Can someone explain to me why I am not getting weaker and smaller?(Serious question)

[solidj55]

Ok I started a new job about 16 weeks ago, I work long hours each day and lot of overtime on my days off. I have been averaging 1-2 days per week in the gym lifting and my diet has been shit. On the days I work I usually eat a granola bar and protien shake for breakfast and usually dont get to eat again until around dinner time(which there I eat like a damn pig, just whatever there is I eat it in bulk). Whats the deal guys? I am only lifting one or two days per week, I havent been getting enough protein, eating only 2 meals per day some days and eating 3-4 meals(including the junk I eat) on my off days. I havent lost the least little bit of strenght and the only thing I seem to be losing as far as my body goes it the fat. WTF? I have felt like such a sorry ass not going to lift as much but damn, I dont seem to be losing muscle or strength and my bodyfat is dropping. I mean, dont get me wrong, I am for sure not getting bigger but I am having strenght increases every week or two and each week I have gotten a little bit leaner. My routine is like this, dont laugh lol.

Day 1(I hit this every week)
Dumbell Incline or Flat Press(2-5 sets, vary reps/weight)
Dumbell One Arm Rows(2-5 sets, vary reps/weight)
Hyperextensions(3x8 adding 5lbs each week)
Nautilus Situp Machine(3x20-8 reps)
Hack Squats(2-5 sets)

Day 2(I have been hitting this about every 2 weeks)
Dumbell Lateral Raise(3 sets)
Tricep Pushdowns(1 set to failure or 3x10)
Dumbell Precher curl(1 set to failure or 3x10)

And that is it. Can anyone explain this? I walk a lot at work by the way, like 2-3 miles on some days and at least 1-2 miles per day on a day that I dont have much going on. I walk up/down steps a lot and pace back and forth down the halls. Anyway, I just found it weird that I get stronger and leaner with absolutely no diet and sissy ass lifting routine.

 

[NWinters]

sounds like to me that your body liles to grow from rest, sleep.

 

[solidj55]

You may be right there dude, On the nights I have to work I get about 5-7 hours of sleep but when I dont have to work the next day I normally get 12-16 hours of sleep. And having 5-6 days of rest helps. Now if I can just get my diet online like it should be, Ill adjust my exercises and make sure to hit the gym 2X per week I may grow like a weed. Diet is my hardest thing. At my other job I could eat every two hours and thats what I did. Some days at my new job I dont even seem to have time to eat at all. I guess Ill have to invest in a lot of MRP or Protein Powders. Whenever I get back from the academy(I leave in 3 weeks and will be gone for 7 weeks) I will get things squared away. My new workout will look like this:

Day 1
Dumbell Flat or Incline Press(2-8 sets)
Dumbell Row or Pullups(2-8 sets)
Dumbell Military Press(2 sets)
Weighted Dips(1 set)

Day 2
Hack Squats(3 sets)
Leg Curls(3 sets)
Hyperextensions(3 sets)
Situps(3 sets)

Or something along those lines.

 

[solidj55]

No one else has imput?

 

[The Shadow]

2-8 sets??


No way to answer your question......

 

[solidj55]

Yea I do 2-8 sets. Its kinda like this.

Week 1- 2x20
Week 2- 3x12
Week 3- 4x8
Week 4- 5x5
Week 6- 8x3

And then start over. I only do this on things like dumbell presses for chest, my big leg exercise, and a back movement. everything else I stick to 3 sets of 6-12 reps.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

solid j, your not losing strength or lean mass becuase you were overtraining before, and now you are actually subjecting your body to a more appropriate workout than before. In a proper training environment muscle growth will occur, even if you are deficient in both calories and protien, albiet at a much slower rate. You are losing bodyfat because you are expending more calories than you take it. On any proper training system you should be making SOME gains in both mass & strength even when dieting, so I am somewhat concerned that you are stagnating. Perhaps you are not giving yourself enough time between workouts to recover. The reduced food intake could be slowing down your recovery ability, and if that is the case if you switch from training every 3-4 days to training every 5 days, it may give you just enough extra recovery time to start making some gains again. Probably not the answer you were expecting...

 

[coolcolj]

Sound slike you have a lotta cortisol flowing in your body. It doesn't necessarily mena your overtrained, but definitely under stress or something

 

[crew9]

Sound slike you have a lotta cortisol flowing in your body. It doesn't necessarily mena your overtrained, but definitely under stress or something

If he's gaining strength and muscle it's a pretty good chance that he doesnt have a lot of cortisol pumping right about now. Unless of course your talking about before he went to a 2 day split.

 

[coolcolj]

opps I though he said he was getting weaker and smaller