Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below I've been weightlifting for about 4 years now. I get constantly stronger, I can bench 300 lbs and do weighted dips with about 170 lbs added weight (im 187 lbs-don't know where thouse pounds are). The thing is, the only thing I get from people is "really do you lift weights?". I'm sick and tired of being stronger than the guy who is much bigger than me. Does anyone have the same problem? I´m just thinking about quitting , there´s nothing that can motivate me anymore, this is so unfair.
Anyone have the same fucking problem?
- Thread starter double23
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wtf?!?! why would you quit...
bro, im am kind of in the same boat as you... i do powerlifting @148, and i love to hunt down the big guys (in my gym)and pull and squat more than them...
but yes, a lot of people still call me skinny and it is very disappointing at times... if you realy want to grow bigger you only have to eat more... thats what i will be doing next month, as i have decided to stop focusing on making weight for 148's and rather focus on just maximizing my strength regardless of bodyweight... i will be trying to eat 6000+ calories a day... and im sure if you upped your food intake, you would probably be able to get the 'look' it seems like you are after...
maybey you are worried about getting fat?... if its the look you are after, you are probably going to have to A LOT more and then refine it later...
post your diet if you would like help with it... but my reccomendation is to just eat EVERYTHING in sight...
bro, im am kind of in the same boat as you... i do powerlifting @148, and i love to hunt down the big guys (in my gym)and pull and squat more than them...
but yes, a lot of people still call me skinny and it is very disappointing at times... if you realy want to grow bigger you only have to eat more... thats what i will be doing next month, as i have decided to stop focusing on making weight for 148's and rather focus on just maximizing my strength regardless of bodyweight... i will be trying to eat 6000+ calories a day... and im sure if you upped your food intake, you would probably be able to get the 'look' it seems like you are after...
maybey you are worried about getting fat?... if its the look you are after, you are probably going to have to A LOT more and then refine it later...
post your diet if you would like help with it... but my reccomendation is to just eat EVERYTHING in sight...
you can usually get stronger on a relatively bad diet but building mass is all about diet. Also, if your always doing the 1-5 rep range yeah you will look thick dense and be strong but maybe you would benefit from a change of rep range. For example if you do a split you could start each bodypart with a strength based exercise (deadlift, squat, bench, shoulder press etc) then hit some higher reps with assistance stuff (bent over row, RDL, leg press, incline DB, laterals) to like 8-15 reps. Just a thought...
give us info on your training style, diet etc
Good shit EM
Let's see you current split OP? How about your Diet??? You grow in the kitchen.
Ok , thanks for the advice 
. Yeah I´d rather not get fat so I would like to keep my diet clean. I train 6 times a week, here's my split (a typical week):
Monday: Shoulders
Tuesday: Back +biceps
Wednesday: Chest
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Triceps
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Legs + biceps (typically squat and loads of barbell curls)
What are you saying EM, I should perhaps start e.g. leg excercise with squatting and keeping the reps in the 4-6 range and then do leg extensions and the assistance stuff with higher reps?
I´ve been following a plan that revolves around doing everything to failure (in the 4-6 range), so I only do that. Maybe I should just go in a whole other direction with my workouts... I try to do a lot of dips, chest press, squats, barbell curls and military press along with some other exercises and I´ve been going as heavy as I can. My workouts are usually not longer than an hour and I´ve cut out all cardio. As for my diet, I just try to get about six meals in my system each day, loads of protein and water as well. I'm not really an expert on dieting nor do I really bother to calculate my calorie intake for every day hahah. But yeah, I try to eat a lot of eggs, chicken , peanut butter, cottage cheese and so on, maybe I´m not eating enough.
One more questions, am I being stupid with not bothering to do ab work while I´m bulking? I figure, what´s the point,, the fat is going to obscure them anyway...
. Yeah I´d rather not get fat so I would like to keep my diet clean. I train 6 times a week, here's my split (a typical week):Monday: Shoulders
Tuesday: Back +biceps
Wednesday: Chest
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Triceps
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Legs + biceps (typically squat and loads of barbell curls)
What are you saying EM, I should perhaps start e.g. leg excercise with squatting and keeping the reps in the 4-6 range and then do leg extensions and the assistance stuff with higher reps?
I´ve been following a plan that revolves around doing everything to failure (in the 4-6 range), so I only do that. Maybe I should just go in a whole other direction with my workouts... I try to do a lot of dips, chest press, squats, barbell curls and military press along with some other exercises and I´ve been going as heavy as I can. My workouts are usually not longer than an hour and I´ve cut out all cardio. As for my diet, I just try to get about six meals in my system each day, loads of protein and water as well. I'm not really an expert on dieting nor do I really bother to calculate my calorie intake for every day hahah. But yeah, I try to eat a lot of eggs, chicken , peanut butter, cottage cheese and so on, maybe I´m not eating enough.
One more questions, am I being stupid with not bothering to do ab work while I´m bulking? I figure, what´s the point,, the fat is going to obscure them anyway...
bingo, nothin works forever.
a sample leg workout for you may be this
ATG Squats get to your heaviest set with 8 reps, then hit a set of 15-20
Leg Press/Hack Squat 3 or 4 sets in the 10-15 rep range
GHR 3 or 4 sets in the 8-10 rep range
Standing or Seated Calf Raises 5 sets whatever reps you like for calves this differs with everyone
if you have the energy afterwards hit one heavy set of walking lunges round your gym 12-20 reps one each leg if yuo do this right your hams, glutes, quads and traps wil burn so much u want to kill yourself lol
this is just a template off the top of my head, its similar to what i used to do but i hope you see what im getting at, keep the first exercise heavy and get stronger each week with it, then hit some higher volume/higher rep stuff afterwards. And even your heaviest exercise dont go as low as 4-6 if you have been doing that all the time for everything. Sounds like you need a change
You could do the same sort of thing with chest but the exercises depends on what you respond best to or enjoy most. I hate doing incline stuff, saibot loves it for example, soem people like flat db press (me included) some people like incline db press (southern lord likes these) I love deep dips too.
one under rated exercise for chest is the db pullover give that a try
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food...MOAR food!!!
