im not seeing much progress

[xxxDAxBEASTxxxX]

ive been cutting for about 3 weeks, ive seen some progress but the last week or so i see NO difference. its very frustrating because i weighed about 165 before my cut and im eating 2000-2200 calories. i cant cut anymore calories i feel that amount is the very minimum i should have. i workout heavy with weights 5 days a week (1 bodypart a day, 2 day off) and i work about 25hours a week where im standing/walking the whole time.


im also taking lean xtreme fat burner

[jcloco]

ive been cutting for about 3 weeks, ive seen some progress but the last week or so i see NO difference. its very frustrating because i weighed about 165 before my cut and im eating 2000-2200 calories. i cant cut anymore calories i feel that amount is the very minimum i should have. i workout heavy with weights 5 days a week (1 bodypart a day, 2 day off) and i work about 25hours a week where im standing/walking the whole time.


im also taking lean xtreme fat burner

Add cardio, also 1 bodypart a day? what like say you just work chest by itself? You should try adding another small bodypart to that at the very least, you wont burn much fat just doing one bodypart cos you'll only be lifting for 30 mins max. Also at 165 your calories could afford to go to 1800-2000 and not lose any considerable size

[.Geeza]

Patience is key, keep it going!

Supps also dont work if your diet is outta whack!

[xxxDAxBEASTxxxX]

Add cardio, also 1 bodypart a day? what like say you just work chest by itself? You should try adding another small bodypart to that at the very least, you wont burn much fat just doing one bodypart cos you'll only be lifting for 30 mins max. Also at 165 your calories could afford to go to 1800-2000 and not lose any considerable size

i probably weigh much les now but my scale broke so i cant weigh myself. chest/arms/shoulders/legs/back

and chest is the shortest day by far. also, chest take 30 min? 4exercises x4sets rest 3 mins after each set= 45 minutes of just rest time. and i reallly doubt i can drop the calories anymore i already feel lathargic and weak. im not losing too much strength tho, maybe 10% off my lifts. and i dont think im losing muscle just by looking at my body but im not sure. really REALLY frustrating because i literally dont eat anything good.... rice, eggs, chicken, nuts, veggies...i eat very strict and its still comin off so slow

[psychodiver9]

Patience is key, keep it going!

Supps also dont work if your diet is outta whack!

This. It's been 3 weeks. Stop whining

[tomdave]

i probably weigh much les now but my scale broke so i cant weigh myself. chest/arms/shoulders/legs/back

and chest is the shortest day by far. also, chest take 30 min? 4exercises x4sets rest 3 mins after each set= 45 minutes of just rest time. and i reallly doubt i can drop the calories anymore i already feel lathargic and weak. im not losing too much strength tho, maybe 10% off my lifts. and i dont think im losing muscle just by looking at my body but im not sure. really REALLY frustrating because i literally dont eat anything good.... rice, eggs, chicken, nuts, veggies...i eat very strict and its still comin off so slow

why are you having a 3 minute rest between each set?!

[xxxDAxBEASTxxxX]

why are you having a 3 minute rest between each set?!

cuz i lift heavy? if i get 8 reps on somthing and i try to do it a minute later i could proly do 2-3 reps of it...if i wait 3 minutes i can prolly do 7

[zanedavid]

cuz i lift heavy? if i get 8 reps on somthing and i try to do it a minute later i could proly do 2-3 reps of it...if i wait 3 minutes i can prolly do 7

1 minute betweens sets, 2 minutes between exercises.

3 minutes between sets is ridiculous! Your muscles won't respond anywhere near as well.
You should also try a compound based routine, you'll find you can put 110% into each set because you're not constantly overworking each muscle group.

