Why'd I Plateau?

[ENIGMA16]

Today, ate normally (same breakfast, sandwiches, salad, protein shake). Here's workout results:

Squats 2x5 @ 150lbs
Leg Press 2x15 @ 230lbs
Glute Ham Raise 2x8 @ 0lbs
Calf Raise 2x10 @ 90lbs

So I've increased my squat by 20lbs and my leg press significantly (and did a second set because I could). This is mostly due to me just trying to find my target weight. I'll probably end up increasing my squat once more and maybe my leg press next week, but I'm pretty close to my threshold.

Bought an energy drink and a small coffee today throughout the day, which goes against my goal of buying stuff but is justified to me because I was falling asleep in class. I need to get more sleep, which I will definitely do tonight.

 

[ENIGMA16]

So yesterday was a complete bust. Didn't go to class, didn't get some work done that I should have, bought an energy drink and some food I shouldn't have bought. I didn't even go to the gym. And to top it off I went out and drank a bunch of beer, smoked a cig and had some drunk food.

Hah I don't think I could've done any worse. Oh well, cutting cigs off for good now, and starting this whole process up again with a new determination today. Running today.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Meh, hasn't been going so well this week. Got a ton of cardio in last night that's equal to about 3 times as much as I'd get on the treadmill. But I haven't been sticking to eating healthy really and today I'm not lifting because I stayed up all night and am crashing after work. Also tonight I'll be having at least 4 beers, but I don't feel bad about it because it's planned (brewery tours FTW!).

Oh well, next week will definitely be better. Tomorrow night going to a haunted house and maybe having some drinks with the girl that added me on FB; it'll probably be a group thing, but that doesn't seem too bad considering that I've never met her in my life and would rather do that to see if I'm into her.

This weekend will be fun.

 

[ENIGMA16]

So pretty much completely ignored the whole eating healthy and working out thing for the past 4 days. Going back in tomorrow with a completely renewed determination and I think I'll be able to get through this week fine.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Yesterday went really well. Ate healthy throughout the day (sandwiches/salads). Also bought some teabags this weekend so I've replaced my morning coffee with a morning green tea. This is good as I want to cut caffeine out of my diet, at least for a while. I went lifting, as well, and will post those results when I get home.

Made some delicious chicken biryani for dinner. Anyone that wants to try the recipe can find it here. While it isn't as healthy as eating plain chicken and vegetables (with that whole milk yogurt and basmati rice), it is still pretty healthy and turned out wonderfully.

Also have been focusing more on getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night, which is always something I had problems with in the past.

So far so good. Today I'm going running.

EDIT: Monday's results-
Squats 2x5 @ 160
Leg Press 1x15 @ 230
Glute ham Raise 2x8 @ 0
Calf Raise 2x10 @ 100

 

[ENIGMA16]

Will edit yesterday's results into this post when I get home.

I'm not going running today; my calves are incredibly sore and feel like they're on the verge of muscle spasms. It's probably from all the running and the calf raises that I did, so I'm guessing this will happen less often the more I work out.

Anyways, went out to the bar last night. It was a win-lose; a lose in that I drank beer all night and ended up buying food afterwards, but a win in that I drank High Life Light ($1 bottles!) and the food I bought was Subway. Also a huge victory was that I didn't smoke a single cigarette last night, even with my roommate offering me some! So far so good.

I'm not seeing the results that I've wanted to with regards to fat loss, so I will probably in the future start controlling my diet a little more to try to cut out excess carbs/calories and also start monitoring it so that I am not taking in more calories than I think.

I need to buy a food scale.

 

[blinkwatt101]

You plateau for 1 reason and 1 reason only. You don't change your workout and eating up enough.

If you don't physically increase in muscle your strength will go up or vica versa. It may be small enough to were you don't notice but as long as your in there giving 100% in the gym and 110% in the kitchen you will make gains regardless.

Just changing your placement of your hands on a by 2" is enough to get other part of the target muscle going that you might not have got before.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Wednesday's Results:
Incline Press 2x5 @ 120
Dumbell Press 2x10 @35
Shoulder Press 2x8-12 @ 25
Tricep Pulldowns 2x15 @ 36

I didn't go running yesterday because my calves were overtired and it would not have been good, and wasn't able to make it to the gym because I was busy and forgot to bring my workout clothes to campus (would've went back but my car decided to not start today, too; oh well).

Haven't been eating the greatest towards the end of the week: oreos, beer (light), Qdoba. But these are really the exception rather than the rule. I'm planning on controlling my diet some more probably starting next week.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Weekend wasn't that great in terms of eating healthy. Starting again today and it will probably go pretty well. Decided that my love of cooking is more important to me than eating an incredibly strict diet, so every once in a while if I cook something that isn't the healthiest it's acceptable (in moderation, of course).

Lifting today. Looking to expand on my routine because it seems like I could be getting more done in the gym than I actually am.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Yeah so I totally fell off for like a week, hard. Stopped going to the gym, stopped eating healthy, drank a bunch. I think it was bigger than simple laziness, though, because a bunch of mental issues that I thought I worked through a few weeks ago started creeping back and I started getting depressed and just generally down.

I was gonna post about how I never can keep a work out going because I feel like I never see results but based on how I did here it's probably because I can only maintain it for like two weeks, which isn't enough time to see any tangible results. How long should it take to actually see results?

Also, I wasn't losing any weight (and seemingly not body fat), even though it seemed like I was under my maintenance level. I'm going to start cutting down carbs more, I think, this time around, and I'm going to refrain from eating anything at night (and if I have to it will be protein and fruits/veggies). Also going to stick strictly to white liquor and diet sodas if I have to go out and drink.

Any other tips? How do you stay motivated?

 

[ENIGMA16]

Last Wednesday:
Incline Press 2x5 @ 120
Dumbbell Press (Flat) 2x8-10 @ 35
Shoulder Press 2x8-12 @ 25
Tricep Pulldown 2x10-15 @ 36

This Wednesday
Incline Press 2x5 @ 125
Dumbbell Press (Flat) 2x8-10 @ 45
Shoulder Press 2x8-12 @ 25
Tricep Pulldown 2x10-15 @ 36

 

[Blank]

If you're having trouble burning fat, consider doing high intensity interval training for you cardio sessions. 20 - 30 minutes of HIIT will keep your metabolism jacked for 1 - 2 days as opposed to the 1 - 2 hours that a steady cardio workout offers. Read about HIIT

 

[ENIGMA16]

If you're having trouble burning fat, consider doing high intensity interval training for you cardio sessions. 20 - 30 minutes of HIIT will keep your metabolism jacked for 1 - 2 days as opposed to the 1 - 2 hours that a steady cardio workout offers. Read about HIIT

Yeah I was going to start HIIT once I was fit enough then probably just got lazy. But I don't know how you think I could do HIIT for 20-30 minutes; that's absolutely insane.

I do 20 on 10 off 6 times and I'm dead. That's only 3 minutes!

 

[Blank]

I usually do 20 minutes, 30 on a good day. I think it depends on what you're doing. Sometimes I'll do some heavy bag work where I'll work on combos for a minute then I'll burn out and beat the **** outta the bag for 30 and repeat. On a treadmill I'll do 45 sec jogging 6 mph then 45 sec running 10 mph.

Controlling your breathing is a big part of it. You won't gas out as quickly if you get that down. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Slow, deliberate breathing.