Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Help, My Strength and Muscle Gains Have Stalled.

If you have been training regularly for more then twelve months, periodic plateaus are inevitable.  The longer you train, the more often you will hit plateaus.  Assuming your sleep/recovery and nutrition are adequate, the only real answer is to press on.

Sure you will see all kinds of recommendations about specific rep and set schemes, frequency of workouts, etc, but they all come down to this: "keep working and don't give up."  A little experimentation is a good thing and there is no perfect answer for every person.  In fact, what breaks a plateau for you this month, is likely not the same thing that will help you through that sticking point next month, or next year.

I've been at this, fairly successfully, for 46 years now.  Don't over complicate things. The only things that matter in the long run, are these: work hard, be consistent, never quit. 

Friday, May 11, 2018

I'm Cutting Weight and am too Tired all the Time

Without more input it's difficult for me to tell if your daily 2200 calories is just too low and contributing to your level of fatigue.  Note that continue fatigue, and depression, is definitely a byproduct of a prolonged calorie deficit.

As well, you're not providing any data on the overall macro percentages of the calories you are taking in.  I have found that taking carbs too low will definitely lead to fatigue and am just not in favor of ketogenic diets mixed with hard training, particularly bodybuilding training.

Of further note, I can't see anything about the overall quality of your diet.  Is it high quality whole foods with lots of veggies, fruits and lean protein? Or, is it calorie dense food with lots of added sugar?

Don't underestimate the role of quality foods and the micronutrients they contain, in helping to keep energy levels high.

Good luck with your training and continued cutting.