3J
Super Moderator
this is by the legend himself Ronnie Rowland
There's a lot of theories on how to make maximum muscle gains while using anabolic steroids. You do not need steroid cycles that are so complicated that you would need a degree in bio-chemistry to figure them out. You can't just climb your way to the top of the mountain in one shot. You have to slingshot your way up in increments! I want to share with everyone what I have learned in 24 years of experience as both a bodybuilder and personal trainer. I have seen a lot in my days!
Feel free to ask me any questions concerning steroid cycles, etc in this thread. I see a lot of the same old questions being asked and I want to hand out some sound advise for those wanting to know what I have found to work best. It's really quite simple. KEEP ANABOLIC STEROID CYCLES/PRO-HORMONE CYCLES AT 8 WEEKS!
Take care,
Ronnie Rowland
Slingshot Training Overview and Cliff Notes:
Slingshot Training entails blasting for as long as humanly possible before having to take time off from heavy training. A blast is composed of two training phases-a “reload” and a “deload”. The reload is a higher volume training phase that last 8 weeks and a deload is a lower volume training phase that last 2 weeks. Slingshot training works by reloading with more volume while your on an 8 week anabolic steroid cycle or 8 week pro-hormone cycle, etc. Anabolics have been shown to work best for appoximately 8 weeks. After that point, additional muscle gains slow dramatically and you would need to use higher amounts drugs or supplements to advance further. The problem with that approach is unwanted side effects. So in order to keep making maximum progress you come off a heavy cycle by lowering the amount of anabolics used, do a pct, or bridge with a small dose of anabolics for 2 weeks-all while reducing training volume and protein intake. This 2 week period of reducing volume and protein is called a deload and it encourages receptor sites to become more sensitive to anabolics so that when you return to another (steroid cycle/reload) you'll make more gains with less side effects. To recap: You use more training volume and take in more protein during your 8 week anabolic steroid cycles so you can get the most out of each cycle. This is your reload ! After the reload you begin deloading for 2 weeks by using less training volume, higher reps (12-15) less anabolics and taking in less protein so you can return to another 8 week anabolic cycle/reload 2 weeks later and make continued progress. The cycle continues (reload/deload/reload/deload/reload/deload,etc)
Important Note: During 8 week reloads/8 week anabolic steroid cycles, you must be prepared to push training and protein intake to the limit. As you progress, anabolic dosages and calories must be increased in order to make continued gains!) Most people fail to max out their genetics because they use momentum to lift the weight. When momentum is used the ancillary muscle can do more of the actual work than the targeted muscle group. It's an ego thing and has no part in bodybuilding.
It’s up to you as an individual to find out how many sets work best for your body. I prefer 6-12 intense sets per body part once a week during reloads and only 3-6 intense sets during deloads. Experiment with your anabolic cycles to see which drugs/supplements work best. You will make your most gains somewhere during weeks 3,4,5 6,7, and 8! You must use once a week muscle group training as a baseline! It's no secret that the majority of people do best with once a week muscle training but training each muscle twice a week with more frequency on occasion will help break training plateaus. When training each msucle twice a week muscle training you will still need to stay withing the guidelines I have suggest for training volume. This means no more than a maximum of 12 intense work sets total per week for any major muscle group. If you want to get as big as humanly possible then there's no need in going off steroids. You heard me right! The 8 week reload is not a standard 8 week cycle but rather one long continuance cycle that stops only when you discontinue making any gains. This long cycle is called a blast and it consist of reloading and deloading. When you go off steroids for a lengthy period of time (for example time off = time off) you will lose a lot of your gains and go back to just above what you could have obtained naturally.
Note: When high amounts of androgenic anabolics steroids such as testosterone enanthate are introduced into the body, maximum receptor site stimualtion occurs during the first 3-8 weeks. After having been on test for around 8 weeks your libido will begin to level out and eventually decline as will your muscle growth as these receptor sites adjust to the exogenous testosterone. It's during this 3-8 week period of enhanced libido that maximum muscle growth occurs! Some of you will make the majority of your gains during weeks 3-6 while reloading others will gain more during week 5-8. Gains are finalized during the deload (weeks 8-10 of anabolic cycle). I do believe in set time frames in regards to reducing training volume and anabolic dosages. A 2 week deload following an 8 week reload is very important because it makes you stronger and packs on some additional muscle due to a rebound effect. Long acting esters will still present during a deload. In addition, the reduction in protein actually helps the body store more protein-hence more muscle mass!
When going for maximum mass you go off all steroids with Slingshot Training during a 2 week prime to allow receptors to clear and catabolic hormormone ( cortisol , myostatin levels, etc) to decline. You'll know when to prime because all progress will come to a grinding halt. Do not confuse the deload with the prime even though the deload also primes body for future gains!
I strongly believe that changing your exercises constantly is a huge mistake. Doing so will not allow for SPECIFIC ADAPTATIONS to occur to their fullest. If you are changing exercises every time you train you will have no history of progress. Results can only be measured against your baseline exercises that give you the most bang for your buck. For example: squats for the thighs! Alternating leg presses with squats every other week would not be as beneficial as sticking with squats for most of your leg training sessions unless squatting every week caused joint pain. By using the same key exercises most, if not all the time (during reloads) your results will be better. It's during the deloads you should consider changing exercises! I WANT TO DRIVE THIS POINT HOME!!!!!!!!!
