Why am I Not Getting Any Stronger?

Thanks man I hate having those excuses I just have to find a way to work around life and figure out that recovery better and work hard

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It’s hard. I’ve got 2 kids and a demanding job, not physically, but mentally with an ‘always on’ component.

Keep grinding. Just give it some thought and you’ll find that piece you’re missing.

yep…exactly.

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Ya it’s good to know other people are grinding out there too. I have respect for those kind of jobs too I have friends who do it and I can tell it can be stressful. Thanks for the motivation

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Thanks

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I was going to suggest a twice a week template too.
Check out this thread that I started. I didn’t end up trying 2 days (I instead stopped deadlifting). Pay attention to @Reed posts in it, one of the strongest guys on this site who has made good progress training twice a week.

Thoughts on a 2 Day a Week Split?

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Ya I’m kind of set on trying a 2 day program. I already looked at a few in the beyond book and they look pretty solid.
Definatly am going to check that thread out too.

I’ll try it for a full cycle and see how it feels. I like this idea.

Id suggest two good cycles depending how you run it or at least 8 weeks.

Great advice here. I agree it sounds like a recovery issue. Think of it this way: with your job, you’re probably closer to training eight to 12 times a week, it’s just that only four of those are in the gym. Your body doesn’t know whether you’re moving a barbell or some other metal. It just knows it’s working.

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Working a very physical job is different. I own a farm. I have been doing it for over 20 years now. Any time I start lifting more then 4 days per week I get sick.
Rest is the hard one

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That’s interesting. Im noticing the same pattern myself.

You outlined your problem in your opening paragraph, “I like lifting weights” but your post focuses on not improving on the “big three”.

You’re not going to improve the big three that much if you train like a weight lifter.

Power equals force times velocity. So let me ask you, how often do you work on your velocity in your training?

I would suggest, if you are not advancing with the 5/3/1 method (which I have my own issues with) switching to the Westside method. Westside focuses more on protecting your CNS and will help you prevent injuries/sicknesses that is common with a progressive overload system like 5/3/1.

I’m 5’9 215 and my PR’s:
Bench: 461 raw
Squat: 505 x 3 belt and knee wraps
Deadlift 385 from deficit no belt raw
Over head press 225 raw

I’m a clean lifter, using only pre workout (JYM) BCAA’s and joint support. What I have found that works best for me (and my joints) is a 3 on, 1 off 1 on 1off 1 on 1 off. I don’t view workouts per week but per microcycle and my micro that I found best is 8 days (sometimes I do 3 on 1 off 3 on 1 off) and I use a Westside philosophy for bench and my own version of the 5/3/1 for squats and deadlifts. I only max out shoulder press once every four weeks on my deadlift day.

Day 1 Max effort Bench
Day 2 Max effort Squat
Day 3 light shoulders
Day 4 off
Day 5 Dynamic effort Bench
Day 6 off
Day 7 Max effort deadlifts heavy shoulders
Day 8 off
Repeat

On my max effort days for squats and deadlifts I do a reverse pyramid (never made any sense to me to rep out lighter weight) for example I 95% 85% 75% instead of 75/85/95 and each lift is a max rep with the 5/3/1 simply being goal baseline. I know if I’m not hitting my baselines I need to de-load and rethink my percentages. If I’m blasting past them, I need to reevaluate what my 1 RM is and shoot for a new PR on my next 4 rotation cycle.

There is a lot of talk about nutrition and diet. Recovery is huge but I do intermediate fasting and fast for 18 hours everyday. My workouts are in the middle of my fast and they are better than when I was “eating for energy” before I would lift. I also only sleep 4-6 per night except for my one day off from work in which I “catch up” sleeping 8-10 hours.

Ya I don’t know much about westside methods but I was just recently thinking about this. I started looking more stuff up about westside last week and somebody said you can not over train on these methods because of the dynamic effort and max effort.

The only focus on “Speed” I do right now is basicly I lift everything with speed and control especially when I’m warming up. Which maybe isn’t enough speed volume. If that makes sense.

Yesterday I found a 8 Week (4 day split) westside program I wanted to try but I already committed to this 2 day a week thing.

What I don’t like about 531 is I feel like I kill myself every workout. What I like about westside methods is dynamic lifting should help save my cns and I can practice the movements a bit while not feeling as fatigue after every workout.

Like with 531 I’m maxing out 4 days a week. West side only does max effort 2 days a week from what I understand. I also like the concept of using force X velocity to create the same amount of power as a heavy lift.

I almost want to try this westside conjugate before commit to 2 day training. Because I have already did my 2 workouts for the week and I just feel like I could be doing this smarter.

Maybe I’ll start a westside template this Monday and give it 8 weeks. If I don’t get stronger I’ll cut back my days again like I did this week

oh yes you can… For the record on occasion train with a guy who actually spend time at Westside. Whom ever said you cant over train that method is talking out their ass. Most people dont know jack and shit about Westside.
For the record…Dynamic day isn’t as easy as you think.

Max effort means max effort if your doing it correctly… allot harder than 5/3/1. 5/3/1 doesn’t have a actual max effort day.
Also Westside is about evaluating individual weaknesses in and attacking them.

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Usually I do 4 workouts a week and every workout I am going heavy on a main lift (with amraps) and heavy accessory after 4x a week

With a westside style I can train heavy only 2 days instead of 4. Having the two dynamic days are almost like accessory days

So basicly westside is easier on the cns when you only move heavy weights 2 days vs 531 hitting amraps and heavy assistance after; every workout. (Which might be fine for people with better recovery than me)

In some way or another I see a need to not go heavy or near failure every workout and westside seems to do that vs every wendler program I’ve seen goes with the same volume for each workout just a different movement

That’s what I get out of it at least

Every day is a max effort day in 531 basicly

No it’s not… I think you glossed over when I said I train on occasion with a guy who actually trained at west side. A amrap is not max effort its submax . Wait a minute you said above you don’t know much about Westside? So how do you even know?

dude you are 155 lbs, you can’t be stronger years after years if your not bigger ! get the shit done and get some weight !!

In the middle 2015 I bulked heavy for about 6 months doing 531. I got up to 185lbs bodyweight. My lifting stats where
225 bench 300 squat 350 deadlift. Maybe i did something wrong bit putting on weight did nothing for me and I got really fat. I’ve pretty much been recompinsating until last year. My lifts are still the same they where only now I way 30lbs less lol I see 145lbs powerlifting girls lift more than me all the time. I dont think im built to be big. I was 125 before i started lifting at 18yo lol

I don’t think anybody actually know about westside people try to create there own version of it. I’m kind of using the terms loosely so sorry I know amrap is not max effort. All I know is amrap is hard work and Max effort is hard work. All I did was watch a bunch of Louie Simmons seminar videos and read articles and looked at templates. Doesn’t make me an expert all I meant. Just thinking outside the box and trying to learn stuff

The problem I have come to with training twice a week is wanted to do something functional but not physicaly stressful my off days. And then I remembered westside style doing something like that