Dynamic Turtle Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 I think the older you get the more care you have to take with the diet given that you probably can't train as hard for the reasons given above, and I'm no different. It's hard scaling up your clean calorie intake on the way in (gut simply not producing enough enzymes and bile to process it all) and likewise hard to wind it down when you stop training or reduce the programme. comfort eating and drinking is the biggest problem, bad cocktail with all that stress related cortisone in the blood. I'm sure I'll get back on it one day but having a lot of trouble getting back into things and will probably never have my 30 year old prime physique back. We all get old and have kids though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 I do 8 reps of each exercise and 4 sets of each (32 lifts total) ~ usually though I'm hitting failure at 5-7 on the fourth set and will usually increase the weight I'm lifting by 1kg each time after I hit failure. In other words I lift the same weight (be it on my barbell or with dumbbells) each training day but as soon as I can complete the full 32 lifts during the 4 sets I will then increase the weight next time so that next time I lift I'm hitting failure again before I can complete all the sets. Same I have a feeling though you're lifting much heavier weights than me going by your stats. (not that it matters) I've found (in the last 6 months) that I was increasing the weight usually every 2-4weeks but I've kind of plateaued, ...been on the same weight now for around 5-6 weeks odd. Not sure whether I should just increase the weight now & try to push through it or not, ...what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT350 Posted August 21, 2015 Author Share Posted August 21, 2015 I do 8 reps of each exercise and 4 sets of each (32 lifts total) ~ usually though I'm hitting failure at 5-7 on the fourth set and will usually increase the weight I'm lifting by 1kg each time after I hit failure. In other words I lift the same weight (be it on my barbell or with dumbbells) each training day but as soon as I can complete the full 32 lifts during the 4 sets I will then increase the weight next time so that next time I lift I'm hitting failure again before I can complete all the sets. Same I have a feeling though you're lifting much heavier weights than me going by your stats. (not that it matters) I've found (in the last 6 months) that I was increasing the weight usually every 2-4weeks but I've kind of plateaued, ...been on the same weight now for around 5-6 weeks odd. Not sure whether I should just increase the weight now & try to push through it or not, ...what do you think? Yeah I never focus on what others are lifting. Strength has so many varying factors. What you're used to, rep range, body composition. Some days I feel like "yeah getting strong now". Then some wisp of a guy will come in and warm up on my max lol. To overcome a plateau there's a few things you can do. The body wants to adapt all the time to what you're doing. That's how we build muscle on the first place. Body repairing micro tears in the tissue by building it bigger and stronger to cope with the stress. I know you do 4x8 like me. What are your rest periods between sets? If you're taking 60 seconds try 90 or 120. If you can't go up any more weight, try and squeeze out more reps up to say 10 or 12. Then you should be able to increase weight when you drop back down to 8 reps. Something that has been proven to be good for strength is a routine that incorporates 5 sets of 5 reps. Mix your routine up a bit. Increase calories. This one works for me. I think try a combination of trying for one or two more reps and more calories should help. The right calories that is. I don't know what your diet is like though so I'm shooting in the dark. Perhaps also say if you do dumbell press for instance switch to smith machine press. Etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT350 Posted August 21, 2015 Author Share Posted August 21, 2015 I think the older you get the more care you have to take with the diet given that you probably can't train as hard for the reasons given above, and I'm no different. It's hard scaling up your clean calorie intake on the way in (gut simply not producing enough enzymes and bile to process it all) and likewise hard to wind it down when you stop training or reduce the programme. comfort eating and drinking is the biggest problem, bad cocktail with all that stress related cortisone in the blood. I'm sure I'll get back on it one day but having a lot of trouble getting back into things and will probably never have my 30 year old prime physique back. We all get old and have kids though Yes stress and just simple lack of time in our lives pushes something like the gym right to the back of the pile. After a long day it's hard. I'm a landlord and I work part time so I'm lucky in that respect. No children. Don't give up just yet though. If you can find the time and motivation to just make a few small changes and let it snowball into a big difference over time then that's a major win right? Exercise is so good for clarity of mind and having your body more healthy not to mention the fact you look and feel better really spills over into other aspects of your life. Hang in there buddy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky4510 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 A couple of questions some of you may be to answer: Is it important to use time under tension when