[Vickie Lake]

Great Reply Matt, You definitely have the supplements and enough calories to support your work. I am grateful for your workout exercise list, now what is the weight/rep/set configuration. Also, let's get your current bodyfat percentage.

Without knowing your lifestyle I will assure you that you need a lot of rest for this kind of workout, I am going on your max overload approach. Bodybuilders take atleast two naps during the day and do little else physical to sustain growth and recovery.

I have only glanced at the online material regarding the book you referenced and I liked what I read. The focus on only using the amount of weight you can manage in full range, proper form is right on. I will tell you though, that you are missing some key exercises and from their protocol it is upon their recommendations.

You can't sustain good core balance without addressing the lats and the rhomboids directly; I will go to the mat on this. Since you have a quote referencing lag on your posts I will tell you that the lat is instrmental in creating this phenomenon in conjunction with the chest's role in creating the movement of your arms as they cross your body.

Also, as strange as this may sound you need some cardio. So often people think of this as just a fat loss routine and another energy using function. You are very young in body building, 4 months I think you said, and made no indication of any previous exercise program. The cardio-pulmonary system is your master of providing the oxygen necessary for your muscles to create energy in the mitocandria of each cell. The vascular system is the middle man that carries this necessary nutrient to the muscles; in fitness you will often hear cardio referred to as cardio-vascular exercise. People assume that you will use up to much energy and hard injested calories if they do cardio of any kind during their bulking phase. The truth is that you need a strong cardio-pulmonary-vascular system that is efficient and effective to supply enormous amounts of oxygen to this level of work. Likewise, your muscles need to be very efficient at receiving the oxygen once it is made available. Often, in the beginning phases of training hard, these systems are not sufficient to support the work. The natural response if fatigue and resistance to taking on more work that the body is unable to perform safetly. This is also the reason that we take time off and "de-load" during phases. I will also add that we typically think of the first three to six months as beginning and use this time to set the system up for increasing to maximal levels. You jumped right in full bore. Not a criticism, just an observation. The fact that you are anazyzing this already indicates that you will be successful in finding your perfect training program. It's never the same for any body at any age.

Don't be discouraged by my asking for more work. You only need to train this cardio system for short, low intensity workouts to improve it's performance and the body's receptive capabilities. Of my past power friends, the bike was the machine of choice.

There are other training options I could share but I will do so with respect to the fact that you found a program that got your motivation roaring. In the mean time I hope you are getting a multi vitamin and plenty of C and you have to keep your carbs up to keep your cortisol from sabotaging your hard work. You said few vegetables so why don't you give me a day's nutrition journal and let's tear it apart. Your protein requires carbs for efficient assimilation and I can't imagine 4,000 calories without more carbs than my brain assumed. What about complex carbs? They will also keep your energy stores high enough to keep your muscle in place.

Sounds like you have the basic platform now let's make it yours. Vik

P.S. Bagger is right, Stress come in a miriad of forms but once the body has to deal with it you are facing one predictable system of management.

27, how dare you have such an advantage. You go!