I had one week remaining in my 10-week strength program, when I realized something was going wrong..
Not only did I feel that I was plateauing when it came to lifting heavier weight; but also when it came to gaining weight.
First let's talk about the lifting plateau.
Throughout the program, I was hitting new numbers on a lot of lifts; however, by the ninth week, it was a struggle. Maybe I tried to progress too much too quickly, or lifting six days on, with a one day off, was just too much on my body. Regardless of the exact reason, I was frustrated, and it was time for a change.
Out of instinct, I texted a guy from school who not only became a great training partner, but an even better friend. His recommendation was do 3x10 for all compound lifts. Once I could perform the same weight for three sets of 10 with a two minute in between, it was time to increase the weight. Thus, the next training session would be three sets of six at a higher weight. After that was the achieved, the next goal would be to be able to lift that weight for three sets of eight to 10. The cycle would then repeat itself. I really really liked this approach because not only does it keep the body guessing, but it also allows for both muscle growth and strength. By doing this, a de-load week would not be necessary, which was TERRIBLE during my strength phase.
I have done this approach for two weeks now, and already hit some numbers that I was happy with. Friday, I completed 3x10 at 165 on bench, while yesterday I performed 3x6 at 225 on the squat. Nothing special by any means, but I feel that these numbers serve as a good base for the start of the program.
Now onto the gaining weight issue..
Gaining weight shouldn't feel forced, and I felt that I tried to do just that during those nine weeks. As a result, I felt that I gained more fat than I intended to during the phase, and was just not happy with the fact that I considered myself to look "doughy."
I would have continued to attempt to "bulk" if it wasn't for the reading material my boss at my internship had me read that included a chapter on the results of bulking. Through bulking, one can can not only gain weight, but also fat cells (tissue) that never go away. The cells can shrink, but can not disappear unless surgery is performed.
This opened my eyes, and made me realize that I should try to naturally gain weight over the year, and not have a specific "bulking" period. I don't plan on competing until next year; thus I should just focus on becoming stronger, and let the weight gain occur as a result of the new strength.
I really like this mentality, and really hope that practicing it pays off!
Be on the lookout for upcoming posts on my current program; as well as on some new insight I gained from my internship experience in the next few weeks!