lifting? (4 seconds down, 2 seconds up etc) Does creatine help? We usually stick to GVT type exercises but do switch it up quite often and do 8-10 reps, aswell as trying to find out our 1 rep max. I'm also fussy with protein shakes, the one I used to love taking has stopped being made and now everyone I try I struggle to drink! So making my own one might be a good idea, thanks for that Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamic Turtle Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Creatine is rough, whereas kre-alkalyn is probably the best supplement I've ever used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) A couple of questions some of you may be to answer: Is it important to use time under tension when lifting? (4 seconds down, 2 seconds up etc) Does creatine help? We usually stick to GVT type exercises but do switch it up quite often and do 8-10 reps, aswell as trying to find out our 1 rep max. I'm also fussy with protein shakes, the one I used to love taking has stopped being made and now everyone I try I struggle to drink! So making my own one might be a good idea, thanks for that I try to lower the weights slowly whilst muscle is under tension and really concentrate on the feel of the muscle. That way I can make sure my form is correct and im hitting the muscle I want. A lot of people really squeeeeeeeeeeze the muscle also. I find creatine does help me. It does pump you up a bit and so I find I look better when I look in the mirror which motivates me more. Im not sure I actually notice much difference whilst working out tho. Protien shakes etc... I just buy non flavoured protein powder in bulk. Big sack of the stuff. Then I can mix up exactly what I want. If I just want some protein I can have maybe 50g of it mixed with water. Or, if I want something more like a weight gain drink I can add some maltodextrin powder (Again, buy in sacks as cheaper). That way I know exactly whats in my shake rather than buying some pre-made tub of stuff which might be just full of sugar. Edited August 24, 2015 by rabbitstew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirag1988 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 A couple of questions some of you may be to answer: Is it important to use time under tension when lifting? (4 seconds down, 2 seconds up etc) Does creatine help? We usually stick to GVT type exercises but do switch it up quite often and do 8-10 reps, aswell as trying to find out our 1 rep max. I'm also fussy with protein shakes, the one I used to love taking has stopped being made and now everyone I try I struggle to drink! So making my own one might be a good idea, thanks for that Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk For mass gaining I found USN Muscle Fuel Anabolic a godsend! The best all-in-one I've ever taken as it has the right amount of everything. I swear by it when I'm on off-season. If you're trying to put on size then I'd try to go heavy (but what you can do proper reps and not half-reps). Keep your rep ranges between 6-10, but your last two should be a real struggle! Also try to keep 3-4 sets as well this way you're really pushing your body. Time under tension is more important than the amount you're lifting, but don't focus on counting seconds - feel your body working and listen to it. Quality over quantity The other thing to note is focus on compound exercises - Bench Press, Deadlift (careful!) or Rack Pulls (safer), Bent Over Barbell Rows, Shoulder press (Military or Dumbell), Squat (the King!), Leg Press. Get your strength up on these and then start hitting isolation movements. Supplements wise - stick to the basics Protein BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) L-Glutamine ZMA (before bed) Kre-Alkalyn (creatine - but not excessive and cycle it) Eat good quality carbs - basmati rice, oats, sweet or white potato. Avoid processed foods. Try www.musclefood.com where you can buy healthy ready meals if you're struggling to prepare food. Good luck mate and ask away if you have any questions 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) 40s is still ample time enough to get to where you want to be! Drop in the ocean really. Arnie to a lesser degree still gets in shape for a film in his 60s. Stallone even more so. Although doubtless Stallone is dosing. With regards to the DOMS the amino acids really help immensely. They're part of the penny sake now at Holland and Barett too. Amino 1500 they're called. I find that if I train multiple body parts on the same day I am there too long. I have 120 seconds rest between sets so with the amount of sets and exercise I do on each body part I'd be there hours. After years of training I've found it optimal for me. 10 seconds rest between sets and my strength after each set would plumett! Sounds like your routine is very intense and almost cardio like whereas I'm going for mass gaining workouts and letting diet and cardio do the work. I dare say with your intense routine you'll be hitting that 10% well before me. I have no kids which is a big plus for training as I have no one to be here for to take care of. All my friends with kids would love to train but can't. Unless they got up early like you so big plus to you for the motivation to do it. I used to like a pre workout red bull but for some reason caffeine gives me a big blood sugar crash. A friend has recommended Cellucor C4 Extreme though and that's caffeine free. I think I'll give it a go. Oh yeah anything that has a fat grip will really work your forearms because you can't get your