Muscle Gain

[Wyndru]

I've been doing a weight lifting routine (SL 5x5) for a while now, but I haven't really been pushing myself 5lbs. each workout as the program suggests. Once I hit 200lb squats (which is also my current body weight) I've only been adding 5 lbs every 2 cycles (every 4 workouts for squats, 2 workouts for DL).

I'm only up to 225 for squats at this point but I'm ok with this weight, and am happy with the results I'm seeing in my body so far. I'm wondering if continuing at this weight will continue to increase my muscle mass over time, or without increasing the weight will they stop growing?

I know this is probably a stupid question, but I've heard a lot of people state that unless you are increasing the weight weekly you don't gain much muscle. At this weight I actually struggle toward the last set, so I'm hoping that is enough to gain muscle for now.

Also, will it get easier over time, or if I stay at this weight will I always struggle on the last set? (And by struggle, I'm not in risk of failure, I mean I can feel it and I'm actually pushing, it's not as easy as my warmup sets).

My deads are up to 275 and I don't have any issues with those, but I'm thinking about staying at that weight for those as well. I'm not looking to be able to squat/DL 2x my body weight or anything. I just want to maintain muscle mass and have comfortable workouts.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

You will continue to gain muscle as long as you challenge yourself - whether that's increasing the weight every session or every week. Completing the 5x5 program is almost always a struggle. Typically, higher level lifters will only do 2-3 very heavy sets because 5 sets is just too much for fatigue and mental wear... and 3 sets of 5 is just as effective, if not moreso due to the ability to maintain increased intensity. My bias is once you get sick of the 5x5 to dip down to a 3x5 and keep pushing up on the weights.

 

[Cstefan]

SC is right on. 5x5 will become hard at some point will have to be 3x5 to keep the weights high through the whole workout.

Also, just as important, if not more, is nutrition. Eat big to be big, and try to eat relatively clean.

 

[Wyndru]

Yeah, I just didn't expect to have such slow progress on my squats at only around 1x body weight. I'm only taking in about 150g of protein/day, so maybe if I up that to 200 I might see some better results.

Like I mentioned in the OP, I'm not really looking to lift very heavy, and so far I'm happy with the results. I just want to get to the point where lifting 225 isn't taxing me so much. I wasn't sure if I needed to go to say 250 then back off to 225, or if just lifting at 225 over time will get easier.

Do your muscles continue to grow if you don't increase weight?

 

[Koing]

Yeah, I just didn't expect to have such slow progress on my squats at only around 1x body weight. I'm only taking in about 150g of protein/day, so maybe if I up that to 200 I might see some better results.

Like I mentioned in the OP, I'm not really looking to lift very heavy, and so far I'm happy with the results. I just want to get to the point where lifting 225 isn't taxing me so much. I wasn't sure if I needed to go to say 250 then back off to 225, or if just lifting at 225 over time will get easier.

Do your muscles continue to grow if you don't increase weight?

Why aren't you looking to lift heavy? Are you afraid of becoming bulky? You won't get huge over night. It takes years and years of dedication to do so.

Do your muscles continue to grow if you don't increase weight?
Yes but not optimally. You could use the same weight say 225 and then get to a point where you are doing it for 20reps per set. This is not optimal.

Parameters to make muscles grow:
Intensity: The weight you use : Has to increase over time, the more advance you are the longer it takes to get to the next number
Reps: Numbers of repetitions you do in a single set : Mix it up, do some high rep work, moderate reps and then go onto heavier weights, cycle these about to hit all rep ranges
heavy 1-4
moderate 5-8
endurance 8-12
Set: Number of
Rest period inbetween sets: Less recovery the harder it is

Getting to say 250-270 will make 225 feel much lighter. It is a lower % of your 1RM so it will be easier to do for reps.

Upping your protein intake will help you recover better and thus lift more.

Koing

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Yeah, I just didn't expect to have such slow progress on my squats at only around 1x body weight. I'm only taking in about 150g of protein/day, so maybe if I up that to 200 I might see some better results.

Like I mentioned in the OP, I'm not really looking to lift very heavy, and so far I'm happy with the results. I just want to get to the point where lifting 225 isn't taxing me so much. I wasn't sure if I needed to go to say 250 then back off to 225, or if just lifting at 225 over time will get easier.

Do your muscles continue to grow if you don't increase weight?

