Stuck on Strength and Weight...how do i get past this?

[dutchlifter]

Anyone who can help here is my background:
I've always been a "casual" lifter, never really worrying about diet, just lifting every so often to maintain some sort of physique. I started lifting about 5 years ago because I was 6'1" and 140...very skinny. A few years of casual lifting got me to a steady weight of 165. About one year ago I started watching what I ate, taking whey protein shakes, and taking some multivitamins and really pushing in the gym. That took me to about 175. However I quickly fell off, de-motivated and stopped lifting. To add to that, about 6 months ago I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is very cardio intensive. I dropped to 160 and was pretty mad at myself for letting myself get that skinny again.
I've now started to get serious into bulking and muscle size and strength gain for the past 3 months. I've been eating like a horse(lots of lean turkey and meats along with pasta for carbs) and upping my protein shakes to about 3 scoops a day. I've been hitting the gym about 4-5 times a week and pushing harder then ever. I had some fantastic newbie gains and am sitting around 176lbs. My strength gains also went up.
Now I feel stuck. I've been trying to steadily increase the weight for each exercise, but I'm starting to not be able to put it up. Also I'm continuing to eat all day and my weight hangs at 175/176.

My goal weight would be 205, but I can't even seem to punch through the 175 ceiling I'm at now.
I don't know how to get past this plateau.

Here is my usual week in the gym:
Mon: Chest and Tri's
Flat Bench Smith- 10,8,6,3,2 starting with 160 increasing 10lbs each time
Dumbbell Incline Press- 10,8,8 starting with the 55's and going up by 5lbs in each hand each set
Dumbbell Incline Flyes- 10,10,10 starting with 30's and going up by 5lbs in each hand each set
Dumbbell Decline Press- 10,8,8 starting with 60's and going up by 5lbs in each hand each set
Cable PressDown's- 12,12,12
Laying Triceps Extension- 10,10,10 starting with 65 going up by 5lbs each set
Dumbbell Triceps Kickback- 10,10,10 starting with 20 ending with 30lbs

Tue: Back and Bi's
Standing strait bar curl-10,10,10 starting with 65lbs going up by 5lbs each set
Preacher Machine- 10,8,6,4
Seated Dumbbell Bicep Curl- 10,8,8
Dumbbell Hammer Curls- 10,8,8 starting with 40s going up by 5lbs each hand each set
Lat Pull down Bar- 10,10,8,8 starting with 100 going up by 20lbs each set
Bent over rows- 10,8,8,6 starting with 105llbs going up by 10lbs each set
Close Grip Cable Row- 10,8,6,6 starting with 120lbs going up 20lbs each set
(ever other week i do deadlifts)

WedDelts and Shoulders
Dumbbell Lat Raises-10,10,8 starting with 20lbs each hand
Barbell Raises up to chin(dont know the real name):10,10,8 starting with 70lbs going up 5lbs each time
Military Press: 10,10,8
Rear Delt Flyes: 10,10,8
Dumbbel Shoulder Raises 10,10,8

Thurs: Rest

Fri: Legs (Usually lower weight because of knee injury)
Leg Extensions: 10,10,8,6
Smith Machine Squat: 10,10,8,6 starting with 160 ending with 220
Hamstring Curls: 10,10,8
Seated Leg Press: 10,10,8
Lunges: 10,10,8

Sat: I will start the beginning of the rotation over on this day

Sun: Rest

[dutchlifter]

Forgot to say that I add in about 3x a week an ab workout on top of what muscle group I do that day

[bloodriotiori]

Anyone who can help here is my background:
I've always been a "casual" lifter, never really worrying about diet, just lifting every so often to maintain some sort of physique. I started lifting about 5 years ago because I was 6'1" and 140...very skinny. A few years of casual lifting got me to a steady weight of 165. About one year ago I started watching what I ate, taking whey protein shakes, and taking some multivitamins and really pushing in the gym. That took me to about 175. However I quickly fell off, de-motivated and stopped lifting. To add to that, about 6 months ago I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is very cardio intensive. I dropped to 160 and was pretty mad at myself for letting myself get that skinny again.
I've now started to get serious into bulking and muscle size and strength gain for the past 3 months. I've been eating like a horse(lots of lean turkey and meats along with pasta for carbs) and upping my protein shakes to about 3 scoops a day. I've been hitting the gym about 4-5 times a week and pushing harder then ever. I had some fantastic newbie gains and am sitting around 176lbs. My strength gains also went up.
Now I feel stuck. I've been trying to steadily increase the weight for each exercise, but I'm starting to not be able to put it up. Also I'm continuing to eat all day and my weight hangs at 175/176.

