Just can’t get any new results.

[hitman]

Hello everyone, I have been back in the gym for about 9months now and work out 3-4 times a week as well as 2days a week of cardio (hockey).
I have reached a weird stage where it just doesn’t seem like I’m progressing. I have been doing pretty much the same weights for the last 2months and I just can’t get over the hump.
I’m pretty sure I’ve heard about this phase before and many people advised me that a lot of serious bodybuilder who don’t have patients turn to steroids at this point. I’m not one that’s will to do this so does anyone have any suggestions for me to get over the hump?

Thanks

[triggernigha]

i think best thing is to increase your food intake man, the most anabolic sustance there is - you'll only grow if you feed the fire

google anabolic nutrient timing factor and see if it works for you

you need to eat big to be big....the old adage

[dancerqueen]

triggernigha makes a good point about the food...how does a typical day look for you food wise???  it could also be the type of food you are taking in.....

[Jack Tragic]

Yes. Increase your cals (mainly protien with a proportionate increase in carbs), reduce your cardio to 1 to 2 times/week (if any), increase poundages on ALL lifts and reduce the number of reps per movement to 6 to 8 total sets per muscle group...no more! Do only 2 movements per muscle group and work only 2 muscle groups per day (work calves and abs every workout). Change your schedual to a 2 on-1 off routien. Get rest...thats when you will grow. Never make your workouts last more than 1 1/2 hours at tops (and that's pushing it). ALWAYS leave the gym feeling "pumped" and energized...never tired as you ALWAYS want to leave some for growth. You never want to tap into your reserves...

[hitman]

dq- my typical day can be broken up into 2 categories.
Category A (work day) I work 12hours shifts thus I cant always eat alot but I do bring a big lunch with me, 4 -5 sandwiches plenty of fruits and quaker bars. I eat this food slowly throughout the day, ensuring that I eat something at least every hour.
Category B (day off) this is when I really eat the way I should having around 3-4 big meals during the corse of the day.

Working 12hour shifts I get as many day offs as day ons (in a 2week period I only have 7working days)
Also I start every day with cerial and a protein shake and finish every day with a shake as well. In addition to the protein I take 500mg of Calcium, 500mg of vitamin C, 3mg of Omega3 and Spectrum 29 multi vitamin every single day.

Should I start taking a pre work out carb supliment?

[hitman]

Oh and BTW my original question was about gains (ie - doing heavyer weights not muscle mass)

[triggernigha]

Oh and BTW my original question was about gains (ie - doing heavyer weights not muscle mass)

YOU CANNOT LIFT HEAVIER WEIGHTS WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN MUSCLE MASS - PERIOD

you DO NOT eat enough man to get over your hump- i work too but i eat every 2- 2 1/2 hrs, protein bar, cold plain chicken breasts, fruit, cold rice - its all about preperation i make SURE i have sufficent food for the day and a little extra, dont take but 5 mins to eat something, and personally man, i dont think sandwiches cut it. get a shaker and protien powder if you aint got time to eat whole food

the better you eat the better you can train, eating right aint just for getting big, you need it to be strong too ie to lift heavier weights

[bigjoec.]

What does your training look like? If you've been using the same weights on the same exercises you need to change exercises. for example instead of benchpress do floor press. instead of deadlifts do goodmornings, etc. shoot for new pr's. when you stall again de-load for a week then change exercises. from floor press to board press, from goodmornings to sumo deadlifts. there are countless variations to keep things fresh. keep shooting for pr's even if it is only by 1 pound. hope this helps.

[Jack Tragic]

YOU CANNOT LIFT HEAVIER WEIGHTS WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN MUSCLE MASS - PERIOD

you DO NOT eat enough man to get over your hump- i work too but i eat every 2- 2 1/2 hrs, protein bar, cold plain chicken breasts, fruit, cold rice - its all about preperation i make SURE i have sufficent food for the day and a little extra, dont take but 5 mins to eat something, and personally man, i dont think sandwiches cut it. get a shaker and protien powder if you aint got time to eat whole food

the better you eat the better you can train, eating right aint just for getting big, you need it to be strong too ie to lift heavier weights

T'Nigga...you are right...A proper diet is THE MOST important weapon that we all have for gaining strength, mass, cuts...ALL of the above !Normally this is true...but being Tragic means otherwise. As my bodyweight is now a ripped (NOT bragging...I don't play that!) 214lbs. and I have just last week set a personal best on the leg press @ 1000 lbs for 11 reps (thats 22-plates and some change) and another personal best on "power-shrugs"...another Tragic invention. I nailed 700lbs. for 5 (i could have easily kept going) non stop reps on no less than my FINAL set...on BOTH movements! My point is this...learn what your body responds to and grows with...rest, work load, diet, supplementation, rest, diet... everyone learns this over time. There is NO quick fix to this equation...no matter HOW many variables you might add. you get it? Hit Man...we are here to only help you brotha"
       
                                     :^) 
                                                                    lower the dosage...                           

