Views on bodybuilding in your thirties...

[chrisotpherm]

Man Zed we must have posted at the same time. Lol.

[zedhed]

I think we did bro. Brothers think alike!

[monk08]

Not trying to be a dick but your diet and training can not be ideal for your body type if you have little to no gains to show for it in 6 yrs.....unless u have the worlds worst genetics. Something needs tweaking.....or your perception of your body before an after is just clouded. Before and after pics could help us judge this.

managed to find some old pics
Year 2008 before I started training - 172lbs


Year 2012 before i started my first cycle of test e only - 177lbs
i went on a cut before starting the cycle.
1399713618536.jpg
1399713618079.jpg

lastly, this is current - should be around 190-195lbs.
11 weeks out from last cycle...3 weeks of no training due to pinched nerve injury at the neck.
DSC0050.jpg DSC0061.jpg

I think these pics will help you guys to judge....if my perception is clouded or my progress is really bad for having trained 6 years.

[monk08]

missed out the first pic
Year 2008 before I started training - 172lbs
IMG_2026.JPG

[Ironguruera]

Hmm ok no you are not being hard on yourself IMHO. U looked good when u cut before the cycle and show muscle there.

Ok I'll be honest and not sugar coat. There is something that needs serious serious tweaking here.

Post up a few sample routines for say what u do on chest day as well as biceps. Also how many days a week do u train them?

From those pics training is no where near intense enough or possible overtraining. I also suggest working with a diet planner or at an utter minimum use a calorie/macro tracker phone app and we can help tweak it.

I realize we are 2 totally different genetics but for comparison here is me before I started lifting at 140-142

Here was 6-8months training no juice 160 ish

Now I admit I took 8 yrs off and was 165 ish back in my 20's so I it's not totally fair comparison as I have muscle memory working. For reference I train 3 days a week

[monk08]

Hmm ok no you are not being hard on yourself IMHO. U looked good when u cut before the cycle and show muscle there.

Ok I'll be honest and not sugar coat. There is something that needs serious serious tweaking here.

Post up a few sample routines for say what u do on chest day as well as biceps. Also how many days a week do u train them?

From those pics training is no where near intense enough or possible overtraining. I also suggest working with a diet planner or at an utter minimum use a calorie/macro tracker phone app and we can help tweak it.

no prob...just give me the hard truth, no need to sugar coat and I have been questioning myself on my progress and goal given that i have put in 6 years.
I do read up and do researches and I know that my progress is not good enough hence i'm asking for advices and opinions here.
i do know that when i cut, i looked good but my goal is to get bigger and at 177lbs @ 5' 11, I feel "small".
I think it's a failure having trained so long and the development of upper body muscles are not enough to justify.
I will try to post a few routine for my trainings as i dont really train using the same exercise each time.

[monk08]

here's my training routine for a week.
I trained 5 days a week - 1 day for each body part.
Have been doing that for the past 4 years while first 2 years were 4 days a week.

A typical week
Day 1 (Monday)
Back
Lat pulled-down x4 sets with 1 drop set
T-bar row superset with assisted closed grip pulled up x4 sets with 1 drop set
Seated row superset with stiff arm lat pulled down x3 sets
One-arm row x4 sets
Bend over row superset with high row pulled down(machine or cable) x3 sets

Day 2 (Tuesday)
Shoulder
Shoulder press (smith or dumbbells) x4 sets
Arnold press (dumbbells) x4 sets
Side lateral raise with dropset every set x4 sets
Wide grip upright row superset with front raise x3 sets
Rear delt flyes (cables or dumbbells) x3 sets
Shrugs or upright rows x4 sets

Day 3 (Wednesday)
Arms
Preacher curls superset with tricep pushdown x4 sets with 1 drop set
alternate dumbbells curl superset with overhead dumbbell extensions x4 sets
incline seated 7s superset with Lying tricep extensions x4 sets
standing high cable curls with single-arm cable extensions x3 sets with 1 dropset
concentrated curls with kickbacks x3 sets

