OT: Weight training workout

[Rico444]

It's been about three months since I started dieting and regularly going to the gym. My gym workouts have consisted of three days of weight training, two days of high-intensity interval training and ab workouts, and two rest days. I've seen a pretty good change in my body; down 15 pounds overall, but I've definitely put on a good amount of muscle as I've pushed myself pretty hard as far as lifting goes. My weight training regiment is a mix of using the machines, dumbells, and the rack to do squats. I've increased the amount I can lift by a pretty good amount so far, and I'm constantly upping the amount of weight I lift in each exercise so I am pushing myself to the limit on each workout.

Here's my problem: I've plateaued. I still feel like I'm pushing myself hard in my workouts, but I don't feel sore at all the days after I lift. I realized this after I spent an afternoon raking leaves on Saturday, and I've been sore for the past 3 days from working my muscles in a different way than I had been at the gym. So it's definitely time to mix up my workout. I want to keep pushing myself and my muscles hard, since putting on muscle is definitely the best way to lose weight -- and I still have 40+ pounds I want to lose. Does anyone have a good total body workout that is different enough from regular weight training (bench press, squats, etc.) that will kick my weight loss back into high gear? Any and all suggestions are welcome; I would be happy to pick-and-choose ideas that will work best for me.

 

[Horatio]

It's been about three months since I started dieting and regularly going to the gym. My gym workouts have consisted of three days of weight training, two days of high-intensity interval training and ab workouts, and two rest days. I've seen a pretty good change in my body; down 15 pounds overall, but I've definitely put on a good amount of muscle as I've pushed myself pretty hard as far as lifting goes. My weight training regiment is a mix of using the machines, dumbells, and the rack to do squats. I've increased the amount I can lift by a pretty good amount so far, and I'm constantly upping the amount of weight I lift in each exercise so I am pushing myself to the limit on each workout.

Here's my problem: I've plateaued. I still feel like I'm pushing myself hard in my workouts, but I don't feel sore at all the days after I lift. I realized this after I spent an afternoon raking leaves on Saturday, and I've been sore for the past 3 days from working my muscles in a different way than I had been at the gym. So it's definitely time to mix up my workout. I want to keep pushing myself and my muscles hard, since putting on muscle is definitely the best way to lose weight -- and I still have 40+ pounds I want to lose. Does anyone have a good total body workout that is different enough from regular weight training (bench press, squats, etc.) that will kick my weight loss back into high gear? Any and all suggestions are welcome; I would be happy to pick-and-choose ideas that will work best for me.

The best thing I've done lately is kettle bells.
It's a tremendous full body workout and you don't need a gym. I bought two thirty pounders and I get most of my workouts from YouTube. It will cut you up if you do high reps. I use it as a supplement to my free weight days. I would recommend that you go on Amazon and purchase a real, durable sauna suit that boxers and wrestlers wear. I wear one during kettle bell workouts and a good kettle bell workout is almost cardio if done correctly. Be careful of children and family with KB workouts.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Plateaued after 3 months? For someone who presumably hasn’t lifted much in a while, that is a little odd. How old are you?

Could have to do with sleep, or you may not be eating enough, or you may be over-doing it a little. Maybe chill out on the HIIT once you’re in a comfortable weight/composition and continue to lose weight just with diet. Strength/size gains and weight loss are kind of in opposition of each other or require very careful balance, which is why you often hear about guys doing cut/bulk contingencies.

One thing you could try is a strict strength-building program like 5x5 or what I’ve switched to (after a year or so you have to start switching methodology every now and then), 5/3/1. You could also try some triples progressions. I started 5x5 for a year or so (it’s often referred to as “Starting Strength”), then did triples for a year or so and got pretty strong before a bad case of Mono knocked me out, and now I’m on 5/3/1. At some point I will probably shift back and forth between triples and 5/3/1 once I plateau again, which is just an accepted reality in building strength: you’re going to plateau at some point doing the same thing for a while.

One thing that I’ve done for a while that seems to have helped is pick a few heavy “primary movers” (squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press) and constantly change up your assistance work every couple months. Doing the assistance work slightly heavier (4x6), shifting to higher volume (3-4x12), diversifying your assistance movements. For example, when I was in Boston, I was assisting my squats and deadlifts with cleans, unilateral toe touches, and trap bar deadlifts; these days, I’m doing moderately heavy lunges, step-ups, and RDLs.

Some people (and I may soon) have a very deliberate phasing of lifting where they do 8-12 weeks of strength, 6-8 weeks of volume, and 6-8 weeks power, and cycle through that.

Are you mainly going for strength?

Just make sure your joints can handle this stuff

 

[husky429]

DIET. If you don't chajge your diet, you won't see the gains you're seeking.

