My gains seem to have stopped! Help!

[BigRedCat]

I have been on the 5x5 routine for almost 5 months and my gains have come to a halt, in fact I had a rotator cuff problem last week and I just haven't hit shoulders or chest since so it could heal. I have been doing chest and shoulders together and I think the shoulders were getting overworked. I was thinking of splitting it up so I do chest(incline DB presses for my main 5x5 exercise) and arms and then on another day I do shoulders and back. How about that?>in addition to adding some rotator exercises maybe that will allow more growth since I am not hitting shoulders so hard.

I am 189 at around 13%bf(35" waist-yuck!!) and my goal is to get to a lean 200 by june. I dont seem to be losing any bodyfat either. My measurments seem to have just stayed the same. What can I do to blast through and attain my goals? I know how to eat clean and I have been lifting intensely. For cardio I have only been doing sprints 2-3 times a week so that is probably why my fat % isn't going down. How can I get these 17" arms to a respectable 20"?

I need B-fold to lend me 10 pounds of muscle! haha. Help me out here peeps, what am I doing wrong? Maybe I am not eating enough. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[b fold the truth]

I have been on the 5x5 routine for almost 5 months and...

Found your problem...

B True

 

[BigRedCat]

Should I switch things up or what? What to? Help almight god of all things heavy!

 

[JOKER47]

Should I switch things up or what? What to? Help almight god of all things heavy!

I know that when Needsize says he gets to a plateau, he will try going 5x3 for a while to break out of the rut. You could give that try.

Or 3x8....
or 4x4....
3x3.....

Just change it up......


.02,
Joker

 

[gettinlarger]

Everything works.

Not everything works forever.

Time for variation, my friend.

 

[BlkWS6]

I also came to a halt on 5x5 after a couple of months. I would either switch up the sets (3x5 5x3 etc.) or maybe switch your compound movement to a different compound movement to keep things going. Good luck.

 

[BigRedCat]

Thanks for the advice. I am going to switch to 3x5 for a few weeks and see if that helps. I finally got strong enough to use 75 pounders(look at me, I'm a monster! haha) for the DB incline press and for weeks I have just stayed at the same strength level. I could push more but I cannot get them in place. I really hate flat benching but it might help me break though this. by the way, I screwed up my rotator cuffs from doing chest and shoulders on the same day with the 5x5. Word to the wise- dont do shoulders and chest together for too long with the 5x5- too much shoulder stress.

 

[Citruscide]

I'm doing my LOW REP HIGH weight workouts for a month to 6 weeks and then moving on to a higher rep, lower weight workout for a month, and then back... I will be hitting different muscle fibers... and should give adequate enough shock to the muscles to keep them guessing, yet enough time working them to get them used to the workout enough to grow.

C-ditty

 

[scout420]

I work out Chest with Tris, Back alone, Shoulders Alone, Legs Calves alone and I'll throw in some forearm exercise in there a few times a week this works pretty well for me.Also I do not keep a log or nothing I use to but it just slowed me down dont get me worng it is good and if you have the patience and time than it's the way to go but not for me.I try to switch up every routine differently every time weahter it's a different movement different weight or just a whole different exercise.

 

[coolcolj]

whenever I stop gaining, I take 2 weeks off to soften up the body a bit