Eight more reasons why you’re not growing

[the iron addict]

Eight more reasons why you’re not growing

I wrote the first 10 reasons a while back, and decided to add to the list of prime reasons many of you are stuck.

Here are some of the primary reasons most trainees don’t grow:

1. You overtrain and under eat. These are listed as the main primary reason because they go hand in hand and BOTH must be balanced or you can forget growth. The most perfect training regimen will fail miserably if diet is not there to support it. And conversely, the most perfect diet will be wasted if the trainee is doing more workload than they can recover from—most do WAY too much!

2. The training workload is not varied. Doing the exact same lift the same way stops being productive for most trainees within 3-8 weeks. Once the body has adapted to the loading it must be changed if you are to continue to force the body to adapt.

3. Too much focus on isolation exercises, not enough compound work. You can do all the “small” lifts until you are blue in the face, but until you are moving big poundage’s in the big lifts you will remain small. Which brings up point #4.

4. You MUST squat and deadlift if you are going to reach your bodies growth potential. Think it through. Doing squats or deads activates 70-85% of the bodies overall musculature in one move. Doing a set of curls maybe 3-5%. Which sends a big signal that the body better get better at synthesizing protein and better at handling the need to grow as a unit? You will NEVER reach your potential without doing the squats and deads.

5. You constantly fluctuate between lifts that have bad carry-over. Here is an example
I have seen many times, and one I have done myself. The trainee burns out on benching and decides to do Hammer Strength Benches for a change. He makes the switch and is jazzed. His Hammer press is going up every week and he is stoked. After a time he has added 50 lbs to his Hammer bench and decides to go back and hit the bench, only to find it’s up a whole 10 lbs!!!!!


That doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with Hammer Benches. It just means that the lifts are dissimilar enough that an increase in one may not necessarily help increase the lift on another. Use of stabilizers and inter and intra-muscular coordination are two primary reasons, along with neural recruitment pattern gains that don’t apply well to the other lift.

6. You don’t know when to de-load/cruise, or take time off. NO ONES body takes a constant pounding of hard training without periods of active or full rest recovery. Until you learn how and when to don this your training will never be optimal

7. Your micro-nutrient support SUCKS! I can’t count the number of guys I have seen trying to build great physiques taking a “one a day” vitamin and thinking they have it covered. If you want great things out of your body, you need to put great fuel in it.

8. You train with the intensity of a arthritic old lady. Nuff said.

9. You have no clearly defined goals. Most people just “lift to get bigger”, and while this is a fine goal, not having and strength related goals will kill your progress in the long run. Your primary goal should be getting stronger on the big lifts on a CONSTANT basis. Setting short and long-term strength goals and achieving them is what equals a big strong trainee in the long run.

10. You are inconsistent. Getting excited about your training and killing yourself in the gym only to burn out and few weeks later and miss a bunch of sessions ends up being 1 step forward, 3/4 steps backward for many trainees. Getting and staying consistent and racking up sustainable gains over the long-term is what it’s about.

11. You don’t do cardio. Most lifters don’t do cardio because they are convinced that it will impact their training. And they are right if they are talking about long duration high intensity cardio, or almost any high intensity cardio unless they work into it slowly. I suggest EVERYONE that doesn’t have a physical job that has them walking a lot during the day walk for at least 45 minutes a day. I also suggest 2-3 high intensity cardio sessions for everyone except extreme ecto’s. Don’t believe it, fine. Continue to get less than optimal results.

12. Your insulin sensitivity sucks. Trying to build a great body while having poor insulin sensitivity never works. You will always fight laying down bodyfat. You want the carbs to go to your muscles not your fat stores. And to the fat stores is where they go when glucose tolerance sucks.

13. You have poor sleep habits, Diet and training can be spot on, but if sleep sucks it isn’t going to happen. This not only includes getting the right amount of sleep, but getting it at the right time. All you guys and gals that stay up until 2:00 am and sleep late are creating a huge disadvantage for yourselves.

14. You are stressed. Diet, training, and sleep, and supplement support can all be dialed, but if you are a 24 hour stress machine you can forget solid gains. Stress releases a slew of stress hormones. Bottom line, stress hormones put the body in one mode; store bodyfat, catabolize muscle. Is this what you really want to do? Get a handle on your life stressors before they get a handle on you. As much as 75% of all illnesses are directly related to stress.

15. Too much outside activity. If your life is non-stop action til you drop, you are likely short circuiting the growth process. Many of you are involved in martial arts, have other physical hobbies and try to train 5-6 days a week. Not going to happen if max muscle mass is your goal. Balance is the key.

