Happy with cycle but confused?

**no1tou** · 04-13-2010, 01:45 PM

My first cycle. Week 6 on test cycle and I have gained only 10lbs but my strength is retarded! I have increased fat intake to 150gms a day and still no weight gain. So now I am at 4400 cals average a day. About 450gm protein, 350gm carbs, and 150gm fat. I have got diet advise in the diet section and even after the changes no weight increase. The first week I gained 10 lbs then almost nothing from then on. I keep adding a few cals a day but I'm strating to get tired of eating.

However my strength has showed no signs of slowing down. I have gone up about 10 lbs in my bench every week and big increases everywhere else too. I only work out 3 days a week like I always have. I started out with a 315 bench @ 190lbs and now I'm 365 @ 202lbs. I also got a strict curl of 145 yesterday too.

So my question is, how is it possible I'm getting so strong with minimal size/weight increase. Anyone else experience this?

**Bossman** · 04-13-2010, 03:13 PM

Burning fat and gaining muscle? Body composition change. Do you look different? Do you have more veins, see more definition/striations?

What is your cycle?

**no1tou** · 04-13-2010, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by cgb6810

Burning fat and gaining muscle? Body composition change. Do you look different? Do you have more veins, see more definition/striations?

What is your cycle?

At first the changes seems dramatic, now not so much but def little changes. I have always been pretty veiny/vascular but now they stick out when I'm sitting still. If I flex it looks like roots growing in me. Maybe I'm looking at myself too much and not noticing the changes. I have to look at my before pic and refresh my memory.

I just figured with that big a strength difference I'd look much bigger.

The only other guys that lift what I do in my gym are in the 240-up range.

**Bossman** · 04-13-2010, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by SportbikeBob

At first the changes seems dramatic, now not so much but def little changes. I have always been pretty veiny/vascular but now they stick out when I'm sitting still. If I flex it looks like roots growing in me. Maybe I'm looking at myself too much and not noticing the changes. I have to look at my before pic and refresh my memory.

I just figured with that big a strength difference I'd look much bigger.

The only other guys that lift what I do in my gym are in the 240-up range.

They're probably fat bastards

Hey, you're lean and mean, if you continue to gain strength you doing well.

**jordann** · 04-13-2010, 05:51 PM

True. Just keep it up. With strength comes size. I also do a 3 day split per week and I will never go back to training more. We seem to be the few who still train this way!

**awesome1** · 04-13-2010, 08:36 PM

What is your training routing like? Are you doing 5x5s? If so maybe you should increase reps

**no1tou** · 04-14-2010, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by cgb6810

They're probably fat bastards

Hey, you're lean and mean, if you continue to gain strength you doing well.

Cool makes me feel better. Thanks!

**no1tou** · 04-14-2010, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by jordann

True. Just keep it up. With strength comes size. I also do a 3 day split per week and I will never go back to training more. We seem to be the few who still train this way!

I used to work out each muscle group twice a week and found I wasn't fully recovered for the next lift. Sure I felt fine but after a full week I could go back and kill it! This is when I decided one muscle group a week no matter how I felt.

**songdog** · 04-14-2010, 06:48 AM

Yeah I hate when that shit happens.Drop all that weight them ugly veins pop out.All the women look at you and get wet.I feel real sorry for you bro.Keep up the good work.

**no1tou** · 04-14-2010, 07:04 AM

Originally Posted by awesome1

What is your training routing like? Are you doing 5x5s? If so maybe you should increase reps

I do a lot of pyramids, drop sets, and max lifts. A lot of people don't like to max out often but I find as long as you are fully recovered by your next lift,(ie. one muscle group a week) and you feel good, go for it. Yeah I'm sure there is a much higher risk of injury but then again if your train your body to accept that kind of abuse on a regular it will adapt.

For example on Monday:
bench
warm up 145x10
first set 225x10
second set 295x8
third set 365x1
4th set (drop set) start @ 315 dropping 40lbs each time, with no break, untill just bar, lifting to fail each time.

Then I repeat this type of work out for flys, curls, tri extentions, etc. I also drop one work out and add another each week to change things up.

**6ft5** · 04-14-2010, 07:05 AM

Body comp for shure. Its happened to me, not gaining wheight but a lot stronger I love it! And yes the chicks slide right off there bikes. Lmao. I also like to lift 3-4 days a week less joint pain faster full recovery, but I will throw a shocker in every once in a whyle.

**no1tou** · 04-14-2010, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by songdog

Yeah I hate when that shit happens.Drop all that weight them ugly veins pop out.All the women look at you and get wet.I feel real sorry for you bro.Keep up the good work.

Thanks!

I will have before and after pics along with stats before and post cycle after the cycle is complete. Last pin is may 27th.

**no1tou** · 04-14-2010, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by 6ft5

Body comp for shure. Its happened to me, not gaining wheight but a lot stronger I love it! And yes the chicks slide right off there bikes. Lmao. I also like to lift 3-4 days a week less joint pain faster full recovery, but I will throw a shocker in every once in a whyle.

**AlphaGenetics** · 04-14-2010, 07:24 AM

It sounds like your body type is ectomorph. Watch this video it should help tons.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2s...ar-pt2_extreme

**AlphaGenetics** · 04-14-2010, 07:29 AM

Your gonna also wanna watch part 3.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2s...ar-pt3_extreme

**no1tou** · 04-14-2010, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by AlphaGenetics

It sounds like your body type is ectomorph. Watch this video it should help tons.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2s...ar-pt2_extreme

Yup I sure am. I watched these videos about a year ago for the first time. Def all kinds of good info. It just seemed crazy to me that my strength was up so high with minimal weight gain. Strength was my main goal so I'm not upset I don't look the part.

My buddy who was a good bit smaller then me is on the same cycle and he blew up! His diet is not as strict as mine so he def gained some water weight and a little fat but he's up like 30 lbs and his strength is jumping too. Just goes to show how much genetics and diet make a huge difference.

**D_iamond** · 04-14-2010, 08:39 AM

i just read a study in muscular development that said diets higher in fat around 30% i think it was can restrict hypertrophy ie muscle growth however i was reading on the web that the high fat diet would not restrict strength gains so maybe your attempt to add calories via fat has put a hold on your growth my suggestion would be change to more carbs and protien while lowering your fat back downand see if you gain weight also since this is your first cycle you realy should be growing and since your body can handle a lot more stress right now you may as well experiment with your work out to see if you can handle a few more days a week idk just my opionion.

**no1tou** · 04-15-2010, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by D_iamond

i just read a study in muscular development that said diets higher in fat around 30% i think it was can restrict hypertrophy ie muscle growth however i was reading on the web that the high fat diet would not restrict strength gains so maybe your attempt to add calories via fat has put a hold on your growth my suggestion would be change to more carbs and protien while lowering your fat back downand see if you gain weight also since this is your first cycle you realy should be growing and since your body can handle a lot more stress right now you may as well experiment with your work out to see if you can handle a few more days a week idk just my opionion.

Hmmmm...you may be on to something there.

**6ft5** · 04-22-2010, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by SportbikeBob

Hmmmm...you may be on to something there.

Yes he is, when on cycle many will increase work load a bit depending on your cycle and goals. Becouse why not, you recover faster, you eat more, test is jackt up so you gota do sumthin with it, also depending on how someones split works out you could even throw in a lag day.