Feeling like Im reaching a plateau

[Qairoc]

Reps of 10, are you going for strength or size?
Generally 8-12+ reps are for size, 5 and under are for strength.

You say you got a routine off BB.com? Which one and how long have you been running it?

I was running the Jim Stoppani 12 week shortcut to size. That was 4 months ago now. Now me and a friend have been going in and have just been moving weight. No real routine set in stone. I know your not suppose to do that, but I figured its better than sitting at home on my ass all day doing nothing. I'm going more towards size tbh, but if I can cycle strength training in there that would be awesome. I would like to move past 225 squat and 205 benchpress.

 

[71Avido]

I was running the Jim Stoppani 12 week shortcut to size. That was 4 months ago now. Now me and a friend have been going in and have just been moving weight. No real routine set in stone. I know your not suppose to do that, but I figured its better than sitting at home on my ass all day doing nothing. I'm going more towards size tbh, but if I can cycle strength training in there that would be awesome. I would like to move past 225 squat and 205 benchpress.

Going in there and just moving iron is a very large reason why you're not progressing.
I've been running my program for 9 months already.

Gaining size is going to be near impossible at this point if you're in a caloric deficit like you will be if you're trying to lose weight. That doesn't mean you can't get stronger though.

How many sets/reps are you doing for the big movements, Squat/Dead/OHP/Bench?

 

[Qairoc]

Going in there and just moving iron is a very large reason why you're not progressing.
I've been running my program for 9 months already.

Gaining size is going to be near impossible at this point if you're in a caloric deficit like you will be if you're trying to lose weight. That doesn't mean you can't get stronger though.

How many sets/reps are you doing for the big movements, Squat/Dead/OHP/Bench?

I thought that may be hindering me!
For squats and deads I do 3 sets or 8-12 reps.
My bench I do the same 3 sets 8-12 reps controlled movements on each with strict form for all my exercises. Is OHP (overhead press?) If so I'm doing 185 got 4 sets in last night at 10 reps.
I tend to try and go to failure.

 

[CptFKNplanet]

My most important goal is to get rdy for this cruise in March of next year. Trying to get down to atleast 14% BF. I'm currently 19-20%BF right now. My ultimate goal is to compete in a Fall show next year.
I have been in the bodybuilding game for 5yrs or more I started back at 13 but fell off once I got to highschool, and picked it back up at 21. I'm 26 now, but didn't get hardcore about this until last year.
I was 300 lbs and had boobies lmao. Was time for a change, so i did light research, got my diet in check and made up my mind to follow each routine I picked up. It has helped out so far, but again its time for a change. You guys have been really helpful btw. I feel real confident going forth with my diet now thanks to 3J and Dreday has hooked me up with fat burning supps. Just working out my meal plan now, and reseraching what I should for weight training.

If your goal is bodybuilding, meaning symmetrical size, I'd say get on a recurrent push / pull / legs split and train 4x/week.
So it would look something like this:

Monday - Push
Tuesday - Pull
Wednesday - OFF
Thursday - Legs
Friday - Push
Sat / Sun - OFF

Next week
Monday - Pull
Tuesday - Legs
etc

Obviously focus mainly on your compound lifts; squat, dead, bench, OHP and focus the majority of your progress there. Add in accessory movements, but DON'T overdo it.
For instance your Push day could be:

Flat BB Bench 4x8-12
OHP 4x8-12
Incline DB Flies 4x8-12
DB Lateral Raise 4x8-12
Skullcrushers 4x8-12

Give or take some volume there dependent on how your body responds, but that's the gist. No matter what routine you decide to do, stick with it for a MINIMUM of 6 months to a year. A year would be better.

 

[Qairoc]

Going in there and just moving iron is a very large reason why you're not progressing.
I've been running my program for 9 months already.

I got tbh. Going in with my friend hasn't been making things any easier lol. He is a good motivator once we get a plan worked out for the night, but we tend to be in the gym just moving with the flow of movement. Add in the fact that we have been going for 90minute sessions most nights these days with no plan in motion sucks lol. I feel drained every night.