BLAST: You'll want you to put your focus on one long training phase called a "blast". During this blasting cycle you will perform 2 mini-cycles. I refer to them as a reload and a deload. A reload is high volume training cycle and a deload is low volume training cycle. The best plan is to reload for 8 weeks while using anabolic supplements then follow up with a 1-2 week deload while eliminating anabolic supplements or bridging. To simplify things you reload (high volume) for 8 weeks while the anabolics are working at full capacity then you deload (low volume using high reps) for 2 weeks once the body has reached a plateau with 8 weeks of anabolic usage and the higher volume training. The benefit of using higher volume training and taking in more protein during an 8 week anabolic steroid cycle works magic! Performing higher volume not only damages muscles, it also causes them to respond by activating genes in the nuceli of the muscle cells. During a reload/anabolic steroid or pro-hormone cycle you could do 12 sets once a week for your chest for 8 weeks or 6 sets twice a week for chest. Next, after doing high volume (12 sets total per week) for 8 weeks, you will deload for 2 weeks doing only half as many sets (6 sets once a week or 3 sets twice a week). During this two week deload you will reduce or eliminate anabolic supplements depending on what you are using).
Reloading and Deloading : I want to drive this point home so everyone understand the importance of proper periodization! The deload has nothing to do with the amount of weight or training intensity used, only the number of work sets change. Use higher reps but still train with great intensity during deloads as the number of work sets will be reduced! Deloading allows for catch-up growth to occur that was stimulated during a Reload. I compare the gains made during the deload to the gains you'll make during the first 2 weeks after doing a show even though training has been reduced and you have come off of all or most anabolics and have reduced protein intake. It takes higher volume training to blast the type-2 fibers to the utmost and this causes fatigue to accumulate. During intense periods of blasting, some of the gains made are delayed because the body isn’t capable of converting all the extra training into gains because more training is happening at the same time the body needs more rest for recovery. Once a deload is incorporated and the body fully-adapts, your Central Nervous System will recover and allow maximum gains in size-strength to occur.
During a blast, you gain additional strength during a deload, then take these additonal strength gains and break down more muscle tissue during the following reload by performing more work sets while adding in more anabolic supplements. This type of repetitive progress is the secret so many are in search of yet few have found!
Pro-bodybuilder’s would not be the size they are today if they lifted the same weights they started out with or used the same low volume programs they used as a beginner to get stronger! I am often asked, "is it really necessary to do both a deload and a reload during a blast"? My answer is yes! - “There are a lot of people who think they are making progressive strength gains but in reality they are stuck in a training rut using the same weight loads over and over again. They will keep returning to train hard but continue using the same weights they used last month while staying on high dosages of anabolic supplements year yet their genetic potential in strength is far from being reached. They get a massive pump with high volume but they do not get any stronger even though they never go off anabolics! On the other hand, there are people who think they are making progressive gains in muscle size because they are getting stronger but in reality their ability to max out muscle size for their genetic potential is not being reached because they are always performing low volume. They use the same low volume approach over and over again while neglecting to go for a serious pump. They also stay on high dosages of anabolics year round instead of cycling off for 1-2 weeks after each 8 week anabolic cycle. They will keep returning to the gym pushing heavy weight loads for only a set or two while making minimal gains in muscle size. Let me be clear, it takes both high volume and low volume to max out your genetic potential while simulataneously cycling anabolic dosages!”
A deload consist of performing about half as many sets while using the same intensity, weight loads and rep-ranges. The entire blast will consist of training each body part once a week as a baseline then twice a week once a plateau has been reached. If you prefer once a week training then you can continue doing so indefintely. After 2-3 months of training a muscle once a week you could benefit by switching over to training each muscle group twice a week during the next 8 week reload. It's not manadory, but a good way to help prevent boredom/break plateaus!
When training a muscle twice a week it's best to do one heavy training day (lower reps) during your first weekly workout and a lighter training day (higher reps) during second weekly workout. It’s also best to use different exercises on light days but not mandatory. Only when using the Slingshot Super Blast is being utilized should you stick with the same exercises for both heavy and light days (the way they trained in the Arnold era)! When you find you need time off from heavy training and all anabolic supplements you can do a 1-2 week prime (active or non-active lay-off). An active prime is a high rep/low volume/low intensity training phase or total lay-off from training that allows the joints/tendons/nervous system to recover so you can enter back into a blast with full-power. If you go on vacation, etc it would also be considered a prime. Its all depends on the individual how often a prime is needed. I like to do a 1 week prime about every 6 months or after a show.
Plateauing : A plateau effect will occur within 8 weeks with most steroids/anabolic supplement cycles. This is the perfect time to deload and decrease anabolics. Strength gains occur during a deload due to a rebound effect of stopping anabolics and by putting less demand on the nervous system/joints/tendons by training with only half the volume. The deload primes the body for future gains and allows you to get stronger/bigger during the next reload/anabolic cycle. Cycling in this manner increasing the effectiveness of every 8 week anabolic steroid or pro-hormone cycle. There's no value in going past 8 weeks of using anabolics unless you are cutting and getting ready for a show. Once an 8 week cycle is completed you would have to escelate anabolic dosages much higher to get additional results-hence more side effects would occur and over-training would manifest itself.
Work Sets:There's never a need in exceeding more than a total of 12 intense work sets for any body part each week. After around 12 intense work sets are completed the muscles stop firing. Doing upwards of 20 intense sets will result in injury and total burnout! All to often I see people thinking they need to do 20-25 work sets per muscle group. Now I want to drive this point home-"If you cannot break down your muscles to the max with 6-12 intense work sets total for the week (warm up sets not included) whether you train them once a week or twice a week you have a serious training problem"!