hand round it properly. Less grip essentially so forearms compensate. Yeah my other half is pretty much like "meh". Just wait till were on that beach and I'm flexing like a mad man LOL. I am a smidge off 34! Good call on the amino acids, i will hit up holland & barrets in the week. Stallone is awesome for his age, but then again he openly admits to using HGH and testosterone and has done for years. But mind you, thats pretty much the same as most of the "stars" like rock / hogan / etc... if you have an image you need to keep you do anything. I think Arnies probably natural these days from how his physique looks now. Yeah my 10 seconds rest does make it a more intense workout and like you say, if i rested more i could probably increase the weights a bit. My problem is that i have a 1 hour window and the only way I can fit my routine in is to proper whizz about like a looney. Im also not increasing my calories atm, to compensate, so should hit that 10% sooner than later. Once I do I will up the calories & weights and try and gain more muscle. I really need to get the tape measure out & get some stats down, but ive been shying away from that as if the measurements arnt as good as you think then it saps your motivation a bit. Some good pix on this thread. Good work guys! Legs are especially looking good! L-Glutamine Chirag has it spot on. However, maybe its just me, but when I tried L-Glutamine earlier in the year it just didnt agree with me at all. Bit graphic but I spent about 3 days on the toilet. Proper wasnt nice. Was only taking about 5g twice a day. Stopped taking it and hey presto back to normal. Edited August 22, 2015 by rabbitstew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirag1988 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 40s is still ample time enough to get to where you want to be! Drop in the ocean really. Arnie to a lesser degree still gets in shape for a film in his 60s. Stallone even more so. Although doubtless Stallone is dosing. With regards to the DOMS the amino acids really help immensely. They're part of the penny sake now at Holland and Barett too. Amino 1500 they're called. I find that if I train multiple body parts on the same day I am there too long. I have 120 seconds rest between sets so with the amount of sets and exercise I do on each body part I'd be there hours. After years of training I've found it optimal for me. 10 seconds rest between sets and my strength after each set would plumett! Sounds like your routine is very intense and almost cardio like whereas I'm going for mass gaining workouts and letting diet and cardio do the work. I dare say with your intense routine you'll be hitting that 10% well before me. I have no kids which is a big plus for training as I have no one to be here for to take care of. All my friends with kids would love to train but can't. Unless they got up early like you so big plus to you for the motivation to do it. I used to like a pre workout red bull but for some reason caffeine gives me a big blood sugar crash. A friend has recommended Cellucor C4 Extreme though and that's caffeine free. I think I'll give it a go. Oh yeah anything that has a fat grip will really work your forearms because you can't get your hand round it properly. Less grip essentially so forearms compensate. Yeah my other half is pretty much like "meh". Just wait till were on that beach and I'm flexing like a mad man LOL. I am a smidge off 34! Good call on the amino acids, i will hit up holland & barrets in the week. Stallone is awesome for his age, but then again he openly admits to using HGH and testosterone and has done for years. But mind you, thats pretty much the same as most of the "stars" like rock / hogan / etc... if you have an image you need to keep you do anything. I think Arnies probably natural these days from how his physique looks now. Yeah my 10 seconds rest does make it a more intense workout and like you say, if i rested more i could probably increase the weights a bit. My problem is that i have a 1 hour window and the only way I can fit my routine in is to proper whizz about like a looney. Im also not increasing my calories atm, to compensate, so should hit that 10% sooner than later. Once I do I will up the calories & weights and try and gain more muscle. I really need to get the tape measure out & get some stats down, but ive been shying away from that as if the measurements arnt as good as you think then it saps your motivation a bit. Some good pix on this thread. Good work guys! Legs are especially looking good! L-Glutamine Chirag has it spot on. However, maybe its just me, but when I tried L-Glutamine earlier in the year it just didnt agree with me at all. Bit graphic but I spent about 3 days on the toilet. Proper wasnt nice. Was only taking about 5g twice a day. Stopped taking it and hey presto back to normal. Thanks mate it's been a lot of trial and error over the years, but everyone's body is different and you have to adjust everything accordingly. Even my coach has learned new things about my body during the past 12 months. I've not heard of glutamine to give anyone a stomach upset? But again your body may react to it differently. I find it helps with the DOMS and it also helps your immune system as well - I've not found myself getting ill as much, and even my hayfever has become more and more suppressed which is great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Thanks mate it's been a lot of trial and error over the years, but everyone's body is different and you have to adjust everything