In my opinion, the weight will get somewhat easier, but it will still feel like 225 pounds if that makes sense. Whenever I kept increasing weight, it wasn't that the other weights got easier. It's just that I was capable of lifting more. I didn't notice that other weights felt easier until I had made major strength gains (225 finally felt easy when my back squat 1RM was 350).

And your muscles will grow for a period of time, but not very long. You need a continuous challenging stress for the muscles to continue to adapt. Once they've adapted sufficiently for the given stress you apply (let's say 200# back squat), they'll stop trying to overcompensate which is what results in improved strength and muscle mass.

I'm also curious as to why you don't want to continue increasing the weight. It doesn't have to be a fast thing, but it's always good to continue challenging the body. Working in the healthcare field, I see a lot of people get sick and have to recover. Those who have continually worked on better their strength and endurance still lose some conditioning, but because they started at a much higher baseline they recover much more quickly. I always think you gotta keep pushing that baseline higher and higher (while avoiding injury) to be the best you can be for as long as you can. Also, if I'm not mistaken, there's research that shows stronger people have a lower mortality rate compared to their weaker counterparts.

 

[Wyndru]

Honestly, I'm concerned that at some point I'm going to hurt myself. That is part of the reason why I increase the weight so gradually. I constantly review my form to be sure I'm not doing things incorrectly and will not move up in weight if I feel like I'm getting sloppy.

I'm worried that at some point I'll hear a pop or something and really mess my back up. I've injured my back snowboarding once and it scared the hell out of me being in pain for a week, and having a hard time standing up.

I know I'm being paranoid, but I just want to be comfortable with the weight I'm squatting/deadlifting and until recently I was. Now that it is really feeling heavy, I'm mentally psyching myself out.

The second reason is because I don't have a squatting cage. I just have a bench with uprights that reverse and go up high enough that I can squat from the back of it. If I fail on a set, I actually have to let it drop off my back onto the pads. Not the best setup for serious lifting unfortunately. I should get a gym membership, but as it is working out 3 times a week pretty much fills my schedule, and that is without needing to drive to the gym or wait for equipment to be available.

 

[RFE]

Without the benefit (safety net) of a power cage, going heavy is probably not a great idea, so I personally think that your approach and concern is right on. There have been a couple of times when I've pushed myself too hard with a heavy weight and could not complete the last rep...hate to think about how that could've turned out without using a power cage.

Not sure about your budget and space, but there are power cages/squat racks available for purchase (this is a lower cost one):
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Squat-De...rds=squat+rack

A lifting belt might also be a good idea, especially as you continue to increase the weight.

 

[Ogrinz]

So much misinformation in this thread. Not going to address it all, but bottom line is you need to decide what your goal of lifting is. The only reason to lift heavy is to have the ability to lift heavier. That is it, has nothing to do with muscle building. If you want to lift heavy weights and increase the weight you lift, keep lifting heavy.

The first thing I ask everyone when they start out, what is really your goal. Is it sports/strength related or purely aesthetic. You train for what you need. You also need to be grounded in the real world on what "strong" really is. To be stronger than 90% of the population is quite easy. In the world of youtube everyone thinks a 500+ pound benches squats and deadlifts (Adjust absurd weights for the lift) are normal. Its not, those are people who have been dedicated for years upon years doing nothing but heavy lifting and are competing in the competitive sport nature of the event.

Most people lift for aesthetic reasons, myself included. I learned awhile ago heavy weight is not where its at. Time under tension and the quality of the contraction are what is important! You can get decently strong and big using relatively light weights. If you want to move the huge weights that's a different story.

Lets look at the biggest and strongest guys in the sport

Bodybuilders and strongmen/power/olympic lifters. Both groups are huge and both are strong, just in different ways. Obviously two different goals out of the two groups, but both have plenty of muscle and strength compared to the average person. The groups train completely different in how much they lift and the rep ranges. I dont even consider crossfit, because that's for people who like to punish themselves. That is not a sport, its self inflicted torture.

To many people get caught up in the machismo of trying to lift a lot of weight. I know I did. I also got some injuries along the way because of it and to be honest I never really got that strong. I have better aesthetics now and am still stronger then most of the people walking around or that go to the gym.

I would suggest watching the series "Train with Kai" on youtube. Really opens people's eyes on weight training. Even talks about ego with weights and what you really need to get bigger/stronger.

