# Why am i stuck on all my lifts



## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

Hi, its come to the point where i cant get any stronger and now ive been stuck on the same lifts for about 2 months.

Anyone have any tips on how to break the barrier? want to get ym squat and deadlift up more than anything.


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## Dezw (May 13, 2009)

Change your rep range?

Maybe body needs more kcals to grow and is maxed out on what you are currently eating?

Training naturally?


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## Syko (May 18, 2010)

What have you changed to try and blast through your platue?

Are you eating enough? Have you changed your diet?

Have you changed your routine about? Rep ranges?

Are you getting enough rest?


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

Ive switched my reps from 3 x 5 to 3 x 8 and can do 3 x 8 with the same weight as i was doing 3 x 5 so i guess when you look at it like that it might not be more weight but it is more reps with the max weight i was lifting.

Diet could be better tbh, 250g protein, 250 carbs and around 120g fats which amounts to around 3000cals.



Dezw said:


> Change your rep range?
> 
> Maybe body needs more kcals to grow and is maxed out on what you are currently eating?
> 
> Training naturally?


im cruising on 250mg test e, have been for a few months, gained some really good size and strength but it seems like gains have stopped aswell as stength, think i should eat more now come to think of it.

I have managed to get from 9.8 to 13 stone though since december on 3000cals.


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## Wee G1436114539 (Oct 6, 2007)

What are your lifts?

How long have you been training?

Do you just want to get stronger, or are there other goals as well?


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## Simon m (Apr 3, 2008)

Take a break for 2 weeks from lifting, just do some cardio and you'll do well


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

Wee G said:


> What are your lifts?
> 
> How long have you been training?
> 
> Do you just want to get stronger, or are there other goals as well?


training about 2 years on total, then was out for about 14 months for various reasons.

My initial goal was to get stronger then gain size as i felt bodybuilding was a total waste of time if your only able to squat 30kg so i focused on nothing but strenght the first 4 months since Jan which is when i started back.

Jan weight 137lbs

Squat 30kg

bench 20kg

Dead 30kg

Barbell row 20kg

Stats now

Weight around 176lbs

Squat 80kg

Bench 60kg

Dead 90kg

Barbell row 70kg

My concern is, are these lifts sufficiant enough for any decent kind of growth?


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## Nemises (Jun 29, 2008)

Have you tried riptoes starting strength? I think it would help.


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

Nemises said:


> Have you tried riptoes starting strength? I think it would help.


yes thats what i started back on and yes the results were amazing condisering i could only squat 30kg when i started back in jan


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## Nemises (Jun 29, 2008)

Have you deloaded and started again.? There should still be room for improvement.

Try upping cals.

Are you drinking all the milk rippetoe recomends? lol.


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## 8103 (May 5, 2008)

You should still be able to gain a lot from starting strength / standard linear progression

Eat more.


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

Nemises said:


> Have you deloaded and started again.? There should still be room for improvement.


no i havent but im sure due a deload.



Nemises said:


> Are you drinking all the milk rippetoe recomends? lol.


I dont drink milk, not the way its made nowadays lol.


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## BLUTOS (Mar 5, 2005)

Try and break your lifting year up into 4 month blocks, each block should focus on gaining more weight on the key lift for that block. So Say Squat is the goal, you keep adding weight and trying to gain on that lift, but you stay at 80% of your max for Deads n Bench.


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## 8103 (May 5, 2008)

BLUTOS said:


> Try and break your lifting year up into 4 month blocks, each block should focus on gaining more weight on the key lift for that block. So Say Squat is the goal, you keep adding weight and trying to gain on that lift, but you stay at 80% of your max for Deads n Bench.


Never thought of that, sounds interesting


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

BLUTOS said:


> Try and break your lifting year up into 4 month blocks, each block should focus on gaining more weight on the key lift for that block. So Say Squat is the goal, you keep adding weight and trying to gain on that lift, but you stay at 80% of your max for Deads n Bench.


ah good idea, if i keep my other lifts the same or at a slower pace yes surely that would give me mor strenght on the squat as a lot of strength training programs have you squatting 3x per week which makes a lot of sense now.

they always state not to worry to much about any of your other lifts, this is about the squat.


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## TH0R (Aug 15, 2007)

If your bridging then the low dose is for maintaining and giving the muscles/tendons a break

from the higher cycling. Not a great time to be pushing through barriers IMO.

I'm not an advocate of huge amounts of cals either as for me it just means huge amounts of fat as

well.

Although you could up them 500 cals pwk and see how you get on bfat wise.

Have to say for somebody who's trained for 2 years and is assisted, your lifts are not as

I would expect for your weight

Maybe a complete change of approach might reap some benefits.

Or up the dose


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## martin brown (Dec 31, 2008)

Somethings going wrong. Credit for getting stronger but your as Tel said - your only lifting bodyweight.

