Pretty Big Problem In Regards To My Training

[Vanchatron]

PRETTY LONG READ BUT THANKS A LOT IF YOU DO DECIDE TO READ THROUGH IT!​

I'm a massive overanalyzer & at times it even prevents me from training properly because I think about things too much, and this I think is one of those times.

My Stats:

Age - 21
Height - 5,10"
Weight - 252lbs
Bodyfat - 17-18%
Experience - 6 Years
Insulin Dependent Diabetic

My Question/Problem:

I've been worrying & worrying now for a couple of weeks about my current routine. For a few years now I've been training using a 3 day split (M/W/F) that looks like the following...

Monday - Chest/Biceps
Wednesday - Legs/Shoulders
Friday - Back/Triceps

Every 6 weeks I'll change the reps from 6-8 to 10-12, and I'll also change exercises etc, e.g. Barbell to Dumbbell Bench. I figured this was enough to keep the program from stalling & to keep me from plateau'ing.

I don't even know whether this is working for me anymore. People say "if you are still gaining, then stick to it" but I don't know if I am. Considering I've been training 6 years, and I actually LIVE with my own body on a daily basis, I can't really tell if a particular training program is working for me or not, because personally I'm not gonna notice a 1-2lb increase in Lean Body Mass. For all I know, I could be following a program that is doing nothing for me in terms of size & so I'm just basically wasting my time. To be honest, I personally think I've looked the same now for at least 2 years or so, but I still convince myself that I MUST be gaining somehow, therefore I keep going back to the gym. I may NOT be gaining at all anymore, and this is one of my biggest concerns because I don't even know. Also, at my current bodyfat level it's even harder to tell if I'm gaining any size, and the scales aren't really a good indicator because any weight increase doesn't necessarily mean it's muscle... It could be just fat I'm gaining & I'm none the wiser.

For this reason I'm losing motivation EXTREMELY fast & every day I'm just constantly thinking about whether or not my actually going to the gym is giving me any results anymore. I eat a hell of a lot each day (6-7 times) plus being diabetic I HAVE to eat this often, so I don't think it's my diet that's the problem. I just think that my current training method is a waste of time & I'm basically going to the gym for no reason.

I'm not even sure whether to increase my workout days to 4-5x a week instead of 3x because if this doesn't work then my motivation will drop even LOWER due to the fact I'm spending more time in the gym, but getting the same results, which at the moment "seems" like none at all.

I thought that by now, having been training for 6 years, I would have figured out what works for me, but it seems I'm just back to where I started when I first began bodybuilding. I don't know what the hell to do. Should I increase my workout days from 3-5x a week, should I try a completely different training method (5x5 etc?), should I stick to my current training method & keep convincing myself that it's actually working? There's a small chance it "could" be working, but how the hell am I meant to know, if the gains are so small (e.g. a 1-2lb increase in size every few months).

My long term goal is to get as BIG as I possibly can whilst keeping bodyfat levels relatively low. To put this in perspective, if somebody said I could look like Jay Cutler or Branch Warren tomorrow, I'd say YES YES YES! I realise these guys have amazing genetics, but if I could even get to be a respectable size "in comparison" to them, I'd be happy. I just don't think that with my current way of training I'll ever get there. With so much information around and so many things to choose from, I'm completely lost as I don't know WHAT to change in regards to my routine. I don't know what kind of dedication it takes to get to that level etc. I don't particularly want to "go back to the basics" either such as doing a TBT (Total Body Training) routine 3x a week, because I hear these are more for beginners, and for me to just go back to doing a TBT routine or something similar after having been training for 6 years, I'd feel like the past 6 years have been a complete waste of time mentally AND physically.

I realise this is getting a little bit long now, but for all who have read up to this point, I really appreciate it, and would be EXTREMELY grateful if somebody could help me out, as I'm not sure where to turn to now. This is basically my last resort.

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[SouthernLord]

Do you keep a log book of your progress in the gym? This has been one of the biggest motivating factors for me as of late. Destroying my log book. Every session!!! Have you considered following a "cookie cutter" program like HST, 5x5, ect? Sometimes training on instinct is not the best way to go about it. My recommendation would be to pick a program with a good reputation and follow it for as long as you can. If that means 8-12 months then so be it. As long as your lifts go up and you are happy with what you see in the mirror. How the diet?

