I can't seem to do it ?

[Sassy69]

Hello.

What I can't do, is lift any weight over 40 lbs. for my biceps.

I always change the amount of weight, I try to go up by 5 lb. every few weeks, I first started out with 10 lbs. which was like 11 months ago. but now I am lifting 40 lbs. I can't lift the bar once if I go over 40 lbs.

I mean I always mix it up, 25, 30, 35, 25, 15 lbs. etc, plus change my sets & reps too.

Am I being paranoid with this, will I continue to see results with what I can do, by constantly changing it, or am I up for a big disapointment if I can't increase my weights anymore ?


Thanks !!!

I'm not clear on what your goals are exactly. You have just torn your ACL and will be limited in your lower body movements & ability to do cardio. So you wouldn't probably want to start a bulking diet right now to support an accelerated strength program.

Are you talking about the straight bar or DBs? I'm guess straight barbell since you say refer to the 'bar'. So you are going for increased strength? Or for shape? What I'm trying to say is that you don't have to just forever increase your weights to get shape. I built nice bi peaks by doing drop sets w/ 20 lb DBs. I did a lot fo 7-7-7's w/ EZ bars. I did a lot of hi cable bis. Focus on the form, the contraction. If you aren't eating a lot of calories to fuel the training you are going to be limited with what you can lift. To illustrate -- while prepping for a natural BB competition at 3 months out I hit my best DB lifts ever. 50-60 lb EZ bar curls, 40 lb DB curls, etc. Then as I started cutting my carbs and leaning out at 2 months out from the show, all my weights dropped at least 5-10 lbs.

As I said, I'm not clear on what exactly you are expecting from your training here -- size, strength, shape? The routines in Shadow's plan focus on working the muscles, and applying different techniques including drop sets, supersets, etc. They dont' get hung up on the weights, but more on the progress -- be it a tighter form, 1-2 more reps, increased weight, superset, whatever.

 

[buffchic69]

Thanks sassy. My main focus is a combo of size & shape. Not strength. And BTW- I don't want a bulking diet at all. I gained way too much fat when I folowed that.

As far as the weights, my problem with the 40 pounders come from the straight bar & the db's both.

Hope this helps more in explaining what my goals are.

Thanks again !!!!

 

[Sassy69]

OK. well, same comment -- review Shadow's project & follow the training schedule. Don't worry about the weights. I judge the quality of my workouts by whether or not I was able to make some improvement over the previous week's. In whatever way, shape or form that improvement is. The only time I"ve made great breakthroughs in strength have been when eating correspondingly.