Not Growing?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Hey guys,

I recently got back into lifting, eating right, and generally trying to live a healthier life. I lost about 50 pounds in three months. My current weight is about 202 pounds. I’m 5’9 in height. I’m 28 years old. My weight loss has stalled drastically. I’m still carrying a little flab around the gut, but it isn’t really noticeable to anyone but me. My body fat percentage is right at 14-15 percent.

My measurements:

Chest 45in
Biceps 16in
Waist 35in

I’m not going to put my legs because they need more work and I definitely realize that. I do concentrate on them frequently.

My lifts:

Bench 360
Deadlift 455
Squat 335

Anyways, I’m not growing in gains or size like I want to be. I do 5x5 for y heavy lifts followed by 4-5 accessory exercises of the same body part.

I take the recommend dosage of protein (at least 1 gram per body weight), along with creatine, glutamine, multivitamins, etc. I eat leans meats, like chicken and fish mostly. I eat beef occasionally when I can afford it. I eat a ton of broccoli and spinach leaves, along with sweet potatoes and rice. Usually oatmeal and eggs in the morning.

Honestly, when the results stalled it became much harder to keep this regiment up. I find myself very discouraged lately. I was hoping for some constructive criticisms, advice and direction if any of you are willing to. My measurements have been the same for the past few months which is also discouraging. Plus, I’d like to eliminate the last bit of fat on my body where I can. Every time I start concentrating on this I feel like I look smaller and less full in the morning. It’s like a lose/lose.

2

Is your goal to continue losing weight or get your lifts up? Not saying you can’t do both, but choose which one is your goal and focus on that. If the other happens along with it, fine. If not, no worries.

If you want to grow and gain size, yet lose that last bit of fat, you’re not going to be able to do both at once anymore. Your getting lean enough that it’s unlikely you’re going to get significant improvements in your strength while trying to drop the last 10 ish pounds.

Have you altered your approach these last few weeks? Assuming your trying to lose weight still, try uping the cardio or dropping the cals some.

And as you mentioned, your leg strength is low. Benching more than you squat (even with a bench as high as yours) isn’t usually considered “balanced”.

3

I’m really thrown off by your numbers. You have 16" arms, and bench 360, at a 200 bodyweight? 2 things stand out about that. First off, a 360 bench puts you well beyond the ‘beginner’ label.

The other thing is, your arms are realllllllly small for that combination of bodyweight and strength. I don’t see 360 bench presses every day, and it’s extremely rare to see that from someone with 16" arms. Especially if you’re carrying any bodyfat at all, which it sounds like you are, since you have a 35" waist.

Got a vid/pictures? I’m not calling you a liar, I’m just really curious what your build looks like for all of this to add up.

As far as advice goes: any idea what your total calorie consumption is on a daily basis? You may not be eating enough. Are you getting quality fats in your diet? It looks like you’re not based on the food choices you posted, but it really depends on how you’re cooking these foods.

4

Thanks for the reply! I seriously appreciate it.

I agree that my lifts are not balanced. I’ve always struggled with squats for some reason. I think a lot of it is more of a psychological thing than anything. I’m really working hard to increase the strength in this area.

Yes, my approach has been altered. My brother, who has been a long time lifter, but lives about 1800 miles away, has told me the same thing you have. He can’t always be on the phone to advise me because of work and stuff. He said that I’m at a point now that I can’t do both and expect serious results in either, or at least not in any immediate way. Personally, I just want to get a little bigger and stronger. I feel like I look fine in the area of weight. Hell, I’m not preparing for a competition or anything. In fact, I might upload a picture and have you give a constructive criticism. I’d like your honest opinion (or anyone’s opinion for that matter).

I used to do cardio 4-5 mornings out of the week. I’ve done this up until last month. I was so tired in the morning that I just dreaded doing it at all anymore. I was propelled by anger mostly by a female and that’s what got my fat ass back in the gym. Everyday I used that as fuel until I couldn’t anymore. At night, I would do heavy lifts. Last month I started noticing serious fatigue. Today, I think of going to the gym and it just makes me sad. One, because I’m just so tired. Two, because I’m not seeing the results anymore. I think I may be a over-trained. What do you think?

I think I’m scared to deconstruct my regiment, even though I’m aware it is too much, because I’m afraid of losing results. I think I just need something a little more conducive to my goals.

5

[quote]flipcollar wrote:
I’m really thrown off by your numbers. You have 16" arms, and bench 360, at a 200 bodyweight? 2 things stand out about that. First off, a 360 bench puts you well beyond the ‘beginner’ label. The other thing is, your arms are realllllllly small for that combination of bodyweight and strength. I don’t see 360 bench presses every day, and it’s extremely rare to see that from someone with 16" arms. Especially if you’re carrying any bodyfat at all, which it sounds like you are, since you have a 35" waist.

Got a vid/pictures? I’m not calling you a liar, I’m just really curious what your build looks like for all of this to add up.

