Help me out guys =[

[Skippy]

I've been lifting now for 10 weeks, for the first 8 weeks of my lifting (my picture is after 8 weeks) I was on a 3000 calorie a day diet with about 160 grams of protein per day. I went from 138lbs to 154lbs in these 8 weeks.

After this 8 week period, I changed my routine, decreased some reps and sets on some bodyparts but added in some more exercises.

All my exercises are compound, to try and get the overall quickest mass possible.

In these last 2 weeks I've upped my diet to 4000-4500 calories, I take about 200 grams of protein per day.

However unless I have cottage cheese, I seem to be dropping weight. Fast. I'm down to 150 now, and I'm starting to look skinny again, it's really freaking me out.

My routine is fairly basic, I pretty much only lift for my upper body since due to doing freerunning it is better for me to do weighted isometric training for my legs.

I do on monday and thursday, my triceps and chest, as follows

Bench Press, 2x12 warm up sets, 2x8 slightly-heavier sets for hypertrophy, 3x3 heavier sets, then 1x8 back to the hypertrophy weight thing.
Incline Bench Press: 4x8
Weighted Dips: 3x5
Lying-down tricep extensions: 3x8
Tricep Press Ups: 3x10
Handstands: 3 sets of as long as I can hold

My old routine used to be:
Bench Press 8x8
Handstands: 3 sets of as long as I could hold
Tricep Extensions: 3x8

And that was it, and I was gaining mass perfectly fine.


Tuesday and Friday:
Deadlifts: 2x10 warm up sets, then 5x5
Weighted Pull Ups: 5x5
Dumbbell Rows: 3x8
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs: 3x10
Negative Dumbbell Curls: 3x8

That used to gain me mass perfectly fine too, and now I seem to be going skinnier =\


I don't understand how I went from 138lbs to 154lbs in 8 weeks, and now even with higher protein and caloric intake and no doubt actual muscle soreness from my workout, that I am starting to drop weight.

I went down to 150 at the end of my 8th week, and just like 6 days on cottage cheese got me up to 156, like completely drained of fluids and shit 156, and now I'm down to 150 again.

I'm feeling really tired all the time too and now I'm getting more sleep than I used to! I have insomnia, and I used to only get like 4-5 hours sleep a night during my first 8 weeks, and now I get like 6-7 which its not alot more but its still on my way to ridding myself of this shit, and gah I'm just going down and I don't understand it!

Help me out guys =[

[anfeyd]

1. Take a week off.
2. Get your diet in check, are you really eating that much? If you have the money buy whole milk and drink a gallon a day.
3. Squats will assist in total body growth since the entire body is usually contracted in one fashion or another during the movement. Where did you get the idea that isometrics would be better? In order to fully prepare yourself for an impact you have to strengthen through a whole range of motion. Squats will do this. Not getting hurt if primarily a function of technique and luck.
4. Muscle soreness has nothing to do with putting on mass or indicating an efficient workout.
5. Are you focusing on things like drop sets mega pump and other useless garbage? How has your strength improved over the course of this program? How much stronger have you been getting?
6. Squat
7. It might benefit you to purchase a book like Starting Strength, not necessarily to follow the program but to understand the basic principles of barbell training.
8. Do squats and deadlifts. Focus on getting strong in these movements. Focus on strength in general.
9. You gain mass by your diet, eat.
10. After your work sets focusing on strength in a moderate repetition range (4-6) you can do one drop set (using a lighter weight) to failure of youre into that kind of thing for psychological reasons.
11. Remember to take a week off
12. Post a new routine based on this and then I will give you more feedback.
13. Why did you change your old routine if it was working?

[TrickerD]

Or something simpler:

1. Take a break
2. Squat and deadlift
3. Drink shitloads of milk

[anfeyd]

My post contains those three points.

[Skippy]

I changed my old routine because it was starting to do nothing.

My bench press max started out at like 70lbs or something stupidly low, and I've worked it to around 150lbs. It's not alot, but its plenty for me for the time being. I went from being able to tuck planche for about a second, to comfortably 5 seconds. I didn't record how much my deadlift went up by, since I still haven't deadlifting my maximum yet. Last time I was deadlifting like 180lbs for my 5x5's and that felt pretty comfortable for those reps. I've went from barely being able to do dips, to doing them with 20lbs extra weight.

I know being sore doesn't account for anything, but I like it to make me know I'm working, my old workout stopped making me sore and stopping giving me quick gains, so I felt the need to step things up.

I don't have a squat rack, and I don't go to a gym since the only ones near are fitness centres. Should I squat just as much as I can actually pick up into the front squat position then? and do something like some 20 rep squats for a time?

[TrickerD]

My post contains those three points.

But you have to be careful because people such as brokenvoice could be reading posts like that.

[Phil D]

Should I squat just as much as I can actually pick up into the front squat position then? and do something like some 20 rep squats for a time?

learn to power clean properly, and then you shouldnt have a problem with being able to get enough weight up for a while.