Something like this:

Day 1

4x Squats: 5 reps
3x Ham Work: 8 reps
3x BB or DB Row: 8 reps
2x Bicep Curls: 10 reps

Day 2

4x Bench Press: 5 reps
3x Military Press: 8 reps
3x Tricep Isolation: 8 reps
2x Ab/Calf Work: 15 reps

Day 3

4x Deadlifts: 5 reps
3x Pullups: 8 reps
3x Leg Press: 8 reps
2x Biceps Curls: 10 reps

Day 4

4x DB or Incline Press: 5 reps
3x Chest Dips: 8 reps
3x Side Lateral Raise: 8 reps
2x Ab/Calf Work: 15 reps

Day 1: On
Day 2: On
Day 3: Off
Day 4: On
Day 5: Off
Day 6: On
Day 7: Off

[GlassArrows]

Add cardio, also 1 bodypart a day? what like say you just work chest by itself? You should try adding another small bodypart to that at the very least, you wont burn much fat just doing one bodypart cos you'll only be lifting for 30 mins max. Also at 165 your calories could afford to go to 1800-2000 and not lose any considerable size

Yeah I do this as well. 1 Body part and 5-6 exercises 3 sets each.

[ultimately]

ive been cutting for about 3 weeks, ive seen some progress but the last week or so i see NO difference. its very frustrating because i weighed about 165 before my cut and im eating 2000-2200 calories. i cant cut anymore calories i feel that amount is the very minimum i should have. i workout heavy with weights 5 days a week (1 bodypart a day, 2 day off) and i work about 25hours a week where im standing/walking the whole time. im also taking lean xtreme fat burner

Hi Bud, your on a cut so I'm assuming that when you say progress you mean you are losing body fat. It would be useful to know what body fat percentage you are because the lower it gets the harder it can be to go lower. It would also be useful to know how tall you were so I could accurately calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) but I can give you a ballpark anyways...

At your age and weight if you were 5 Ft 5 Inches your BMR would be 1776.65 calories.
At your age and weight if you were 6 Ft 0 Inches your BMR would be 1865.55 calories.

You can use your BMR and the Harris Benedict formula to roughly calculate your daily total calorie needs for maintenance.

My estimation based on the activities you describe is somewhere in the vicinity of 2753.81 calories for 5Ft 5 (1776.65 X 1.55) -OR- 2891.60 calories for 6 Ft 0 (1865.55 X 1.55).

Even IF you had the higher BMR and daily maintenance requirements of someone 6 Ft 0 Inches - some days (assuming you ate 2200 calories) you would only create a calorie deficit of approx 791. This is fine -BUT- a pound of fat consists of 7000 calories. You need a 1000 calorie deficit every day to lose that pound in a week (1000 calories X 7 days = 7000 calories -OR- 1 pound of fat).

You need to increase your deficit by eating less or exercising more (cardio would be the logical choice) in order to see results more quickly.

i probably weigh much les now but my scale broke so i cant weigh myself. chest/arms/shoulders/legs/back and chest is the shortest day by far. also, chest take 30 min? 4exercises x4sets rest 3 mins after each set= 45 minutes of just rest time. and i reallly doubt i can drop the calories anymore i already feel lathargic and weak. im not losing too much strength tho, maybe 10% off my lifts. and i dont think im losing muscle just by looking at my body but im not sure. really REALLY frustrating because i literally dont eat anything good.... rice, eggs, chicken, nuts, veggies...i eat very strict and its still comin off so slow

Brother you broke your scales! You need an objective way to tell if you are progressing or not, without it you are peeing in the dark and hoping you hit the bowl and not the bathroom floor The mirror can play tricks on ya you know... But anyways, if you think you weight much less now - whats the problem? You are on a cut so the idea is to lose fat and if your eating enough protein, exercising as you say -AND- still maintaining a calorie deficit then you WILL lose fat with a minimal loss of lean body mass. By the way, you should be eating 1gram of protein per day per pound of LEAN BODY MASS. Please read the "How to lose fat for Noobs" sticky in this forum if you haven't already - the guys are really knowledgeable and the method works!

why are you having a 3 minute rest between each set?!

1 minute betweens sets, 2 minutes between exercises.

3 minutes between sets is ridiculous! Your muscles won't respond anywhere near as well.
You should also try a compound based routine, you'll find you can put 110% into each set because you're not constantly overworking each muscle group.

