How to bulk up?

[117 M34]

I am about to get on the weights after 10 days holiday, was pissed most days and ate everything in sight, put on 10 pounds, think I'm about to die on my arse big time, bit gutted as before I went away I managed to get above girly weights for once, hate going backwards

The extra weight will help the lifting!
I'm aiming to deadlift double my bodyweight by the end of the year. Currently can do 150 and want to get to 170

 

[adrianr]

How is everyone getting on at the gym?
I've just had a week off the weights because I could feel myself getting weaker and needing a rest.
Going to start doing grit class at the gym for cardio and go to a full body A/B split for strength for a bit. Just been doing a 4 day split and previously an upper lower split so will be interesting to train differently for a while

Haven't been too bad. Work is ramping up which usually coincides with less time (or less quality time at least) at the gym. Thankfully off my cut and back on the bulk now though so weights are all going back up again.

 

[hilts]

The extra weight will help the lifting!
I'm aiming to deadlift double my bodyweight by the end of the year. Currently can do 150 and want to get to 170

I can get 140kg but them and squats scare me a little due to lower back problems, i have yet to lift my max on them yet but I think my grip will let me down before the weight, thinking of losing a stone so might ramp up in doubles on all my compounds then strip off weight and rep the arse out of them for loads of sets, did this before on bench, squats and bent over rows and lifted more top weight than I have before which gives a bit of confidence and the extra reps can't be a bad thing

 

[Helmet Cole]

I can get 140kg but them and squats scare me a little due to lower back problems, i have yet to lift my max on them yet but I think my grip will let me down before the weight, thinking of losing a stone so might ramp up in doubles on all my compounds then strip off weight and rep the arse out of them for loads of sets, did this before on bench, squats and bent over rows and lifted more top weight than I have before which gives a bit of confidence and the extra reps can't be a bad thing

Have you tried a mixed grip and using chalk for the deadlifts? It gives you a much better grip and that should help. I've done my back in on deads before because failing grip caused me to rush/ lose form on the last few reps.

 

[hilts]

Have you tried a mixed grip and using chalk for the deadlifts? It gives you a much better grip and that should help. I've done my back in on deads before because failing grip caused me to rush/ lose form on the last few reps.

I mix the grip after about 105 I need to get some chalk fella but I'm at max weight as it is a home set of weights, I never do more than 2 reps above 105 out of general fear, lowering the weight is what worries me most if I was in the gym I would just drop the buggers

Is deadlifting with few reps okay I tend to treat them as singles and reset every time

55 x 5
85 x 3
105 x 2
115 x 2
125 x 1
130 x 1
135 x 1
140 x 1

I basically just start with the biggest plates and keep banging them on, would ramping up in fives be better?

 

[Helmet Cole]

It's hard to tell from that if you are actually reaching your max or just running out of plates tbh - does the 140x1 feel like you could manage another rep(s)? It might be worth trying 5x5 or 3x3 with the heaviest weight you can manage and trying to add 2-5kg a week until you get stuck (not in hospital - just with the rep!).

 

[hilts]

It's hard to tell from that if you are actually reaching your max or just running out of plates tbh - does the 140x1 feel like you could manage another rep(s)? It might be worth trying 5x5 or 3x3 with the heaviest weight you can manage and trying to add 2-5kg a week until you get stuck (not in hospital - just with the rep!).

Yeah I know what you mean only did the 140 once but it felt like my grip was close to going, if I had gone from 130 to 140 I probably could have got 3 tops, might start doing more reps at lower weight and get some chalk, never thought of 3x3 or 5x5 as strong lifts which I started on suggested 1x5 only on deadlifts

 

[quiet_riot]

Try this for grip strength:

 

[Helmet Cole]

Yeah I know what you mean only did the 140 once but it felt like my grip was close to going, if I had gone from 130 to 140 I probably could have got 3 tops, might start doing more reps at lower weight and get some chalk, never thought of 3x3 or 5x5 as strong lifts which I started on suggested 1x5 only on deadlifts

The reason it's only 1x5 for deads on strong lifts is you would have done 5x5 on squats so it would be too hard on you. I did SL for a bit, but found one set of deads not enough volume for me and the squats three days a week too much for me once I was much over bodyweight on them.

 

[Helmet Cole]

Try this for grip strength:

No thanks, I might break a fingernail ;-)