Hi all, I think we have a wide variety of very solid physiques in our forum and I'm sure we've diverged from "standard" training (if there is such a thing) to get where we are. I think it'll help each other to share what has "worked" for us (and any lessons along the way). I was thinking something like:

Training:
- Aiming to beat my max rep count at max weight (as opposed to just aiming for a number).
- If you can't feel the target muscle during a rep, stop and fix your form.
- Some cardio (steady state, 30 mins) when on a bulk. This helped me keep relatively trim in the tummy while bulking.

Diet:
- Watch *what* you eat, but don't be worried about eating a lot of it.

Recovery:
- I found that taking a nap during my lunch hour in my car really helped me. Bear in mind though, I get about 5 hours of sleep a weeknight.
- Cold showers after a workout helped me with some "pep" (where a hot shower left me feeling lethargic). You get used to them after a while....

I realise some (perhaps all) of this is common sense, but some lessons are learned the hard way before they're taught :)

In any case, if you've got insights on things that have worked for you in making progress with your physique, please share them. I think we'll learn a lot from each other this way.