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Hello-Please Help!!!

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ironlion27

Member
Jun 28, 2011
15
0
Hey all. Been reading through the forum a lot. I came here to learn some new shit. I been lifting hard since I ended my sporting carreer about 3 years ago and had been sport specific weight training for 10 years prior.

I have been making good enough gains over the past 3 years going from a 177 lbs soccer player body to a slightly squishy (16%bf) 195 lbs. body.

Here's were it all went wrong- I haven't measured in in about 3 months but was still feeling good and my wife was saying i was still making gains. i took a 2 week vacation to europe and didn't train those two weeks. I have been back for 1 full weeks training. Tonight I measured in and have lost almost a full inch in my biceps and 3 FULL INCHES on my chest since measuring 3 months before!!!! Me and my wife could both tell the difference after our trip but had no idea it would be that big of a difference.

Current Measurements;
Height-6'0"
Weight- 194.00
BF- 13.3%
Chest- 40.5"
Waist- 33"
Arms- 15.5"
Shoulders- 49.25"
Forearms- 12.5"
Neck- 15.25"
Hips- 39"
Thighs- 24.75"
Calves- 15"


I have been using an app for my phone to measure my calorie intake and have been right at my goal 2400 (my basal plus the cost of my excercise for the day- loaded heavy on proteins {so that I have ingredients for muscle but won't gain fat}) almost without exception for a full year now.

Example of Diet (todays meals);
Breakfast-Ham and Egg breakfast sandwich
Snack- Apple and baby bell cheese
Lunch- "Monster" Ham Sandwich
Snack- Clif Bar and Almonds
Dinner- turkey meat tacos x3
Snack- beef jerky

I've been putting in solid workouts every week with the only exception being our vacation. The three workouts I've been hitting for about 4-6 weeks each then rotating are at the following links;
{FYI} Jefit is just the program I use to track my workouts on my phone.

I have made a point of getting 7.5-8.5 hours sleep. I supplement with a quality multi-vitamin, fish oil and acidophilis.

How do I improve my current routines, diet or general habits to break this, what i wish was only a plateau, muscle loss streak. HELP!!!!
 
GreatGunz

GreatGunz

VIP
Jun 10, 2011
1,667
167
Maybe its time to re adjust the weight ur using for ur lifts(. Go heavier )
Load some carbs and than start cutting back on them after a week or two.
 
AllTheWay

AllTheWay

TID Lady Member
Mar 17, 2011
4,240
411
it is wonderful to have you join us. there are so many very knowledgable people here who love to help. welcome :D
 
PillarofBalance

PillarofBalance

Strength Pimp
Feb 27, 2011
17,066
4,640
Is it possible that you are panicking a little more than is needed? If you were on vacation you probably didn't eat consistenly. You weren't training either. Just start eating again and get back to the gym and start growing again...
 
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ironlion27

Member
Jun 28, 2011
15
0
@AlltheWay - Thanks for the welcome :)
@PillarofBalance - ya your probably right mate, was def more depressed last night than should be. Gunna just strap on my big boy boots and put in more work.
@GreatGunz- I've heard people talk about carb loading but i've never been able to really wrap my head around why it would make much of an impact. My understanding is that the body adapts very quickly and could possibly respond to the stress of the uncertain energy intake by storing more fat that is required. What's your take on it? I'm looking at changing my rep range down to a 7 rep goal and pushing up some heavier iron, hopefully that will help stimulate some new growth.


Do you think any particular supplement regime would help?
 
AllTheWay

AllTheWay

TID Lady Member
Mar 17, 2011
4,240
411
@AlltheWay - Thanks for the welcome :)
@PillarofBalance - ya your probably right mate, was def more depressed last night than should be. Gunna just strap on my big boy boots and put in more work.
@GreatGunz- I've heard people talk about carb loading but i've never been able to really wrap my head around why it would make much of an impact. My understanding is that the body adapts very quickly and could possibly respond to the stress of the uncertain energy intake by storing more fat that is required. What's your take on it? I'm looking at changing my rep range down to a 7 rep goal and pushing up some heavier iron, hopefully that will help stimulate some new growth.


Do you think any particular supplement regime would help?

whole foods are the very best supplement and the most improtant supplement that there is! when your diet is close to perfect than you can benefit from supps, maybe :)
 
shan

shan

TID Lady Member
Jul 1, 2011
980
85
Welcome! I am new here too, but just wanted to offer my opinion here since I teach nutrition and feed a competitive powerlifter. If you have been eating the same number of calories for a year without re-evaluating your bmr based on changes, you may be cutting yourself shorter on calories than you realize. With any change in body weight and especially with addition of muscle mass and a greater energy expenditure through exercise, you will need to cosume more calories. More muscle equals more energy expenditure so staying with the same number of calories won't work over the long run.
I would suggest that you find a good bmr calculator that takes into account your activity level as well as body fat level, you can modify your diet and exercise to suit you after that. I would also suggest reevaluating at least every month or two just to be sure you are staying on track. If your body fat drops by 5% you have to feed that muscle :)
 
D

deadweight

MuscleHead
Sep 20, 2010
2,293
498
it possible u also u could be over training...it lloks like u do everything by the book and that could cripple your gains...being conplusive person u could be trying to hard and doing way more then nessary...Drop the sets and exercizes foucus more on your basics instead of all the secoundary movements..Then u will start to grow...I also assume your not getting any stronger...That right there is a clue of over training....From what i read that is the core of your problem.dw
 
rocco-x

rocco-x

MuscleHead
Sep 16, 2010
398
15
welcome...yup,overtraining would be my 1st guess.find a basic simple routine like max-ot or a 5 x 5 and i'll bet your gains increase in a matter of a month or two.remember,you have to hit both fast and slow twitch fibers for optimal growth.i respond so much faster as i get older when i go heavy for 4-6reps and only a few sets of basic compound movements than when i was in my 20's and doing 20 sets till failure for every bodypart.
 
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ironlion27

Member
Jun 28, 2011
15
0
@shan Thanks, I'm planning on re-evaluating my caloric needs this evening.
@deadweight & @rocco-x Over training had never even crossed my mind!!!! Strength gains have also gone away. I think I'll prob go to the old compound movements HEAVY and then through a Pyramid set or monster drop set at the end of each move to make sure I still hitting some fast twitch. How many movements per muscle group should I be looking to do like this so I'm getting enough work done but not over training?
 
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