What am I doing wrong???

J

Joe.Muscle

Active Member
Hey guys.

I have been doing a lot of old reading through the HST site hear lately and a lot of the reading I have done just does not represent my expierence with HST (all the time). So I have a question for you guys what am I doing wrong. I fully understand the principals even though I don't always meticulously write everything down.

So before you answer let me explain what I currently do and maybe that will help everyone answer better.

(Its not that I am not making gains, they are just coming slower) Ok here are the facts.

I have been lifting weights for 12+ years seriously so I am conditioned. Before HST I was in extremely great shape as far as endurance goes b/c I would do 35 + sets for 2 bodyparts per workout. Although I could workout for hours and feel great obvioulsy I was severly overtrained and never saw strength increases. Fast forward to 2 years ago I meet HST and wallah my strenght and body feels great!

OK here are some areas also of concern.

I train with a set / rep guideline of around 24 to 36 reps.

In other workds 1 will do 3 sets of 12 reps........3 sets of 10 reps and 3 sets of 8 reps.

I don't go below 8 reps due to injury ( some of you who no me on this forum no this)

I do follow progressive load...but I have to admit sometimes I get lazy / sloppy and don't write everything down in stone. However I know what my weights are and for example if I do 70 pound dumbell bench for 12 reps I may repeat that for another workout but then I shoot for 75. I am always trying to get more reps/ or load in every workout.

Another concern is that I will do the following:

3 to 4 sets of 8 reps on bench, rows, leg press, shoulder press and a little arm iso's.

Unlike a lot of guys here who say they are tired as hell and are spent after the workout...I am not???!!!
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Not as the thread says...I know I am not superman...so what gives?

Am i that in shape?
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I don't think so?

My point is I do more volume and work and hit the gym 3 sometimes 4 times a week which is more than the average HST'er and I don't seem to think its that hard or a big deal?

I don't think increasing volume is the answer b/c hell I already do way more than everyone else?

By the way current stats are

6 foot 188 at 12.5% bodyfat according to this morning readings.

Chest is 43 1/2 inches
Biceps 16 1/2 inches
Waist around 34 inches.

I cut down to 174 this summer at 8% bodyfat..so I am guessing 188 pounds since last August at 12.5 % is not that great of a gain???

Sorry for the long post however I know that you have to be this detailed to get a good and honest answer.

Thanks guys!
 
Wow, the answer could be anything from, your having higher than resonable expectations to maybe you just need a long ass SD period, like months.

The obvious answer, you dont feel what your doing thus far is working, so whats that tell you? High volume/moderate weight isnt for you and/or time to mix things up or do something different.

Looks like its about time to test your old injury, see if your fully recovered and add some poundage, lower some reps.





Its a bird, its a plane, no its Joe.muscle
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maybe you should supplement with kryptonite, then the weight will be more challenging.
 
It is possible that you are being too conservative with the weights, for fear of reinjuring yourself...
 
Tot,

I think that could be a possibility.

Thats why I have decided to use a slightly higher rep range...but I have thought the same thing you are pointing out.

I was hoping maybe I could make up in volume what I couldn't do in load /
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poundage???
 
I think that you're in really great shape, but you have left out the information that is most vital in determining what you might be doing wrong----your DIET

I'd like to make more comments, but until I hear about your diet I can't say much.  Are you eating 2 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight ?  How many cals per day ?  Also, I think that Tot may be correct.  You might be focusing on form too much and not enough on weight, but I'd like to hear about your diet.  Also, if you want to get bigger, I don't believe you can use less weight and just increase the volume.  All that does is get you in great shape (and you have accomplished that).
 
<div>
(Joe.Muscle @ Jan. 25 2007,09:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Tot,

I think that could be a possibility.

Thats why I have decided to use a slightly higher rep range...but I have thought the same thing you are pointing out.

I was hoping maybe I could make up in volume what I couldn't do in load /  
rock.gif
poundage???</div>
I said the same thing, I dont get credit...haha
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if I do 70 pound dumbell bench for 12 reps I may repeat that for another workout but then I shoot for 75

you dont have to increase the weight every workout i only increase every 3rd,we dont know exactly how long rbe lasts but i think its more than once.

as the guys said use lower reps more weight dont increase every workout that way you get a longer cycle maybe a short cycle is not for you.
 
