Desperately need help

[frodo89]

Hi all,

Well this is pretty much my plea for help. I feel as though every time I go to the gym these days everyone and everything is getting bigger around me and I just stay the same. It’s really depressing me and well I’m hoping I could get some advice from you guys as to how I can fix this problem. But first I’ll give you some details:
- I have been training for 3 years
- I am 21 years of age
- I weigh 79kgs works out to be around 176 pounds
- My body fat percentage is about 18 percent
- I have always wanted to have a sculpted body (an example, Mario Lopez or I would even settle for something like Ashton Kuchers body in his new movie ‘The Killers’
- My diet is proper, I have made sure of it 7 meals a day and have got the approval from the diet gurus in this forum
- I sleep a minimum of 8 hours
- Probably tried every supplement under the sun
- The only thing I can nail it down to is my workouts

So basically my routine consists of 5 days of training
Monday – Chest – 18 to 20 sets
Tuesday – Back – 18 to 20 sets
Wednesday – Quads and Calves – 20 sets
Thursday – Biceps and Triceps – 18 sets (split 9 for each)
Friday – Shoulders and Hamstrings – 20 sets

My workouts go no longer than a 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let me stress that I have tried the Arnold split (Back, Chest) (Legs) (bies, tries, shoulders) three day split, and many other workouts. I feel as though I have just stressed every workout method in the past three years of training and now I am left with no alternatives. Is it time for steroids ? I’m not sure if anyone else has felt this way, or gotten to this stage, but your advice would really be appreciated. Even if you drill into me like the diet guys did when I posted my first diet.

[BigBuck6]

Hi all,

Well this is pretty much my plea for help. I feel as though every time I go to the gym these days everyone and everything is getting bigger around me and I just stay the same. It’s really depressing me and well I’m hoping I could get some advice from you guys as to how I can fix this problem. But first I’ll give you some details:
- I have been training for 3 years
- I am 21 years of age
- I weigh 79kgs works out to be around 176 pounds
- My body fat percentage is about 18 percent
- I have always wanted to have a sculpted body (an example, Mario Lopez or I would even settle for something like Ashton Kuchers body in his new movie ‘The Killers’
- My diet is proper, I have made sure of it 7 meals a day and have got the approval from the diet gurus in this forum
- I sleep a minimum of 8 hours
- Probably tried every supplement under the sun
- The only thing I can nail it down to is my workouts

So basically my routine consists of 5 days of training
Monday – Chest – 18 to 20 sets
Tuesday – Back – 18 to 20 sets
Wednesday – Quads and Calves – 20 sets
Thursday – Biceps and Triceps – 18 sets (split 9 for each)
Friday – Shoulders and Hamstrings – 20 sets

My workouts go no longer than a 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let me stress that I have tried the Arnold split (Back, Chest) (Legs) (bies, tries, shoulders) three day split, and many other workouts. I feel as though I have just stressed every workout method in the past three years of training and now I am left with no alternatives. Is it time for steroids? I’m not sure if anyone else has felt this way, or gotten to this stage, but your advice would really be appreciated. Even if you drill into me like the diet guys did when I posted my first diet.

Those are a few red flags that I see in your post concerning first your bodyfat percentage that is about 2 1/2 times what you need it to be for "Mario Lopez" definition. I am not trying to put you down but you must incorporate some cardio in your routine to obtain that type of definition. I personally suggest focusing on HIIT for example short 20 second sprints on a treadmill followed by walking for 1 minute for a total of 20 minutes 3 times a week. That type of training would allow you to keep the muscle you already have and shed off some of that fat. Now for your routine we need specific exercises and rep scheme etc. For now though 20 sets seem to be overtraining and I cannot honestly fathom someone doing that many sets with full intensity everyday without using AAS.

[MACHINE5150]

My first thought is over training as well

i know this might take a while, but any chance u can type out what workouts how many sets.. etc.. i.e. my chest day:

Bench Press
1x15x60kgs (warm up)
1x12x100kgs (warm up)
2x12x115kgs
2x10x125kgs (last two or three reps are assisted)

Dumbell Decline Flyes
3x12x35kgs

Incline Dumbell Flyes
3x12x35kgs

Tricep Pushdowns
3x12x170lbs

this is all done in less then 60 minutes

you don't need to go over weights exactly.. just ballpark.. are you going to failure in your last rep????

i do a three days split.. and dont take any supplements other than ZMass (zinc and magnesium) prior to going to sleep and have gained 20lbs in the last year.. But in all honesty i am not a hardgainer.. never have been

[the big 1]

Hi all,

Well this is pretty much my plea for help. I feel as though every time I go to the gym these days everyone and everything is getting bigger around me and I just stay the same. It’s really depressing me and well I’m hoping I could get some advice from you guys as to how I can fix this problem. But first I’ll give you some details:
- I have been training for 3 years
- I am 21 years of age
- I weigh 79kgs works out to be around 176 pounds
- My body fat percentage is about 18 percent
- I have always wanted to have a sculpted body (an example, Mario Lopez or I would even settle for something like Ashton Kuchers body in his new movie ‘The Killers’
- My diet is proper, I have made sure of it 7 meals a day and have got the approval from the diet gurus in this forum
- I sleep a minimum of 8 hours
- Probably tried every supplement under the sun
- The only thing I can nail it down to is my workouts

