Well it looks like I have hit a wall…

D

Dvst8or

New Member
I have been doing HST for quite a while now. A lot of off and on at first. I was doing it consistently for a solid 9 months while I was stationed in Korea and made huge gains from the days of working on one body part each day of the week. I then had another one of my off periods and recently ~March of this year started up again.

I am currently at the end of my 4th cycle and I am not seeing any progress in the numbers. Both in the weight on the bar and the weight on the scale.

I have recently adopted the 1x15, 2x10, and 3x5 routine for this cycle. And I really do feel that I have reached my maxes for how much weight I can put on the bar. I don’t see me being able to lift much more (if any) for my next cycle.

I currently weigh 160 lbs and have weighed that for at least the last 2 cycles (if not more). I eat anywhere from 2400-2800 calories a day, usually the higher calorie days are my workout days. Typical protein intake is about 200 grams each day. I use Wheybolic Protein (from GNC) with creatine 30 minutes before a workout. And my post workout is a whole milk, Nitrean mix with a slice of bread for carbs. I have one wheybolic shake on non-workout days.

I just can’t seem to gain any more size, weight on the scale, or add weight to my lifts.

I am pretty sure the first answer that people are going to recommend is for me to eat more. The big problem that I have with eating more is that I have high cholesterol. I can’t just eat everything in sight because I have high cholesterol and I have to keep that in check. So weight gainers and large amounts of fast food just aren’t an option for me. The other problem I have is it seems like the more I eat beyond this amount (most especially if I try to add more protein) the more I use the bathroom which is already a lot.

Current routine is:

Monday
Deadlift
Weighted pull-ups (wide grip)
Weighted dips
Barbell shoulder press

and if I have the energy I add Iso’s
Cable tricep extension
Barbell/dumbbell bicep curl
Standing calf raise

Wednesday
Squats
Dumbell bench press
Seated rows
Dumbell lateral raises

Again I add the same Iso’s if I have the energy

Friday
Repeat Monday routine

Next Monday
Repeat Wednesday routine etc.

I also run on Tuesdays and Thursdays usually no more than 1.5 miles

I’m beginning to think that I just need to accept my fate as one of the small guys and learn to live with it. It seems that my small size and high metabolism won’t allow to me to really get much bigger.
 
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Hi m8

I am in my forties and have been making better progress training just twice a week, I follow the standard reps 1 x 15, 2 x 10 and 3 x 15.

My weights are going up slowly (better than when I was doing SL 5 x 5) as well as my body weight, I am putting on around 5lb each HST cycle and have been losing a little fat as well. I follow the simplify and win concept and I have two routines a "pull" and a "push" routine

Pull routine
Chin ups - Weighted from 2nd week of 10s
Deads & SLDLs
Power Clean
Lat pull downs from 10's
Tricep pullover from 5's
Bicep curls from 5s


Push routine
Dips - Weighted from 2nd week of 10s
Squats
Military presses
Bench - Close grip from 10's
Bench - Inclined from 5's

I dont have a training partner so I extend the 5s by a couple of weeks depending on how I am feeling and do at least 14 days of SD before starting another HST cycle. I change around the exercises depending on what parts need extar attention on the 10s and 5s. So in the above I was doign a little extra work on my arms.


Kev
 
Kevan, you mention you are working out twice a week... does that mean you're doing the pull exercises one day and the push on the other day? Or are you doing both groups on each workout?

If it's the former, for some of the body parts (like tris/chest) they'd only be getting hit once a week?
 
Whether or not you actually have stalled out, it might do you some good to change what you are doing just for the sake of change. But do something good like Starting Strength or 5-3-1 or something. I know a lot of people will balk at advice like this. I like to change what I'm doing after a couple of cycles, even if I see gains just because I get bored with one flavor and need change. I figure it's better for me to keep my interest level high so I'm motivated to workout rather than sticking with something just because maybe I will see more progress with what I've been doing.
 
i'm no expert but maybe you need to eat more? i weigh about the same as you and i eat over 3000 calories every day. i have put on about 7lbs in 4 weeks. i dont eat any fast food either, and yeah you have to visit the loo more often but it settles down once you're used to it. also play around with the ratios. maybe you need more carbs than protein, but i rekon you def have to eat more.
 
whistledixie said:
Whether or not you actually have stalled out, it might do you some good to change what you are doing just for the sake of change. But do something good like Starting Strength or 5-3-1 or something. I know a lot of people will balk at advice like this. I like to change what I'm doing after a couple of cycles, even if I see gains just because I get bored with one flavor and need change. I figure it's better for me to keep my interest level high so I'm motivated to workout rather than sticking with something just because maybe I will see more progress with what I've been doing.
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Im not sure if you are suggesting abandoning HST for a change or just change the routine a little. But I already have changed several of my lifts to keep things fresh and attack the muscles in a slightly different way. For example I used to do bentover rows instead of seated rows, doing barbell bicep curls instead of dumbbell, etc. But that’s about it. I’m not familiar with the 5-3-1, could you provide a link or some more information on this?

