YAWLT (shouldn't there be a forum for these?)

[Cerpin Taxt]

The relevant background:

I'm 6'2" and a between 230 and 235 lbs. My goal right now is to bulk a little more before I start a cut. In general, I want to be a bit bigger with nice definition (i.e. I want to look good naked ).

My current program involves a 3-day split between Chest & Tris, Back & Bis, and Legs & Abs. My lifts are almost all compound moves, and (ignoring warm up sets) I do 4-5 lifts x 3 sets/lift x 4-6 reps (to failure)/set. My chest workout consists of Flat Bench Barbell/Dumbell Press, Incline Barbell/Dumbell press, Decline Bench Barbell/Dumbell press, and/or Dips, and then I'll usually throw in some supplementary triceps isolation lifts.

Well, lately I seem to have hit a plateau on my chest exercises. My heavy sets on the flat bench have been at 210lbs for almost a month now. I can do 5, then 4, then 4 reps to complete the lift. My program stipulates that for ideal muscle growth stimulation one should lift to failure in at least 4 reps but no more than 6 reps on my heavy sets.

Now, I work out alone, so I'm not TRULY lifting to failure. I put the bar up on the 4th or 5th rep, and I usually know if I have one more in me or not. I don't have a spotter.

I should also add that the last few times I've done a chest workout, I barely even got sore afterwards. I guess I'm looking for suggestions for how to bust this plateau with either a different type of lift or a new way to shock my muscles.

While I do mix up my routines between Dumbells and Barbells, I almost always go: Flat then Incline, then Decline in that order. Would I benefit from mixing up the order as well? Probably, I guess.

 

[bignateyk]

When is the last time you changed up your routine? I would suggest a new workout for a month, then reverting back to the old one just to give your body a changeup.

Maybe do the same thing, but do sets of 10 for a month, or maybe switch to a full upper body workout one day, and full lower body workout another day. I assume you are eating enough?

Last time I hit a plateau, the only way I could get past it was to eat an extra 500 calories a day.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: bignateyk
When is the last time you changed up your routine? I would suggest a new workout for a month, then reverting back to the old one just to give your body a changeup.

Maybe do the same thing, but do sets of 10 for a month, or maybe switch to a full upper body workout one day, and full lower body workout another day. I assume you are eating enough?

Last time I hit a plateau, the only way I could get past it was to eat an extra 500 calories a day.

Other than moving from Barbells to Dumbells and then back, I haven't switched it up in a long time. The first thing I want to do, I think, is to scramble the order I do them, so perhaps my first lift will be incline, the second lift decline, and then the third lift flat.

I do like my current split, but maybe its time to think about an even more drastic rearrangement of my routine.

Also, I could probably eat more, but I do eat a lot. I get probably 300+ grams of protein every day, and a total of about 3500 - 3750calories. Apart from my shakes, its all whole foods too. Eggs, tuna, chicken, natural peanut butter, fat free cottage cheese. My carbs are whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and oatmeal.

 

[bignateyk]

Well I dont think you need more protein... maybe just more carbs. I would try a more drastic change to the workout than just the order. Even if only for a few weeks, then go back to the usual. When was the last time you took a week off? I also find that if I am getting stuck, taking a week off tends to help things. I usually take a week or two off once or twice a year...

 

[purbeast0]

you are overworking your muscles. you also sound like you are doing too many exercises for your chest. are you doing 7 total exercises or do you alternate dumbell/barbells every workout?

do each muscle group once a week instead of every 3 days. also do your shoulders as they are used as stabilizer muscles when doing your bench press.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
you are overworking your muscles. you also sound like you are doing too many exercises for your chest. are you doing 7 total exercises or do you alternate dumbell/barbells every workout?

do each muscle group once a week instead of every 3 days. also do your shoulders as they are used as stabilizer muscles when doing your bench press.

Sorry, I should've been more clear. I either do barbells, or dumbells, but not both during the same workout. I do sometimes throw in some shoulders work instead of the triceps isolation on my chest days, too. Then I usually do military press, dumbell flies, and occasionally upright rows.

Also, I space my 3 workouts over a week's time, so I'm working out every other day basically, which means that by the time I get back around to my chest workout, it's been a week.

Thanks for your advice though. Like Nate suggested, it may be time for a week off altogether before I go back to hitting it hard. I know it is a good idea to take a 1 week rest after ~8 weeks on or so. I haven't done that in a while.

 

[KK]

There is a forum for these, just not on AT.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Cerpin Taxt

Originally posted by: purbeast0
you are overworking your muscles. you also sound like you are doing too many exercises for your chest. are you doing 7 total exercises or do you alternate dumbell/barbells every workout?

do each muscle group once a week instead of every 3 days. also do your shoulders as they are used as stabilizer muscles when doing your bench press.

Sorry, I should've been more clear. I either do barbells, or dumbells, but not both during the same workout. I do sometimes throw in some shoulders work instead of the triceps isolation on my chest days, too. Then I usually do military press, dumbell flies, and occasionally upright rows.

Also, I space my 3 workouts over a week's time, so I'm working out every other day basically, which means that by the time I get back around to my chest workout, it's been a week.

Thanks for your advice though. Like Nate suggested, it may be time for a week off altogether before I go back to hitting it hard. I know it is a good idea to take a 1 week rest after ~8 weeks on or so. I haven't done that in a while.

ah okay gotcha. so yah I was like 0/2 w/my assumptions hah.

 

[jiggahertz]

Have you tried bumping up the weight? I work out alone and prefer flat dumbell bench so I can increase my weight/reps without fear of getting pinned. You may also want to dry a dropset once in a while. Also, even though we all enjoy the post workout soreness it doesn't necessary indicate progress.

 

[jiggahertz]

Have you tried bumping up the weight? I work out alone and prefer flat dumbell bench so I can increase my weight/reps without fear of getting pinned. You may also want to dry a dropset once in a while. Also, even though we all enjoy the post workout soreness it doesn't necessary indicate progress.