Joe, Totentanz has a point about fear of re-injury. You can still get into the low-rep ranges. Just zig-zag a bit into it with very slow progression.
 
Need to eat ....thanks for you input!!!
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Steve I greatly value your opinion. I have been getting on good days 1 gram of protein and on bad days .8 grams of protein. Maybe even more???

But I have been eating a ton of calories.

A typical day of food will be:

Chicken biscuit with pototoes
protein bar
Some sore of meet for lunch (chicken, burgers or steak)
another protein bar or maybe a shake
Steak, chicken or burgers again for dinner with some carbs (macaroni cheese,black eye pees, french fries)
Then a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter......or muscle milk.

Throught out the day peanut M&amp;M's have been a bad habit
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Also....to address to lifting heavy.

I just got back from the gym right now.

I through out all the rules today and said Im going heavy...I shot for 30 reps on every set and I think Tot and need to eat were right...maybe I am just not going heavy enough. So I am going to SD for 10 days and then start a cycle of just 10's and 5's....hopefully push the weights up more?

Steve...one thing I am good about is getting extra calories.....one thing I am bad about is counting my protein and making sure I get enough every day.

Like I said I went from 174 at 8% and l look great gaining weight. I was looking fuller and harder up to about 12% then its like the extra calories after 12% caught up with me.

If that makes any sense?
 
Here is my .02 about your diet:

I wasn't interested in exactly what you're eating, just wanted the cals and protein intake.  I would increase the protein intake to 2 grams per lb, and make sure you count them.  It's easy to do, even if you're busy. Just gorge on protein shakes.  No offense to you, but I've seen so many guys claim that they eat a ton when in actuality they're not really eating that much.  Count your calories at least one day to make sure you're getting what you think you're getting.  How many lbs of muscle do you want to gain ?  My philosophy is to take that number and add it to your weight, then eat at that maintenance level.  Guys who want to be fit and trim have a hard time accepting that.  

My .02 about the gym:
Sounds like you have a good plan on what to do for the gym.  Don't get crazy and reinjure yourself, but get focused on beating those log book numbers, even if it means you have to drop the volume.
 
Thanks Steve.

I think you are right on with the protein and food log.

Okay let me as a REALLY DUMB question here.

Years ago I use to log everything calories protein carbs ...well obviously I have gotten away from doing that.

Lets say that I log everything for the next year...I put on 5 or so pounds of muscle.

If I slip back into my bad habits and stop logging everything will that make me loose muscle mass?
 
I think the big benefit of logging everything is you know EXACTALY what you are doing in the gym and in the kitchen.

I log my lifting very well but I need to work on the kitchen end of things.  I know I don't eat enough and it's just because I'm lazy when it comes to logging my food intake.
 
i like a lot of what steve (and others) has to say here.
use fitday (or something like it) to track cals. this will enable you to positively make sure your getting enough cals to gain while at the same time let you monitor how big the excess will be......keep growing muscle slowly but try and limit fat (200-400 over maint) or just get bigger (400 to 500 and beyond).

if your not overly concerned with bf (your post hints otherwise) you can definitly get large using fitday to make sure your 500+ maint each day for a cycle. trying to keep bf in check while still growing takes a bit more finess but is still possible, you just run back into the same perception pit falls like &quot;im not gaining as much as others&quot; &quot;i should be bigger/stronger&quot; etc.

i think the modr. wgt w/o combined with a modr. successful diet is perhaps the culprit for your discouragement not just one or the other. i'll throw out 1 word of caution on the new w/o plan. i would still do most of your cycle the way you normally (recently) do it with the wgts and rep range but at the end (last 2-4 weeks) add in the heavier wgt and lower reps. when injuries are concerned its better to ease into new stuff then dive into it.

good luck
 
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(Joe.Muscle @ Jan. 25 2007,16:07)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Thanks Steve.

I think you are right on with the protein and food log.

Okay let me as a REALLY DUMB question here.

Years ago I use to log everything calories protein carbs ...well obviously I have gotten away from doing that.

