Progress Pic Made Me Paranoid. What Am I Doing Wrong?

[chris_ottawa]

@taproot

i’m stuck at 110 pounds with my bench, the reason is, i want to increase weight everytime i’m able to do 3 sets with 1 minute rest with that weight…but after trying many times i still can’t!

The problem is that there is no progressive overload in your training. You have to increase weight on the bar or do more reps with the same weight, if you just do the same workout over and over you won’t go anywhere. Also who says you should only rest one minute between sets? There is no benefit to doing that for either strength or hypertrophy, and it will reduce performance on the subsequent sets.

Someone like you needs to find an appropriate program and follow it because you don’t know how to design your own program. Otherwise you will just waste time and energy.

[taproot]

i found this on reddit, what do you think?

WHAT IS THE PROGRAM?

It’s 6 days a week. You can run it one of two ways: PPLRPPL or PPLPPLR (where R denotes a rest day) depending on your schedule and preferences: it really makes no difference. Personally, I would run the program in the Pull, Push, Legs order.

YOU SAY TO ADD WEIGHT LINEARLY, BUT HOW MUCH WEIGHT DO YOU ADD PER SESSION?

• 2.5kg/5lbs for upper body lifts (bench press, row, overhead press)
• 2.5kg/5lbs for squats
• 5kg/10lbs for deadlifts

Now, without further ado…

PULL

Deadlifts 1x5+/Barbell rows 4x5, 1x5+ (alternate, so if you did deadlifts on Monday, you would do rows on Thursday, and so on)

3x8-12 Pulldowns OR Pullups OR chinups

3x8-12 seated cable rows OR chest supported rows

5x15-20 face pulls

4x8-12 hammer curls

4x8-12 dumbbell curls

PUSH

4x5, 1x5+ bench press/4x5, 1x5+ overhead press (alternate in the same fashion as the rows and deadlifts)

3x8-12 overhead press/3x8-12 bench press (do the opposite movement: if you bench pressed first, overhead press here)

3x8-12 incline dumbbell press

3x8-12 triceps pushdowns SS 3x15-20 lateral raises

3x8-12 overhead triceps extensions SS 3x15-20 lateral raises

LEGS

2x5, 1x5+ squat

3x8-12 Romanian Deadlift

3x8-12 leg press

3x8-12 leg curls

5x8-12 calf raises

i am exited because i want to choose a good routine and make linear progress and than post a progress pic,

[taproot]

Like i said Chris, the goal was to add weight only when i can complete the third set with that weight, trying to complete the 10 reps of the third set was the progress goal, but often i couldnt

to progress with weight, i wanted to keep rest time the same, because if i rest 5 minutes because i’m tired, the progress is because i gave myself more rest time, not because i got stronger, thats why i kept rest time always the same

but one minute its just a number, i can rest 2 or 3 minutes, as i long as i keep rest time the same to be able to track progress

now i’m looking for a PPL routine

[chris_ottawa]

If your breaks between sets are so short that you are way weaker on the next set then it’s counterproductive. 3-5 minutes between sets on compound lifts is normal, maybe longer for heavy sets of squats or deadlifts if necessary.

[RampantBadger]

@taproot

4x5, 1x5+

This is actually not that far off 5/3/1 if you understand the system.

Anyway re what you posted, -Similar but far better…

Strength Training: College Edition

Your main problem is you’re weak as shit, whatever you do throw in some heavy lifting/5x5s over the course of the week

This is the best thread of the year, dip in and read pretty much any chunk for 20mins…

Question to You Guys: What Do You THINK is the Main Driver for Muscle Growth?

Lateral Raises to failure, meaning you can’t lift your arms more than a few inches off your sides because you continued doing partials after losing full ROM, are so fucking painful. It might sound weird, but they’re one of the hardest exercises for me to really push to failure on. Also, doggcrapp is a great example of the “real sets” concept. Whether or not DC training is as effective as it’s fans CLAIM it is, I think it’s clearly one effective method, and it only has you doing 1 triple rest-…

[flipcollar]

Is there any chance you could post a video or 2 of you lifting? Maybe a bench press set and one other thing? (doesn’t matter what exercise)

Your diet and training program are mostly fine, and if you’ve been following that sort of program and eating like that for the last year and a half, then your results should have been better. Have you taken any significant time off from the gym since you started early last year? If you took weeks off, that could be part of the issue.

If you didn’t take any time off, then I believe the issue is how you’re performing your lifts. It’s a common enough problem. Some people don’t know how to truly push themselves hard in the gym, and you may be one of those guys. Which is ok, that’s something that can be learned.

Without seeing you lift, I would say this: focus on being EXPLOSIVE when you lift the weight, whether you’re pressing, pulling, whatever. push as hard as you can every single rep you perform. There is absolutely no benefit in lifting slow. You want to lower the weight under control, but the lift itself is maximal effort, whether it’s bicep curls, bench press, lat pulldown, etc.

