Help: Still no progress!

[grx]

Hello everybody:

First a quick background: I am 170cm/ 5'7". I have been exercising since 2001, starting at only 49Kg. In first 3 months I gained like 6 kg, then gains were slower. I had also ulcerative colitis for 9 years, so I was usually very sick (bleeding, diarrhea, weight loss), and I had 4 surgeries, including colectomy (2007-2008), which finally resolved problem. But despite it I could gain about 16kg during illness.

However now that I am healthy I can't achieve great gains. I am at 67-68kg, body fat ~ 18%. Two months ago I payed to the gym nutritionist and he told me that workout was ok (1 muscle group per day), but I had to follow a specific diet (3000 cals= 20% prots [130 grams], 20% fat, 60% carbs), and also take "nano Vapor". Plus 30 min cardio (130-150 bmp on the Elliptical Machine). BTW, old diet wasn't too bad. I didn't have to make great changes.

Since I had terrible health problems and I don't want more of them (I want to keep liver & kidneys healthy), I consulted a physician who is also gym trainer and nutritionist. He said the inverse: diet was OK but workout was wrong: should be 2 muscle groups per day or train them 2 days/week. And instead "nano Vapor" he recommended a non-steroidal anabolic (Maxibol/cobamamide). I tried training as he said but I found I work better as I used (1 muscle/day).

Ok, I am on it for about one month and still no important results: I mean, maybe I have gained 1 kg but maybe it's just the error interval of the scales.

The most funny is that a good weight for me would be 70kg, I am close to it, but I look too skinny. arms are 37 cm and chest somewhere between 93-100cm. Waist minimum= 77 cm (compressing it), max=87 cm (relaxing and expanding tummy).

So I wonder if the problem is that I do not take" nano Vapor" and all that stuff, or maybe I am in genetic limit... or what is error?

Thanks very much and happy 2010!

[Boss Man]

Your problem is to many Carbs. You don't need 60%.

Change that for 30% Protein, 225 grams, (900 calories), 50% Carbs, 375 grams, (1,500 calories), 20% Fat, 66 grams approx, (600 calories).

That should suit you better. Spread over 6 meals a day, 2.5-3 hours apart.

As for supplements, right now only a Carbed up Protein Powder is necessary, or maybe a BCAA, stacked with Glutamine and something like Crushed Oats for Carbs. Alternatively, you could go for a Carb free powder with the Oats in, or some other Carb source.

If you find the taste a bit funny, try things like a bit of Honey, Vanilla Essence, ground Ginger, ground Nutmeg or Cinnamon. One or more of those until it tasted a bit better.

Don't use milk, use water, so you don't increase viscocity and add more Casein, Calories and increase Enzymatic production, as the Lactose would help to synthesise Protein, via the Insulin spike, but that's the only payoff with Milk really and after workouts you really want the shake digesting quickly, if you have one and it's NOT mandatory if you're choosing to eat afterwards instead.

You really don't need anything else really, unless you use maybe regular ones like a Vit C, B complex, Bone supps, Co-Q10 etc etc. Those sort of ones that a lot of non-lifters use too.

[swanso5]

you probably need to post your entire training and eating plan

the advice you have contradicts each other yet isn't the best advice i've seen for your situation

i don't think carbs being too high is the problem either

[grx]

OK, here is the full plan:

TRAINING:
Mon: Chest [4 exercises]
Tue: Back [4 exercises]
Wed: Legs [3 exercises for Quads & 1 for thighs. I get really tired this day]
Thurs: Shoulder [4 exercises: raises/press with machine, dumbell, barbell... Shoulders are weakest assets]
Fri: Arms [3 exercises for biceps & 3 for triceps]

Training takes about 40-50 min.
Also 5 days I end with 30 min cardio and immediately after that other 15 min of walking to home.
Despite I don't train a lot legs and particularly thighs, they are fine... maybe the only good genetic gift!.
And despite chest and arms are the easiest and favorite parts to exercise, they are not as big as they should - unless you said 37 cm arms are enough for me!

