Ive been lifting 4 years. I've made next to 0 progress but don't understand

[IronBrahh]

My workouts have ranged from splits to PHAT but I've settled down the past year with upper/lower/rest.

My weight has remained around the same over all 4 years. I've progressly overloaded on all my lifts the entire time.


What I don't understand - if my weight is staying the same, but I'm getting stronger, should I have been going through some sort of recomp IE. bodyfat dropping but gaining muscle? Why am I now looking back and realizing I haven't grown much muscle at all?


Also - what the **** is the secret to a good workout? I don't get DOMs. I can do high volume low rest period and feel fine an hour later. I never feel like I need a rest day, I just force myself to take them and hope for the best.

I understand that gains for nattys are slow, but I'm literally looking back after 4 YEARS and wondering wtf is going on now.


Cliffs:
-Natty
-No progress/No recomping
-Not sure what constitutes a good workout, since I'm taking rest days and lifting with volume + intensity
-advice welcome

[Duckenheimer]

I would expect a recomp but that depends to what extent you've progressed in overload. For example if you're front squatting 400lbs for 10 deep reps I'd expect your quads to be really well developed no matter how elaborate your macro plan. If it's 200lbs for 10, no matter if you set a new record every month, good development may be possible, but I wouldn't expect much. What are your lifts? What's your diet like? Do you have pics from the start & recently to compare?

Your work capacity matters - so what are the concrete details? The words "volume and intensity" don't cut it.

[ItzcoolBrah]

u gotta lift consistent? maybe you havent? my lifts will go back to noob gains after 3 week break

[IronBrahh]

I would expect a recomp but that depends to what extent you've progressed in overload. What are your lifts? What's your diet like?

Incline DB 3x12 +65
Cable Row 3x12 +145
OHP DB PRess 3x12 +45
Pull Ups 3xMax (15,14,11)
Then curls/Tri Exts


Also do farmer walks and the like at the end of leg day.,

Diet is intermittent fasting, keep carbs around 100g (usually through oatmeal + banana + protein powder) then the rest is beef/chicken/salmon, eggs + bacon, and greens (spinach/broc****)

[SicilianPower]

1. Genetics, 2. Diet, 3 Consistency, 4. Quality work outs. In order of importantce.

[IronBrahh]

u gotta lift consistent? maybe you havent? my lifts will go back to noob gains after 3 week break

I'm consistent AF srs

[pezking7p]

Your problem isn't in the gym it's in the kitchen.

Recomp is a lie. Eat more, lift heavy, and gain weight.

[LegDayLol]

Eat more, lift till failure, don't stop like ItzcoolBrah said ^^


Being natty sucks mane

[Bloggs24]

Maybe you're not eating enough.

[Duckenheimer]

Incline DB 3x12 +65
Cable Row 3x12 +145
OHP DB PRess 3x12 +45
Pull Ups 3xMax (15,14,11)
Then curls/Tri Exts

What is this? Pounds? Kilos? Each dumbell? What?

What's your bodyweight? Any progress pics?

[IronBrahh]

For example if you're front squatting 400lbs for 10 deep reps I'd expect your quads to be really well developed no matter how elaborate your macro plan. If it's 200lbs for 10, no matter if you set a new record every month, good development may be possible, but I wouldn't expect much.

I'm definitely more of the latter, I lift entirely for hypertrophy. Also a negative on the pics, no progress photos

Your work capacity matters - so what are the concrete details?

What do you mean by this outside of what I've answered?

[Duckenheimer]

Your problem isn't in the gym it's in the kitchen.

It is in the gym if he hasn't developed good work capacity at lifting after 4 years. As I said, the concrete details matter, the words "volume and intensity" don't cut it, and slowly inching ones way towards lifting at a low work capacity doesn't either.

[IronBrahh]

Eat more, lift till failure, don't stop like ItzcoolBrah said ^^


Being natty sucks mane

eating more is easy, i can do that. would probably keep it lean as possible though

what does lift till failure mean to you? like at the end of each SET for a muscle group go all in at the working weight?

What is this? Pounds? Kilos? Each dumbell? What?

What's your bodyweight? Any progress pics?

pounds, and I'm 5'5 150lbs. dont have progress pics

[ItzcoolBrah]

I dont make gains unless im on 150g plus protein per day that might be ur issue

if its really impossible ask ur dr

[Duckenheimer]

I'm definitely more of the latter, I lift entirely for hypertrophy. Also a negative on the pics, no progress photos

What do you mean by this outside of what I've answered?

For example:

"I do four sets of ten reps in the front squat for 365lbs with no more than two minutes rest between sets, but I've still got chicken legs"

That answers the question. THAT is a problem that needs pics to assess realistic expectations (and maybe a form video), vs how training changes may actually account for things, because if you're doing that kind of work in the gym 99% chance you'll have well developed legs and it eliminates variables like "dude, you just ain't lifting weights well enough".

"I train with volume and intensity but not too heavy weights, why am I not growing?"

There's nothing concrete here at all. Nothing to discuss. Some people will get big without ensuring great work capacity, but this establishes someone isn't even thinking about it in clear terms.

[IronBrahh]

I dont make gains unless im on 150g plus protein per day that might be ur issue

if its really impossible ask ur dr

i have no idea what my protein is, but its entirely possible its too low now that i think about it

[hoganrulz]

Your problem isn't in the gym it's in the kitchen.

Recomp is a lie. Eat more, lift heavy, and gain weight.

mirin blue mountain state reference, if youre thad, can i be your larry?

[FailedPotential]

1. Genetics, 2. Diet, 3 Consistency, 4. Quality work outs. In order of importantce.

I'd put #3 and #4 ahead of #1 and #2, assuming all things are somewhat reasonable

[HockeyBacon18]

how the fuk are we suppose to know anything without pics?

