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Help, I'm getting burnt


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I'm getting really burnt, not making the gains I was, and it's so frustrating. I have changed my lifting program at the advice of many, and my gains have slowed down and pretty much halted. But I honestly don't know if it's because I changed my workout or because I kind of hit a plateau. I tend to get stuck around this strength point, I did years ago as well. I'm open to recommendations. Here's my workout:

3 sets of each exercise, 10 reps each, every other day workout.

Day 1

squats

leg curls

back pull downs

rows

barbell curls

 

Day 2

bench

incline fly

shoulder press

db french press

side raises

 

Thoughts, tips, any ideas on how to really build up a bit more?

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I think the periodization idea is a great idea. Either you should drop down and work back up (a la Pavel), or you could try doing something like 3x3 at 80%+ max for a while, to give yourself time to recover a bit. It seems like your reps are kind of high?

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I'm not following the periodization. How does that work? What I've been doing is throwing in a different exercise here and there, that seems to be working a bit better, and gets me out of the rut. Like today I did incline bench, then flat bench narrow grip, then regular flys. I was at vitamin world today and started looking at some things, does anyone use any products prior to working out? I used creatine years ago and I think that it did help me out but I seemed to lose it after the cycle. Anyone use anything else, there's a ton out there. In the last few weeks I had a cup of caffinated green tea before the gym(liftng, not before cardio) and it gave me a little boost.

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Periodization means starting with a lighter weight for more reps and building up, over a period, to a higher weight for fewer reps.

It gives the body a new stimulus, teaches it to lift heavier, and adds muscle mass.

 

Jonathan

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Periodization means starting with a lighter weight for more reps and building up, over a period, to a higher weight for fewer reps.

It gives the body a new stimulus, teaches it to lift heavier, and adds muscle mass.

 

Jonathan

So for example, do 3 sets, one set of 20 reps to failure, then more weight 12 reps to failure, then more weight, 5 reps to failure? Or is it over a several workout span?

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Don't go to failure. It's usually pretty for consistant progression, and will fry your CNS (central nervous system).

 

So I use bench as an example. Say your 1rm is 100kg.

 

Week one:

3x8x70kg

 

Week two:

3x6x75kg

 

Week three:

3x5x80kg

 

Week four:

3x4x85kg

 

Week five:

3x3x90kg

 

Week six:

2x2x95kg

 

Week seven:

Max out and get 105kg

 

Even if you are not training for strength, it's important to do strength cycles in order to give you the strength to increase mass.

 

Jonathan

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You're probably right, it probably isn't your lifting change that did it (you have quite a detailed view on your workouts too). I'd suggest doing what I just did, and starting a food/nutritional log in the Online Journal's section. Maybe if this continues, you might see that you're starting to lack somewhere in carbs/proteins/calories/etc, and might be able to credit it to something outside of exercise/fitness, like more hours at work.

 

Then again, Jonathan's idea is a pretty good one too though.

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hmm, interesing, I'll give it a shot. Do you get typicall good results? guess that I'm not realy in a total slump, I mean I'm making smalle gains, like an extra rep here and there until I go up in weights, I'm just not adding an extra 5lbs per exercise per workout like I was before. So I guess I just hit a slow spot, inevitable, or else I'd be frickin huge.

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You aren't going to be able to make newbie gains forever unfortunately. I mean I have been gaining consistently with only a few plateaus but I am lucky to add 10lbs to a lift over a 6week routine, and this is just normal.

 

As regards the effectiveness of periodisation, it is good. Especially as you haven't done it before, you should see really good results. It will increase your strength and muscle mass.

 

Jonathan

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