What kind of lifting program are you working on and how often are you lifting?
I've been dabbling in lifting for a few years, but haven't been able to put on much muscle due to all the other extracurricular stuff going on in my life. I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 3/4 times and play soccer once a week . . . so really only have time/strength to do lifting two days most weeks.
I'm currently doing a 5x5 routine of either:
Squats, Bench, Rows or
Cleans, Military Press, Deadlifts
When I stopped ultra-running about 2 years ago I started with a bulking program called HST:
Their website:
http://thinkmuscle.com/The Principles:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.htmlA better explanation of some of them:
http://thinkmuscle.com/forum/showthread.php?19280-HST-Summed-Up-By-LyleAbout 6 months ago I decided to switch to a Powerlifting specific program which is what I do now:
Their website:
http://www.westside-barbell.com/Their basic template:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/weight...ate-469668.htmlI like a couple of things about both these programs. They both seem to work the best of anything I’ve found at what they aim for HST = max muscle size gains, and Westside = max powerlifting gains. Also both programs are very based on simple principles which are easy to tweak to individual needs. Westside is so flexible that 7 months in I’m still trying to figure it out, but it’s exactly that individual customization that makes it work so well.
5x5 routines are great for starting out and up to the intermediate level if your goal is to gain both size and strength (the do go hand in hand but there are ways to prioritize one over the other). Another good routine once you get to the intermediate level is Wendler’s 5/3/1 something you might consider if you’ve stalled out on 5x5. Westside is generally considered an advanced program not that you can’t start right out with it and equally good success with other strength programs like 5x5 or 5/3/1 but because in its basic form it’s Powerlifting specific and you really do have to pay attention to what you’re doing so you can figure out what works best for you. Because of the high level of customization the implementation can become very complicated. I’ve read that 6 months is about the minimum time it takes to get it down so it’s probably best left to use after stalling out on less complicated programs.
You’ve got a nice simple program going there with compound lifts that hit all the body parts that matter for building bulk. That coupled with your Jiu-Jitsu and even soccer you might want to consider giving Westside a try since it’s easily customized to any sport that emphasizes both strength and speed because of the Dynamic Effort and General Physical Preparedness work done each week. So let me know if you’re interested in it and I can post some other links that help explain it in greater detail.
