WTF is ruining my chest/shoulder/tricep workout?

[randumb]

I'm in the 5th week of this new 5x5 routine. (Monday-Squats,SLDLs Wednesday-Bench,OHP,Close-Grip Bench Friday- Deadlifts, Rows, Curls). This is the 2nd week in a row that all of my exercises on push day have suffered. My progress in the last 4 workouts:

Bench: 5x5x145,5x5x150, 5x5x155,4x5x160+1x4x160
OHP: 5x5x80, 5x5x80, 5x5x80, 2x5x80+3x4x80
CGBench: 5x5x95, 5x5x100, 5x5x105, 1x4x105+4x4x95

Today's Workout:

Bench: 3x5x160+1x4x160+1x3x160
OHP: 1x4x80, 4x5x70
CGBench: 1x4x100, 3x5x95, 1x4x95

This is starting to frustrate the crap out of me because I don't know why the **** I'm dropping poundage each push WO. My diet is the same it's been all month except I'm keeping the calories consistent around 1700-1800 (I used to get about 200 more calories on workout days). Sleep and stress are the same as they've been all month. I am positive I'm getting enough protein. All of my other lifts are going fine but these ones are going to hell. I used to look forward to push day now I don't even want to see a bench.

It seems like symptoms of overtraining but I can't see how I would be doing that. Am I just psyching myself out or what?

Edit: someone just told me the reason I'm not progressing anymore is because I'm lifting as heavy as I can every week in bench. I thought I was supposed to be at or near failure on the last set? Any info/opinions on this?

[BASK8KACE]

I'd like to know what your stats are. 1700-1800 calories per day is quite low. You're probably not feeding yourself enough.

[randumb]

176lbs, 6'2, bodyfat is probably high teens, i hope.

I was going to up my calories to around 2000 because I originally thought it was the diet that was hindering my lifts. Although, I was doing fine with my lifts for the first three weeks, and I haven't really changed what I'm eating (except cleaning up what I eat, but the cals are still the same). I'm not having a problem with my other two workout days either, just these exercises. Maybe I just haven't reached my max weights on the other exercises.

[IronReload04]

I'm in the 5th week of this new 5x5 routine. (Monday-Squats,SLDLs Wednesday-Bench,OHP,Close-Grip Bench Friday- Deadlifts, Rows, Curls). This is the 2nd week in a row that all of my exercises on push day have suffered. My progress in the last 4 workouts:

Bench: 5x5x145,5x5x150, 5x5x155,4x5x160+1x4x160
OHP: 5x5x80, 5x5x80, 5x5x80, 2x5x80+3x4x80
CGBench: 5x5x95, 5x5x100, 5x5x105, 1x4x105+4x4x95

Today's Workout:

Bench: 3x5x160+1x4x160+1x3x160
OHP: 1x4x80, 4x5x70
CGBench: 1x4x100, 3x5x95, 1x4x95

This is starting to frustrate the crap out of me because I don't know why the **** I'm dropping poundage each push WO. My diet is the same it's been all month except I'm keeping the calories consistent around 1700-1800 (I used to get about 200 more calories on workout days). Sleep and stress are the same as they've been all month. I am positive I'm getting enough protein. All of my other lifts are going fine but these ones are going to hell. I used to look forward to push day now I don't even want to see a bench.

It seems like symptoms of overtraining but I can't see how I would be doing that. Am I just psyching myself out or what?

Edit: someone just told me the reason I'm not progressing anymore is because I'm lifting as heavy as I can every week in bench. I thought I was supposed to be at or near failure on the last set? Any info/opinions on this?

if i had to guess, the first thing is see is that stiff legged deadlifts might be hitting your back, making your back, fore amrs, grip weak for wednesday, which would severely impact your pushing movements 1-2 days later. next, i would look at diet, than workload(what you do on off days)

[511220]

At your weight and height you are underfeeding even building natual. You should be moving 2500-3000 clean cals through and 200+ g's of protein daily. Check out the diet sticky's...some really good info there!

So many other factors as well, proper form, rest ,etc...

[randumb]

Iron: You'd think if that were the case, it would've been noticeable in the first few weeks? Although I have gone up in weight a good bit on SLDLs since I started in January. I never thought about my forearms having that affect on my pushing exercises.

511220: I've read the diet stickys. I've been cutting for the past four weeks (out of 6). I just wanted a little cutting period before I started bulking, which is why I've kept my calories low. And I always get over 200g protein. As for the other factors, nothing has changed since I started. I've been trying to find a variable in my life that has changed since I began, but nothing is standing out, so I don't know what to think about changing right now.

I guess I'll just stick it out for the last 2 weeks. Then I can eat eat eat and this probably won't be a problem for me.

[511220]

Iron: You'd think if that were the case, it would've been noticeable in the first few weeks? Although I have gone up in weight a good bit on SLDLs since I started in January. I never thought about my forearms having that affect on my pushing exercises.

511220: I've read the diet stickys. I've been cutting for the past four weeks (out of 6). I just wanted a little cutting period before I started bulking, which is why I've kept my calories low. And I always get over 200g protein.

If you are getting over 200g of protein in 1700-1800 cals...where are the carbs? Maybe it's straight up lack of glycogen...calories just seem low to me for your size even while cutting.

