48 yo hardgainer stuck

[MisterSandman]

Hello to all.
Presentation: I am 48 y.o., 5'10" 175lbs 14%bf, have been lifting hard for 3 years, 5 days a week.
In first 18 months went from 210lbs 28% BF to 175 lbs and 14% bf,
I have a very clean diet (about 3,500cal on WO days, 27% protein 1.3g/lb 43% carbs, rest is fats)
About a year ago started TRT, 100mg Test per week, 500iu HCG 2 x per week, .25mg of Anastrozole per week.
My hopes were to put on 10/15 lbs of lbm to reach 180lbs and 8% bf but I have hit a wall. while I can lose body fat rather easily my lean body mass has not been increasing, at all. not even since I have started TRT. I tried switching my work out routine, going heavy or going light, increased my calories to 4,200 and just gained fat, (my maintenance is 2,800) .. nothing. Was wondering if anyone here has a suggestion that could help...
If additional details are needed please let me know...
Thanks to all!

Mister Sandman

 

[Zyglamail]

You dont grow in the gym, you grow while at rest. As we get older we simply dont recover as fast so 5 days a week may be too much depending on what your doing. Personally at 46yrs old im lifting 3 days a week. 5'11" 255lbs at about 16% bf. I seem to have the opposite problem, I cant lose fat but gain muscle easy. In the last 6 months with only changing my OTC vitamin/mineral supplement routine ive lost 3% BF AND gained 8 lbs on the scale for a net mass gain of about 16lbs, not too shabby consider my current size and trt doses of 100mg test a wk.

I focus mainly on heavy compound lifts usually in the 3-6 range.

 

[MisterSandman]

wow... nice gains...
I also do almost no isolation movements, 2 or 3 exercises per bodypart, usually 3 or 4 sets per 9 reps, as heavy as I can.
No cardio.
I'd love to be 200lbs at 15%....but happy with 180 at 8% ;D
So at the moment I really don't know what else to do

 

[supsurftw]

wow... nice gains...
I also do almost no isolation movements, 2 or 3 exercises per bodypart, usually 3 or 4 sets per 9 reps, as heavy as I can.
No cardio.
I'd love to be 200lbs at 15%....but happy with 180 at 8% ;D
So at the moment I really don't know what else to do

Try changing up your routine. Include some lighter, higher rep days also in the 10-12 range.

 

[gjohnson5]

I'm convinced there is no such thing as a hard gainer. Only people who are disillusioned about how many calories they are actually eating and people who need to eat more FREE FORM leucine. Stop doing coffee / caffeine / hoodia other stims that nuke your appetite. Leucine needs some insulin in order to function properly so if you're doing green coffee , I would stop that too. Layne Norton suggested One should do 5G of FREE FORM leucine (not the leucine included in the amino acid profile of proteins) with your meals to stay in optimum muscle building state. I generally don't do that , but I will put in like 10-15 in my intra workout and have another 10 in my post workout of added freeform leucine. Then in between I'll have the GNC leucine chews (As I can get them cheap enough) throughout the day. I not on TRT or any hormone replacement and I can add pounds just fine.... and I'm 42 around 240 now

 

[ALIN]

Try changing up your routine. Include some lighter, higher rep days also in the 10-12 range.

My advice as well....mix your routines frequently. I would also adjust your diet around.
The human body needs to be kept guessing in some cases or it just eventually adapts.

 

[gjohnson5]

Was looking for this thread. Ultimately gaining / losing weight is diet controlled. And you're doing TRT.... There was a study a few years back that showed people on gear (and didnt train) gained more then people who trained (and werent using gear) I using that to reiterate the issue is most likely on the dinner table, not in the gym. If you want to add free form leucine to your shakes (I would do that before changing my routine). Try that along with your training changes. Also If you would be kind enough to post your meals for a day ( like an itemized diet ) we could look at that too

 

[MisterSandman]

Thank you all

At the moment I am cutting, so my diet has slightly since April when I posted this thread
Low Carbs

Meal 1 Cals 500 (breakfast)
Meal 2 Cals 350 (snacks)
Meal 3 Cals 450 (Lunch)
5pm workout
Meal 4 Cals 1,150 (dinner)
Total 2,450

P 230gr 36% C 204g 32% F 90g 32%

My cutting WO routine is

Monday 4 sets 6-8 reps: Chest, Triceps, Abs
Flat Bench Press
Incline Press
Pushups
Weighted Dips
Close Grip Ez Bar Press
Skull Crushers
Triceps Push Back
Abs crunches
Leg Raises
Windshield Wipers

Tuesday 4 sets 6-8 reps: Back, Traps, Biceps
Pull Ups
Neutral Grip Pull ups
Inclined Dumbbell Row
Seated Cable Rows
Cable Close Grip front Lat Pulldown
Seated Reverse Pec Deck Flyes
Ez Bar Curls
Reverse Curls
Cable Curl
Palms up Forearm Curls
Palms down Forearm Curls

Wednesday 4 sets 6-8 reps: Shoulders, Legs, Calves
Shoulder Press
Shrugs
Upright Row
Bulgarian Squat (I substituted Squats with these because of a couple of herniated discs)
Cable Leg Pullback
Cable Hamstring Curls
Leg Extensions
Hip Thrust
Lounges
Calf Raises
Seated Calf Raises

Thursday 3 sets 16-20 reps 70% of weight: Chest, Triceps, Abs
Flat Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Flat Dumbbell Flyes
Pushups
Triceps cable pushdown
Triceps Push Back
Ez Bar Skull Crushers
Abs windshield wipers
Abs leg raises
Abs crunches

Friday 3 sets 16-20 reps 70% of weight: Back, Traps, Biceps
Pull ups
Neutral Grip Pull ups
Lat Pull Down
Underhand Cable Pull down
Straight arm pulldown
Incline Dumbbell Curl
Cable Curl
Reverse Curl
Palms up Forearm Curls
Palms down Forearm Curls
Abs Roller
Abs leg pullback
Abs legs pushup

Fortunately I recover very quickly although lately for stress reasons I have been sleeping poorly (4- 5 hrs per night...)

In september I plan on starting bulking.