At a plateau...

[bombguy]

Hey guys...been hanging around the forums but haven't posted much, so don't pigeonhole me into newb status!


Anyway this is gonna be long but i need help. I have been weight training for about 7 years now and have made some great gains during that time. I've put on around 40 lbs of muscle since I began...understand i am 6' tall and started at 155lbs. I now maintain at around 195lbs. I'm not totally sure what my BF% is at, but I'm certain it really hasn't changed much...at least I can't tell and I'm pretty critical of my appearance (for the ladies of course!)

Anyways, throughout the years i have tried several different lifting techniques, but I have been doing 1 body part a day for about the past 2 years...I know some may be thinking "this is this guy's problem" Well, you're probably right! I just don't know what to do the change everything up. The only change i have made recently was an arm growth routine for about 8 weeks where I did arms twice a week. I was actually able to go from 16" to 16.5 inch arms...nothing spectacular, but a gain nontheless. So I ask of you, my fellow lifters. What can i do to shock my body into new growth...any articles I should read...technique that you might suggest? I'll give more info upon request. My current split is as follows:

Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Arms
Thursday -Shoulders
Friday - Legs

Sat/Sun - Run/ 15 mins in morning for cardio
Tues/Thurs - Run 15 in the morning

My diet is loose (fairly clean, no real junk food) but typically 5 (2 protein shakes) meals a day to include several supplements to include:

Creatine
ZMA
Protein
legal test boosters (newer "prohormones" on the market)
NO2 product

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Steve

[GunTotingHipGangster]

how long have you been doing your current workout? i switch mine up every 8-12 weeks with a three day split and a 4 day split

[bombguy]

how long have you been doing your current workout? i switch mine up every 8-12 weeks with a three day split and a 4 day split

Well that is part of the problem...I just don't have a solution. I really haven't changed from doing one body part a day for about 2 years. Now, that's not to say i haven't changed up the actual exercises I perform...i probably change those about every 4 months. Either that or I take out one exercise and toss in a different one for a while ex: Incline bench for 3 months and switch to Incline Flys for 3 months in place of that.

[GunTotingHipGangster]

incline flies are no substitute for incline bench
if you have been doing the same split for 2 years i would suggest changing it up

[bombguy]

Okay...I'm definetly up for suggestions!

I guess I could ask more specifically what could I do for chest

Here is my current typical chest WO:

Flat Dumbell press
6 sets - 2 warm up/4 heavy
20 reps on warmups and 6-10 on heavy sets

Set 1 and 2:
60lb
set 3
80lb
set 4
90
set 5/6
100lb


Hammer strength Wide Press
6 sets - pyramid up then back to beginning weight to concentrate on technique at end

6-12 reps

Set 1/2
2 plates a side total 180lbs

Set 3/4
270 lbs

Set 5/6
180lbs


Incline DB Flies
4-6 sets - pyramid to moderate weight and concentrated reps
8-12 reps a set

Set 1/2
35lbs

set 3/4
40-45lbs

usually no higher than 50lbs...form gets $hitty.

By this point I'm usually spent. I do have a shoulder "glitch" it doesn't prevent me from doing anything but going as heavy as I'd like...so that is why I'm not doing Incline DB presses and the BB presses.

Critique away...I'd like any input to get through this plateau and get some more developement.

[bombguy]

I figured i would go ahead and post weight amounts because this is really what I'm having trouble getting past...any comments appreciated!

Checks above post for poundage!

[GunTotingHipGangster]

i dont believe in hammer strength for chest workouts, thats just me though

if you have shoulder problems, barbell will be much more beneficial than dumbells...i used to have shoulder problems too and i stopped doing heavy dumbells and switched to barbell and i havent had a problem since

youre flat bench looks good, i'd stick with that, or perhaps switch to barbell for a change in routine, a lot of guys will do dumbells for 8-10 weeks then go back to barbell. I'd cut the hammer strength out and switch to incline barbell - 4 sets. Flies are good to stretch your pecs well, however don't let your arms drop too far - to avoid stress on your shoulders. I like to end my chest workout with 3-4 sets of pushups, sometimes i'll superset incline bench with raised feet pushups...i get an amazing pump from that

[bombguy]

Thanx! i think the worst part is that I know I'm getting a great workout when I'm in the gym, but for the amount of effort I've put in over the past 2 years i haven't seen much return lately. My strength increases intermittently, but nothing I can maintain and build on. My size certainly hasn't increased, as I have been waverin at 195 for some time. I once got up to 210 but that was after a MD1T stack. I'm in the military so AAS's are out for now

[bombguy]

So as an update. I've adjusted my diet and will be posting that up soon as I get it a little more on schedule.

I have started a new peridization program and will be going back to a 6 day split. Here's the break down:

Day 1: 4-6 sets per exercise rep range 6-12 or failure
Chest - 3 exercises
Shoulders - 2 exercises
Tris -2 exercise

Day 2: same as above
Back - 3
traps - 2
bis - 2

Day 3: Same rep range and exercise amount
Legs

Day 4:
repeat day one but adjust numbers of exercise to rotate. Also will be doing lighter weight and more "fine tuning" exercises ex:

Chest - 2 exercises
Shoulders - 3 exercises
Tris - 2 exercise

Days 5 and 6 will be administered same as day 4, ex: higher reps and more targeted exercises as opposed to compound exercises.

Day 7:
Rest

Cardio will be performed 4 days a week for half hour.


LMK, what ya'll think! I'm open to suggestions!

[bombguy]

anyone have a critique of this split? I can tell you after day 2 this week, I am dragging ass. Pretty intense back workout today!

[craneboy]

are you doing any dropsets?

[bombguy]

I am currently working drop sets in...usually after the last, heaviest set. I don't do this on all exercises and sets though.

I'm also usually only resting about 1 min to 1:30 after each set...something I never used to do in the past.