Should I bulk up a little?

[robotstrong]

I am currently 6'1" and 160-162 lbs and at around 5-6 percent body fat. I feel quite strong at this weight but does anyone have an idea of what the optimal weight should be for BtGB training for someone at 6'1"? Is there a chance it could be functionally beneficial for me to jump up to 170 lbs, or does it simply differ from person to person? I guess I figured there might be an objectively optimal balance between muscle mass and height for gymnastic training. I just want to know if I should bulk up with maybe one day a week of higher volume (like Coach wrote: 10X3 or pyramids) and up the calories a little bit.

Thanks for your time.

J

[Blairbob]

Being that long, it will help to be lighter more than likely for BW strength unless you need some muscle hypertrophy.

[robotstrong]

Thanks for the reply Blairbob. I am assuming that since my limbs are longer straight arm movements are inherently more difficult?

How would one determine if more hypertrophy is needed?

[Razz]

Post a pic in the good old BB style and the forum can judge if you need hypertrophy

if your strength isn't increasing at all it would probably be an option to try and gain some weight (mostly muscle ofcourse) and see if that helps you

[robotstrong]

Will do Razz. Just need to let my camera battery charge.

[robotstrong]

*pics deleted*

[irongymnast]

Your pecs aren't big enough.

[robotstrong]

irongymnast, thanks for the reply. would you recommend focusing on some hypertrophy there?

[Jason Stein]

Aren't there bodybuilding forums for this kind of thing? This is kind of embarrassing.

Though I guess the forum is called "Gymnastic Bodies."

Again, I can't help but feel that this issue is more accurately phrased as "How can I train and practice as a gymnast? How can I train for planche, front lever, back lever, manna, maltese and cross?"

[irongymnast]

I thought he meant it for BtGB training.

robotstrong, do you do enough workout on the rings? Try doing MUs, bulgarian dips, wide arm pushups on the floor.

Keep in mind that I'm not experienced enough though.

[robotstrong]

That's exactly what I meant it for. BtGB and nothing else. If Jason would've read my first post I think he would've understood that this isn't an issue of understanding what my goals are and how to achieve them. But no worries. I got rid of the pics to rid the forum of anything even remotely related to muscle mass since it is a sensitive issue.

Since I landed my first strict muscle up yesterday I'll throw those in my next SSC. I guess the XR PPP plus push ups might help as well.

[Jason Stein]

Robot

I did read your first post, and my comments remain the same. "Bulking up" for "ideal" BtGB training is the wrong way to approach this training. "Bulking up" --- bigger biceps, chests, lats, hypertrophy, blah blah blah --- will be a result of training maltese, planche, levers, cross (as well as your diet, of course).

Rather than post pictures of yourself shirtless, it would have been more helpful to see video of your levers, planche, ring routine, handstands, etc, etc.

I am speaking as someone who has gained 20 pounds of lean muscle mass, most of it in roughly between April-June, strictly as a result of following static progressions and the daily posted WODs.

best of luck with your training,

jason

[robotstrong]

20 pounds of lean mass in 3 months is impressive. I didn't know that was possible without steroids.

[Blairbob]

Jason, in men's gymnastics, it can help to build some hypertrophy. Especially for skinny people. I recently was in a clinic that covered this for collegiate men's gymnastics but I didn't get all the clinic in so I can't really comment on that approach but they did train hypertrophy cycles (for 3 weeks at a time).

[Razz]

Well the post a pic was mostly meant as a kind of a joke but can still be useful, at least i dont see why it shouldn't be allowed. But adding muscle mass certainly won't stop you from gaining strength unless you are already 80-90kg ripped (not 2.5m tall ofc), im pretty sure

[NickD]

My friend, Building 20 pounds of lean muscle mass in 3 months is impossible. In fact if a person told me they did that in a year i would still have difficulty believing.

My take on it is if you want to be powerful you need muscle. I found that if you trained to gain muscle size and then switched training so that you would now be focusing on developing strength you jumped leaps in strength, because you had developed large arms, chest etc. it was then a surplus of muscle that when then strengthened made you an animal. But this was my personal experience.

[Jason Stein]

Nick,

I have BF and weight measurements from Jan 09 through current; I made a linear progression in gains the first three months of the year but a majority of physical gain occurred between April til now.

Bodybuilding will give you big biceps, but will not give you a planche or cross. Nor, I have observed, will it accelerate your time to perform either of these holds.

Training a cross, or one-armed chin, or a maltese, however, will give you all of those skills, will increase your maximal strength --- and will give you big biceps.

I am not suggesting elite gymnasts don't train with weights, but again I'd suggest they be considered tools toward performance goals and hypertrophy a byproduct of skill acquisition. And how useful is it to people who might train 18 hours a week (as compared to 24 or more) know that elite, 10-year-plus world-class gymnasts do bicep curls?

And hey, post photos of yourself shirtless --- but it starts to look a lot like T-Nation. "Bro, you need bigger lats."

best,

jason

[Razz]

Ofcourse you can not judge by looking at people if bigger lats is what they need to get that front lever down. But if topic starter feels he is too skinny i'm sure some hypertrophy may be able to benefit him, don't overdo the bulking ofcourse.