Boredom & Its Effect on My Size

Training Bodybuilding
1 
 I've been in this lovely hobby for over a decade now and have tried every routine, tip, bit of 'sound' advice, etc. that has ever seen the light of day.

I have also spent a considerable amount of those years educating myself on the subject, both professionally as well as through the ‘citizen scientist’ internship (not an actual certifier for those who haven’t read Dr. Leary’s work).

I have never asked for help on any public forum to date, due to my stubbornness to do things for myself…HOWEVER…I actually think I may need help and this site is the only place where the truly educated come to ponder the wonder that is the game of iron and so here will be my first attempt at ‘outside’ help.

Recently, I’ve decided that I’m sick and fucking tired of being between 155 and 175 lbs, performing every type of exercise known to man, in every angle, with every type of implement, ON EVERY SURFACE. :slight_smile: I’ve never made a concerted effort to gain mass…EVER.

Anyway, here’s my plead:

Help me stay focused…someone…anyone…please help me stick with ONE FUCKING PROGRAM for more than two weeks at a time. I can’t tell you how many times, I’ve attempted some form of mass building and got bored doing the same routine for more than five or six sessions.

But it has to stop…damnit, my wife wants me to get hyoooooge, so I’ll be a good little husband and as TC puts it, do what I’m supposed to do. (I also get alot of shit at work for being so small and I’m sick and tired of hearing, “why don’t you work out and get bigger.” Then I have to justify to some non-lifter why I’ve spent my whole career working up my big three at such a low bodyweight…but it’s like talking with a carrot.)

So, I need your help…advice, daily correspondence, a verbal or written ass chewing…or any else you fucking studs and studettes can think of.

When I’m over 200, I will send you all a dollar…ok, some homemade porn and a bag of cheetos, but that’s just as awesome right?

P.S. Food is NOT the problem, I eat more than many of my friends three and four person families.

2

[quote]spurlock wrote:

But it has to stop…damnit, my wife wants me to get hyoooooge, so I’ll be a good little husband and as TC puts it, do what I’m supposed to do. (I also get alot of shit at work for being so small…
[/quote]

So do YOU genuinely want to gain mass or do you to gain mass for your wife/friends/co-workers, etc? If you are training for anyone but yourself and your own goals than you are bound to fail.

3

It was written as a joke. I’ve been contemplating this for quite awhile and I now have ample resources available to me (financial…finally, gym equipment and location, time, etc.).

Edit The part about my wife making me do this was a joke…not the whole post.

4

I think I’m reading the post correctly when you say you’ve never stuck with a training method/workout plan for more than 2 weeks. There is your problem. I too used to have this ‘Iron ADD’ where I couldn’t stand to continually do one exercise after another. My advice is pick a plan, and stick with it for at least two months. make sure its one you feel covers all your bases and has a good range of exercises, that should stem the tide of boredom.

Secondly, you claim you eat alot. Well thats a start. I know plenty of people that eat alot, that doesn’t mean they eat healthy or correctly. Actually map out your calories, amount of food you eat, type of food, when you eat what foods, and most importantly where your calories are coming from (protein, carbs, etc). Chances are you don’t eat clean foods, because i’m guessing if you did you wouldn’t be so frustrated with your growth (training aside).

If those two things don’t work, try upping the calories. If that doesn’t work, find a better workout. But don’t make that decision for at least a year. spend no less than 2 months on a training plan, whatever it is.

With that said I wish you luck, I think you’ll do just fine. If you truly have been training for 10 years without result and haven’t quit yet, I think you’ve got the determination.

5

Mikel0428

I appreciate the input.

As for my diet: I’m a traditional foods advocate…i.e. whole foods, raw foods, broths, etc. This is not a vegan or veggie diet…actually quite the opposite…tons of fat and protein, tons of nutrients, tons of enzymes, adequate amounts of quality carbs that are easily digestible.

As for the two weeks thing: I should have been more specific. While I’m constantly changing up the makeup of my programs, the overall direction has never changed. I was a powerlifting baseball player in highschool and college and still lift in the same intensity and reps/set ranges as I did then. What changes are grips, variations of the squat, push and dead; auxiliary lifts, etc.

