hi, im sorry if this question has been asked before and hope you'll answer it. i've been through the basics of training so my body is used to any kind of training i do as of this moment, what i need help with is that right now im currently 5.7'' inches tall and weigh 8.7 stones. i want to get to 9 stones or even ten, ive been training and eating right but my i dont seem to gain weight and its as if my muscle dont grow, i dont see a result, it might be due to the fact that i've been doing the same weight all the time.(30kg benching and 15 kg bicep curls), should i have protein shakes or something? i need your help guys

thanks in advance for the help

Hey Smooth,

It looks as if you have answered the question yourself.

"might be due to the fact that i've been doing the same weight all the time.(30kg benching and 15 kg bicep curls)"

I will take the bench press as an example. when you first started to bench at 30kg your body would not be used to it and the muscles would break down and repair, therefore growing bigger and getting stronger. However, if you continually bench 30kg week in week out your body gets used to the load and then will not improve. In fact there is more chance of actually getting weaker than stronger by using the same weight without adding more.

There is one program i can suggest for you. It is the Stronglifts 5x5 program. Look at the link below and download the free e-book. This program works really well for building strength and muscle.

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

This program uses the main lifts, including Bench press, Squats, Military Press, and Pull-ups/Chin-ups. I went through a phase of doing 5x5 lifts and i will tell you now, it does really work the body. I have no idea on my 1RM on bench but i do know i can do 55kg for 5 reps on 5 sets, the last set is always a killer and when you get there you will see why it is so effective.

If you have been eating right then leave the protein shakes for now and focus on getting the weights right.

One last point, if bench and bicep curls are all you do then please do more. Do not forget about the muscles that you dont see in the mirror - Like your back, your calfs, your triceps. You need to work your whole body. There is nothing worse than seeing a guy with a built torso and twig legs, its just embarressing! lol.

Hope i helped,

Sean

Nice advice there Sean. As a matter of fact, i migh get that ebook myself to see if there's any stuff i can add to my current workouts.

Good luck smooth, and welcome to the forum

Some more information for you on the stronglifts program.

Although building both Strength and Mass you can tilt this program to work one more than the other. It all depends on how long you rest for. Longer rest periods will result in greater ATP restoration which will allow for the maximal contractions necessary for strength training. In a nut shell: Long rest periods (2-5 minutes) will result in greater strength gains and less hypertrophy (assuming the intensity is close enough to your 1RM, which it should be using a proper 5RM). Short rest periods with a 5x5 will result in less maximal contractions, but greater muscle damage... hence greater hypertrophy (assuming you're eating and recovering enough overall).

I am not sure whether this program includes a 'back off' week. You will need to impletment a back off week in order to make proper gains (for both strength and mass). Ideally you will need one every 3 or 4 weeks - you can do the same routine but perhaps 5/10kg lighter than normal. Without this rest you body will not have enough time to repair correctly. There is a lot of science behind it which i won't go into.

Hope it helps,

Sean

this workout looks very good and efficient but by doing weighted squats and overhead press, wont this stunt my growth? thats one of the things that really keeps me away from pushing myself or adding more weight on. after my workout i go straight on to doing internval training on the running machine, is this ok? or am i going to lose muscle? thanks for answering my previous questions, im really learning alot here.

Question is then, how old are you?

Concerning growth stunting. People who i talk to normally recommend that you should not start lifting heavy weights until you have stopped growing - the problem with this, every person is different. Some will stop at 15, others at 21. Do you really think that olympic weightlifters waited till they stopped growing? Or what about NFL players, or olympic Athletes? I don't think so, i think they would have been in the gym as soon as they could. Anyway, i found this - written by Michael J. Wittmer who competed in a few national level lifting meets including the 1980 Olympic Trials (9th place) and held state and local records with best lifts of 330 in the snatch and 407 in the clean and jerk.

"There is much controversy regarding weight training and the adolescent. Probably the most common myth is that it will stunt growth. After searching the literature, I could not find any research that supports that theory. In fact, the only significant finding was that one must follow an appropriate diet if engaged in heavy physical activity, with the emphasis on caloric intake and adequate protein."

Arnel recommends that you do HIIT (Interval Training) after resistance training becuase if done the other way round it can have a negitive effect on your routine. The reason HIIT is so benificial is because it will burn more calories per minute than steady state aerobic training, and will elevate your metabolism for hours and hours. The right amount of resistance training combined with an intense interval training session can keep your metabolism up for at least 24 hours and in some cases, up to 42 hours. This means that your body will be burning high amounts of fat all day and all night long.

Sean

a very good point, thanks again. i've had a look around the website you linked me, its very useful. im setting up my training program acording to that and eating plans.

thanks

Anytime mate, anytime.