[Skippy]

Power cleans look so deadly haha, I mean I pretty much just work out in my bedroom.

I'll have a gander at it though phil and check it out, thanks buddy. Your random posts always seem to fix things haha.

[TrickerD]

Power cleans look so deadly haha, I mean I pretty much just work out in my bedroom.

I'll have a gander at it though phil and check it out, thanks buddy. Your random posts always seem to fix things haha.

I think power snatches are more impressive imo. They are also better for speed/power bcause of the explosive nature of the lift.

[Skippy]

Yes, but I imagine the idea of the clean is to get me into a position more appropriate for squatting.

edit: fuck it, never mind, that looks deadly as hell and I'm a fag.

[TrickerD]

Yes, but I imagine the idea of the clean is to get me into a position more appropriate for squatting.

Both can set you up for good squats. Cleans set you up for a front squat and snatches set you up for an overhead squat. But the overhead squat is harder so it takes more time to perfect a power snatch.

[Yuri]

Both can set you up for good squats. Cleans set you up for a front squat and snatches set you up for an overhead squat. But the overhead squat is harder so it takes more time to perfect a power snatch.

you do realize that you do not squat much in a power clean/snatch

what makes a snatch more explosive than a clean? sure you move the weight a greater distance, but you also use less weight

squat clean and snatch are much harder to learn than the power variations

front squats are great, but take some time to get used to. however, I do not think power cleans are a good way to learn to front squat. get used to holding weight in the front squat and you will get better at it. wrist flexibility is a plus, but there are other options like the bodybuilding front squat, tying straps from your fingers to the bar, or simply not holding the bar with all your fingers.

[Skippy]

Hmmm Baron, could you elaborate more on the bodybuilding front squat?

[Yuri]

http://www.t-nation.com/img/photos/268frontsqtarmcrssed_2.jpg

[TrickerD]

you do realize that you do not squat much in a power clean/snatch

what makes a snatch more explosive than a clean? sure you move the weight a greater distance, but you also use less weight

squat clean and snatch are much harder to learn than the power variations

I know that. But snatches have to be done faster because any break or pause in the snatch can result in failure or injury so it has to be done in a quick motion. Since power = work/time, you are working hard to pull the bar and pulling it quickly http://tomgorman.moonfruit.com/#/snatch/4510964456. I'm not trying to act like a know it all but I just read up about it on different sites and stuff.

[TrickerD]

http://www.t-nation.com/img/photos/268frontsqtarmcrssed_2.jpg

I do this for front squats most of the time for some reason. What are some of the advantages of this over the clean grip besides the preperation for a jerk?

[compleks]

Nothing really.

[Yuri]

I know that. But snatches have to be done faster because any break or pause in the snatch can result in failure or injury so it has to be done in a quick motion. Since power = work/time, you are working hard to pull the bar and pulling it quickly http://tomgorman.moonfruit.com/#/snatch/4510964456. I'm not trying to act like a know it all but I just read up about it on different sites and stuff.

touche, i suppose snatch does generate more power. I like snatches better than cleans anyway, though I am having trouble switching from power snatch to squat snatch whereas I did not have much of a problem with squat cleans.

[TrickerD]

touche, i suppose snatch does generate more power. I like snatches better than cleans anyway, though I am having trouble switching from power snatch to squat snatch whereas I did not have much of a problem with squat cleans.

It all has to do with flexibility. Squat cleans require good front squat form while squat snatch requires both good squat form and snatch form. Heck, they all require good form on everything but because of the overhead position of the snatch, it is easier to lose balance the lower you go.

[anfeyd]

The highest power outputs are recorded during the snatch. Most people use the power clean because they are afraid of the snatch. If I had ceiling room I would snatch every workout haha.

Anyways, Baron, snatch balances are your friend and just getting comfortable with the overhead squat. Chicanerous is familiarizing himself with the snatch I believe so hopefully hell give you more tips. I did them for a brief period of time on my back porch until I lost it behind me and created a big hole in the porch.

[TrickerD]

I have the most trouble keeping balance during the squat part of snatches :bad:

[Nicholai]

Just catch your power snatches and then immediately overhead squat it for each rep. Ease yourself lower and lower until you can catch it rock bottom.

And as anfeyd said, snatch balance works too.

[Yuri]

Just catch your power snatches and then immediately overhead squat it for each rep.

And as anfeyd said, snatch balance works too.



yea, that's what i've been doing. with a weight that I can easily power snatch it works ok but when I increase weight i go back to my old habits. I took a video of it last week, maybe i will post if i have time.

just need to practice more

[Honken]

Practice with a stick. Start at the end of the second pull and explode/drop into the catch. If your elbows are aligned the correct way and you're fully extended the bar will barely move and you'll catch it very easily.

[Nicholai]

yea, that's what i've been doing. with a weight that I can easily power snatch it works ok but when I increase weight i go back to my old habits. I took a video of it last week, maybe i will post if i have time.

just need to practice more

Yeah, dude, post it up. :juji: