Just being devil’s advocat here but 5lbs progress is pretty pitiful for a newb. You dont look like youve put on any noticable muscle or fat for that matter. You need to change things up both attitude and training wise.
Do this 5/3/1 based program, it really works…
Make one of these on training days ON TOP of your current diet…
THE WORLDS BEST WEIGHT GAIN SHAKE - PUT ON MOST MUSCLE - CHEAPEST - Rich Piana - YouTube
Why not try the double-progression method?
I agree with T3hPwnisher- deloading seems to be a waste of time for beginners/people who aren’t very strong. Instead, grind away and do as many sets as you can.
[quote]magick wrote:
Why not try the double-progression method?
I agree with T3hPwnisher- deloading seems to be a waste of time for beginners/people who aren’t very strong. Instead, grind away and do as many sets as you can.[/quote]
Just to clarify my position (because terms keep getting mixed up), I’m opposed to resetting for beginners rather than deloading.
The issue is that someone somewhere misunderstood the term “deload” and then this misunderstanding got implemented/accepted into a lot of beginner training routines.
A deload is usually just a brief period of reduced intensity/volume/frequency/something to allow for some recovery before returning back to the previous routine. I love planned/scheduled deloads, and made the best progress in my life when I implemented them (and it’s why I still implement them today).
A reset starts off like a deload, but then it ends as well. You reduce the weight, and then you start over at that point. I find this not very helpful for a beginner trainee. At least, not without some creativity employed.
But you and I are agreeing on the same topic/idea.
I got some blood work done and my testosterone levels came back at:
10.5 nmol/l (28 years old). That’s all I was given from my Doctor.
I was told to come back in 3-4 weeks to take another blood test to make sure as it is slightly below average (not taking into consideration my training/diet regime)
I have absolutely no idea about test levels so can anyone provide me with any insight on those figures?
[quote]peetpeew wrote:
I got some blood work done and my testosterone levels came back at:
10.5 nmol/l (28 years old). That’s all I was given from my Doctor.
I was told to come back in 3-4 weeks to take another blood test to make sure as it is slightly below average (not taking into consideration my training/diet regime)
I have absolutely no idea about test levels so can anyone provide me with any insight on those figures?
[/quote]
It means you are not working out hard enough.
It means you are not listening to the advice.
It means you are being held back by your pre conceived knowledge of volume, intensity and progress.
It means you haven’t done anything since you started this thread.
As a newb, you could have easily put some 10kg of mainly muscle in the time you’ve been spinning your wheels since this thread began.
All you had to do was do a simple program consistently eat protein at every meal (2 palms for 4 meals) and make sure you added a little bit of weight every week.
As this seems to difficult to do, I recommend a coach (and listening to them) to help you reach your goals.
Hey,
A bit harsh… but I’ll take the criticism.
Here’s the facts:
I stuck to my plan, I got stronger every week and I still am since my last update.
I am gaining 0.5lb each week for the past 4-5 months.
I think my diet is very good and it’s been given the thumbs up on this thread.
I booked several PT lessons with one of the best PTs here over the past few months (who also recommended getting my test checked which is what made me get finally get one last week).
Posters commented that my strength gains and progress were not all that bad as it was consistently improving every workout.
I feel like I have to throw up at the end of every workout now especially on leg day (where I did throw up last week).
I added 2 days of 10-15 mins HIIT cardio on off days, on top of the 4 days of weights I do a week.
A few posters also recommended a blood test and here I am posting the results, 10.5 nmol/l.
I don’t really know how low that is but it doesn’t sound good from the post above, but to say I am not training hard enough when everything seems to be going in the right direction for the past few months except my body composition seems a bit unfair?
[quote]tsantos wrote:
All you had to do was do a simple program consistently eat protein at every meal (2 palms for 4 meals) and make sure you added a little bit of weight every week.
[/quote]
I don’t want this to come across as a hostile post but you should maybe read the whole thread first as this is EXACTLY what I have been doing and exactly why I am so f*cking frustrated over it all!