[taproot]

yes, i had an infection, so i took some time off throughout the year, but its not that much, yes i can make videos next time i train

[mnben87]

Others have already said it, but I’ll repeat do it sinks in. You need to get strong. You will get the biggest doing that for the next long period of training.

Many make this mistake, by watching pro BBers and emulating them. They had to get strong before doing sets of 10 with heavy weight.

Arnold competed in weightlifting, and powerlifting before bodybuilding. Franco did powerlifting before bodybuilding. Ronnie, same thing. They were strong.

I’ve seen many switch from bodybuilding to strength training, and guess what, they improved much faster.

Think about the strong dudes at the gym. How many look like they don’t have muscle?

[wanna_be]

As a newer lifter I contemplate weather I should focus on strength or more BB style for the size I want. I try and meet in the middle and lift heavy on the main lifts.

Are there any generic numbers that once you hit them you can train differently?

[mnben87]

It’s going to be individual. Some people need more volume, some need more intensity.

If your reps are going up, good. If your max weight is going up also good.

I do phases that focus on size and other phases on strength. I’ve been able to progress for some time now by doing this.

[flipcollar]

@taproot

so i took some time off throughout the year, but its not that much,

how much? A month? multiple months?

[taproot]

it was a month and 1 week, because i was very weak after i took antibiotic, but then everything improved and i felt very good

[taproot]

Hello guys this is me again after almost 3 months! I did the reddit push pull legs programme at 3000calories with more than 150g protein a day.

This is the progress:

Pull monday 16 September
Warm up
Deadlift 5@50kg, 5@60kg
Lat pull down 8+12+12reps@42kg
Pulley 12+12+12@38kg
Face pull 20+20+20+20+20@5kg
Ez bar curl 12+12+12+10@15kg
Hammer curl 12+12+12+12@7kg

Push 17 September

Bench 5+5+5+5+5@60kg
Shoulder press 12+12+12@21kg
Incline dumbell press 12+12+12@12kg
Tricep cable push down 12+11+10@12kg
Dumbell lateral raise 20+20+20+20+15+15@2kg suersetted
Skull crush 12+12+12@8kg

Legs 18 September

Squat 5+5+2@60Kg
Romanian deadlift 12+12+12@50kg
Leg press 12+12+12@60kg

20 September Pull
Barbell row 5+5+5+5+8@45kg
Lat pull down 12+12+12@42kg
Pulley 12+12+12@40kg
Face pull 5+5+5+5+5@5kg(superset)
Ez bar curl 12+12+12+12@16kg
Hammer curl 12+12+12+10@8kg

21 September push

Barbell shoulder press 5+5+5+5+6@30kg
Bench press 12+10+9@48kg
Incline dumbell press 12+11+9@12kg
Tricep push down 12+12+11@12kg
Lateral raise (superset) 20+20+15+15+15+15@2,5kg
Skull crusher 12+12+12@9kg

22 September Legs
Squat 5+5+6@65kg
Romanian deadlift 12+12+12@55kg
Leg press 12+12+12@65kg

---

28 november pull

Deadlift warm up, 5@107, 5kg
Lat pull down 12+12+12@54,3kg
Pulley 12+12+12@55,2kg
Ez bar curl 12+12+12+12@21,4kg
Hammer curl 12+12+12+12@10,4kg
Face pull(superset) 20+20+20+20+20@8,1kg

29 november push
Bench 5+5+5+5+5@65kg
Shoulder press 12+12+10@20,1kg
Incline dumbell press 12+12+12@13.6kg
Tricep push down 12+12+12@14kg
Ez bar skull 12+12+12@13.5kg
Lateral raise superset 20+20+20+20+20@3.4kg

30 november Legs
Squat 5+5+6@90kg
Romanian deadlift 12+12+12@87.5kg
Leg press 12+12+12@120kg
Lunges 12+12+12@12kg
Calves + abs

2 December Pull
Barbell row 5+5+5+5+7@53.5kg
Lat pull down 12+12+12@54.3kg
Pulley 12+12+12@55.3kg
Ez bar curl 12+12+12+12@21.5kg
Hammer curl 12+12+10+10@10.5kg
Face pull 20+20+20+20+20@8.2kg

3 December Push
Shoulder press 5+5+5+5+4@35.6kg
Bench 12+11+11@48kg
Incline dumbell press 12+12+12@13.7kg
Tricep push down 12+12+12@14kg
Ez bar skull 12+12+12@13.6kg
Lateral raise (superset) 20+20+20+20+20+20@3.45kg

4 december leg
Squat 5+5+5@90.5kg
Romanian deadlift 12+12+12@89kg
Leg press 12+12+12@122.5kg
Lunges 12+12+12@13kg
Calves + abs

1 day diet example

_ 4 eggs + 100g whey + 300g chicken 175g protein

_100g rice +100g instant oats +3 bananas 200g carbs

_2 spoons extra virgin oil + 100g toasted cashews 60g fats

Vegetables

Total 3100calories

I started slowing down to the point i need microweights now that i didnt need before.

