Busting plateau

[Ddrcourt]

I need advice or help or whatever it takes. A quick little background, I am by nature pretty slim and have been all my life. 6 foot 3 and 195. I also have always wanted to be big, but just could never do it. I took over a year off from lifting to complete an Ironman last summer, which reeked havoc on me. I have been busting my butt in the gym to regain a lot of lost weight and strength. It has taken my about 6 mos but I think I am back to where I started. I am now at that plateau level I reach whenever I lift. I have been eating a ton for me and trying to get at least 200 gm of protein daily. I hav even started with a testosterone booster which I am not sure does anything.

My routine is a 4 day split with primarily basic compound movements. I can't squat heavy or deadlift at allbecause of a previous herniated disc. All my other lifts are getting maxed out. I was making great progess and then plateaued which happens to me whenver I get into lifting. However as I have aged, my plateaus keep dropping a bit.

I am just wondering if this is all that's it's going to be or can I take it to a new level. If so, what do I need to do.

Thanks any advice wold be helpful

[Van-Selftest]

I'm a newbie here but I'll give you my advice for what it's worth . . .
I have a similar structure to you and putting on muscle mass was very difficult for me.
You obviously have a fast metabolism and you'll probably need to learn a few tricks in slowing it down if you want to gain weight..
You'd probably also do a lot better spending your money on a good quality protein supplement, rather that an on over the counter test booster, especially if you're having difficulty consuming all the extra food and putting on weight.
Finally, . . if you feel your testosterone levels are low, why wait? . . . see a doctor and get some tests done.
Hope this helps.

[kaju]

most important thing you need to do is look at your diet. You must eat 11/2 - 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. without quality protein you will not grow. You can do this without over eating. Get yourself some whey protein supliments. It comes in powder and candy bars.

[John Andrew]

Now I am 5 ft 8 inches 102kg and have competed from 75 kg division to 120kg division. 57 years old. If I want to be bigger I eat 7meals a day and yes I get up twice a night for meals. High protein, steaks etc. I do this until I am sick of being big then cut back. 200 grammes of protein, no way! one kg min. It takes me 12 months to gain 20 to 25 kgs and then a year to come back. Now at 102kg my waist is 36inches. Used to be that at 75 kg!

My point is this is a lifestyle, we all have bodies that resist change, so we force change on them. Progressive resistance training and diet!

Sometimes I enjoy being big, other times I love the speed of a lighter body. Yes I have always enjoyed playing sport, now due to injuries I just power lift. Two herniated discs, one broken back, compound fractures to my right leg where the bones were sticking out!(In the last 3 years) and 4 operations. Doctors have told me 100 times no more lifting. Well I will dead lift 300kg this year and squat 250kg min. I do not believe we are unable to do heavy squats or dead lifts due to injuries, because our bodies heal. The harder we train the better we heal. The stronger we grow and the more we learn! Funny now, my doctors here agree with me. They thought I was insane but my recovery times were very fast and I just trained what I could, then went back to the things I was wanting to do.

Getting to new levels requires change, Training changes, diet changes, new ideas. Try and keep trying! Good luck. John

[Buster Brown]

I am 42 and have done a variety of sports over the years ( boxing, Tae kwon do) and find myself never straying a way from weight training, just training more sport specific. Obviously I was alot leaner when I was training for those sports. That being said it is easy to fall into the same routine that wont necessarily work when we try to adapt it to a different things. The " how to bulk" thread that the site offers is an excellent jumping off point to get your diet back in line. Yes, you will be suprised at the amount of calories you should be taking in to grow or maintain but it works. You need to re-eveluate your diet, check out the how-to-bulk thread, and stick to it. Training heavy is also a huge part of this. What ever your limitations are, you need to find a way to stimulate those muscles!