Stupid Plateaus....I hate them.

**themamasan** · 07-16-2005, 05:05 PM

Ok, two and a half years ago a buddy of mine and I worked out 5 days a week very consistently. I hate every 2.5 hours, 2 protein shakes a day, and became stronger than ever before. On bench ( as a primary example ) I got to the point where I could do 225 lbs 8 times, but when I went to 245 lbs I could only do 3. This went on for a month. I kept trying to change my chest training to focus more on dumbbell presses, but nothing got me around it. I then busted a lung one day for no reason and was in the hospital for 12 days, during which I eventually had surgery to repair the lung. I lost 30 lbs during the hospital stay, and didn't work out for 3 months after. For the last 10 months I have been busting my ass in the gym trying to bulk back up and get where I was before the hospital visit ( strength wise ). Now for the last month on the bench press I can do 225 lbs 7 times and when going to 245 lbs 3 times.

Once again I can't get past that point. I am basically now exactly where I was 2.5 years ago in every strength exercise I do, but can't seem to get stronger now. And I know at 6'6" 240lbs ( which is the heaviest I have ever been ) I could or should be able to be a lot stronger.

Sorry for the long rant....it just pisses me off. I hate being tall.

**P-funk** · 07-16-2005, 05:10 PM

what is your training program? If strength is your main goal then you need a sound program to break that plateau.

**themamasan** · 07-16-2005, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by P-funk

what is your training program? If strength is your main goal then you need a sound program to break that plateau.

Day 1 Chest/Tri
Day 2 Back/ BI
Day 3 Legs
Day 4 Shoulders
Day 5 off
Repeat

I just started doing legs a couple of weeks ago to hopefully help my upper body grow. As far as sets go I will do 3 sets of each exercise ( usually 3 or 4 different exercises ) and the last set I will go to failure. If I had a workout partner I would go to failure every set, but I usually jusk ask someone around for my last set on the bench. I try and use mostly free weights on all my exercises vs. machines. I also just started Creatine a couple of weeks ago so I hope it will kick in and maybe get me over the hump. If I had to choose between strength vs. size I would choose size. But I feel like if I can get stronger than I am now, the size will come.

**P-funk** · 07-16-2005, 07:58 PM

what exercises are you doing though?

**themamasan** · 07-16-2005, 08:06 PM

For chest, I alternate between the bench press and dumbbell presses. One week I will do bench and then use db the nex week. Next I will do either incline press with barbell or dumbbell incline press. If I do standard bench press, I will use the dumbbell incline press and vice versa. Then I will do dips. I sometimes substitute fly work for dips, rarely will I do both exercise on the same day.

As for my overall workout, I try and change up my exercise each week so I am not doing the exact same workout two times in a row. So basically my benchmark test is every two weeks for each exercise I do.

**P-funk** · 07-16-2005, 08:17 PM

If you change your workout weekly how can you see any improvemnt in specific lifts? If you want to break a plateua and get stronger then you need to have a game plan. You need to figure out where the toughest part of the lift is for you and then figure out what to do to get past that. Usually I say you can change your program around every 3-4 weeks at min. and up to 10-12 weeks tops. Every 3-4 weeks to alternate exercises is good.

**CowPimp** · 07-16-2005, 08:20 PM

Have you tried doing heavy singles for a couple weeks? Have you tried speed training (Moving 50-60% of your 1RM for 8-12 sets of 3, ensuring you move the bar as fast as possible during the positive portion of the lift. Have you tried additional tricep training?

**P-funk** · 07-16-2005, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Have you tried doing heavy singles for a couple weeks? Have you tried speed training (Moving 50-60% of your 1RM for 8-12 sets of 3, ensuring you move the bar as fast as possible during the positive portion of the lift. Have you tried additional tricep training?

Have you tried timing your rest interval?

3x3?

5x5?

Pimp is right on the money. You need to learn to manipulate the variables of your training.

It looks to me like you aren't trying to push max lifts. Rather just get more reps out of the weight you are using. You should be timing your rest interval to know what your work capacity is. From there you can increase the density (amount of work in a specific period of time) of your training and then break your current plateau.

**BulkMeUp** · 07-17-2005, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by P-funk

3x3?

5x5?

What does that refer to?

**P-funk** · 07-17-2005, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by BulkMeUp

What does that refer to?

reps x sets

**themamasan** · 07-17-2005, 08:53 PM

I really wish I could find a workout partner, that way I could go heavy lifts and try negatives, especially on the bench press. It sucks trying to workout with no spotter. That is the only reason I like the machine workouts because I can go to failure and not worry about having a spotter. But I have heard ( and read ) that you don't work the muscles as hard on the machines.

**shiznit2169** · 07-17-2005, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by themamasan

I really wish I could find a workout partner, that way I could go heavy lifts and try negatives, especially on the bench press. It sucks trying to workout with no spotter. That is the only reason I like the machine workouts because I can go to failure and not worry about having a spotter. But I have heard ( and read ) that you don't work the muscles as hard on the machines.

I'm the same, but why not use dumbbell's instead? You can go to absolute failure with these and just drop them after without worrying about injuring yourself.

**Squaggleboggin** · 07-17-2005, 09:14 PM

I agree. Use dumbbells. I don't go to failure but I use maximal weights (at least 90%) and I don't have to worry about a spotter except for squats. Machines work muscles hard, but they don't work all of the muscles (and sometimes not even the same ones of the ones they do work) in comparison to free weights. For functional strength, there is no comparison: free weights are superior to machines.

**themamasan** · 07-17-2005, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

I'm the same, but why not use dumbbell's instead? You can go to absolute failure with these and just drop them after without worrying about injuring yourself.

I love to use the dumbbells, and I do most of my shoulder exercises with them. However, for my dumbbell bench press I have a hard time getting started when I do my heavy sets. I have actually pulled a muscle in my back somehow trying to get up the 90 lb dumbbells ( which for me is my heavy set ) to my start position. My main concern is my strength on the standard barbell bench press and incline. I always felt I got a much better workout ( and a better test of overall strength ) with those exercises than with dumbbells. I am actually thinking about concentrating more on the "fly" exercises. I usually go real light just for toning. But I think if I can increase my strength a good deal on those then maybe I can get over " the plateau from hell ". I don't know what else to do.

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