Slingshot Diet:
RELOAD DIET: During a reload you will need to increase protein! Do not exceed around 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight during a reload!
DELOAD DIET: During a deload less protein is needed. Protein intake will need to be reduced by 1 gram per pound of body weight. During a deload you will need to keep calories the same (maintenance level) so growth can occur or be maintained. Use mostly healthy dietary fats like olive oil and ***** 3's from various nuts and smart balance peanut butter to replace the protein calories that have been removed. However, carbs can remain the same in order to spare the lesser amounts of protein being taken in but if you need to get leaner before the next reload reduce the carbs. Reaching a sticking point after an 8 week reload is normal. The best way to overcome sticking points is by changing your routine with a deload. The reduced protein intake during a deload will improve insulin sensitivity because less protein will be converetd over to glucose and non-stop anabolic usage has been suggested to cause insulin resistance. When more protein/carbs are added during the next reload more amino acids will have the opportunity to be accepted by muscle cells when they are being broken down the most!
Carbs vs fats: In regards to the best diet plan for your body type you must figure out whether you do better on higher carbs or higher fats then go from there. Protein always remains high! If you do better on carbs then keep the fats lower. On the other hand, if you do better on less carbs and more fats keep the carbs lower. Some of you with a very fast metabolism may do better utilizing both a high carb and high fat diet. In that case it's good practiced to alternate protein/carb meals with mostly protein/fat meals to increase your ability to digest larger amounts of food.
PRIME: If you are over-trained you should begin each training cycle by using strategic de-conditioning (priming phase) over a 1-2 week time span. Total work sets and weight loads are reduced during the prime to make the muscle more responsive to the stimulus of weight training. Not training at all will do the same thing! This will help set up an environment for muscle growth to occur during the following blast!
Slingshot your way to the top!
The Slingshot Training System By Ronnie Rowland.”
WARNING: READ FIRST
No liability is assumed by the author for information contained within. Anabolic steroids are illegal in many countries and are not condoned by the author. All readers, are advises that any form of supplements or drugs described may be illegal, prohibited, or used only with a doctors prescription. The author does not participate, advocate, or encourage in any illegal activities. Readers must consult with appropriate legal and medical authorities if not certain about what has been stated in this article. COPYRIGHTED BY Ronnie Rowland....
Introduction:
When many weight lifters hit a plateau, what do they do? They begin to push even harder by adding more intensity to their routine. This kind of thinking is wrong because a muscle has to be exposed to something it is not used to doing without over-training the nervous system and joints. Adding intensity, by way of beyond failure training techniques, is widely known for producing frustrated bodybuilders! It's no secret that progressively adding more weight to every lift is a sure-fire way to increase total lean body mass, given the diet, training volume, and exercise selection is spot on. Almost everyone starts out using low volume. They grow at a phenomenal rate until the body adapts and quits responding. Because some feel the gains were so great using the lower volume approach, they begin to try and lift heavier weights while using the same program for extended periods of time. They put continued pressure on themselves to try to beat personal records each training session in hopes it will somehow further their muscle mass. Unfortunately, they end up with nothing more than chronic injuries and stagnation as a result.
The intelligent trainer's switch-over to using more volume, while the less fortunate keep thinking less is always more! The next mistake comes into play by the trainees who have switched over to using the higher volume approach. Many become so overwhelmed with their newly found muscle mass after having increased the volume that they begin to reason with themselves thinking more must always be done from that point on. They quickly hit a point of diminishing returns and eventually develop over-use injuries and an over-trained nervous system, instead of reverting back to using a lower amount of volume that worked so well at the beginning.
Sometimes their training will take the form of more sets-reps, exercises, intensity, training sessions, etc. Some are in constant search for the latest routines that will shock their muscles even further. However, all this does is hold them back even more because no one can overcome diminishing returns or keep using the same routine for extended periods of time and expect to make good gains. Slingshot Training helps you overcome both of these dilemmas by employing both low volume and high volume during the appropriate time frames!
** As someone who lifts weights, you will be going up against giants. In biblical times David used a "slingshot" to destroy his largest opponent of all, Goliath. Slingshot Training will dramatically change your physique in a short amount of time, trust me on this one.* *
Every time I browse the internet it’s the same old question being asked over and over again; “What’s the best training routine to gain lean muscle mass and strength?” Many of you are jumping from program to program and it’s not really making any noticeable differences in your strength or appearance. Some of you were making gains but have now reached a plateau. Others believe that a properly structured routine won’t really make much difference in comparison to other training programs and you tend to be either an obsessive-compulsive high volume trainees (always going for a pump) or an obsessive-compulsive low volume trainees (always trying to gain more strength). If you fall into any of these categories, I want to share with you what I have found optimal for making forward progress as a weight lifter.
First, not everything that works is good. You can be sincere in what you believe and still be wrong. So far, so good, doesn’t mean you’re not going to have some serious issues with joint and tendon pain later on down the road. All too often a hero on this months muscle magazine turns into a zero a few months down the road because they become injured and can no longer train. Listen carefully, opinions and trends come and go. I get a head ache just thinking about all the high-intensity training techniques such as pre-exhaustion, forced reps, heavy negatives, down the rack, rest-pause, super sets, drop sets, and the list goes on, and on!