If you want to lift big weights more power to you, but just to get big you dont need to go heavy. Be careful with your lifting, just turning 30 I am more concerned about my joint health and injury then ego lifting these days.

 

[surfsatwerk]

"Train with Kai"

grapefruit :awe:

 

[Blackjack200]

So much misinformation in this thread. Not going to address it all, but bottom line is you need to decide what your goal of lifting is. The only reason to lift heavy is to have the ability to lift heavier. That is it, has nothing to do with muscle building. If you want to lift heavy weights and increase the weight you lift, keep lifting heavy.

The first thing I ask everyone when they start out, what is really your goal. Is it sports/strength related or purely aesthetic. You train for what you need. You also need to be grounded in the real world on what "strong" really is. To be stronger than 90% of the population is quite easy. In the world of youtube everyone thinks a 500+ pound benches squats and deadlifts (Adjust absurd weights for the lift) are normal. Its not, those are people who have been dedicated for years upon years doing nothing but heavy lifting and are competing in the competitive sport nature of the event.

Most people lift for aesthetic reasons, myself included. I learned awhile ago heavy weight is not where its at. Time under tension and the quality of the contraction are what is important! You can get decently strong and big using relatively light weights. If you want to move the huge weights that's a different story.

Lets look at the biggest and strongest guys in the sport

Bodybuilders and strongmen/power/olympic lifters. Both groups are huge and both are strong, just in different ways. Obviously two different goals out of the two groups, but both have plenty of muscle and strength compared to the average person. The groups train completely different in how much they lift and the rep ranges. I dont even consider crossfit, because that's for people who like to punish themselves. That is not a sport, its self inflicted torture.

To many people get caught up in the machismo of trying to lift a lot of weight. I know I did. I also got some injuries along the way because of it and to be honest I never really got that strong. I have better aesthetics now and am still stronger then most of the people walking around or that go to the gym.

I would suggest watching the series "Train with Kai" on youtube. Really opens people's eyes on weight training. Even talks about ego with weights and what you really need to get bigger/stronger.

If you want to lift big weights more power to you, but just to get big you dont need to go heavy. Be careful with your lifting, just turning 30 I am more concerned about my joint health and injury then ego lifting these days.

I'm not sure if you play sports, but if not, here's a little basic hockey illustration of why lifting heavy is important.

When I glide down the ice on two skates, my legs are only supporting my body weight. 210 lbs.

When I dip into a hard turn (angling my body at 45 degrees) I hit 1 lateral G and my effective weight doubles. Now each leg is handling 210 lbs. on its own. Frequently, hockey players "crossover" meaning they leap from from one leg to the other in the middle of their turns. The stronger those legs are, the faster they can crossover, the faster they can cut and weave on the ice.

You can find analogies with any sport. I've head that professional soccer players can typically squat around five hundred pounds.

To say that the only reason to lift heavy is to be able to lift heavier just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

So much misinformation in this thread. Not going to address it all, but bottom line is you need to decide what your goal of lifting is. The only reason to lift heavy is to have the ability to lift heavier. That is it, has nothing to do with muscle building. If you want to lift heavy weights and increase the weight you lift, keep lifting heavy.

The first thing I ask everyone when they start out, what is really your goal. Is it sports/strength related or purely aesthetic. You train for what you need. You also need to be grounded in the real world on what "strong" really is. To be stronger than 90% of the population is quite easy. In the world of youtube everyone thinks a 500+ pound benches squats and deadlifts (Adjust absurd weights for the lift) are normal. Its not, those are people who have been dedicated for years upon years doing nothing but heavy lifting and are competing in the competitive sport nature of the event.

Most people lift for aesthetic reasons, myself included. I learned awhile ago heavy weight is not where its at. Time under tension and the quality of the contraction are what is important! You can get decently strong and big using relatively light weights. If you want to move the huge weights that's a different story.

Lets look at the biggest and strongest guys in the sport

Bodybuilders and strongmen/power/olympic lifters. Both groups are huge and both are strong, just in different ways. Obviously two different goals out of the two groups, but both have plenty of muscle and strength compared to the average person. The groups train completely different in how much they lift and the rep ranges. I dont even consider crossfit, because that's for people who like to punish themselves. That is not a sport, its self inflicted torture.

To many people get caught up in the machismo of trying to lift a lot of weight. I know I did. I also got some injuries along the way because of it and to be honest I never really got that strong. I have better aesthetics now and am still stronger then most of the people walking around or that go to the gym.

I would suggest watching the series "Train with Kai" on youtube. Really opens people's eyes on weight training. Even talks about ego with weights and what you really need to get bigger/stronger.

If you want to lift big weights more power to you, but just to get big you dont need to go heavy. Be careful with your lifting, just turning 30 I am more concerned about my joint health and injury then ego lifting these days.

Is this a joke or something? The most effective way to gain muscle is to maximize the effective load on the tissue. Research has for over 40 years supported the hypothesis that greater weight lifted results in more hypertrophy (which it does compared to lighter weights) - both sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar. That can be improved by dietary changes, but the results overall are the same.

Also, are you kidding me about lifting more just makes you better at lifting weights? If you increase your neural coordination and physiologic cross sectional area of muscle, you will be able to generate improved force in all joint ranges of motion and activities (depending on the person's motor control). That is, a heavy back squat translates into a hell of a forceful block in football.

Time under tension? Think about what you're saying. If I do a 3 rep max deadlift with 400 pounds and each rep takes 5 seconds, are you saying that deadlifting 100 pounds 30 times with an average rep length of 2 seconds is the same thing? They both equal the same volume x time product. The 100 pounds deadlift actually results in MORE TIME UNDER TENSION (60s as opposed to 15s). But do they result in significantly different cellular stimuli? No way in hell. Hypertrophy pathways are initiated maximally with rep schemes less than 6 executed at 85% of the 1 rep max or more. What you're saying has no basis in science or logic. You're just spouting off bro science.

 

[classy]

I've been doing a weight lifting routine (SL 5x5) for a while now, but I haven't really been pushing myself 5lbs. each workout as the program suggests. Once I hit 200lb squats (which is also my current body weight) I've only been adding 5 lbs every 2 cycles (every 4 workouts for squats, 2 workouts for DL).

I'm only up to 225 for squats at this point but I'm ok with this weight, and am happy with the results I'm seeing in my body so far. I'm wondering if continuing at this weight will continue to increase my muscle mass over time, or without increasing the weight will they stop growing?

I know this is probably a stupid question, but I've heard a lot of people state that unless you are increasing the weight weekly you don't gain much muscle. At this weight I actually struggle toward the last set, so I'm hoping that is enough to gain muscle for now.

Also, will it get easier over time, or if I stay at this weight will I always struggle on the last set? (And by struggle, I'm not in risk of failure, I mean I can feel it and I'm actually pushing, it's not as easy as my warmup sets).

My deads are up to 275 and I don't have any issues with those, but I'm thinking about staying at that weight for those as well. I'm not looking to be able to squat/DL 2x my body weight or anything. I just want to maintain muscle mass and have comfortable workouts.

You may be able to continue to improve the quality of your muscle, but you will start to struggle to add mass. Even people who use high reps, to continue to gain muscle mass, they increase the weight. There is a correlation between strength and muscle mass, but they aren't always dependent on each other. Diet has a major impact on the type of muscle mass you'll gain and amount. But more often than not to continue making muscle mass gains, you will probably need to increase the weight to cause continued growth.

 

[Ogrinz]

To say that the only reason to lift heavy is to be able to lift heavier just doesn't make any sense to me.

I was speaking in the context of pure muscle gain / weightlifting . Obviously if you play a sport different considerations come into play as far as what strength goals and training / specific exercises translate into the associated sport.

Not knowing the OP's goals and the fact that most people are the in gym for aesthetic reasons / general health I excluded sport carryover as it is completely determinate on the sport.

 

[Ogrinz]

Is this a joke or something? The most effective way to gain muscle is to maximize the effective load on the tissue. Research has for over 40 years supported the hypothesis that greater weight lifted results in more hypertrophy (which it does compared to lighter weights) - both sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar. That can be improved by dietary changes, but the results overall are the same.

Also, are you kidding me about lifting more just makes you better at lifting weights? If you increase your neural coordination and physiologic cross sectional area of muscle, you will be able to generate improved force in all joint ranges of motion and activities (depending on the person's motor control). That is, a heavy back squat translates into a hell of a forceful block in football.