Lets say that I log everything for the next year...I put on 5 or so pounds of muscle.

If I slip back into my bad habits and stop logging everything will that make me loose muscle mass?</div>
Yes, your body becomes angry when you don't log and goes catabolic on you, then pumps you full of estrogen.  lol

Seriously though, what will make you lose muscle mass is not eating enough cals.  

Cutting is a real challenge for me.  Nevertheless, I've been pretty successful at doing it.  I've accomplished it by logging all calories for a few days, and then eating the same exact thing every day (yes, it sucks).  Then, monitoring my metabolism as best I can and adjust for a few days if it goes down, relogging everything.  

You might have to do the same kind of thing for bulking, since bulking seems to be a challenge for you.  If you can't eat the same exact thing everyday due to your schedule or palate issues, then you just have to log every day.  At your weight, I believe you can do much better than 5 lbs of muscle in a year if you do things correctly.
 
btw, the time between this post and my last i went to fitday and put in yesterday and todays (so far) meals from memory. probably less then 10 min. for 2 days. for all those who dont use something like this (but are interested) it really is that easy, fast and free........that part is too bad, maybe i could make a commission......nah, i would just have to give it to the guy who gave me the info.
 
Maybe I should just SD.

Start fresh with the diet.

Take some pics and maybe start a log here in HST forum to track progress.

Im not sure about that last part yet!
 
Hey Joe,

Like the others, I believe you are highly conditioned due to years of training with this volume. I would start with a good SD, a full 2 weeks. Do not aim too high this time, maybe 20-25 total reps per exercise, but try to go heavier than usual. After the 15's and the 10's (or whatever rep ranges you are are using), go for 5 reps per set and then maybe for 2-3 reps per set (using clustering or Max-Stim). Try to focus on increasing the load this time and not volume.

So, I'm just saying what the others have already suggested, lower reps and more weight (with moderate volume). Going lower than 8 reps does make a difference. Extend the heavy phase of your cycle as much as you can.

I'm sure you know this and have read it a million times, but I'll just repeat it. Do not be afraid to go heavy, but safety is always first and foremost. Nothing is worth risking an injury. If you can't go below 8 reps without risking, then so be it.

Again, I'm sure you know all these things better than I do, but sometimes the obvious is the best solution...

Best of luck,
Dimitris
 
You are not lifting heavy enough...period.

You are 6' tall with decent body mass.  You have been lifting for 12 years.  I understand you are concerned about an injury, but with your size and experience you should be putting up some HUGE numbers by now.

In 4 months it will have been 1 full year since I started HST/max-stim style training.  I was fairly weak when I started.  By the one year mark I want to be squatting 400 lb.s.  (right now max is about 300), overhead pressing 200 lb.s (170 max now), and I want my dips and chins to be much bigger...(my weak points right now).

The single-most important factor to training is PROGRESSIVE MECHANICAL LOAD.  And I don't mean just progressing the loads each workout, I mean every HST cycle the weights should be higher than the last cycle.

Steve hit the nail on the head...... <div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> Don't get crazy and reinjure yourself, but get focused on beating those log book numbers, even if it means you have to drop the volume.</div>

And at 6', you need more mass...EAT!  You should shoot for 200 lb.s without going crazy.  I am 6' and currently hovering near 200 for the first time in my life and my waist is only 35&quot;.  I still look good, not cut, but not fat either.

Too many guys stay small because they are obsessed with being cut to shreds all the time.  EAT...get fat for awhile, look at the big 6' powerlifters, they usually are big, fat beasts, but they have a giant amount of muscle tissue also.

I would bet the average powerlifter has more lean mass than the average bodybuilder.  WHY?  Because the powerlifter is obsessed with adding weight to the bar, and will eat the whole house to help that goal wihout worrying about his gut.
 
I second that. Check your gym attitude. If you're not there to kick your own butt, you're not there. I had a period where I killed myself playing too safe too, or I should say wasted my time. I'm even cheating the 5x5 program slightly by doing a single after hitting my 5rm's. That gets me ready for the next workout mentally, since I KNOW I can get it more than once. (since I've learned that we GAIN strength each week.) And the single doesn't hurt my CNS. All good.
 
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