The last thing I want to be doing is wasting my time posting on forums figuring out what’s going on, I am following everything exactly as laid out and pushing myself to the point where I feel like I am going to throw up when I have a few sets left towards the end.
Just doing some research and read that time of day of the testosterone test can greatly affect the results.
I got mine at 5pm, and on top of that I have been pretty stressed/anxious for the past several months and don’t sleep the best either.
Would these be “massive” factors or should my levels still not be that low regardless?
I think you should find another hobby. With your mindset, this sport may not be for you. Don’t waste your time when it can be used to do something more productive.
[quote]peetpeew wrote:
[quote]tsantos wrote:
All you had to do was do a simple program consistently eat protein at every meal (2 palms for 4 meals) and make sure you added a little bit of weight every week.
[/quote]
I don’t want this to come across as a hostile post but you should maybe read the whole thread first as this is EXACTLY what I have been doing and exactly why I am so f*cking frustrated over it all!
The last thing I want to be doing is wasting my time posting on forums figuring out what’s going on, I am following everything exactly as laid out and pushing myself to the point where I feel like I am going to throw up when I have a few sets left towards the end.
[/quote]
Your results will reflect what you actually put into the workout. Everything else is irrelevant.
[quote]peetpeew wrote:
Just doing some research and read that time of day of the testosterone test can greatly affect the results.
I got mine at 5pm, and on top of that I have been pretty stressed/anxious for the past several months and don’t sleep the best either.
Would these be “massive” factors or should my levels still not be that low regardless?[/quote]
Yes, time of day can make an enormous difference, as can stress and sleep. If you were only slightly below average at 5pm, you would likely be above average at 8am. Testosterone is very clearly not your problem. I know people who have made FAR more progress than you who had testosterone levels low enough that they should have been on TRT.
Good to get that out of the way. Now we know testosterone is not the issue.
First of all, great respect to the OP for being meticulous about the details and planning/logging everything. It will serve you well, but don’t be a slave to it. It’s just a tool.
The best planned and detailed training plan will fail if you don’t attack each workout like a savage…what you put into a workout is what you will get out of it.
I just read the entire thread, even the bickering, and a few things jumped out at me.
-You are scared of getting fat, even a bit. You say someone “teased” you about your weight…you are a grown man, you can’t let that happen.
-You are deloading too often-if you fail a weight, for example you want 5/5/5 and go 5/4/3, just try it again the next session. As a beginner you will eventually get it without deloading. You don’t need to do waves and reset each month, just progress linearly.
-If you hit 130lb bench press, your next goal should not be 132lb, it should be 135lb, minimum.
-Decent progress on the squat
-You definitely CAN notice the difference between the first and latest pictures-your quads look significantly bigger.
-Your diet looks fine. Certainly better than 90%+ of people. Diet is important but honestly I don’t think it is what is holding you back. .5lb/week of weight gain is right around where you want to be.
-If you spend all day a desk, consider getting a standing desk or a treadmill desk. At a minimum, stand up and walk around every so often.
Some stuff that seemed to really jump-start my progress:
HIIT/metabolic work (sled/prowler work, farmers walks, hills, intervals)-learn to do more work in less time
Sprinting/Power Snatches/Cleans-learn to be explosive
20 rep squats at least once a week-learn to push through fatigue
SLEEP
Choose at least 2 exercises for each movement and alternate them-front squat/back squat, sumo DL/conv DL, bench press/dumbbell bench press, overhead press/dumbbell overhead press, etc. Huge variety isn’t necessary for a beginner but can still be useful, and you seem to like keeping track of the data side of things.
Keeping stress low most of the time-you seem a bit uptight/anxious/nervous and you need to find a way to release the tension. If you look at a lot of great athletes, they are intense and focused during “game time” but pretty chill the rest of the time-Usain Bolt comes to mind, even standing on the start line at the Olympics he is joking around.
Best of luck, it will take several years…stick with it.