Strength and Physique

"I know this article was posted a few months ago, but I have a question regarding the 'Controlled Overtraining' strategy you presented in the 5 battle-tested strategies article. I was wondering what type of split I should use during the decompression phase (5X5, 5 body parts)? Upper/lower body split (2 times a week each) or full body (3 times a week)? And should I use only compound movements or also some isolation work?"

"Sorry to bother you with those questions, especially 6 months after the article was written, but I'd really like to give this approach a shot. Thanks for your help! And your blog is really great!"

Mathieu, a trainee from France


My Answer: Good to hear from you, Mathieu. To answer your question, go with the upper/lower body split (2 times a week). Just compound movements. No isolation movements. The whole point of decompression is to pull back from your training, so adding extra isolation movements would defeat the purpose.

Q: "Right now I'm trying to gain as much size on my arms and shoulders as I can. I already have a big chest, and my back is where i want it to be. And at the same time I like to stay lean as possible.

"So what can I do to fix my problem? I've been doing a lot of research, and I'm coming up with a lot of things that seem good, but really don't know where to start. I really don't know what type of diet I would need to reach these goals. And to top it off I have an ectomorph body type. I've been debating if I should go on a mass diet or what.

"Another thing I would like to ask is, what type of workout should I do? I'm trying to tone up my abdominal section, but have my arms and shoulders gain size. Or is this to much work to do at once? Do I need to gain size first, then cut up?"

-Kyle V.


My Answer: Hmm... so many questions. Where to start? Oh, I know: BUY MY BOOK. Seriously though, buy my book and that will answer a lot of your questions. …

"I wrote you an email about two weeks ago, asking about your shoulder exercises that make your laterals wider. I have gone through all three of your different work outs and I have to say, wow. This workout really works. Even after doing the first workout, I could instantly tell. My striations were popping, my nose was running (always a good thing on shoulder day), and I can start to see the cuts between my biceps and shoulders. I look a little bit wider, making my waist seem even smaller. Thank you for posting your workout. I just read your article on arms, can’t wait to try that one either. I'm working on achieving my NASM certification as we speak. Thought you would like to get some feedback from an almost another fitness guru. Thanks again! Keep posting, I'll keep lifting."

Jonathan Hatchell
Athletics Administrator
www.footballfoundation.com

My Response: Thanks for the feedback, Jonathan. I'm glad the program is working out for you. Good luck on your certificati…