Getting demotivated because I am not gaining size

[skully]

Why is that someone who lifts 50% less than I do, and have almost the same level of fat as I do, has scuplted body while I don't?

I feel that I'll probably never gain muscle size - and I don't know what I am doing wrong. I believe training is pretty good, I try to push myself as much s possible (and it has become a bit hard lately doing that...). muscles only show when they're worked, not when they're relaxed...how long will it take for me to really show some size without flexing! Argh. When is it when I'll see SHOULDER muscles! Here's an average of what I eat everyday (yes I have one bad meal, too.)

In accordance to waking up time:

11:30 - 2 eggs, 1 yolk, and coffee (sometimes cereal)

2:30 - Usually rice, chicken, and veggies...for elaborate portions see this: http://yfrog.com/h50xszj" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ...I know We only have white rice

4:30 - Workout (usually weights)

6:00p.m - Protein shake, 30g

6:30 - Cheat meal, usually simple carbs (bad ones..) a small scoop of ice cream mainly, or LF yoghurt.

8:00p.m - Whole Wheat pasta, OR organic fettucine, OR salad, all three options with something like chicken or turkey.

11:00 p.m. Usually snack on almonds or have a bit of cereal (or non existent, whether im hungry or not)

1:00 a.m. (an hour b4 I sleep) 25g of protein or a cup of milk on days I cannot be bothered to have whey protein one more time.

I mean..it looks like I'm packing, no? & I do have proper portions mostly for everything I eat.

How come I'm not getting bigger!!!! Tummy is a lil bigger, but nothing alarming or anything......help, someone?

This is usual sample, some other days it changes, but randomly.

[scottgaran]

Hey Skully, what rep ranges are you woring in? I seem to recall you were in the low ranges when you were doing squats and legs. studies are showing you will make better progress in size if you work in a higher rep range. Try dropping your weights some, and push into higher reps. If you are working low reps, ie.) 4 to 6, you are working mainly for strength. strength does not always equate to size. look at powerlifters as compared to bodybuilders. Power lifters may be stronger, but not necessarily bigger. Post what your reps are, i am curious to see if this could be the problem.
Scott

[skully]

I am actually incorporating both! -> this is slightly changed now I do shoulders with chest/tri - and have omittes some exercises from the list of chest/trip to allow shoulders. It's also
Fri MMA
Sa MMA
Sun chest/tri/shoukders
Mon: Yoga sort of thing
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Back/bi
Thur: Off

Friday – Legs & abs Sets/Reps
Squats 2/20
Romanian deadlift 4/6-10
Front squats 4/6
Hack squats 4/8-10
Standing/lying leg curl 3/12
Sissy squats 3/12
Standing calf raises 3/10
Seated calf raises 3/10

Saturday– Chest & triceps Sets/Reps
Pushups variations 3/10
Flat Bench Presses 4/8
Close grip Bench Presses 4/8 (omitted)
Incline Dumbbell Presses 4/8
Cable Crossovers 3/12
Dips (assisted machine) 4/8
Pullover 3/10 (omitted)
Pushdown 4/10

Sunday – Shoulders, traps, & abs Sets/Reps
Military press 3/10
Seated Dumbbell Presses 3/6-8
Seated Barbell presses 3/8-10 (byebye)
Clean and press 3/10 (not always done)
Barbell/Dumbell Shrugs 4/8-10
Side lateral raises 4/10 (I do cable for this)

Wednesday – Back, Biceps, & abs Sets/Reps
Chin ups (bodyweight) 3/ to failure
Wide-grip pull-ups (assisted) 4/8-10
Barbell rows 4/8
Rows (machine) 4/8
Reverse Grip Wide pull down
(not the usual machine) 3/10
Barbell Preacher curls 3/6-8
Superset with
Barbell curls 3/10
Dumbbell hammer curls 3/6-8
Superset with
Alternating incline dumbbell curl 3/10


- What's diet like? I am 52kgs (around 116lbs), 5'2 short =P, 21 years, changed program 4 times within one year & 3 months.

I always thought i'd make a better powerlifter than a bodybuilder LOL...but can barely do anything heavy, except deadlift (I think) for now. Except I am not really meaty. I so would love to one day just do a clean and press with 100kgs, LOL. that would be awesome..in dreasm tho...or maybe in 6 years ...