Let me be clear, various training techniques have nothing to do with genetic capabilities. There is not one single variable that is the total downfall of not being able to gain more muscle size. Forced reps, rest pause, drop sets; etc will all depict some form of muscular hypertrophy. However, a major problem (other than these techniques being less effective at stimulating muscular size-strength and putting more strain on the joints, tendons, and CNS) is that they take in a much selected group of principles and apply them. The theory of combining all different training techniques to increase muscle hypertrophy is short-sighting the way the human body responds. If genetics dictated the needs for a different training style, then some could use rest-pause or drop-sets and get bigger/stronger than what they could obtain with straight sets, and we know this is not the case! Time has proven that the genetically superior will respond better to all forms of training methods when compared to the genetically inferior. Simply changing the way you create damage by employing various beyond failure training methods does not alter the fact that overtraining of the CNS and joints/tendons will out pace muscular damage. So, it all boils down to finding that one training method that’s not only the most effective for all genetic types, but the safest. It just so happens that straight sets is that one training method. In final, straight sets is the superior training style that out does all the rest when periodized properly!
* * Just because something has been shown to work doesn't mean it’s the best way**
A lot of talented people fail because they don't have a strong work ethic or they get poor information and stick too it. It's very important to get the right information. Do some investigating. Our projection of things is how all of us make our decisions. And all too often, people tend to believe something just because they have heard others say it over and over again. You must resist letting others condition or brainwash you into believing something that is not altogether true. Be skeptical when someone is trying to sell you something. It pays to be defensive because there is always something being promoted as "new and amazing" that turns out to be pure garbage. I'm not telling you that Slingshot Training is the only one way to success, or that all other training systems are wrong. I'm all about teaching others what I have found to be optimal. I get tired of all the silly debates on the internet that means absolutely nothing. For every article debunking a certain method, 25 can be found supporting it. Studies are fine, and theories are great, but reality hits hard and the paper studies that are put out become worthless when the truth is finally revealed. When someone gives the default answer "Well there's not an effective off-season program that will work for everyone in terms of maxing out their genetics potential," I realize they are basically admitting they do not understand how the human body responds to outside stimuli. The big picture is learning what it takes to create an effective progressive over-load (lift more weight) without getting injured and then taking those strength gains and proceeding forward to create a true progressive over-load (performing more sets with heavier weight loads) without developing over-use injuries and over-training. Add the proper nutrition into the mix and that’s how you get results. I refer to this as using a slingshot approach (hurling intensity to the muscles). ## Taking it to the edge is what it's all about##
If you gain strength but fail to gain some muscle size over time, it’s because you are not eating enough calories. If you gain strength by way of decreasing training volume (deload) but neglect to increase training volume (reload) during a period of using more calories to put on weight, you will gain more body fat and less muscle size. Combining more volume with extra calories and increased strength gains is what causes maximum growth Then you must periodize these 3 factors so progress and recuperation can be made year round. Training has to do with adaptation. Volumes, Intensity, Frequency and Strength have their limitations. None of them are infinite. For e.g.; If you perform 1 intense set of heavy barbell curls twice a week, the neural pathways will eventually adjust themselves by getting stronger so they can handle an even heavier weight load next time you train. Yes, the biceps will get stronger, but not a lot bigger. Stay with me here! When you take advantage of the added strength gains made by using less volume (deload) and then co-mingle those added strength gains with additional training volume (reload) while not over-training, you can be assured you will grow bigger muscles. That is how you create a true progressive overload! You can use all the fancy beyond failure training methods such as drop sets and rest-pause for hours on end and never create a true progressive overload because limitless adaptation equals a heavier workload in conjunction with additional volume to breakdown down more muscle tissue, while never going past the point of diminishing returns.
A progressive over-load and a true progressive over-load are not one in the same. Creating a progressive over-load is brought forth by being able to lift more weight using the same form, amount of work sets, and rest periods between sets. A true progressive over-load (a phrase I coined) is also brought forth when you can lift more weight using the same form, and rest periods between sets, but the amount of work sets performed must be greater than what’s required to produce a progressive over-load! After each subsequent set that follows the first work set, the type-1 fibers tire out earlier in the set and the type 2 fibers that are most responsible for giving you muscle size-strength take over the load for longer periods of time. By the time you have done only 2-3 intense sets, the endurance fibers are shutting down much earlier in the set and it's mostly the type-2 fibers lifting the weight. This is why volume training works well for pro-bodybuilders. The type-2 fibers must be made to adapt to lift more weight for longer periods of time in order to grow larger. In order to accomplish this feat, you must handle heavier weights over time. By training each bodypart only once a week as a "baseline," you will produce the most size gains with the least amount of effort, all while sparing the joints and central nervous system. Once the body adapts to once a week bodypart training you'll want to periodically hit each muscle group twice a week in order to keep progressing forward at the fastest rate humanly possible! Always training each muscle group once a week or always training a muscle group twice a week stops being the most productive way to train for the more advanced bodybuilder. Once the muscles have fully adapted to the training frequency it should be changed if you are to continue to force the body to adapt. When done correctly this leads to further growth and strength gains! It takes 6-8 weeks for full-adaptation to occur when using anabolics. Full-adaptation is what you want so go with 8 weeks! A longer reload gives the body more time to adjust and you will hold onto the muscle better! LET'S RECAP-THERE IS NO SET LIMIT ON HOW LONG YOU CAN BLAST. THE KEY IS TO DELOAD AND RELOAD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BLAST AND THEN DO A 1-2 WEEK PRIME WHEN TOTAL BURN OUT OR A NAGGING INJURY OCCURS.