accordingly. Even my coach has learned new things about my body during the past 12 months. I've not heard of glutamine to give anyone a stomach upset? But again your body may react to it differently. I find it helps with the DOMS and it also helps your immune system as well - I've not found myself getting ill as much, and even my hayfever has become more and more suppressed which is great! Glutamine is supposed to be great for immune system etc. and recovery so I was quite surprised at how it affected me. Found a couple of people online who had the same experience, but the majority dont! Still some people dont get on with creatine, but im okay with it! Might have to order some stuff from muscle foods, keep seeing them recommended. Are they good price wise compared to supermarkets etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirag1988 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Thanks mate it's been a lot of trial and error over the years, but everyone's body is different and you have to adjust everything accordingly. Even my coach has learned new things about my body during the past 12 months. I've not heard of glutamine to give anyone a stomach upset? But again your body may react to it differently. I find it helps with the DOMS and it also helps your immune system as well - I've not found myself getting ill as much, and even my hayfever has become more and more suppressed which is great! Glutamine is supposed to be great for immune system etc. and recovery so I was quite surprised at how it affected me. Found a couple of people online who had the same experience, but the majority dont! Still some people dont get on with creatine, but im okay with it! Might have to order some stuff from muscle foods, keep seeing them recommended. Are they good price wise compared to supermarkets etc? I think they're very good value for money - especially when you buy in bulk (I usually spend around £100 or so) and it works out anything between £2.50-£3 a meal and they have quite a variety of options. I've got a referral code you can use as well which will give you some free goodies on your first order CP5701 Also - I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Thanks mate it's been a lot of trial and error over the years, but everyone's body is different and you have to adjust everything accordingly. Even my coach has learned new things about my body during the past 12 months. I've not heard of glutamine to give anyone a stomach upset? But again your body may react to it differently. I find it helps with the DOMS and it also helps your immune system as well - I've not found myself getting ill as much, and even my hayfever has become more and more suppressed which is great! Glutamine is supposed to be great for immune system etc. and recovery so I was quite surprised at how it affected me. Found a couple of people online who had the same experience, but the majority dont! Still some people dont get on with creatine, but im okay with it! Might have to order some stuff from muscle foods, keep seeing them recommended. Are they good price wise compared to supermarkets etc? I think they're very good value for money - especially when you buy in bulk (I usually spend around £100 or so) and it works out anything between £2.50-£3 a meal and they have quite a variety of options. I've got a referral code you can use as well which will give you some free goodies on your first order CP5701 Also - I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER Cool, cheers for the code. +1 on peanut butter, i love that stuff! Spoon load of it down as a snack whilst wife is knocking back the old chocolate cakes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Yeah I never focus on what others are lifting. Strength has so many varying factors. What you're used to, rep range, body composition. Some days I feel like "yeah getting strong now". Then some wisp of a guy will come in and warm up on my max lol. To overcome a plateau there's a few things you can do. The body wants to adapt all the time to what you're doing. That's how we build muscle on the first place. Body repairing micro tears in the tissue by building it bigger and stronger to cope with the stress. I know you do 4x8 like me. What are your rest periods between sets? If you're taking 60 seconds try 90 or 120. If you can't go up any more weight, try and squeeze out more reps up to say 10 or 12. Then you should be able to increase weight when you drop back down to 8 reps. Something that has been proven to be good for strength is a routine that incorporates 5 sets of 5 reps. Mix your routine up a bit. Increase calories. This one works for me. I think try a combination of trying for one or two more reps and more calories should help. The right calories that is. I don't know what your diet is like though so I'm shooting in the dark. Perhaps also say if you do dumbell press for instance switch to smith machine press. Etc. Thanks for your input. I rest for 30-40 seconds max between sets. I do mix my routine up ~ When I properly started back in January I did the same routine for around 12 weeks then I re-wrote it all, did a new one then for around 10 weeks and now I'm on the one I'm doing now which is a lot less intense than I was doing (takes around 45mins-1hr now instead of an 1hr-1:20hr). It's better for me now though as I'm more likely to complete the whole series of exercises rather than run out of energy & miss something off. Also I used to do the same exercises on each of my 3 training days but now I do different exercises on each