Can't lift more than 30lbs

[thatsright]

Hi Guys - This is pretty embarrassing. I'm a guy and have been going to the gym off an on for several years, sound familiar. In the last two months I have been going at it about 3-4 times a week. I have been able to steadily increase the weights I lift on each movement in the morning on all body parts. However when I do biceps, I just can't get past 30lb dumbbells. I'll do say a 5x5 routine. After the second or third set, I just fail and can't get my arms up all the way. Can you think of a way to get beyond this? More reps with less weight? Or just see how many reps I can do at 30lb and increase the reps for some time and then try going back up on the weight again? I've tried using the 60lb curl barbells and I quickly hit fail point on those as well. Not being able to lift more than 30lbs isn't normal for the amount of time I've been doing this. To state the obvious.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

I think my vote would be to find a weight that you can curl 10 times. Wait 5mins. Curl that weight again until you can't. Wait ~6mins, curl it again until you can't.

Try this for two to four weeks only twice a week. Then try two to four weeks doing this every day that you work out (3 to 4 times a week sounds like).

Which four weeks seemed to provide the most gains? Just gotta try different things sometimes to see what works best. Everyone is different. Food, sleep, and genetics can play a pretty big role.

 

[purbeast0]

Considering you say you workout all body parts in your workout I'd say you are over training. Especially considering you are doing it 3-4 times a week. Your body needs rest.

Also, are you gaining weight? If not then eat more. Your muscles aren't going to just get bigger and stronger without getting more fuel to help them grow.

Doing 5x5 for dumbell bicep curls is not a good use of time either. Do more reps and do like 3 sets. Also, don't rest for 5-6 minutes as the other guy said, that's too long. Rest like 2 minutes or so between sets.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

The rest window between sets is highly dependent upon intensity. He's unable to do 30 pounds after a 2nd or 3rd set on a 5x5. Sounds like 30 pounds is pretty intense. I think he does need the 5min rest between sets.

Something that's easy for you, you wait less between sets. Something that's harder for you, you wait a bit more.

 

[purbeast0]

The rest window between sets is highly dependent upon intensity. He's unable to do 30 pounds after a 2nd or 3rd set on a 5x5. Sounds like 30 pounds is pretty intense. I think he does need the 5min rest between sets.

Something that's easy for you, you wait less between sets. Something that's harder for you, you wait a bit more.

@thatsright do not take this guys advice. 5 mins between sets is way too long unless you are lifting extremely heavy compound exercises. Dumbell curls are about as isolated as you can get and you will not be going very heavy with them.

 

[Farmer]

I think there are genetic ceilings to strength (unless you take steroids). For curls I hit 40 really fast, and can sustain 40 10x3 (i.e., even if I stop lifting for a month I can still do it when I pick it back up). Though I have been able to go up to 50 for brief periods when I am eating particularly well or for some other reasons, it as never stuck and I have never really been able to grow beyond 40.

There is a lot said about "muscle confusion," whatever that actually means, but there is some value to it. Which is to say, if you cannot break through a plateau, change things up. Try cables or machines. Try higher rep lower mass. Try changing your rest days.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

5 mins between sets is way too long unless you are lifting extremely heavy compound exercises.

Heavy is relevant relative. What's heavy for one person can be light for another. It's about intensity. Look it up.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

Strength Training

To get stronger faster, the best rest period is 3 to 5 minutes between sets.

This is because much of the energy your body consumes during traditional strength training (heavy weight, 1 to 6 reps) comes from the Adenosine Triphosphate Phosphocreatine system. The ATP-PC system uses phosphagens to produce energy very quickly and without the use of oxygen. Your body has a very small phosphagen reserve, which lasts about 15 seconds. It takes your body about 3 minutes to fully replenish phosphagen stores (Fleck, 1983).

In other words, if you give your ATP-PC system at least 3 minutes to recharge, you'll lift more weight and get stronger faster.