 

[71Avido]

I thought that may be hindering me!
For squats and deads I do 3 sets or 8-12 reps.
My bench I do the same 3 sets 8-12 reps controlled movements on each with strict form for all my exercises. Is OHP (overhead press?) If so I'm doing 185 got 4 sets in last night at 10 reps.
I tend to try and go to failure.

You may be doing too much volume for strength.
On all 4 movements, most strength routines don't have you going over 5 reps.
Also going to failure every time might be holding you back.
Cortisol (a stress hormone) builds up in the body when you're hammering it hard.
Cortisol is catabolic meaning it breaks down muscle.
When you're on a low-cal diet, the buildup of stress hormones is even greater if you don't adjust your training volume.

Lighter "accessory" movements can still be done at higher reps since they're not as stressful on the body as heavy compounds.

 

[3J]

meal 1 would be breakfast no?? lol.. have 50 for meal 1.. 50 in the meal before your workout (about an hour before) and 50 post workout

So 3J ONLY eat the carbs before my workout like a preworkout deal? And then again after my workout with post workout supps? If I split it into meals that would only be 100 tho right? So what to do with the other 50? Eat that at breakfast? Or don't worry about it at all and stick with the 100.

 

[CptFKNplanet]

I tend to try and go to failure.

Have you tried not training to failure on every set? I've recently been deliberately not hitting failure except for MAYBE my last set and my recovery time has been a lot better while still gaining. Just an idea to throw out there.

 

[Qairoc]

If your goal is bodybuilding, meaning symmetrical size, I'd say get on a recurrent push / pull / legs split and train 4x/week.
So it would look something like this:

Monday - Push
Tuesday - Pull
Wednesday - OFF
Thursday - Legs
Friday - Push
Sat / Sun - OFF

Next week
Monday - Pull
Tuesday - Legs
etc

Obviously focus mainly on your compound lifts; squat, dead, bench, OHP and focus the majority of your progress there. Add in accessory movements, but DON'T overdo it.
For instance your Push day could be:

Flat BB Bench 4x8-12
OHP 4x8-12
Incline DB Flies 4x8-12
DB Lateral Raise 4x8-12
Skullcrushers 4x8-12

Give or take some volume there dependent on how your body responds, but that's the gist. No matter what routine you decide to do, stick with it for a MINIMUM of 6 months to a year. A year would be better.

When you say push pull, I know this should be obvious for any lifter, but do you mean like Chest, Shoulder & Tricep exercises for push? Pull being back and Bicep exercises?

 

[Qairoc]

Have you tried not training to failure on every set? I've recently been deliberately not hitting failure except for MAYBE my last set and my recovery time has been a lot better while still gaining. Just an idea to throw out there.

Have not tried this yet. I can give it a shot. I have been trying to go HAM, but not really going HAM I guess cause like I said I have just been going in and moving weight around. I will try this routine out tho and not go all the way to failure for better recovery till my last set.

 

[Qairoc]

meal 1 would be breakfast no?? lol.. have 50 for meal 1.. 50 in the meal before your workout (about an hour before) and 50 post workout

Yeah 3J I read your post wrong. Armed had to correct me earlier as well. I got it now tho Thanks a million brother.

 

[CptFKNplanet]

When you say push pull, I know this should be obvious for any lifter, but do you mean like Chest, Shoulder & Tricep exercises for push? Pull being back and Bicep exercises?

Correct. Push and pull would be relative to the muscle recruitment in regards to pushing or pulling.

 

[BoBoy]

I was running the Jim Stoppani 12 week shortcut to size. That was 4 months ago now. Now me and a friend have been going in and have just been moving weight. No real routine set in stone. I know your not suppose to do that, but I figured its better than sitting at home on my ass all day doing nothing. I'm going more towards size tbh, but if I can cycle strength training in there that would be awesome. I would like to move past 225 squat and 205 benchpress.

