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Help please!

A

antlax

Guest
I am in my mid 30s and trying to improve strength, and increase muscle mass.
I am currently using a 3 day/week program. Unfortunately the last 6 - 8 months have resulted in only a gain of a couple of kg. I lift to failure. Below is my routine plus diet. Any suggestions about what I could do to improve?

MONDAY
weightsets/reps
BB bench press
5 sets, 6/7 reps
BD bench press
4 sets, 12 reps 1[SUP]st[/SUP], then to fail each other set
Bicep/tricep

4 sets, 8 reps each
Alternate sets of ezy bar bicep, tricep pulldown
WEDNESDAY
Squat / calf raise
4 sets, 6/7 reps (squat)
3 sets, 15 reps (calf)
DB Squat
4 sets, 12 reps 1[SUP]st[/SUP], then to fail each other set
DB shoulder press
4 sets, 8 reps
Upright row
4 sets, 8 reps
FRIDAY
BB bent over row
5 sets, 6/7 reps
Lat pulldown4 sets, 12 reps 1[SUP]st[/SUP], then to fail each other set
Deadlift 4 sets, 6/7 reps


Perform sets of 6. Once all sets completed to 6 reps, commence sets of 7 reps. Once all sets completed to 7 reps, increase weight, and go back to 6 reps. Continue.

DIET

Breakfast
Small yoghurt
1 pc toast
2 bananas
300mL milk with protein powder

Morning tea
Apple
Tuna roll
Couple handfuls nuts

Lunch
Pear
Chicken roll
Couple handfuls nuts

Afternoon/pre-workout (on lifting days)
300mL milk with protein powder + 75g oats

Dinner
Meat, carbs, veg

Late snack
300mL milk with protein powder
 
Last edited:
I'm no expert by any means, but I would stop training to failure and hit each part more than once per week. If you can only train 3 times per week then do the whole body each session but cut back to 2 exercises per group. Otherwise do what you're doing now but twice per week.

How much do you weigh and how tall are you?
Has your physique changed even though you're not putting on weight?
What's your actual macro's end up looking like rather the average days diet?
 
Thanks. Anyone have an example of a 3 day program that has worked for them? May be time for a change. Looking for size - not a beach body, but not a large increase in fat.
 
If you are looking at pure strength gains I would also be looking at increasing the weight and lowering the reps to between 3 - 5, this at least for myself was when I noticed the biggest gains in strength.
 
Shrek said:
Also going to failure every workout is not necessary.
Click to expand...

Answers like this (and don't take this personally) are foolish.

I liken the practice of building the body to about how much dose is required, regardless of everyone being affected in the same way.

It's like a pain killer... it works the same for everyone, but some people need less or more to achieve the same effect, depending on the person's receptor sites, but also the degree of pain experienced.

Likewise, just because a person can get away with not training his arms does not mean that is true for everyone trying to optimize (or get good results) in arm development.
 
antlax said:
Thanks. Anyone have an example of a 3 day program that has worked for them? May be time for a change. Looking for size - not a beach body, but not a large increase in fat.
Click to expand...

Before that happens please write down your current workout but this time add the kg's lifted versus you first workout using the same exercises.

be honest, and be accurate.
 
You have not mentioned your current body weight or fat%.
your diet posted above does not show the portions (in grams or ml or kg) for anything other than milk and oats.
example... "Small yoghurt"
each company has different package sizes to stand out in the fridge section.
what is small?
which yoghurt? flavoured? greek? diet or full fat? brand?

Without that info, there is no way of telling if you are consuming enough food.

Having said that, if you have been following that lifting routine and eating whatever it is you have been eating and have gained 2-3kg in 6-8 months (again.. which is it? 6 or 7 or 8 months??), then the obvious thing is that you are not eating enough for the amount of activity you are doing.

If you simply added 1/4 of the amount extra of each things you are eating, you'll gain weight.

You should spend a week logging every single thing you eat in grams/ml etc and looking up the macros for it all and the calories consumed per day etc.
Will make it much easier for you to decide what to do.
 
Last edited:
Silverback said:
Answers like this (and don't take this personally) are foolish.

I liken the practice of building the body to about how much dose is required, regardless of everyone being affected in the same way.

It's like a pain killer... it works the same for everyone, but some people need less or more to achieve the same effect, depending on the person's receptor sites, but also the degree of pain experienced.

Likewise, just because a person can get away with not training his arms does not mean that is true for everyone trying to optimize (or get good results) in arm development.
Click to expand...

It's not foolish at all, it's common sense.
 
I would log everything accurately for a start. When I logged calories it surprised me how much I had to eat if it wasn't a diet of cake, chocolate and chips.