[Bonnie]

What portion size is your grains, pasta etc.Cheat meal should be once a WEEK, not daily.Try & stay away from dairy as much as possible, its not helpful in fat loss per say.Fruit another stumbling block in the path of fat loss.I have posted new pictures & basically I cut the dairy out, except a tiny bit on vegetables.It has made a huge difference.Well that & the extra cardiovascular workout on weights day.

[swanso5]

too much skully

i've only just read your last post but is your training supplementing your mma or vice versa or neither?

either way i'd like this more:

mon - full body
1 squat exercise
1 deadlift exercise
1 back rowing exercise
1 back pulldown exercise
1 chest exercise
1 shoulder exercise
1 core exercise

wed - upper
2 chest
2 back rowing exercise
1 back pulldown exercise
1 shoulder exercise
1 bicep exercise
1 tricep exercise

thu - lower
1 deadlift
1 squat exercise
1 single leg exercise
3 core exercises

i like to work in pairs too so tyou can match them up:

mon - deadlift/bench...squat/row...shoulder/pulldown/core
wed - chest/row...pulldown/shoulder...bi/tri
thu - deadlift/core...squat/core...single leg/core

don't repeat an exercise during the week and mix your sets/reps up too

[skully]

What portion size is your grains, pasta etc.Cheat meal should be once a WEEK, not daily.Try & stay away from dairy as much as possible, its not helpful in fat loss per say.Fruit another stumbling block in the path of fat loss.I have posted new pictures & basically I cut the dairy out, except a tiny bit on vegetables.It has made a huge difference.Well that & the extra cardiovascular workout on weights day.

portions are normal, I usually follow the standard For example if the pasta box says it has 7 servings in it, It will stay for for 10 servings (different days)

I don't believe in one cheat meal a week - I work differently, I done that before and it backfired big time on me and gained a lot of weight. i have ben doing just fine with 1 cheat meal a day. BF% is Ok for now. main goal is put on muscle, more than worry too much about how much fat I lost.

Fruit???? Either ways If I have fruit, I have it once a day prior to workout, usually an apple, pear, OR mangosteen. Don't like anything else anyway.

The only time I have dairy is basically when I have milk with mhy protein shake at night, or the ice cream, or yoghurt. No more than 3 servings a day at most. Isn't that average? Plus I barely have things like cheese and stuff.

Maybe you confused post to me wanting to lose fat? I want to getget bigger muscle size basically...but it's not happening. Or stopped.

[skully]

too much skully

i've only just read your last post but is your training supplementing your mma or vice versa or neither?

either way i'd like this more:

mon - full body
1 squat exercise
1 deadlift exercise
1 back rowing exercise
1 back pulldown exercise
1 chest exercise
1 shoulder exercise
1 core exercise

wed - upper
2 chest
2 back rowing exercise
1 back pulldown exercise
1 shoulder exercise
1 bicep exercise
1 tricep exercise

thu - lower
1 deadlift
1 squat exercise
1 single leg exercise
3 core exercises

i like to work in pairs too so tyou can match them up:

mon - deadlift/bench...squat/row...shoulder/pulldown/core
wed - chest/row...pulldown/shoulder...bi/tri
thu - deadlift/core...squat/core...single leg/core

don't repeat an exercise during the week and mix your sets/reps up too

Why is what I am doing too much if I may ask?

I did do full body first, it was okay for a start, but then stopped working for me. The 5x5 (upper, lower split) didn't work much for me either. I really don't feel like full body works body, for example Ireally want to work on shoulders & get them bigger --> don't think full body works well with that goal?

Plus there is no way in hell legs would have been recovered from Mondays if I did full body. It takes legs 3 days to recover on average.

Also can't do legs before MMA (Thur), I'll be really sore - and we do a lot of leg workouts in MMA classes...=S I need legs fresh for leg workouts and for MMA...that's why I do them on Tuesdays now.

By pais you meanm superset? Hahaha, I'll be crying before I can lift. me and supersets hate each other & can't lift heavy that way. I need 1-2mins rest usually (I read that's wht ectomorphs need between sets)

Isn't mixngs sets on continous bases too confusing for the muscles, too?

I am interested in the MMA classes more than I see them as exercise. Really, It's very tough and good for conditioning. I see it rather than an activity I enjoy as opposed to me exercising. Mainly I want to put on muscle. First year I did fine, put on 4kgs in total...The past few months have been very slow.

[Bonnie]

No I typed that in regards to " muscles don't show through " comment.They will not show through with fat over top, ever.

