Thread: I'm in a rut.

Do you realize how small the shoulders are? Do you realize you are working them already on bench day?

Your volume is amazing. I'm quite surprised you haven't hurt yourself yet.

shorter work outs, with lower reps and extremely intense. make some drastic changes if you are not gaining. how many reps are you doing per set? I have shortened my lifts to about 30-45 minutes and do 3 workouts per body part
like this
Back
deadlifts 1st set warm up 40% these sets are just to get you lose and ready
2nd set warm up 40%
3rd set warm up 60-70%
4th and 5th sets are work sets. 110%
I only do 3 warm up sets on the first excersie of the day
Pull ups 1st set bw + 20lbs 6-8reps
2nd set bw+20lbs 6-8 reps
Hammerstrenght Seated row 1st set 90lbs 6-8 reps
2nd set 90lbs 6-8 reps

I do 2 work sets at 6-8 reps and most of the time to failure
as you can see that is much different then your current workout plan, this is what I have used to break plateaus.

or simply take a week off, then go back at it hard.
or do a cycle of reps/super sets/ strength rotating weekly.
the body adapts to stress, sounds like you have to change up the stress amounts (weights) and give it a kick in the ass
some of the veterans will help you out some more.

Originally Posted by Mudge

Do you realize how small the shoulders are? Do you realize you are working them already on bench day?

Your volume is amazing. I'm quite surprised you haven't hurt yourself yet.

what i was getting at.. might be overtraining..

Originally Posted by Mudge

Do you realize how small the shoulders are? Do you realize you are working them already on bench day?

Your volume is amazing. I'm quite surprised you haven't hurt yourself yet.

Yes, I understand I'm hitting the shoulders on chest day. This is why I stager them 3 days apart.

I guess you think I'm over training Mudge? I figure I stay between 9-12 sets for each muscle group. I gathered that to be the most common range. Am I to assume you would drop this down to say 6-9 sets per?

when was the last time you took a week off?

Dont blame your workout so fast, do you think it can be a diet problem?

Originally Posted by The13ig13adWolf

when was the last time you took a week off?

I take a week off every 12 weeks. I'm due in another 2 weeks.

Originally Posted by Vieope

Dont blame your workout so fast, do you think it can be a diet problem?

I'm sure that has something to do with it. I'm currently on a cut.

My complaints aren't with progressing though. I'm having more of an issue with mental fatigue.

how long have you been cutting? are you getting enough sleep?

If it's mental fatigue I'd simply take a week off. Sometimes it's needed more than every 12 weeks and sometimes less. You know it's not going to do any tremendous damage or anything. That's what I usually do and it seems to work. You might not even need a full week. Maybe just three days and then you'll be wanting to lift so much the mental fatigue will have subsided.

I'm in week 8 of 10. I get between 6-7.5 hours per night.

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

If it's mental fatigue I'd simply take a week off. Sometimes it's needed more than every 12 weeks and sometimes less. You know it's not going to do any tremendous damage or anything. That's what I usually do and it seems to work. You might not even need a full week. Maybe just three days and then you'll be wanting to lift so much the mental fatigue will have subsided.

I totally understand, but that's not going to happen. I'm in week 8 of a 10 week cutting cycle plus I have a vacation planned in 3 weeks where I'll get some rest.

Guy's & Gal's, I'm really looking for ideas on shaking things up a bit.

Maybe you just dont like your gym. Do you have friends there? Are there females to entertain you? I am feeling like that Dr. Phill guy that goes on Larry King.

Originally Posted by Vieope

Maybe you just dont like your gym. Do you have friends there? Are there females to entertain you? I am feeling like that Dr. Phill guy that goes on Larry King.

Actually, I love my gym! No offense to the ladies out there but in the gym they're more of a distraction than anything. I workout alone and enjoy it that way. It's my only free time to myself.

Originally Posted by largepkg

I totally understand, but that's not going to happen. I'm in week 8 of a 10 week cutting cycle plus I have a vacation planned in 3 weeks where I'll get some rest.

Guy's & Gal's, I'm really looking for ideas on shaking things up a bit.

I see what you mean. Since I'm obsessed, throw some weightlifting moves into your routine! C&J is my personal favorite and you can't deny that weightlifters are both incredibly strong and usually nicely built as well. Try devoting your next day to learning how to clean properly and see if you don't love the change. Instead of all those sets for shoulders, throw in some jerks. It's explosive and requires power or strength and speed. It's also very functional and will develop all three heads of the shoulder muscle in just one movement. The triceps and forearms are also involved there as well, and the chest to a much lesser extent. Don't even get me started on the benefits of the clean... Just do it!

Okay I feel like I'm advertising for weightlifting, but what can I say? I love it.