There's a lot of theories on how to make maximum muscle gains while using anabolic steroids. You do not need steroid cycles that are so complicated that you would need a degree in bio-chemistry to figure them out. You can't just climb your way to the top of the mountain in one shot. You have to slingshot your way up in increments! I want to share with everyone what I have learned in 24 years of experience as both a bodybuilder and personal trainer. I have seen a lot in my days!
Feel free to ask me any questions concerning steroid cycles, etc in this thread. I see a lot of the same old questions being asked and I want to hand out some sound advise for those wanting to know what I have found to work best. It's really quite simple. KEEP ANABOLIC STEROID CYCLES/PRO-HORMONE CYCLES AT 8 WEEKS!
Take care,
Ronnie Rowland
Slingshot Training Overview and Cliff Notes:
Slingshot Training entails blasting for as long as humanly possible before having to take time off from heavy training. A blast is composed of two training phases-a “reload” and a “deload”. The reload is a higher volume training phase that last 8 weeks and a deload is a lower volume training phase that last 2 weeks. Slingshot training works by reloading with more volume while your on an 8 week anabolic steroid cycle or 8 week pro-hormone cycle, etc. Anabolics have been shown to work best for appoximately 8 weeks. After that point, additional muscle gains slow dramatically and you would need to use higher amounts drugs or supplements to advance further. The problem with that approach is unwanted side effects. So in order to keep making maximum progress you come off a heavy cycle by lowering the amount of anabolics used, do a pct, or bridge with a small dose of anabolics for 2 weeks-all while reducing training volume and protein intake. This 2 week period of reducing volume and protein is called a deload and it encourages receptor sites to become more sensitive to anabolics so that when you return to another (steroid cycle/reload) you'll make more gains with less side effects. To recap: You use more training volume and take in more protein during your 8 week anabolic steroid cycles so you can get the most out of each cycle. This is your reload ! After the reload you begin deloading for 2 weeks by using less training volume, higher reps (12-15) less anabolics and taking in less protein so you can return to another 8 week anabolic cycle/reload 2 weeks later and make continued progress. The cycle continues (reload/deload/reload/deload/reload/deload,etc)
Important Note: During 8 week reloads/8 week anabolic steroid cycles, you must be prepared to push training and protein intake to the limit. As you progress, anabolic dosages and calories must be increased in order to make continued gains!) Most people fail to max out their genetics because they use momentum to lift the weight. When momentum is used the ancillary muscle can do more of the actual work than the targeted muscle group. It's an ego thing and has no part in bodybuilding.
It’s up to you as an individual to find out how many sets work best for your body. I prefer 6-12 intense sets per body part once a week during reloads and only 3-6 intense sets during deloads. Experiment with your anabolic cycles to see which drugs/supplements work best. You will make your most gains somewhere during weeks 3,4,5 6,7, and 8! You must use once a week muscle group training as a baseline! It's no secret that the majority of people do best with once a week muscle training but training each muscle twice a week with more frequency on occasion will help break training plateaus. When training each msucle twice a week muscle training you will still need to stay withing the guidelines I have suggest for training volume. This means no more than a maximum of 12 intense work sets total per week for any major muscle group. If you want to get as big as humanly possible then there's no need in going off steroids. You heard me right! The 8 week reload is not a standard 8 week cycle but rather one long continuance cycle that stops only when you discontinue making any gains. This long cycle is called a blast and it consist of reloading and deloading. When you go off steroids for a lengthy period of time (for example time off = time off) you will lose a lot of your gains and go back to just above what you could have obtained naturally.
Note: When high amounts of androgenic anabolics steroids such as testosterone enanthate are introduced into the body, maximum receptor site stimualtion occurs during the first 3-8 weeks. After having been on test for around 8 weeks your libido will begin to level out and eventually decline as will your muscle growth as these receptor sites adjust to the exogenous testosterone. It's during this 3-8 week period of enhanced libido that maximum muscle growth occurs! Some of you will make the majority of your gains during weeks 3-6 while reloading others will gain more during week 5-8. Gains are finalized during the deload (weeks 8-10 of anabolic cycle). I do believe in set time frames in regards to reducing training volume and anabolic dosages. A 2 week deload following an 8 week reload is very important because it makes you stronger and packs on some additional muscle due to a rebound effect. Long acting esters will still present during a deload. In addition, the reduction in protein actually helps the body store more protein-hence more muscle mass!
When going for maximum mass you go off all steroids with Slingshot Training during a 2 week prime to allow receptors to clear and catabolic hormormone ( cortisol , myostatin levels, etc) to decline. You'll know when to prime because all progress will come to a grinding halt. Do not confuse the deload with the prime even though the deload also primes body for future gains!
I strongly believe that changing your exercises constantly is a huge mistake. Doing so will not allow for SPECIFIC ADAPTATIONS to occur to their fullest. If you are changing exercises every time you train you will have no history of progress. Results can only be measured against your baseline exercises that give you the most bang for your buck. For example: squats for the thighs! Alternating leg presses with squats every other week would not be as beneficial as sticking with squats for most of your leg training sessions unless squatting every week caused joint pain. By using the same key exercises most, if not all the time (during reloads) your results will be better. It's during the deloads you should consider changing exercises! I WANT TO DRIVE THIS POINT HOME!!!!!!!!!