16. You jump from routine to routine. I see people on the forums changing their routines at the same rate many of them likely change their underwear. On one forum I frequent there is a guy that has done like 6 different routines in the last 10 weeks. You need at 17. least 4 weeks to determine a routines effectiveness. More in some cases dependent on structure. Find something that works, and has loading changes built into the framework that you are progressive with and use the damn thing.

17. You don’t believe in your training program. I am in the process of writing a full article on this so I will spare the details, but if you don’t believe in the program you are doing it is never going to work, simple as that. You WILL consciously or subconsciously sabotage something you are convinced won’t work. Simple as that.

18. The intensity or frequency of your workouts leaves CNS constantly drained. If CNS is continually dampened you will never be able to lift optimally. CNS drives every rep you do, and if it is beat to ****, you will never lift to your ability.

Iron Addict

[John Prophet]

IA....a semi-related question

at 39, and lifetime natural....should I be taking, say, DHEA and/or tribulus?

I am putting in some serious consistent weight training so what would you recommend as far as supps


thanks, JP

[the iron addict]

IA....a semi-related question

at 39, and lifetime natural....should I be taking, say, DHEA and/or tribulus?

I am putting in some serious consistent weight training so what would you recommend as far as supps


thanks, JP

If you are on a tight budget, do this:
Beverly International Vitamin Mineral Pack http://www.******************/?products_id=851
2 grams C day in addition to what is in the multi-pack
Green Tea, 1/2 gal a day, or 6-8 350-400 mg caps
fish oil 8 grams a day
One tablespon olive oil
Creatine ethyl ester 6 grams a day, 2 divided servings
NAC 1500 mgs, 500 x 3

That is BARE MINIMUM and one I use for those on a restricted budget.

I wouldn't bother with the test boosters John.

IA

[Canefan17]

13. You have poor sleep habits, Diet and training can be spot on, but if sleep sucks it isn’t going to happen. This not only includes getting the right amount of sleep, but getting it at the right time. All you guys and gals that stay up until 2:00 am and sleep late are creating a huge disadvantage for yourselves.


I don't agree that "getting it at the right time" matters. I DO stay up till 2:00, sometimes 3....but I wake up at 10:45-11:00. That's 8 hours of sleep. It doesn't matter when you sleep, as long as its good sleep and for 7-8 hours.

Other than that.....the rest I completely agree with.

[John Prophet]

being the honest person that I am, lol.....I fess up that I havent gotten nearly as much out of my training as I should have.....even in periods when I have trained consistently I have never had a proper diet, never really had the nutrient support etc

so unfortunately my physique doesnt match my experience level


hopefully some of these younger guys can take a lesson from me..........if you are going to "man up" in the gym you also need to be as hardcore with the food, the supps, sleep etc


it is amazing to me how strong one can be as far as the dedication required to squat regularly, plan and log workouts, do high volume work etc etc...but then turn around and be absolutely without willpower when it comes to diet/cooking etc

right now, if I could get a grip on myself and drop the bodyfat down I would have a decent body...but thats a big "if" and so far I havent been up to the task

also, I feel I have the training knowledge to train people but id feel a little silly training people when I myself look like I need liposuction, lol


young guys, listen and learn...dont make the same mistakes

[the iron addict]

Believe what you want. The scientific community says otherwise and so does anecdotal evidence with 100's of training clients.

IA

[Khryz]

What about the time of day that you workout? Is performing workouts at completely different times of the day each time you workout another decent reason why people don't progress (i.e. one time at 6 am, one time at 1 pm, one time at 10 pm, etc).

[the iron addict]

As long as CNS is up to the task anytime will do. But training too late before bed interupts sleep patterns.

Many people simply do not perform well in the morning because CNS is not ready to go.


IA

[matthor]

from that list i feel i have all of them pretty covered (other than the odd time when i cheat or go out or watever) except for maybe the deload/cruise point,

atm i have been on my current program, starting the 7th week this week, after a 1 week rest before i commenced. All my lifts are progressing well and i am still psyched for training, but am probably getting to a point where a week off is necessary - but if i am still increasing in lifts and mass, should i ride it out till i stagnate, or take a break at week 9 or 10 or something and then continue?

this is the 2nd time i have really stuck out a program so i am still trying to learn how my body responds, maybe just for future reference i should keep pushing till i hit a wall, so i can know next time?