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/what-is-the-optimal-time-between-sets-for-muscle-growth.html

 

[OCGuy]

Hi Guys - This is pretty embarrassing. I'm a guy and have been going to the gym off an on for several years, sound familiar. In the last two months I have been going at it about 3-4 times a week. I have been able to steadily increase the weights I lift on each movement in the morning on all body parts. However when I do biceps, I just can't get past 30lb dumbbells. I'll do say a 5x5 routine. After the second or third set, I just fail and can't get my arms up all the way. Can you think of a way to get beyond this? More reps with less weight? Or just see how many reps I can do at 30lb and increase the reps for some time and then try going back up on the weight again? I've tried using the 60lb curl barbells and I quickly hit fail point on those as well. Not being able to lift more than 30lbs isn't normal for the amount of time I've been doing this. To state the obvious.

You are training all body parts 3-4 days a week? Do you have a friend that can give you a basic effective workout routine?

You should be concentrating on different muscle groups each day, and working them to the point where you feel soreness for 24-48 hours afterwards. You don't build muscle while you are lifting, you build muscle when you are sleeping/repairing the specific muscles during the nights/days you aren't working them.

 

[purbeast0]

Strength Training

To get stronger faster, the best rest period is 3 to 5 minutes between sets.

This is because much of the energy your body consumes during traditional strength training (heavy weight, 1 to 6 reps) comes from the Adenosine Triphosphate Phosphocreatine system. The ATP-PC system uses phosphagens to produce energy very quickly and without the use of oxygen. Your body has a very small phosphagen reserve, which lasts about 15 seconds. It takes your body about 3 minutes to fully replenish phosphagen stores (Fleck, 1983).

In other words, if you give your ATP-PC system at least 3 minutes to recharge, you'll lift more weight and get stronger faster.

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/what-is-the-optimal-time-between-sets-for-muscle-growth.html

You realize that study you linked to used squats as the exercise in question right? Which is as I explained, a compound exercise that will be lifting heavier weight than during an isolated 30lb dumbell curl, which I already said you would want to rest longer than the 2 minutes or so I mentioned. They also said they rested 3 minutes, not 5 as you recommended.

Thanks for helping my argument.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

Look, I'm just going to be blunt. I haven't helped your argument, you have a comprehension issue with what was quoted from the website. Nothing in there said anything that was particularly specific to a compound exercise, but rather about how strength training draws upon the Adenosine Triphosphate Phosphocreatine system. That system requires 3+ minutes to recover.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

They also said they rested 3 minutes, not 5 as you recommended.

So the system can recover. What benefit do you think there is to not ensure it's recovered for strength training? 3mins to 5mins, is what it says. I chose the upper boundary of 5mins. Reread what you quoted me on, and you'll clearly see at the top is says 3 to 5mins.

Edit:
And waiting for 6mins between the 2nd and 3rd set isn't exactly going to kill your gains.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

"The result?

After 8 weeks, the long rest period group saw better muscle growth AND strength gains than the short period group."

https://builtwithscience.com/rest-between-sets/

 

[purbeast0]

"The result?

After 8 weeks, the long rest period group saw better muscle growth AND strength gains than the short period group."

https://builtwithscience.com/rest-between-sets/

Thanks again for helping my argument. Here's a direct quote from your article.

For example, one 2016 study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research examined the effect of varied rest periods on different exercises. The researchers found that roughly 2 minutes of rest was sufficient for single-joint exercises (like chest flies) whereas subjects responded best to at least 3 minutes of rest for heavy compound movements (like the bench press). And as you may have noticed, this finding is in agreement with Dr. Brad Schoenfeld’s study mentioned earlier.

So for compound movements like the bench press, overhead press, squat, and so on, it would likely be best to stick to at least 3 minutes of rest between sets.

Last I checked, dumbell curls were single joint exercises (and isolated) versus the compound exercises that I mentioned, where longer rest periods is more beneficial. And then it even goes on to say, if you're doing very heavy weight, to rest longer, as I have already stated.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

I love how you try to cherry pick some text to support your ideas, while totally discarding the context of the study haha

The test was looking to compare metabolic stress vs total volume. You did read the whole thing before trying to cherry pick? Right?

Total Volume won. That is to say, it doesn't hurt to wait 3 to 5mins between sets if it means getting in more volume. There's less benefit for trying to hurry up the wait time between sets and creating the metabolic stress than it is for you to get the total volume. That's what the article is saying.

