[quote]Vanillathrilla wrote:
Hey guys, I’m new here this is my first post so forgive me if this should be in a different forum.
I’ve been lifting consistently for a few years now, but I’m really starting to have a hard time adding mass. I started a few years ago at 145lbs and I’m up to about 190lbs now, mostly muscle gains but obviously a little fat as well. Anyway, what I’m getting at is I need a new mass routine for the new year. I’ve (foolishly) never done a big compound exercise routine such as anything with squats and deadlifts consistently, so I’m hoping adding those in will trigger some new growth.
I KNOW that I need to start squatting, deadlifting, squatting, squatting and more squatting and I desire to, so any routine that doesn’t have these two exercises in it should just not even be posted.
I’ve got enough time to workout as much as the routine calls for. So any routines or other tips would be very much appreciated! Thanks everyone![/quote]
Don’t make the mistake of putting all the emphasis on the routine - you can have a great routine (like some already posted, e.g. a 3 way) but without being in a decent calorie surplus you won’t go anywhere. If you WERE eating enough, then your bodyweight WOULD be going up whether it be mostly fat or muscle. With your current routine (with little big movements) your muscle:fat gaining ratios would be very poor so you’d likely gain more fat than muscle if you were eating enough. Another thing that would make you gain more fat compared to muscle (apart from grossly over-eating) is lack of training volume (assuming your intensity/effort isn’t crap) - train frequently enough and your gains will be better (e.g. add another training day in your routine bringing it up to 5x/week).
Get on a good routine, stick to it. A suggestion would be to do exercises twice every 5-7 days, and do 2-3 exercises per bodypart (don’t over-do selection). Rep range between 5-12 (up to 20 reps for legs doing one max set).
Once that’s sorted, keep it up. Most people can keep at a routine for ages before they “outgrow it”. Exercises that constantly stall can be swapped out for another but only if necessary. The key is only change as a last resort. If every exercise is stalling, you’re probably either in need of a little break or more food.
Most importantly, keep adding food (or eat more calorie dense foods) until your bodyweight starts to creep upwards each month.
PS - practice perfect form/set up, (especially on the deadlift)…injuries don’t always manifest themselves at the start and a bad lower back and/or shoulders (e.g.) can really set you back.
