Quote :

"I've really hit a plateau lately. I can't seem to drop any body fat and I can't seem to get past the weights I've been lifting. I've tried just about everything, taking days off, taking creatine, not taking creatine. Any advice? Any good workout regime or website for busting through a plateau? I'm pretty happy with where I am, I just don't want to sacrifice muscle to lower my body fat %."

What does your 3 days a week look like and what are your lift numbers? Pretty universal recommendations for plateau-busting are eat more and add volume/frequency, but if you tell us your routine, it might turn out that you're leaving something big out.

[Edited on May 23, 2013 at 3:30 PM. Reason : ]

5/23/2013 3:29:34 PM

dont forget to talk about your current diet

5/23/2013 3:38:24 PM

You mean decrease volume right. He said he plateaued .

Best bet is to do a deload if you want to break thru.

5/23/2013 4:33:24 PM

Quote :

"Best bet is to do a deload if you want to break thru."

so you can make this statement without knowing anything about his current diet or training methodology?

5/23/2013 4:43:53 PM

It doesn't sound like he does anything consistently enough to warrant a deload (he switches his stuff EVERY week from the sound of it). Definitely need more information though.

5/23/2013 4:50:47 PM

Monday: chest/triceps
Tuesday: cross training
Wednesday: back/biceps
Thursday: rest or cross train
Friday: legs
Saturday: rest
Sunday: cardio

I usually rotate every three weeks from 4 sets of 10 to 3 sets of 8 to 3 sets of 6-8 moving up in weight as i go and then repeat. I do pretty basic exercises, dumbell presses, pull ups, dips, leg presses, machine squats, curls, etc.

5/23/2013 7:15:42 PM

Add in compound lifts and you'll "blast through" your plateau.

5/23/2013 8:00:59 PM

Do legs more than 1 day a week.

5/23/2013 10:08:52 PM

Id eliminate the cross training and cardio. Get rid of the bodybuilding routine assuming youre not on steroids.

And start living heavier using compound lifts. And eat a lot. You probably just need strength training to get stronger


300g carbs tonite. Felt like manna from the gods. Cereal, bagel, lemonade, milk, couple strawberrie. Yum.


Got that fucking golfers elbow bicep tendinitis again. Probably from depletion workout after ignoring accessory exercises so long

[Edited on May 23, 2013 at 10:11 PM. Reason : a]

5/23/2013 10:08:55 PM

Why should he eliminate cardio? It's not like he is doing a ton. I do one steady- state a week.

5/24/2013 10:55:03 AM

Quote :

"Monday: chest/triceps Tuesday: cross training Wednesday: back/biceps Thursday: rest or cross train Friday: legs Saturday: rest Sunday: cardio I usually rotate every three weeks from 4 sets of 10 to 3 sets of 8 to 3 sets of 6-8 moving up in weight as i go and then repeat. I do pretty basic exercises, dumbell presses, pull ups, dips, leg presses, machine squats, curls, etc."

Although I agree with some of the other comments, the main issue I see is that you're not hitting muscles frequently enough to get stronger or bigger. I'm not sure how long you've been training, but it's highly likely your chest, shoulders, back, biceps, and legs do not take 7 days to recover. You could (and probably should) be hitting each of those muscles in some way every few days, even if they aren't the primary muscle in the exercises you're doing. At the moment you're leaving a lot of potential growth on the table every week.

That's the beauty of compound lifts. When you do a barbell row, or an overhead press, or bench press, squat, deadlift, or pull ups, you're doing an exercise that is stimulating several muscle groups. It's the most time effective thing you can do. Instead of having a day devoted towards back and biceps, you could have a day doing squats, chin ups, heavy rows, bench press, and some lower weight/higher rep accessory work. It's going to be a more challenging workout obviously, but you'll get more growth out of it.

5/24/2013 12:14:28 PM

^^why? What are you hoping to gain?

Personally I never recommend anyone do steady state.