BLAST: You'll want you to put your focus on one long training phase called a "blast". During this blasting cycle you will perform 2 mini-cycles. I refer to them as a reload and a deload. A reload is high volume training cycle and a deload is low volume training cycle. The best plan is to reload for 8 weeks while using anabolic supplements then follow up with a 1-2 week deload while eliminating anabolic supplements or bridging. To simplify things you reload (high volume) for 8 weeks while the anabolics are working at full capacity then you deload (low volume using high reps) for 2 weeks once the body has reached a plateau with 8 weeks of anabolic usage and the higher volume training. The benefit of using higher volume training and taking in more protein during an 8 week anabolic steroid cycle works magic! Performing higher volume not only damages muscles, it also causes them to respond by activating genes in the nuceli of the muscle cells. During a reload/anabolic steroid or pro-hormone cycle you could do 12 sets once a week for your chest for 8 weeks or 6 sets twice a week for chest. Next, after doing high volume (12 sets total per week) for 8 weeks, you will deload for 2 weeks doing only half as many sets (6 sets once a week or 3 sets twice a week). During this two week deload you will reduce or eliminate anabolic supplements depending on what you are using).
Reloading and Deloading : I want to drive this point home so everyone understand the importance of proper periodization! The deload has nothing to do with the amount of weight or training intensity used, only the number of work sets change. Use higher reps but still train with great intensity during deloads as the number of work sets will be reduced! Deloading allows for catch-up growth to occur that was stimulated during a Reload. I compare the gains made during the deload to the gains you'll make during the first 2 weeks after doing a show even though training has been reduced and you have come off of all or most anabolics and have reduced protein intake. It takes higher volume training to blast the type-2 fibers to the utmost and this causes fatigue to accumulate. During intense periods of blasting, some of the gains made are delayed because the body isn’t capable of converting all the extra training into gains because more training is happening at the same time the body needs more rest for recovery. Once a deload is incorporated and the body fully-adapts, your Central Nervous System will recover and allow maximum gains in size-strength to occur.
During a blast, you gain additional strength during a deload, then take these additonal strength gains and break down more muscle tissue during the following reload by performing more work sets while adding in more anabolic supplements. This type of repetitive progress is the secret so many are in search of yet few have found!
Pro-bodybuilder’s would not be the size they are today if they lifted the same weights they started out with or used the same low volume programs they used as a beginner to get stronger! I am often asked, "is it really necessary to do both a deload and a reload during a blast"? My answer is yes! - “There are a lot of people who think they are making progressive strength gains but in reality they are stuck in a training rut using the same weight loads over and over again. They will keep returning to train hard but continue using the same weights they used last month while staying on high dosages of anabolic supplements year yet their genetic potential in strength is far from being reached. They get a massive pump with high volume but they do not get any stronger even though they never go off anabolics! On the other hand, there are people who think they are making progressive gains in muscle size because they are getting stronger but in reality their ability to max out muscle size for their genetic potential is not being reached because they are always performing low volume. They use the same low volume approach over and over again while neglecting to go for a serious pump. They also stay on high dosages of anabolics year round instead of cycling off for 1-2 weeks after each 8 week anabolic cycle. They will keep returning to the gym pushing heavy weight loads for only a set or two while making minimal gains in muscle size. Let me be clear, it takes both high volume and low volume to max out your genetic potential while simulataneously cycling anabolic dosages!”
A deload consist of performing about half as many sets while using the same intensity, weight loads and rep-ranges. The entire blast will consist of training each body part once a week as a baseline then twice a week once a plateau has been reached. If you prefer once a week training then you can continue doing so indefintely. After 2-3 months of training a muscle once a week you could benefit by switching over to training each muscle group twice a week during the next 8 week reload. It's not manadory, but a good way to help prevent boredom/break plateaus!
When training a muscle twice a week it's best to do one heavy training day (lower reps) during your first weekly workout and a lighter training day (higher reps) during second weekly workout. It’s also best to use different exercises on light days but not mandatory. Only when using the Slingshot Super Blast is being utilized should you stick with the same exercises for both heavy and light days (the way they trained in the Arnold era)! When you find you need time off from heavy training and all anabolic supplements you can do a 1-2 week prime (active or non-active lay-off). An active prime is a high rep/low volume/low intensity training phase or total lay-off from training that allows the joints/tendons/nervous system to recover so you can enter back into a blast with full-power. If you go on vacation, etc it would also be considered a prime. Its all depends on the individual how often a prime is needed. I like to do a 1 week prime about every 6 months or after a show.
Plateauing : A plateau effect will occur within 8 weeks with most steroids/anabolic supplement cycles. This is the perfect time to deload and decrease anabolics. Strength gains occur during a deload due to a rebound effect of stopping anabolics and by putting less demand on the nervous system/joints/tendons by training with only half the volume. The deload primes the body for future gains and allows you to get stronger/bigger during the next reload/anabolic cycle. Cycling in this manner increasing the effectiveness of every 8 week anabolic steroid or pro-hormone cycle. There's no value in going past 8 weeks of using anabolics unless you are cutting and getting ready for a show. Once an 8 week cycle is completed you would have to escelate anabolic dosages much higher to get additional results-hence more side effects would occur and over-training would manifest itself.
Work Sets:There's never a need in exceeding more than a total of 12 intense work sets for any body part each week. After around 12 intense work sets are completed the muscles stop firing. Doing upwards of 20 intense sets will result in injury and total burnout! All to often I see people thinking they need to do 20-25 work sets per muscle group. Now I want to drive this point home-"If you cannot break down your muscles to the max with 6-12 intense work sets total for the week (warm up sets not included) whether you train them once a week or twice a week you have a serious training problem"!