 

[SCREW]

are you gaining weight on your lifts? ex. squat, bench, deadlift?

or is it just your mass that is stalling?

 

[Vanchatron]

Yes I keep a log of my progress. I have a very involved log saved on my PC so I know exactly what my lifts are etc.

I'm not concerned with strength all that much as I'm more into gaining mass. I know that strength & mass go hand in hand. My lifts DO seem to be going up but sometimes they can stall for around a month or longer before I see any more progress.

I did try 5x5 for a full cycle one time, and didn't really see that much gains in size although the strength gains were good.

A typical diet for me looks like the following:


Upon Waking - Protein shake & 2-3 slices wholemeal bread with natural peanut butter.

Mid Morning - Cup of brown rice & vegetables with 2 chicken breasts fried in Olive Oil.

Lunch - Tin of tuna with 3 TBSP Mayo, 1 Jacket Potato, Vegetables.

Post Workout - Protein shake, 2 slices white bread with jam & tin of fruit.

Dinner - Either cup of white rice or jack potato with tuna/mayo or Minced Beef.

1 Hour Before Bed - Protein shake.

Straight Before Bed - 150g Cottage Cheese or Quark & a glass of milk (around 250ml).

 

[lockdownd7]

It sounds like you're definitely guilty of "paralysis by analysis". I think your first line sums things up pretty good. Bottom line; it's time to relax, and let things come to you. Control your training; don't let it control you. At some point, you've got to be having fun and enjoying what you're doing. If you're too stressed out about things and trying to micromanage every detail, it's going to be tough to get where you want to go.

In my opinion, you're also seeing the results of why I think aesthetic goals are inferior to performance-related goals. It can be tough to tell if you've gotten any meaningful results when size is your goal. I'm not out to make you change your priorities, but it is worth mentioning that many, many people burn out and lose interest for the EXACT reasons you're describing now.

Ok, well let me give you some thoughts regarding your training:

1) Take some time and just relax and have fun in the weight room. Do what you enjoy doing without thinking about whether or not it's the perfect thing to do right now.

2) Make more drastic changes in your workouts. Instead of going from 6 reps to 10, go from 3 to 20. Don't be afraid to break "rules" that you may have heard. Squat 4 days a week for a month, then 1 day a week for a month. But the bottom line is that you send completely different signals to your body.

Here is a series of articles I really, really, REALLY recommend you read:

DO NOT SKIP THESE

Shit or Get Off The Pot
Shit Or Get Off The Pot II
Shit or Get Off The Pot Part III - Putting It All Together

I'm going to quote the following passage for special emphasis, but make sure you read those articles.

As much as anything else, the reason people fail to make gains is because they're guilty of paralysis by analysis. Yeah there's a time and a place to worry about the benefits of macronutrient percentages, linear vs undulated periodization, meal timing, box squats vs front squats, the merits of monounsaturates vs polyunsaturated fatty acids, high rep vs low rep training, galactose vs glucose, high volume vs low volume, which of the 5000+ available supplements are worth a damn, and about a billion other things, but when it comes down to it a lot of people just need someone to come up to them and say “Son, it’s time to shit or get off the pot” “You know what you need to do just do it.”

 

[Vanchatron]

Thanks, I'll have a good read through those articles now.

 

[Vanchatron]

UPDATE​

Not sure if this is of any help to answering my questions, but here it is anyway.

The way I train is as follows (Routines are shown in the attachments):

I do routine One for 6 weeks using 6-8 reps. I then do routine Two for 6 weeks using 6-8 reps. I then take a week off & revert back to routine One but this time I change the rep range from 6-8 to 10-12, and so on for routine Two. I set this up, so that there was always a change in stimulus. E.g. Different exercises, different rep ranges etc.

Routine One - http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/11/5/f_Onem_29f5f7f.jpg
Routine Two - http://img29.picoodle.com/img/img29/3/11/5/f_Twom_0322f90.jpg

 

[OneBreath]

I feel your pain bro. I spent WAY too much time instinct training and not measuring progress. The program that turned me around and got me focused and growing was the 5x5. Here is why i will recommend it to you.

1. Its simple. Don't think to much about the "principles", just do it for 12 weeks. You'll thank me later.
2. It requires a logbook. This will pacify your over analyzing mind by giving you tangible results.
3. It focuses on only big lifts. Dropping the curls and isolation and focusing on these really transformed my body.

