[MJC///M3]

I have a question and need some advice.

I work out pretty extensively...4-5 times a week.
I'm 6'1" 220 lbs.

I'm starting to get to the point where I really don't see any results of work out routines....I'm a pretty strong kid..can rep with 315 on bench...but I don't feel I look as strong as I am (lol..i know it sounds stupid).

Do you guys have any advice out there for breaking through this "plateau" so to speak...I'm looking to put on a little more mass, as well as increase definition...get some more veins showing.....I stick to a low carb diet as much as possible, and have my daily protein shake (I use Whey Isolate)...and just started using "amplified creatine" from GNC. I try an alter my workouts on a weekly basis, so my muscles do not get accustomed to the same routine.

Any advice or input at all...would be most appreciated.

[335e92tx]

If your not giving the muscles time to rebuild you won't continue to increase strength. In the summer I try to swim to mix things up.

[Cyrax91]

Do alot of cardio interval work. I started doing that last summer about three times a week with strength training and I got very toned and built at the same time.

[ragingclue]

Low carb? You need carbs to build strength.

48 hours should be plenty of time for your muscles to recover once you've gotten into the routine.

Try switching up the exercises you do, and vary the order in which you work specific muscles. Changing it up is the easiest and most successful way of busting a plateau. Also, I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't take any supplements (aside from protein) until you hit a plateau, and then use them to help you bust through.

If you're looking for more definition, try to slow your reps down a bit if you haven't already, and make sure you're doing them completely and thoroughly without any bouncing or cheating. Increase your number of reps to as many as 12 if you haven't already. If you want definition, that's the way to go. However, if you want to gain mass, you can lower it to as little as 6 reps per set. Some people can do both (cut and add mass at the same time); it all depends on what your body is capable of, but I've found it's much more effective to concentrate on one goal at a time. But that's just me.

Lee Priest works out in his personal gym in the Outback, in scorching heat, to tone down. One of the few guys left who gets uberfat in the offseason, then cuts it all off with great results. You could always try working out in 100+ degree heat, but I'd say the health risks involved there probably wouldn't be worth it.

[335e92tx]

Originally Posted by dpavlakos91

Do alot of cardio interval work. I started doing that last summer about three times a week with strength training and I got very toned and built at the same time.

+1 for about the last 10 years my routine has been basically cross training. Set of weights - max amount of reps and weights then about 10 mins on a treadmill or nortic track. I do that for three sets of each. Managed to avoid injury and still keep weight down while building upper body mass.
Not to bad for someone nearing 50.

30y class reunion is next weekend. It will be interesting to see who is in better shape. Never had much size during HS. Probably got more size than most now.

[MJC///M3]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Low carb? You need carbs to build strength.

48 hours should be plenty of time for your muscles to recover once you've gotten into the routine.

Try switching up the exercises you do, and vary the order in which you work specific muscles. Changing it up is the easiest and most successful way of busting a plateau. Also, I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't take any supplements (aside from protein) until you hit a plateau, and then use them to help you bust through.

If you're looking for more definition, try to slow your reps down a bit if you haven't already, and make sure you're doing them completely and thoroughly without any bouncing or cheating. Increase your number of reps to as many as 12 if you haven't already. If you want definition, that's the way to go. However, if you want to gain mass, you can lower it to as little as 6 reps per set. Some people can do both (cut and add mass at the same time); it all depends on what your body is capable of, but I've found it's much more effective to concentrate on one goal at a time. But that's just me.

Lee Priest works out in his personal gym in the Outback, in scorching heat, to tone down. One of the few guys left who gets uberfat in the offseason, then cuts it all off with great results. You could always try working out in 100+ degree heat, but I'd say the health risks involved there probably wouldn't be worth it.

thanks for the advice!! I try an alter it up a bit between high reps low weight and low reps high weight....i'll try switching up my exercises a bit more as well. I have the same mentality regarding supplements..using some now to try and bust through the plateau like you said.