day. Back when I first started I was using "Muscle Pharm Iron Whey" protein mix and "USN Micronized" creatine powder. This was good as I needed to put on body mass, ....added 16kg in 5 months approx. Now I'm just using the creatine powder but plan to stop in a few weeks when I run out of powder as even though I've been assured by a competent body builder I'm still not sure continuously loading with creatine is 100% necessary. (I'm 35 years old now so extra energy does help though) I think what I'll try is changing my routine again and upping the weight I'm lifting on my barbell by 1kg but keep it the same weight on the dumbbells once I get my house move all sorted. Bit difficult dedicating time to training & getting my motivation at the moment with so much going on trying to organise things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamic Turtle Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Good advice 're compound movements, they really stimulate growth hormones but you really have to pile the weight on and stress your muscles. Other than just keep mixing up your regime, do a little bit of cardio (not just bedroom gymnastics), avoid whey junk where possible - eat real food and try to get some sleep! Its that simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT350 Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Just had cold pizza for brunch! #Making dem gainz lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirag1988 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I had my cheat meal last night 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humpy Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 You have piled on the pounds with that Chirag, now get your ass down the gym 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirag1988 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) You have piled on the pounds with that Chirag, now get your ass down the gym Cheat meals can in fact help with weight loss as long as you use them wisely - I just wish I could use them all the time Edited August 22, 2015 by chirag1988 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humpy Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 El homo Only joking I am only jealous....... Of you eating pizza that is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT350 Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 For a cheat meal I like to still keep it sensible so I usually opt for a chicken tikka in pita. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smc1992 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I do a similar routine to you TT350. Well I did last year then I bought a house that needed renovating and I lost all routine with diet and gym. I am 22 and last year when I was in full swing of the routine and really starting to make progress I weighed 15 stone. I am 6'3 and quite broad so I have the build to get pretty big and it was showing but like I say I bought the house and just lost all routine and diet. The build that I am also means if I dont watch what I eat I gain weight like no tomorrow. I believe I have quite a slow metabolism so I have to watch my diet too. Also doesn't help that me and my girlfriend are not the best cooks and go for an easy option instead of preparing something healthy most of the time. Anyway I am starting to get back into it because I am now 2 stone heavier and I miss how I used to look. Thats also what I found with the gym, once you start you will forever be critical of how you look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugg90 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Cheat meals to me are more like a plate of chicken wings washed down with a bottle of Jack Daniels but then again I don't care about my health lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT350 Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 I do a similar routine to you TT350. Well I did last year then I bought a house that needed renovating and I lost all routine with diet. The build that I am also means if I dont watch what I eat I gain weight like no tomorrow. I believe I have quite a slow metabolism so I have to watch my diet too. Also doesn't help that me and my girlfriend are not the best cooks and go for an easy option instead of preparing Renovating houses is a tiresome and time expensive thing. I've done 4 now and they were all Victorian. IE nothing straight or done to current or even recent regulations lol. Knocking off Horsehair plaster that potentially contained long eradicated viruses. Lol. So I feel you. Sound like you're an endomorph then. Don't worry mate you can achieve any physical goal you set your mind to. Don't feel like you're held back biologically or genetically. Perhaps have a thyroid test done and if slow the doc will put you on T3 thyroid hormones. Learning to cook is great for dieting. Learning how to embellish and improve otherwise bland tasting stuff. Like cooking a big pot of basmati rice with a vegetable stock in then when cooked sprinkle fajita or can spices on the rice. All sorts of little tips and tricks that keep you being able to stomach the grub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT350 Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Cheat meals to me are more like a plate of chicken wings washed down with a bottle of Jack Daniels but then again I don't care about my health lol How about chicken wings IN jack daniels bbq sauce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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