My plateauing problem

[speakeasy]

I'm stuck. I feel like I toned my muscles up to as strong as I can get them since I started working out this summer. I am no longer gaining weight. I'm stuck at about 159-162 fluctuating in there. I know it's hard to gain since I do MMA. I'm wondering if that's the only way I can get bigger, to cut the martial arts. I really don't want to do that as I enjoy learning how to fight.

 

[Quiksilver]

Food

 

[wolf116]

Be very careful not to over-train! Don't think your Goku or something.

I used to think I should push my body as hard as possible and it would adapt. How wrong I was. I have been ridden with illness and injuries which have caused me to miss an opportunity to train one-on-one with a excellent trainer that thought I had the talent to fight.

Listen to your body. If you have been tired, very sore, depressed, sleeping in through your alarm ect. Skip the weights session without hesitation and do stretching, recovery work or get a massage. I found myself keeping more muscle and generally performing better this way. When I was training hard I would spend all Sunday in bed and would take a few pain killers to allow myself to sleep all day.

Also why don't you post your diet? Are you taking a small protein drink before and after MMA?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Food

this doesn't always cut it, CNS burnout will occur regardless of calories.

speakeasy, cut back on the MMA or use your offseason to get bigger.

post your schedule/routine/diet as well

 

[Being_the_Don]

this doesn't always cut it, CNS burnout will occur regardless of calories.

speakeasy, cut back on the MMA or use your offseason to get bigger.

post your schedule/routine/diet as well

How do you know when that's happening to you?

 

[Throttle]

when:

- you fix your diet but you're still stalled

- you're run down & possibly getting sick more often, may include insomnia and/or irritability.

- your performance in one area suffers while it's stalled in others

- you've added more hours of working out and your progress goes backwards

of course plenty of pros out there put in hours upon hours of training per day -- the body can be built up to taking all sorts of abuse. but it's easy to get sucked into trying to do too much, esp. when you combine high-intensity aerobic exercise with serious weightlifting. back off one or the other if you suspect CNS burnout.

 

[Warboss Alex]

How do you know when that's happening to you?

trust me, you'll know

otherwise see Throttle's post, to which I'd add lack of motivation - if you start dreading workouts you know something is wrong

 

[Throttle]

if you start dreading workouts you know something is wrong

exactly... BTW my list wasn't meant to be exhaustive.

 

[Warboss Alex]

exactly... BTW my list wasn't meant to be exhaustive.

you did cover the main parts though.

 

[Being_the_Don]

when:

- you fix your diet but you're still stalled

- you're run down & possibly getting sick more often, may include insomnia and/or irritability.

- your performance in one area suffers while it's stalled in others

- you've added more hours of working out and your progress goes backwards

of course plenty of pros out there put in hours upon hours of training per day -- the body can be built up to taking all sorts of abuse. but it's easy to get sucked into trying to do too much, esp. when you combine high-intensity aerobic exercise with serious weightlifting. back off one or the other if you suspect CNS burnout.

I hear ya. I haven't been riding my bike as often as I had during late spring thru the summer. To be honest I had become a little bored with it but more importantly, since I've now incorporated deadlifts and the (dumbbell) squats into my workout, I worry that bike riding won't allow my body enough time to recover. Sleep is something often talked about in here. I've never been a sound sleeper. There are nights when I do get seven or eight hours sleep but my average is about 4.5-6 hours (and I'm lucky if I can get six). But I still go to the gym. Like I posted in today's journal entry, I think that one big reason I hadn't been lifting as much is because of negative thinking which I'm determined to push through. I push myself because I know the body I must have. And for me I feel guilty if I don't get to the gym. I'm not at CNS burnout, thank goodness, but it's important to know the signs.

 

[Warboss Alex]

I hear ya. I haven't been riding my bike as often as I had during late spring thru the summer. To be honest I had become a little bored with it but more importantly, since I've now incorporated deadlifts and the (dumbbell) squats into my workout, I worry that bike riding won't allow my body enough time to recover. Sleep is something often talked about in here. I've never been a sound sleeper. There are nights when I do get seven or eight hours sleep but my average is about 4.5-6 hours (and I'm lucky if I can get six). But I still go to the gym. Like I posted in today's journal entry, I think that one big reason I hadn't been lifting as much is because of negative thinking which I'm determined to push through. I push myself because I know the body I must have. And for me I feel guilty if I don't get to the gym. I'm not at CNS burnout, thank goodness, but it's important to know the signs.

your worrying enough to post this has just edged you towards overtraining through excessive cortisol release

 

[Being_the_Don]

your worrying enough to post this has just edged you towards overtraining through excessive cortisol release

So do you think I'm overtraining now?

 

[Warboss Alex]

So do you think I'm overtraining now?

I rest my case!!

 

[speakeasy]

Here's a question. If I am doing MMA and weight training at the same time, would it be a good idea to increase my fat intake to offset the calories I'm burning from the high intensity cardio from MMA?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Here's a question. If I am doing MMA and weight training at the same time, would it be a good idea to increase my fat intake to offset the calories I'm burning from the high intensity cardio from MMA?

you will obviously have to eat more but the simple truth is you cannot gain appreciable size while doing any form of full-on sports training..

 

[speakeasy]

you will obviously have to eat more but the simple truth is you cannot gain appreciable size while doing any form of full-on sports training..

Okay, so let's say in theory, I have a 3 months on 3 months off program. I cut out high intensity cardio for 3 months while I bulk, when I go back to martial arts, will I shed everything I just gained? Or will it be like going up a step ladder with 3 months gain, followed by 3 months of plateau?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Okay, so let's say in theory, I have a 3 months on 3 months off program. I cut out high intensity cardio for 3 months while I bulk, when I go back to martial arts, will I shed everything I just gained? Or will it be like going up a step ladder with 3 months gain, followed by 3 months of plateau?

that's one way to do it but it will depend on you how much mass you can maintain doing MMA. some guys will be able to hold most or all of it, others won't be able to. you'll have to see what your genetics allow you to do.

 

[spesmilitis]

I don't think you'll 'shred' everything as long as you put in a few short strength sessions a week to maintain/improve your strength and are still eating a lot. I think muscle will only shred if you are doing cardio that doesn't require strength like long distance running.

 

[Warboss Alex]

I don't think you'll 'shred' everything as long as you put in a few short strength sessions a week to maintain/improve your strength and are still eating a lot. I think muscle will only shred if you are doing cardio that doesn't require strength like long distance running.

on the contrary, if you put the body through high intensity cardio like MMA it will strive to become more efficient at high intensity cardio, and especially if you have a lower bodyfat it will view muscle mass as expendable.. just how much mass you can hold will depend on your genetics

 

[Being_the_Don]

I rest my case!!

Seriously, how could I possibly be overtraining? I'm only in the gym 3 dayts a week.