Starter Diet/Training

chops018

TL;DR Version: Not in bad shape, go to the gym 4-5 nights a week, but have rhythm and progress, what diet/other workouts are good for getting back into things instead of doing the motions? I take Creatine tablets and Gold Standard Whey Protein

Hi all,

So I am in decent shape. I always go to the gym, and the diet wouldn't be the worst, but it is by no means great, which is what I think is holding me back.

I'm not too worried by my workouts because I did 6 weeks with a guy not too long ago who is now a personal trainer and he set me on a good track - especially compound movements, and making progress each week, it was definitively better that what I used to do when I would go to the gym.

However I have noticed in the last while I'm just going to the gym and doing the motions, not really going up in weight or showing progress. Plus my diet isn't great as I said.

I'm about 9 and a half stone, and 5'7, so I'm wondering what would be a good diet plan to start into while trying to get my workouts back into a proper rhythm of progress, instead of just going up and staying on the same weight. I was warned to lift heavier I would have to go up in weight.... What else/other workout can you do without going up too much in weight?

P.S. I take creatine tablets and protein (although I definitively need to be taking the protein properly - one shake a day 3-4 times a week isn't good when you're going to the gym 5 nights a week).

siochain

Whats your current diet like? What are you doing in the gym?

chops018

I suppose it's not really the gym I'm too worried about. I usually go 5 nights a week and mainly work on the compound movements - squats, deadlifts, bench press - and I'd add in exercises to these. I'd workout my chest, shoulders, arms, legs, sometimes abs all on a different day.. about 4-7 exercises on them, sometimes I'd do two areas e.g. Chest and Triceps. I do very little cardio though.

Diet.. Hmmmm..

Typical weekday:

Breakfeast - Cereal.

Lunch - Sandwich with a meat filling and cheese (brown bread), and a chicken fillet.

Dinner - Usually chicken or beef with 2 scoops of potatoes, an egg (sometimes 2) and veg.

Late night snack - could range between cookies, or a bar of chocolate and crisps and tea/7up/diet coke.

Weekend - Free for all.

Plenty of water throughout the day, nearly 2 litres, sometimes more. With creatine and sometimes a scoop of protein (I want to start taking 2-3 scoops of protein a day though in the New Year).

siochain

If progress has stalled I would look at the following

Rest and recovery: get enough sleep and is training 5 nights in a row beneficial? That weekend free for all could be the derailer.
Nutrition: do you need more calories or better quality food sources to fuel recovery?
Program: is it designed for progress? Do you like it? Are you bored with it?

You mentioned going through the motions did you need to just MTFU and get stuck in

chops018

siochain wrote: »

If progress has stalled I would look at the following

Rest and recovery: get enough sleep and is training 5 nights in a row beneficial? That weekend free for all could be the derailer.
Nutrition: do you need more calories or better quality food sources to fuel recovery?
Program: is it designed for progress? Do you like it? Are you bored with it?

You mentioned going through the motions did you need to just MTFU and get stuck in

Yeah I will look into that alright.. Maybe 4 would be better, with a break in between. And possibly one of the weekend days.

Hmm, as for food, I'm looking what to eat that wouldn't really put the pounds on your belly, but would keep the weight up as at 9 and a half stone I don't really need to be losing any weight, if anything I need to be putting up a stone. My stomach is flat when standing up, but I do have a sit down belly.

I agree above too, I've just becoming content with my workouts the last while.. Maybe I do also need a warm glass of man the F up and get more stuck in again.

Any ideas on foods so??

RidleyRider

You might have the technique to every lift down to a tee but if you're not doing a programme that allows you to progress from week to week then you're at nothing.

What's your programme?

Regarding food- plenty of whole foods, nothing processed. Meats, nuts, vege, seeds etc..

What's your overall goal? Are you looking to gain weight, lose it or maintain? If you're looking to gain then you need to be in a caloric surplus, losing weight in a deficit and maintain at well, maintainace calories.