As far as advice goes: any idea what your total calorie consumption is on a daily basis? You may not be eating enough. Are you getting quality fats in your diet? It looks like you’re not based on the food choices you posted, but it really depends on how you’re cooking these foods.[/quote]

Yeah, I’ll post a picture now. I agree, I think my arms a bit small too.

6

2448×3264 1.22 MB

Here’s one

7

[quote]flipcollar wrote:
I’m really thrown off by your numbers. You have 16" arms, and bench 360, at a 200 bodyweight? 2 things stand out about that. First off, a 360 bench puts you well beyond the ‘beginner’ label. The other thing is, your arms are realllllllly small for that combination of bodyweight and strength. I don’t see 360 bench presses every day, and it’s extremely rare to see that from someone with 16" arms. Especially if you’re carrying any bodyfat at all, which it sounds like you are, since you have a 35" waist.

Got a vid/pictures? I’m not calling you a liar, I’m just really curious what your build looks like for all of this to add up.

As far as advice goes: any idea what your total calorie consumption is on a daily basis? You may not be eating enough. Are you getting quality fats in your diet? It looks like you’re not based on the food choices you posted, but it really depends on how you’re cooking these foods.[/quote]

I posted a pic but it has’t uploaded yet. Yeah, my caloric intake is about 2200 a day. I’ve been sitting there for about 6 months. Explain what quality fats are? Like Avocado? Nuts? Eggs? I eat those.

8

Cool man, thanks. That helps with perspective. You’ve got a thick structure.

You mentioned 5x5, have you varied at all from this? In my own experience, I’ve used both higher and lower reps than 5 to make gains in both the squat and the deadlift. Heavy singles, doubles, and even triples tend to be very effective for training the deadlift, while keeping the overall volume low. I’ll do high rep challenge sets on the deadlift from time to time, but for the most part, I don’t exceed 15-20 reps total in a given session. My squat strength, on the other hand, has responded much more favorably to higher rep training, in the 8-12 rep range. Just some things to think about. Form/technique also play a role in developing strength, so that may be something to look at.

I can’t help with the bench press, you seem to know what you’re doing there, lol. You’re getting a lot out of your body already on that lift. And the bench press seems to have the strongest correlation to bodyweight out of the 3 big lifts, so if you’re trying to cut or even just maintain your weight, it’s going to be really difficult to push that number up consistently.

9

[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Cool man, thanks. That helps with perspective. You’ve got a thick structure.

You mentioned 5x5, have you varied at all from this? In my own experience, I’ve used both higher and lower reps than 5 to make gains in both the squat and the deadlift. Heavy singles, doubles, and even triples tend to be very effective for training the deadlift, while keeping the overall volume low. I’ll do high rep challenge sets on the deadlift from time to time, but for the most part, I don’t exceed 15-20 reps total in a given session. My squat strength, on the other hand, has responded much more favorably to higher rep training, in the 8-12 rep range. Just some things to think about. Form/technique also play a role in developing strength, so that may be something to look at.

I can’t help with the bench press, you seem to know what you’re doing there, lol. You’re getting a lot out of your body already on that lift. And the bench press seems to have the strongest correlation to bodyweight out of the 3 big lifts, so if you’re trying to cut or even just maintain your weight, it’s going to be really difficult to push that number up consistently.[/quote]

What do you mean by “thick structure”? if you don’t mind me asking? Just curious. I, personally, don’t think I need to concentrate on lossing weight as intensively anymore. I feel like if I just eat right - or, if I eat better - I might be able to grow more and maintain the weight that I have. I’ve really tried lossing the last bit of fat around the sides, but to no avail at all.

My brother, who has been at this a lot longer, thinks it’s a genetic thing. He has the same problem. He often remarks that they just won’t ever go away and I need to stop obsessing over my stomach figure.

I will take what you say into consideration. I think I’m going to take the rest of the week off, because I feel depressed, tired, and unmotivated. I ay be over trained. If you refer to one of the posts above, I think you’ll see why.

10

Also, thanks with the help. I appreciate it. I think I just worry about this shit too much sometimes. I just feel like I need a little break.

11

Lastly, what are your suggestions? Do you think I need to continue concentrating on weight loss? Do you think I should just concentrate on a better lifting regiment?

12

you definitely don’t need to lose more body-fat.

In my opinion the body-fat you are at now is ideal, especially if it is easy for you to maintain your current composition

13

[quote]npane171 wrote:
Lastly, what are your suggestions? Do you think I need to continue concentrating on weight loss? Do you think I should just concentrate on a better lifting regiment? [/quote]

what is your current regiment?