My goal weight would be 205, but I can't even seem to punch through the 175 ceiling I'm at now.
I don't know how to get past this plateau.

Here is my usual week in the gym:
Mon: Chest and Tri's
Flat Bench Smith- 10,8,6,3,2 starting with 160 increasing 10lbs each time
Dumbbell Incline Press- 10,8,8 starting with the 55's and going up by 5lbs in each hand each set
Dumbbell Incline Flyes- 10,10,10 starting with 30's and going up by 5lbs in each hand each set
Dumbbell Decline Press- 10,8,8 starting with 60's and going up by 5lbs in each hand each set
Cable PressDown's- 12,12,12
Laying Triceps Extension- 10,10,10 starting with 65 going up by 5lbs each set
Dumbbell Triceps Kickback- 10,10,10 starting with 20 ending with 30lbs

Tue: Back and Bi's
Standing strait bar curl-10,10,10 starting with 65lbs going up by 5lbs each set
Preacher Machine- 10,8,6,4
Seated Dumbbell Bicep Curl- 10,8,8
Dumbbell Hammer Curls- 10,8,8 starting with 40s going up by 5lbs each hand each set
Lat Pull down Bar- 10,10,8,8 starting with 100 going up by 20lbs each set
Bent over rows- 10,8,8,6 starting with 105llbs going up by 10lbs each set
Close Grip Cable Row- 10,8,6,6 starting with 120lbs going up 20lbs each set
(ever other week i do deadlifts)

WedDelts and Shoulders
Dumbbell Lat Raises-10,10,8 starting with 20lbs each hand
Barbell Raises up to chin(dont know the real name):10,10,8 starting with 70lbs going up 5lbs each time
Military Press: 10,10,8
Rear Delt Flyes: 10,10,8
Dumbbel Shoulder Raises 10,10,8

Thurs: Rest

Fri: Legs (Usually lower weight because of knee injury)
Leg Extensions: 10,10,8,6
Smith Machine Squat: 10,10,8,6 starting with 160 ending with 220
Hamstring Curls: 10,10,8
Seated Leg Press: 10,10,8
Lunges: 10,10,8

Sat: I will start the beginning of the rotation over on this day

Sun: Rest

Let me make sure i understand. You do this workout monday, tuesday, wednesday friday then you start with the monday routine again that saturday?

You're probably not making gains that much anymore because you're doing too much. Now believe me, i KNOW about doing too much, i was working out for ridiculous amounts of time each time i was in there doing way too much per body part. I recently dropped all my weight back down to almost nothing (like 80-90 pounds off each movement i was doing) and started a modified starting strength routine (not exactly as written, but then again i'm not "starting" either, been working out in some form for 8 years so ya lol).

With this routine i started very low for most things, and i've been making steady 5-10 pound increases each time. Weight is still low and i'm still concerned about messing my lower back up again on deadlifts (it still bugs me from time to time), but in a month to 1 and 1/2 months time i'll be almost back up where i was on most things, and then 2-2 and 1/2 months i'll be BEYOND where i was.

When you start to stagnate out from a bad routine, sometimes it's best to start from scratch. It's hard and you have to force yourself though, i went from working out for 90-120 minutes 3 days a week to about 35 minutes (since the weight is low) 4 days a week, plus some conditioning at home for my martial arts.

