Hitting the wall with weight machines - advice needed

mrpink6789

Hey everybody, just looking for some advice from people in the know. I’ve been on a weight loss program for about 5-6 months now, all going well. I started a gym back in January and have started doing some weight training as well, not free weights, just the machines. Every second day I usually do about 7 of these machines and every 2 weeks I have increased the weight on each by about 5k. That was all fine until recently I feel like I have hit a wall, some of the machines I struggle with on the current weight. I usually do 3 sets of 8 repetitions with a 30 second break in between.
I want to tone myself more so then look like a bodybuilder. Should I decrease the weight and do more repetitions?
Also I don’t take any supplements after my workout so should I be doing this aswell? Is it ok to take Whey Protein for example while trying to lose weight?

Cheers for the advice.

Transform

any program regarless of weights or machines needs to be changed every 5-6 weeks so change up the whole program and put in some free weights - even press ups, pull ups, body weight squats and lunges will help to get started

Colm_OReilly

Like Dominic said, plus what's your current routine/diet?

You'll get more bang for your buck on free weights.

mrpink6789

thanks for getting back to me. Everyone I speak to say I should move on to the free weights so I probably will bite the bullet and move over to them. My diet varies but its generally porridge for breakfast, soup and a sambo for lunch and a stir fry for dinner. There is carbs in there I know but I'm more so counting calories to lose weight so its probably not the perfect diet for doing weights.
My routine has generally been - Cross trainer for 30 minutes, 7 weight machines, rower for 10 minutes then cool down for 20 minutes on the treadmill(brisk walk more then anything). I've started that couch to 5k program last week so instead of the cool down on the treadmill I'm going to do that. A lot of people do say I do quite a lot but my philosophy is if I am doing something and it is working then I'm going to keep doing it.

legend365

Transform wrote: »

any program regarless of weights or machines needs to be changed every 5-6 weeks so change up the whole program and put in some free weights - even press ups, pull ups, body weight squats and lunges will help to get started

How do you suggest changing SS?

cardio,shoot me

Transform wrote: »

any program regarless of weights or machines needs to be changed every 5-6 weeks so change up the whole program and put in some free weights - even press ups, pull ups, body weight squats and lunges will help to get started

with all due respect, i completely disagree. if your programs working theres no reason to change it. obviously in the case of the op theres a need for a change , but ive been on the same program for around 5-6 months at this stage and its working fine.

mrkf1984

if its not broke, dont fix it. the ops is broke though! the word 'any' might have been used a bit too loosely.

Transform

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

with all due respect, i completely disagree. if your programs working theres no reason to change it. obviously in the case of the op theres a need for a change , but ive been on the same program for around 5-6 months at this stage and its working fine.

absolutely i agree and there is far too much changing around by many people looking for the 'perfect' program.

If you are following a basic linear progression of just increasing the weights on say 5-8 basic exercises per week then super keep it up - i did this for about 18months on a program i used about 10 yrs ago and its still the basis of what i do today.

BTW it was a hardgainer program and for me there would be no starting strength if there was no hardgainer and all the contributors from that mag.

re starting strength you really need to vary the focus on what exercises you want to bring up over a 6-10 week period once you have built a good base but i am a big fan of doing couplets/triplets for many exercises so that is not very starting strength but i find it works well for me and my clients.

mrpink6789

thanks for that. I'll just keep doing what I am doing for another 2 weeks and see if I can increase the weights then. I'll start incorporating free weights in to it as well to move fully on to them.

mrpink6789

also would you recommend I take some sort of supplements after working out or will they have an effect on me trying to lose weight?

Transform

fish oils are the number one supplement to take and a good multivitamin

Take some fruit and some protein after every workout you do but they do not have to be supplements

shootermacg

Nothing wrong with a pre w/o shake: whey + slow burn carbs,
post w/o: maybe some more whey, glutamine, glucose (optional: creatine)
as long as you are certain of what you want to acheive.

As far as the plateu you've hit, I might think about doing any cardio at the other side of the day to the workout, if possible. If you're finding it hard going (As you should with cardio!) it may be depleting your energy before the w/o.

I agree you may need to change you're workout and/or your diet. If you want muscles you may find you're getting fatter also (it's hard to balance that I just have bulk/cut periods myself).

As you are using machines you maynot be doing compound exercises, squats, bench, deadlifts, dips, chins, rows etc. It's be a good idea to base a workout around these core exercises. They will probably always stay in your core program and you you can shake it up a bit by adding in others.

