Let me try to answer a couple of the questions:
Got any injuries? Back/leg etc?
Initially I suffered a whole host of minor injuries just trying to get my weight maximums up to what I felt were decent levels. These were mostly strained muscles; lower back, traps, and a nasty month of tendonitis in my elbows. But I've worked through all of that now I'm doing everything listed above pain free.
Just by looking at your schedule one can tell your overtrained. Check out Needsizes 5x5 thread.
I was just looking at the different workout routines listed under the sticky today and the 5x5 routine sounds like an appealing way to change things up.
My recommendations would be to cut down the volume and frequency down to 3-5 days a week. I would also add more compounds, squats/deadlifts/bent over barbell rows/pullups/military press/incline press etc etc...You're also missing shoulder work...I don't know if you're avoiding these due to injury or whatever. Where did you get this routine?
Compound movements are something I try to do almost exclusively in my new routine, those are what enabled me to push every one of my lift maximums beyond my previous lifetime personal bests. (Used to never be able to bench beyond 190 no matter how hard I tried, now I'm benching 225 and could probably easily add another 10lbs to that).
I was doing deadlifts when I was having trouble with doing heavy weights on the hack squat machine to strengthen my lower back. But I don't use a weight belt and the squat weights I'm doing now (up to 665 on heavy days) seem to do a pretty good job of working my lower back muscles along with my legs.
I don't have any problems with my shoulders. But I find that my current back and chest routines already pump them up really well without having to isolate the shoulders specifically.
Is it too much to work a given muscle group more than once a week?
whats your age and how long have you been lifting???? whats your sets and rep scheme?
I'm 39 closing in on 40, but I started out with Arnold's "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding" as my reference and I've lifted on and off every year from about the age of 18. Usually quitting after reaching the same plateau every time. My rep/set scheme is posted at the beginning of this thread.
I don't over train because I get nice clear messages when it is time to pull back and rest longer.
The problem I'm having is that I've plateaued, but I don't know if I'm overtraining or if I just need to switch up my routine since I've been doing essentially the same one for the last 6 months.
I'm not burnt out on training, I live for it most days. I've realized pretty dramatic gains in the last 6 months, but now I don't want to get caught in that cycle of a plateau that just won't break, because that's the biggest motivation killer of all for me.
Stats
Starting Jan 01 2003
6'
155 lbs
flat bench max - 140 lbs
bar curl max - 70 lbs
Wide grip pull up (couldn't do 1 unassisted)
Hack Squat Machine Max - 225 lbs
Abs - None Discernible
Now July 10 2003
6'
183
flat bench max - 225 lbs
bar curl max - 110 lbs
wide grip pullup - Can do 5 sets of 8
Hack Squat Machine Max - 665
Abs - 4 1/2 pack (still working on the line below the bottom 2)
So the routine I listed DOES work. It's just that it seems to have stopped allowing me to progress any further. So I'm trying to find a routine change that will get me over the hump without losing any ground. My next goal is to hit 250 on bench and 195 on the scales.