5/24/2013 3:44:53 PM

You want a short answer? Simply for the calorie burn.And I do my steady state on what I consider my rest day (Sunday) where I can get out there on a track or something and enjoy the weather during these warm months too. I've experimented with HIIT 2-3 times a week before, and I found that I didn't recover well.

Currently I'm working with a Gym Jones trained guy who I have program my training for 3 months. The idea is to re-condition the back after my microdiscectomy a little over a year ago. So the emphasis is on structural and correctional. I'm doing alot of lowerbody work focusing on the posterior chain and core training as well. On Tues and Thurs he has me do 60 min of light aerobic(swim, run, bike, skiERG), which I think is a bit much, and boring. I don't like to do a whole lot of anything. In my opinion, too much HIIT and too much steady state can break your body down just the same. One HIIT and one steady state in the grand scheme of things isn't going to be detrimental, despite what studies have shown regarding fat loss, musle loss, and overall strength. So on Tues or Thurs, depending on how my lowerbody feels, I sneak in one HIIT a week on the treadmill. I switch it up by doing some "hills" on it as well.

I had Matt look at the first week of training from the guy and I think the criticism with the program was, the progression was all wrong, or something like that. I can send you the program if you want, I forgot about you, cause you're never on much.

And I get it...If you cruise around the internet, I understand that most people will say that the benefits of HIIT cardio is superior to SS. Let me just say that I trust the information on Charles Poliquin's blog, but I also follow Rusty Moore and T-Nation for some perspectives on certain subjects as well. Poliquin seems to be completely against SS and T-Nation is "lukewarm" depending on the author. Rusty Moore and Lyle McDonald are more sympathetic towards steady state.

What's my point here? Well, you've got competing opinions from very knowledgeable sources, what the hell do you do? See above, about balancing both in a small amount.

And I just read something about how your body is your best data point. True for many arguments like this...and the whole carbohydrate debate too.

5/24/2013 9:52:44 PM

good workout for those without access to a gym, those without much time, those who don't like working out, and those who are just plain lazy.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/

5/25/2013 3:12:13 AM

For the first time in my life I feel like I'm making actual noticeable changes in body composition. So...that's encouraging.

5/25/2013 9:19:46 AM

if you can recommend HIIT for cardio instead of steady state, then you're not encouraging people to work their legs hard enough with weights. There is no way anyone would be cabable of physically recovering from both.

In additional to the recovery aspect, I prefer steady-state cardio because it's easier on the joints and I can burn more calories. Most people give out after 30 minutes of HIIT, but I have no problem doing an hour of steady state cardio at a time.

5/25/2013 10:19:55 AM

Quote :

"In additional to the recovery aspect, I prefer steady-state cardio because it's easier on the joints and I can burn more calories. Most people give out after 30 minutes of HIIT, but I have no problem doing an hour of steady state cardio at a time."

This. I came back from a microD and I find that when I do HIIT, my body sends those nerve signs to the back. With SS, I have very little nerve sign, with good running form.

5/25/2013 11:09:43 AM

I would think constant pounding for a longer time would actually be worse on your joints. Also, if you're doing 30 minutes of HIIT you should probably revisit what you're actually doing/what you classify as HIIT.

[Edited on May 25, 2013 at 11:19 AM. Reason : ]

5/25/2013 11:16:46 AM

Can someone define steady state? Googling isn't helping me.

5/25/2013 12:54:17 PM

I'm assuming it's just constant cardio at a steady pace...like traditional cardio..jog for an hour or ride your bike at a pace that'll get your heart rate up but not balls out so that you can keep up the same pace for extended periods.

[Edited on May 25, 2013 at 1:14 PM. Reason : ]

5/25/2013 1:13:02 PM

steady state is the opposite of interval training.

in interval training you alternate between sprint and jog for a given time period

in steady state you go at the same speed for a given time period.