Guys, why shouldn't he rest that long between sets? I'm too newb here to post links but Researchers at the University of Nebraska concluded that a short rest between sets stimulates the anabolic effect only briefly (as in so briefly as to be pointless) they tested two groups of lifters one group rested 1 min between sets and another 2.5 min between sets. They published the results of their research in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research if you wanna check it out.

Also, many strength training advocates and manuals advise short rest breaks between sets. Two minutes’ rest is the maximum that the average trainer is likely to allow you. Finnish researches questioned how well founded this guideline actually is. A study, which they published in 2005 in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, shows that your progression will be the same whether you take a 5-minute or 2-minute break.

Food for thought...

Peaceowt

Ultimately

[alex2363]

i too just do like 1 or 2 bodyparts 4 sets of diff excersises, i cant get better quality sets in, til i get better at the mind body thing, its been 8 months so far..it should be happenig soon...............

[zanedavid]

You can use your BMR and the Harris Benedict formula to roughly calculate your daily total calorie needs for maintenance.

If you want an accurate formula, definitely don't use this!

It's not that realistic in today's lifestyle settings, so it does not take into account your daily energy (everyone is different.) It still does not take into consideration the difference in metabolic rate as a consequence of high BF%. Thus, once again, it also overestimates needs in highly obese individuals. So - be warned it can OVERESTIMATE your needs.

More accurate forumla:
Katch-McArdle
This is considered the most accurate formula for those who are relatively lean and who have a good understanding of their bodyfat %.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)
Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

To then convert to a TOTAL expenditure requirement you multiply the result from the above equations by an Activity Factor
1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise and desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Light exercise or sports 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)
(note: these activity factors generally include your LIFESTYLE (work) as well as your EXERCISE (gym/ sport) and a TEF of ~ 15% - which is an average mixed diet).

[zanedavid]

i too just do like 1 or 2 bodyparts 4 sets of diff excersises, i cant get better quality sets in, til i get better at the mind body thing, its been 8 months so far..it should be happenig soon...............

Refer to my training routine above. If you're not feeling it, try and build your strength up with full body or multiple muscle group workouts.

[Haveboards]

3 minutes between sets is ridiculous! Your muscles won't respond anywhere near as well.

Not correct at all.

Totally dependent on many factors.

[zanedavid]

Not correct at all.

Totally dependent on many factors.

I do agree with you on the many factors. I correct myself here by saying that what works for some may not work for others.

I personally can't take 3 minute breaks or I just loose my mental and muscle intensity. I like to hit them hard with 1 minute rests. I feel a much better pump that way.

[Haveboards]

I do agree with you on the many factors. I correct myself here by saying that what works for some may not work for others.

I personally can't take 3 minute breaks or I just loose my mental and muscle intensity. I like to hit them hard with 1 minute rests. I feel a much better pump that way.

The rest of your post was quite helpful.

Rest as long as you need too.

When training for pure strength some well known strength trainers/power lifters have designed routines with 10 minute rest periods.

Edit: Maximal strength being the goal.

2- 3 minutes being closer to the average.

You should rest as long as it takes for your muscles to recover.

However lower rest periods are often used to raise intensity when training for fat loss.

As most wave loading involves lower reps, you should be using longer rest periods of at least 3 minutes or more.

There's an inverse relationship between reps and rest period.

The lower the reps, the longer the rest period should be. You should also be using a % closer to your 1 rep max.

[zanedavid]

The rest of your post was quite helpful.

Rest as long as you need too.

When training for pure strength some well known strength trainers/power lifters have designed routines with 10 minute rest periods.

Edit: Maximal strength being the goal.

2- 3 minutes being closer to the average.

You should rest as long as it takes for your muscles to recover.

However lower rest periods are often used to raise intensity when training for fat loss.

As most wave loading involves lower reps, you should be using longer rest periods of at least 3 minutes or more.

There's an inverse relationship between reps and rest period.

The lower the reps, the longer the rest period should be. You should also be using a % closer to your 1 rep max.

I currently focus my routine around compound lifts like mentioned above, so I might try longer rest periods in between and see if it improves my lift.

I know up to this date, I've always had short rest periods but I'll experiment and give it a go! cheers

[.Geeza]

1 minute betweens sets, 2 minutes between exercises.