 

[OCGuy]

Your points may be valid guys, but it has nothing to do with the OP. He could wait 1 minute or 15 minutes between sets and the results would be the same when:

A. He isn't working out hard enough for it to be uncomfortable to work the same muscle groups almost every day

B. Even if he was tearing down enough muscle fibers to initiate growth, they are not getting enough days of rest to actually do so.

 

[purbeast0]

Your points may be valid guys, but it has nothing to do with the OP. He could wait 1 minute or 15 minutes between sets and the results would be the same when:

A. He isn't working out hard enough for it to be uncomfortable to work the same muscle groups almost every day

B. Even if he was tearing down enough muscle fibers to initiate growth, they are not getting enough days of rest to actually do so.

Yep that was addressed in my first post. I was just letting the OP to know not to follow bad information as a followup.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

Except, it's not bad information when you can link to the studies. What did you link to?

 

[killster1]

You are training all body parts 3-4 days a week? Do you have a friend that can give you a basic effective workout routine?

You should be concentrating on different muscle groups each day, and working them to the point where you feel soreness for 24-48 hours afterwards. You don't build muscle while you are lifting, you build muscle when you are sleeping/repairing the specific muscles during the nights/days you aren't working them.

the strongest i have ever been was full body workout every other day with long rest between each set maybe 3 hour workouts. I dont know why it just what my body responded most to. I have seen people do work out 8 days in a row full body each day and then take off 5 days, they gained wicked amounts of muscle just from those rest days. We all work different. I think they are not eating enough. They do make 1.25 pound plates also and yea you dont need 5x5 of curls ;P

Every 16? weeks you should take a week off exercise at least, let your body repair and drop your weight on all your exercises and rework back to the point you plateau.
Another thing to try, work out 4pm after eating lots that day. If i work out in the morning before my meals i lift a considerable amount less.

lets all post our arm routines.. mine is super lame i need to switch it up i think

warm up curls half what i will use for spidercurl 2x15

spidercurl? 3xreps (around 12 reps first set then wait 1 min 8 reps then wait 45 seconds 6 reps followed by double burn out.

Hammer curl 3xSame reps as other 1 min rest then 45 seconds for third set

Some rope pulldowns or close grip bench 3x8 no fancy sets usually
isolated one arm upper pully curl or two arm lower cable pully curl 3x8 about
one arm kickbacks 3x8
olympic bar wide grip curls 3x10

never take more than 1 min break between sets for me.

sometimes do some squats between sets or close grip chin ups to finish the work out.

i just went and read your article and another one about the 3 min rest. I am torn between trying it. If i do 3 min rest between sets my work out will take over a hour im sure. I dont have that kind of free time in my life right now and the 25 min work out i do fits perfectly. I already hate how much everyone comments on my body saying this and that strong guy big guy, yesterday the cashier said i prob crushed my atm card thats why its not working haha so embarrassing (not fat at all tho). wish for leaner smaller muscles that do same work as bigger ones ;P

 

[killster1]

"The result?

After 8 weeks, the long rest period group saw better muscle growth AND strength gains than the short period group."

https://builtwithscience.com/rest-between-sets/

it also says reps in range of 1-5 reps. i can see if you are doing 1Rep max that a long rest between. Me i dont even get close to any max because i dont want to be injured anymore, i feel steady growth is better than maximum growth with risks. BUT I will definitely Up my bench and squat sets on chest and leg day and get a longer workout rests see how that goes scared to try 1 rep maxes tho .

 

[HutchinsonJC]

it also says reps in range of 1-5 reps

I think since people are reading way too much into one lines or specific sentences or paragraphs on the article I linked instead of the context of the whole thing (and what the finding actually was), that they should probably read the study that the article actually linked to.

The basics are that it's not particularly super beneficial to create metabolic stress so much as it is to get more total volume in.

Probably one of the big reasons for a rushed or minimized window between sets comes into play as a result of people having things to do. There's also a kind of social judging component when people go to the gym and it looks like all you're doing is playing on your phone instead of working out. So rush rush go go.