Slingshot Diet:
RELOAD DIET: During a reload you will need to increase protein! Do not exceed around 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight during a reload!
DELOAD DIET: During a deload less protein is needed. Protein intake will need to be reduced by 1 gram per pound of body weight. During a deload you will need to keep calories the same (maintenance level) so growth can occur or be maintained. Use mostly healthy dietary fats like olive oil and ***** 3's from various nuts and smart balance peanut butter to replace the protein calories that have been removed. However, carbs can remain the same in order to spare the lesser amounts of protein being taken in but if you need to get leaner before the next reload reduce the carbs. Reaching a sticking point after an 8 week reload is normal. The best way to overcome sticking points is by changing your routine with a deload. The reduced protein intake during a deload will improve insulin sensitivity because less protein will be converetd over to glucose and non-stop anabolic usage has been suggested to cause insulin resistance. When more protein/carbs are added during the next reload more amino acids will have the opportunity to be accepted by muscle cells when they are being broken down the most!
Carbs vs fats: In regards to the best diet plan for your body type you must figure out whether you do better on higher carbs or higher fats then go from there. Protein always remains high! If you do better on carbs then keep the fats lower. On the other hand, if you do better on less carbs and more fats keep the carbs lower. Some of you with a very fast metabolism may do better utilizing both a high carb and high fat diet. In that case it's good practiced to alternate protein/carb meals with mostly protein/fat meals to increase your ability to digest larger amounts of food.
PRIME: If you are over-trained you should begin each training cycle by using strategic de-conditioning (priming phase) over a 1-2 week time span. Total work sets and weight loads are reduced during the prime to make the muscle more responsive to the stimulus of weight training. Not training at all will do the same thing! This will help set up an environment for muscle growth to occur during the following blast!
Slingshot your way to the top!
The Slingshot Training System By Ronnie Rowland.”
WARNING: READ FIRST
No liability is assumed by the author for information contained within. Anabolic steroids are illegal in many countries and are not condoned by the author. All readers, are advises that any form of supplements or drugs described may be illegal, prohibited, or used only with a doctors prescription. The author does not participate, advocate, or encourage in any illegal activities. Readers must consult with appropriate legal and medical authorities if not certain about what has been stated in this article. COPYRIGHTED BY Ronnie Rowland....
Introduction:
When many weight lifters hit a plateau, what do they do? They begin to push even harder by adding more intensity to their routine. This kind of thinking is wrong because a muscle has to be exposed to something it is not used to doing without over-training the nervous system and joints. Adding intensity, by way of beyond failure training techniques, is widely known for producing frustrated bodybuilders! It's no secret that progressively adding more weight to every lift is a sure-fire way to increase total lean body mass, given the diet, training volume, and exercise selection is spot on. Almost everyone starts out using low volume. They grow at a phenomenal rate until the body adapts and quits responding. Because some feel the gains were so great using the lower volume approach, they begin to try and lift heavier weights while using the same program for extended periods of time. They put continued pressure on themselves to try to beat personal records each training session in hopes it will somehow further their muscle mass. Unfortunately, they end up with nothing more than chronic injuries and stagnation as a result.
The intelligent trainer's switch-over to using more volume, while the less fortunate keep thinking less is always more! The next mistake comes into play by the trainees who have switched over to using the higher volume approach. Many become so overwhelmed with their newly found muscle mass after having increased the volume that they begin to reason with themselves thinking more must always be done from that point on. They quickly hit a point of diminishing returns and eventually develop over-use injuries and an over-trained nervous system, instead of reverting back to using a lower amount of volume that worked so well at the beginning.
Sometimes their training will take the form of more sets-reps, exercises, intensity, training sessions, etc. Some are in constant search for the latest routines that will shock their muscles even further. However, all this does is hold them back even more because no one can overcome diminishing returns or keep using the same routine for extended periods of time and expect to make good gains. Slingshot Training helps you overcome both of these dilemmas by employing both low volume and high volume during the appropriate time frames!
** As someone who lifts weights, you will be going up against giants. In biblical times David used a "slingshot" to destroy his largest opponent of all, Goliath. Slingshot Training will dramatically change your physique in a short amount of time, trust me on this one.* *
Every time I browse the internet it’s the same old question being asked over and over again; “What’s the best training routine to gain lean muscle mass and strength?” Many of you are jumping from program to program and it’s not really making any noticeable differences in your strength or appearance. Some of you were making gains but have now reached a plateau. Others believe that a properly structured routine won’t really make much difference in comparison to other training programs and you tend to be either an obsessive-compulsive high volume trainees (always going for a pump) or an obsessive-compulsive low volume trainees (always trying to gain more strength). If you fall into any of these categories, I want to share with you what I have found optimal for making forward progress as a weight lifter.
First, not everything that works is good. You can be sincere in what you believe and still be wrong. So far, so good, doesn’t mean you’re not going to have some serious issues with joint and tendon pain later on down the road. All too often a hero on this months muscle magazine turns into a zero a few months down the road because they become injured and can no longer train. Listen carefully, opinions and trends come and go. I get a head ache just thinking about all the high-intensity training techniques such as pre-exhaustion, forced reps, heavy negatives, down the rack, rest-pause, super sets, drop sets, and the list goes on, and on!