It looks like you do the same exercises everytime. This may be close to a full body workout (or not), I find I get better gains by splitting up the muscle groups (I don't want to be in the gym over an hour and a half).
A full body workout may take too long and leave you exhausted.

I like Doug's four day split (google it!) you can adjust the reps/sets to suit.
If I was lifting 8 reps to failure, I wouldn't be able to do another 8, it'd be more like 8,6,6 for me or 8,5,5. So you maye need to add more weight.
Also with Doug's4DS he advises safer machines for doing the workout solo.
With Doug's higer rep-range you can choose a light weight and concentrate on your form, this is great for free-weight noobies(no offence meant).

Don't be put off by the weight room (I was at the start ^ ^), there are guys in there curling 10Kg, noone minds, after all it's personal and you have noone to beat but yourself. I just put in the earphones and get on with it. Free weights allow for a lot of exercises and make use of stabiliser muscles, therefore I use free weights.

Hope this helps and Good luck!
BTW I'm in work so forgive grammer etc!

Transform

shootermacg wrote: »

Nothing wrong with a pre w/o shake: whey + slow burn carbs,
post w/o: maybe some more whey, glutamine, glucose (optional: creatine)
as long as you are certain of what you want to acheive.

As far as the plateu you've hit, I might think about doing any cardio at the other side of the day to the workout, if possible. If you're finding it hard going (As you should with cardio!) it may be depleting your energy before the w/o.

I agree you may need to change you're workout and/or your diet. If you want muscles you may find you're getting fatter also (it's hard to balance that I just have bulk/cut periods myself).

As you are using machines you maynot be doing compound exercises, squats, bench, deadlifts, dips, chins, rows etc. It's be a good idea to base a workout around these core exercises. They will probably always stay in your core program and you you can shake it up a bit by adding in others.

It looks like you do the same exercises everytime. This may be close to a full body workout (or not), I find I get better gains by splitting up the muscle groups (I don't want to be in the gym over an hour and a half).
A full body workout may take too long and leave you exhausted.

I like Doug's four day split (google it!) you can adjust the reps/sets to suit.
If I was lifting 8 reps to failure, I wouldn't be able to do another 8, it'd be more like 8,6,6 for me or 8,5,5. So you maye need to add more weight.
Also with Doug's4DS he advises safer machines for doing the workout solo.
With Doug's higer rep-range you can choose a light weight and concentrate on your form, this is great for free-weight noobies(no offence meant).

Don't be put off by the weight room (I was at the start ^ ^), there are guys in there curling 10Kg, noone minds, after all it's personal and you have noone to beat but yourself. I just put in the earphones and get on with it. Free weights allow for a lot of exercises and make use of stabiliser muscles, therefore I use free weights.

Hope this helps and Good luck!
BTW I'm in work so forgive grammer etc!

a full body workout does not take over 90mins to complete - 45mins tops.

Squat, swiss ball leg curls, pull ups, press ups, core work - total body workout

second day

lunge, stiff leg deadlift, seated rows, standing overhead press, core work - total body workout

etc

shootermacg

Transform wrote: »

a full body workout does not take over 90mins to complete - 45mins tops.

Squat, swiss ball leg curls, pull ups, press ups, core work - total body workout

second day

lunge, stiff leg deadlift, seated rows, standing overhead press, core work - total body workout

etc

Maybe your's lol, I would consider pushups a warm up exercise, although I do handstand pushups occasionally. Maybe I should have said a full muscle workout ^^.

To target all the areas I would expect at least:

4 exercises for back (4 sets)
4 exercises for legs (4 sets)
4 for shoulders (4 sets)
4 for chest (4 sets)
3 for tris (3 sets)
3 for bis (3 sets)
forearms optional atm (wrist injury recently)
and I'd hit the abs weekly also.

But that's just my opinion. I'm in and out in about an hour, that suits me and I get good gains out of it, that's why I recommend a split of some sort.
BTW you split your's into 2 days. I would definately agree compounds are the basis of any good workout, as I said in my earlier post.

BTW loved those thrusters & chins on the blog, ouch!

Brian?

shootermacg wrote: »

Maybe your's lol, I would consider pushups a warm up exercise, although I do handstand pushups occasionally. Maybe I should have said a full muscle workout ^^.

To target all the areas I would expect at least:

4 exercises for back (4 sets)
4 exercises for legs (4 sets)
4 for shoulders (4 sets)
4 for chest (4 sets)
3 for tris (3 sets)
3 for bis (3 sets)
forearms optional atm (wrist injury recently)
and I'd hit the abs weekly also.