 

[polycom]

When you say you are pushing yourself "hard" what does that mean? Are you going to the gym for 30 mins but doing a 50 min work out. Or are you going to the gym for 2 hours and doing a 30 min workout?

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Plateaued after 3 months? For someone who presumably hasn’t lifted much in a while, that is a little odd. How old are you?

Could have to do with sleep, or you may not be eating enough, or you may be over-doing it a little. Maybe chill out on the HIIT once you’re in a comfortable weight/composition and continue to lose weight just with diet. Strength/size gains and weight loss are kind of in opposition of each other or require very careful balance, which is why you often hear about guys doing cut/bulk contingencies.

One thing you could try is a strict strength-building program like 5x5 or what I’ve switched to (after a year or so you have to start switching methodology every now and then), 5/3/1. You could also try some triples progressions.

One thing that I’ve done for a while that seems to have helped is pick a few heavy “primary movers” (squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press) and constantly change up your assistance work every couple months. Doing the assistance work slightly heavier (4x6), shifting to higher volume, diversifying your assistance movements

Are you mainly going for strength?

Just make sure your joints can handle this stuff

+1 on 5x5. For a fairly new person it will blast you past tha plateau real fast.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Need more info. Age? How many different exercises and sets/reps do you do for each muscle group?
Try mixing up your exercises. Do in a different order.
Are you trying to get stronger or more ripped?
One day low reps/heavy weight.
Next day do low weight/high reps.
Mix in super sets.
Go easy with squats unless you want to power lift.

 

[B1GEast]

You just have to work through plateaus.

When I started working out again after several years, I went through two major plateaus.

Keep up with your routine and make sure that you are eating right.

You'll break through. You body is adjusting to change.

Don't let up.

This is coming from someone that dropped over 75lbs in a two year period.

Good luck

 

[Danzz]

All this talk about weight training makes me hungry. I'm going to have a donut or maybe 2.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

You just have to work through plateaus.

When I started working out again after several years, I went through two major plateaus.

Keep up with your routine and make sure that you are eating right.

You'll break through. You body is adjusting to change.

Don't let up.

This is coming from someone that dropped over 75lbs in a two year period.

Good luck

Its like cooking a pork butt. Hits that plateau and you think you need to change the temp or do something... You just have to stay the course and wait and it will continue to rise... Same here.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

I think you should continue to rake the leaves including those at my house to prevent the plateau.

 

[Rico444]

Plateaued after 3 months? For someone who presumably hasn’t lifted much in a while, that is a little odd. How old are you?

Could have to do with sleep, or you may not be eating enough, or you may be over-doing it a little. Maybe chill out on the HIIT once you’re in a comfortable weight/composition and continue to lose weight just with diet. Strength/size gains and weight loss are kind of in opposition of each other or require very careful balance, which is why you often hear about guys doing cut/bulk contingencies.

One thing you could try is a strict strength-building program like 5x5 or what I’ve switched to (after a year or so you have to start switching methodology every now and then), 5/3/1. You could also try some triples progressions.

One thing that I’ve done for a while that seems to have helped is pick a few heavy “primary movers” (squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press) and constantly change up your assistance work every couple months. Doing the assistance work slightly heavier (4x6), shifting to higher volume (3-4x12), diversifying your assistance movements. For example, when I was in Boston, I was assisting my squats and deadlifts with cleans, unilateral toe touches, and trap bar deadlifts; these days, I’m doing moderately heavy lunges, step-ups, and RDLs.

Some people (and I may soon) have a very deliberate phasing of lifting where they do 8-12 weeks of strength, 6-8 weeks of volume, and 6-8 weeks power, and cycle through that.

Are you mainly going for strength?

Just make sure your joints can handle this stuff

When I say plateaued, I'm still seeing some gains, but I'm not sore at all the day after the gym. I've read that it's a good idea to mix up your workouts every few months, and the fact that a few hours of raking leaves left me more sore than my regular weight-lifting workout means it might be time to work my muscles a little differently.

My main goal is to lose weight. The best way to lose weight is to put on muscle, so my main goal is to do that. The 5X5 seems like a pretty effective workout, I may give that a shot. Thanks for the info.

 

[Rico444]

DIET. If you don't chajge your diet, you won't see the gains you're seeking.

Yup, I'm dieting as well. Eating six times a day, focusing on protein and fiber, whole grains, healthy fats while avoiding saturated fat and high carbs.

 

[Rico444]

When you say you are pushing yourself "hard" what does that mean? Are you going to the gym for 30 mins but doing a 50 min work out. Or are you going to the gym for 2 hours and doing a 30 min workout?

I'm not sure what this means? My lifting workout takes me a little over an hour.

By pushing myself hard I mean that as soon as I am able to comfortably complete three reps of eight sets on a certain weight, I raise the weight . I never want my workout to be easy.