[LightskinSwag]

I'm 5'5

Wrap it up boyo. Your fate has already been decided

[iloveus]

Your problem isn't in the gym it's in the kitchen.

Recomp is a lie. Eat more, lift heavy, and gain weight.

Gaining more muscle is all about having a positive nitrogen balance. So just eat a chit ton of protein.

[MBisonSon]

For me it's always been eat a lot, get a little fat, cut and I'm bigger than last time.

I"ve been trying to find out how to minimize having to bulk, still looking.

If you've been consistently lifting 4 years though with no results you're lying one way or the other.

[IronBrahh]

Wrap it up boyo. Your fate has already been decided

yea yea

For example:

"I do four sets of ten reps in the front squat for 365lbs with no more than two minutes rest between sets, but I've still got chicken legs"

That answers the question. THAT is a problem that needs pics to assess realistic expectations (and maybe a form video), vs how training changes may actually account for things, because if you're doing that kind of work in the gym 99% chance you'll have well developed legs and it eliminates variables like "dude, you just ain't lifting weights well enough".

"I train with volume and intensity but not too heavy weights, why am I not growing?"

There's nothing concrete here at all. Nothing to discuss. Some people will get big without ensuring great work capacity, but this establishes someone isn't even thinking about it in clear terms.

I posted the weight, and then the example is pretty much true. I do those numbers

Incline DB 3x12 +65
Cable Row 3x12 +145
OHP DB PRess 3x12 +45
Pull Ups 3xMax (15,14,11)

less than 2 minute rest in between, mind-muscle connection, all that jazz.

[IronBrahh]

For me it's always been eat a lot, get a little fat, cut and I'm bigger than last time.

I"ve been trying to find out how to minimize having to bulk, still looking.

If you've been consistently lifting 4 years though with no results you're lying one way or the other.

what on earth could i be lying about? posting my lifts, my height and weight, my diet. not ashamed of any of it, just looking to do whatever will get me on the right track when I hit the gym in an hour.

[pezking7p]

I'd put #3 and #4 ahead of #1 and #2, assuming all things are somewhat reasonable

Strong username to post content. Genetics has been proven time and again to be the most important factor. All of us with less than stellar genetics have learned that eating enough to gain weight is directly tied to progress.

[manuel1987]

If you had 0 weight gain then i am pretty sure that you are just not eating enough, increase cal. intake by 20% and then check back in 2 months.

[Duckenheimer]

Incline DB 3x12 +65
Cable Row 3x12 +145
OHP DB PRess 3x12 +45
Pull Ups 3xMax (15,14,11)
Then curls/Tri Exts


...pounds...

Okay, so here's you're problem right here. Assuming this is for each dumbell, you're pressing 90lbs overhead. You're benching 130lbs. You're 150lbs and yet can only do one set of 15 pullups.

All the talk of recomp and protein and stuff might be helpful but it's fundamentally noise compared to the central problem of muscles that don't have a lot of work to do. The amount of years you put in the gym is irrelevant, the "volume and intensity" that you feel yourself putting in is irrelevant: You've built up very little work capacity in the weights room. And no, I'm not coming from an SS/powerlifting angle, just basic physiology.

There is no reason you cannot maintain your weight and build a good (hypertrophy focused) work capacity. There is no reason for a body to heavily recomp to spend 4 years figuring out how to bench 130lbs but "with intensity". You may have progressively overloaded for 4 years, but even compared to starting with an empty bar, that's very little progressive overload to happen. There's no need for muscles to develop much to compensate.

All of the extra protein and calories in the world won't do a helluva lot of good for muscles that don't have a high standard of work to adapt to.

[RonaldMcflurry]

Incline DB 3x12 +65
Cable Row 3x12 +145
OHP DB PRess 3x12 +45
Pull Ups 3xMax (15,14,11)
Then curls/Tri Exts


Also do farmer walks and the like at the end of leg day.,

Diet is intermittent fasting, keep carbs around 100g (usually through oatmeal + banana + protein powder) then the rest is beef/chicken/salmon, eggs + bacon, and greens (spinach/broc****)

You obviously have funkarounditis.
When we ask lift numbers, we aren't asking for cable/machine lifts/pullups/curls/other random BS. Squat/Bench/Dead/BB Rows/OHP. What are your weights on those?
Get on a beginning strength program focusing on those lifts + curls(not anything by Rippetoe) and go on myfitnesspal and keep track of EVERYTHING that you eat and drink. Start at 2500 calories a day with at least 150 grams of carbs/80 grams fat/180 grams protein. Do this EVERY day for 6 months and check back. Plenty of people overcome bad genetics, it is even possible to overcome a bad workout program, but nobody overcomes a bad diet.

[pezking7p]

It is in the gym if he hasn't developed good work capacity at lifting after 4 years. As I said, the concrete details matter, the words "volume and intensity" don't cut it, and slowly inching ones way towards lifting at a low work capacity doesn't either.

IMO 4 years without progress after having done several different routines is clearly failure to eat. The only other possibility is that OP goes to the gym for two weeks and then gives up for a month.

Gaining more muscle is all about having a positive nitrogen balance. So just eat a chit ton of protein.

This is pretty simplified from reality. You need to hit caloric goals first, then hit protein goals. But yes, op needs to eat more and probably eat more protein.

OP, is this a roll bread? How do you not know how much protein you eat?

[Duckenheimer]

I posted the weight, and then the example is pretty much true. I do those numbers

less than 2 minute rest in between, mind-muscle connection, all that jazz.

Those numbers reveal a problem (or array of problems) much wider than my front squatter. We can narrow his issue down to diet/genetics/form/self image because his thigh muscles work capacity is so good. Your numbers reveal the opposite problem.