Time under tension? Think about what you're saying. If I do a 3 rep max deadlift with 400 pounds and each rep takes 5 seconds, are you saying that deadlifting 100 pounds 30 times with an average rep length of 2 seconds is the same thing? They both equal the same volume x time product. The 100 pounds deadlift actually results in MORE TIME UNDER TENSION (60s as opposed to 15s). But do they result in significantly different cellular stimuli? No way in hell. Hypertrophy pathways are initiated maximally with rep schemes less than 6 executed at 85% of the 1 rep max or more. What you're saying has no basis in science or logic. You're just spouting off bro science.

I had a long drawn out reply typed and then thunderstorm knocked out power. Not worth my time to redo it. Basically unless you have a specific application for strength in mind (sports/competition) I still maintain there is no reason/advantage to consistently lift heavy (3-5)over a 8-12 rep range. Form is more likely to suffer as well as joint/tendons/injury. Diet and consistency will have a much much larger role in success or failure.

Bottom line, decide what your goal in the iron game is and look at what they are doing. If you want to be like Jay Cutler, train like him. If you want to be like Derek Poundstone, train like him. Both of them are huge and very strong, however they both employ dramatically different set and rep ranges.

 

[mple]

Lets look at the biggest and strongest guys in the sport

Bodybuilders and strongmen/power/olympic lifters. Both groups are huge and both are strong, just in different ways. Obviously two different goals out of the two groups, but both have plenty of muscle and strength compared to the average person. The groups train completely different in how much they lift and the rep ranges. I dont even consider crossfit, because that's for people who like to punish themselves. That is not a sport, its self inflicted torture.

To many people get caught up in the machismo of trying to lift a lot of weight. I know I did. I also got some injuries along the way because of it and to be honest I never really got that strong. I have better aesthetics now and am still stronger then most of the people walking around or that go to the gym.

I would suggest watching the series "Train with Kai" on youtube. Really opens people's eyes on weight training. Even talks about ego with weights and what you really need to get bigger/stronger.

If you want to lift big weights more power to you, but just to get big you dont need to go heavy. Be careful with your lifting, just turning 30 I am more concerned about my joint health and injury then ego lifting these days.

The rules are completely different when you are cycling steroids (and have the genetics) like the elite bodybuilders competing today. The average trainee will not see the most optimal results if they attempt to train with the same volume or intensity if they do not have supralogical doses of exogenous hormones circulating in their bodies. Increased frequency (same muscle group 2-3x per week), slightly decreased volume, and progressive tension overload is a proven method that has been shown to give optimal results in the average natural lifter.

I had a long drawn out reply typed and then thunderstorm knocked out power. Not worth my time to redo it. Basically unless you have a specific application for strength in mind (sports/competition) I still maintain there is no reason/advantage to consistently lift heavy (3-5)over a 8-12 rep range. Form is more likely to suffer as well as joint/tendons/injury. Diet and consistency will have a much much larger role in success or failure.

Bottom line, decide what your goal in the iron game is and look at what they are doing. If you want to be like Jay Cutler, train like him. If you want to be like Derek Poundstone, train like him. Both of them are huge and very strong, however they both employ dramatically different set and rep ranges.

The difference between training in the 3-5 rep range and the 8-12 range should be a matter of preference for the natural lifter, though the smart trainee will incorporate a mix of both in their training regimen. If building mass was the goal, the effort should be geared towards progressively overloading the muscles with tension through increased weights or reps and proper nutrition. Following the training methodologies of a steroid user, as well as their dieting and overall lifestyle will quickly prove to be an unrealistic way to train for the average natural trainee.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I had a long drawn out reply typed and then thunderstorm knocked out power. Not worth my time to redo it. Basically unless you have a specific application for strength in mind (sports/competition) I still maintain there is no reason/advantage to consistently lift heavy (3-5)over a 8-12 rep range. Form is more likely to suffer as well as joint/tendons/injury. Diet and consistency will have a much much larger role in success or failure.

Bottom line, decide what your goal in the iron game is and look at what they are doing. If you want to be like Jay Cutler, train like him. If you want to be like Derek Poundstone, train like him. Both of them are huge and very strong, however they both employ dramatically different set and rep ranges.

That's not true whatsoever. In my field (physical therapy), research shows that shear strength (in the old and young) reduces risk of death, increases longevity of independence, reduces risk of sarcopenia, improves and maintains joint range of motion, and much much more. Form CAN suffer, but that's where personal vigilance comes in to maintain proper form. That's also where movement specialists (physical therapists, sports and conditioning specialists) should be consulted if form is lacking.

