years of heavy lifting I have that solid powerlifting density, legs like tree trunks and a thick back but no real muscle fullness or good shape. I want to make use of the base to spend as long as I can just getting the best physical shape and fullness that I can carry. Before my 50th I just want to get massive, if only for a short while. Currently sitting at 266 with 18.5% body fat per my last dexa scan.

Now, on to the question. As a geared lifter, considering my age, experience and strength how hard can I push the volume/recovery cycle. I was thinking of going push/pull/legs 5 days a week cycled (p/p/l/p/p/r/r - l/p/p/l/p/r/r etc) or just an old school 5 day bro split. I have never ever trained in this fashion just for size and shape. My recovery is good and cycles are solid.

Any advice people. Am I missing anything, at risk of pushing too hard? Bare in mind I’m only asking as this style of training is completely alien to me. I don’t want to waste any time spinning my wheels or disappearing off down training rabbit holes.

Lastly, a plea. Can we keep this as an effective training discussion with regard to my goals and experience. Trust me steroid nazis, I’m not going to grow tits at that body fat, I don’t have estrogen control issues and no I’m not cutting first. There are a number of ways to skin the same cat, getting obnoxiously massive then cutting is just as effective with a decent base. I just find that around this level I feel the best in general, in my joints and can move the most weight. I appreciate that the full shape and definition won’t come until after a cut.

 

[system]

First and foremost if your goal is strictly mass and structural health, focus on a lot of machine/cable work, smith machine included. They are absolutely amazing for bodybuilding and longevity. That whole slow and controlled squeeze and contract thing is true, and this style of training is the polar opposite of strength training where you’re focused on getting the weight up rather than feeling the weight on certain muscles throughout the entire movement. Twice per week is generally the sweet spot for most. At your age maybe once per week, but I can’t comment on frequency for older individuals because I’m just not experienced with it at all. Not my place. IME for anyone the biggest thing is to stay away from true failure on the ‘heavy’ compound lifts. You don’t need to be hitting a top set of 5 to failure on your first exercise (example numbers, you know what I’m saying), wait until you’re doing like cable flies as your last exercise and then really push it hard on that instead. This is the type of training where you really don’t need to be “pushing” 110% in the sense of using the most weight possible with your ‘big’ lifts. Bodybuilding failure is different from strength/powerlifting failure, bbing style failure should come from the muscle itself being in so much physical pain from the pump/stretch/squeeze rather than not being physically strong enough to lift the weight.

Hope this helps, only my opinion based off of everything I’ve done, watched, and read over the years.

 

[Ishitrainbows]

@“kingofcarbz” Thank you brother that’s exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. For me I think the challenge is to be able to get out of the DC shit heavy and RP to total failure Mind set and change the feel to specific muscle pump/fatigue failure. I have tried a little in the past but it is physically and mentally a different feeling that I’m just not accustomed to. To be honest it felt a little like I was half assing it. As it is I’m proud to be out working the kids in the gym but I need to refocus before i tear something up. Rest Pausing more weight on a barbell row than most people can deadlift is going to bite me in the ass at some point. I take your point about one muscle group per week, I was trying to plan in some form of twice a week or twice in 10 days but I guess an old school chest/back/legs/shoulders/arms would be a better bet for adequate recovery.

 

[scoopscoop456]

I think this just comes down exercise selection + changing your tolerance on rep quality + increasing your rep range - like Dante says

So swap to more machines.
Decrease lower back loading/higher risk movements.
Control the direction changes.
Embrace the difficult portion of the movement. E.G a leg press - spend more time where your quads are fully lengthened vs trying to get it out of the hole as fast as possible.

Really most of this stuff is what Joe Bennett(hypertrophycoach) and also MI40(Ben Pakuslski) preach.

IMO - volume is likely not going to help, but very likely make wear you down faster.

 

[EpicFlash]

I am one of those older guys also. Compound movements have taken their toll on me. I don’t do them anymore. Cables/machine and iso work gives me the greatest hypertrophy. For me, the movements like OHP flat bench, etc do more damage to joints and tendons than they stimulate the muscles I want to target. Traps and lats are bout the only muscle groups that I need really heavy weight to stimulate growth. And for those muscles it’s TUT with decent weight . Smith machines and DBs.
I found that most of my recovery was wasted on healing joints and tendons, and not the actual muscles. I try to train smarter now with “safe” movements . I personally have not found that progressive overload with weight is needed for growth. Adding some reps and sets and changing up iso movements works best. I used to think I needed to annihilate my body in the gym, now I just stimulate in the gym and make sure my diet and recovery is on point. This covid shutdown has really dialed me in to mind muscle connection and really feeling the “squeeze” of a muscle group I’m targeting,