The man whom posted that workout is the man whom helped to make body the way it is today.By the way I am a strong believer in supersets also, keeps one from standing around, hence keeping your metabolic rate higher.Though if you prefer the classes I don't imagine you will achieve the size of muscle you seek.

[skully]

I spent one year doing only one CARDIO class and still didn't see much size. I understand doing these two classes are intensive, but there is a lot of resistance in them. Lemme give you a few examples:

-Some of the drills
push ups
jump squats
we hit the bag (punching bag)
We do Muay Thai (kickboxing)
Jump rope...

I mean all of these work muscles and heart rate is usually up the whole time, within 160-180 during drills, right?

Then how come some of the boxers who do these classes not 6 days a week but sometimes twice have size, still?

I will give Swanso's routine a shot, but for me I really need details, like reps, sets, what exercises to do to see benefit the most out of.

Plus one of the reasons why im so hesitant about going on a "cutting phase" is because I am really gonna end up losing breats. I am already feeling like crap since I lost HALF OF WHAT I had, which was barely decent. I feel like shit about it.


---Edit---

What I just did, is that I took pictures & compared them to those taken almost one year ago. I am delusional apparently. I HAVE gained size, surely the muscles don't show well..not because they're not there, but because I spent too much time trying to bulk and have forgot that I need to do a bit of cardio for those lovely muscles to show.

I wish I can posit pictures ='(. I can't...damn it. Can't even share success publicly. Errr.

I will go on a cutting phase, up cardio and follow swanso's routine for the next one month. I WANNA LOOK good in a a nice dress VERY soon. I know I can drop an average of 3% of body fat a month, so let the game begin..but I don't know where to start?

[Bonnie]

I could do those classes to & keep size, because I already have it built by weights I'm not sure how much actual muscle can be " built " with body weight exercises only, because thats not the route I took. Though since starting own jumping day, it certainly seems to work them well, to a certain extent.

Try interval training, depending on your goals, do anaerobic or aerobic.Anaerobic will enhance your weight training.However to do anaerobic intervals your lungs must be at least able to withstand 80 - 100 % effort.

Also see the pm I sent you

I've gone through school etc STILL I don't understand why people have a bulking phase & cutting phase ? I built lots of muscle & reduced fat, at the same time.

[AFXStyle]

Hey man,

Have you ever tried using a 5x5 weight training program or doing complex/interval training?

[Bonnie]

Squat exercise..front squat, back squat, hack squat
Dead lift...stiff legged
Back row...seated row..T bar row..bent rows, single arm rows
Back pull down...lat pull down...pull ups..horizontal pull ups
Chest exercise...bench press, incline press, decline press, flys
Shoulder exercise...arnold press, military press
Core exercise...prone planks, hanging knee raise, side planks, leg drops, wood chops
Single leg....split squats, step ups, lunges
Bi cep...curls with dumb bell, barbell, cable
Tri cep ...press down on cable..kick backs with dumb bell..skull crushers..dips

You can try the pyramid 8/6/4..whatever works best for your time limits.I'm not a fan of volume workouts.

[skully]

I could do those classes to & keep size, because I already have it built by weights I'm not sure how much actual muscle can be " built " with body weight exercises only, because thats not the route I took. Though since starting own jumping day, it certainly seems to work them well, to a certain extent.

Try interval training, depending on your goals, do anaerobic or aerobic.Anaerobic will enhance your weight training.However to do anaerobic intervals your lungs must be at least able to withstand 80 - 100 % effort.

Also see the pm I sent you

I've gone through school etc STILL I don't understand why people have a bulking phase & cutting phase ? I built lots of muscle & reduced fat, at the same time.

Lol I know body weight training, like squats and pushups will NOT build big muscles, but they do build strength, so I am still "strength" training on those 2 days, but I am doing other exercises 3x a week for size for different body parts. I will be doing HIIT once a week now (I think it will be good to do it after a yoga class?) I used to do HIIT before actually and it really made me lose lots of body fat actually.I know it works..I can do this usually walk at 5.5km/h and sprint at 12-15km/h. I start with the lower # (12km/h)...spike it up a bit every interval, and then slow down to 12km/h and then 5 mins cool down...

I have stayed away from cardio (ie as in only once a week) now i have upped that with the MMA training, it does use a lot of lungs and heart..and one HIIT, so that's enough cardio for a week & 3x weight training a week....should be okay for 6 weeks or so.