Be a bit clearer and you'll get the answers:)

chops018

RidleyRider wrote: »

You might have the technique to every lift down to a tee but if you're not doing a programme that allows you to progress from week to week then you're at nothing.

What's your programme?

Regarding food- plenty of whole foods, nothing processed. Meats, nuts, vege, seeds etc..

What's your overall goal? Are you looking to gain weight, lose it or maintain? If you're looking to gain then you need to be in a caloric surplus, losing weight in a deficit and maintain at well, maintainace calories.

Be a bit clearer and you'll get the answers:)

Well I put my usual diet up above. So an example of a typical workout week:

- Monday: Chest:

Start with some push ups, usually 3 sets to max out. Then I would do the bench if I had a parter, as he would give me a spot, so I can do much higher weight. We would usually try max it out, then work our way back down in weight. I'd then move onto the bench and use dumbells, doing flat, incline, decline and flies. Finish up with a max out on push ups again. Sometimes I would add in machines, and sometimes I'd do a few tricep workouts after.

-Tuesday: Shoulders:

Start with shoulder press on the bench with dumbells, highest weight I can. Over and work my way through some machines. Use the smaller dumbells and do the standing up workout, don't know the name but you lift them up to your side and then front etc. I would use the big bar aswell then overhead. Finish up with putting the bar on the floor by the groove on the bottom of the wall with a 20kg plate, lifting up and using for a shoulder workout.

-Wednesday: Back:

I would start by doing deadlifts working my way up through the weight till I am only able to do one rep of a weight. That takes a good bit of time. Then wide arm pull ups. Then there is a couple of exercises I do on the bench but I can't think of the name. Then I work my way through the machines, finishing up with a workout using the bar.

-Thursday: Legs:

Start off with squats using the bar, adding weight until I can't do that many reps. Then lunges. Then step ups. Calf workouts, and then some machines.

-Friday: Arms:

Pretty simple. Usually start off with triceps and do dips with weights till I max out. The 3-4 exercises using machines and dumbells. Biceps is usually one max out workout followed by using machines, dumbells and bar, trying to max out.

I will also add in some ab work for 10-15 mins at the end of some of the above workouts.

RidleyRider

I'll be honest, that's a mess. There's no structure or anything that allows you to progress. Check out somehow like starting strength or strong lifts, you can download the PDF online.

Testing day after day will so sweet nothing for you. You need progression, something that the programmes above give. Follow the programme, see the results.

chops018

Well for a while I was progressing on the compound movements - deadlifts, benching, squats etc.

I would try go up in weight each week and get stonger.. but it kind of came to a halt. I was told that to lift bigger I would have to gain weight.

Guy who's a personal trainer used to do the above with me for a while, but he had to stop, couldn't be giving out freebies anymore. He only did it for 6 weeks because we are friends.

And it was really starting to show, but then it just kind of hit a brick wall and no more progress then, and so visually I just looked the same too.

I'll have a look at what you mentioned too.. I need to be getting a small bit bigger, and start trying to be able to lift heavier. Even if it's only a small bit each week, and less reps.

RidleyRider

chops018 wrote: »

Well for a while I was progressing on the compound movements - deadlifts, benching, squats etc.

I would try go up in weight each week and get stonger.. but it kind of came to a halt. I was told that to lift bigger I would have to gain weight.

Guy who's a personal trainer used to do the above with me for a while, but he had to stop, couldn't be giving out freebies anymore. He only did it for 6 weeks because we are friends.

And it was really starting to show, but then it just kind of hit a brick wall and no more progress then, and so visually I just looked the same too.

I'll have a look at what you mentioned too.. I need to be getting a small bit bigger, and start trying to be able to lift heavier. Even if it's only a small bit each week, and less reps.

So a personal trainer had you maxing out every session on the big 3? Wow.

You can get strong if you're programmed right.

I'd recommend getting a proper personal trainer that's not your mate because you need a proper programme.

Read the stickies regarding nutrition.