T Nation

Plateau on Bulk?

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

For the past 6 weeks I have been eating pretty big. I am 5 10 at 180 currently. I started the bulk at 168. I feel like I have plateaued. I continually was adding weight to my body and iron to the bar but the last 10 days or so I have been stuck, even gaining a bit of body fat around chest and lower abdomen. Should I think about decreasing calories and deloading to shock the muscles? Eat more? Any suggestions are welcome.

Training is as follows:

day 1 - chest tri
day 2 - back bi
day 3 - legs
day 4 - off
REPEAT

A typical day of eating looks like this:

Calories Eaten Today
grams cals %total
Total: 4288
Fat: 149 1338 34%
Sat: 32 287 7%
Poly: 62 557 14%
Mono: 45 402 10%
Carbs: 355 1112 28%
Fiber: 77 0 0%
Protein: 383 1531 38%

Or this:

Calories Eaten Today
grams cals %total
Total: 4780
Fat: 173 1557 34%
Sat: 44 400 9%
Poly: 57 514 11%
Mono: 60 544 12%
Carbs: 410 1355 30%
Fiber: 71 0 0%
Protein: 403 1611 36%

All food consumed is clean. I make everything myself. Fish oil is consumed daily. Most protein comes from ground beef, steak, chicken and eggs. Fats come from peanut butter, hempseed oil, butter (to cook with) and olive oil. Simple carbs are consumed around workout time - mostly fruit and some dextrose/malto consumed during workout. All other carbs are complex coming mostly from oats and sweet potato. Casein + peanut butter is consumed before bed time every night.

Any help or comments are welcome.

#2

When the scale stops going up, it’s time to add more calories.

If you’re concerned about fat gain, do you time your carbs to put them earlier in the day?

#3

Rest, motherfscker, do you do it?

Training 7/7 is not cool. Give your body a chance to recuperate.

#4

I do three days on then one off for rest. I repeat this over and over. My body isn’t overtrained. I get lots of rest every night and am not a stressful person. So, yes, motherfucker, I do rest… haha…

About timing carbs - I generally don’t pay attention other than simple carbs before, during, and after a workout. Other than those times I do not consume simple carbs (that is a lie I do first thing in the morning for breakfast). All other carbs are complex.

#5

[quote]lixy wrote:
Rest, motherfscker, do you do it?

Training 7/7 is not cool. Give your body a chance to recuperate.[/quote]

he is taking one day off, but I would take at least 2 with that split.

also, I’d be shooting for more calories than 4200. Try to consistently aim for 4700 and see what happens

#6

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
lixy wrote:
Rest, motherfscker, do you do it?

Training 7/7 is not cool. Give your body a chance to recuperate.

he is taking one day off, but I would take at least 2 with that split.

also, I’d be shooting for more calories than 4200. Try to consistently aim for 4700 and see what happens[/quote]

I agree.

More rest, more calories, maybe switch up the routine a lil, change volume or intensity or exercises in general. Change bodypart split. Do something to shock your body.

When bulking, eating more is always a good thing :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Gerdy

#7

[quote]Sklander wrote:
I do three days on then one off for rest. I repeat this over and over. My body isn’t overtrained. I get lots of rest every night and am not a stressful person. So, yes, motherfucker, I do rest… haha…

About timing carbs - I generally don’t pay attention other than simple carbs before, during, and after a workout. Other than those times I do not consume simple carbs (that is a lie I do first thing in the morning for breakfast). All other carbs are complex. [/quote]

I missed the off day. But still, one day out of 4 rest isn’t enough the way I see it. But then again, I believe full-body is a must to bulk.

And what kind of person judges progress (or lack thereof) in a 10 days window? Seriously mate, give it more time. I never heard anyone use the term “plateau” after 6 weeks of training. <insert Yoda’s saying about impatience here>

#8

You’re right. I think my patience level isn’t where it needs to be. Definitely gonna give it two more weeks of upped Calories and toss in a few more rest days to give my body a chance to grow.

Thanks for the readjustment.