TRAINING PLAN to build muscles

Training Powerlifting
1

Hi everyone, I’m putting my heart and soul into growing physically, and so far I’ve been doing well.
However, I’ve found myself stuck in a plateau for the past few months.
I’m not gaining, I’m not losing.

I don’t take protein, creatine, or other supplements. Protein gives me acne, and creatine causes issues with my hair.

I really want to keep progressing and continue increasing my muscle mass.

Below is my schedule…
Just a heads-up: with my current diet, I have a caloric surplus of 200–300 calories per day.

Training schedule

TRAINING PLAN (Marcus - 3x per week)
Current weight: 62kg 10% BF/ Height: 168cm / Goal: Muscle Gain

MONDAY – Chest / Arms / Abs
Chest – Cable Cross (high/low alternating) … 2x2x10 … 5kg / 2.5kg
Chest – Chest Press Machine or Bench Press … 4x6 … 65kg
Chest – Pec Deck Machine … 3x8 … 40kg

Triceps – Rope Pushdown … 2x10 … 12.5kg
Triceps – Straight Bar Pushdown … 2x10 … 15kg

Biceps – Hammer Curl (bench) … 2x10 … 8kg
Biceps – Preacher Curl (bench) … 2x8 … 10kg
Biceps – Forearm Curl … 2x15 … 8kg

Abs (Lower) – Reverse Crunch … 3x20 (or 12 reps + weight) … 2.5kg
Abs (Upper) – Machine Crunch … 4x15 … 30kg
Abs (Obliques) – Mixed variations …

At home – Neck Training (all sides) …

WEDNESDAY – Legs / Shoulders / Abs
Legs – Leg Extension … 4x8 … 27.5kg
Legs – Lying Leg Curl … 4x8 … 15kg
Legs – Abductor Machine … 2x15 … 30kg
Legs – Standing Calf Raise … 2x15 … 80kg

Shoulders (Rear) – Reverse Fly (machine/cable) … 3x12 … 12.5kg
Shoulders (Side) – Side Cable Raise (90° height) … 2x20 … 2.5kg
Shoulders (Side) – Side Cable Raise (90° height) … 2x10 … 5kg
Shoulders (Front) – Shoulder Press (dumbbells) … 4x8 … 12kg each (30kg total)

Traps – Barbell Shrugs (square bar) … 3x8 … 20kg

Abs (Lower) – Decline Reverse Crunch … 4x20 (or 10 reps + weight)
Abs (Obliques) – Side Cable Crunch or Decline Situps .. 3x10 … 2.5kg
Abs (Upper) – Machine Crunch … 4x10 … 40kg

FRIDAY – Back / Traps / Abs
Back – Pull-ups (reverse grip) … 2x10 (6 reps real)
Back – Pull-ups (neutral grip) … 2x10 (6 reps real)
Back – Lat Pulldown … 2x6 … 50kg
Back – Lat Machine … 2x8 … 45kg
Back – Seated Row (Pulley) … 3x6 … 50kg

Traps – Barbell Shrugs (square bar) … 3x8 … 20kg

Forearms – Forearm Curl … 2x20 … 9kg

Abs (Lower) – Dead Bug … 3x20
Abs (Upper) – Cable Crunch … 3x10 … 20kg

2

No, it does not.

If by protein you mean whey protein powder, then stick to whole foods or a non-dairy option.

Eat more food.

Problem solved.

5 Likes
3

Your leg day is all easy stuff. Add squats, Leg Press, hack Squat, belt squat, front squat, zercher squat, some kind of hard compound movement for your legs. And if you train 3 days a week, why not just take a full body approach? That certainly worked well for me as a beginner.

4 Likes
4

How would you do it?

5

This is what I did as a circuit:

Dumbbell Fly
Dumbbell Bench
Push ups
Pull ups
Db bent Over Row
Lateral Raise
Crunches
Preacher Curl
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Leg Curl
Squat

Each exercise I would do to failure, keeping the reps around 12-15 and I would do this for 2 rounds at first and worked my way up to 3 rounds. I like finishing with legs since they’re the hardest, but you can put them at the front if you prefer. I would do it 3 days a week. This routine is hard, but it’s damn effective.

1 Like
6

Yes, eat more food

1 Like
7

Might be helpful for more basic information.

Age and lifting experience.

8

Almost always there’s just a simple answer to this, and not some hidden “aha” movement or supplement that’s missing.

Get stronger at the big barbell lifts by progressive overload: barbell squats, deadlifts, bench press.

Get better at basic bodyweight movements for assistance: push ups, pull ups, jumps, inverted rows, dips.

Get faster: choice a mile, assault bike, rower or something else you can measure and progress on.

Eat more protein.

Many get too wrapped up in isolation movements, machines, lists of exercises they call a “program” and specific food/supplements. It’s not easy to build muscle and meet your goals, but it is simple.

6 Likes
9

Is there a reason you don’t add in any Squatting, Benching or Hinge Based Movement into your routine?

I’d start switching up with that and keep the same schedule. If time allows it, after you plateau again, I’d lean into trying to increase the frequency of training based off what muscle group you want to build up before switching the compounds up again (to another variation for example). Its one of the easier variables to control instead of doing a huge routine shift.

10

Because they are hard.

2 Likes
11

Why the focus on his training?

He plateaued. He is not gaining weight.

He just needs to eat more. He was in a 200-300 caloric surplus. The additional calories have now become his maintenance.

1 Like
12

Oh, my crusty ass eyes did not read the fine print :sob:

13

Dude is training the biggest muscles in his body with 6 sets divided over leg extensions and the bad girl machine.

Many would consider that not enough.

4 Likes
14

Im willing to guess the Op doesnt actually have a exact figure on his caloric intake.

1 Like
15

Freedom units: 5 '5 feet 136lbs @10%

  1. What is your current average caloric intake a day.
  2. How long have you been lifting.
  3. Has your performance in the gym improving or is it stuck?
  4. How much as your performance improved since you began?
1 Like
16

I keep looking at the listed routine. From my own bias view point. . Allot of junk movement’s along with redundant crap.

2 Likes
17

Pick something off this site (training annd diet) and go with it, would be my thought. It’s so much more difficult to “tweak” something that’s not working with no context than to just start from a better baseline.

531 for hard gainers would certainly fit the bill, as would the Nate Green DC article.

2 Likes
18

Protein doesn’t cause acne… unless it’s very low quality and high in lactose, ash, and or sugars…then MAAAAAYBE

19

Is there a reason you don’t want to do any compound movements?

1 Like
20

Thank you all for your responses.

I’ve been weight training for 2 years now.

My daily calorie intake is around 2800.

There’s one important thing I’d like to point out. Lately, I’ve been putting in extra effort to train my abs.

As you can see from the photos, I have a low body fat percentage and my arms show very prominent veins even without flexing.

But my abs? Puffy.

There’s definitely a genetic component involved, but I really want to minimize fat in the abdominal, pelvic, and lower ab region.

Looking at this chart, which is the best 3 excercises for the “lower” abs part? which seems the one to target for me

Photos here: https://ibb.co/ZpnyBvpc