Here's the score. For a lot of this year, I've been following the smolov squat & jr program to jack up my bench & squat. At one point my squat got up to 117.5 (at a body weight of 66kg). Then suddenly due to personal & professional circumstances *ie working 60 hours a week & getting sick* my training stopped. I'm back on the saddle & well into it, yet i can't seem to get my squat past 105kg, altho i'm using the same workout method that brought my squat up.
My bench is however stagnent. it wont budge past 77.5kg. At a body weight of 66kg...that's not too shabby.
Like i said tho, I can't seem to increase my squat, deadlift or bench. What do I do? Should i train in a higher rep range. My diet is pretty clean & surplus calories are being eaten. I'm not wanting to exceeding 15% bf.
Ok, so what do you all say? Questions? Comments ?
Heya Bro, PTC's got some good advice in here for you. but I just want to say. try not to sweat it too much.
about 3 or 4 times a year my trainning is always put to a stand still due to sickness and or long hours like yourself. in 2007 I even went in to hospital twice for my asthma and both times went into resportory arrest. I have had to stop lifting for weeks and weeks and very literally lost almost the lot. (stength and size).
When I finally get bak into the gym I have had to start from scratch, which was a really hard thing to motivate myself too do, I have had to really pull myself out of some incredibly negative and depressing mindsets, to even get myself bak through that gym door.
I learnt to start back at the beginning and the first 2-3 weeks is a drag trying to prime my body. I then found after that time my origanal size and strength returns, not quite 100% but better then a poke in the eye.
If your not lifting your best now, doesnt mean it's not gonna happen it just means your body needs a little more time to ease that power back on, as you workout your body gets stronger not weaker. so take a good look at what your lifting and how your lifting it, mix it up a bit and try full deep knee squats with a lighter weight (things like that).
I also have days where I cant go heavy, its frustrating but its nessercy as your body tells you that you are close to over trainning a possibly injury if you dont ease up a bit.
So in that case I will train the same but rest more by taking more recovery days off so my body can have time to catch up. I find this always works. and soon bak lifting 100%.
Also mind set is a huge factor as I have to be hell confident to go heavy and complete muscle blowing lifts. after being off sick or working so long and being run down my mind takes as much priming as the rest of me to be ready for thr heavy stuff. I do this by watching the docudrama Pumping Iron and watch guys like Branch Warren etc blowing themselves to peices on youtube, I also put heaps of adrenalin charging metal on my mp3. I am a real believer in mind power and mind over body. for me its the defference between Deadlifting 100kg or 160kg. it entirly up to me and where my mind is at the time.
This is just my life experiance with illness and working very long hours, but I feel it relates to your situation.
Good luck my man and I have confidence you'll soon hit that G spot
