I still say his problem may be hormonal. All the things he posted are hallmarks of low test levels. He’s not a newbie to this, he knows nutrition, he knows training principles. He should really look at his endictrine system, it’s quite possible for it not to be functioning up to par. Especially given his age, which is the age for some men to need hrt for “optimization” , some go on HRT as young as 25, so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. Second, athletes have lower circulationg levels of Test compared to the average joe to begin with, about 60-80% of what normal, non training men have. Put those together and it’s a issue worth looking into.
Okay, so this advice is in a totally different vein, but the part that would concern me the most is the injuries. Try adding a couple days a week of Yoga, Pilates, or a martial art to your exercise regime. These help you to train your stabilizer muscles as well as help your flexibility. Should help you with your injury problems.
Another thing that hasn’t been addressed: How balanced are your workouts? Can you pull as much as you can push? Do you do an adequate amount of leg exercise? If you can bench 300 lbs, but can barely do a pullup (and trust me, I’ve seen lots of people like this) you’re asking for all kinds of problems.
I also agree with X, just because you put on some fat, doesn’t mean you’re not adding muscle. You’ll just have to do it the hard way (the way most people do), and put on the mass first, then cut later.
“is it feasible that I have hit it at 5’10” and only 165 pounds?"
I’d give up that pro dream that’s just over 11.5 stone! You must have been doing something seriously wrong to stick at such a light weight & be training/eating seriously for 13yrs, if u train right your body just tells you to eat more, that diet just couldn’t have been adequate. Be honest you may have been ‘training’ for 13yrs, i’ve been training for 10 yrs - yet it’s only been these last 3-4 yrs that i have put together diet/training/cardio & reached the current 190 i am now, & at your height of 5’10.
[quote]Gregus wrote:
I still say his problem may be hormonal. All the things he posted are hallmarks of low test levels. He’s not a newbie to this, he knows nutrition, he knows training principles. He should really look at his endictrine system, it’s quite possible for it not to be functioning up to par. Especially given his age, which is the age for some men to need hrt for “optimization” , some go on HRT as young as 25, so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. Second, athletes have lower circulationg levels of Test compared to the average joe to begin with, about 60-80% of what normal, non training men have. Put those together and it’s a issue worth looking into.[/quote]
Thanks for mentioning this. While I am sure my wife would disagree, personally I have wondered about my hormonal levels. I tend to get depressed a lot. I tried Alpha Male at one point, but it made me crabby. I found myself snapping at people at work and fighting with my friends.
[quote]graphicsMan wrote:
Another thing that hasn’t been addressed: How balanced are your workouts? Can you pull as much as you can push? Do you do an adequate amount of leg exercise? If you can bench 300 lbs, but can barely do a pullup (and trust me, I’ve seen lots of people like this) you’re asking for all kinds of problems.[/quote]
Actually, I pull way more than I push. I have deadlifted in the mid-300s and squatted nearly that much. But I have never benched more than 205. In fact, I have stopped full-range benching completely and only do towel or two-board benches to shorten the range of motion. When I was training with the powerlifters, I couldn’t believe how short their range of motion was compared to mine.
[quote]slotan wrote:
Rocket Lax,
Some training suggestions from a guy with much less expirience than yourself:
-
Dual-factor program. Try training in loading/unloading periods. Somebody posted a dual factor program from Glenn Pendlay in the latest Dan John article. Also, I remember CT writing about blocks of training on the old forums so I’ll try to find that as well.
-
Specialization. You could focus on a big body part (legs, back) or a big lift (DL, Squat, Bench) for a while and work other stuff at maintenance level.
There’s a specialization program for posterior chain from Don Alessi which should give you ideas. As far as I remember it’s also organized using loading/unloading scheme.
Hope this helps.[/quote]
The dual-factor is a good idea. I am going to check out that training program. Thanks.
But the specialization stuff doesn’t work for me, because as soon as I stop, the gains go away. For instance, I did EDT and got some results. But my next plan was a powerlifting plan and my arms shrank back down to their original size.
[quote]sharetrader wrote:
Second, what type of muscle fiber do you have predominant? This can influence not only your optimum rep/set ranges but also your recovery times. Dr Squat has an article on his web site discussing these issues, as well as how to analyze what type muscle you have. (Remember that this may be different for different muscles.) I quess there is likely to be something about it here also.
[/quote]
My biceps seem to grow better doing 10 sets of 3, so I think they are probably fast twitch. My quads needs tons and tons of volume to grow. Like 10x10 at the very least. I am going to check out that info on the Hatfield site. I actually went to a seminar he did back in '98. Thanks for the suggestions.