MEALS:
07:00 Wake up
08:00 Protein shake + 1 fruit + oat bowl + 2 honey spoons
12:00 Peanuts handful + fuit juice (I can't train after a heavier meal)
13:00 Training time
14:30 Rice/Pasta + Chicken breast/steak + salad [+ 3g cobamamide, new!]
17:30 Protein shake
20:30 Milk + 1 fruit + salad [+ 2g cobamamide, new!]
23:00 Go to bed

For determining the calories dr. adviced not more than 1 protein gr/lb (~130-140 g). That's for kidney safety.
I am supposed to intake 3000 cals, so 140 protein grs is about 20%, then I limit fats to 20%, and remaining is carbs - When I need to fill in a gap I eat honey.

I tried creatine for 2-3 months and I didn't notice any important result: energy neither mass gain. Only some water retention.


Need more info?

Thanks!!!

[swanso5]

training - bodypart splits are shit for most of us (i.e. the one's not on drugs) so you'll need a more abbreviated program...you also have limited recovery abilities by the sounds of your body make up so the less training you do the better really but obviously you still need a minimum...i suggest choosing 3 leg, 3 rowing, 2 core, 2 chest, 2 pull up/down, 2 shoulder, 2 bicep, 2 tricep and breaking them up into a 3 day plan so 6 exercises per day...all exercises to be free wt or cable machines, no shitty machines like leg ext, preacher curl, chest press etc...i'd also keep cardio to a minumum too, none is optimal and 2 sessions max a week on an off day if you do it...i don't care what your thighs look like, what do your hams and glutes look like? i bet you've never looked...don't forget to lift heavy either - deadlift, squat and bench sets need to be 6 about 4 - 6 reps per set, the rest you can do what you want but anything above 12 is ordinary

food - eat breakfast as soon as you get up...the extra hr of eating will give you extra cals right away...it will also allow you to have a better pre training meal at 9 - 10am which should be a snadwich with a lot of protein and some more fruit...10mins before training have the fruit juice...during training sip another protein shake finishing it just before training finishes...within the hr have your pasta/rice, chicken meal...for all other meals have solid protein, veggies, and healthy fats (peanut butter, oils on salads, fish, sardines, tuna etc)...all up you should have at least 5 solid meals, the pre training juice and the during training shake...shakes are only at breaky and training time...the lesser protein you have the more fat you'll need to have so bump that to 30% at least...all creatine does is retain water really, you still need to eat and train to get big while on it, don't worry about it for now

try that for size

[grx]

OK, thanks swanso5, but it's too much information. Let's see if I understood:

Training - 3 leg, 3 rowing, 2 core, 2 chest, 2 pull up/down, 2 shoulder, 2 bicep, 2 tricep and breaking them up into a 3 day plan so 6 exercises per day:

Mon: 2 Chest + 2 Biceps
Wed: 2 Back + 2 Triceps
Fri: 3 Leg+ 2 Shoulders

Trying to do 3 series of 4-6 reps?
Would be helpful if you checked that break up

food -
07:00 breakfast
10:00 sandwich with a lot of protein and some more fruit
13:00 during training sip another protein shake finishing it just before training finishes
14:30 pasta/rice, chicken meal
17:00 have solid protein, veggies, and healthy fats (peanut butter, oils on salads, fish, sardines, tuna etc)
20:00 have solid protein, veggies, and healthy fats (peanut butter, oils on salads, fish, sardines, tuna etc)

Also for cardio / fat burning what would you recommend?

I know IQ is for intelligence, EQ is for emotions, if there is a BQ (for body), I think mine is 0!

Thanks very much... I hope I can start this next Monday!

[swanso5]

i'd rather:

mon - leg, row, core, chest, pull up, tri
wed - leg, row, chest, chin up, shoulder, bi,
fri or sat - leg, row, core, shoulder,bi, tri

maybe do 4 x 6 mon, 3 x 12 wed and 2 x 20 fri but you'll need to pick suitable exercises for the rep ranges....like don't put pull ups on fri...do the big heavy exercises on mon, medium one's wed and bodyweight / cable one's fri etc

have chicken / pasta meal no later then 45mins after finishing training

you can't gain and lose, it's one or the other

going forward i think you can pop another meal in the afternoon too but keep this as is for now