34/m 6'2" 215 lbs coming to the end of a long bulk and wanting to hear any other experiences

[nicole198]

I have been on and off big into weightlifting since my early 20's and always did stay active even if it wasn't consist over that long period of time.

Well I got completely clean and sober March of last year and basically got a lot of stuff in order. Fitness wise, I have never been so serious and consistent about it. Coming up on one year in March.

The works: following a proper program, tracking, diet, conditioning.

The thing I'm pissed off at the most is that I didn't actually track and measure everything in the past years like I do now. I could be much closer to my potential.

But it has been a lot of fun and it really is a major focus along with my kids.

For programs I went 531BBB -> NSUNs -> 531BBB where I'm at now.

Lifts are about 270/265/325/165. S/B/D/OHP

1st cut from 190 to 175 then started bulking to 220 now ive just started a cut.

Problem is that, I stalled on squat and DL for probably two months and never really punched past it before I ended the bulk. Now I'm focused on BP and I got a small PR at the end by benching 3x a week. I haven't tried squatting more than 1x.

From reading other forums, this is a pretty big surprise cause most people's lifts don't seem to stall that hard. I think my rest and diet are fine, no symptoms of low t...

Anyway, I'm going to keep grinding and and 8-12 weeks I'll be shooting for more pr's, hoping for 3 plates on squat or bench in 2019...but when I saw this forum I thought I would pop in and share my story and see if anyone else has stalled like that, since lots more people here have stats like mine compared to some other forums where they mostly hs kids and what not lol

 

[andrewm12]

@nicole198 Your bench is far ahead of your squat. But benching 3x a week and only squatting 1x a week will do that.

 

[nicole198]

@andrewm12 Bench started out ahead from when I used to just do upper body.. prolly should squat 3x rather than bench but genetically I have a small chest and was working on aesthetic s some

 

[andrewm12]

@nicole198 You can do whatever you want. Just saying you asked why squats have stalled and it’s probably because you haven’t made them a priority.

 

[hopefulinthebayarea]

@nicole198 There are many reasons for Plateaus. So, when was the last time you deloaded? How is your sleep? What about rest days?
Btw: you lifts seem consistent with the general (potential) standards that one may have lifting consistently a year.

 

[nicole198]

@hopefulinthebayarea Thanks good to hear I thought I would've been farther along but u r right it is probably on track for natural

 

[hopefulinthebayarea]

@nicole198 You didnt reply on the sleep, rest and deload, but I assume diet , form...all of them are in place. The next thing maybe to do before you move to more intermediate routine is swap exercises bench to decline bench, ohp to seating press etc. and see how it goes...if you still stalling ... deload. After that I would recommend https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/candito-6-week-strength-program/

and you'll notice a difference. Hope this helps.

Stay healthy!! Keep us posted on your progress

 

[nicole198]

@hopefulinthebayarea That's a program I've heard a lot about. I'll save your reply and look into it when I start back in my slow bulk

 

[samamph]

@nicole198 At 6'2", you've learned an important lesson. 220 lbs is too far to go on a bulk.

Sounds like you've run out of progressing with a linear program, and its time to periodize your training.

 

[nicole198]

@samamph U saying I'm fat?

 

[samamph]

@nicole198 At 6'2", you have a lean body mass potential of 183 lbs. Even if you've hit your genetic potential (you haven't), you're bulked to over 20% body fat percentage

 

[kingussiak]

@samamph Im 6,1 230 and around 16 % bf im still bulking lol

 

[nicole198]

@samamph

At 6'2", you have a lean body mass potential of 183 lbs. Even if you've hit your genetic potential (you haven't), you're bulked to over 20% body fat percentage

Hah ya Im not mad just playing.. I didn't have a gut until I tried to break through 220.. and then it all hit at once. Kind of weird I got over 20% but not too crazy. It's coming off now though I'm one of those who finds cutting easier and I've always been pretty lean..
I have never heard the term Lean body mass potential tho

 

[samamph]

@nicole198 https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/bodybuilding-genetics

Not saying you're fat, just that your bulk has likely reached a glorious end. And I'm with you, cutting is much easier than lean/slow bulking

 

[dawn16]

@nicole198 First time commenter (long time lurker) here (42 M) (5'9" 220 lbs 20% bf), but 20+ years of lifting experience (bodybuilding, oly and power). Take what I say below as-is because everyone will have a different opinion.

It sounds like your seriously into the strength portion of fitness, so I wanted to comment. If you're stalling (assuming diet consistent and technique solid), your body has adapted, more recovery time or you need to focus on weak points in your lifts (i.e. bar speed, upper back strength, etc.)

531 is arguably a beginner program, and has criticism against it because the intensity (weight) increases don't allow time for your body to recover and strengthen. I'm not saying it's a bad program, but their a lot of physiological factors involved to make it work for everyone (i.e. genetics, age, physiology).

Alternative programming and information sources I'd look into are

• juggernaut training systems
• Kizen Training
• Mark Rippetoe: Starting Strength

I've done a lot of the strength on fat loss programming on Kizen, and it's evolved quite well over the past couple of years. I've done some of juggernaut powerbuilding and squating programs too. I prefer Juggernaut because their experience and education is very good.

The programming is hard, but fun. It pushes you to new levels of intensity, but also has built in recovery and deloads.

You're pretty young still so I'd keep experimenting with them to find what works for you. Don't forget that recovery is your friend, and protect those joints.

At the end of the day individualized programming will benefit you most simply because everyone is different physiologically. Juggernaut offers that online experience for a reasonable price. Youtube has a tonne of good information too. All the sources above post on Youtube to some degree or another. That's how I found them

 

[nicole198]

@dawn16

First time commenter (long time lurker) here (42 M) (5'9" 220 lbs 20% bf), but 20+ years of lifting experience (bodybuilding, oly and power). Take what I say below as-is because everyone will have a different opinion.

It sounds like your seriously into the strength portion of fitness, so I wanted to comment. If you're stalling (assuming diet consistent and technique solid), your body has adapted, more recovery time or you need to focus on weak points in your lifts (i.e. bar speed, upper back strength, etc.)

531 is arguably a beginner program, and has criticism against it because the intensity (weight) increases don't allow time for your body to recover and strengthen. I'm not saying it's a bad program, but their a lot of physiological factors involved to make it work for everyone (i.e. genetics, age, physiology).

Alternative programming and information sources I'd look into are

• juggernaut training systems
• Kizen Training
• Mark Rippetoe: Starting Strength

I've done a lot of the strength on fat loss programming on Kizen, and it's evolved quite well over the past couple of years. I've done some of juggernaut powerbuilding and squating programs too. I prefer Juggernaut because their experience and education is very good.

The programming is hard, but fun. It pushes you to new levels of intensity, but also has built in recovery and deloads.

You're pretty young still so I'd keep experimenting with them to find what works for you. Don't forget that recovery is your friend, and protect those joints.

At the end of the day individualized programming will benefit you most simply because everyone is different physiologically. Juggernaut offers that online experience for a reasonable price. Youtube has a tonne of good information too. All the sources above post on Youtube to some degree or another. That's how I found them

Thx for the quality post man I was thinking to try out juggernaut method and I still may I'm looking for my next program after this last cycle of BBB and finish this cut. You are right about it being individual and probably time to move away from real beginning program. For example, everyone seems to smash through plateas on nsuns, but that was my first experience with stalling.

I'm going to read through some of your links and look into jts and keep grinding thx man