Also log your workouts with weights so you can see where you started and aren't trying to remember your last session etc.
 
antlax said:
I am in my mid 30s and trying to improve strength, and increase muscle mass.
I am currently using a 3 day/week program. Unfortunately the last 6 - 8 months have resulted in only a gain of a couple of kg. I lift to failure. Below is my routine plus diet. Any suggestions about what I could do to improve?

MONDAY
weightsets/reps
BB bench press5 sets, 6/7 reps
BD bench press4 sets, 12 reps 1[SUP]st[/SUP], then to fail each other set
Bicep/tricep
4 sets, 8 reps each
Alternate sets of ezy bar bicep, tricep pulldown
WEDNESDAY
Squat / calf raise4 sets, 6/7 reps (squat)
3 sets, 15 reps (calf)
DB Squat4 sets, 12 reps 1[SUP]st[/SUP], then to fail each other set
DB shoulder press4 sets, 8 reps
Upright row4 sets, 8 reps
FRIDAY
BB bent over row5 sets, 6/7 reps
Lat pulldown4 sets, 12 reps 1[SUP]st[/SUP], then to fail each other set
Deadlift4 sets, 6/7 reps


Perform sets of 6. Once all sets completed to 6 reps, commence sets of 7 reps. Once all sets completed to 7 reps, increase weight, and go back to 6 reps. Continue.

DIET

Breakfast
Small yoghurt
1 pc toast
2 bananas
300mL milk with protein powder

Morning tea
Apple
Tuna roll
Couple handfuls nuts

Lunch
Pear
Chicken roll
Couple handfuls nuts

Afternoon/pre-workout (on lifting days)
300mL milk with protein powder + 75g oats

Dinner
Meat, carbs, veg

Late snack
300mL milk with protein powder
Click to expand...

Goals - improve strength and increase lean muscle mass

No talk of body weight/lean body mass/body fat % 6-8 months pervious to current, no talk starting weights to current weights??

How do you know it's not working?
 
antlax said:
I am in my mid 30s and trying to improve strength, and increase muscle mass.
I am currently using a 3 day/week program. Unfortunately the last 6 - 8 months have resulted in only a gain of a couple of kg. I lift to failure. Below is my routine plus diet. Any suggestions about what I could do to improve?

MONDAY
weight
sets/reps
BB bench press
5 sets, 6/7 reps
BD bench press
4 sets, 12 reps 1[SUP]st[/SUP], then to fail each other set
Bicep/tricep

4 sets, 8 reps each
Alternate sets of ezy bar bicep, tricep pulldown
WEDNESDAY
Squat / calf raise
4 sets, 6/7 reps (squat)
3 sets, 15 reps (calf)
DB Squat
4 sets, 12 reps 1[SUP]st[/SUP], then to fail each other set
DB shoulder press
4 sets, 8 reps
Upright row
4 sets, 8 reps
FRIDAY
BB bent over row
5 sets, 6/7 reps
Lat pulldown
4 sets, 12 reps 1[SUP]st[/SUP], then to fail each other set
Deadlift
4 sets, 6/7 reps


Perform sets of 6. Once all sets completed to 6 reps, commence sets of 7 reps. Once all sets completed to 7 reps, increase weight, and go back to 6 reps. Continue.

DIET

Breakfast
Small yoghurt
1 pc toast
2 bananas
300mL milk with protein powder

Morning tea
Apple
Tuna roll
Couple handfuls nuts

Lunch
Pear
Chicken roll
Couple handfuls nuts

Afternoon/pre-workout (on lifting days)
300mL milk with protein powder + 75g oats

Dinner
Meat, carbs, veg

Late snack
300mL milk with protein powder
Click to expand...

If I was in your shoes I would look at changing these points to reach what you want:

  • The vol looks just OK, but once a week is a long road, work out a program to hit body parts every 4 days. May need to increase to training 5 days / week to hit that often with that vol, or more of a full body routine that you repeat 3 times a week.What you are doing every 7 days looks like a fairly "casual" approach to training, not really going balls out to really pack on size.


  • I dont think you are doing enough vol for legs and arms, just dont think its enough to grow. Will have increase the vol there. One excercise with 4 sets every 7 days is more of a "hobby" rather than a inntense program.


  • And you are eating like an ordinary bloke, want to pack on size? Look and Train like an animal? Eat like one. What you have listed, with the exception of the carbs for dinner, most kunce on here would cut on that, you're just not packing enough protein down your throat.


  • Not sure about your intensity, not someting you can describe, but up that as well, make sure youre giving your fullest, with full motion and a good squeeze.

So thats as simple as I can put it, without this turning into a full on discussion on here that you not likely to be a prt of.
Hope this helps a bit.
 
You need more back exercises, mainly rows. Your chest will over power your back with that workout routine and round your shoulders forward.
 
ozboss said:
If you include deads. There should be 2 pull to every push exercise.
Click to expand...
first time i have ever heard that, i would think you just workout the body oarts you want to imorove overall, plus the OP said he was interested in strength.
 
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