 

[Rico444]

Need more info. Age? How many different exercises and sets/reps do you do for each muscle group? I'm 31. Three sets of eight reps for each exercise. I do bench press, machine row, leg extension, dumbbell curls, overhead press, leg curls, lat pulldown, forearm curls (my forearms are puny lol), squats, shoulder shrugs, and chest fly, in that order (as much as I can based on what machines are available at the time).
Try mixing up your exercises. Do in a different order.
Are you trying to get stronger or more ripped? Stronger. Just want to build muscle proportionately.
One day low reps/heavy weight.
Next day do low weight/high reps.
Mix in super sets.
Go easy with squats unless you want to power lift.

Thanks for the info. With the workout I'm doing, mixing up the order/amount of weight and reps would definitely be helpful.

 

[Rocktheworld]

When I say plateaued, I'm still seeing some gains, but I'm not sore at all the day after the gym. I've read that it's a good idea to mix up your workouts every few months, and the fact that a few hours of raking leaves left me more sore than my regular weight-lifting workout means it might be time to work my muscles a little differently.

Excuse my lol here, but I really wouldn’t judge the effectiveness of your workouts based on how sore (or not) you feel the next morning after a workout. You really don’t want to be sore or in pain. You haven’t plateaued if you’re still making gains.

My main goal is to lose weight. The best way to lose weight is to put on muscle, so my main goal is to do that. The 5X5 seems like a pretty effective workout, I may give that a shot. Thanks for the info.

Really the best (only) way is to be in a calorie deficit. How extreme that deficit is will determine how fast the weight loss happens. Working your way (through lifting and cardio) in to said deficit isn’t really the way you want to go. It really comes down to diet. Stay a couple hundred calories below your maintenance level, and you will continue to lose weight.

 

[JMick]

Yup, I'm dieting as well. Eating six times a day, focusing on protein and fiber, whole grains, healthy fats while avoiding saturated fat and high carbs.

If your main goal is losing weight, track your calories. I'd also incorporate yoga if you want to work some different muscles

 

[Rico444]

Excuse my lol here, but I really wouldn’t judge the effectiveness of your workouts based on how sore (or not) you feel the next morning after a workout. You really don’t want to be sore or in pain.

I wondered if that meant I wasn't getting the same growth from my workouts as I was at the beginning when I was consistently sore. Good to know it doesn't mean anything.

Really the best (only) way is to be in a calorie deficit. How extreme that deficit is will determine how fast the weight loss happens. Working your way (through lifting and cardio) in to said deficit isn’t really the way you want to go. It really comes down to diet. Stay a couple hundred calories below your maintenance level, and you will continue to lose weight.

If your main goal is losing weight, track your calories. I'd also incorporate yoga if you want to work some different muscles

How do I figure out my maintenance level? I'm a big guy, 6'3" and about 245 so I'm sure I'm over the standard 2000 they suggest as a baseline for everybody.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I wondered if that meant I wasn't getting the same growth from my workouts as I was at the beginning when I was consistently sore. Good to know it doesn't mean anything.

As long as your lifts keep going up and you’re not feeling pain, you’re probably okay

How do I figure out my maintenance level? I'm a big guy, 6'3" and about 245 so I'm sure I'm over the standard 2000 they suggest as a baseline for everybody.

Plenty of nutrition calculators out there. @August_West is about your size and he just dropped like 30lbs to get under 250, I think he’s 6’2, he has been getting help from a nutritionist. I’d ask him what his maintenance is

Btw he has lost all that weight essentially without exercise over the last month or so. Just as an illustration that you can lose weight at a fine pace with no added work. The HIIT absolutely does, but just lifting really does not burn the amount of calories that many people think it does.

 

[August_West]

As long as your lifts keep going up and you’re not feeling pain, you’re probably okay


Plenty of nutrition calculators out there. @August_West is about your size and he just dropped like 30lbs to get under 250, I think he’s 6’2, he has been getting help from a nutritionist. I’d ask him what his maintenance is

Btw he has lost all that weight essentially without exercise over the last month or so. Just as an illustration that you can lose weight at a fine pace with no added work. The HIIT absolutely does, but just lifting really does not burn the amount of calories that many people think it does.

I can go to 1500. But Ive been eating between 1100-1200 as I havent been as consistent with the light workouts as I aim to be while I work through some physical ailments. But 1500 is my set limit even with physical activity maxed. I would say that with what Rico is doing physically around 1500 would be the sweet spot to drop lbs. because otherwise his manner of eating and makeup of the combination of foods and frequency is VERY similar to what Im doing right now.

 

[Rocktheworld]

@Rico444 keep in mind that August has a nutritionist’s personal services and monitoring so I would be cautious going as low as he does.

