Hello All,
I am 44 years old and had worked with weights/cycling for about 5 years prior. I was never able to make any really big progress on my lifts until on a different forum I and a few other guys decided to have a challenge of doing a 300lb or higher deadlift and do 300 watts for one hour. During the winter I wanted to make the deadlift so I always lurked these boards and love the articles so I followed:
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/most_recent/stripped_down_hypertrophy
and after several months the results were amazing. I did the 300lb deadlift in about two months from when I started and all my other lifts went up as well. I combined with my old 5 lb rule where I would keep adding 5lbs to my lift till I could not get 5 reps and than I would go back to a base point and build again. I now feel I am starting to hit a wall. I still want to gain size as I was 175lbs when I started and now at 185lbs. What would you guys recommend to switch to?
Also I feel I may not be getting enough recovery for a guy my age. I am thinking though maybe time to get the bodyfat % down but not sure.
Last in January I feel out of my van and landed all my weight on my left side. Since that fall I lost all my power on both sides from my hip to my knees. It seems no matter how much I stretch or just rest my lower body it just will not go back to normal. My watts on the bike are crap but I can still lift really well but I am killing my back and chest and want to know if that can affect my lower body?
Thanks for reading and any help is welcome.
-js
Great work. I’d go with the rest for starters. Come back focused on breaking through the wall on the first day. Warm up really good then take it as far as you can.
Muscles seem to know when it time to stress out again. Sometimes you have to work the weight for awhile to strengthen the muscles to a greater degree. Once the muscle strength has caught up with it’s power. Then it is ready to get stressed to the extreme.
Good luck and again great work, stay strong.
[quote]jsirabella wrote:
… I still want to gain size as I was 175lbs when I started and now at 185lbs. What would you guys recommend to switch to?
Also I feel I may not be getting enough recovery for a guy my age. I am thinking though maybe time to get the bodyfat % down but not sure.
Last in January I feel out of my van and landed all my weight on my left side. Since that fall I lost all my power on both sides from my hip to my knees. It seems no matter how much I stretch or just rest my lower body it just will not go back to normal.
My watts on the bike are crap but I can still lift really well but I am killing my back and chest and want to know if that can affect my lower body?
Thanks for reading and any help is welcome.
-js[/quote]
food = size. and take advantage of carbs/protein peri-workout.
i can train very hard. a properly designed routine for progression and balance keeps me from getting injured and i really depend upon a 100% recovery program:
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article//supplementation_for_newbies
as for your injury: you really should see medical. i have had good experience with PT. see if one come recommended for athletes in your area. they can tell you if you have muscle and joint damage (or recommend an MD if imaging is going to be helpful).
X2 on the back thing. I hurt mine, and let me tell you I spent the better part of the last 8 years in agony. Take it easy until you find out if its serious or not. Keep us up to date.
Sorry to hear about the back thing.
I would not describe my issue that serious but it is very frustrating. I really enjoy working out as I have to get up at 5am to do it so you better enjoy it. It is my time and I was making such great progress so not being able to work out my lower body or ride hard is really frustrating and take a toll mentally on me.
I believe my frustration is making it worse where I am really pounding my back/chest even harder. Also I was really p.o’ed when I went to my primary doc and she told me that if I would have came early enough she could have probably game me something but now I have to see a physical doc (??) and he can probably give me a shot (whatever that means). Anyway I go tomorrow…
-js
[quote]63Galaxie wrote:
X2 on the back thing. I hurt mine, and let me tell you I spent the better part of the last 8 years in agony. Take it easy until you find out if its serious or not. Keep us up to date.[/quote]
[quote]thruxton45 wrote:
food = size. and take advantage of carbs/protein peri-workout.
i can train very hard. a properly designed routine for progression and balance keeps me from getting injured and i really depend upon a 100% recovery program:
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article//supplementation_for_newbies
[/quote]
T-Nation has given me so many great articles as I have been using two recently that have made a huge difference. The one of the 4 secrets that tells you what to take before and after a workout and another one recently that breaks out the exercises to do for strength vs. size. That was my problem long ago that I was just doing strength type exercises and the rep count was not working. I have 25 reps to really be my friend!
As far as food and supps been on a 20/50/30 breakdown between fat/carbs/protein but lately been continuing to up the protein.
I am going to see the doc tomorrow. It is no way agony I am in but real frustrating mentally as I can not work out hard either on the bike or lower body exercises. I am a bit skeptical of PT docs as when I broke my ankle years ago I found them useless. They treat you like you never did an exercise before and I feel baby you so much just to keep you coming and keep paying the bills. A waste of time but I really have no choice on this one or my brain is just going to burst.
Next week I have a trip to Santa Barbara planned and was going to take my bike and ride. No way with the power my legs are putting out. It would be a waste of time…to say I am pissed is an understatement.
-js