OzMullet said:
i'm no expert but maybe you need to eat more? i weigh about the same as you and i eat over 3000 calories every day. i have put on about 7lbs in 4 weeks. i dont eat any fast food either, and yeah you have to visit the loo more often but it settles down once you're used to it. also play around with the ratios. maybe you need more carbs than protein, but i rekon you def have to eat more.
Click to expand...

And I figured I was gonna get this. Like I said “I am pretty sure the first answer that people are going to recommend is for me to eat more.” I am not saying that I can’t or won’t try it. I just have not had much success in the past with this. I guess I wanted to see what other people thought, see their recommendations, and see if I was missing something else.
 
i dunno mate, like i said i'm no expert, but i used to wonder why i never gained, until i started counting calories and eating at least 3000 cals constantly. if you follow hst principles and eat enough you should gain.
 
The reason you knew you were going to get that answer is because you already know the answer. You've been around long enough to know it.

If the scale isn't moving - i.e. you are not gaining weight - you have to increase your calorie intake. There is no way around it. You cannot violate the laws of physics no matter how hard you try. You cannot build mass without enough incoming matter and energy to build that mass from. No modifications to your routine is going to change this. The laws of physics do not change when you change your routine. You still need energy to build mass. So basically, you either need to stop wavering on it and actually start eating more - and I mean go full out, dedicate your life to eating, do it like it is your job - or else you may as well just quit lifting because you are wasting your time without an adequate diet and you will never get bigger without an adequate diet.

I know you have, in the past, been afraid to do a real bulk but you've got to just do it. Worst case scenario is you get fat at the same time as you build all the muscle. Big deal. It's not like you can't cut the fat later on. How bad do you want this? That's the real question. Not why isn't it working, because you already knew why it isn't working before you posted. So dig deep down into yourself and ask yourself the REAL question. How dedicated are you to getting bigger and stronger? How badly do you want this?
 
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Dvst8or said:
Im not sure if you are suggesting abandoning HST for a change or just change the routine a little. But I already have changed several of my lifts to keep things fresh and attack the muscles in a slightly different way. For example I used to do bentover rows instead of seated rows, doing barbell bicep curls instead of dumbbell, etc. But that’s about it. I’m not familiar with the 5-3-1, could you provide a link or some more information on this?
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Do a Google search for Jim Wendler 5-3-1 and you'll see a lot of articles and chatter on forums about it.

I've got a buddy who does it along side CrossFit-type metcons, this dude has serious power, and he is loving it. As far as size goes, he has actually lost a little overall - but his lifting numbers have shot up dramatically in the past few months.
 
To add on to my previous post, and I'm pretty sure I've said something similar to you in the past...

Stop making the excuses about your high metabolism and small frame. If you recall, I've mentioned before that I used to be around 140 lbs at 6'1, so I know what it's like to be a tiny guy with a hummingbird metabolism. When I finally decided to stop complaining about it and do something about it, it took years to make the transformation but it happened. I had to count calories just to be sure I was eating enough for the first few years. I had to force feed myself when I felt full because I hadn't hit my calorie goal for the day. I had to postpone bedtime some nights to get in enough calories. There were days I wanted to quit, when it felt like hell just to take another bite of food. I threw up sometimes from stuffing too much into my stomach.

But now I'm 245 lbs, just over 100 lbs larger than I was several years ago. It's been a long road, and it still isn't easy... I maintain on roughly 4000 calories a day now, so I still have to be extremely conscientious about how much I eat on a daily basis to be sure that I do not lose weight. But I did it. And you can too. You just have to dedicate yourself to it.

Here is one thing that helped me out quite a bit: monstrous protein shakes made with whole milk and olive oil. Take 2 cups of milk (preferably whole milk) along with 6 scoops of whey and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Over 1000 calories and probably close to 200 grams of protein depending on what brand of whey you use. Drink at least one a day on top of the food you are already eating. In addition, for guys like you, I always insist you eat your bodyweight times 20 in calories each day. If you drink the shakes I described, it becomes a lot easier to get enough calories a day to grow.
 
Totentanz said:
The reason you knew you were going to get that answer is because you already know the answer. You've been around long enough to know it.

