Recommended workouts don't work for me

[CaptFinnBad]

So been training a long time. Fell off the horse a while ago (years ago)

Had the sucked out of me. So went from bad to worse!

Went back to begginer level. Skinny and weak. Like I looked ill!

Went to the internet seeking advise.

Tried this for like 6 months, that for a year e.t.c.

The usual stuff 5x5, starting strength, upper lower e.t.c. "this is what you need to do bro".

My body cannot handle it, I'd make progress and get f up and end up back at square one. Literally one step forward two steps back for years.

"Just increase your calories".

I'd try that. I'd still burn out and somehow my training would get F'ed up , something would happen and put me back to square one.

So I stopped listening. I feel so ****ing stupid in hindsight.

I just did what felt good / right.

So on with the horse blinkers and ignoring everyone.

I've gone from feeling burnt out on the verge of giving to all hope. To making some real good gains, looking and feeling string again.

I'm pretty sure I'm yet to peak! Litrerally feels like I'm on steroids. Training been going crazy well for the last 9 or so months.

Can't believe I wasted all those years. So stupid of my not to listen to what my own body was screaming at me.

Lesson learned trust your body over anything you see on the internet.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

The workout... Mon = chest and tri, weds back and biceps, Friday legs, sat shoulders.

Plus Neck stuff tacked on a few times a week.

Yoga and foam rolling on training days mainly.

Heavy compound at the start of each workout. 4 or 5 different accessory exercises after.


Not a million miles away from 531. But it's still quite a bit different.


It's a workout I put together like 10 years ago. Don't know why but my body loves it and tends to thrive on it.

Not discrediting any workouts or anything. Ovbioulsly they do work.

Just not for my body.

Go figure.

 

[DonJuanjr]

It's a workout I put together like 10 years ago. Don't know why but my body loves it and tends to thrive on it.

Not discrediting any workouts or anything. Ovbioulsly they do work.

Just not for my body.

Go figure.

What are some your one rep max for different exercises?

 

[jaymbrs]

Modify, modify, modify. I've had a pinched nerve in my lower back that resulted in surgery. Never been the same since. But I still workout like a beast. All I need to do is avoid certain exercises like squats and deadlifts, and I can get a full workout in.

Listen to your body. Good thing you did before you got any older.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

The workout... Mon = chest and tri, weds back and biceps, Friday legs, sat shoulders.

Plus Neck stuff tacked on a few times a week.

Yoga and foam rolling on training days mainly.

Heavy compound at the start of each workout. 4 or 5 different accessory exercises after.


Not a million miles away from 531. But it's still quite a bit different.


It's a workout I put together like 10 years ago. Don't know why but my body loves it and tends to thrive on it.

Not discrediting any workouts or anything. Ovbioulsly they do work.

Just not for my body.

Go figure.

They work for your body, you simply aren't pushing yourself hard enough to force your body to change. Most people greatly overestimate how hard they are working out. If you are able to breath normally between sets you aren't pushing yourself hard enough. Also keep your breaks in between sets to 30 seconds to keep your heart rate up. Intensity always is more important than length of time you work out. An intense 20 minutes workout will always be more effective than a long drawn out 60 minute one.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Cut off the assessory work. Focus on improving the major lifts.

 

[Jack22]

When it comes to fitness/personal health, most problems come from people not working smart AND hard. You have to do your own research, find the credible books, and modify your own routine. In Arnold Schwarzeneggers "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" He brings up the idea that not everyone is built the same. Who would have known, right? Well, what works for Arnold may not work the same for you. Some people have longer limbs, different proportions, different recovery time, etc. A workout that works for one person may not work best for you.

You need to find the workouts that hit those muscle groups, and focus on maximizing efficiency and good technique. Technique is incredibly important, if you try to "cheat" a rep, than you'll end up hurting yourself because you're leveraging other parts of your body to perform the action. There's so many things that play into building muscle; Proper sleep, great diet, good form, daily hard work, stretching, etc. I'm convinced that many of the problems on this forum could be solved if people actually took a second to read the material that's already out there.

This isn't just about bodybuilding, it's about all the other aspects of life as well. You want to build a good business? Read the books, talk with business owners, find the right supplier, build a good media campaign, have a good product etc.

 

[Zimbabwe]

Push yourself to the limit each and everytime until you get better and better.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

They work for your body, you simply aren't pushing yourself hard enough to force your body to change. Most people greatly overestimate how hard they are working out. If you are able to breath normally between sets you aren't pushing yourself hard enough. Also keep your breaks in between sets to 30 seconds to keep your heart rate up. Intensity always is more important than length of time you work out. An intense 20 minutes workout will always be more effective than a long drawn out 60 minute one.

You're joking right? 30 seconds rest between sets of low rep major compound lifts?

Cut off the assessory work. Focus on improving the major lifts.

No. Definitely not.



I followed the cookie cutter advise above for a long time and was unable to make progress doing it.

Like I said it didn't work for me.

Now that I've stopped listening. My major compound lifts are going up and I'm finally making continuous and consistent progression.