Let me be clear, various training techniques have nothing to do with genetic capabilities. There is not one single variable that is the total downfall of not being able to gain more muscle size. Forced reps, rest pause, drop sets; etc will all depict some form of muscular hypertrophy. However, a major problem (other than these techniques being less effective at stimulating muscular size-strength and putting more strain on the joints, tendons, and CNS) is that they take in a much selected group of principles and apply them. The theory of combining all different training techniques to increase muscle hypertrophy is short-sighting the way the human body responds. If genetics dictated the needs for a different training style, then some could use rest-pause or drop-sets and get bigger/stronger than what they could obtain with straight sets, and we know this is not the case! Time has proven that the genetically superior will respond better to all forms of training methods when compared to the genetically inferior. Simply changing the way you create damage by employing various beyond failure training methods does not alter the fact that overtraining of the CNS and joints/tendons will out pace muscular damage. So, it all boils down to finding that one training method that’s not only the most effective for all genetic types, but the safest. It just so happens that straight sets is that one training method. In final, straight sets is the superior training style that out does all the rest when periodized properly!
* * Just because something has been shown to work doesn't mean it’s the best way**
A lot of talented people fail because they don't have a strong work ethic or they get poor information and stick too it. It's very important to get the right information. Do some investigating. Our projection of things is how all of us make our decisions. And all too often, people tend to believe something just because they have heard others say it over and over again. You must resist letting others condition or brainwash you into believing something that is not altogether true. Be skeptical when someone is trying to sell you something. It pays to be defensive because there is always something being promoted as "new and amazing" that turns out to be pure garbage. I'm not telling you that Slingshot Training is the only one way to success, or that all other training systems are wrong. I'm all about teaching others what I have found to be optimal. I get tired of all the silly debates on the internet that means absolutely nothing. For every article debunking a certain method, 25 can be found supporting it. Studies are fine, and theories are great, but reality hits hard and the paper studies that are put out become worthless when the truth is finally revealed. When someone gives the default answer "Well there's not an effective off-season program that will work for everyone in terms of maxing out their genetics potential," I realize they are basically admitting they do not understand how the human body responds to outside stimuli. The big picture is learning what it takes to create an effective progressive over-load (lift more weight) without getting injured and then taking those strength gains and proceeding forward to create a true progressive over-load (performing more sets with heavier weight loads) without developing over-use injuries and over-training. Add the proper nutrition into the mix and that’s how you get results. I refer to this as using a slingshot approach (hurling intensity to the muscles). ## Taking it to the edge is what it's all about##
If you gain strength but fail to gain some muscle size over time, it’s because you are not eating enough calories. If you gain strength by way of decreasing training volume (deload) but neglect to increase training volume (reload) during a period of using more calories to put on weight, you will gain more body fat and less muscle size. Combining more volume with extra calories and increased strength gains is what causes maximum growth Then you must periodize these 3 factors so progress and recuperation can be made year round. Training has to do with adaptation. Volumes, Intensity, Frequency and Strength have their limitations. None of them are infinite. For e.g.; If you perform 1 intense set of heavy barbell curls twice a week, the neural pathways will eventually adjust themselves by getting stronger so they can handle an even heavier weight load next time you train. Yes, the biceps will get stronger, but not a lot bigger. Stay with me here! When you take advantage of the added strength gains made by using less volume (deload) and then co-mingle those added strength gains with additional training volume (reload) while not over-training, you can be assured you will grow bigger muscles. That is how you create a true progressive overload! You can use all the fancy beyond failure training methods such as drop sets and rest-pause for hours on end and never create a true progressive overload because limitless adaptation equals a heavier workload in conjunction with additional volume to breakdown down more muscle tissue, while never going past the point of diminishing returns.
A progressive over-load and a true progressive over-load are not one in the same. Creating a progressive over-load is brought forth by being able to lift more weight using the same form, amount of work sets, and rest periods between sets. A true progressive over-load (a phrase I coined) is also brought forth when you can lift more weight using the same form, and rest periods between sets, but the amount of work sets performed must be greater than what’s required to produce a progressive over-load! After each subsequent set that follows the first work set, the type-1 fibers tire out earlier in the set and the type 2 fibers that are most responsible for giving you muscle size-strength take over the load for longer periods of time. By the time you have done only 2-3 intense sets, the endurance fibers are shutting down much earlier in the set and it's mostly the type-2 fibers lifting the weight. This is why volume training works well for pro-bodybuilders. The type-2 fibers must be made to adapt to lift more weight for longer periods of time in order to grow larger. In order to accomplish this feat, you must handle heavier weights over time. By training each bodypart only once a week as a "baseline," you will produce the most size gains with the least amount of effort, all while sparing the joints and central nervous system. Once the body adapts to once a week bodypart training you'll want to periodically hit each muscle group twice a week in order to keep progressing forward at the fastest rate humanly possible! Always training each muscle group once a week or always training a muscle group twice a week stops being the most productive way to train for the more advanced bodybuilder. Once the muscles have fully adapted to the training frequency it should be changed if you are to continue to force the body to adapt. When done correctly this leads to further growth and strength gains! It takes 6-8 weeks for full-adaptation to occur when using anabolics. Full-adaptation is what you want so go with 8 weeks! A longer reload gives the body more time to adjust and you will hold onto the muscle better! LET'S RECAP-THERE IS NO SET LIMIT ON HOW LONG YOU CAN BLAST. THE KEY IS TO DELOAD AND RELOAD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BLAST AND THEN DO A 1-2 WEEK PRIME WHEN TOTAL BURN OUT OR A NAGGING INJURY OCCURS.
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