Good ?. You sound a little confused maybe i can throw 2 cents in.
Your ? about your gear changing anything, NO. The recovery will obviusly be easier with gear but you can stick to the same routine on or off.
Your 2nd ? about 5 sets 1-5 reps if thats how it works instead of 15 working sets 6-8 reps. Your kinda on the right track here. Believe it not a lot of people myself included see nice results from only 3 working sets 1-5 reps with 3-6 warm-ups. If your intensity is 110% and your form is on you shouldn't need much more than that. Im gonna go out on a limb and say your range of motion for compound lifts are done to fast? I can't see doing them slow, strict and correct, that you can't get a pump from 12-15 working sets when most get pumped with 3. Ill also go out on a limb and say your not hitting the big 4 enough, squat/dead/bench/press? 15 working sets of deadlifts would cripple someone. Now 7 warm-ups and 2-3 balls to the wall would be more like it. Keep in mind when yu use the word working sets your meaning any set over 70%ME.
For instance say your doing chest,
Flat or incline or decline bench-3-5 warm-ups light no where near fatique. Then 3 sets 70% max, 80% max then 90% max. Then hit some DB shoulder press 3-5 sets 10 reps, then Tricep work 3-5 sets 10 reps. Thats a cmmplete work-out less ab work believe it or not. One compund exercise with 2-3 accessory exercises makes for a nice session.
Here are some programs that are tried and tested, My suggestion to you would be keep asking ?'s and start reading more but not Flex or BBing mags, lol.
http://www.steroidology.com/forum/t...ogram-building-mad-strength-muscle-dlove.html
I used to fear that lifting heavy wouldn't tighten me up or Pling would result in me having a pot belly. I was wrong it actually helps reduce fat more for me and I rarely do cardio. This will give you an idea what a 8 time olympian likes to do 5 weeks out of Mr.O. I know I put this up a lot but I love it when people think to get hard and cut means high rep or high volume tell it to big ron
YouTube - Ronnie Coleman deadlift