I just need to stick with a hypertrophy phase for more than two weeks, cycle and continue on this general path until the 200 mark is reached. But that’s where the problem lies…actually fucking doing it!

6

same here
i rarely can stick with a program for more then 2 weeks. boredom gets me. i like trying new things. i eat enough and tend to push it in the gym.

i am starting to think that this might not be so bad. rather, have a 2 week training regimine so things aren’t so frequent. so intead of a 5 day plan, do a 10 day plan and then repeat

e.g.
1 bench and rows
2 deadlift snatch
3 shoulders arms
4 dips pullups
5 abs and other stuff
6 squat
7 bench and rows
8 shoulders and arms
9 other
10 deadlift snatch

i basically chose workouts that i like for different body parts. for example, 5x5 squat day, hss-100 for chest and back, edt for dips and pullups, 10x3 for deads, and shoulder and arm day whatever specialization program i like.

its enough variety that it doesn’t seem repetitive, and its a two week program thats repeatable. i stick to the individualized program-for example, the 5x5 for legs and hss-100 for chest and back, but i do it at my own pace

tell me if you figure anything out

7

You say you’re a powerlifter so I have to ask…how much can you bench, squat, and deadlift? If it’s not a bench of at least 1.5xBW and squat and deadlift of at least 2xBW, then you most likely haven’t tried everything and your experience cannot be THAT vast.

Also, you say you eat a lot. How much do you actually eat? Do you keep a food log? Write out a sample day or two’s worth of eating including what and how much. It is impossible not to gain weight. Read that again…impossible.

If you eat enough (depending on your metabolism), whether it’s 2,000 or 8,000 calories a day you WILL GAIN WEIGHT. There is no 2 ways about it. You may gain only fat if you don’t work but it’s still weight. If you are lifting hard enough with a decent program and eating enough, you WILL GAIN WEIGHT. EAT UNTIL THE SCALE MOVES UP. It’s really that simple.

So saying that you’re eating a ton is really not telling us anything. If you’re not eating enough to grow and make the scale’s needle move, it doesn’t matter how much your friend, your family, or your chinchilla eats. If you’re eating 4,000 calories at your BW and still not growing, you aren’t eating enough or training hard enough.

So if I wasn’t clear, you should be eating until you gain weight.

What bores you about training programs first? The given exerices, set/rep ranges, etc?

-MAtt

8

Just follow the advice of Stuart McRoberts in Beyond Brawn. It will work.

Do it for 6 months and try something else if you like. Dont get bored, get excited about adding 0.5 lbs to the bar every workout. Make sure you write it all down.

9

Matt McGorry

My big three fluctuate a small amount depending upon what other movement patterns that I’m currently toying with…with that said:

Squat: 455 @ 158lbs
Dead: 420lbs @159lbs (a day later)
Push: 115lbs dumbbells (can’t barbell with my shoulders the way that they are and no training partner)
(actually did 1RM tests a few days ago…when I WAS planning on starting German Comp…again)

When it comes to food journaling, I actually use a free internet program called fitday.com. Over the last six months, my average caloric intake has been almost 3,000 per day(mostly from fat and protein). To many, this may seem like enough to elicit a gain, until you find out what my average day is like.

Up until, this point in my career, I 've steered clear of conventional supplementation…not for any particular reason, just never felt that I NEEDED it. Now, however, I believe that there will be a need, since there is absolutely no possible way to shove more whole foods into my face daily. I do take, a Dr. Ron’s Cod Liver/High Vitamin Butter Oil, bee pollen, organ extracts and probiotics.

I understand your scepticism towards posters that say that they eat alot and can’t gain weight…I used to train, coach and strength coach alot of these types.

10

Matt McGorry

You got me thinking! I think you may have misunderstood my original post…it’s not that I’ve tried everything and it doesn’t work…hell, I’ve trained too many individuals and talked to too many big mo-fo’s to think that. My problem is that I can’t stick with a hypertrophy-inducing periodization…and that’s where you got me thinking.

