I’ve been working using the Waterbury Method for the last 5 weeks. Before that, I did 8 weeks of a modified Bill Star program.
The WM suggested loads are 80% 1RM for week one, 82.5 wk2, 85 wk3 and so on. Ive been able to increase the load in this fashion up to week 5 for the prescribed back squats, lunges, chin-ups, leg curls, and calf raises. However, Ive only been able to increase my flat barbel bench and barbel curls to 85% (basically week 2 load)and dips to 87.5% (week 3 load). My decline db bench, skull crushers, bent over rows have all remained at the same load as week 1!! I can’t seem to be able to add weight! Is this normal? How do I know when I should add weight? I just try to add 5lbs to each exercise each week and if I can’t complete the prescribed reps with proper form I use the previous weight.
[quote]Goldie wrote:
I’ve been working using the Waterbury Method for the last 5 weeks. Before that, I did 8 weeks of a modified Bill Star program.
The WM suggested loads are 80% 1RM for week one, 82.5 wk2, 85 wk3 and so on. Ive been able to increase the load in this fashion up to week 5 for the prescribed back squats, lunges, chin-ups, leg curls, and calf raises. However, Ive only been able to increase my flat barbel bench and barbel curls to 85% (basically week 2 load)and dips to 87.5% (week 3 load). My decline db bench, skull crushers, bent over rows have all remained at the same load as week 1!! I can’t seem to be able to add weight! Is this normal? How do I know when I should add weight? I just try to add 5lbs to each exercise each week and if I can’t complete the prescribed reps with proper form I use the previous weight.
Thanks,
Goldie[/quote]
I think you taking the WM in the wrong direction. Though ts been a bit since I last read it, but I had the greatest results from it. The WM is for your primary or core lifts, like squat, bench, deadlift, millitary press, etc. Not for calf raises, leg curls and especially if your using the WM for more than once exercise in a workout.
I’m sorry. I just realized I was talking about Waterbury’s 10x3 article when i looked in my personal file of article and it wasn’t there. My Apologies.
But, it wouldn’t be a bad Idea to check out Waterbury’s Science of 10x3 article. Over a five week period I gained 55lbs on bench, 65lbs on squate 25lbs on millitary press while eating a ton of food.
I eat close to 3000 calories on training days and slightly less on off days. Eat 37g of protein with each meal except the training/post training shakes (27g each). Im currently 79kg. How much do you mean by tonnes? Recently Ive been having a hard time eating so much. Ive been using Berardi’s Massive Eating approach for the last six months. Ive gained some lean mass, but not a lot. That amazes me how much weight you’ve been able to add. I don’t know what my problem is. I just can’t seem to get stronger!
I try to add weight every week. But on some exercises, say, the 4x6 decline dumbell bench, I can only do 2 sets of four with the increased weight. In that case, I drop the weight to the previous week’s load and complete the sets. I don’t feel this is good form and would like to be able to complete all four sets with the same weight. Therefore, I keep doing the same weight week after week, attempting to increase the load each week. If I can’t complete the four sets with the new load, I drop it again. Perhaps I need to eat more? I have been stuck at 79kg for a while now.
One big thing you need is to find a training buddy. Someone that can spot you in the gym, so when you do your 2 sets of 4 with the increased weight your buddy can spot you on the last two and help you push those last sets. If you can’t then just find someone in the gym who will spot you.
What i did was tell a friend he wanted a washboard stomach and that the gym was the best place to be and i now have a training buddy again (lost one before, he changed gym! :))
One reason you are stuck at 79kg is because you need more than 3000 calories a day. I weigh the same as you about 173 lbs and I try to get at least 4000 everyday (and that’s still not as much as I wanted to intake). Don’t eat less on off day, muscle don’t grow in the gym…feed it.
And I think you increase too much weight on some lift (smaller one), cause I have the same problem. My gym’s DBs is 5 lbs increment and 2.5 lbs on plates. So, I am still trying to figure out how am I going to do it.
Just eat man, I was 154 lbs around 12 wks ago. Sure, I gained some fat, but much LBM came along with it too. So, eat, sleep and lift man.