Nutritional Supplement Reviews by Real People Like You

M: chest, triceps, shoulders T: legs W: back, biceps Th: legs F: incline chest, triceps, shoulders. I do five sets per exercise: 10 reps, 8 reps, 8, 6, and 6 for the final set. As an example, a typical back workout is this: standing bent-over rows (5 sets) wide-grip lat pull-downs (5 sets), narrow grip lat pull-downs (5 sets), seated rows (5 sets), and one-arm rows (5 sets each). Additionally, I run for about 20 minutes after every workout, and I do a one-hour run on the weekend. I eat very well (pretty lean and healthy) and have just started taking creatine. I can't understand why I am not gaining! Any suggestions?

First, if you're not getting anywhere after two years, chances are, you've plateaued. From the profile given, it seems that you're overtraining even. Your muscles constantly are adapting to certain movements and stresses put upon them in order to stimulate muscle recruitment and inevitably, growth. If you are over-stressing them, they cannot keep up. If you let them get use to the same movements too much, they will no longer respond with growth. To get beyond your plateau, you need to change your routine significantly from time to time. Start with these changes for the next 8-10 weeks and see how you like it. Everyone is different, so minor adjustments here and there may be necessary.

1) Reduce training frequency per body part. For instance, you now do chest, tri's, and shoulders twice a week. Start by only doing them once a week. Let your muscles rest a bit more so they can recover and build.

2) Reduce your number of sets per exercise. Multiple sets require higher calorie use for a longer exercise session. Besides, studies show that doing one set gives very similar results as doing 2-3 sets. That is, IF that one set is to failure at your 10 RM (being able to do at most 10 reps at your maximum weight).

3) Reduce the number of exercises per body part. Right now, instead of doing 5 different exercises for back, try only doing 3. The next week, do the other three, rotating to make sure every angle is challenged.

4) Reduce the number of reps per set. For instance, try 8-10 reps for the first set, 7-9 reps for the second, and then 6-8 reps for the last set.

5) By reducing all of the above, you now should be able to add a bit more resistance to your training. Lift heavier, less reps to bulk up. You may even want to take the time to establish a 10RM (ten repetition maximum) per exercise. That is, see what the heaviest weightload you can lift on each exercise doing 10 reps with good form. Then using that convert it into the 1RM by dividing that weightload by .75. The logic is that most people are able to complete 10 reps with 75% of their maximum resistance. This will give you a better idea of how heavy you should be lifting to achieve the maximum intensity any bodybuilder strives for.

6) Randomly change the order of your exercises from time to time. You don't always HAVE to do the largest muscles first, although it is a good general guideline.

7) One of the most important concepts, incorporate "advance higher intensity training techniques" into your workouts from time to time. For example: do supersets one week for shoulders, use pre-exhaustion techniques by coupling two exercises together that are already challenging by themselves (you'll of course have to reduce your normal weight in order to achieve this), hold each rep for a two second or longer count, depending on how much affinity you have for pain (slower contractions will recruit more motor units and muscle fibers among other things), incorporate negatives into your sets (especially for quads and back. Holy soreness Batman the next day!), do drop sets or pyramid, and last, but definitely not least, AT ALL POSSIBLE TIMES, TRY TO TRAIN BEYOND FAILURE. THAT IS, ASK SOMEONE TO ASSIST YOU IN DOING JUST 2-5 MORE REPS AFTER YOU HAVE REACHED FAILURE ON YOUR OWN. THIS IS THE KEY TO GROWTH AND PROGRESS I TELL YOU! INTENSITY IS EVERYTHING! NO PAIN, NO MUSCLES MAN!

8) Reduce your aerobic training to only 2-3 times per week (20-30 minutes at 60-75% of your heart rate reserve). Studies have shown that too much aerobic/cardio raises cortisol levels and therefore, hinder the natural hormones ability to do their thing, build muscle. You may even want to try something other than running as a cardio activity. Running seems to burn the most calories.

NOTE: One more thing about overtraining: testosterone levels DECREASE and cortisol levels INCREASE as training volume increases past a certain point. For most medium to high-level athletes, weight training 3-4 days/week is very sufficient for results. Also, make sure to keep your entire workout under 90 minutes. Beyond this, testosterone levels begin to decrease and you're just wasting time baby.

9) Last but certainly not least important, RE-EVALUATE the nutrient and energy density of your diet. Although you may consume a "pretty lean and healthy" diet, you may consider changing your proportion of protein/carb/fat intake to 40/40/20. Furthermore, TIMING of your carb and protein intake immediately after your intense workouts can be very important. Studies indicate that a high carb intake within 30 minutes of an intense workout can increase protein synthesis significantly due to the increased blood flow to the muscles right after working out. Also, while you're doing that, make sure your nutrition is varied and well-balanced. One last thing about putting stuff into your body; you mentioned that you have just started taking Creatine. Although there are various studies that show the effectiveness of Creatine, you may want to consider the fact that too much protein is not good for your body. The body simply converts what it doesn't need into FAT! Now you don't wanna gain weight in fat do ya? Not to mention it's highly stressful for those kidneys to metabolically break all that stuff down. Research suggests that an adult needs only about 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. An athlete needs only 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs). And hey, what about the cost of Creatine? That's a lot of clams wasted when you can achieve the exact same thing by eating a well-balanced diet with good quality protein and a progressive intense resistance training program.

Sorry I was so long winded and that you're gonna have to change quite a bit of things in order to get what you want.

1) SQUATS - The most important exorcise in all of weight lifting. Do a lot of them and go as low as possible. Don't worry about the weight until you have the form. Doing proper squats will make you stronger, and should result in more muscle mass, equaling more body weight.

2) Mix your proteins and your carbohydrates. Mixing the two together is important for your recovery as well as your progress. When you work out you tear your muscles apart, and protein is the building block to put them back together. Carb = energy. You need both. Anyway, I've found that mixing them helps me put on weight.

3) Mix up your routine. Try not lifting by muscle group. Try doing one power exercise a day, and then just throwing down other strength builders, lots of tris and shoulders. Abs and biceps don't really do anything besides look nice.

That's all I really have to say. Whenever I get stuck, I go back to the basics.

There is a big difference between what one THINKS they can do or what they may be WILLING to do, and what the body is truly capable of doing. During a workout, some individuals will act as if they are in agony, being tortured. They may moan and whimper. With most of these individuals, despite their "agony", the second the exercise ends or the workout ends, they walk out of the room calm, relaxed, and sometimes even laughing and joking. Some others don't make a sound or even take so much as a deep breath, yet they claim to be working as hard as possible.

The physiological effects of a demanding exercise do not vanish the second the exercise ends. It takes several minutes, even longer, for the heart rate and breathing rate to return to normal. DEMANDING (extremely intense) muscular work causes the muscles to become very fatigued, thus temporarily weakened. Weakened muscles cannot adequately perform their job. Therefore, the body seeks a way to prevent the muscles from being fatigued and weakened again in the future. The way to prevent such a state is to increase the muscle's strength, endurance and overall physical condition.

To make my point--My advise is to reevaluate your intensity level on an exercise. If you are unwilling to put forth enough effort to do the exercise until fatigue, you are wasting your time in the gym.