Your getting catabolic. Cause is lack of fuel...imo

[Bound for Muscle]

If you are getting over 200g of protein in 1700-1800 cals...where are the carbs? Maybe it's straight up lack of glycogen...calories just seem low to me for your size even while cutting.

Your getting catabolic. Cause is lack of fuel...imo

sounds right to me

[maxex]

maybe you should try changing your routine some, give your body a rest on those particular exercises

[randumb]

If you are getting over 200g of protein in 1700-1800 cals...where are the carbs? Maybe it's straight up lack of glycogen...calories just seem low to me for your size even while cutting.

Your getting catabolic. Cause is lack of fuel...imo

Carbs are around 110 on non-workout days, 175 on workout days. The only real change in my diet is that I was getting about 50g of fat a day, now I'm keeping it around 40g (20% of total cals).

If calories are the problem, I would've expected all of my lifts to suffer, or for this to happen earlier than 5 weeks in.


Maxex: I only work chest/shoulders/triceps once a week. I am positive that is enough time for me to heal. I don't believe it's the routine.

[maxex]

Carbs are around 110 on non-workout days, 175 on workout days. The only real change in my diet is that I was getting about 50g of fat a day, now I'm keeping it around 40g (20% of total cals).

If calories are the problem, I would've expected all of my lifts to suffer, or for this to happen earlier than 5 weeks in.


Maxex: I only work chest/shoulders/triceps once a week. I am positive that is enough time for me to heal. I don't believe it's the routine.

i gotcha, but what i was sayin was, change up every week, instead of doinf flat bench every week rotate it, 1 week - incline/ 2 week flat/3week decline(if u like that), that routine works pretty good for me

[randumb]

Ah okay, I see what you mean. I think I'm going to try increasing my calories first, then if that doesn't work I'll try switching up the routine.

[maxex]

whatever works for u, good luck bro

[Duma]

up your cals and just my opinion but pounding those three bodyparts is a lot in one workout.....i think chest and tri's is more than enough

[Hed]

dude, im tellin you right now, at 6'2" 176, you dont need to be cutting at all. you need to be bulking, and like others said, 3500 cals per day, 250+g of protein, 300g carbs.

1800 calories per day is why your not gaining dude. you are an ectomorph, like me, and i know that i use 1700 calories riding a friggin elevator 4 floors.

Bulk man, BULK!

[Njectable]

dude, im tellin you right now, at 6'2" 176, you dont need to be cutting at all. you need to be bulking, and like others said, 3500 cals per day, 250+g of protein, 300g carbs.

1800 calories per day is why your not gaining dude. you are an ectomorph, like me, and i know that i use 1700 calories riding a friggin elevator 4 floors.

Bulk man, BULK!

amen

[randumb]

Well I highly doubt I am an ectomorph. I put on mass pretty easy when I do eat enough.

I know I don't need to be cutting for my stats, but I just wanted a short 6-week period before I started bulking to try and lose some excess belly fat. I was a bad alcoholic for a while (1 month sober today) and my beer belly was horrible. It's much better now (lost 11 lbs so far) and I'm not wanting to be cutting much longer. After next week I'm bulking.

[511220]

Well I highly doubt I am an ectomorph. I put on mass pretty easy when I do eat enough.

I know I don't need to be cutting for my stats, but I just wanted a short 6-week period before I started bulking to try and lose some excess belly fat. I was a bad alcoholic for a while (1 month sober today) and my beer belly was horrible. It's much better now (lost 11 lbs so far) and I'm not wanting to be cutting much longer. After next week I'm bulking.

Ran...congrats on cutting out the sauce! Your body is going through some serious changes I bet. With the literally thousands of calories a week in booz gone, I really think upping your total caloric intake to 2500-3k (if you are building natty), 200-250g protein and a good number of low gi carbs pre workout you will still continue to lose fat, get leaner and stronger...

511220

[randumb]

Thanks a lot 511220... I wish I could say it's been easy. It's hard to stay sober at college when everyone is going out and partying on the weekends. Kind of makes things a little boring sometimes. But when I think about all the calories I'm saving (pint of vodka each night plus whatever fast food I would eat in my drunken state), it makes the decision pretty easy.

I've been trying to figure out what my intake will be when I start bulking. I looked at the bulking sticky and tried to configure a diet that somewhat resembled the sample one (only in terms of cals/pro/carbs/fat). When I had it worked out (did this a few weeks ago) it came to 3200 calories (400g protein/50%, 240g carbs/30%, and 71g fat/20%). After your suggestion, I'm wondering if this number is too high to start with.

If you suggest 250g protein, that's only 1000 calories. If I equal that number in carbs (although I always thought you were supposed to get more protein than carbs) that gets the total to 2000 calories. Add in 50g fat and that's 2450 calories, but that makes the ratios 41% pro, 41% carbs, and 18% fat.

Another reason I wanted to diet a little before bulking was to make sure my bulking diet was on point before I started. Seems I might still have some tweaking to do.

[boondockSAINT]

I agree with most here that recommend upping the calories. You can still build mass and lose bodyfat. Try some AM cardio and doing abs 2-3 times per week if it's a problem area. If that doesn't get your lifts back, try altering the routine.