In December last year I quit drinking, decided to get my marriage right again, and committed to staying with a workout regimen longer than 6 months, which I had done off and on since 2005. When I recommitted, I started at 192 lbs, at 67", with a 35" ab measurement (34" jeans).
For four months I focused on lifting at a conditioning pace. My primary workout, with deviations, would be upper twice weekly of push/pull and lower once weekly, with two to three weekly runs of about 3 miles. Example workouts were as follows, blistering pace with no resting, with 8-12 reps:
Upper:
Set 1-Incline Bench/Seated Row/Planks
Set 2-Dips/Assisted Pull Ups/Side Planks
Set 3-Overhead Press/Upright Rows/Leg and Body Lifts
Set 4-Cable Fly/Fly Machine/V Bar Pull Down/Split Rope Pull Down/Concentration Curls/Bent Bar Curls
Set 5-Cable Inner Chest Press/Cable Two Arm High Curl/Bicep 21's/Bench Dip Burnout
Lower:
25-35 Minute Treadmill Run
Goblet Jump Squats/Single Leg Deadlifts/Planks
Leg Press/Leg Curls/Hip Thrusts
Seated Leg Extensions/Calf Raises/Hanging Leg Raises
Each workout ended up being about an 60-75 minutes, but it was mostly fueled by anger due to the lousy place my marriage was in. I was also only consuming 1700-1800 calories daily with 1 gram/lb protein, while burning between 500-800 in my workouts, and 350 or so during my runs.
In March, I had dropped to 179 lbs and 33" ab measurement, but had hit a plateau. I changed up the lifting to supersets at a the same conditioning pace, twice a week on the upper and once on the lower, with some isolation deviations. An example upper workout with 8-12 reps max, while continuing the 1700-1800 calories daily with 1 gram/lb protein:
Set 1-Incline Bench/Flat Bench/Planks
Set 2-Pull Ups/Seated Rows/Hanging Leg Raises
Set 3-Weighted Dips/Pull Ups/Hanging Leg Raises
Set 4-Overhead Press/Upright Rows/Side Planks
Set 5-Weighted Dips/Cable Fly/Cable Decline Fly
Set 6-Split Rope Pull Downs/Underhand Straight Bar Pulldowns
Set 7-Bent Bar Curls/Barbell Curls
On the lower body it was similar to before but with some explosive exercises splashed in. By July I had dropped to 166 lbs and a 31" ab measurement. My measurements had me at about 16% body fat by military standards (not entirely accurate but what I had to go on). Also, my ab circumference was at 31" and my shoulders were at 47". The progress was great, but I lost size which I didn't have in abundance to begin with. I have always had stocky legs and a small upper body. Now my medium shirts were hanging off of me. I figured at that amount of lean mass I would need to be at about 155 lbs. to be really lean. So I decided to try to pack on mass, which is something that has eluded me for years, and part of the reason why I was a 6 months on/6 months off lifter.
I spent three weeks doing basic heavy lifting, 8-10 rep max, 3 sets of compound and 1-2 sets of isolation, once per group per week (chest/tri, shoulder, back/bi, legs). I upped my calories to 2400-2700 per day, with 1.5-1 protein ratio, and allowed more carbs in, but only sweet potatoes, seeds/nuts, protein, etc. As an example, yesterday, I consumed 204 grams of protein, 190 grams of carbs and 104 grams of fat. My calories were at 2750 or thereabouts per My Fitness Pal. Two weeks ago, I switched to Hellraiser Training (for those who don't know, it focuses on negatives and is an @$$ kicker).
I gave this long, drawn out explanation to get to my frustration. I have not seen any noticeable gains in my mass. I have, however, gained an inch on my abs and 4 lbs. It looks and feels like it has all went to my waist and I am starting to get frustrated at losing what I have worked my @$$ off for the last 8 months.
I gave as many details as I could so it could be analyzed. Please tell me what I am missing to put on mass without gaining fat in such a hurry. Thanks in advance.
For four months I focused on lifting at a conditioning pace. My primary workout, with deviations, would be upper twice weekly of push/pull and lower once weekly, with two to three weekly runs of about 3 miles. Example workouts were as follows, blistering pace with no resting, with 8-12 reps:
Upper:
Set 1-Incline Bench/Seated Row/Planks
Set 2-Dips/Assisted Pull Ups/Side Planks
Set 3-Overhead Press/Upright Rows/Leg and Body Lifts
Set 4-Cable Fly/Fly Machine/V Bar Pull Down/Split Rope Pull Down/Concentration Curls/Bent Bar Curls
Set 5-Cable Inner Chest Press/Cable Two Arm High Curl/Bicep 21's/Bench Dip Burnout
Lower:
25-35 Minute Treadmill Run
Goblet Jump Squats/Single Leg Deadlifts/Planks
Leg Press/Leg Curls/Hip Thrusts
Seated Leg Extensions/Calf Raises/Hanging Leg Raises
Each workout ended up being about an 60-75 minutes, but it was mostly fueled by anger due to the lousy place my marriage was in. I was also only consuming 1700-1800 calories daily with 1 gram/lb protein, while burning between 500-800 in my workouts, and 350 or so during my runs.
In March, I had dropped to 179 lbs and 33" ab measurement, but had hit a plateau. I changed up the lifting to supersets at a the same conditioning pace, twice a week on the upper and once on the lower, with some isolation deviations. An example upper workout with 8-12 reps max, while continuing the 1700-1800 calories daily with 1 gram/lb protein:
Set 1-Incline Bench/Flat Bench/Planks
Set 2-Pull Ups/Seated Rows/Hanging Leg Raises
Set 3-Weighted Dips/Pull Ups/Hanging Leg Raises
Set 4-Overhead Press/Upright Rows/Side Planks
Set 5-Weighted Dips/Cable Fly/Cable Decline Fly
Set 6-Split Rope Pull Downs/Underhand Straight Bar Pulldowns
Set 7-Bent Bar Curls/Barbell Curls
On the lower body it was similar to before but with some explosive exercises splashed in. By July I had dropped to 166 lbs and a 31" ab measurement. My measurements had me at about 16% body fat by military standards (not entirely accurate but what I had to go on). Also, my ab circumference was at 31" and my shoulders were at 47". The progress was great, but I lost size which I didn't have in abundance to begin with. I have always had stocky legs and a small upper body. Now my medium shirts were hanging off of me. I figured at that amount of lean mass I would need to be at about 155 lbs. to be really lean. So I decided to try to pack on mass, which is something that has eluded me for years, and part of the reason why I was a 6 months on/6 months off lifter.
I spent three weeks doing basic heavy lifting, 8-10 rep max, 3 sets of compound and 1-2 sets of isolation, once per group per week (chest/tri, shoulder, back/bi, legs). I upped my calories to 2400-2700 per day, with 1.5-1 protein ratio, and allowed more carbs in, but only sweet potatoes, seeds/nuts, protein, etc. As an example, yesterday, I consumed 204 grams of protein, 190 grams of carbs and 104 grams of fat. My calories were at 2750 or thereabouts per My Fitness Pal. Two weeks ago, I switched to Hellraiser Training (for those who don't know, it focuses on negatives and is an @$$ kicker).
I gave this long, drawn out explanation to get to my frustration. I have not seen any noticeable gains in my mass. I have, however, gained an inch on my abs and 4 lbs. It looks and feels like it has all went to my waist and I am starting to get frustrated at losing what I have worked my @$$ off for the last 8 months.
I gave as many details as I could so it could be analyzed. Please tell me what I am missing to put on mass without gaining fat in such a hurry. Thanks in advance.
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