..

On my part, I think there have been days where I haven't gotten the full amount of calories in, and I haven't been calculating the ratio of protein/carbs/fats. The only supplements I take are whey protein, GNC Mass XXX, multi, glucosamine, and daily amino acid.

Yeah that's a problem. MassXXX is up to you, but I'd save my money personally.

Superset workouts (while fun to experiment with) are usually reserved for advanced lifters, who already have a few traning years under their belt. If you've been doing that for 6 weeks straight, it would be a good time to switch up if you are starting to stall. You really don't have enough compound movments in your program and I would suggest revamping to something that is a little more basic (rowing, deads, squats, military press) with progressively heavier lifts (try to get more pulling in than pushing if you can. We tend to do programs that favor pushing when we tend to encounter pulling movements more often than not in everyday life).

Most importantly, give it time. Building muscle (for many people) is measured in years....not weeks.

Superset workouts (while fun to experiment with) are usually reserved for advanced lifters, who already have a few traning years under their belt.

Actually, what he's doing is more like antagonist sets- pairing opposing (or unrelated) muscle groups to increase training density. Some of his pairing overlap a bit, but this isn't a bad way to train every other week or every few weeks. On a bulk, I may take longer rest periods to lift heavier weights with more volume, though.

Ostizzle- I would try something new, maybe focusing on strength, and slowly moving away from the 3x12 scheme. How about this, for example:

Mon

pick a weight where you come one shy of failure, ex. for 5x6, pick a weight that you could get 7 or 8 reps, but stop at 6. If you feel like it, go to failure on your last set (safely of course).

Dips - 5x6
Pull up - 5x6 (if you can do a lot of pullups, hold a DB between your feet)
DB Upright Row - 5x6
Curls - 3x8
Hanging Pikes or weighted crunches- 4x10

Tues

Back Squat - 5x6
Romanian Deadlift - 5x6
Step up - 6x4 (each leg)
Calf raise - 4x8


Thurs

Bent-over row - 3-4x12
Bench press - 4x10
Overhead press - 4x10
Skull Crushers - 3x12
Shrugs - 3x12
Abs - 3x15

Fri

Stiff leg deadlift or Good Mornings - 4x10
Front Squat - 4x10
Lunges - 3x15 (each leg)
Leg curl - 3x12
Calves - 3x15

Sorry to go OT but what kind of academy??

Thanks a lot for the replies guys.

Tennisball had it right, I'm doing antagonistic sets because I don't have much time to work out and am trying to get in as much as possible. I wasn't correct in saying that I've never really weight trained before, I am not new to lifting I just haven't been in a routine for a while because I never saw results. Now I realize that I was nowhere close to eating as much as my body type required in order to bulk up.

Mass XXX is really the only spendy supplement I'm buying because I found it damn near impossible to pack in 4200 calories a day without it. It's a quick easy way to get clean(er) calories in.

Tennisball, as I said before time is my main constraint and I'm not sure that I would be able to follow the type of routine you laid out. Not only is time an issue but I'm working out at home on a home gym and not all of those exercises are an option. Would it be effective to stick to the 3 set routine and lift either heavier or extremely slow like 6 seconds out and then 6 seconds back?

You mentioned changing my routine if I begin to stall, how often do you find that you need to change? I'm not sure that it's so much my routine now as it is my diet. I'll have to tweak it to see if I can notice any results. But I'd like an idea of how often I should switch it up.

Thanks a lot!

The one positive here even though poundage wise you haven't gained what you desired, it's all been LEAN gains. Lean muscle mass, I don't see any fat being added or even excess bloat.

So, knowing that, make some key adjustments to your dietary approach and get yourself growing a bit quicker. If you begin to add fat too quickly or more than you want to gain (use pics every 2-3 weeks to compare, not just the scale), you can either reduce your macros (others call them calories, I think of them seperately at all times and for good reasons) or you can add some cardio in on your off days from weight training.

At least LEAN mass progress is better than no lean mass at all, or fat mass. :tucool:

~SC~

Awesome, thanks a lot for the help and encouragement SwoleCat!

DieselB: Law Enforcement Academy :tu:

Awesome, thanks a lot for the help and encouragement SwoleCat!

DieselB: Law Enforcement Academy :tu:
Nice man. I was a deputy in FL for 2 years. I'm now in CA applying to agencies. Taking a long time but its almost over:cool: