Best workout book/guide????

There are no guarantees in life

I am not looking to be huge and bulky, I want to be cut and slim, really focuing on core strength. Currently I am at 6'1" 185 lbs. prob. around 13-14% bf. I want to stay around 177-184 lbs. and have my bf around 11%.

All my workout regime till this point has been your normal wieght exercises you'd find in many of the books mentioned, however I do the 2 body parts a day everyopther day workout, and the exercises are just run of the mill, no drop sets, super sets, etc. Also do a ab workout every wrokout day and run 45 mins. everyother day.

I am thinking a book focusing on core may be helpful...

Lifting heavy weights will not make you 'huge and bulky' unless you radically alter your diet. And your 'core' will be worked better by deadlifts and squats then it will by a couple of pansy situps/crunches.

Originally Posted by turbozed

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Lifting heavy weights will not make you 'huge and bulky' unless you radically alter your diet. And your 'core' will be worked better by deadlifts and squats then it will by a couple of pansy situps/crunches.

currently do deadlifts and squats (as well as various abs such as hanging leg raises, weighted incline crucnhes, etc.) So what makes you huge and bulky??? I was under the impression it was lifting the heaviest weights possible?? isnt that what body builders do? pretty much constant max 1rm

Originally Posted by pg600rr

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currently do deadlifts and squats (as well as various abs such as hanging leg raises, weighted incline crucnhes, etc.) So what makes you huge and bulky??? I was under the impression it was lifting the heaviest weights possible?? isnt that what body builders do? pretty much constant max 1rm

Diet.

Originally Posted by pg600rr

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currently do deadlifts and squats (as well as various abs such as hanging leg raises, weighted incline crucnhes, etc.) So what makes you huge and bulky??? I was under the impression it was lifting the heaviest weights possible?? isnt that what body builders do? pretty much constant max 1rm

Diet is most of it. If you eat maintenance calories, you shouldn't grow any bigger. Most of the 'bulky' powerlifters are so because they up their calories to 4000-5000kcals. I upped my calories from 2300-2400 to 3000 and I still can't gain that much mass. Instead I'm just leaner. It's pretty difficult to gain mass eating clean unless you try to (hence, mass gainers are marketed).

Also, starting strength recommends 5 rep sets or less. This is enough for strength gains but won't induce as much sarcoplasmic hypertrophy which fills your muscles with sarcoplasmic fluid. This is what's responsible for the 'swolen' bodybuilder look, and the reason why bodybuilders are weak (in terms of limit-strength) in comparison to a puny Olympic weightlifter half their size. Olympic weightlifters are also some of the leanest athletes in the world (aside from heavyweights).

For a bit more information on hypertrophy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_hypertrophy

Originally Posted by turbozed

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This is what's responsible for the 'swolen' bodybuilder look, and the reason why bodybuilders are weak (in terms of limit-strength) in comparison to a puny Olympic weightlifter half their size. Olympic weightlifters are also some of the leanest athletes in the world (aside from heavyweights).]
Not totally. Training volume, or, more specifically, total workload/time, will produce more size. Steroids help them cope with the big training volumes (don't say Mentzer because TUT is a whole different subject that's interrelated).

Originally Posted by turbozed

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Diet is most of it. If you eat maintenance calories, you shouldn't grow any bigger. Most of the 'bulky' powerlifters are so because they up their calories to 4000-5000kcals. I upped my calories from 2300-2400 to 3000 and I still can't gain that much mass. Instead I'm just leaner. It's pretty difficult to gain mass eating clean unless you try to (hence, mass gainers are marketed).

Also, starting strength recommends 5 rep sets or less. This is enough for strength gains but won't induce as much sarcoplasmic hypertrophy which fills your muscles with sarcoplasmic fluid. This is what's responsible for the 'swolen' bodybuilder look, and the reason why bodybuilders are weak (in terms of limit-strength) in comparison to a puny Olympic weightlifter half their size. Olympic weightlifters are also some of the leanest athletes in the world (aside from heavyweights).

For a bit more information on hypertrophy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_hypertrophy

Originally Posted by why

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Not totally. Training volume, or, more specifically, total workload/time, will produce more size. Steroids help them cope with the big training volumes (don't say Mentzer because TUT is a whole different subject that's interrelated).

Thanks for the info. Atm I am eating fairly clean at around 2600 cals. (just a guess, i dont really count), basically I want to maintain my current weight of 185ish while convertering what fat (within a reasonable amount) I do have, into muscle.

It makes sense that the majority of the bulk comes from the diet end...so I have nothing to worry about lifting super heavy look reps (as far as getting bulky is concerned)?

Don't concern yourself with being huge. It's very difficult to do and it takes a lot of time. It's not like you'll wake up one day and say, Damn, I'm too big; I went too far! Many people here start off saying, I don't wanna get too big...don't worry, you won't.

Originally Posted by Grayland

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Don't concern yourself with being huge. It's very difficult to do and it takes a lot of time. It's not like you'll wake up one day and say, Damn, I'm too big; I went too far! Many people here start off saying, I don't wanna get too big...don't worry, you won't.

It sounds like you directly lifted that from something i read somewhere else because it's so true.

additionally, you cannot "convert" a fat cell to a muscle cell. A fat cell is a fat cell and will stay a fat cell. A muscle cell is a muscle cell and will stay a muscle cell.

Originally Posted by pg600rr

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I am not looking to be huge and bulky, I want to be cut and slim, really focuing on core strength. Currently I am at 6'1" 185 lbs. prob. around 13-14% bf. I want to stay around 177-184 lbs. and have my bf around 11%.

All my workout regime till this point has been your normal wieght exercises you'd find in many of the books mentioned, however I do the 2 body parts a day everyopther day workout, and the exercises are just run of the mill, no drop sets, super sets, etc. Also do a ab workout every wrokout day and run 45 mins. everyother day.

I am thinking a book focusing on core may be helpful...

In my mind.. the athlete that epitomizes the ultimate in core strength is none other than the gymnast.. and to that end: http://gymnasticbodies.com/catalog/p...em63rrvilgbdu7

for a book review: http://www.martialartsplanet.com/for...ad.php?t=84178

One of the worst things about some of these books is that in some cases the ripped guy on the front cover is a model with implants and his physique has less to do with the actual workout prescribed then we are led to believe.

Originally Posted by Star

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One of the worst things about some of these books is that in some cases the ripped guy on the front cover is a model with implants and his physique has less to do with the actual workout prescribed then we are led to believe.
This is probably true in the world of bodybuilding where genetics and drugs supersede training

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about getting huge either. You should weight train because it will give you the physique you'd have had without the comforts of civilization with you having to hunt and kill your own food. In other words, it will help you reach your genetic potential physically.

That's all I want from it, rather than trying to look a certain way that the magazines are saying we should look like this season or whatever.