[quote]bomberlow wrote:
I’d give up that pro dream that’s just over 11.5 stone! You must have been doing something seriously wrong to stick at such a light weight & be training/eating seriously for 13yrs, if u train right your body just tells you to eat more, that diet just couldn’t have been adequate. Be honest you may have been ‘training’ for 13yrs, i’ve been training for 10 yrs - yet it’s only been these last 3-4 yrs that i have put together diet/training/cardio & reached the current 190 i am now, & at your height of 5’10. [/quote]
Well, I was partying too much in college ('92-'96) and grad school was a nightmare ('98-'00). And when I had tendinitis in my hands, I had to take a couple months off from some exercises, like the Olympic lifts. But I was still training my ass off. I really haven’t slacked off at all in the last 13 years.
I don’t want to be a pro bodybuilder. I have a career and a family. I just want to compete. Just once. And not get jeered off the stage.
I’ve discovered that the key to making real progress goes beyond dedication to the art of body composition and weightlifting. One of the finest things John Berardi has contributed to the T-Ntion canon comes in the form of his “Science Link” approach to training. You literally have to become a walking science project, accounting for as many variables as humanly possible - without a reference of how your body is reacting to different stiumuli, you’ll never be able to pinpoint where your complications originate from.
Set up a plan for a twelve week period. Break that twelve week period down into two week chunks and follow the caloric guidelines as closely as possible. Get the same amount of sleep and try to maintain similar activity levels. It’s very Weberian, what the noted sociologist refers to as “mechanized ossification,” and should be used only in times of desperation (and this seems to be one for you.)
I firmly believe that “unleashing the beast” and locking yourself into a highly disciplined routine are two different tools used for different goals. In this case, the latter trumps the former.
Every two weeks re-evaluate and modify. This way you can keep track of exactly how much fat vs. how much muscle you’re packing on. Too much fat - up activity levels but also watch your caloric intake, you may have to up that as well. Mess with macronutrient combinations, and be aware of overtraining. I think anyone who really commits themselves to such structural rigidity would have a difficult time NOT seeing gains.
Just to show I was listening, I thought I’d post my plan for the next six weeks. First, I am upping my calories from 3,400 to 3,800, but I am going to spread those calories across 6 huge meals a day instead of 8 medium-sized ones. Second, I am going to make two of those meals P/F meals, instead of just one. Third, I am going to give HST a shot.
It is the T-Nation routine that is most unlike the ones I have tried before. I’ll post my results when I am done, as I did with ABBH and EDT. Thanks for all the replies. Just keep lifting…
Rocket Lax,
Is it possible your body is overtrained and run down? Sometimes frustration can lead to overtraining and injuries. It might be a good idea to take a few weeks off from lifting, let your injuries heal then come back stronger and more motivated.
[quote]Rocket Lax wrote:
It is the T-Nation routine that is most unlike the ones I have tried before. I’ll post my results when I am done, as I did with ABBH and EDT. Thanks for all the replies. Just keep lifting…[/quote]
Good luck.
Try a T-Booster like Alpha Male for atleast two months!!! Not only will your testosterone levels increase, so will your appetite!!! Start reading more into nutrition. There are more than enough articles to shake a stick at here on T-Nation.
Read-up on hypertrohpy. Chad Waterbury has numerous articles on the subject. Also, I’ve found that you “can” spend too much time in the gym. Try a routine that gives you at least 3 days out of the gym each week.
Examples:
- 1 day on/ 1 day off
- 2 days on/ 1 day off
- 3 days on/ 2 days off
Have fun, get big, post pics…
OD
Where do your EFA’s come from. I don’t see much in the way of Omega3. This might have something to do with the injuries everytime you enter the gym?
I think genetic is not a limitation, just an obstacle.
[quote]sikunt wrote:
Rocket Lax,
Is it possible your body is overtrained and run down? Sometimes frustration can lead to overtraining and injuries. It might be a good idea to take a few weeks off from lifting, let your injuries heal then come back stronger and more motivated.[/quote]
I actually took a full two months off last year. I had worsening tendinitis in my wrists, shoulder and elbow. But staying out of the gym didn’t help. Following a rehab program, integrated into a lifting program, did. I general, though, I agree that back off periods are very helpful.
[quote]Elvisway wrote:
Where do your EFA’s come from. I don’t see much in the way of Omega3. This might have something to do with the injuries everytime you enter the gym?[/quote]
I was only eating fish oil and counting on beef to provide Omega 3’s. (Fish is 6, beef is 3, right? Sometimes I get them mixed up in my head.) But that is one change I am going to make. I am going to eat fish oil with one P/F meal and flax with the other P/F meal. Thanks for the suggestion. I will let you know how it goes.
Fish is Omega3, cold water fish is best. Nuts and grains is Omega6
Good Luck
EW