Okay this has been concerning me for sometime.All my lifts seem to have gone down (squa/bench press/deadlift)My deadlift is what I am most concerned with.I’ve been training for about 6 months,at about 4 months I had achieved a 405 lb deadlift.It had not gone up by the 5th month and by the 6th month it had actually decreased…ALOT.My usual rep range is 315x11 today I could only do 315x2.My strength has been decreasing rapidly for the past month.I have been eating the same,sleeping the same…what’s going on?
whats you workout like?
Eat more. Maybe take a deload?
Luke
My routine is
Monday: Deadlifts 3-5 reps 5 sets,reverse hypers 5 sets 6 reps, goodmornings 5 sets 6 reps,Calf raised 5 sets 6 reps and then some heavy rack pulls.barbell row 5 sets 6 reps
Wednesday: Bench press 3-5 reps 5 sets,dumbell shoulder press 5 sets 6 reps,skull crushers 5 sets 6 reps
Friday: Squats 3-5 reps 5 sets,goodmornings 5 sets 6 reps,leg press 5 sets 6 reps,crunches until failure
I probably max at least twice every week
I don’t know if these factors have an effect:I’m 17. 5’10 172,I’ve gained 5 pounds in the past month.
[quote]Miiddleton wrote:
I probably max at least twice every week[/quote]
This would be the problem. Take a deload, give your body some rest and hopefully things will bounce back.
How long should I deload?I just want to start adding pounds again 
You shouldn’t be maxing twice a week unless you’re on some type of West Side program (i.e. original, or WS4SB). I know this will sound so cliche, but give 5/3/1, Starting Strength, or 5x5 a try.
Luke
Deload first. Eat more and sleep more on your deload to help with recovery.
Next:
Modify your program, keeping what’s helped you get strong, discarding things that fuck it up (I discovered too much ab training can be a bad thing just last week when I tried to ramp it up).
Or hell, pick a new program.
Do you make this program or did you pick it up? I would deload for a week. During deload, I would do some LIGHT work. To each his own but if I dont head to the gym during deload, I feel like crap coming back out. I would start either starting strength or WS4SB( http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/38-articles/60-westside-for-skinny-bastards-a-modified-lifting-program-for-qhardgainersq.html ).
If you are drug free then I am a big fan of deloading every 3-4 weeks…
Just light blood work that week.
Vary your lifts. If you are going to max a lot, do westside. Change the exercise every week or 2. Different bars, reps, ect.
Do heavy abs, not high reps. Heavy enough 6-10 reps is hard. For example, I do situps as heavy as I can…I will work up to a 100lb plate and 125lb DB on my chest and go just short of failure. Never to failure.
Crunches to failure is retarded.
Okay well I’ve just been doing light bodyweight stuff the past week,and yesterday was my first day back and this is how my numbers were: Deadlift: 225 x 8 275 x 8 225 x 8 275 x 8 315x2
Like I’ve previously posted 315 is what I used to get for 11 reps.After 2 reps my grip gave out…
Okay well I’ve just been doing light bodyweight stuff the past week,and yesterday was my first day back and this is how my numbers were: Deadlift: 225 x 8 275 x 8 225 x 8 275 x 8 315x2
Like I’ve previously posted 315 is what I used to get for 11 reps.After 2 reps my grip gave out…
Use straps then.
Also, your warmups are all wrong.
I know but normally I could do those sets prior to 315 and bang out 11 reps,and I don’t want to use straps because it does nothing to help my grip strength,I like doing everything RAW.
You need to find a reasonable program and follow it through. Right now you’re doing the " I have no idea what the hell I’m doing program to great failure" program.
First, you need to deload on the fourth week as has been said previously. You need more organization. Follow 5 3 1, WS4SB, or some other well rounded program. Eat well enough and do your stretchign after you workout.
you won’t be able to move the same amount of weight without straps. think of them as a training aid, just like bands or chains. I only use straps on my heaviest sets, and do one or two other things for grip. Your grip strength will not grow at the same rate as your back strength, so you might as well help the bigger parts build, which will end up translating to the smaller parts.
[quote]Zen Taco wrote:
you won’t be able to move the same amount of weight without straps. think of them as a training aid, just like bands or chains. I only use straps on my heaviest sets, and do one or two other things for grip. Your grip strength will not grow at the same rate as your back strength, so you might as well help the bigger parts build, which will end up translating to the smaller parts.
[/quote]
In my opinion I completely disagree with this. Its not like hes deadlifting 700lbs here, using straps at this point is only gonna make it harder in the long run.
I’ve never used straps except for shrugs .
Don’t do. Reps on the deadlift are one of your best grip builders .