Too many people worry about getting "fat". What is fat? Is 15% bodyfat "fat"? Many on these boards tend to think so, but it's not. Ok, don't want to get "fat"? So keep your diet relatively clean. Limit your carbs to low GI (except post w/o), cutoff carbs in the afternoon/evening (except around workouts), take green tea extract, do a little cardio.
You just need to keep eating.
Too many people worry about getting "fat". What is fat? Is 15% bodyfat "fat"? Many on these boards tend to think so, but it's not. Ok, don't want to get "fat"? So keep your diet relatively clean. Limit your carbs to low GI (except post w/o), cutoff carbs in the afternoon/evening (except around workouts), take green tea extract, do a little cardio.
You just need to keep eating.
I dont care how old you are, or what your "on" or not on. 6 days a week is too fucking much. Your body has no time to rest. What happens with rest? GROWTH!
I agree on most counts posted above especially Extramile and CEO.
A) you need more food
B) stop worrying about being fat if your goal is to get bigger
c) do a 4 day split so your body gets the rest it needs.
Heres an example of my split. Its got some powerlifting, some body building, plus lots of recovery time.
my current split: (not including a few warm-up sets for each)
*Tues: Chest/tri's,
*Flat DB 3-4 sets
*Incline BB 3-4 sets
*Military BB 3 sets
*Close grip flat BB 3 sets
straight bar press downs 5 sets (15-25 reps)
Thurs: Back/Bi's
*Close grip Pull Downs- 3 sets (this is basically a warmup to get a pump going)
*Bent over BB rows - 3 sets
*Rack Pulls 4-5 sets (including warm up set)
*straight bar curls - 3-4 sets
*camber bar wide grip curls - 4 sets
Saturday: Full body
* Deadlifts - 5 sets (usually first two are light)
* clean and press - 3 sets
I'm loving this split. This would actually be a 4 day split if I could squat. Lingering case of extremely sore tendons post knee surgery are still keeping me from squatting 3 months later.
Also as extra mile said, you can get stronger on a shitty diet. But you cannot grow if the calories and other macros are not there.
I agree on most counts posted above especially Extramile and CEO.
A) you need more food
B) stop worrying about being fat if your goal is to get bigger
c) do a 4 day split so your body gets the rest it needs.
Heres an example of my split. Its got some powerlifting, some body building, plus lots of recovery time.
my current split: (not including a few warm-up sets for each)
*Tues: Chest/tri's,
*Flat DB 3-4 sets
*Incline BB 3-4 sets
*Military BB 3 sets
*Close grip flat BB 3 sets
straight bar press downs 5 sets (15-25 reps)
Thurs: Back/Bi's
*Close grip Pull Downs- 3 sets (this is basically a warmup to get a pump going)
*Bent over BB rows - 3 sets
*Rack Pulls 4-5 sets (including warm up set)
*straight bar curls - 3-4 sets
*camber bar wide grip curls - 4 sets
Saturday: Full body
* Deadlifts - 5 sets (usually first two are light)
* clean and press - 3 sets
I'm loving this split. This would actually be a 4 day split if I could squat. Lingering case of extremely sore tendons post knee surgery are still keeping me from squatting 3 months later.
Also as extra mile said, you can get stronger on a shitty diet. But you cannot grow if the calories and other macros are not there.
I use a simliar type of routine. I call this, "PowerBuilding". I love it!
I was doing deads on back day and clean and press on chest day. But because I cannot do an actual "leg day" yet I moved them to their own day.
The key is to go so intense on chest day and back day that you need that day off after each. Its good for your body. Then after saturday, if your brutal enough....2 days off after cleans and deads will do your body good.
If I could do a leg day I would stick it between chest and back day and do squats, leg sled, extensions and standing ham curls. I dont train calves.
The answer is almost always...more squats and deads.
I would definatley NOT add more. If you do the split with an insane amount of intensity then your arms will get blasted. On chest day you would be doing military barbell press. I do it on the smith so I can really focus on shoulders without getting alot of ancilliary stuff involved. Gets the tri's, upper chest, front delts, some side delts. After this your going to close grip BB flat bench. All tri's. If you can do dips then by all means DO THEM. I cant because of tendon problems. They will be the real killer for tri's. When you do press downs do them slowly. 4 second reps. Super strict form and concentration.
Back day, I do every other set of BB rows with underhand grip which will get your bi's. Rack pulls will effect your rear delts too. Then after back when you move into bi's start with straight bar. I put a 10 on each side and rep to failure then superset with dumbell curls. Then rest a couple minutes and finish with camber bar curls.
on saturdays, deads will blast your whole body. Then clean and press....holy shit... they are all tri's and shoulders. I mean, they get alot of other areas too but your getting major shoulder and tri work 2 x weekly. I would definatley not add more.
I would throw your leg day in between chest and back. that way they get some rest before you do deads.
Most likely yoyu also have more density. I am 275 and most dont realize it. When I was powerlifting in the 220 and 242 class I still looked "smaller" than others.
Just do more reps for hypertrophy. 4-6ish seems to be a good range for upper body while 8-12 for lower body. You can plus minus that of course. I would say get alot of protein and enough carbs and fats to keep from gaining fats.