[MJC///M3]

thx for the input guys.....

guess i can implement a bit more cardio into my workout.

[drift90]

Originally Posted by MJC///M3

I have a question and need some advice.

I work out pretty extensively...4-5 times a week.
I'm 6'1" 220 lbs.

I'm starting to get to the point where I really don't see any results of work out routines....I'm a pretty strong kid..can rep with 315 on bench...but I don't feel I look as strong as I am (lol..i know it sounds stupid).

Do you guys have any advice out there for breaking through this "plateau" so to speak...I'm looking to put on a little more mass, as well as increase definition...get some more veins showing.....I stick to a low carb diet as much as possible, and have my daily protein shake (I use Whey Isolate)...and just started using "amplified creatine" from GNC. I try an alter my workouts on a weekly basis, so my muscles do not get accustomed to the same routine.

Any advice or input at all...would be most appreciated.

The Plateau effect is something that breaks over time.. continue to work out obviously.. just during your routine.. put that extra 5 or 10 pounds on

[Notion-Za]

Dude your just taking creatine and protein?

Ok the protein is cool. But maybe try a higher carb protein. Im currently using Muscle science mega grow. Its a really good protein and it doesnt taste half bad

Have you ever tried moving onto a more serious supplement? No im not saying testo packs or roids..

Last year when i was in grade 11 i was crap scared of playing with matrics! I was already gyming but i started taking Animal Pack, Animal m-stak (non hormonal anabolic stack) and Animal Pump and for the first month Animal Nitro. Sure its $$ but you only need m-stak and pump. pack is vitamins and nitro was amino acids.

Ok. basically Animal pump is a monohydrate creatine. It'll give you that boost in muscle size and gives you veins like a beast!!! It also has a red energy pill which does help at gym.

Animal m-stak (non hormonal anabolic stack)(protein synthesis = EAT EAT EAT :P) is a hard gaining supplement. It makes you eat like a mother!! but wow. I picked up 8kg's over 2 months and yes muscle! no fat! i was on a high protein low carb diet and trained 6 times a week! When using this, you need to gym at least 4 times a week and since it will make you eat so much, avoid carbs!!!

This combo is insane and will definitely help you!!! but hey, dont take my word for it. The "Animal" supplement brand has a guarantee on every product. If your not satisfied with it. You can return it within that month. Trust me... You wont.. Try it out helped me out a lot with my rugby and made the bigger, older matrics look like panzys :P

And like drift said. Put those small extra pounds on!!! the more you rip, the more they grow

Weight training is not natural for our bodies, You have to work and eat hard. With my chest work out ill go until i fail at 3 reps. E.g ill warm up with the bar, then 60kg's, 70kg's, 80kg's, 90kg's, 100kg's then ill put 120 on, do 3 reps and go onto the next exercise. Low reps with high weights = muscle gain. High reps with low weights = toning. Balance them no one likes a fat piece of bulk :P

Take a look at it: http://www.animalpak.com/html/sections.cfm?ID=9 And yes. Its safe.

Oh and running or any other cardio will help you get more lean!

[alpine335i]

SPAWN (Pro-Hormone)

http://www.sbmuscle.com/index.asp?Pa...OD&ProdID=3301

Do some research, it DEFF works. And yes some people are going to hate on Pro-Hormones, but if you want instant results this will do it. Just don't forget to take a PCT.

PCT
http://www.sbmuscle.com/index.asp?Pa...OD&ProdID=3415

[jun]

i'd try supersets.

i'll do like 8-10 sets of 3 where each set is followed up by like 10 reps of a different workout in the same muscle group.

edit: your muscles are dead by the time you get to the 7th set. it's a fine line in trying not to over work the muscle, though.

[Couch]

Have you ever changed up your routine? What about breaks, when was the last time you took a week off?

If you never have a would do a 4-6 week session of lighter weight higher reps or a heavy as you can go 5x5 program.