[triggernigha]

Tragic - did you think my reply was a bit OTT? Sorry to Hitman if it was, that was not what was intended. I just feel that most people do not place enough importance on eating right and enough of the right stuff, too many people goto the gym and make no improvements, normally due to poor diet. I just wanted Hitman to understand this maybe his downfall, and to readdress his eating. you need fuel for the fire.

but for someone to increase their lifts, an increase in muscle mass is required. In your case Jack, being a ripped 214 doesnt mean you have lost muscle mass (therefore your strength should not decrease) you have lost the little excess fat etc you had stored, as far as i know, fat does not produce strength

props to your lifts man, impressive - for an old guy 

[p.s.]

Hitman ya gotta learn how to eat first and foremost, and using work as an excuse does not fly as I also work 12s.

I use shakes mixed with flax oil and water for 7 of my 8 meals and as such only eat 1 solid per day (buffalo, salad and a small amount of rice). I average 500 grams of protein per day, 100 grams or less of carbs, and the remainder of my 3000 cals is from EFAs (I'm in contest prep right now). 

Also like the other oldtimer I also use big weights even when lean and I will also do higher reps IE 600 lb leg press for 100 reps, or 1000+ lbs for 20 reps. Size does not always equal strength. In fact on CJM we have a PL/BB who at 181 can bench 500, and dead 700, with a squat of 600+ (legal lifts and he's natty as well!), so huge size is not the only factor for strength.

Hitman IMO you need to eat smarter and once you accomplish this you'll find that your strength will begin to increase again as well as new muscle growth, but if ya keep eating sandwiches, minimal meals, and over eat on days off etc then you're gonna continue to make poor (if any) gains.

[HardcoreEz]

Well hitman im going to have to say everyones body reacts different to gaining weight and lifting heavier. You may work 12 hours like I used to do and it can be tough but Ive learned the 6 meals a day thing dont work for everyone and it never worked for me and then I just ate lots of fast food and junkfood and  in one year I gained 40 lbs which is a lot for a guy with a fast metabolism like mine. Like the post above says, do what your body reacts to' and using heavier weights with less reps and sets WORKS! to build mass.

[Jack Tragic]

Tragic - did you think my reply was a bit OTT? Sorry to Hitman if it was, that was not what was intended. I just feel that most people do not place enough importance on eating right and enough of the right stuff, too many people goto the gym and make no improvements, normally due to poor diet. I just wanted Hitman to understand this maybe his downfall, and to readdress his eating. you need fuel for the fire.

but for someone to increase their lifts, an increase in muscle mass is required. In your case Jack, being a ripped 214 doesnt mean you have lost muscle mass (therefore your strength should not decrease) you have lost the little excess fat etc you had stored, as far as i know, fat does not produce strength

props to your lifts man, impressive - for an old guy 

    Good points here TNig...but the reallity is this . Being a former power-lifter, weight does matter! You can look like total crap! But if your practiced in your sport, and you know the "comfortable body mechanics". you can go far!
  As a simple example...when I was powerlifting, I would push 385 to 400 lbs. on the flat bench and just rep out on my last set and scream at my spotter if he/she even THOUGHT of helping me! NOW, not doing that much PL'ting, but concentrating always on cuts, muscular developement, shape, symetry, vascularity and peak. Overall...my bench has come down, but my squats and especially my leg presses on the sled  have gone way up! Go figure..?

[Jack Tragic]

dq- my typical day can be broken up into 2 categories.
Category A (work day) I work 12hours shifts thus I cant always eat alot but I do bring a big lunch with me, 4 -5 sandwiches plenty of fruits and quaker bars. I eat this food slowly throughout the day, ensuring that I eat something at least every hour.
Category B (day off) this is when I really eat the way I should having around 3-4 big meals during the corse of the day.

Working 12hour shifts I get as many day offs as day ons (in a 2week period I only have 7working days)
Also I start every day with cerial and a protein shake and finish every day with a shake as well. In addition to the protein I take 500mg of Calcium, 500mg of vitamin C, 3mg of Omega3 and Spectrum 29 multi vitamin every single day.

Should I start taking a pre work out carb supliment?

            DUDE...this a gem! I wish my work schedual even remotely resembled yours! This is idel;!
                     (what do you do...ie; Fireman...?)   
                                 Late-R.    J

[triggernigha]

    Good points here TNig...but the reallity is this . Being a former power-lifter, weight does matter! You can look like total crap! But if your practiced in your sport, and you know the "comfortable body mechanics". you can go far!
  As a simple example...when I was powerlifting, I would push 385 to 400 lbs. on the flat bench and just rep out on my last set and scream at my spotter if he/she even THOUGHT of helping me! NOW, not doing that much PL'ting, but concentrating always on cuts, muscular developement, shape, symetry, vascularity and peak. Overall...my bench has come down, but my squats and especially my leg presses on the sled  have gone way up! Go figure..?

totally accept your points re powerlifters man - i bet you look better now than in the PL days?. thats just another thing i have very little knowledge of........

have you heard of/seen marius pudzianowski? there is always an exception to the rule, i dont think he is human though, mutha RUNS with 900lbs on his back while bein ripped to the core...........