 

[NAC]

OP – I agree with you.

I started a 3*5 program a few years ago with the intent of… I don't know what. To get big and strong. I pushed myself up to squat of a "measly" 240 or so – about 1.4 times my body weight at the time. Along the way I had some back issues, a shoulder issue, a bicep arm issue. Younger, more dedicated and more genetically gifted lifters with more time and energy on their hands would undoubtedly have achieved much higher strength gains than I did. It took a while to convince myself that Rippetoe might have a lot of wisdom – but does it really apply to me? Does it matter if I squat body weight, or double or triple body weight? Is it worth more injuries? I decided it was not.

Since then I've changed my program several times, including higher rep work, more metcon type workouts, getting close to cardio at times. I have had much fewer injuries. I do try to always increase the weight or reps every workout. I am now less able to perform the specific exercises for 3 sets of 5 – for example, now I probably can't safely squat 200 let alone 240.

But also – I haven't had any injuries. My back, which gave me problems even before doing heavy squats, hasn't had any major issues. The past two weekends I shoveled about 6 tons of dirt and gravel into or out of my pickup, and felt great doing it. I chop wood, which is also great fun. I push myself harder when playing ball with my daughters. In a way, I wouldn't be as healthy or strong as I am today if I never did the 3*5 program. But even though my squat maximum, and deadlift, bench and press, is much lower than it was during my peak – I'm quite happy with my fitness.

I do recommend you continue to push yourself. If you aren't comfortable squatting heavier, then transition to a different program – perhaps with more reps or more metcon type exercises. Do continue to increase the weight or reps every workout. Without increasing the weight or reps, your body will stop adapting. But just because you aren't increasing your ability to squat a few reps of five doesn't mean you aren't fulfilling a general goal of becoming more fit. And you can still one day come back to a 3*5 or 5*5 program when you have a power rack or gym membership.

Good luck on your journey.

 

[Wyndru]

Thanks everyone for all of the info and encouragment.

Regarding my goals, I'm turning 36, and am just sick of being flabby and not exercising. I've feel (and look) much better since I started the 5x5 and my cardio off days. Like I mentioned earlier I don't have any specific target in mind, I just want to enjoy lifting and slowly make progress. If I never get to 300lbs squat, I don't care.

That being said, I think I will try changing it up a bit and attempt varying reps/sets as a few of you have suggested. I think that will give me a challenge that will keep me satisfied without having to continually increase the weight.

 

[KIAman]

Thanks everyone for all of the info and encouragment.

Regarding my goals, I'm turning 36, and am just sick of being flabby and not exercising. I've feel (and look) much better since I started the 5x5 and my cardio off days. Like I mentioned earlier I don't have any specific target in mind, I just want to enjoy lifting and slowly make progress. If I never get to 300lbs squat, I don't care.

That being said, I think I will try changing it up a bit and attempt varying reps/sets as a few of you have suggested. I think that will give me a challenge that will keep me satisfied without having to continually increase the weight.

I was much like you when I first started lifting. I didn't have much goals other than not wanting to be skinny fat so I did the 5x5 program for the last year and a half and I am turning 35 this year and hover around 195-200lbs at 6 feet.

You have what I personally have run into called the "good enough" feeling. LOL. Bear with me. On my back squats, every plate (45lbs) increment, I got that "good enough" feeling, like I was thinking to myself, this is good enough, why push myself. It happened at 135lbs, 225lbs and 315lbs. And every time it happened, I stalled big time. I couldn't increase the weight even 5lbs so I justified to myself that it was "good enough."

Then I got to doing my other weights. My bench started at 115 1RM (yes, I was SUPER WEAK!) and it got to 115 5x5 then I started feeling like, there is no way my squat is barely above my bench and I didn't want to look like a gorilla so I started moving up my weights on squats and viola, I could do 140lbs 5x5. After I thought about it, it didn't "feel" any easier than before, it still felt like 140lbs. The difference was my pain tolerence, LOL. I was stalling because I was unwilling to do it.

So to make a long story short, I did the same at 225lbs. I said "good enough" because 230lbs felt too heavy and exhausting. Then my other lifts (bench, OHP, rows, DL) started increasing, so I pushed on the squats. Still felt heavy but I was willing to do it (pain tolerance).