[Mayweatherjr]

you got some of those from the article by that andalite posted
why youre not growing

[mjw8204]

you got some of those from the article by that andalite posted
why youre not growing

With absolutely no offense intended to Andalite, I don't think Iron Addict needs to get his information from Andalite.

[Mayweatherjr]

no no im saying
some of them are word for word out of an article that andalite posted

[the iron addict]

Read that thread again. I am the original author that wrote the article that Andalie posted.

He got it from my board www.ironaddicts.com

Iron Addict

[VikingMan]

11. You don’t do cardio. Most lifters don’t do cardio because they are convinced that it will impact their training. And they are right if they are talking about long duration high intensity cardio, or almost any high intensity cardio unless they work into it slowly. I suggest EVERYONE that doesn’t have a physical job that has them walking a lot during the day walk for at least 45 minutes a day. I also suggest 2-3 high intensity cardio sessions for everyone except extreme ecto’s. Don’t believe it, fine. Continue to get less than optimal results.

1 word... GPP!!!

Since starting to do GPP a couple months ago, I've already noticed my work capacity increase, and my strength is still going up in the gym.

12. Your insulin sensitivity sucks. Trying to build a great body while having poor insulin sensitivity never works. You will always fight laying down bodyfat. You want the carbs to go to your muscles not your fat stores. And to the fat stores is where they go when glucose tolerance sucks.

Question IA. How do you know if your insulin sensitivity sucks? And what do you do about it?

[Khryz]

Good question VikingMan. I would assume it's more complex than just noting whether you gain fat or don't gain fat while eating reasonably high carbs. Also, what sort of GPP do you do?

Secondly, I fear eating too many carbs for this reason, yet I keep reading that muscle/liver glycogen stores must be replenished and filled as much as possible so strength and muscle growth can occur more readily. I'm also pretty sure the liver can hold roughly 100g of glucose, and the muscles of the body around 300-400g. So I'm not sure how a low-carb bulk would be effective say only getting 100-150g per day and the rest fats (high protein of course).

Sorry if this is kind of off-topic.

[VikingMan]

Also, what sort of GPP do you do?

Sled dragging. I've worked up to 20 minute sessions, twice a week, and I'm slowly adding more weight(currently using about 120LBS). When I'm done, my heart is racing and I'm sweating like a damn pig, but my pulse and respiratory rates go back down to normal within minutes. It's awesome. I haven't been in this good of shape (cardiovascularly) since I was in junior high.

Iron Addict has a great schedule to use to break you into sled dragging if you want to try it. It's on his site.

[VikingMan]

Good question VikingMan. I would assume it's more complex than just noting whether you gain fat or don't gain fat while eating reasonably high carbs. Also, what sort of GPP do you do?

Secondly, I fear eating too many carbs for this reason, yet I keep reading that muscle/liver glycogen stores must be replenished and filled as much as possible so strength and muscle growth can occur more readily. I'm also pretty sure the liver can hold roughly 100g of glucose, and the muscles of the body around 300-400g. So I'm not sure how a low-carb bulk would be effective say only getting 100-150g per day and the rest fats (high protein of course).

Sorry if this is kind of off-topic.

I wonder if Iron Addict's carb timing diet would fit well here. Because I wonder if I have poor insulin sensitivity. I'm a pretty big guy (260), and need to loose body fat. I read Iron Addict's carb timing diet and it seemed to describe to a tee what would help me take this to the next level, diet wise. More protein, still good levels of carbs WHEN they are needed, etc.

[Nick29]

Question IA. How do you know if your insulin sensitivity sucks? And what do you do about it?

It may sound strange, but there's a good amount of evidence that dietary cinnamon can help reset insulin receptors.

[Hulk06]

I would have to say that the biggest reason most people aren't "getting huge" is because of their lack of calories. Just eat...quit worrying about "getting fat''...chow down...even if you keep your diet somewhat healthy you'll gain noticeable muscle mass...just make sure to keep the calories above maintenance.

[the iron addict]

To help with insulin sensitivity, here are some things to do.

Cardio! Low intensity every day. Just walking is fine. High intensity 2-3 times a week.

No huge meals with tons of carbs.

No carbs on a regular basis over 50-55 on the GI scale, the lower the better.

Lots of fiber also.

Supps like r-ala, and taurine and others help with glucose tolerance.

Until insulin sensitivty is good your body will want to store bodyfat and use protein as fuel--NOT good ideas.

