[CFD]

Originally Posted by Speedy1975

I usually end up with a net gain each year of 1-3 pounds even after cutting down.

I've been lifting weights seriously for about 8-9 years and have put on about 30 - 35 lbs since getting started (135lbs to 170lbs) I'm 5'10ish maybe 5'11. Currently at 163.5 and 11.4% body fat. I was 172 and about 12.8% body fat in January but started dieting down 4 weeks ago.

My biggest problem, if you wanna call it that, is that I get strong easily, but size doesn't come as easy. I end up pushing so much weight I injure joints and end up having to get cortisone shots here and there to fix me up again. This is with using good form and the whole nine, but it's a catch 22 as you're not gonna put on size with high reps and light weight as I'm sure you know.

I typically work out alone and use the Hammer Strength machines that give good range of motion like free weights, but allow me to go to failure with heavy weight without a spotter.

I usually rotate workouts about every 90 days to try to keep my body from getting to accustomed to things.

My current work out looks like this:

Mon
Chest/Biceps
HS Incline 5x5
HS Bench Press 5x5
HS Decline 5x5
Preacher Curl Bar 5x5
Alt dumb bells 5x5
HS Curl Machine 5x5
30 mins low intensity cardio (hear rate around 120 - 130)

Wed
Shoulder/Back
HS mil press 5x5
Dumb bell lateral raise 5x5
Cable Shrug 5x5
Smith Shrug 5x5
HS Lat Pull 5x5
HS Bent Over Row 5x5
HS Cable row 5x5
Front rack chin 5x5
30 mins low intensity cardio (hear rate around 120 - 130)

Friday
Legs/Triceps
HS Hack Squat 5x5
HS Plate Loaded Squat Press 5x5
HS Leg Extension 5x5
HS Leg Curl 5x5
Seated Calve Raise (12 reps with 20 second negatives OWWWW)
Super nose breaker 5x5
Rev grip smith bench 5x5
Cable rope tricep extension 5x5
30 mins low intensity cardio (hear rate around 120 - 130)

Diet looks like this:

Non workout days:
Breakfast
1/4 cup steel cut oats
1 egg beater
2 pcs turkey bacon
2 cups coffee sugar free creamer
Flax seed pill 1gr
multivitamin
Red Yeast Rice 1.2gr

Lunch
4-6oz of some protein like chicken breast, tuna, flank steak, etc
1 carrot and some other green vegetable 2 cups like green beans or broccoli
low calorie chips like pretzels 1oz
flax seed pill 1gr

Afternoon snack
fruit like orange or apple
Carbmaster yogurt

Dinner
6oz of some protein like chicken, steak, fish
some carb like brown rice or minute rice 1cup
2 cups spinach salad with balsamic dressing (low fat shredded cheese 1/8 cup, 4 croutons, 1tbsp bacon bits)

On Gym Days
Breakfast
1 scoop Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey
Flax seed pill 1gr
multivitamin
Red Yeast Rice 1.2gr

Hit the gym 7:30am - 9:00am

Morning Snack
2 cups coffee no fat creamer
Protein bar

Lunch
4-6oz of some protein like chicken breast, tuna, flank steak, etc
1 carrot and some other green vegetable 2 cups like green beans or broccoli
low calorie chips like pretzels 1oz
flax seed pill 1gr

Afternoon snack
fruit like orange or apple
Carbmaster yogurt

Dinner
6oz of some protein like chicken, steak, fish
some carb like brown rice or minute rice 1cup
2 cups spinach salad with balsamic dressing (low fat shredded cheese 1/8 cup, 4 croutons, 1tbsp bacon bits)


I do have a little alcohol each night which I'm sure is not the best, but it hasn't prevented me from reaching goals thus far. I gave up beer so it's whiskey or something like that either straight or mixed with Coke Zero.

I drink about a gallon of straight water a day.

During the winter I have maybe 2 caffeine beverages a day (sugar free)

When cutting I have 4 or so caffeine beverages a day (sugar free)

If you've been training like this for a while have you ever tried a 4 day split, you would loose some of your exercises as some seem a bit repetative and not that important and perhaps not as many isolation sets, more compound exercises, 2 days strength, 2 days hypertrophy, this may help with size. Your diet doesn't seem bad but I would think more carbs on workout days and less on non days and why no post workout nutrition, getting hi gi carbs and protein post workout is very beneficial. We have two members here, hrpii and metalicide who are pretty big boys that may see this and can probabbly help with a more balanced routine