You do this every time? Thats very high volume.

shootermacg

briankeating wrote: »

You do this every time? Thats very high volume.

lol nope, not at all, it's my weekly routine, it's a 4 day split + abs on the weekend.

Transform

shootermacg wrote: »

Maybe your's lol, I would consider pushups a warm up exercise, although I do handstand pushups occasionally. Maybe I should have said a full muscle workout ^^.

To target all the areas I would expect at least:

4 exercises for back (4 sets)
4 exercises for legs (4 sets)
4 for shoulders (4 sets)
4 for chest (4 sets)
3 for tris (3 sets)
3 for bis (3 sets)
forearms optional atm (wrist injury recently)
and I'd hit the abs weekly also.

But that's just my opinion. I'm in and out in about an hour, that suits me and I get good gains out of it, that's why I recommend a split of some sort.
BTW you split your's into 2 days. I would definately agree compounds are the basis of any good workout, as I said in my earlier post.

BTW loved those thrusters & chins on the blog, ouch!

glad you liked the thrusters and chins and that workout was done in under 20mins with just two exercises - no need for 4 exercises for the back really

What you have outlined may be fine for a bodybuilder but the average trainee will work far better off a full body program especially when you consider the frequency of training, how hard they can push themselves etc

i never do ANY triceps exercises and rarely do benching or biceps exercise and if you tried something like crossfit barbara you would quickly realise that push ups are far from a warm up exercise especially when you see so many people doing them WITHOUT touching the chest off the floor on every rep (no chest to floor no rep).

Overall, a beginner will get more from a full body workout, some metcons and intervlas. 4 exercises for ANY muscle group is just pumping in my opinion.

G86

Transform wrote: »

Overall, a beginner will get more from a full body workout, some metcons and intervlas. 4 exercises for ANY muscle group is just pumping in my opinion.

+1

I went to a personal trainer years ago who was a bodybuilder, and he obviously knew his stuff (as I've no doubt you do also Shootermcg), but it didn't work for me as he trained me the way he would train someone interested in bodybuilding, which I wasn't. What I'm trying to say is that the OP's personal goals should determine his workouts, shouldn't they?

The OP states that he wants to 'tone up' which to me means lose weight , get fitter and look better! I can only speak as an average gym goer but I know I'd much rather be able to run 5k without dying, as well as getting stronger, than to neglect my cardio completely. And that's what I get from the metcons, intervals and full body workouts Transform recommends.

Magic Eight Ball

shootermacg wrote: »

4 exercises for back (4 sets)
4 exercises for legs (4 sets)
4 for shoulders (4 sets)
4 for chest (4 sets)
3 for tris (3 sets)
3 for bis (3 sets)
forearms optional atm (wrist injury recently)
and I'd hit the abs weekly also.

That workout makes baby Jesus cry
I do full body workouts in half the time it takes you to do that. (Check my log)

shootermacg

Transform wrote: »

glad you liked the thrusters and chins and that workout was done in under 20mins with just two exercises - no need for 4 exercises for the back really

What you have outlined may be fine for a bodybuilder but the average trainee will work far better off a full body program especially when you consider the frequency of training, how hard they can push themselves etc

i never do ANY triceps exercises and rarely do benching or biceps exercise and if you tried something like crossfit barbara you would quickly realise that push ups are far from a warm up exercise especially when you see so many people doing them WITHOUT touching the chest off the floor on every rep (no chest to floor no rep).

Overall, a beginner will get more from a full body workout, some metcons and intervlas. 4 exercises for ANY muscle group is just pumping in my opinion.

I bow to your superior wisdom, I actually reread the OP's post and he states he doesn't want to look like a body builder ^ ^, on 1st rush read I actually took it to mean he DID want to. Sorry everyone for going off in a tangent!

Yep it's definately a different type of fitness you guys practise, I'm more the bulk type myself. Although transform you have a good chest and arms for a tall bloke, so I'm guessing you probably have done a bit in your time.
Either that or you have been eating and resting well.

Well done mate, that workout was grueling, I personally don't use technique on my chins, I just keep em slow because my goal is 12, 10, 8, 6 weighted. I may indeed try sticking thrusters in there somewhere, although it feels like a hybrid between a squat and a press. Any benefits for that against say seperate military press and squat? Seems to me your legs are helping your arms with the lift.

Yep it's very endurance driven, maybe next month during my cut-up I'm be interested in those babies, they'd definately have me breathing hard ^ ^.