Redgav

I'm not quite a newbie but far from knowledgeable so not quite sure where to post this.

Anyway, with the help of several of you out there I have tweaked my routine since January this year from the previous one and have pretty much stuck with it continously. It has only been the last couple of days from a previous question that I have fully recognised the importance of regular breaks in training to recover... I think I may have been overtraining without realising it.

I'm trying to get muscle size and strength. Currently about 11stone 7lbs give or take a pound or two and about 16% body fat. I have this annoying little roll which will NOT disappear. I lost about 2.5 stones over 16 months and think that this loose skin/flab my be a side effect. My cardio has dropped away recently. A little dispondent as it wasn't shifting it.

How do I improve on this? I'm not genetically gifted (my wife will vouch for that!!) but willing to put in the work.

Current workout as below. I've put the weights there although they will be nothing compared to what some of you guys lift! They're not there to brag, simply for you to gauge whether there is any disparity in the weights. For example I feel I should be pressing alot more compared to my squats and deadlift.

All exercises are 4 sets of about 5-8 reps. The first set is a warm up of about 10 reps.

Sunday
Incline bench press - 55kg
Decline bench press - 60kg
Incline Dumbell flys - 20kg each
Dumbell biceps curl - 17.5kg
Triceps pushdown - 42.5kg

Tuesday
Squats - 110kg
Standing calf raise - 110kg
Leg curls - 30kg
Leg extensions - 45kg

Thursday
Deadlifts - 110kg
Barbell Shrugs - 80kg
military press - 40kg
lateral raise - 7.5kg each dumbell
Lateral pulldown - 60kg

Some of these weights have not increased much over the last few months. I train alone at home so have no one to spot me so I'm cautious about increasing weight significantly in large steps. But even so I seem to have plateaued.

My diet is reasonable allowing for family life with good helpings of protein shake too.

So, what do you guys suggest regarding the above? Apologies to the moderators if this is in the wrong place. Let me know if it is.

Many thanks in anticipation of your tips....

Redgav

oops, forgot to say that the reason that some of the weights are all at 110kg is that that is the maximum I can fit on my bar at the moment! I feel I could deadlift more but not squat more with proper form!

Truewarrior1

post your diet please mate,plus switch sunday with tuesday. maybe more workouts and less sets per workout.

Redgav

My diet is pretty much as follows.

Breakfast, 7am. - 2 or 3 weetabix plus 60g protein in shake

Lunch 12 noonish - 100g tin of tuna on homemade wholemeal bread

Tea, 6pm - whatever family meal is on the table. Not much help I know but it varies! We eat healthily but I cannot force the family to all eat what I want or ask the wife to cook me something different!

It usually has portion eggs/chicken potatoes and veg.

Protien shake post training at 8pm and another at 10.30pm. Each one about 45g protein.

I know this diet is not as comprehensively reported as others on here but it's a bit tricky!

Why would you swap Tuesday and Sunday?

Truewarrior1

because your deads and squats are too close together mate, you'll end up injuring yourself or just tiring out and giving up AND THAT IS NOT AN OPTION SOLDIER! WE SHOOT PEOPLE IN THE BACK WHO TURN N RUN! mate your eating about 2000 calories do u seriously expect to grow and get stronger on this? you need to add in more real food and more meals! not enough fats either. peanut butter? salmon? take your pick theres tons. so with the increase in meals and upping your cardio to at least 20 mins ED you'll drop some fat and probably gain some weight.

Slamdog

cook something yourself...... I do.... I also cook the family meals, quite often something completely different to what i'm eating.

Lux

He's got a wife, why have a dog and bark yourself? lol

I'm sure you can find time to prep some of your own meals mate?

Timing between meals is ideally every 3-3.5 hours. Or even 2.5 if it fits better.

I see your having big breaks between meals 1,2+3. More frequent meals helps get the required nutrients and speed up your metabolism

Slamdog

I do it so I get food without the rat poison in it.....

That and it means i get to only use proper ingredients. Its a time thing in our house... i have to get the meals ready and eaten before i go to work at 6pm and seeing as the wife doesn't get home till 4:45....

Redgav

Fair point mate, but I'm shocking bad. By the time I get home at 6pm my darling wife usually has tea on the table anyway!