[Edited on May 25, 2013 at 1:33 PM. Reason : ]

5/25/2013 1:30:57 PM

Did 24 chin ups today with good form... will keep working on them until I break 30. Then I'll test pull ups. No video though. I'll capture it when I break 25 or 30.

5/26/2013 3:09:00 PM

So I'm really sticking to putting everything into MyFitnessPal, and I mean everything. Tonight my mom and I are going to On the Border for her birthday (her choice, not mine) and I'm checking out the menu beforehand to see what I can get with my leftover calories for the day, keeping in mind that I also have to run this evening (training plan)

anyways, holy moly the calories on this menu is scary! The beef chimichanga is practically an entire day's worth of calories! I guess I'll go with the chicken fajitas without tortillas

my favorite dessert, sopapillas, is 1340 calories! damn

5/28/2013 3:33:14 PM

You should see Mike go to On the Border...

Pretty sure it would break myfitnesspal

5/28/2013 3:40:17 PM

I really love using MyFitnessPal. I tried to keep up with it over the holiday weekend, and for the most part I did okay. My in-laws cook large meals though, and I usually don't stop myself from seconds. I tried to be mindful of my potions and watch the drinking (except for Sunday...oops), and actually walked away from the weekend only gaining two pounds.

Back to it today though

5/28/2013 3:46:53 PM

I did great the whole holiday...maybe a little too great cause I ended up eating a bunch last night. But it's like I have a weird adaptation where I digest food very slowly now. I don't have to eat today cause I'm still full from yesterday. It's kind of awesome.

5/28/2013 4:02:35 PM

^^^i usually avoid tracking when I go there. I need to go and track after...it's been awhile.

5/28/2013 4:13:18 PM

Not sure if it will beat our Taco Bell family platter plus extras adventure

5/28/2013 4:16:20 PM

Don't remind me

5/28/2013 8:43:25 PM

I got some blood work done a few weeks that included serum glucose, thyroid hormones, cortisol levels, blood cell counts and a full metabolic panel. Fortunately, everything came back normal, but I was anticipating something abnormal so I can actually pinpoint why the scale is not moving, my insomnia, and bloating and fatigue all the time.

Then, I asked, so what else has been consistent in my daily routine? Birth control pill! When my results came back, I went off my pill the next day, and it’s been two weeks now. I don’t want to say absolutely, for certain that it’s the pill, but I have noticed a difference in my mood.

I’ve noted a difference in appetite, by body still signals hunger at certain hours during the day…that hasn’t changed, but there is decreased in general hunger, less cravings for carbohydrates(includes simple sugar/carbs), sleeping better, more energy/less sluggish throughout the day.

Placebo? Too soon to say.

I’m not quite sure I believe fully in the whole estrogen dominance story. But there are some peer reviewed studies. I’ve also heard that women generally crave/require carbs more than men. But what exactly is the link, could it be between carbs and reproduction?

5/29/2013 11:25:50 AM

^ were you on a generic BC by chance? i was on one that slowly raised my cortisol levels to abnormally high levels over the course of about 3-4 years. it wasn't the entire cause of all my weight gain a few years ago but it did contribute to about 10 pounds worth.

my endo's nurse told me that generic BC has been known to cause weight gain moreso than name brand meds. don't know if it's true but it seemed to be the case for me.

5/29/2013 7:49:44 PM

yeah it's changed quite a bit with my insurance provider. I never thought anything about it, they're all a combination of drosperinone/estradiol. Didn't know tiny little pill with small dose could have an effect.


Yasmin> Ocella> Zarah

5/29/2013 8:41:00 PM

i just sent you a PM.

5/29/2013 8:44:26 PM

back at ya

5/29/2013 9:11:54 PM

trying not to succumb to menstrual cravings while watching what i'm eating is hard.

5/29/2013 9:28:07 PM

I need cardio ideas that arent just HIIT running.

