Sticking Points

Oregon Diver said:

what do you do to pass a sticking point or a Plateau?

I have been at this plateau for over two months now. I know I'm no where near genetic Potential, and I can still see myself getting bigger. I work out heavy twice a week, but the weights will not go up.

Other than gear, what have you guys done to break through a sticking point?

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Tell us your routine. What exactly are you doing now?

You need to switch up your exercises, switch up your routine, and take a look at your diet. You cannot keep gaining strength on a certain exercise forever...you eventually have to switch to a different one, gain on that for awhile, and when you get stuck there, go back to the original one...or a different one...also 2x week is not enough...and I advise against doing more than 2 large muscle groups per workout, if that is what your doing...

heavy said:

You need to switch up your exercises, switch up your routine, and take a look at your diet. You cannot keep gaining strength on a certain exercise forever...you eventually have to switch to a different one, gain on that for awhile, and when you get stuck there, go back to the original one...or a different one...also 2x week is not enough...and I advise against doing more than 2 large muscle groups per workout, if that is what your doing...

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Great advice!

Oregon Diver said:

what do you do to pass a sticking point or a Plateau?

I have been at this plateau for over two months now. I know I'm no where near genetic Potential, and I can still see myself getting bigger. I work out heavy twice a week, but the weights will not go up.

Other than gear, what have you guys done to break through a sticking point?

Click to expand...

You mentioned working heavy twice a week. Are you saying you work heavy 2 days out of the week and the others are light days? or is that the only time that you work out are those 2 times. If you only work out 2 times out of the week and that's what i'm gathering your muscles are probably being complacent with the regular routines. If that's the case you definitly need to redefine your workout schedule and excercises.

Oregon Diver said:

I know it's ego, but I rate my progress by my Bench Press.

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I do too.
A lot of lifters do, they just won't admit it.

I need to think about this before I answer more.

Oregon Diver....it is easy to see why your stuck in a rut.

You need to get a weight training log...and begin logging your exercises, weights and reps each session. Here is why: The human body likes to stay the same...why wouldnt it? Muscle growth is not easy...even when forcing hundreds of grams of protein in your stomach day in and day out. You have to FORCE your body to grow, you have to give it a reason...you must signal to your body that in order to survive it needs to gain muscle mass.

The only way this is done is by consistently giving your muscle more and more exhaustion and stress...this can only be done by going heavier and heavier each week. You must gain strength in order to grow. You cannot do x exercise for x reps every week...you must add strength and reps to that excercise as much as possible...you must push yourself harder everytime you go into the gym. Otherwise your body will NOT grow.

So get a log, and begin marking down your exercises, weights, reps etc, and every week go in there with the goal to beat what you did last week, in terms of weight or reps...this is how you grow. And if after awhile you find yourself not gaining strength in certain areas...see if you are either a)overtraining b)undertraining c)undereating d)undersleeping and if your not doing any of those...switch to a new exercise, if you fail to gain strength or reps on it for 2 sessions in a row...

Oregon Diver said:

I hate to say it, but I am a creature of habit. The same circuit at the gym each time seems easy.

Mon: off

Tues: Chest, tri's & shoulders

Wed: Bi's, abs & back

Thurs: Legs

Friday: Chest, tri's & shoulders

Sat: Bi's, abs & back

Sun: off

I make a real effort on Tues. and Friday. I have been using a standard pyramid routineand on these days and only using free weights. Where I can see a problem, I have not changes this routine for months. The only exeption is I have moved the Bench portion from the Gym to my basement, so I can work harder without having to deal with the 80 pound arobics junkies telling me I'm pushing myself too hard. ( our local gym is acting like a weight-loss clinic)

I know it's ego, but I rate my progress by my Bench Press.

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heavy gave you some very good advise and im going to add to it.
for starters, you should only work each muscle group once per week to allow for adequate recovery. you are keeping your muscles in constant fatigue by working them 2x per week.
you should also change up the routine and not work out more than 2-3 days in a row. 5 days in a row without a break is to much on the body to deal with.
i would also break up the chest, tri's and shoulders day because 3 pushing movements done in the same workout is also to much.
try doing a reverse pyramid every once in a while where you start out with your max 3-5 rep weight and slowly drop weight and increase reps.
here is a suggestion for a weekly workout routine that is very similar to what i do:
monday: chest & calves
tuesday: back & shoulders
wednesday: off
thursday: quads & hams
friday: bi's & tri"s
weekends off

one last thing is to go heavy and really push yourself for 4-5 weeks at a time then take 2-3 weeks and lower weights and do high reps. keep alternating like this and it will help prevent you from going stale.

Hey pin thanks for the split ideas i was still contemplating on what i was gonna do and i like that split of yours.

oracle said:

Hey pin thanks for the split ideas i was still contemplating on what i was gonna do and i like that split of yours.

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no problem
i usually take it a step farther though and only do quads on thursday and save hams for sat morning. reason for this is my quad workouts get pretty crazy and i rarely have any energy left to do hams the same day. most people can get away with doing them both the same day, but after a set of 50 rep leg presses and 20 rep sets on hack squat machine it gets very hard to walk. i think im the only one in the gym crazy enough to do drop sets on the leg press machine or to superset leg press with hack squats

pincrusher said:

for starters, you should only work each muscle group once per week to allow for adequate recovery. you are keeping your muscles in constant fatigue by working them 2x per week.
you should also change up the routine and not work out more than 2-3 days in a row. 5 days in a row without a break is to much on the body to deal with.
i would also break up the chest, tri's and shoulders day because 3 pushing movements done in the same workout is also to much.
try doing a reverse pyramid every once in a while where you start out with your max 3-5 rep weight and slowly drop weight and increase reps.
here is a suggestion for a weekly workout routine that is very similar to what i do:
monday: chest & calves
tuesday: back & shoulders
wednesday: off
thursday: quads & hams
friday: bi's & tri"s
weekends off

one last thing is to go heavy and really push yourself for 4-5 weeks at a time then take 2-3 weeks and lower weights and do high reps. keep alternating like this and it will help prevent you from going stale.

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Good advice as always. I like that split, it is similar to what I'm doing.

Remember, more is NOT better when it comes to lifting. You grow when you rest.