Out of interest. Why try to convince me to abandon something that's working for me and go back to doing something that hasn't working for me?

 

[DonJuanjr]

My body cannot handle it, I'd make progress and get f up and end up back at square one. Literally one step forward two steps back for years.

Can you elaborate?

Also, what are some of your 1 rep max for different exercises?

 

[CaptFinnBad]

Can you elaborate?

Also, what are some of your 1 rep max for different exercises?

I'd get burnt out following the cookie cutter stuff on the internet.

I'd do workouts full of compound stuff. Push real hard. After weeks and weeks of this , my body couldn't take it anymore.

It would give up. Something would always happen. I'd get ill, dizzy spells, lose all energy, get injured e.t.c.

It just drained me.

I'd then be completely unable to to train. After a forced week or so off, I'd go back and would have lost all my strength. I didn't once question the workout or advise. Trained like this for mabye two years, completely had faith.

I just blamed myself, put it down to bad luck, I'd tell myself "this time I'll make it work ".

Squat didn't get over 65kg, bench didn't break 60kg and deadlift didn't break 90kg.

I was trying to push a square peg into a round hole.

I actually gave up all hope. Thought this is it. You will NEVER get your strength back.

So I thought **** it. I enjoy the gym, (was never going to stop going) , so I though to myself "what workout from the past just felt good?"

" It's ovbous getting your strength back isn't happening, so you may aswel give up these workouts that's killing you and just do something more chilled out".

So I stopped listening to everyone and have been doing my own thing since July. Not felt burnt out once. Had a week off every couple of months (planned NOT forced) , didn't lose strength/ sometimes come back stronger after a week off.

I feel so much better now. Really energised. Super happy with the gym. My work capacity has also skyrocketed, feel myself itching to train longer and harder over time.

Currently Bench 100kg, squat (weakest lift) around 120kg), deadlift 160ish kg (some left in the tank, working on fixing some minor issues).

Steadily progressing. My body if finally remembering what I used to be able to lift and slowly creeping towards the numbers.

I'm sure I can keep progressing doing what I'm doing. Feels like I've got loads of gas in the tank still.


When I eventually start stalling I'll go to 531.

Really confident in what I'm currently doing.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

I just don't think my body can handle more than one of the major compound lifts per workout.


What works for me is. Either bench , deadlift, squat or military press (depending on the day).

I do one major lift at the start of the workout. 3 to 4 sets mabye (I'd decide during the workout).

I aim for sets of 5 reps. Depending on how the first set felt it will determine the reps for the rest of the sets.

If the first 5 felt alright, I'll bang out sets of 5 at that weight.

If it felt difficult, I'll up the weight and pyrimid it up to a final set of one. I find the next week after handling a heavier weight the week before, I always can bang out the sets of 5 that I struggled with the previous session.


After the main compound lift. The rest of the workout is higher reps. Usually reps of 8 for things that benefit the main lift the most.

Upto reps of 25 for the showerer muscles.


MY body seems to thrive on this. It just is what it is.

Probably going to rub people up the wrong way and people will tell me I'm training wrong.

It's working for me though.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

When it comes to fitness/personal health, most problems come from people not working smart AND hard. You have to do your own research, find the credible books, and modify your own routine. In Arnold Schwarzeneggers "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" He brings up the idea that not everyone is built the same. Who would have known, right? Well, what works for Arnold may not work the same for you. Some people have longer limbs, different proportions, different recovery time, etc. A workout that works for one person may not work best for you.

You need to find the workouts that hit those muscle groups, and focus on maximizing efficiency and good technique. Technique is incredibly important, if you try to "cheat" a rep, than you'll end up hurting yourself because you're leveraging other parts of your body to perform the action. There's so many things that play into building muscle; Proper sleep, great diet, good form, daily hard work, stretching, etc. I'm convinced that many of the problems on this forum could be solved if people actually took a second to read the material that's already out there.

This isn't just about bodybuilding, it's about all the other aspects of life as well. You want to build a good business? Read the books, talk with business owners, find the right supplier, build a good media campaign, have a good product etc.
View attachment 7822

Completely agree.

 

[DonJuanjr]

Push real hard. After weeks and weeks of this , my body couldn't take it anymore.

Something would always happen. I'd get ill, dizzy spells, lose all energy, get injured e.t.c.

It just drained me.

I'd then be completely unable to to train. After a forced week or so off, I'd go back and would have lost all my strength.

Had a week off every couple of months (planned NOT forced) , didn't lose strength/ sometimes come back stronger after a week off.

I think the problem was that you were not giving your central nervous system any rejuvenation through a deload week. I don't think it was the different training that make you see progress(though this could be a part of it). I think it was that you started to incorporate deload weeks. When one gets to a certain point in their training, they will need to change movements in order to shock the muscle and start seeing improvement again. Though I don't think you were at that point yet.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

I think the problem was that you were not giving your central nervous system any rejuvenation through a deload week. I don't think it was the different training that make you see progress(though this could be a part of it). I think it was that you started to incorporate deload weeks. When one gets to a certain point in their training, they will need to change movements in order to shock the muscle and start seeing improvement again. Though I don't think you were at that point yet.