3 minutes between sets is ridiculous! Your muscles won't respond anywhere near as well.
You should also try a compound based routine, you'll find you can put 110% into each set because you're not constantly overworking each muscle group.

Something like this:

Day 1

4x Squats: 5 reps
3x Ham Work: 8 reps
3x BB or DB Row: 8 reps
2x Bicep Curls: 10 reps

Day 2

4x Bench Press: 5 reps
3x Military Press: 8 reps
3x Tricep Isolation: 8 reps
2x Ab/Calf Work: 15 reps

Day 3

4x Deadlifts: 5 reps
3x Pullups: 8 reps
3x Leg Press: 8 reps
2x Biceps Curls: 10 reps

Day 4

4x DB or Incline Press: 5 reps
3x Chest Dips: 8 reps
3x Side Lateral Raise: 8 reps
2x Ab/Calf Work: 15 reps

Day 1: On
Day 2: On
Day 3: Off
Day 4: On
Day 5: Off
Day 6: On
Day 7: Off

Not entirely correct infact i think its encpuraged to take a longer rest time when lifting a heavy weight for so many reps.

Important thing is form, you will have bad form (i assume) if you just rest for a minute, you wanna get those reps in.

I wait 2-3 mins between sets personally.

[zanedavid]

Not entirely correct infact i think its encpuraged to take a longer rest time when lifting a heavy weight for so many reps.

Important thing is form, you will have bad form (i assume) if you just rest for a minute, you wanna get those reps in.

I wait 2-3 mins between sets personally.

Yeah I made a bad call on rest times, I'd agree with 2-3 minutes for sure if doing 4x5 heavier lifts.

My form has always been good, i'd just struggle on lifts 3,4,5 with a shorter break. With a 2-3 minute rest between sets today, I was able to get to 5 without the need of a spotter on the same weight.

[man0war]

Actually I would suggest you - could - safely lower your calories 100-200 under 2000.

I've cut safely with 2000-2100 calories and even if I might be higher on the body fat at around 22% , I'm still 6'5" , 235 lbs with 183 lbs of lean mass. And since you only need your lean mass amount to estimate one's calorie needs, I thought I'd let you know you could safely lower your calories a little more for your size.

[Forelli87]

Stick at it mate! I thought I wasn't making any progress as in the past month I've lost hardly any weight, however when I look at pictures of my body of a month ago compared to today, there is a noticeable difference! Good luck!

[bigollie2006]

The rest of your post was quite helpful.

Rest as long as you need too.

When training for pure strength some well known strength trainers/power lifters have designed routines with 10 minute rest periods.

Edit: Maximal strength being the goal.

2- 3 minutes being closer to the average.

You should rest as long as it takes for your muscles to recover.

However lower rest periods are often used to raise intensity when training for fat loss.

As most wave loading involves lower reps, you should be using longer rest periods of at least 3 minutes or more.

There's an inverse relationship between reps and rest period.

The lower the reps, the longer the rest period should be. You should also be using a % closer to your 1 rep max.

thisx100908

When I was doing Smolov, I had to rest *at least 3 minutes in between every set because it was just too intense to jump right back in. My muscles responded promptly the next day by going numb lol

[PNel]

This is fine -BUT- a pound of fat consists of 7000 calories. You need a 1000 calorie deficit every day to lose that pound in a week (1000 calories X 7 days = 7000 calories -OR- 1 pound of fat).

Ummm how has no one called you out on this yet? A pound of fat is != to 7000 calories. Try 3500.

To lose a pound a week you need a 500 calorie deficit per day (7x500 = 3500).

Everything else you said is immediately discredited.

[macalister]

have you tried using 20-30 second rest periods between sets? Also, do you use tempos? These have helped a great deal! I also do HIIT cardio with high tension to help burn and build at the same time. This is a cutting phase right?

I do 6-8 reps/30 sec rest for each exercise. I have been building muscle and losing about 1% bodyfat a week. I feel like I lift a good amount of weight for a female. I have a difficult time losing fat around the waist but, this seems to be working. Also eat alot of green vegys and protien. Just my two cents, take it at will.

Good luck,
Brenda