It’s because I’m a pussy…that’s right, a big flapping vagina. I’m actually AVOIDING hypertrophy protocols because they are my weakness. It’s like what one of the recent articles here talked about…don’t always train your strengths.

So, now that that’s cleared up…I’ll go get my vaginal tuck and be a man about this.

Thanks to those that contributed, I do appreciate it.

11

Sounds like mindset is a problem, among other things.

When you coached others, did you accept their rationalle for not wanting to do what you told them?

If you did, you probably didn’t have much success with helping them to reach a goal.

I’m guessing you didn’t accept that kind of shit from a trainee.

Don’t accept it from yourself either.
Set a goal, develope a plan to reach it, and don’t deviate.

12

Planning was never the problem. I’ve have killed a few hundred trees in my days devising grandiose plans that were so technical and so anal, that they would’ve made Poliquin jealous (I doubt that…but you get the point).

It always starts about five or six workouts into using less weights than I’m accustomed to in max strength training. I head into the gym and instead of following the protocol that I’ve devised for myself…I head over to the squat rack for multiples of 1 to 4. It never fails…so yup, you’re right…it’s all mind set.

13

If the problem is a hypertrophy-inducing program being too bland, I reccomend HSS-100. There are some odd exercises in this, and the specialization routines are even better for that. I did the back specialization routine and began to see results in two weeks, which may help your boredom issue. Also, for new and exciting exercises to cycle in, look up ones created by vince gironda, they are tough as hell, and form is very demanding in these. Again, good luck.

As a side note, it seems like you have a good handle on the big 3 lifts, I’d only do each of these once a week, and focus more on aesthetic type exercises to work on areas you want to hit (i.e. the weider priority principle)

14

Those are some really impressive numbers at your weight. I had to ask since you get a lot of people claiming to be bodybuilders who are 5’10 and 150lb and people claiming to be powerlifters who really can’t lift shit.

But obviously, that’s not the case here.

In any case, I’d say that carbs have the potential (with a good program) to provide more size gains than just protein and fats alone. I think that the anabolic power of insulin really can’t be ignored. Try adding one or two protein and carb meals earlier in the day. Test this for a couple weeks. If you’re not gaining fat, add in more. It’s really that simple in my opinion.

3,000 cals is typically a bit for a guy your size. I tend to maintain on a little under 3,000 or right around there at 215lb. But, I’ve got a slow slow metabolism. And if 3,000 isn’t enough for you to grow, then it’s not enough. Up your cals to 3,500- if you don’t grow then bump to 4,000, etc. It’s a matter of physics, eat more than you expend and you shall grow. Lift hard and heavy it should be mostly from muscle. That’s one of the other pluses with carbs; it’s easier to stuff your face with carb foods typically. You might even consider a little “dirty” eating.

And with those numbers, you should be able to create some serious muscle doing reps rather than singles.

I feel you on wanting to train heavy, but in my opinion, if you want to get bigger…if YOU want it and not your wife or anyone else, you will take the necessary steps to get there. You’re already a strong guy, I don’t doubt that you have the motivation to achieve this.

That being said, I don’t think that you need to a lot of really high rep, high volume shit. You can probably make some size gains still on an upper/lower type split.

I’d wager to say that you could work up to a max triple or 5 in the beginning of your workout and it could contribute to size gains.

For example, say you have a box squat on the beginning of your ME lower body day (not sure how you have it structured by I’m just assuming); Work up to a MAX triple or 5 with all you have. Then drop the weight back and get 4 sets of 5 with a lighter weight. So essentially a 5x5 that allows you to hit a true max in there as well.

Other than that, 4x6 is a rep scheme that I’ve seen good gains with in terms of size without having to train like a complete pussy.

Good luck and keep us updated.

