Trouble Gaining Strength
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
Trouble Gaining Strength
Hey everyone so I was wondering if someone could give me some advice as to why it seems like I cannot gain strength. I have been lifting weights since senior year of high school and now I am a junior in college. I have been able to lift more than I did 3 years ago but the last year and a half I seem to not have improved at all and sometimes feel like I have lost strength. I can see many factors that might hinder gains such as I get around 7 hours of sleep a night (which I've heard you need at least 8 for gaining muscle) and not always not eating enough (which is hard as a college student), but I see many others that sleep and eat around the same amount as me and they seem to make at east minor gains. I am 5"8 and weight around 170lbs and usually eat 4-5 meals a day each probably having 500-800 calories with around 20-30g of protein in each of them, but some days I have less due to a busy schedule. I lift consistently 3x a week training each body part once a week and do moderate cardio before each workout which I do not know if I should change since I have done this routine for about 2 months now. I know this might be somewhat vague as many factors could cause this problem, but if there is any advice or other information that could help it would be much appreciated. Thanks!
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shortstuff23
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- Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:31 pm
Re: Trouble Gaining Strength
Hey I may be able to help you out and tell you more if you are interested if so feel free to message me.
Re: Trouble Gaining Strength
It would be better to keep such talk public, because then other people reading it, can learn something too.
After all the person is not wishing to discuss anything deeply personal or sensitive.
By the way Surlesc, what meal choices do you eat and what times do you eat?
After all the person is not wishing to discuss anything deeply personal or sensitive.
By the way Surlesc, what meal choices do you eat and what times do you eat?
Re: Trouble Gaining Strength
Most of meals are eaten at dining hall so the options are limited and diet is not exactly the cleanest especially during the weekend, but here is a typical day:
Breakfast(around 830): either 4 hard boiled eggs or scrambled with 1 sizable pancake, fruit, and this coffee cake sort of pastry and 2 cups water
Snack(around noon): 1 of those nature valley granola bar sometimes with banana and sometimes those cheese cracker sandwich packs
Pre-workout(around 130 or 230 because classes are scheduled different): 2 packs of original quick oatmeal with banana and sometimes trail mix
Post-Workout(4 or 5): a turkey wrap thing with cheese lettuce and tomato and bag of sunchips with cup of water
Dinner(varies from 5-9 because of schedule and occasional projects): if earlier 1 foot long sub with chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, buffalo sauce, and ranch and if later a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on 12 grain bread with a few handfuls of goldfish with cup of water
On weekends I usually go out to eat to someplace like chipotle or a burger joint for dinner but the other meals are about the same
As a side note I usually drink about 3 cups of water during workout and take a multivitamin and fish oil at breakfast
Again, thank you for any advice that may be helpful
Breakfast(around 830): either 4 hard boiled eggs or scrambled with 1 sizable pancake, fruit, and this coffee cake sort of pastry and 2 cups water
Snack(around noon): 1 of those nature valley granola bar sometimes with banana and sometimes those cheese cracker sandwich packs
Pre-workout(around 130 or 230 because classes are scheduled different): 2 packs of original quick oatmeal with banana and sometimes trail mix
Post-Workout(4 or 5): a turkey wrap thing with cheese lettuce and tomato and bag of sunchips with cup of water
Dinner(varies from 5-9 because of schedule and occasional projects): if earlier 1 foot long sub with chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, buffalo sauce, and ranch and if later a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on 12 grain bread with a few handfuls of goldfish with cup of water
On weekends I usually go out to eat to someplace like chipotle or a burger joint for dinner but the other meals are about the same
As a side note I usually drink about 3 cups of water during workout and take a multivitamin and fish oil at breakfast
Again, thank you for any advice that may be helpful
Re: Trouble Gaining Strength
surlesc wrote: Breakfast(around 830): either 4 hard boiled eggs or scrambled with 1 sizable pancake, fruit, and this coffee cake sort of pastry and 2 cups water
(I'd ditch the pastry, as it's load of refined carbs that might also be a bit too fatty, depending on how it's made, especially as you're having a pancake. I would keep the scrambled Eggs and the Fruit. Have the Fruit firsdt and give it 10-15 minutes to improve digestion, then have the Eggs and instead of the pancake and Pastry, have some wholegrain toast and the water.)
