Stalling and Deloading?

[SWH]

I've been stalling on my lifts in the past few weeks and haven't been able to increase my weight for at least 2-3 weeks. My squat went down in weight so I could focus on form and that goes same with my deadlifts. I've managed to increase the weight up to around where I was before but I can't seem to increase further.

Should I change the reps up a bit or take a week off? A friend was telling me that deloading would fix my problem but I was just hoping for any further advice? Thanks. Sam.

 

[dave]

Don't listen to your friend. If you are lifting only 70kg in the deadlift then a deload will not help you one bit. Look to outside influences (what else do you do besides lifting) and adjust your calorie intake.

 

[oldcorollas]

chances are you are still developing the necessary supporting muscles..

rather than focusing on weight, try increasing reps/sets with same weight

if you are lifting every 2nd day, try doing every third day or miss a session every now and again...
and EAT!

 

[Semillon]

How many hours sleep do you get every night? How many calories do you eat every day? Are you still sore from the previous session when you enter the gym?

 

[SWH]

How many hours sleep do you get every night? How many calories do you eat every day? Are you still sore from the previous session when you enter the gym?

I sleep around 7-8 hours a night. I'm eating around 2.8k calories now and not too bad, like only enough to be noticable, that wouldn't have an effect on my lifting

 

[wingman]

not too bad, like only enough to be noticable, that wouldn't have an effect on my lifting

If you go to the gym every 48hrs, you should be fresh as rain every time you go. If you're not, then you're not eating enough or you have some other stress going on.

Also, have a play around with either a foam roller or a lacrosse ball after your gym session.

 

[SWH]

If you go to the gym every 48hrs, you should be fresh as rain every time you go. If you're not, then you're not eating enough or you have some other stress going on.

Also, have a play around with either a foam roller or a lacrosse ball after your gym session.

Okay well yeah my sessions have been getting sorta worse and worse. Could be lack of motivation since i'm stuck on most of my lifts now? Right now is probably the time i'm most stress free as well, just started my holidays lol.

What benefits would foam rollers or a lacrosse bring after sessions? And should I like look up some exercises or something?

 

[wingman]

Shortens the duration your muscles / joints are sore

 

[SWH]

Shortens the duration your muscles / joints are sore

Fair enough i'll give this a try

 

[dave]

Shortens the duration your muscles / joints are sore

Massage (which is what foam rollers and lacrosse balls do Sam) does not reduce pain duration. You use it to help correct soft tissue structural issues that stretching or loaded exercise could not correct. If you have an issue with a particular muscle (not soreness post exercise but a constant pain/tightness) self massage can help correct this issue.

 

[SWH]

Massage (which is what foam rollers and lacrosse balls do Sam) does not reduce pain duration. You use it to help correct soft tissue structural issues that stretching or loaded exercise could not correct. If you have an issue with a particular muscle (not soreness post exercise but a constant pain/tightness) self massage can help correct this issue.

Okay thats fair enough.

I was thinking of buying some creatine in the near future. Do you think using it would help out with my situation in any way?

 

[dave]

No. As I said earlier stalling at low weights comes from something else such as playing too much sport or other physical exertion, not eating enough calories to grow, trying to lift too often, bad programming (doubtful if on beginners program), trying to lift too heavy too early (doubtful). Eat more first and see if that helps. Try at least 10% more calories.

 

[Semillon]

I sleep around 7-8 hours a night. I'm eating around 2.8k calories now and not too bad, like only enough to be noticable, that wouldn't have an effect on my lifting

Unless you are carrying a lot of fat, it sounds to me like you need to eat significantly more. But im just a keyboard warrior... if you were to take one beginners program such as starting strength as an example, Mark Rippetoe recommends that a young beginner lifter such as yourself should be eating up around 5-6k calories during the initial "newbie gains" phase.

 

[oldcorollas]

5000-6000cal sounds like a LOT!,.. but 2800 sounds a bit too light.
each person has their own BMR, but...
as a comparison, i'm 20 years older, 83kg and 2-3 months in as well, and 2800 is my maintenance calories with NO exercise..

like Dave said, eat more.
check your macros (protein/fat/carbs) and see if you are hitting them every day. if in doubt, eat more... you have plenty of years left to cut

it could also be that your form has something major holding you back?
read up, watch youtube vids, and/or go and see Trent at PTC for tips in person?

at the end of the day, we're only a couple of months in and our noob bodies are only just starting to get used to it all
eat, be consistent in training (but listen to body if it hurts), and the weight will come eventually, but your body (and all those little stabilising muscles) have to get used to things first.

 

[SWH]

Unless you are carrying a lot of fat, it sounds to me like you need to eat significantly more. But im just a keyboard warrior... if you were to take one beginners program such as starting strength as an example, Mark Rippetoe recommends that a young beginner lifter such as yourself should be eating up around 5-6k calories during the initial "newbie gains" phase.

5-6k? Thats a lot of calories. I doubt I could eat that many calories in a day lol

5000-6000cal sounds like a LOT!,.. but 2800 sounds a bit too light.
each person has their own BMR, but...
as a comparison, i'm 20 years older, 83kg and 2-3 months in as well, and 2800 is my maintenance calories with NO exercise..

like Dave said, eat more.
check your macros (protein/fat/carbs) and see if you are hitting them every day. if in doubt, eat more... you have plenty of years left to cut

it could also be that your form has something major holding you back?
read up, watch youtube vids, and/or go and see Trent at PTC for tips in person?

at the end of the day, we're only a couple of months in and our noob bodies are only just starting to get used to it all
eat, be consistent in training (but listen to body if it hurts), and the weight will come eventually, but your body (and all those little stabilising muscles) have to get used to things first.

Yep that sounds about right. I'll raise the calories up a little but 5-6 is too much for me. I guess everybodys different and in the end you can only listen to your body and let it give you the signs. But I think since i've gained around 3-4 kg I should probably be upping the calories as the weight comes on. Thats probably what my problem has been. Thanks for the feedback