Iron Addict

[VikingMan]

I would have to say that the biggest reason most people aren't "getting huge" is because of their lack of calories. Just eat...quit worrying about "getting fat''...chow down...even if you keep your diet somewhat healthy you'll gain noticeable muscle mass...just make sure to keep the calories above maintenance.

That's the best advice so far on this thread... if you want to get fat.

Calories for the sake of calories is what MANY guys do to bulk up while lifting weights. They generally succeed in bulking up. Problem is that it may or may not have been muscle that they add to their bodies (I would unfortunately know).

Don't assume that everyone who is going to read your post is a "hardgainer", who simply needs to throw more calories at the problem.

Eating above maintenance calorie levels certainly helps in adding significant muscle to your body, but do you really think your body is going to be adding much muscle if your diet is all soft drinks and doughnuts? Enter, the reality that macro nutrient breakdowns ARE important, and that you do indeed need to be consuming quality calories. And, the calories your getting need to contain enough protein or it's all for nothing. An unqualified statement of, "Eat more, and you'll get huge", will help some, but hurt most.

AND, your post leaves the whole idea of training correctly out of the equation. Eating a high calorie diet full of protein and quality carbs will result in strength and size gains if your training is worth something.

[Mr White]

At last someone says cardio is good. Its a REVELATION! All you got to do is refer to point no.1.

IA another insightful thread.

[Andrew.Cook]

Believe what you want. The scientific community says otherwise and so does anecdotal evidence with 100's of training clients.

IA

My guess is that it is less the when you take your 8, as long as you have a schedule. The 2am-10am thing would be just fine as long as it is that way each and every time you lay your head down. Going from an 8pm bedtime to a 2am bedtime then a 9:30pm bedtime is never going to work out. Consistency is the name of the game for most of this. Consistent eating, lifting, sleeping... can't get it spot on 50% of the time, and slop it the rest.

[Khryz]

That's a good topic.

Does the time of the day when you're awake differ from other times being awake? Like, 6 AM waking to 9 PM sleep, or 1 PM wake to 3 AM sleeping (everyday). I think it might make a difference between I've seen cortisol spiking graphs that are based around the time of day, instead of how long it's been since you were awake.

[Andrew.Cook]

That's a good topic.

Does the time of the day when you're awake differ from other times being awake? Like, 6 AM waking to 9 PM sleep, or 1 PM wake to 3 AM sleeping (everyday). I think it might make a difference between I've seen cortisol spiking graphs that are based around the time of day, instead of how long it's been since you were awake.

I think daylight can play some role in body function (basically I think we are geared at a very primal level to be awake when it is sunny), but that being said, I know for a fact that I have been able to adapt to some very odd sleep habits. My job has, in the past, required me to live around an 18 hour day, rather than a 24 hour day. This occurs for months at a time, and while it impacts concentration at first, you learn to live with it, and thrive off of it.

[VikingMan]

My job has, in the past, required me to live around an 18 hour day, rather than a 24 hour day. This occurs for months at a time, and while it impacts concentration at first, you learn to live with it, and thrive off of it.

That would so screw with your head. You'd have to get blinders for your bedroom windows so you could sleep in the dark.

[the iron addict]

Being able to adapt and having optimal conditions for growth are two entirely different things. Go over to my board and read the recent posts by Trouble.

We ARE made to function optimally by being in tune with the carcadian rythem. The further you push your body outside of what it naturally wants to do from a sleep standpoint you produce a cascade of negative metabolic effects that WILL impact your ability to grow optimally and produce maximal force output.

Believe what you will. Everyone tries to talk theirselves into believing they are somehow different than everyone else and rationalizes their viewpoint to make themselves correct, at least to themselves.

IA

[VikingMan]

Being able to adapt and having optimal conditions for growth are two entirely different things. Go over to my board and read the recent posts by Trouble.

Wow, that guy is a machine(though his Avatar is a little creepy). Where did he learn it all? Hearing him talk about it all, sleep is an extremely important aspect of training. I suppose i knew that, though my behavior doesn't always reflect it. I don't really have sleep problems. My problems come in when I decide to stay up reading a book or something instead of going to bed when I should.

Thanks for that IA.

[all pro]

8. You train with the intensity of a arthritic old lady. Nuff said.

I'm going to make this one into a poster and hang it in my weight training room.

[LSU1]

I have been trying to find a place where GI is listed for carb sources, but im not having much luck. If anyone has a link to a site that shows this that would be great.

In reference to this quote from IA: "No carbs on a regular basis over 50-55 on the GI scale, the lower the better."