And 1500 is not his maintenance. That’s his daily limit- what causes him to be in a caloric deficit. For all we know his maintenance is something like 2200 and he’s going in to a significant 700+ calorie deficit. You gotta figure out your own and taper off the calories so you’re losing weight while maintaining strength

 

[Rico444]

I'm not so big on calorie counting, because it doesn't tell you how you got there. If you eat 3500 calories but it's all food that's high in saturated fats and sugar/refined carbs, then your body is going to process that much differently than if you're eating whole grains, lowfat dairy, nuts, and lean meats. Since I'm trying to put on some muscle, I obviously want to focus on the latter group there.

Calorie counting has a purpose, which is to make sure you're not overeating or even undereating, but I figure as long as I stick to the healthy types of foods and limit my portions, I'm not going to have to worry much about calorie counting.

 

[Rico444]

1500 calories a day seems pretty low. I ran a calorie calculator and even at moderate activity level, which I think I'm on the high end of, it put me at 3500 calories a day to maintain my weight. I haven't actually sat down and measured exactly how many calories I'm eating a day, but there's no way it's anywhere close to 3500. I would guess I eat 2500 a day, at the absolute most.

EDIT: And I know @August_West this was recommended to you so I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong. That number just surprised me at how low it is.

 

[LIuconn]

DIET. If you don't chajge your diet, you won't see the gains you're seeking.

You can't outrun your fork. It's all about diet - eat raw veggies all the time

 

[JMick]

I wondered if that meant I wasn't getting the same growth from my workouts as I was at the beginning when I was consistently sore. Good to know it doesn't mean anything.





How do I figure out my maintenance level? I'm a big guy, 6'3" and about 245 so I'm sure I'm over the standard 2000 they suggest as a baseline for everybody.

Precision Nutrition's Weight Loss Calculator: Here's what it really takes to reach your goals.

 

[JMick]

I'm not so big on calorie counting, because it doesn't tell you how you got there. If you eat 3500 calories but it's all food that's high in saturated fats and sugar/refined carbs, then your body is going to process that much differently than if you're eating whole grains, lowfat dairy, nuts, and lean meats. Since I'm trying to put on some muscle, I obviously want to focus on the latter group there.

Calorie counting has a purpose, which is to make sure you're not overeating or even undereating, but I figure as long as I stick to the healthy types of foods and limit my portions, I'm not going to have to worry much about calorie counting.

This is all false. I'll eat McDonald's every day for the next month with no working out and still outpace you if you're not tracking calories

 

[August_West]

I'm not so big on calorie counting, because it doesn't tell you how you got there. If you eat 3500 calories but it's all food that's high in saturated fats and sugar/refined carbs, then your body is going to process that much differently than if you're eating whole grains, lowfat dairy, nuts, and lean meats. Since I'm trying to put on some muscle, I obviously want to focus on the latter group there.

Calorie counting has a purpose, which is to make sure you're not overeating or even undereating, but I figure as long as I stick to the healthy types of foods and limit my portions, I'm not going to have to worry much about calorie counting.

Ah.... its more than just counting Calories though. as you mentioned, WHAT you get your calories from makes a huge difference. There are apps that make it easy. Right now I get 40% of my calories from protein. 40% from "Smart" Carbs (as my nutritionist calls them - which is obviously no "whites" - no white flour, sugar, breads. Whole grains OK, Most fruits OK. ) and 20% from Fats.

If you count Calories in conjunction with knowing the ratio of those 3 items you are getting it IS helpful and DOES promote some pretty drastic differences fairly quick. (at least it has for me)

 

[Rico444]

This is all false. I'll eat McDonald's every day for the next month with no working out and still outpace you if you're not tracking calories

What are you eating at McDonald's? How often are you eating during the day? Are you starving yourself to stay under a calorie count?

I'm tracking what I eat and have a general idea of how many calories everything I eat is; I just don't write down every meal I eat and add up all the calories. As long as each meal I eat isn't a ton of calories, is made up of high protein/fiber/whole grains, and is low in saturated fats and processed carbs, I know I'm going to lose weight and put on muscle.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Thanks for the info. With the workout I'm doing, mixing up the order/amount of weight and reps would definitely be helpful.

Thanks for the info. With the workout I'm doing, mixing up the order/amount of weight and reps would definitely be helpful.

To start I would change the order of the exercises you listed.
Do your 3 sets of bench press and then do the chest flyes.
Do the machine row then lat pull downs for your back.
Do shoulder presses then do dumbbell side lateral raises instead of shrugs for shoulders. Group your exercises for each body part.

 

[Rico444]

To start I would change the order of the exercises you listed.
Do your 3 sets of bench press and then do the chest flyes.
Do the machine row then lat pull downs for your back.
Do should presses then do dumbbell side lateral raises instead of shrugs for shoulders. Group your exercises for each body part.

I would think that you would want to rest the muscle group you just worked, so not work your chest two workouts in a row. I always mixed up my workouts to avoid this, was I doing it wrong?