Here's my 1 year progress. I started this transformation with 12 weeks of the intermediate 5x5 i'll link below.

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/bodybuilding-gallery-members-pictures/progress-sept-2007-aug-2008-a-606616.html

Here is the 5x5 program i recommend. Its the intermediate version that i used. Its simple and based on weekly linear progression.

Bill Starr 5x5 - Madcow Intermediate or Linear Version

I also recommend downloading the excel template (at the bottom) to quickly get you started.

 

[Vanchatron]

I feel your pain bro. I spent WAY too much time instinct training and not measuring progress. The program that turned me around and got me focused and growing was the 5x5. Here is why i will recommend it to you.

1. Its simple. Don't think to much about the "principles", just do it for 12 weeks. You'll thank me later.
2. It requires a logbook. This will pacify your over analyzing mind by giving you tangible results.
3. It focuses on only big lifts. Dropping the curls and isolation and focusing on these really transformed my body.

Here's my 1 year progress. I started this transformation with 12 weeks of the intermediate 5x5 i'll link below.

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/bodybuilding-gallery-members-pictures/progress-sept-2007-aug-2008-a-606616.html

Here is the 5x5 program i recommend. Its the intermediate version that i used. Its simple and based on weekly linear progression.

Bill Starr 5x5 - Madcow Intermediate or Linear Version

I also recommend downloading the excel template (at the bottom) to quickly get you started.

Wow man, that is amazing progress, you look great. And all that off the 5x5? I'm shocked haha.

I did a cycle of 5x5 in the past, and I liked it, but started thinking about all the Pros etc that DON'T use 5x5, and I thought "well the Pros have never used 5x5, so why should I carry on doing it?". This is how much I overanalyze things.

Did you do any accessory work or did you just do the 5x5 as it is? E.g. by "accessory" work I mean maybe a couple sets of Barbell curls or Skullcrushers at the end of your workouts?

But seriously man, you look really good, well done with that. You may just have solved my problem by bringing up the 5x5 again, I'm probably gonna go back on it.

Thanks a lot.

 

[OneBreath]

Wow man, that is amazing progress, you look great. And all that off the 5x5? I'm shocked haha.

I did a cycle of 5x5 in the past, and I liked it, but started thinking about all the Pros etc that DON'T use 5x5, and I thought "well the Pros have never used 5x5, so why should I carry on doing it?". This is how much I overanalyze things.

Did you do any accessory work or did you just do the 5x5 as it is? E.g. by "accessory" work I mean maybe a couple sets of Barbell curls or Skullcrushers at the end of your workouts?

But seriously man, you look really good, well done with that. You may just have solved my problem by bringing up the 5x5 again, I'm probably gonna go back on it.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks.

I started off last year with 12 weeks of that 5x5. I did:

Monday: Squats, flat bench, power cleans
Wednesday: Squats, incline bench, deadlifts
Friday: Squats, flat bench, power cleans, then finished off the week with weighted dips to failure.

These 3 months really helped create the foundation. I then moved on to a more traditional split for the next 6 months. I would switch days around some but a typical week would be:

Sunday: Legs
Monday: Shoulders
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: Chest
Thursday: Back
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest

At no time did i work arms directly.

For legs i would do squats (sometimes box squat), stiff leg deadlifts, good mornings, some calf work, finish up with leg press sled or hacks.

For shoulders, hang clean and press, standing db military, high pulls, upright row, and sometimes finish off with supersets of front raises/side raises.

For chest, 1 week i would do flat bb bench, incline bb bench, decline bb bench and then the next week do flat db, incline db, weighted dips.

For back, pullups every week (wide grip, neutral grip, close underhand grip). Then one week would be barbell rows and deadlifts, another week rack deads and tbar rows.

For all of these i would go heavy with extreme intensity and never do more than 15 sets per muscle group. Most workouts being 9-12 sets.

Every now and then, when i felt a ton of energy, i would do something crazy like 10 sets of deadlifts pyramiding from 15 light reps down to 3 reps as heavy as i could take it.

Notice:

1. No direct arm work
2. All big heavy high intensity lifts
3. Not a lot of sets
4. Only 4 lifting days, those 3 rest days are important for growth

 

[SaiBoT]

^^^ Believe Vanchatron stop searching forever, you are only filling your mind with confusion! Empty your cup and start doing what EF good bros advise you to do! Because it works!

You will only start to grow if you practice it, run from theories and embrace the iron!