If the scale isn't moving - i.e. you are not gaining weight - you have to increase your calorie intake. There is no way around it. You cannot violate the laws of physics no matter how hard you try. You cannot build mass without enough incoming matter and energy to build that mass from. No modifications to your routine is going to change this. The laws of physics do not change when you change your routine. You still need energy to build mass. So basically, you either need to stop wavering on it and actually start eating more - and I mean go full out, dedicate your life to eating, do it like it is your job - or else you may as well just quit lifting because you are wasting your time without an adequate diet and you will never get bigger without an adequate diet.

I know you have, in the past, been afraid to do a real bulk but you've got to just do it. Worst case scenario is you get fat at the same time as you build all the muscle. Big deal. It's not like you can't cut the fat later on. How bad do you want this? That's the real question. Not why isn't it working, because you already knew why it isn't working before you posted. So dig deep down into yourself and ask yourself the REAL question. How dedicated are you to getting bigger and stronger? How badly do you want this?
Click to expand...

Totentanz said:
To add on to my previous post, and I'm pretty sure I've said something similar to you in the past...

Stop making the excuses about your high metabolism and small frame. If you recall, I've mentioned before that I used to be around 140 lbs at 6'1, so I know what it's like to be a tiny guy with a hummingbird metabolism. When I finally decided to stop complaining about it and do something about it, it took years to make the transformation but it happened. I had to count calories just to be sure I was eating enough for the first few years. I had to force feed myself when I felt full because I hadn't hit my calorie goal for the day. I had to postpone bedtime some nights to get in enough calories. There were days I wanted to quit, when it felt like hell just to take another bite of food. I threw up sometimes from stuffing too much into my stomach.

But now I'm 245 lbs, just over 100 lbs larger than I was several years ago. It's been a long road, and it still isn't easy... I maintain on roughly 4000 calories a day now, so I still have to be extremely conscientious about how much I eat on a daily basis to be sure that I do not lose weight. But I did it. And you can too. You just have to dedicate yourself to it.

Here is one thing that helped me out quite a bit: monstrous protein shakes made with whole milk and olive oil. Take 2 cups of milk (preferably whole milk) along with 6 scoops of whey and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Over 1000 calories and probably close to 200 grams of protein depending on what brand of whey you use. Drink at least one a day on top of the food you are already eating. In addition, for guys like you, I always insist you eat your bodyweight times 20 in calories each day. If you drink the shakes I described, it becomes a lot easier to get enough calories a day to grow.
Click to expand...


Totentanz I appreciate your honesty and candor. I’m amazed that you even remember me asking about bulking up before, since it was so long ago. I actually did do a bulk cycle and added quite a few pounds but it was a “dirty” bulk, i.e. massive amounts of fast food food, family size cans of chili for lunch, etc. And that is how I discovered that I had a cholesterol problem because my cholesterol went through the roof. It was so bad because of genetics but my diet certainly compounded the issue. So I had to cut back on a lot of things and thus my weight reduced rapidly because it was twice as hard for me to get the calories that I needed and do it without adversely affecting my cholesterol.

I think the fear of getting high cholesterol again and the difficulty in a daily intake of 3000+ calories on a low cholesterol diet has kept me from getting back on the horse and trying again. But as you said, I’m making excuses and either need to accept the fact that if I want to get bigger I have to eat more. As easy as it seems it, its hard to realize when you are in the thick of it. And like you also said how badly do I want it? How dedicated am I?

I will look into the suggestions that you made on the protein shake. Right now I already find it hard to eat some days just to keep the calorie intake at 2800 so trying to fit 3000+ in on a “clean diet” seems like a daunting task.

Again I appreciate the words and the motivation. Believe me when I say I am seriously taking it into consideration.
 
Lotsa chicken breasts, turkey breasts, occasionally very lean beef, protein powder, skim milk, cottage cheese, eggs, and olive oil (not necessarily all at the same time...)
 
Olive oil and fish oil can be your friends. Coconut oil for higher temperature cooking is a smart move too. If you saw how much olive oil I put on my salads you would laugh! Nuts and seeds are a great source of cals too.

Here's my breakfast:

1/4-1/2 fresh pineapple; bowl of mixed nuts and seeds—brazils, walnuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds (flax seeds), sesame seeds, a few oats, fresh blueberries and/or fresh raspberries, a few organic raisins, a couple of broken up blocks of 90% cacao chocolate, and some organic milk (goats' or cows'). It's pretty awesome and is high in calories. You could always add a cheese and tomato omelette too. :)
 
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