# Training nealry a year - plateaus



## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

Been training for about a year now and noticed that all my lifts are been the same for a few months now, I have enough rest and eat pretty clean and always give 100% in the gym. any ideas how i can bust though it?


----------



## switch (Jan 5, 2011)

Change your routine, you body gets used to a certian way of training, mix high reps/low weight and low reps/high weight days etc.


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

ive read alot on plateaus, the most common mistakes apparantly are overtraining, especially when you realise you plateua you train harder and longer making the problem worse,

ive been told to take 1 full weeks rest every 8 weeks, never train if i am aching, always give any muscle group 3 full days rest after a serious workout. eat plenty of food if you plateua trying increasing calories by a few hundred a day. if you dont put on weight after 2 weeks, then you need to eat a little more again. as previous poster said swap routines up every 8-10 weeks, different exercises, different rep ranges etc.

good luck mate and i am sure you will figure out your pitfall and be gaining again shortly


----------



## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

Cool will switch up rep ranges, just had a week off. Routine is like this

Monday Rest

Tuesday Triceps/Biceps

Wednesday Rest

Thursday Shoulders/Abs

Friday Legs

Saturday Chest

Sunday Back/abs

I usually stick to lifting heavy but lower reps like 5-8,


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

What is your current diet?


----------



## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

atm gonna be bulking seen as it coming to Christmas, so gonna up my carbs usually they are around 250 carbs, 200g protein and about 100 fats.


----------



## Breda (May 2, 2011)

Get some more food down ya and change up the routine mate


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

200g of protein, 250g of carbs and 100g of fat, i reckon this is your problem, i make that only 2700 calories!

whats your height current weight and approx bodyfat mate?


----------



## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

Height is 6,6 bf around 15% and age 24, they r my normal figures gonna knock carbs up allot I think. And weight is around 14.5 - 15 stone.


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

if you want to build mass slowly and little fat try 2900 calories + exercise needs, so i am assuming 5hrs a week weights,5x60x5/7 = 214 calories per day.

3114 would be the equivalent of 1lb a week gains, which should result in slow muscle growth and minimal fat. simply add a couple hundred more if you wish to speed up gains or maximise gains and cut down the little excess fat at a later date.

so if you plan on constantly bulking for a long period but want to stay lean, eat 3114 calories per day, your about 179lb of lean mass so you probably want slightly more protein if possible but this is debateable lol.

if you wish to bulk for 3 months for instance maximise muscle gains and not to worried about gaining a few extra pounds (and i am literally talking a few extra pounds over the whole period) then shoot for 3400.

oh this is based on you being in a sedentary job as well, if your in a slightly physical job you will need. 3400 to slowly gain and around 3700 to get good results for a bulking period with little fat gains.

hope this helps


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

oh and if you have a really physical job like a labourer or something then you would need around 3900 just to slowly get bigger, and 4200 retorsopectively. have you been trying to lose weight? have you been losing weight?


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

ohh and one more thing, all of this is based one one hour weight training, if you do cardio then thats more again....

its alot of food i know. but all depends on your job, your a big chap and to get bigger your gonna need to make your calories in atleast 500 more then all your expenditure


----------



## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

Also out if interest how do you guys eat right while being busy and eat enough, at my job we have 1 break and that's it. And any healthy fast food places about?


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

yeah make a huge packed lunch, you can but protein bars if shakes are too awkward. although meat is the easiest alternative to bumping up your protein intake.

also wake up slightly earlier and have a big breakfast, and before you go gym have a big protein shake then again when you return from the gym. any snack bars can help fill the gaps between.

i.e 6ambreakfast, 800 cals

9amsnack, 300 cals

12amlunch 800 cals

3pm snack 300

5pmpre workout shake 500

6.30 post work out shake 500

8pmmain meal 1 800

10.30 main meal 2/ or a large snack 400/500

4400 cals, if you need less simply shrink some of the meals down, breakfast -300, lunch -300, shakes - 100x2, that around 3600.

an easy snack is 50g of roasted peanuts, 300cals. i guess you just gotta fit it into your day best ya can


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

my day is as follows during my bulk,

7.30am, protein shake with milk 400cals

9.30am chicken tikka sandwhich 350 cals

11am, 50g nuts 300 cals

1pm, jacket potato with tuna mayo (although sandwhich/s would also be easy enough) 400 cals

3pm, yougurt 100 cals, protein shake with water, 200 cals

5pm post workout, and only on workout days, protein shake,with milk and banana 500cals

7pm, main dinner, 500-800cals

10pm, main dinner again but slightly smaller serving 400-600 cals

3000-3500 cals,


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

sometimes a chocolate bar, partial to snickers and its always a duo  488 cals


----------



## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

When do u work lol, also hit a plateu on bench can only do 80kg 5 reps, and chest isn't getting any bigger.


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

i work 7.30 to 3pm, most days kinda got flexi hours, try doing some negative training, seems to make a impact with my self, also as previously mentioned mix up your chest routine, i find my shoulders are the weakest point, (struglle the most when the bar is at my chest) so i have been focusing on my shoulder strength. maybe an idea to find your weakness and aim to improve that allowing your overall strength to be able to improve.


----------



## zero2hero2013 (Jun 20, 2011)

just another thought, instead of trying to get heavier weights, every week try to add another rep to each set, when you get to 9 reps then add another 5kg to the bar and work up from however many you can manage.


----------



## Barbell mafia (Jan 28, 2011)

have u tried training all bodyparts 3 times a week incorporating the 5x5 method?


----------



## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

No not tried that, 3*a week how would that work?


----------



## RickMiller (Aug 21, 2009)

killah said:


> No not tried that, 3*a week how would that work?


I would look up Bill Starr's 5 x 5 http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Starr_5x5, there's a few variations of it for the novice, intermediate and advanced athlete.

One good piece of advice is to always focus on is strength progression in the main movements (squat, bench, military press and deadlift) and add isolation movements as additions, not the basis for training. Too much volume will kill progression, most natural athletes need no more than 20-25 total sets per session.

Take a deload in your training every 6-8 weeks, this will help to prevent stalling. This can be acheived by either lowering the volume of work in a session (e.g. number of sets) or the intensity (weight lifted as a percentage of your 1RM). I prefer to lower intensity to 85% of my current maxes and gradually increase back up to 105% as I start a new training cycle. However you approach it, just learn to conduct a deload religiously.

I would say your diet is reasonably reflective of your goals, don't be encouraged to up protein any further, it's unnecessary for the natural athlete (and dubious for the assisted). If weight loss stalls, add additional carbohydrates.


----------