I think it's going to be hard to pinpoint exactly what was causing my burnout. But I definitely believe too much compound per workout stresses my body/nervous system too much.

5 years ago I was at my peak. I trained for like a decade up until that point.

I literally didn't pay attention to workout plans or anything like that. Started off by tagging along with older guys on a military base when doing body part splits was the done thing.

Then went off doing my own thing. Only a handful of workouts I used to rotate through.

531 , German volume trading, my current split , and whatever my current training partner was doing.

Never sessions of all compound stuff.

Often the strongest guy in the gym , real astetic.


Life happened and I was unable to train for like a year or so. Finally decided to get back into it.

Took to the internet (first time I ever put thought into working our ) . Everyone recommending the usual stuff.

So thought I thought this must be the way to rebuild my strength. I'd get like 5 weeks in and my body would short circuit.

It's weird. I went back to training with an okayish base level of strength even though I took a year off. The more I worked out though the weaker I got.

Training was ****ing me up. So had to take another LONG lay off period.

I came back determined. Then my ****ed up cycle really started. Train for a few weeks and my body blows up. I lose all strength when I go back.

Super weak and literally fighting for scraps for two years. Never questioning the workout.

Mabye pushing too hard. I don't know. Maybe my nervous system can't handle a workout full of compound stuff.

Mabye multiple squat days kill me. I've no idea.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

I know I just kept at it expecting different results.


Anyways. Now I'm back doing my own thing. Not listing to anyone.

Seeing really good progress, my body us remembering and I actually feel really good! Not felt this strong or in control in a long time.

I'm getting to the point In feeling like I can actually get back to where I was.

I know not a lot or weight but the other week it was the best feeling in the world when I realised I could press 100kg. Still a way off what I used to be able to could do.

But it was huge for me! It's been really eating me up inside going from one of the strongest guys in the gym to the weakest.

I can't even describe how happy it made me. As i had litrerally given to all hope a while ago. So nice to have realisation that it might actually be possible to get back to the level I was previously at.

I think the way forward for me is to keep doing what's clearly working for me and stick to what I know.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

Haha I've actually remembered something writing the above post.

Back mabye 6 or 7 years ago, I remember I read about stronglifts.

At the time I wanted to try something different. So I decided to take a yoga class and do stronglifts.

I was already strong and wanted to have a month of just loosening up. So I dropped the weight and my aim was to concentrate on form. While I took time to give my body some TLC.

I remember I felt like crap and l was convinced I was loosing strength. So I quickly scrapped the idea of stronglifts and replaced it with something else.

I think I recall just doing one set of normal weight compounds before yoga class during my tlc month .

Then I went back into my usual routines.

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

I have found every single workout program I've tried (except Madcow) to be awful. I've been lifting for about 7 years, and for the past few years I've completely abandoned using premade workout programs.

You need to custom-tailor you workout routine to your own body, goals, expectations, etc. Personally I find it helps to simplify things. Focus on quality of workouts over quantity. All barbell/body weight stuff, (deadlifts, dips, squats, pullups should be 95% of your workout), maybe throw things like planks too. Focus on keeping a neutral spine, tight core, and full range of motion.

Avoid all the meme workouts (machines, dumbbels, and weird **** like good mornings or hip thrusters).

It's better to do light workouts consistently than do heavy workouts inconsistently. I don't generally lift at my max weight, because it leads to poor form and burnout. Lift at weights until they become easy, then increase the weight until it also becomes easy. Not everyone progresses the same. Some people would do Stronglifts 5x5 and put 200lbs on their squat in a few months, others that could take a years. The problem with all lifting communities is that they assume everyone is a blank slate with the same genetics and conditions and will respond to workouts the exact same. This is 100% false. Just figure out what works for you, and stick to it.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Now that I've stopped listening. My major compound lifts are going up and I'm finally making continuous and consistent progression.

Sounds like BS. Your major lifts are going up by not doing major lifts.

Nah.

 

[EyeBRollin]

I just don't think my body can handle more than one of the major compound lifts per workout.


What works for me is. Either bench , deadlift, squat or military press (depending on the day).

I do one major lift at the start of the workout. 3 to 4 sets mabye (I'd decide during the workout).

I aim for sets of 5 reps. Depending on how the first set felt it will determine the reps for the rest of the sets.

If the first 5 felt alright, I'll bang out sets of 5 at that weight.

If it felt difficult, I'll up the weight and pyrimid it up to a final set of one. I find the next week after handling a heavier weight the week before, I always can bang out the sets of 5 that I struggled with the previous session.


After the main compound lift. The rest of the workout is higher reps. Usually reps of 8 for things that benefit the main lift the most.

Upto reps of 25 for the showerer muscles.


MY body seems to thrive on this. It just is what it is.

Probably going to rub people up the wrong way and people will tell me I'm training wrong.

It's working for me though.

Sound like a natural lifter doing way too much volume.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

Sounds like BS. Your major lifts are going up by not doing major lifts.

Nah.

Did you read the part where I'm doing one major lift at the start of every session?