Advice - stopping the plateau

[miccle]

So I've been on my weight loss/workout regime for about three months now - just looking for ideas here on how I can keep the progress going and stop the plateau.

I've dropped 10kg in the past three months or so and would ideally like to lose at least 5 more. Getting to the point now where I'd like to get some lean muscle growth/definition but don't want to bulk.

Diet is currently good, no carbs at night, roughly 1200-1500 calories per day.

Current workout plan includes around 5-6 trips to the gym per week. Interval cardio training for around 30 minutes at each visit, along with weights circuits including the usual stuff (lats, chest, rows, leg press, triceps etc.). I don't do overly heavy lifts, usually 3 sets of 8-10 reps on each.

Anyone have any advice on how I can keep the momentum going? Should I look at increasing the amount I lift, or will that just work towards the bulking? I don't really take any supplements at this point either (aside from Amino Acid tabs for muscle recovery after particularly long/hard weights sessions).

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Pete Cash]

You are going to need to eat more if you want to build muscle. Forget the word bulk. Just toss that word out. You could be lifting insane weights but you aren't going to bulk on 1000 calories a day.

I appreciate that you don't want to grow into a monster but turning into a monster takes literally years of eating absurd amounts of calories, while lifting a lot and then having the right genetics or steroids or both. So just lift as heavy as you can and if you want muscles eat more food.


edit I should ask. How tall, heavy, and old are you. Also boy or girl ?

 

[miccle]

Cheers mate, I thought I could possibly get a bit more food in now that I'm not looking to crazily diet.

I'm a guy too. 28 years old, 168cm tall and 69kg at this point in time.

 

[dogslife]

Doesn't sound like you need to lose weight at all. Pete's advice is spot on. You need to eat more, 1500 calories is nothing

 

[aqua_duck]

1500 should be the minimum. If you're training 5-6 days a week you should be aiming more toward the 2000 range

 

[Raidersrawesome]

I wouldn't worry so much about the number on the scale. The scales are dictated to by many variables.

Id look into getting your Body fat % tested. And working on that and the scales will take care of themselves.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Definitely eat more 12-1500 calories is hadly even enough to maintain your current weight- if thats all you're eating you WILL NOT GAIN SIZE, because you're putting nothing into your body to grow that muscle. The truth is once you're past that initial stage it's pretty much impossible to lose fat and gain mass simultaneously, it's much more effective to target each goal at different periods.- If you want to gain some size, eat big and lift heavy. As long as you don't go silly you won't put on much extra fat anyway.

Get stuck into the protein, and make friends with the squat rack.

Also the no carbs at night thing is a myth- the most important thing is your total intake, not the timing of it. You should time your meals whenever it is convenient and satisfying for you to eat, because thats the easiest way to stick to your diet.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Do you do your 30min cardio before or after your weights?

Ideally you should be doing a quick warm up involving the muscles you want to train, do your weights then hit the treadmill/bike/rower. Doing your cardio training first will effect your lifting and in the end effect your muscle growth.

Getting some more lean protein in your diet along with some carbs after lifing will help too

 

[God-King Dean]

Quit.

 

[Cliffhanger]

JW and SpaceMonkey are spot on.

Cut out the isolated stuff, and use free weights. You will get stronger and recruit more muscles.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I posted this on another forum in a debate about the kind of articles you always see in the health and fitness sections of the newspaper about how you should/shouldn't eat carbs at night, whether sugar is bad for you, what the magic secret to fat loss is etc etc. I think it bears repeating-

The problem with all of these diet/excercise articles isn't so much that they're wrong, it's that they're meaningless without context. Pretty much everything thats been discussed in the last few pages is true in it's context, but if you're not doing other more basic things first then they're not going to make any difference to your results. As far as I'm concerned (and feel free to shoot me down or disagree with me, I'm certainly no expert) for pretty much anyone the priorities should go like this:

1: Diet: Work out your maintenance level, and work out your macros for whatever you're trying to achieve (weight loss,gainz)
2: start training (again with exercise appropriate to what you're trying to achieve)
3: Integrate your diet with your training levels, add basic supplements if necessary (protein, fish oil etc)
4: STICK TO THE f**kING PROGRAMME. (both diet and exercise)

5: are you sticking to the f**king programme? if N go back to 4: if Y got to 6:

6: All those other tips, which will enhance performance and results, but only if you've already got a solid platform. But seeing as most people (myself included) if they're honest with themselves never actually get past number 5, then most of that stuff is a waste of time and they'd be better off just lifting more, running further and eating less cake.

 

[Joker's Wild]

lol yep, number 6 is pretty spot on mate

 

[Thomas]

I posted this on another forum in a debate about the kind of articles you always see in the health and fitness sections of the newspaper about how you should/shouldn't eat carbs at night, whether sugar is bad for you, what the magic secret to fat loss is etc etc. I think it bears repeating-

The problem with all of these diet/excercise articles isn't so much that they're wrong, it's that they're meaningless without context. Pretty much everything thats been discussed in the last few pages is true in it's context, but if you're not doing other more basic things first then they're not going to make any difference to your results. As far as I'm concerned (and feel free to shoot me down or disagree with me, I'm certainly no expert) for pretty much anyone the priorities should go like this:

1: Diet: Work out your maintenance level, and work out your macros for whatever you're trying to achieve (weight loss,gainz)
2: start training (again with exercise appropriate to what you're trying to achieve)
3: Integrate your diet with your training levels, add basic supplements if necessary (protein, fish oil etc)
4: STICK TO THE f**kING PROGRAMME. (both diet and exercise)

5: are you sticking to the f**king programme? if N go back to 4: if Y got to 6:

6: All those other tips, which will enhance performance and results, but only if you've already got a solid platform. But seeing as most people (myself included) if they're honest with themselves never actually get past number 5, then most of that stuff is a waste of time and they'd be better off just lifting more, running further and eating less cake.

Well put. I know from past experience when I've thought I've reached a plateau, I know it's actually because I haven't followed the programme or eaten properly.

 

[Fire]

I posted this on another forum in a debate about the kind of articles you always see in the health and fitness sections of the newspaper about how you should/shouldn't eat carbs at night, whether sugar is bad for you, what the magic secret to fat loss is etc etc. I think it bears repeating-

The problem with all of these diet/excercise articles isn't so much that they're wrong, it's that they're meaningless without context. Pretty much everything thats been discussed in the last few pages is true in it's context, but if you're not doing other more basic things first then they're not going to make any difference to your results. As far as I'm concerned (and feel free to shoot me down or disagree with me, I'm certainly no expert) for pretty much anyone the priorities should go like this:

1: Diet: Work out your maintenance level, and work out your macros for whatever you're trying to achieve (weight loss,gainz)
2: start training (again with exercise appropriate to what you're trying to achieve)
3: Integrate your diet with your training levels, add basic supplements if necessary (protein, fish oil etc)
4: STICK TO THE f**kING PROGRAMME. (both diet and exercise)

5: are you sticking to the f**king programme? if N go back to 4: if Y got to 6:

6: All those other tips, which will enhance performance and results, but only if you've already got a solid platform. But seeing as most people (myself included) if they're honest with themselves never actually get past number 5, then most of that stuff is a waste of time and they'd be better off just lifting more, running further and eating less cake.

I like the cut of your jib.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Like everyone said eat more calories.. I'm currently eating about 7500-8000 a day. Wouldn't suggest you eat that much but definitely more than what you currently are.