Originally Posted by largepkg

No offense to the ladies out there but in the gym they're more of a distraction than anything.

i distract no one in the gym. you'd never catch me dead in a skimpy anything with my tits hangin' out, talking on a cel phone with a pink DB in my hand. maybe it's your focus that needs work .

honestly, mental fatigue is a sign of overtraining. if you don't want to take some time off due to your upcoming vacation, then don't. if that's the case i'd say switch the set/rep parameters and cut the volume.

Originally Posted by largepkg

Guys, I feel like I'm stuck. Trapped by my own success actually. I've made some incredible gains over the last 2 years but I tend to do the same routine week in and week out. I vary it by changing rep ranges and every blue moon will throw in a new exercise. I've inevitably hit a wall. It's not that my progress has stopped it's just mentally draining at this point. I can walk through the gym blind folded, it's sucks. I'm not sure my reason for not changing. Probably comfort level.

Here's a sample of what I do. Maybe you can help spice things up for me. My weakest lifts are any overhead pressing lifts.

Chest/Bi's
DB press 3 working sets
DB incline 3 working sets
DB or pec deck fly's 3 working sets
Standing easy curl 2 working sets
Seated DB curl 2 working sets
Spider curls using EZ bar 3 working sets

As mentioned before my overhead pressing movements are disgusting. I bench 315+ yet can only military press 165.
Shoulders/Traps
Military press using hammer machine 3 working sets
Military DB 3 working sets
DB front raises 3 working sets
DB seated lateral 3 working sets
Behind back shrugs 3 working sets
DB shrugs 2 working sets
Standing shrug machine 2 working sets

Back/Tri's
Hammer pull downs 3 sets or wide grip cable pull downs
Hammer rows 2 sets
Standing T-bar rows 3 sets
DB rows 3 sets
DB overhead french press 3 sets
Dips 3 sets
CG 3 sets
Occasionally 2-3 sets of push downs

Legs, I'm good with. I just think about working legs and they grow.

If you could give me some ideas it would be appreciated. Hell, I probably should think about a whole new approach but I'm taking baby steps.

You do more for triceps then you do lats, should be the other way around.

Have you thought about hitting
Chest/Tri
Lats/Biceps
rest
Legs
Delts/Traps

or somethiong like that just for a change of pace?

Originally Posted by The13ig13adWolf

i distract no one in the gym. you'd never catch me dead in a skimpy anything with my tits hangin' out

Originally Posted by Vieope

sorry Vieope. get in, train, get out...i just assume be invisible.

more frequent upper/lower or upper push-pull/lower or even full body routines might be just what you need.

Originally Posted by The13ig13adWolf

i distract no one in the gym. you'd never catch me dead in a skimpy anything with my tits hangin' out, .

There goes that fantasy...at least you still like firearms...maybe in my next dream you'll be a police officer...

Originally Posted by ForemanRules

You do more for triceps then you do lats, should be the other way around.

Have you thought about hitting
Chest/Tri
Lats/Biceps
rest
Legs
Delts/Traps

or somethiong like that just for a change of pace?

I was just on that split prior to the start of this cutting cycle. I guess I'll try a lower volume routine after PCT. I just can't imagine doing less. I'm out of the gym in less than an hour everyday. It's not like I linger there.

Originally Posted by PWGriffin

There goes that fantasy...at least you still like firearms...maybe in my next dream you'll be a police officer...

or maybe in a few months i'll be one in real life...we shall see .

Originally Posted by The13ig13adWolf

or maybe in a few months i'll be one in real life...we shall see .

With ur own handcuffs and everything??

Originally Posted by Yanick

more frequent upper/lower or upper push-pull/lower or even full body routines might be just what you need.

Agreed. Are you implementing any form of periodization right now?

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Agreed. Are you implementing any form of periodization right now?

I do my best to increase weight or reps every workout. Being on a cut though it's difficult. I wonder if my caloric restriction is the cause of my mental fatigue/lack of motivation?

Originally Posted by largepkg

I do my best to increase weight or reps every workout. Being on a cut though it's difficult. I wonder if my caloric restriction is the cause of my mental fatigue/lack of motivation?

That's not really periodization. If you are going for strength, then you should train for strength. People in strength sports periodize. Not only do they periodize intensities, but often times the level of effort is periodized as well. What kind of repetition ranges do you use and how often do you switch them up?

Originally Posted by CowPimp

That's not really periodization. If you are going for strength, then you should train for strength. People in strength sports periodize. Not only do they periodize intensities, but often times the level of effort is periodized as well. What kind of repetition ranges do you use and how often do you switch them up?

Unfortunately I don't change them as often as I should. I mainly train in 6-10 range and change to 10-14 every 4-6 weeks for a couple of weeks.