So basically my routine consists of 5 days of training
Monday – Chest – 18 to 20 sets
Tuesday – Back – 18 to 20 sets
Wednesday – Quads and Calves – 20 sets
Thursday – Biceps and Triceps – 18 sets (split 9 for each)
Friday – Shoulders and Hamstrings – 20 sets

My workouts go no longer than a 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let me stress that I have tried the Arnold split (Back, Chest) (Legs) (bies, tries, shoulders) three day split, and many other workouts. I feel as though I have just stressed every workout method in the past three years of training and now I am left with no alternatives. Is it time for steroids? I’m not sure if anyone else has felt this way, or gotten to this stage, but your advice would really be appreciated. Even if you drill into me like the diet guys did when I posted my first diet.

your overtraining IMO, 18-20 sets is a stupidly high amount of sets, 6-12 is by far enough for large muscle groups, and no more than 6 for small muscle groups....

at your weight, there is no need for that many sets, to get bigger you must first become stronger, your not going to get stronger doing 20 sets for chest !!! or any other large muscle.

i would advise training 3 or 4 times week rather than 5, and lower your volume to no more than 12 set per bodypart for large groups, and no more than 6 for smaller ones...

also, dont base your routine on any pro bodybuilders, your setting yourself up for major dissapointment... arnold was the exception to all the rules, copying his routine will just wear you down and frustrate you...

have you read the various training techniques article in the section ? its great, i personally base many of my routines on the info within that article....

good lk

[Nooomoto]

Over training. And you need to bring down your BF%, it will help you "look" bigger.

[frodo89]

All,

Thanks for all your quick reply’s I never expected to get this much help which is great!! But let’s start with the general. When I posted this thread I did have a look at the other workouts posted and had a feeling that I would be told ‘I am over training’. But I figured I would go nowhere if I was not completely honest. So to fix the problem that is the question now. How about I change my routine to a four day split?

I forgot to mention, I do 20 to 30 minutes low intensity (heart rate at 130-135) after my workouts then drink my protein shake. But recently I have been reading about the ‘window of opportunity’ so now I take my shake after my last rep and began to incorporate cardio some other time throughout the day, like in the morning on an empty stomach. Should I not do cardio on an empty stomach even if I take BCAA’s?

As for how my workout looks Machine I could probably not give you a run down because for the past 3 weeks I have been alternating my workouts to ‘surprise my muscles’ (Yes I am a mess, hence why I said I was desperate lol).

So how does this split look for a future Mario Lopez body?
- Monday (Chest 12 sets/Biceps 6 Sets)
- Tuesday (Quads 12 sets/ Calves 3 sets/ Abs 3 Sets)
- Wednesday (Off)
- Thursday (Back 12 sets/ Triceps 6 sets)
- Friday (Shoulders, Deltoids and Traps 12 sets/ Hamstrings 6 sets)
- Saturday (Off)
- Sunday (Off)

Before I go into the specific workouts I do on the day I was hoping to see if this split was fine. Then I could tune up the workouts.

Also, if I want to lower my body fat, would it be alright it I did HIIT for 20 minutes every workout day and on the Saturday or should I do it in the morning and simply focus on weight training at the gym.

[HawaiianPride.]

Fed cardio is far superior then fasted. Especially if it's HIIT.

Question: On this new template you have going, I see no direct Tricep workout and 2 Biceps days, why is this?

[MACHINE5150]

Fed cardio is far superior then fasted. Especially if it's HIIT.

Question: On this new template you have going, I see no direct Tricep workout and 2 Biceps days, why is this?

looks like he fixed that.

I usually like to do chest and tris on the same day and back and bis on the same day... then legs.. i usually incorporate shoulders on back day but if you want to look bigger give them thier own day.. Remember your shirt sits on your shoulders, focus on those and you will look bigger. just keep the muscle group to 8-12 reps.. maybe 5 on first set then one or two different workouts at 3x8-12 reps of each workout..

i.e. lateral pulld downs.. two warm up sets.. then 4 sets of twelve.. then do 3 sets of twelve of vgrip rows and three sets of tbar wide grip rows.. then two differnt bicep work outs at 3x12 each.. and theres your work out

just make sure that your last couple reps of each muscle group you go to failure.. if you find yourself doig 14 reps then raise the weight.. if you find yourself doing 8 reps then drop the weight. i put 20lbs of muscle on in the past 11 months all natural doing this. But make sure you stay well fed

[gbrice75]

I don't think you gave us your height, but at your weight and BF%, I can't see you as having much LBM.

I would focus on big compound movements to try and build mass, maybe M-W-F. Various bench presses, weighted dips, weighted pull ups, deadlifts, squats, etc. Hit those with full intensity, and add 20-30 mins of HIIT on those days and i'm willing to bet you'll add some LBM while shedding some bodyfat, if your diet is in check as you said. My .02

[frodo89]

Thank you all very much. Well I did change everything around now (just putting bies with back and tries with chest as you suggested Mach). Brice yea, I might have been mislead by my BF percentage and having a look at the estimates on the net, I'm going to say I'm definitely not 18 percent (less I would say) but at the same time not sure what else I could be. You critiqued my diet a while back, said it was all good too thanks for that. But yes, I will also be adding the compound movements I'm a big fan of them.