Demoralised and looking for advice

[Nic]

.

 

[Sticky]

Hey nic.
If you have a quick look at the start of my journal, you will find I was the same height, at almost the same weight. Your squat and deadlift are higher than mine were, with bench only 5kg down. Both of us tall, skinny, lanky guys.

I can now squat 155kg, bench 107.5, deadlift 220kg, 13 pullups, 22 dips..... That was in 12 months of solid training. I had no clue with diets, so at least your one up on me here. Now im not trying to make myself look strong, just trying to let you see that even though our body types arent ideal, decent lifts can come.

The main area of difference, and the reason I think your not getting the gains you want is the training. You've tried all different things, but not really sticking one out. I took a program off PTC, a member on here, and stick to it for at least 6 months.

Breathing squat ( 3 deep breaths between reps ) 1x20 1x15
Superset light pullovers 2x12
Standing Military press 3x8
Bent rows 3x8
Incline press 2x8
BB Curls 2x8
Dips 2xmax

I did change 2 things though. I added deadlifts, and replaced curls for pull ups. We dont have "pumping guns" do we nic .

Keeping that same routine was great to measure progress and make sure your heaading in the right direction.

Once your 1rms get up to around 140-100-180, you can look at doing some other workouts. I did a bit of 5x5, while running a PTC deadlift cycle which got me to 200kg, and am now running the PPP by PTC. I hope i can run this to a 130-180-240.

Head down, bum up, and plenty of blood, sweat and tears will get you where you want to be .
Best of luck champ.

 

[Oli]

Sticky, Rips stuff and Markos' are on par, I doubt it would be a programming error.

 

[Sticky]

Im not blaming the program oli, or trying to say Markos owns all, just the fact the Nic has tried many different routines without sticking to one for 6+ months.
I find its hard to get anywhere if your always changing your routine. You may as well not have one.

As the saying goes, "consistancy is the key".

Although Im sure they spelt it right

 

[Christian]

EDIT

your fine, lift more sleep more eat more protein..

 

[Oli]

My mistake sticky.

Nic, I double checked the timeline you'd be lifting and it seems like you've been doing so for some 6-8 months, including a holiday interruption and 4 program changes.

For as many disruptions as you've had (with the exception of your bench your lifts arnt shite) that sort of progress is expected. Its impossible to gauge progress when you change from 5x5 daily (stronglifts) to 3x5 (ripptoes) and then 5x5 on texas method weekly.

You're best going back to either SS or PTC's beginners program and sticking with that until you can get 140/100/180 for reps. Also your diets pretty high in carbohydrates and you're response to insulin obviously isnt too great, I'd get rid of the carbs and have more protein and fats.

 

[Kyle Aaron]

Consistent effort over time gets results. Pick whichever programme you like and stick to it.

At some point you plateau, can't get the lifts up. At that point look at your nutrition and rest - usually people's stalls are caused by not enough good food or good sleep.

I wouldn't say continue the programme until you get particular lifts, but until you're stalling even with awesome food and lots of sleep. Then it's time to change. But it's unlikely you'll have perfect food and heaps of good sleep, almost nobody does. So stick with the programme.

Consistent effort over time gets results. The programmes are just a tool to help you be consistent.

 

[PTC]

Most of the guys here have nailed it.

Your not training anywhere near hard enough. No matter who's program you have, its the effort that counts. Your fixated by program names, squat, bench, dead, press. Train as hard as you can 3 times a week, do between 5-10 reps, 3-4 sets. Always do more of something, weight, reps, set. Every single session.

Your diet is not working for you. Like Oli said, drop all the processed carbs and replace them with vegies. Its really that simple. Your carbohydrate sensitive, yet you eat so many processed carbs, thats why your fat.

So, your weak because you dont train hard enough, and your fat because you eat the wrong foods.

Two very easy fixes.

 

[Skalatharx]

Every one stalls eventualy I started out at 88 kgs and now sit around the 132-140kg range (135kg now) depending on training cycles and diet.

It could be a number of things, have you ever got you're hormone lvls checked? Are you contantly depressed and tired? Have you tried conjuguate method training? Do you deload after a circa max training cycle?

Also are you doing GPP work? Or some form of cardio. No point being strong if you can't breath while training.

 

[Gauche]

135kg!!! You look like "big show"in your avatar.

 

[Skalatharx]

135kg!!! You look like "big show"in your avatar.

haha yeah it was taken rite on 140kg lol

 

[Oli]

Skal, not being a smartass or anything - whats it like being 140kg? do you feel healthy?

 

[Morgan]

Oli, I'm 6ft 5 & 135kg, I feel fit as, Cardio-wise, I'm yet to find someone at my gym to match my pace for 10 mins on the rower
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[Skalatharx]

Skal, not being a smartass or anything - whats it like being 140kg? do you feel healthy?

