I have been going to the weight room 3-4 days a week every week so far, time in the weight room has descreased since summer (little time) and it seems like i might not be getting stronger..
This is what i do in the weight room (pretty basic)
Incline bench, 5 sets of 10
straight bar hangcleans, 5 sets of 10
bench press, 5 sets of 10
squats, 5 sets of ten
then i do some auxillary stuff like front and lateral raises, bent over rows, and some other things but i am noticing that on the bench press, incline bench, and on squats i havent increased weight by in a long time. one thing i think might be the problem is that i always lift after a 2 hr+ football practice which probably exhausts me for lifting, i go in immediately asfter practice because i have to in order to fit it in schedual. But i i have noticed a difference in muscle and muscle tone, bigger arms, and everything is more defined and i look stronger, but i feel like i am not getting stronger when i lift because i am always doing the same weight or sometimes 5-10 lbs less. On the bench, incline bench, and squats i havent increased weight in a while and i know i have good form. What could be the problem, am i really not getting stronger or is it that i do it always after practice, or maybe even diet? I eat pretty healthy always low fat and sodium and i drink lots of water and eat veggies, fruits, protein etc. Any ideas?
Not getting stronger?
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
As with anyone doing weights, you need to shock your body after a minimum of six weeks. You need to work all major muscle groups in order to get stronger. So focus on big compound moves such as squats, bench press, deadlifts, pull-ups etc. In order to get stronger on the bench press, try lifting heavier weights with fewer reps, see below;
- Spend the next 4-6 weeks lifting really heavy weights (75-90% of your one-rep max).
- After this, spend the next week (1 week only) lifting weights that are only 30-40% of your 1RM. Don't focus on sets, just aim to do around 100 reps per session.
- After this, go back to your previous routine of 5 sets of 10 reps. Due to the recent challenges on your muscles you should feel and become stronger.
It is definately a bad idea to lift weights after strenous activity such as football. The days I train, I always lift weights beforehand.
Your diet could be the problem also. It sounds like you have a relatively healthy diet but you probably dont eat enough. Eat plenty of protein - eat between 1g and 1.5g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight each day. Also its not just protein. you need calories, probably around 3,000 per day depending upon you weight and how much you exercise. Aim to eat 70% carbs, 15% protein and 15% fat.
Also get plenty of rest. I know it is difficult to stick to a routine/schedule but if you can, try and lift weights on separate days from your football. If you can't avoid this, as I said previous lift weights before your football.sessions.
All the best
- Spend the next 4-6 weeks lifting really heavy weights (75-90% of your one-rep max).
- After this, spend the next week (1 week only) lifting weights that are only 30-40% of your 1RM. Don't focus on sets, just aim to do around 100 reps per session.
- After this, go back to your previous routine of 5 sets of 10 reps. Due to the recent challenges on your muscles you should feel and become stronger.
It is definately a bad idea to lift weights after strenous activity such as football. The days I train, I always lift weights beforehand.
Your diet could be the problem also. It sounds like you have a relatively healthy diet but you probably dont eat enough. Eat plenty of protein - eat between 1g and 1.5g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight each day. Also its not just protein. you need calories, probably around 3,000 per day depending upon you weight and how much you exercise. Aim to eat 70% carbs, 15% protein and 15% fat.
Also get plenty of rest. I know it is difficult to stick to a routine/schedule but if you can, try and lift weights on separate days from your football. If you can't avoid this, as I said previous lift weights before your football.sessions.
All the best
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YoungBlood
- STARTING OUT
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:16 pm
here's thoughta although jonny is on the money...too much in 1 session...too much chest (overtraining is why you can't increae the wt) and no back...as jonny said do wts before training...maybe just do squats and rows 1 session and cleans and bench the other depending on how often yuo train a week...you won't need a lot...if in season you should just be aiming to maintain or you'll need to get your schedule in order if you can only train after practice in the off season...what food you eating?
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YoungBlood
- STARTING OUT
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:16 pm
Ok, thanks for the advice, as for the food im eating..
I usually have 2 egg whites, a bannana, a glass of milk, and a cereal bar/energy bar for breakfast. Lunch is usually a sandwhich of turkey, cheese, and lettuce, lots of water, and apple, and maybe some carrots. And dinner really depends, but i always eat lots of broccoli every night with rice and either fish, chicken, or steak as the main thing. I also drink milk and water for dinner. Of course, i sometimes eat things that are not good for me like ice cream or apple pie or sometimes some chips but i have only about 1 soda a week. Don't really have time to snack alot in small amounts because of school and other things.
I usually have 2 egg whites, a bannana, a glass of milk, and a cereal bar/energy bar for breakfast. Lunch is usually a sandwhich of turkey, cheese, and lettuce, lots of water, and apple, and maybe some carrots. And dinner really depends, but i always eat lots of broccoli every night with rice and either fish, chicken, or steak as the main thing. I also drink milk and water for dinner. Of course, i sometimes eat things that are not good for me like ice cream or apple pie or sometimes some chips but i have only about 1 soda a week. Don't really have time to snack alot in small amounts because of school and other things.