4 months- nothing

[picantel]

I do not know much of what to do. I am getting stronger but I am not gaining any muscle and it is getting frustrating. I do 1 bodypart 1 day a week for about an hour(5 days total with 2 off) and it is obviously not working. Here is an example.

Back-before
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...l/current4.jpg

back-after(2-3 months)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...el/bags002.jpg

I see all these people here making fantastic progress and I do not know what I am doing wrong. I am 3 days into my cut off a 20 lb bulk that pretty much gained me 20 lbs of lard. The only thing I can think of is my age, genetics, or maybe I am not getting enough protein since shakes make me barf.

Any suggestions?

[picantel]

oh and if you look at the 2nd pic you will see my right arm is bigger than my left, my right shoulder is bigger, and my left trap and left upper back is more developed and larger than my right side. IT is driving me nuts.

[wulf88]

Rome was not built overnight. While you said 4 months and nothing, I disagree. You are getting stronger and you can see some changes. It is common for having one side a little bigger than the other, but can eventually even out. If you are not happy with your results, re-evaluate your diet, training regimine and everyhting else and see if you can fine tune something to work better for you.

AND REMEMBER, 4 MONTHS IS LIKE ONE NIGHT IN THE BB JOURNEY!!!!

[Primol]

Time to exercise some patience. 4 months is nothing really. You are seeing results. Change up your exercise routines for something different. You should change it up every 4-6 weeks.

[Bando]

Originally Posted by picantel

I do not know much of what to do. I am getting stronger but I am not gaining any muscle and it is getting frustrating. I do 1 bodypart 1 day a week for about an hour(5 days total with 2 off) and it is obviously not working. Here is an example.

Back-before
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...l/current4.jpg

back-after(2-3 months)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...el/bags002.jpg

I see all these people here making fantastic progress and I do not know what I am doing wrong. I am 3 days into my cut off a 20 lb bulk that pretty much gained me 20 lbs of lard. The only thing I can think of is my age, genetics, or maybe I am not getting enough protein since shakes make me barf.

Any suggestions?

I think you're doing great. In about 4 more months you'll see gains in the mirror, 4 after that you'll get glances from other people. In about 20 months they won't be glances but long hard looks. It's worth it, keep after it.

[Nota]

You been training for only 3 months ( not very long in weight lifting ).

Most after pics are taken 1 year after training.

Try not to depend on the tape measure and mirror too much.

Get a feel for the weights, read magazines like M & F of Flex.

[GuyJin]

You work out five days a week and take the weekends off?

Working out one hour a day i.e. chest/back/legs/shoulders/arms or something like that?--too much. While it may not be overtraining as you are getting stronger you MAY end up overtraining as you go on if you want to diet down. It's very difficult to get cut up and keep your strength unless your diet is spot on. Not saying it can't be done, but for many, they find they lose some strength as they diet down.

Since I don't know what kind of set/rep scheme you're doing, I can only conclude it sounds like something you took from a mag. While your genetics may not be perfect--and mine certainly aren't--you can improve. As for suggestions, here goes:

First off, ditch your current routine. Too much. Work out no more than four days a week and rest up more, watch your diet.

As an example,if you want to do a four-day-a-week routine, do chest and shoulders on Monday, legs on Tuesday, take Wednesday off and do cardio or rest up, Thursday is back, and Friday is arms. While that's not a perfect split, it will work if you keep your sets fairly low (i.e. 8-10 for the bigger bodyparts and 5-8 for the smaller ones). More is not necessarily better; better is better. Your workouts should be less than an hour if you push yourself. You may have to trade off a bit of weight for conditioning at first, but your weights will go up over time if you're consistent.

Hope this helps a little.

[thomasale]

Patience is key here. I know what you mean when you say less than you expect. Here is a suggestion for changing things up. I am about to go into this myself...

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/about.html

[Stevelegh]

Some people gain later. Some see instant gains. Simple as.