Snack(around noon): 1 of those nature valley granola bar sometimes with banana and sometimes those cheese cracker sandwich packs
(I'd keep the Granolas and dithc the Banana, as you're having a Banana before a workout anyway, so you can cut the Carbs and then add some protein in this meal like Turkey, Chicken Ham etc.)
Pre-workout(around 130 or 230 because classes are scheduled different): 2 packs of original quick oatmeal with banana and sometimes trail mix
(This seems okay)
Post-Workout(4 or 5): a turkey wrap thing with cheese lettuce and tomato and bag of sunchips with cup of water
(Seems fine)
Dinner(varies from 5-9 because of schedule and occasional projects): if earlier 1 foot long sub with chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, buffalo sauce, and ranch and if later a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on 12 grain bread with a few handfuls of goldfish with cup of water
(I would avoid things like Fatty cheese and Ranch dressing, to cut down a bit on fat and calories; so don't have those with the sub.)
On weekends I usually go out to eat to someplace like chipotle or a burger joint for dinner but the other meals are about the same
As a side note I usually drink about 3 cups of water during workout and take a multivitamin and fish oil at breakfast
(Fine)
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ECPowerTraining
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- Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 7:58 am
Re: Trouble Gaining Strength
hey bud,
Most of the responses cover nutrition, so i won't beat the dead horse there. As far as strength training goes, to get the most out of strength training you need to train the most important muscles most often, i will outline a quick plan for you for the bench press. you need to work out upper body and lower body each twice per week, one day for intensity, and one day for volume. And intensity is defined as the percent of maximal load possible.(ex. 70,80,90 percent of your 1 rep max), not how crazy you go at the gym on any given day, because that should be maximal effort based on your current level of preparedness
Work up to a heavy 3-5 rep maximum on tuesday(intensity), and the other where you work with a submaximal weight but move it with maximum velocity and higher volume. immediatly follow with 2 sets of dumbell bench. after your compound lift, you need to work out your triceps, i prefer one barbell exercise(skulls or JM presses) and one dumbell/cable exercise. after that it's on to back work(chins/rows) and some LIGHT shoulder work. keep the shoulder work light but with very high repetitions, heavy bench press takes a toll on the shoulders, so you need to keep the shoulder work light to maintain tendon strength and prevent over training. so here's an outline of heavy bench day
Heavy Day
bench press- work up to 5 RM
2 sets of dumbell bench for reps of 12-15
skull crushers work up to a 6 RM
Cable press downs with rope
chin ups 4 sets of near failure(do not fail on any reps, it is too stressful for your CNS, which can cause overtraining)
cable rows 3 sets of 12-15
reverse flies face down on incline bench 2 sets of 25
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Most of the responses cover nutrition, so i won't beat the dead horse there. As far as strength training goes, to get the most out of strength training you need to train the most important muscles most often, i will outline a quick plan for you for the bench press. you need to work out upper body and lower body each twice per week, one day for intensity, and one day for volume. And intensity is defined as the percent of maximal load possible.(ex. 70,80,90 percent of your 1 rep max), not how crazy you go at the gym on any given day, because that should be maximal effort based on your current level of preparedness
Work up to a heavy 3-5 rep maximum on tuesday(intensity), and the other where you work with a submaximal weight but move it with maximum velocity and higher volume. immediatly follow with 2 sets of dumbell bench. after your compound lift, you need to work out your triceps, i prefer one barbell exercise(skulls or JM presses) and one dumbell/cable exercise. after that it's on to back work(chins/rows) and some LIGHT shoulder work. keep the shoulder work light but with very high repetitions, heavy bench press takes a toll on the shoulders, so you need to keep the shoulder work light to maintain tendon strength and prevent over training. so here's an outline of heavy bench day
Heavy Day
bench press- work up to 5 RM
2 sets of dumbell bench for reps of 12-15
skull crushers work up to a 6 RM
Cable press downs with rope
chin ups 4 sets of near failure(do not fail on any reps, it is too stressful for your CNS, which can cause overtraining)
cable rows 3 sets of 12-15
reverse flies face down on incline bench 2 sets of 25
[/b]