Get back on starting strength or similar - stick with it for a year or two  Eat plenty train hard and get rest.


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

tel3563 said:


> *If your bridging then the low dose is for maintaining and giving the muscles/tendons a break*


Ive only ever done 250mg, this is my first proper ever cycle.



martin brown said:


> Somethings going wrong. Credit for getting stronger but your as Tel said - your only lifting bodyweight.


I know, this is what im worried about, this shouldn't be happening at this stage, not at all.

guys you eat pizzas for lunch and pasties from gregs and 10 pints of stella every weekend are even lifting more than there own bodyweight.


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## DarkTranquility (Jul 30, 2010)

The poundage increases you can make will necessarily need to be made in smaller increments as you get stronger. You're not going to be able to go up each workout in the dramatic steps you did when you started.

So why not get some little plates? Concentrate on steadily adding small amounts of weight rather than making big jumps.


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

DarkTranquility said:


> The poundage increases you can make will necessarily need to be made in smaller increments as you get stronger. You're not going to be able to go up each workout in the dramatic steps you did when you started.
> 
> So why not get some little plates? Concentrate on steadily adding small amounts of weight rather than making big jumps.


Thats exactly what i did throughout the whole program mate.

Think il have to get back onto the low volume.


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## 8103 (May 5, 2008)

at those weights you should still be able to add 2.5 a week for a while yet, atleast for squats and deads, probably not for bench. Get back onto a linear progression program (rippetoes or 5x5) and eat properly and you shouldn't be stalling.


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## TH0R (Aug 15, 2007)

andysutils said:


> *im cruising on 250mg test e*





andysutils said:


> *Ive only ever done 250mg, this is my first proper ever cycle.*


bit confusing them two statements:rolleyes:

How long do you think you can take 250mg test e and make gains??

how long is a few months???


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

tel3563 said:


> How long do you think you can take 250mg test e and make gains??
> 
> how long is a few months???


Im aware of that mate, its complicated lol!

My plan is to up the dose to 500 in a few weeks time or come off.

Been on that since march.


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## JoeyRamone (Sep 10, 2009)

i'd recommend stronglifts and seriously focusing on adding more weight per work out. You def pushing yourself? Maybe you just need to eat more. You're a bit lighter than me and would expect higher weigts tbh (as i would from me)


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## M_at (May 2, 2009)

andysutils said:


> Weight around 176lbs
> 
> Squat 80kg
> 
> ...


Probably not. Read Brawn by Stuart McRobert or Starting Strength as suggested earlier.

I've been training about 2 years and it's only once I started shifting any decent weights that I've started to see any change in size. And I'm not working for size.


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## B-GJOE (May 7, 2009)

Have you got a journal?

Measure everything! Rest periods, TUT etc. You may be making strength increases and not knowing it, for example, if your TUT is greater, or your rest periods smaller, and you are making the same lifts, this in effect is an increase.

You may wish to utilise a spotter and do some negatives only, some rest pause, or static holds in your sticking position.


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## dmcc (Nov 25, 2007)

Actually, I found a journal to be one of the best things I've ever done for my training. If I was moving the same weight for more than 2-3 weeks it was time to increase it, even if just by 2.5kg.

And maybe you're just not suited to higher reps. I did the high-rep thing for years, but it wasn't till I switched to a 5x5 strength routine that I started growing.


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## sizar (Nov 13, 2008)

Mate i am not having ago at you but alot of people think they train hard till they really get someone to push them through proper training i was thinking my self .. in the past 8-9 months from help of the guy i train with all my lifts has improved dramatically ..

example

bench 80 to 120

squat from 70- to 140

deadlift from 100 to 220 one rep 180 6-7 reps


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

sizar said:


> Mate i am not having ago at you but alot of people think they train hard till they really get someone to push them through proper training


No i totally agree, when i had a training partner at the other gym, i was pushed a lot harder than I am now, its the lack of having that spotter there that limits things like the squat and bench.

Still I can do and should be pushing myself harder than i am now.


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## sizar (Nov 13, 2008)

andysutils said:


> No i totally agree, when i had a training partner at the other gym, i was pushed a lot harder than I am now, its the lack of having that spotter there that limits things like the squat and bench.
> 
> Still I can do and should be pushing myself harder than i am now.


Totally there with you bud if you train by your self you are most likely to stay in your comfort zone .. sometime you don't reealise this .. i have been there my self. you only notice when someone push you and think Sh!t this is how it meant to be lol


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## Andy Dee (Jun 1, 2008)

Thanks for all the advice everyone, Well ive decided to officially ditch my entire routine and go back to strength basics, stronglifts, madcow or ripetoe workouts, which i keep saying im going to do but bodybuilding at this stage is clearly not working so theres no point in bothering about any change in size with those kind of p1ss poor lifts.

Im not cutout to go down the BB route yet.


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