How to remain motivated when your doing it correctly but not gaining mass / muscle??!

[Spanish89]

I was training non-consistently and non-regularly for 5years to start.


But then since 1st week of January this year i been training very consistently (workout every 4th day, giving my muscles 3days recovery time inbetween).


And am ensuring that my workout method is correct for building muscle mass, and that it targets the muscles i want to build.
(Primary im targeting are pecs, Secondary are biceps, shoulders, back, and abs)

And so for my pecs, biceps, shoulders, and abs i overload each of the muscle by doing 4reps per set @ max weight,
and a very high volume of sets per each gym session.
(Approx 13-16sets of chestpress, 8-9sets of bicep curls, 8-10sets on seated row machine, and 6-8sets of abs crunches).


Yet whilst i am seeing quite solid strength gains, i am barely barely seeing any gains in muscle mass over these last 3 and half months!!

And so am starting to struggle to remain motivated.... :/

[Skyline89]

-Is Chest Press the machine? If so, try free weights like bench press or dumbell press on bench.
-Increase reps to 6-8. (5 is ok also but 4 is a bit too low.)
-I'm guessing that it has to be your diet.
-Are you getting enough protein? Get Protein powder if possible.
-Dont expect to see a lot of gain in a couple of months.
-Try going to the gym more often. Every 4 days is only like once or twice a week. Try going 3-5 times a week.

Something else you could check is your testosterone levels with your doctor.


Sample routine for days:
Day 1: Chest (uses Triceps)
Day 2: Back (uses Biceps) (Triceps basically off and healing)
Day 3: Shoulders (uses Triceps)(Triceps should be healed by now and ready to work again)(Biceps are off and healing today)
Day 4: Biceps (uses Biceps obviously) (Biceps should be healed by now and ready to work again) (Triceps healing)(Pecs definitely healed after 3 days without workout)
Repeat.
This will help you achieve your goals faster.
You can do abs all 4 days or create a new day for abs and split it however you want.

[GC29]

Is it just me or is 3 rest days a little excessive and unnecessary?

[tchudt]

before getting serious i messed around with bench and curls alot. i got much better results when i followed professional strength programs like SS and madcows 5 x 5. i think my size gains are pretty proportional to strength gains.

so i'm motivated to be able to rep progressively heavier weights; after my cut, my goal is slow bulk 1-2 lbs while lifting on 5-3-1 program. each gym session i strive to do more reps than last time and each month i attempt to set a new max. i focus my assistance work to sets of 5-8 reps . so i get some volume as well and can do other lifts like dips , isos , DB work. long term wise for the next year i want to squat 315 for reps, deadlift 405 x 3, and 225 bench x 3 at around 160 lbs, 10-12 % bf.

but workout to workout i focus on eating right and sleeping right to have enough intensity in the gym to hit my reps and do more than last time.

[maddawg579]

3 days of rest? What the f*ck for?

That's just a waste of time, bud. If you work a different body part, you shouldn't have to rest more than 1 day, if that.

[JMath]

Progress is not a very fast process. In 3 months, I wouldn't expect your biceps to be busting out of you sleeves. If I was you I would do the following:

--Mix up my routine. If you're not seeing progress, add more sets/reps/whatever. I agree with maddawg579 though. You're resting too much and not working out enough. 1 day on, 3 off sounds like not enough work.

--Get a 3rd party opinion. Because progress is slow (you're not going to look like a model in just a few months) you are most likely making small progress that you don't really notice since you see your body every single day.

[WarWithWeakness]

If it's not working, stop thinking it's correct.


I'm not saying we don't all experience our progress stalling at times, but if it lasts for a prolonged length of time, something has to change.

[steven1977]

And make sure you are eating enough. To grow, you will need at least 500 calories over maintenance every day. Nutrition is as important as working out. Also, focus on the big lifts to add mass--deadlifts, squats, cleans, rows, chins, pulls ups, and dips. Isolation exercises should be the last things done to finish off a muscle group. Good luck.

[Navigator416]

If it's not working, stop thinking it's correct.


I'm not saying we don't all experience our progress stalling at times, but if it lasts for a prolonged length of time, something has to change.

+1 if you can't increase weight, increase reps and calories. Maybe do some legs while you are at it

[AlphaBrass01]

+1 if you can't increase weight, increase reps and calories. Maybe do some legs while you are at it

Definitely this - food and leg work. It took me a long time to not be afraid of eating enough to really grow.

[Koaia]

You're not doing anything correctly. You do marathon sets of partials every four days, and in the six years you've been doing this, you haven't gotten any bigger or stronger.

My style of working out is to use 'time' instead of 'numbers of sets'.


And so when i got to the gym my standard workout routine is as follows:-

*Do 600-800meters on the rowing machine as a quick warmup.


*Then move over to my main workout machine the Seated Chest-Press Machine (ww.answerfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/Chest_Press_Machine.jpg) and start working out on that.

The weight i use is 200-215lbs, do 4reps per each set, with a 30-45second pause between each set.
And i spend about 15-20minutes just doing continuous sets on that.


*I then go to the rowing machine and row roughly 3,200meters to workout my legs and arms, as well as to stretch and loosen my muscles which would have tightened during the chest pressing.


*I then return to the chest press machine and do roughly 10minutes of continuous sets on it.


*I then go to the Seated-Row-Machine (ww.myallnaturalweightloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/seated_row_machine.jpg / ww.healthstylesexercise.com/catalog/images/Body-Solid-G9S-Seated-Row.jpg), do about 165lbs, and do 6-7reps per set, 30-45seconds pause between each set, and do continous sets like that for 5-10 minutes.


*I then go back to the chest press machine and spend 6-7minutes on that,
then alternate back to the seated row for 5mins, then back to chest press... ect

And will keep doing that for roughly 30minutes.


*I then will go back to rowing machine and row 900 meters.


*Then return to the chest press machine and do a final 8-9sets quickly.


*And then to stretch-down i do slow 450meteres row, plus use the giant bouncy-balls to stretch out my back and upper body for a few minutes.


*Then go home and rest my body for 3 full days, with the next time i consider going to the gym being on the 4th day.

For the last few years ive been going through phases of going to the gym and doing that routine (although often a shorter 45minutes version of it) every 4-5days, but consistently for 2-3months.
Then not going to the gym at all for 5-6weeks.
Then restarting but only going 1-2x per month for about 3-4months.
Then not doing for 5-6weeks again.
And then restarting the cycle of going every 4-5days for 2-3months.


But as i work in security industry, now only work 4days out of 7per week, and am actively trying to get a job as a bouncer, ive finally got sufficient motivation to start hitting the gym consistently,
and so am intending on going every 4days continuously.