Day 4 (Thursday)
Legs
Squats with dropset every set x4 sets
Leg press (close feet and norm) x4 sets
Walking lunges superset with dumbbell sumo squat x4 sets
Leg extensions with dropset every set x4 sets
seated leg curl superset with sissy squat x4 sets

Day 5 (Friday)
Chest
Incline bench press (dumbbells/ barbell) x4 sets with 1 drop set
Flat bench press with dropset every set (dumbbells/ barbell) x4 sets
Incline flyes x4 sets with 1 drop set
Flyes superset with dips x3 sets
Decline press (machine) x4 sets

the variety of the exercises for each training changes a little depending on what is available but i generally try to cover all areas.
My volume used to be between 24-30 sets per day but has changed it to no more than 20 sets to see how the body response.
I definitely dont think i overtrained...but dont know if it is high intense enough as i like to superset a lot and dont rest much between sets.
I dont lift very heavy as i worried about my form and dont want to get injury unnecesary so I train within the 10-12 reps range.
i will post my diet next.

[Ironguruera]

Routines looks good.
Hmmm ok while form is important I see some Guys get a little overboard and have amazing form but lifting next to nothing weight wise. There is a balance of both worlds for sure. Watch some videos of the pros lift. Most have that balance of lifting heavy but still contracting the target muscle. Some you tube idiots critique their form as not perfect but if u watch....they are hitting what they want!

When u say u do 10-12 reps that's fine but are u simply stopping at that 10-12? Or is that 10-12 rep all out all u can muster and barely getting it??? This is the most important question I can ask! U should be really fighting for that last reps if not the weight it not nearly enough. On the other hand if form is getting sloppy by rep 4-5 it's far too heavy

Last is do u always do the same thing routine wise always?? Or do u swap in new moves and have heavy days or weeks?

[monk08]

my diet for my last bulking cycle:
400 P, 350 C, 110 F = est. 4000 calories.
I increase my carbs as I found that carbs works well with npp.

My daily diet:
9 eggs
4 slices of multi-grain bread with peanut butter
14 oz of salmon
14 oz of chicken breast
2 green apples
2 bowls of brown rice
mass gainer
caesin protein
1-2 quest protein bar

I eat the same food daily for 6 days and cheat day is on sunday where i have slight more carbs/ fats then protein.
if i'm not on cycle and maintaining at around 185ish...i will maintain at this or less:
350 P, 200 C, 100 F = est 3100 calories.

[monk08]

Routines looks good.
Hmmm ok while form is important I see some Guys get a little overboard and have amazing form but lifting next to nothing weight wise. There is a balance of both worlds for sure. Watch some videos of the pros lift. Most have that balance of lifting heavy but still contracting the target muscle. Some you tube idiots critique their form as not perfect but if u watch....they are hitting what they want!

When u say u do 10-12 reps that's fine but are u simply stopping at that 10-12? Or is that 10-12 rep all out all u can muster and barely getting it??? This is the most important question I can ask! U should be really fighting for that last reps if not the weight it not nearly enough. On the other hand if form is getting sloppy by rep 4-5 it's far too heavy

Last is do u always do the same thing routine wise always?? Or do u swap in new moves and have heavy days or weeks?

I know that there are people who lift 1 rep at the max load to train strength but as I started at 33, i am more concern on form and worried about injury....so my plan is to train at good form and not missed a single training and hit each session hard.
Maybe i should try training heavy....

when hitting at 10-12 reps, i am struggling a little at 10-12 and any adding of weights will drop the reps to 6-8.
if i find 10-12 is too easy, i will push it to 15 reps and then add more weights...you have to give your all for each set so I always fight for the last rep.

My routine will be as such that it's the same with a couple of exercises changed but with still cover the same areas.
major changes in moves will happen once every 3-6 months.
for example for chest day,
right now i'm focusing more on incline press but covering all areas of chest. a few months later, i will change the focus more on flat and changes the exercises around but still cover all areas - is that what you meant by swapping new moves and routines??
I dont do a heavy week or days.

I am planning to train 6 days for my next cycle where i will hit shoulder and chest twice a week - 1 heavy day and 1 light.
But i dont know if that is fine since given my progress now...