IMO for what you're trying to do, alot of the movements you do aren't actually doing you any good. You wanna get stronger? Why are you focusing your tricep energies on laying cable extensions? Hit some skull crushers or close grip bench Get out from under the smith machine and put a barbell on your back, i have HORRIBLE knee problems from having them bent both 90 degrees TO THE SIDE, and i'm recovering from a 2nd bad lower back injury (from stupidity, not from squatting) and i still get under the bar 2 days a week for squats and 2 days a week for barbell lunges. Stop benching with a smith machine and hold a big scary barbell and push it up and down. Wanna make your back grow? Start deadlifting and make sure your form is good on those bent over rows. Wanna do something fun and different with a dumbell? Hit some pullovers. Stop worrying about dumbbell flyes and worry more about how much you're actually pressing.

I'm by no means a professional, but that would be my advice to you If you're lifting primarily with a smith machine and machines/accessory movements, maybe it's time to scrap your workout, accept you're not very strong, and look into something like starting strength. I had to suck it up and realize that after all this time, i had very little to show for what i had put into this, and totally got rid of my workout and said "ok, i'm just getting diminishing returns on my strength and size now, i'm actually making things WORSE, time to pretend i've never worked out before", and it was the hardest thing i've ever done. But assuming my back holds up and i can get my deadlifts back up without hurting it again, i know i'll end up stronger and bigger than i was before

[PeterGibbons316]

If you aren't gaining weight then you aren't eating enough. Log your calories every day and actually keep track of exactly how much you are eating. Increase it until you are gaining weight at the rate you want.

Your routine should not include weight. The weight should be ever-increasing.

[dutchlifter]

Let me make sure i understand. You do this workout monday, tuesday, wednesday friday then you start with the monday routine again that saturday?

Yea that right

You're probably not making gains that much anymore because you're doing too much. Now believe me, i KNOW about doing too much, i was working out for ridiculous amounts of time each time i was in there doing way too much per body part. I recently dropped all my weight back down to almost nothing (like 80-90 pounds off each movement i was doing) and started a modified starting strength routine (not exactly as written, but then again i'm not "starting" either, been working out in some form for 8 years so ya lol).

With this routine i started very low for most things, and i've been making steady 5-10 pound increases each time. Weight is still low and i'm still concerned about messing my lower back up again on deadlifts (it still bugs me from time to time), but in a month to 1 and 1/2 months time i'll be almost back up where i was on most things, and then 2-2 and 1/2 months i'll be BEYOND where i was.

When you start to stagnate out from a bad routine, sometimes it's best to start from scratch. It's hard and you have to force yourself though, i went from working out for 90-120 minutes 3 days a week to about 35 minutes (since the weight is low) 4 days a week, plus some conditioning at home for my martial arts.

IMO for what you're trying to do, alot of the movements you do aren't actually doing you any good. You wanna get stronger? Why are you focusing your tricep energies on laying cable extensions? Hit some skull crushers or close grip bench Get out from under the smith machine and put a barbell on your back, i have HORRIBLE knee problems from having them bent both 90 degrees TO THE SIDE, and i'm recovering from a 2nd bad lower back injury (from stupidity, not from squatting) and i still get under the bar 2 days a week for squats and 2 days a week for barbell lunges. Stop benching with a smith machine and hold a big scary barbell and push it up and down. Wanna make your back grow? Start deadlifting and make sure your form is good on those bent over rows. Wanna do something fun and different with a dumbell? Hit some pullovers. Stop worrying about dumbbell flyes and worry more about how much you're actually pressing.

I'm by no means a professional, but that would be my advice to you If you're lifting primarily with a smith machine and machines/accessory movements, maybe it's time to scrap your workout, accept you're not very strong, and look into something like starting strength. I had to suck it up and realize that after all this time, i had very little to show for what i had put into this, and totally got rid of my workout and said "ok, i'm just getting diminishing returns on my strength and size now, i'm actually making things WORSE, time to pretend i've never worked out before", and it was the hardest thing i've ever done. But assuming my back holds up and i can get my deadlifts back up without hurting it again, i know i'll end up stronger and bigger than i was before

Yea I try to but at my gym they have 3 smith machines and only 1 free weight bench so its a bit tough to get to the bar before someone else does. I try to swap certain things out every week so its not literally the same every time I do a muscle group so I have swapped out cable pulldowns with skullcrushers etc. Maybe I'm simply over training?