I get bored really fast with running now, even after doing half marathons last summer. I got wayyyy too skinny doing those and now that I put on about 20 lbs of muscle I need cardio to get this gut off and to be my old self in the sack.

ideas? basketball? anything else other than just "running"

5/29/2013 10:49:16 PM

Rowing machine

5/29/2013 11:59:26 PM

Air dyne too.

5/30/2013 10:32:50 AM

If you have access to a skiERG, it's great. It's basically like an upright rowing machine.

5/30/2013 10:40:55 AM

I found my new exercise regimen!

5/31/2013 9:01:01 AM

^ saw that mess on CNN last night. What a fucking joke. Just like Zumba.

We did 5 rounds of 100 m sprints at max pace yesterday (90 sec rest in between) and damn I'm sore from that. We did some wall ball and burpee work prior and stretched for about 25 minutes on our warm-up, but I feel like I fell out of a tree today. I guess since I have not done full blown sprints like that since probably college it took a lot of out me.

5/31/2013 9:51:03 AM

So face, how is RIP Girlfriend 2.0 working out?

5/31/2013 3:19:03 PM

Man last week was intense and then thurs thru monday I had to have like 100 drinks for memorial day weekend. Ive drank not to excess this week and just did a ton of sets of push ups once and ate a slight caloric deficit while taking ephedrine.

My body needed a week to recover from lifting I had a nagging groin and shoulder injury from squatting and benching heavy for 6 straight weeks that only got worse especially after the depletion workout.

My plan is to try a week or two of moderately high volume hypertrophy training with a minimal caloric surplus Then completing the cut with either RIP 2.0 for eight weeks or RIP 1.0 for 2 weeks depending on what I think my body can handle without injury.

Jumping into RIP 2.0 going basically straight from starting strength low volume, low reps anabolic high calorie diet was just crazy tough from a mental and physical standpoint. Mentally I could do it but physically I was beat up.

5/31/2013 7:08:33 PM

So I guess I will join this thread.

I'm using the MyFitnessPal app. It says to eat no more than 1480 calories a day. (My doctor also said the same. I have high cholesterol.)

I started May 29th.

Current Weight-193
Goal- 170

Hopeful weight-loss per week is ~2lbs

Currently right now doing a lot of cardio. Running 2-4 miles a day 4-5x a week.

Lets see how this goes!

5/31/2013 8:12:05 PM

Not enough calories. Your doctor is not a nutritionist (and even most of them suck)...not sure why having high cholesterol matters in terms of your caloric intake...

At 190# your maintenance is around 2800 calories. I strongly dislike large deficits. For 1# of weight loss/week you need around 2300 calories. Also, find a way to do resistance training, even if it's just body weight stuff for the time being.

Mild deficit and heavy lifting is usually what I advise for solid FAT loss. Cardio is optional.

[Edited on May 31, 2013 at 9:21 PM. Reason : ]

5/31/2013 9:20:45 PM

Myfitnesspal has me on 1500 calories a day. I'm weighing in today at 137.2, I'm 5'7" and my goal is 130 and 1lb a week.

If you want to connect of myfitnesspal send me a PM. My only other friends on there are wolfwebbers

5/31/2013 9:40:03 PM

^^ so why have I not been losing weight at a sub 2k calorie diet at 230lbs and a four day a week heavy compound lifting routine? The mirror definitely show results, more muscle definition, smaller belly, lifts have gone up but very slowly and the scale isn't budging. This one has been baffling me.

5/31/2013 9:48:22 PM

body composition does not have a 1:1 relationship with body weight

[Edited on May 31, 2013 at 10:32 PM. Reason : ]

5/31/2013 10:31:44 PM

^^Are you trying to make weight for a boxing match?? Maybe you shouldn't worry about what the scale says and enjoy the other benefits you stated.

5/31/2013 10:42:52 PM

you all prefer myfitnesspal over fitday? I use fitday because I think it's simpler.

5/31/2013 11:31:41 PM