Have you done a 5x5 yet ?? Great for breaking weight barriers ; later you can do 3x3 for even more brute strength then switch over to a 8x8 or 10x10 for BB. You and your buddy will be bored no more after a few months of these.....~Bo

 

[CptFKNplanet]

Have not tried this yet. I can give it a shot. I have been trying to go HAM, but not really going HAM I guess cause like I said I have just been going in and moving weight around. I will try this routine out tho and not go all the way to failure for better recovery till my last set.

Another thing to try, as it does sound like you are interested in overall strength as well, is keep your main lifts (bench, dead, squat, OHP) to 3x5 after warmups. I use a strength based method for my main lifts and focus my progression there. The accessory lifts I count on for hypertrophy and progress in those is not as big of a deal.

Definitely try not going to failure on each set, you may like the results. Give it time though. Also, are you tracking your workouts / progress? You need to be going to the gym already knowing exactly what you are going to do. Buy a notebook if you don't have one, or track it on your phone. I used to text myself each workout and log it later.

 

[Qairoc]

Have you done a 5x5 yet ?? Great for breaking weight barriers ; later you can do 3x3 for even more brute strength then switch over to a 8x8 or 10x10 for BB. You and your buddy will be bored no more after a few months of these.....~Bo

I may sound noob after this Bo, but is 5x5 5 sets of 5 reps? If so I have not tried this yet. Sounds like it would definitely kick our asses lmao. If not could you go into detail for me please.

 

[CptFKNplanet]

I may sound noob after this Bo, but is 5x5 5 sets of 5 reps? If so I have not tried this yet. Sounds like it would definitely kick our asses lmao. If not could you go into detail for me please.

Anytime you see something x something i.e. 3x5 5x5 it's always sets x reps

 

[Qairoc]

Another thing to try, as it does sound like you are interested in overall strength as well, is keep your main lifts (bench, dead, squat, OHP) to 3x5 after warmups. I use a strength based method for my main lifts and focus my progression there. The accessory lifts I count on for hypertrophy and progress in those is not as big of a deal.

Definitely try not going to failure on each set, you may like the results. Give it time though. Also, are you tracking your workouts / progress? You need to be going to the gym already knowing exactly what you are going to do. Buy a notebook if you don't have one, or track it on your phone. I used to text myself each workout and log it later.

Strength or size has been difficult for me to choose really. I always say strength cause Im pretty big already. I have always had a LB build even when I was over weight, so size has never been a big issue. I don't want to lose ALL that i have gained, but i know some will go as I decrease fat and BF%.
Most important is i drop this BF% to 14 or even 11% I'm sick of this belly fat lol. Everything else looks amazing. My arms are splitting my chest is tightening, my quads are peaking with my calves. This stomach is just tiresome to look at it.

 

[71Avido]

Strength or size has been difficult for me to choose really..

That's why you run high weight low volume on the big 4(squat, bench, dead, and overhead press) and use the rest as bodybuilder "accessory" movements.

My program has me going heavy for the one of the 4 movements above and much lighter on 4 accessory movements each day I train. When it's all said and done, I'd do 3 sets of heavy work and 16 lighter bodybuilder stuff.

 

[BoBoy]

THIS ^^^^^ Google : 5x5 Stronglifts . Good simple program . I also use Madcow and the Hayward 5x5 . yes it will kick your ass . You lift Mon/Wed/Fri -FULL BODY WORKOUTS !! Heavy on the squats , deadlifts , and bench press . After 15 years of split routines just draggin along I did 5x5 6 years ago and my strength and body size damn near doubled in 1 year . Nowdays I just do it in the winter , which is anyday now ,lol.

 

[Qairoc]

That's why you run high weight low volume on the big 4(squat, bench, dead, and overhead press) and use the rest as bodybuilder "accessory" movements.

Ok cool thanks a lot guys this has been really helpful. I feel really confident about going back into the gym Sunday. I'm off tomorrow and Saturday. With Legs being hit Sunday I will focus on the big 4 being heavy weight low volume and then focus the other exercises more towards higher volume and not go to failure like I have been. Also I will start a journal this week. I haven't had one up to now so will begin keeping trac of everything and keep you guys updated with progress.