Is this a normal progress? Am i making mistakes?
Thank you

[taproot]

![

Progress pic added and latest blood test added

*Rotate the blood test and you ll be able to read it

[bapoleon]

OP…

I looked at your program. Two things I immediately noticed. Number one, your reps are too high. There’s a big difference in quality between a 3x5 bench press to a 4x10 bench press. As a beginner (which you undoubtedly are), you need a balanced rep range. Neither high or low. Working up to a tough set of 5 reps, doing 3 sets of 5, 5 sets of 5, or 10 sets of 3 reps is MUCH MUCH better for you than something like 4 sets of 10. I can explain why if you want me to.

Second… The order of your exercise movements is off. You have to de-prioritize arms over back. In your program, you have arms before your back exercises. Big no-no. Work on your back first before your arms.

Good luck!

Edit: Oh damn, looks like my advice is obsolete. lol. Good job OP!

[flappinit]

@bapoleon

Working up to a tough set of 5 reps, doing 3 sets of 5, 5 sets of 5, or 10 sets of 3 reps is MUCH MUCH better for you than something like 4 sets of 10.

Not sure if OP will respond, but you can explain it to me if you like.

[bapoleon]

@flappinit

There’s several I can say about this. I’ll only give you one for now. I’m kinda busy. lol

As people age, they (even without training) retain their slow-twitch muscle fibers. Call it ancient Chinese wisdom or bro-science if you want, but strengthening your fast-twitch muscle fibers through actual HEAVY lifting will do two things: A.) You get visibly bigger because fast-twitch muscle fibers are bigger than slow-twitch. B.) In consideration of long-term benefits, you ultimately will get healthier because bigger muscles will burn fat. (Not just in your belly but also your heart and liver.)

Sets of high reps, although are better “metabolically”, will not strengthen those all-important fast-twitch fibers.

You also have to consider that your raw, brute strength can only help your physique because you get to recruit more muscle fibers when you go to more traditional rep ranges like 8 or 12.

[flappinit]

@bapoleon

Sets of high reps, although are better “metabolically”, will not strengthen those all-important fast-twitch fibers.

Sets of 10 can absolutely strengthen fast-twitch fibers. If you’re lifting 10 reps at your 10RM, you’ll be recruiting fast twitch fibers. I’m not sure what better ‘metabolically’ means in this context. We’re not talking sets of 50 here, we’re talking sets of 10.

@bapoleon

you get to recruit more muscle fibers when you go to more traditional rep ranges like 8 or 12.

If 10 reps, i.e. “rep ranges like 8 or 12”, didn’t strengthen fast twitch muscle fibers, then how could they be recruited during traditional rep ranges? This doesn’t make any sense.

I’m all for building a base of strength before people progress further. But you saying

@bapoleon

you need a balanced rep range

then saying

@bapoleon

10 sets of 3 reps is MUCH MUCH better for you than something like 4 sets of 10

Doesn’t make any sense.

Your post is full of contradictions.

4x10 can build muscle. You just have to do it the right way. Stating that 1x5, 3x5, 5x5, 10x3 are all superior to 4x10 is a gross oversimplification, and your explanation is inadequate.

[bapoleon]

@flappinit

One thing I wanna address firstly… If your 1-rep max is 100 and your 10-rep max is 70, and then you proceed to do your 10-rep max for whatever reason, then you will have recruited X-number of muscle fibers. Now, imagine through whatever means and whatever training program, you raise your 1-rep max to 120, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine and conclude that at that point, doing your NEW 10-rep max will recruit more muscle fibers. That is my point. And with that newfound ability, the quality of your bodybuilding workouts will have changed for the better.

And call me old-school but my oversimplified explanation of how low reps being better than high reps is more practical (and historical) than scientific. It’s just something I learned from Doug Hepburn whom is the grandfather of modern powerlifting. To quote/paraphrase him: You do high reps and I do low reps and I’ll become a champion before you will.

I also heard of Frank Yang saying the same thing, justifying his natty-progress by talking about muscle fiber recruitment like what I just said…

I also recall Poliquin saying the same thing, something along the lines of “The CNS is the missing component of most bodybuilding programs.”

Also… When I said “balanced rep range”, I meant what I said, which are 1x5 (sets x reps), 3x5, 5x5, and 10x3. Let me explain…

The weight you use isn’t so heavy that there is no longer any fatigue felt while at the same time it isn’t so light that it won’t trigger actual strength gains.

You get me?

[dagill2]

@bapoleon

It’s just something I learned from Doug Hepburn whom is the grandfather of modern powerlifting

OP is not looking to become a powerlifter. And using how one person allegedly trains as proof of efficacy is silly at best.

@bapoleon

The CNS is the missing component of most bodybuilding programs

This is a very far cry from what you’re suggesting. I find it odd you’d use Charles Poliquin, the creator of GVT, as an argument against 10 rep sets.

I honestly think you are missing the OPs goals.