The truth is, ensuring that the ATP-PC system can recharge between sets, which provides for more total volume on the next set, is a pretty big key to strength training. That time window is 3+ mins. And like all things about any one particular person's body who I would be talking to or advising to on the internet... I don't know you! I don't know your body! So when I'm saying try a wait of 5mins or even 6mins to a person who is claiming years of attempts to get gains on biceps, my advice is contructed in such a way to remove any doubt that his ATP-PC system is recharged and that he can make the best attempt at the most volume.

Those of you trying to criticize or call it out as bad advice might want to link to something to support your ideas.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26605807

Twenty-one young resistance-trained men were randomly assigned to either a group that performed a resistance training (RT) program with 1-minute rest intervals (SHORT) or a group that employed 3-minute rest intervals (LONG). All other RT variables were held constant. The study period lasted 8 weeks with subjects performing 3 total body workouts a week comprised 3 sets of 8-12 repetition maximum (RM) of 7 different exercises per session...


...This study provides evidence that longer rest periods promote greater increases in muscle strength and hypertrophy in young resistance-trained men.

 

[killster1]

I think since people are reading way too much into one lines or specific sentences or paragraphs on the article I linked instead of the context of the whole thing (and what the finding actually was), that they should probably read the study that the article actually linked to.

The basics are that it's not particularly super beneficial to create metabolic stress so much as it is to get more total volume in.

Probably one of the big reasons for a rushed or minimized window between sets comes into play as a result of people having things to do. There's also a kind of social judging component when people go to the gym and it looks like all you're doing is playing on your phone instead of working out. So rush rush go go.

The truth is, ensuring that the ATP-PC system can recharge between sets, which provides for more total volume on the next set, is a pretty big key to strength training. That time window is 3+ mins. And like all things about any one particular person's body who I would be talking to or advising to on the internet... I don't know you! I don't know your body! So when I'm saying try a wait of 5mins or even 6mins to a person who is claiming years of attempts to get gains on biceps, my advice is contructed in such a way to remove any doubt that his ATP-PC system is recharged and that he can make the best attempt at the most volume.

Those of you trying to criticize or call it out as bad advice might want to link to something to support your ideas.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26605807

Twenty-one young resistance-trained men were randomly assigned to either a group that performed a resistance training (RT) program with 1-minute rest intervals (SHORT) or a group that employed 3-minute rest intervals (LONG). All other RT variables were held constant. The study period lasted 8 weeks with subjects performing 3 total body workouts a week comprised 3 sets of 8-12 repetition maximum (RM) of 7 different exercises per session...


...This study provides evidence that longer rest periods promote greater increases in muscle strength and hypertrophy in young resistance-trained men.

you think maybe people are after more than just maximum strength? i mean i could have a huge belly and lift twice as much as i do but i choose lean fast explosive movements with low rest to build my endurance. You think if your in a fight you are going to punch a few times and take a 6 min rest? HEH

you also dont do 12 reps for max strength so your tests are flawed and if i ran enough tests i can prove all kinds of crazy things that are only true some of the time in some conditions etc. There are lots of factors not listed.

where does it say 6 min in that article, it said 21 young men (age unknown race unknown body type unknown diet unknown etc unknown)
its interesting and i already planned on taking longer on leg day and pushing a little more weight but.. my question is how often will you get injured trying to push MAX reps that you need to wait 6 mins between?

how many on each side of the test 11 long wait and 10 short weight? 20 short rest and 1 long rest but their genetics are better? how long have they been training? I believe the test sure it seems reasonable. But im pretty sure im going to be wearing braces on my joints in a few weeks of trying reps that need 3 min break between, my whole body feels fine now, i bet elbow brace, back brace.. ugh

 

[HutchinsonJC]

you think maybe people are after more than just maximum strength?

Does the world have any logic left to it?

This thread is about the original poster. His issue is a seeming inability to get past curling 30 pounds... a matter of strength training. You can do whatever you want.

 

[killster1]

Does the world have any logic left to it?

This thread is about the original poster. You can do whatever you want.

where does it say he wants max strength? He just wants to progress and imo he is just needs to take a week off and eat right. also using 1.25 pound plates to add to the 30 will for sure work. Its not like resting for 6 mins in the magic answer just because you say it is.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

See post #8 in this thread and quit being a troll.