No offence taken mate, To be honest I was unfit as hell when I hit 140 for the 1st time, I couldn't take a flight of stairs with out feeling winded. Now that I have been at this weight for 2 years I have raised my cardio and gpp lvls a great deal and feel the same as when i did at 110.

 

[Nic]

Thanks for the responses so far guys.

Just to take up a few points, Oliver and Markos, you both mention cutting some of the carbs would be good for me. I'm on holidays from uni for the next 7 weeks so I'm able to be more flexible with what I'm eating (ie. the luxury of being able to cook and not have to carry food with me). I've made some changes to what I had already, upping protein and cutting carbs. What do others think about my diet at the moment?

Training Day:
9am: 5-6 eggs/egg whites, 2 sausages, Vegies (Spinach, Tomato, Mushrooms etc.), 500mL Milk
11am (Pre-workout): Protein powder, 1 cup oats, water
12:30pm (Post-workout): Protein powder, water, jelly beans
1:30pm: Spaghetti Bolognese, Fruit
4pm: 3 cans tuna, 150g beans and corn, 1 carrot, cottage cheese, green tea
7pm: 300g chicken breast or steak, steamed vegies, sweet potato
10pm: 200g cottage cheese, tbsp natty PB, protein powder, 500mL Milk

Non-training Day:
9am: 5-6 eggs/egg whites, 2 sausages, Vegies (Spinach, Tomato, Mushrooms etc.), 500mL Milk
11am: Protein powder, milk, fruit, almonds
1pm: 300g chicken breast or steak, steamed vegies
4pm: 3 cans tuna, 150g beans and corn, 1 carrot, cottage cheese, green tea
7pm: 300g chicken breast or steak, steamed vegies, sweet potato
10pm: 200g cottage cheese, tbsp natty PB, protein powder, 500mL Milk



Regarding some of the suggestions that programming is the issue, I agree. At this stage we'll be going back to SS and stop ****ing around. I'm curious about the popularity of Markos' programs here. Maybe Markos or someone else would explain something to me, but looking at the programme as Sticky has posted it, I can't help but think that's a hell of alot of volume. I mean, high rep deadlifts and 20 rep squats three times a week, pressing and bench pressing on the same day? It seems a little much to me. I'll assume from the get go I'm wrong on this one, but maybe someone could explain the logic of it to me.

Nic.

 

[Sticky]

Sorry mate, I can't explain it
I just do what I'm told, if it works, I keep listening and doing .
If for some reason I stop gaining, I'll then ask why. But I already know the answer

sort out a solid program, and stick with it.

Check out the last few pages of the members pics thread. NPR does 20 rep squats. Still!
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[CaT_SPeW]

I can't help but think that's a hell of alot of volume. I mean, high rep deadlifts and 20 rep squats three times a week, pressing and bench pressing on the same day? It seems a little much to me. I'll assume from the get go I'm wrong on this one, but maybe someone could explain the logic of it to me.

it may seem like a lot at first but you will be amazed at how quickly you will adapt to it with a good diet, good recovery and lots of effort and determination.

 

[Nic]

It could be a number of things, have you ever got you're hormone lvls checked?

No. How would I get this done? Is it an advisable thing to do?

Are you contantly depressed and tired?

Tired, no. Sleepy, yeah. I'm notorious for sleeping in morning lecturers. I snored so load a couple weeks ago I had the whole lecture theatre in stiches and the lecturer cracking jokes at me for the rest of a hour.

Have you tried conjuguate method training?

We are (were) doing a weekly volume-recovery-intensity training method, if that's what you mean.

Do you deload after a circa max training cycle?

Not sure if I get your meaning here. The only cycling we do at present is a weekly basis, nothing longer term that would require a deload in the sense I think you mean.

Also are you doing GPP work? Or some form of cardio. No point being strong if you can't breath while training.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is GPP?

Yes, as I said in the OP, I'm doing cardio work in my off days. Very light. Just skipping, brisk walking, stair runs.

On the topic of cardio, what do other people advise in terms of what type of cardio work to do, how frequently, at what times and so forth. I'd be curious to hear what other people do.

Nic.

 

[haz]

i think its too much volume as well. but that just me unless you did it twice a week instead of 3 times.
i did SS for 3 months and it worked well. workouts were to the point and only doing 3 exercises made it easy to focus on getting the reps and adding 2.5 each week.

 

[Nic]

Check out the last few pages of the members pics thread. NPR does 20 rep squats. Still!

My main point with the 20 rep squats was that I had always though someone like NPR who can squat well above 1.5x his own body weight had more to gain from this sort of thing than someone struggling with little over body weight.

Nic.