[dutchlifter]

If you aren't gaining weight then you aren't eating enough. Log your calories every day and actually keep track of exactly how much you are eating. Increase it until you are gaining weight at the rate you want.

Your routine should not include weight. The weight should be ever-increasing.

That sounds like a good idea, I'll try keeping track to see what calories I'm really keeping. Also those weights are what I'm at now, so they were lower before. I just felt my progress has slowed dramatically...

[krete77]

Eat, eat, eat. Lift heavy. Rest. Lather,rinse,repeat.

[lift4sport]

Yea that right



Yea I try to but at my gym they have 3 smith machines and only 1 free weight bench so its a bit tough to get to the bar before someone else does. I try to swap certain things out every week so its not literally the same every time I do a muscle group so I have swapped out cable pulldowns with skullcrushers etc. Maybe I'm simply over training?

Maybe part of the reason you're not progressing (in addition to not monitoring your calories with detail) could be because you are swapping things every week. Also, I wouldn't let the 1 free weight bench be an excuse. Just go up to the person who is using it and ask them how many sets they have left. Ask it while standing up right next to them. Then stand there and wait. I am quite certain they will be courteous and keep it under 5-10 minutes from then. Have some patience, it will pay off - you may find better strength gains just by sticking to barbell bench every time and going for progression from that.

[bloodriotiori]

Yea that right



Yea I try to but at my gym they have 3 smith machines and only 1 free weight bench so its a bit tough to get to the bar before someone else does. I try to swap certain things out every week so its not literally the same every time I do a muscle group so I have swapped out cable pulldowns with skullcrushers etc. Maybe I'm simply over training?

you might be. Overtraining is reallyyyyyy hard to do though man, like really hard. However you very well may just be doing a bit too much (i say overtraining like to the point it makes you literally sick, you can still over do it without getting to this point). I know that's what i was doing for a while, so i started doing a modified starting strength routine again even after all the time i've been working out heh.

It also sounds like you go to a ****ty gym, if they have 3 smith machines and 1 squat rack that's a pretty bad ratio, not good for someone serious about lifting. You could do something similar with dumbells but the progression is going to peter out alot faster.

[biff_6]

If you aren't gaining weight then you aren't eating enough. Log your calories every day and actually keep track of exactly how much you are eating. Increase it until you are gaining weight at the rate you want.

Your routine should not include weight. The weight should be ever-increasing.

This guy knows, eat like a real horse!! Not some girly horse. No offense... but some people say they are eating a lot, and to them it is a lot. In reality its nowhere near what it should be. Use this eaquation to help. Body Weightx17= caloric needs/ caloric needsx.25= mass claories needed/ caloric needs+ mass calories needed= mass gain. Also, protien consumption: 1.5xbw= grams per day carbs:2.25-2.5xbw= grams per day. Vast majority of BB don't get the gains they want bc they fail in the kitchen.

REST AND EAT RIGHT... NO PROBLEM. HIT IT HARD... GET BIG

[dutchlifter]

It also sounds like you go to a ****ty gym, if they have 3 smith machines and 1 squat rack that's a pretty bad ratio, not good for someone serious about lifting.

Planet Fitness...you nailed it lol

[Nosferatu187]

workout on mon/wed/fri leave the cardio for now and check your calories

[bloodriotiori]

Planet Fitness...you nailed it lol

oh mah gawd....don't EVEN get me started on that **** hole lol. Get the **** out of there ASAP and join a real gym. They get people in there with a lure of cheap prices, but there's a reason that they're so cheap, as you're finding out, they don't have a ****ing thing to actually work out with lol. Run bro, run while you still can.

If you lived around here i'd recommend the gym i go to but since you don't, do a little research in your area and figure out another place to go. Some gyms cost money, because some gyms actually have equipment

Your first step is to find a gym that isn't terrible. Then take the starting strength advice Guarantee if you do both those things, and you eat like food is going out of style, you will get results.

[dutchlifter]

oh mah gawd....don't EVEN get me started on that **** hole lol. Get the **** out of there ASAP and join a real gym. They get people in there with a lure of cheap prices, but there's a reason that they're so cheap, as you're finding out, they don't have a ****ing thing to actually work out with lol. Run bro, run while you still can.