14

[quote]Claudan wrote:

[quote]npane171 wrote:
Lastly, what are your suggestions? Do you think I need to continue concentrating on weight loss? Do you think I should just concentrate on a better lifting regiment? [/quote]

what is your current regiment? [/quote]

A example -

Shoulder day:

-Bent over barbell rows 5x5 going up usually 5 pounds until I reach my 5set max

-Overhead press 5x5

-Plate lifts 3x10 with 45lb plates

-Shrugs 8-10 reps 100lbs dumbbells

-Decline push-ups to failure

Then some ab work

Basically, I begin with a couple heavy lifts for the body part that I’m working on that day followed by similar lifts I’ve listed above for the different body parts I do through out the week. Now, I used to run almost every morning, but I’ve cut that out. I just feel too tired anymore. I feel hungry all the freaking time and I feel depressed. I keep wanting to attribute this to the absence of cardio, but I think my body has really just been like “I’m so tired” now that I’ve cut out the cardio and just wants to rest for a while so much that the idea of even lifting is tiring to me.

15

If you want someone to critique or optimize your current regiment, you should post it in full here.

If you want a new training routine, then personally I recommend a push-pull-legs with the possibility of an added extra ‘arm day’.

In general, once you are done resting - it sounds like you would benefit from increased volume - and yeah ‘a better’ routine.

16

Is your bench really 360 or did you mean 260? I agree that a 360lb bench is becoming a rarity in most commercial gyms especially with a BW at or around 200lbs. That bench at that body weight is approaching pretty elite company, especially outside of powerlifting circles…

17

It’s 360 bud. I surprised myself. Double checked the weight. I was stuck at 335 for the last four months. I’m for sure it’s 360.

18

Here’s a weekly routine (I’m hoping you can critique):

I gave you my shoulders above, which is Monday workout

Tuesday (Deadlifts)

Dead lifts 5/3/1
Stiff leg dead lifts 3x10
Leg press 3x10
Back extension 60 reps with 30 dumbbell (not all at once obviously)
Calf extensions

Wedesday (Bench)

Flat Bench 5/3/1
Incline Dumbbell Press 2x20 with 65lbs
Cable or Machine flys 3x10
Dips 3x10
Push ups to failure

Thursday (Squats)

Bar squat 5/3/1
Closed leg squats (guess that’s what you call it) 3x10
Reverse leg extensions 3x15
Plate squats 3x10 with 45lbs

Friday (arms)

Barbell Curls 30rep/12/10/8/6
Incline Curl 3x10 supeset with Hammer curls 3x10

Close grip bench 30/12/10/8/6
Tricep pull down superset with skull crushers 3x10

3 days a week I do 100 ball crunches and leg raises 3x10

19

Impressive bud. Get some vids up whenever you get your training how you want it. We’d love to follow along

20

[quote]npane171 wrote:

[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Cool man, thanks. That helps with perspective. You’ve got a thick structure.

You mentioned 5x5, have you varied at all from this? In my own experience, I’ve used both higher and lower reps than 5 to make gains in both the squat and the deadlift. Heavy singles, doubles, and even triples tend to be very effective for training the deadlift, while keeping the overall volume low. I’ll do high rep challenge sets on the deadlift from time to time, but for the most part, I don’t exceed 15-20 reps total in a given session. My squat strength, on the other hand, has responded much more favorably to higher rep training, in the 8-12 rep range. Just some things to think about. Form/technique also play a role in developing strength, so that may be something to look at.

I can’t help with the bench press, you seem to know what you’re doing there, lol. You’re getting a lot out of your body already on that lift. And the bench press seems to have the strongest correlation to bodyweight out of the 3 big lifts, so if you’re trying to cut or even just maintain your weight, it’s going to be really difficult to push that number up consistently.[/quote]

What do you mean by “thick structure”? if you don’t mind me asking? Just curious. I, personally, don’t think I need to concentrate on lossing weight as intensively anymore. I feel like if I just eat right - or, if I eat better - I might be able to grow more and maintain the weight that I have. I’ve really tried lossing the last bit of fat around the sides, but to no avail at all.

My brother, who has been at this a lot longer, thinks it’s a genetic thing. He has the same problem. He often remarks that they just won’t ever go away and I need to stop obsessing over my stomach figure.

I will take what you say into consideration. I think I’m going to take the rest of the week off, because I feel depressed, tired, and unmotivated. I ay be over trained. If you refer to one of the posts above, I think you’ll see why. [/quote]

I don’t mean that in a negative way. You’re not carrying much more fat than I am, and my waist tapes 6 inches smaller than yours. That just means your hips are wider than mine, nothing wrong with it. That can work in your favor for lifting. I actually have a pretty narrow structure, very small wrists as well. I battle hip pain, elbow pain, and wrist pain almost constantly. I agree with you that there’s not much of a reason to cut more fat right now, you’re looking solid right now.

Nothing wrong with stepping away from the gym for a week or two. You know your body better than anyone else. Most long-term lifters factor de-load weeks into their programming, and plenty of coaches recommend taking time off from the gym. I recently took a week off from all barbell work (just did machines) and it served me well. I’m competing in 10 days in a strongman comp, and will be taking a full weak off from the gym afterwards.