i'm stuck in a rut HELP!

[mamck688]

hey guys,

i've been lifting weights for about 2 years now, and i've been stuck on a 190 bench for about 6 months now. I haven't seen any gains since then. When i first started lifting i was on a 80lb bench. HELP!

matt

 

[DanK]

I think people will need more information than you have given. There are a lot of things that can lead to no progress, you might be overtraining, under eating, or even neglecting to workout all the major muscle groups (if you don't give your legs a good workout you are missing out big time... and 'running' or other non weight exercises just won't cut it). Sometimes it's a good idea to take as much as a week off, just to give your body some time to recover (assuming you work out pretty frequently), or change your routine around if you don't (most recommend changing routine about every 6 weeks).

 

[lean_n_76er]

Yah, what Dan said.

Also, you can try flat DB bench or incline or decline. There are many things to change your routine. Again, post your routine like Dan suggested.

 

[Arnold]

I also agree with what Dan said, especailly this part:

Originally posted by DanK
I think people will need more information than you have given.

 

[Robboe]

There's a guy trains at my gym who was moaning that he was stuck on 2 plates a side on bench for months and was asking around for advice.

He got loads of good ideas, but none seemed to help.

Of course the main reason being that he failed to mention that he did 4 sets of 50 reps for warm up before attempting the lift.

 

[mamck688]

well, i've taken off about three weeks just to gather my thoughts and to get some advice, but my routine was:


monday:

4 sets flat bench, 6 reps
4 sets incline, 6 reps
4 sets db flat bench, 6 reps
4 sets lat pulldown, 6 reps
4 sets bent rows, 6 reps

tuesday:

4 sets barbell curl, 6 reps
4 sets tricep pushdowns, 6 reps
4 sets military press, 6 reps
3 sets upright rows, 6 reps
4 sets cable cruches, 15 reps

then i do the same thing on thursday and friday.

as far as nutrition, i eat 2 eggs a glass of milk and a piece of toast for breakfast. For lunch, a glass of milk and a balogna sandwich and some nuts, for dinner, 1/4 pound of meat a glass of milk and some whole grain bread.

and that's pretty much it.

 

[ZECH]

We have probelms here! First your workouts are mixed up with too much(being twice a week) and your diet is way short of good! First you need to get your diet in check and start eating enough so you have energy and nutrients for your body to grow. Then we can adjust your workouts!

 

[Arnold]

Originally posted by The_Chicken_Daddy
Of course the main reason being that he failed to mention that he did 4 sets of 50 reps for warm up before attempting the lift.

yeah, that could hinder strength gains!

 

[mamck688]

Well then what should my diet consist of? More protein? More carbs? or more everything?!

 

[ZECH]

At least 1.5 g protein per lb of bodyweight(more if you can), low sugar, slow burning carbs and EFA's. It would be well worth your time to get up with Jodi in Diet/nutrition and she can set you on the right path!! Diet is the key to bodybuilding success. You can train your butt off, but if your diet lacks, you will go nowhere!

 

[mamck688]

thanks.

what about supplements? should i take protein powders? protein bars? What about creatine? does it have any side effects?

matt

 

[ZECH]

Protein powder is not necessary. but it will help you get your daily requirements in easier! If you want to get lean, stay away from bars! Creatine will be good for strength!

 

[gr81]

You my man are overtraining. Don't train your chest twice a week, pick 1 day to go heavy with the chest. If you insist on training it 2, have a power day, and have a light day with higher rep, less intensity stuff as well. Let your chest recover. Second of all, don't do so many pressing movements in one workout, it is unnecessary and counter productive.
4 sets flat bench, 6 reps
4 sets incline, 6 reps
4 sets db flat bench, 6 reps

That is too much. Pick one exercise that will be your power exercise for that workout and go with it. You have 12 sets of basically the same movement, how can you possibly have the intensity that is needed when you are performing that many sets. You have the rest of your life to train, you don't need to do all the exercises for the chest in one WO. Remember, the gains that you want to see will not come after a few WOs, it takes time so lift smart. All that energy is useless if it is directed in the wrong direction. I didn't even touch on it but your diet is probably your biggest problem. Not eating enough, bump up those kcals.

 

[mamck688]

alright. thanks for the info guys.

 

[scott1963]

Have to agree 100% with DG806, Your diet will never support a great deal of muscle growth. As I look at your diet, it looks as if you are barely coming in at 100 grams of protein( Dont know how big the glass of milk is but it really does not matter). Try eating 5-6 meals a day and get at least 30 grams of protein per meal. I know it may sound hard to eat that often but it really is not. Use meal replacements and bars if you are in fix for time. This is what I eat almost everyday except Sunday
6:30 A.M 3 scoops protein powder- 8oz 2%milk and bowl of oats
10 A.M 1- 4-6 ounce chicken breast and 1/2 cup dried fruit usually raisins
12 p.m 10 ounces sliced turkey breast 2 pieces of whole grain bread
3 pm 1 6oz can of tuna and 1/2 cup dried fruit
5:30 Dinner what ever the wife makes
6:00 workout
7:30 postworkout drink "same as morning/ 5 grams creatine/5 grams glutamine
9:00 Some form of "Late night snack" Maybe a bit of ice cream, home made jerky or spicy rinds
11:00 Hit the sack

Thru out the day I am always snacking on the jerky. I usually go thru 5 pounds every 2 weeks. Now I am trying to cut so I am really resticting carbs, you can modify as needed for yourself

PS I currently weight in at 214 lbs
Hope it helps