-MAtt

[quote]spurlock wrote:
Matt McGorry

My big three fluctuate a small amount depending upon what other movement patterns that I’m currently toying with…with that said:

Squat: 455 @ 158lbs
Dead: 420lbs @159lbs (a day later)
Push: 115lbs dumbbells (can’t barbell with my shoulders the way that they are and no training partner)
(actually did 1RM tests a few days ago…when I WAS planning on starting German Comp…again)

When it comes to food journaling, I actually use a free internet program called fitday.com. Over the last six months, my average caloric intake has been almost 3,000 per day(mostly from fat and protein). To many, this may seem like enough to elicit a gain, until you find out what my average day is like.

Up until, this point in my career, I 've steered clear of conventional supplementation…not for any particular reason, just never felt that I NEEDED it. Now, however, I believe that there will be a need, since there is absolutely no possible way to shove more whole foods into my face daily. I do take, a Dr. Ron’s Cod Liver/High Vitamin Butter Oil, bee pollen, organ extracts and probiotics.

I understand your scepticism towards posters that say that they eat alot and can’t gain weight…I used to train, coach and strength coach alot of these types. [/quote]

15

You know what you are doing enough to make it happen man. 3K isn’t going to do it, 4K will and then when you get to 190 you’ll need 4500 or 5K. If your program sucks you should at least be getting fat, if you aren’t getting fat or bigger your diet is in question.

As for program boredom, I’ve gone through it many many times. I switched to full body where I use different protocols. Monday is 8x3 heavy, Tuesday is 5x5, Wednesday is 4x8, Thursday off or 3x10-12 and Friday is bodyweight and mobility/accessory movements like rotator work or 3x10 if I took Thursday off. I hit all my ranges and it keeps me interested. I hit 4 basic movements and maybe 2 iso’s on the lighter days.

You can’t help but eat like an animal during this, I gain 4-5 lbs of fat/muscle/water/food during the week and by Monday after a weekend of eating like a normal person if one or two of those has stuck I’m happy. If you do not eat correctly or sleep enough by Friday you will know you f’d it up.

I do this for 3-4 weeks and take a back off…way back off, nothing at all or only BW a day or two.

My maxes go up as long as my BW goes up, I’m in the 400/500/600 range in the big 3 @225-235, not because of training this way, I’m just illustrating that your progress will not melt away and you can still progress.

16

pushpulljunkie and Matt,

Thank you for your insights, I will take what both of you have wrote to heart.

I’m pretty sure that in order to induce significant and long lasting hypertrophy, I’m going to end up in in the 5,000+ calorie range. I’m at a huge disadvantage when it comes to having more mortar and bricks than I have masons…so to speak. Between work, the gym, my lifestyle, overactive brain and fingers and my sleep habits…it will be an uphill battle.

I do have a plan of attack though and it consists of what you guys who were kind enough to post have written, along with finally implementing a hypertrophy-specific supplementation and nutrition routine.

I will try to keep those of you interested updated. My work schedule is about to get more complicated come next week and I hope that I’m still able to function well enough to type after 14+ hour days.

17

[quote]spurlock wrote:
pushpulljunkie and Matt,

Thank you for your insights, I will take what both of you have wrote to heart.

I’m pretty sure that in order to induce significant and long lasting hypertrophy, I’m going to end up in in the 5,000+ calorie range. I’m at a huge disadvantage when it comes to having more mortar and bricks than I have masons…so to speak. Between work, the gym, my lifestyle, overactive brain and fingers and my sleep habits…it will be an uphill battle.

I do have a plan of attack though and it consists of what you guys who were kind enough to post have written, along with finally implementing a hypertrophy-specific supplementation and nutrition routine.

I will try to keep those of you interested updated. My work schedule is about to get more complicated come next week and I hope that I’m still able to function well enough to type after 14+ hour days.

[/quote]

#1 Stop making excuses…you’re not even on page two of your thread and you haven’t even started your “new” program. STOP MAKING FUCKING EXCUSES if this is what you really want to do. If its not what you really want to do then you just wasted everyone’s time.

Fuggin eat and fuggin lift, you don’t need a hypertrophy program to gain size you need to eat enough. Unless all you do are singles you will grow, maybe not optimally but you will grow. Keep it simple and just eat and stop making excuses.

18

Yes sir.
Actually have been training and eating this way for the last couple days…I know big woop, but hey, it’s a start.

thanks