The Hump

[Phaedrus42]

I'm new. Hello.
This section seems as good as any to start my questions.

I'm 32, 5'8", and 135. Of course, yes, it sucks. I have a bit of a unique (maybe) question.
I've trained off and on since I was 17 or so.
I have a ton of energy and motivation, and I gain weight rapidly. Then, I hit about 150 lbs...and everything stops. Plateau city.

Army basic training at 18 (maybe the best cross-training regimen out there): same thing
8 years of PT: same thing
PT plus weight training: same thing
Civilian weight training: same thing
You get the idea.

"Your diet sucks!" you're about to say, right?
Not so fast - I toss 5-6k calories a day down my face hole. Clean food, non-processed. Pork, chicken, steak, veggies, pasta, rice...if I don't cook it, I don't eat it.
Exception: protein shakes. Which I hate, because they make me fart. And vitamins.

My last try: I was doing the Rippetoe plan. Gallon of milk and all that.
Wasnt seeing the lifting gains he said - Sometimes 6 lbs per lift, sometimes 2. But, gains are gains. Strength kept going up, and then the plateau. 150 lbs body weight, strength gains screeching to a halt. Just like usual.
This is the point I normally get depressed, take a few days to recover...and never go back to the gym. I switched tactics, and decided to keep going if it killed me.

A week and a half later, somebody pulled me out of the squat rack. I passed out trying to break 330, where I'd been stuck.





The question: test with dBol, or just test?

[Hukebuck]

Post your diet with macros. These guys will get it straightened out for you. I thought i was eating good also but little did i know. I had the same stats as you except few years younger (25) when started to cycle. Take a look at my thread. Its comparable

[Phaedrus42]

Not on a diet now. Just wanting to get back into it. Sick of the same results.
(cue a troll saying "same efforts yeild same results")

Not feeling the inevitable "post your diet" thing.
Doesnt make sense to me why its always the same weight, the same time, and nothing works to get over it.

Last time I had my metabolism measured, about last year, I needed upwards of 5000 calories to simply maintain.
Obviously, gaining 15-20 pounds in the first few months means I'm putting away enough food. But then, I hit the wall.
Now, I understand there's water and nitrogen retention, etc, but its good clean muscle I gain. Then...nothing. Nada. Zip.
It's not a lack of motivation. I lift heavy, until I started blacking out. Can't do much more than that. 3x a week, per Rippetoe's commandments. Even kicked in some arm work, cause I wasnt feeling much burn before it. I sleep ok. No drinking, no illegals.




I'm using my iphone to keep a meal record this time, because no one ever believes me. With photos if I have to.
Just trying to find some kind of theory so I can have motivation to keep trying.

[Back In Black]

As the man says, post you 5000cal diet and training regime and current stats and we'll take a look.

[joebailey1271]

man i wished i could eat 5k and not gain, u may have hyperthyroidism, i have a friend like that

[JAB1]

You might not be feeling posting up the diet but thats what u gotta do to get real help. My thoughts based on what you have posted is that you go hard for a while, pick up the quick beginner gains, and then fall off. Like you said your not on diet right now?? When you start from scratch its easy to pick up 15 or so pounds in a short time because your starting from nothing. Then it slows down, this is when you need to maintain your diet and program and make slow but steady progress beyond your perceived plateau. I was just like that for a long time too, then learned I wasnt eating enough on a consistant long term basis. And no offense, but I have a hard time beleiving you are putting down 5000 clean cals daily without seeing the breakdown. I put down 4k a day and it is not easy. And even if you are, once again you have to not just do it till you hit 150 and then stall a bit and give up, you gotta keep at it day after day. Its easy for people to get serious for a couple months, pick up the first few easy pounds. They key to further progress is to keep that same dedication when your only gaining a pound a mont. Which if you think about it would be 12 a year, couple years later your 25 pounds heavier all muscle, sounds good to me!! Post it up dbol is not ur answer, youl just hit 160 and then flop again!!