In the end, I got to 315lbs and did the same damn thing, this is "good enough." LOL. Along with it my bench got to 245, DL to 385, etc. etc. etc. so I pushed it even harder.

To the other point, 225lbs still feels like 225lbs but I am able to squat that all day. It is hard to explain but it's like you put 225lbs on your back with a blindfold and can still estimate the weight correctly. You will KNOW it is 225lbs on your back but squatting that doesn't cause your body too much stress, does that make sense? You won't breathe as hard, your heart wont pound as much and you can hold a casual conversation while you do them but it still feels 225lbs because it is, LOL.

So what's the point of my post? You will get stuck and justify it to yourself that it is "good enough" but your other body parts will get stronger and you start to realize you are getting stronger overall and you can push yourself even more. I have become addicted to adding more weight.

1.5 years of casually lifting so far. No injuries other than broken foot from dropping a plate on it. Lots of sore muscles but not anymore. Sometimes felt like recovery was slow but that was because I was on a cut. Couldn't sleep at night but that was because I didn't eat enough carbs.

Also, yeah I understand your concern because lack of equipment but you WILL become addicted to increasing your weights too LOL.

 

[Wyndru]

Also, yeah I understand your concern because lack of equipment but you WILL become addicted to increasing your weights too LOL.

Haha, yeah I have a feeling eventually I'll hit a point where I want to start lifting heavier. I think I even had these "good enough" thoughts when I hit 175, at that point I just really wanted to hit 1x body weight, so I stuck with it.

I'll give it a few weeks and if my attitude changes I'll start looking at racks. My wife is going to love that :awe:

 

[Wyndru]

I'm going to bump my old thread, since I have another question somewhat related to it...can you always "feel" if your muscles are growing? For instance, if I don't have muscle soreness a day or 2 after my workouts, does that mean I'm not gaining muscle any more? It's probably a dumb question, I just can't find an answer on google, because I don't know how to search for this haha.

I've been more seriously dieting, lost about 12 lbs in the past 3-4 weeks, so at this point I'm just trying to maintain my lifts. It feels like they are getting harder each day, and I have it in my head that they should get easier for 2 reasons...I'm slowly gaining muscle and I'm 12 lbs lighter, so that's 12 lbs less that I'm lifting. I'm probably way off on both of those reasons, because I'm struggling a lot just to maintain, so I must be losing muscle.

 

[rga]

Muscle soreness, as far as I know, is not indicative of growth. If you are struggling to maintain your lifts it may because your caloric deficit is too big, or you're not eating enough before you lift; 12 pounds lost in 3 weeks would suggest the former.

 

[Wyndru]

Muscle soreness, as far as I know, is not indicative of growth. If you are struggling to maintain your lifts it may because your caloric deficit is too big, or you're not eating enough before you lift; 12 pounds lost in 3 weeks would suggest the former.

Thanks, that's what I figured. I'll concentrate more on hitting my target weight first before I get too concerned about progressing with my lifts again.

 

[mple]

I'm going to bump my old thread, since I have another question somewhat related to it...can you always "feel" if your muscles are growing? For instance, if I don't have muscle soreness a day or 2 after my workouts, does that mean I'm not gaining muscle any more? It's probably a dumb question, I just can't find an answer on google, because I don't know how to search for this haha.

Soreness isn't an indicator of growth. In fact it's counter-productive to progress if anything. Some factors that may contribute to soreness include training a muscle group too infrequently, training with really high volume, or training too close failure too often. Consider taking a deload week and also dropping down to 3 sets 5 reps instead during your cut.

I've been more seriously dieting, lost about 12 lbs in the past 3-4 weeks, so at this point I'm just trying to maintain my lifts. It feels like they are getting harder each day, and I have it in my head that they should get easier for 2 reasons...I'm slowly gaining muscle and I'm 12 lbs lighter, so that's 12 lbs less that I'm lifting. I'm probably way off on both of those reasons, because I'm struggling a lot just to maintain, so I must be losing muscle.

Maintaining strength during a cut is not the same as gaining lean mass. If you've been training consistently on a proven program for 6-12 months, you're likely past the newbie gain phase and thus will be losing lean mass alongside fat when cutting calories. Don't be afraid to lower the weights a bit. Lift to induce enough stimulus to preserve lean mass without making your visits to the gym absolutely dreadful.