[MJC///M3]

Originally Posted by Couch

Have you ever changed up your routine? What about breaks, when was the last time you took a week off?

If you never have a would do a 4-6 week session of lighter weight higher reps or a heavy as you can go 5x5 program.

I do change my routine up every other week....usually give myself the weekends off.

[jaiman]

I bet you bench more than you squat?

Am I right? If so you need to incorporate squats and deadlifts.

[MJC///M3]

Originally Posted by jaiman

I bet you bench more than you squat?

Am I right? If so you need to incorporate squats and deadlifts.

yea...i dont squat much at all.

[johnnymu]

Originally Posted by MJC///M3

yea...i dont squat much at all.

Do core workouts such as deadlift, squat, clean and jerk. Try mixing it up, I do some crazy shit to shock my muscle when I plateau, such as back to back workouts. I would do squats and lunges after each other. Overhead press and upright rows after each other. Clean and jerk and bench back to back. I would give myself maximum 40 second rest. I end up doing 10 exercises in one hour. You can shock your bicep doing triangle method doing barbell curls starting from lowest weight with 5 reps reaching maximum weight failure and returning to starting point with no rest. Sometimes getting a new partner helps a lot too.

[jaiman]

Originally Posted by MJC///M3

yea...i dont squat much at all.

Squatting and deadlifting will cause your body to produce more human growth hormone and will help you get big all over.

[MJC///M3]

Originally Posted by jaiman

Squatting and deadlifting will cause your body to produce more human growth hormone and will help you get big all over.

yea i know....i gotta start incorporating those workouts in my routine....

how many times should i squat per week??

[Couch]

Originally Posted by MJC///M3

I do change my routine up every other week....usually give myself the weekends off.

I would consider giving yourself a week off if you never have.

[TiAg335i]

Do your cardio at the end of your workout, it burns fat instead of glycogen stores.

And BTW, fat hides muscle. Get rid of all fat you have FIRST.

I'm not that strong (I don't do 315 on the bench)....but I look strong with my shirt off. Well defined pecs, biceps, and abs....mostly bc I have very low body fat.

Keep in mind that genetics plays a very significant role too. You may never look ripped no matter how hard you try.

[Makushr1]

How much cardio do you do?

I got big into lifting in college, and have been doing it almost daily for the past 5 years. Thing that I found that works best is to split your days, weights one day, cardio another, but make sure on the weight days that you do 10 minutes of cardio to warm up. Stretch every day too! Doing hardcore weights and lots of cardio in the same workout is a waste, I think.

You don't really need to waste your money on all that crap, none of it really worked for me, other than preworkout drinks (just for energy) and protein. The next thing you have to pay attention to is what you eat. I would eat almost every night 2 boiled chicken breasts and brown rice. Not that tasty, but one of the healthiest things you can eat. I'm 5'8, 170 and can rep 350 3 times on the bench, and the only thing I take is protein, preworkout drink and eating right.

Dont cut down on carbs, just on fats, especially saturated and NO trans.

Do squats. Those are the biggest muscles in your body and you burn the most calories when you work your quads. You also release a specific hormone (I dont remember what it is though) that is pretty much only released when you do squats. This hormone helps build muscle.

I was a swimmer growing up, and it is great cardio. It does get hard to swim when you start building too much muscle, so I started playing 2-3 hours of basketball a day, 3 times a week as my cardio.

Make sure you are using free weights, not machines. Free weights are more difficult and work more muscles.

Do different typs of exercises. Dont do the same 3 exercises for a specific muscle group every time, try and find a dozen you can do and switch them up. Makes the workouts less monotonus and you work more and different areas.

Sorry if that was all over the place. If you tell us what you do at the gym, we can better help.

[dr.jay]

Trenadrol buy it $29.99, I added 12lbs of muscle in 3 weeks. Make sure you get some kind of Post Cycle Therapy (IDS makes a great one)