If you lived around here i'd recommend the gym i go to but since you don't, do a little research in your area and figure out another place to go. Some gyms cost money, because some gyms actually have equipment

Your first step is to find a gym that isn't terrible. Then take the starting strength advice Guarantee if you do both those things, and you eat like food is going out of style, you will get results.

Yea the price is what first got me to go, but the free weights there are limited at best.
I've started to use myfitnesspal website to track macros and without sounding like other posts, unless you write it down(which I wasn't) you really don't see that your not getting the calories that you need.
I thought I was stuffing myself, but not really.
The past two days I'm now finally hitting around 3000-3200 calories, plus around 200 grams of protein...I'm thinking this is a good place to be??

Also looking into it more I think I'm gonna hit a SS 5x5 for 12 weeks...we'll see how that goes.
I'm gonna stick to the standard plan as written, its just so weird to see no isolation work, but what do I have to lose right?

Is there generally at ballpark that a novice lifter at my height/weight should expect to gain as far as how much weight I will be able to put up at the end of the program for bench/deadlift/squat?

[bloodriotiori]

Yea the price is what first got me to go, but the free weights there are limited at best.
I've started to use myfitnesspal website to track macros and without sounding like other posts, unless you write it down(which I wasn't) you really don't see that your not getting the calories that you need.
I thought I was stuffing myself, but not really.
The past two days I'm now finally hitting around 3000-3200 calories, plus around 200 grams of protein...I'm thinking this is a good place to be??

Also looking into it more I think I'm gonna hit a SS 5x5 for 12 weeks...we'll see how that goes.
I'm gonna stick to the standard plan as written, its just so weird to see no isolation work, but what do I have to lose right?

Is there generally at ballpark that a novice lifter at my height/weight should expect to gain as far as how much weight I will be able to put up at the end of the program for bench/deadlift/squat?

like i said, it's that cheap because they have nothing. I also get sick of their bull**** "no judgement" line that they spew constantly, seems that only applies if you're looking to have the body of a 10 year old prepubescent girl, anyone who actually wants to lift or get in shape is just that, judged. The trainers there are complete retards as well. We had one open up near me not that long ago, after checking out the one that was in boardman which is about 40 mins away from here, this one is even worse lol. It's a ****ty gym and it's good if you can get out of there asap.

Well think of isolation this way man, and again i do not say this as an insult, i say it as a general statement to anyone reading. Isolation is great....if you have something to isolate. Your arms for example have no size on them whatsoever, so what exactly would you be isolating ya know?

If i were you i'd start at the 45 pounds (just the bar) for bench and squats and presses if you do them, and maybe 80 for the deadlifts assuming you can get that off the floor (which i'm sure you can).

Every person is different, but i see no reason you wouldn't gain around 120-200+ pounds on all your lifts if you stick with it long enough. I've been steadily going back up 5-10 per lift per day right now, my weight is still very low especially for how big i am so it feels weird going that low again, but soon i'll shoot up past my old bests and into new ones Don't stress about a final number, put all your focus into just improving as much as you can! If you read the program, it says around week 3-4 you can start adding in some things like barbell curls and skull crushers if you really want to, i think if you add in pullups and dips you'll be surprised how much those hit your bi's and tris as well.

I don't know how you are with things like pullups/chinups, but my theory on it is, if you can't pick yourself off the ground, you've got no business picking something else off the ground That theory has served me well as i've been making steady improvements in all bodyweight movements since i started this again. Today i hit 10 pullups in a row before i had to stop for the first time ever since i got my hyperextended elbows from jiu jitsu.

[dutchlifter]

Today i hit 10 pullups in a row before i had to stop for the first time ever since i got my hyperextended elbows from jiu jitsu.

Arm bars are a nasty thing if you get fully extended lol

[bloodriotiori]

Arm bars are a nasty thing if you get fully extended lol

yup -_- It was my very first day too, the douche bag instructor didn't control his students at all. The ******* wouldn't let go either right away so that made it worse. Once we got up when he was standing up i kicked him in the nuts as hard as i could, told him to go **** himself, and told the instructor that he clearly didn't want me there since he was more interested in having his students show off than teaching new ones lol.