The other thing you need to be sure of is that your life is in order. You don't grow in the gym, you break down. It's what you do out of the gym that makes the difference.

Are you eating right (including supps)?
Do you sleep well?
Are you stressed?
Do you smoke?
Do you drink?

Another big factor is that some of these fast gainers we see here trained when they were younger and have the benefit of muscle memory, technique and an undersanding of how their bodies respond to training and what to eat /supplement with. We have to learn all this.

There are many other factors that can affect gains (not to say yours are 'affected') If you know that all this is in order, then you can address your program confidently and make positive changes.

I wanted 'quick gains' and it seems they don't want to happen for me. Partly due to my genetics, but also to do with my lifestyle.

I'm addressing the lifestyle stuff and I have all but one of the list sorted (smoking). I'm looking to crack that soon.

Not to say I've resigned myself to not gaining as much as I would like. It will come in time, but I've gained more from a nutrition, health, mental well being and fat loss point of view than I will ever probably gain in muscle mass.

I'm happy with that. Talk about a 'win / win' scenario.

By the way, your progress is OK. So, you're not blown up like Old Supe or IStandAlone, but you have gained and you will continue to.

The thing I find annoying is some people comment on how much better I look. When I tell them I'm weight training, they say 'oh, but you're not very big are you?'

You just can't please some people...........

[exguitarplayer]

It will come in time.......I was exactly like you, way over weight (still am by national standards for height). Lost 60 lbs ....from 3/07 - 7/07. I did not lift a weight until 8/07. I began with weights that I knew I could handle then as time, yes time, passed I moved progessively heavier. Never taking on more than I could handle. A ton of information is provided here by those in your same situation, good solid information. Read, read, read.....then take the information(s) and put together a plan that works for you.

Good Luck in your goals, eat right, try some supplements, and lift, lift, lift.

[dbx]

Originally Posted by picantel

I do not know much of what to do. I am getting stronger but I am not gaining any muscle and it is getting frustrating. I do 1 bodypart 1 day a week for about an hour(5 days total with 2 off) and it is obviously not working. Here is an example.
Any suggestions?

As others have mentioned, this doesn't happen overnight. But I'm going to take a wild guess that you may not be doing major compound exercises like, squats, dead lifts, and seated rows etc..? I'm a big believer that major compound exercises are crucial for overall growth. You didn't say what you're doing, so I might be wrong, but your 1st 6mths of lifting should be a gift for growth. If you're not growing, I'm guessing you're not doing them.

[Captain Crunch]

Originally Posted by picantel

or maybe I am not getting enough protein since shakes make me barf.

Any suggestions?

I know a lot of people here drink there shakes with water.........ugh.......yuck I cant do that try some On whey with some milk man .....the milk makes all the difference in the world!

[Whiskeyjack]

Picantel - I don't think it's right that you've gained "nothing." I just took a second look at both your pics and the second pic definitely shows an increase in size and thickness in the delts, upper back, and arms.

As the other posters said, it takes time. SteveLegh made 2 good points: that your life outside the gym affects your growth levels, and that many of us have muscle "memory" from years of training as youngsters.

You could also switch up routines from time to time. There's plenty of suggestions.

Stay calm. Stay at it. Post another pic in another 4 months. Then another 4 months after that. Then, when it's been a year, take a comparison.

[crupiea]

I notice the difference, you look stronger in the second pic.

There are only 2 real parts to this

1- Diet

2- Routine

Eat more, change up your routine.

I was frustrated like you. As soon as I started to eat more and lifting heavy weights for lower reps, I started seeing gains. I am very pleased with what is happening now.

Give it a shot.

Great job so far, have fun with it.

[picantel]

Here are some answers and my routine while I try and figure out how to correct this.

Are you eating right (including supps)? yes but need more protein
Do you sleep well? yes
Are you stressed? I am married so yes.
Do you smoke? no
Do you drink? no

routine(just lowered it to add 20 minutes of cardio) As you can see the weights are not exactly staggering. Barbell does not include the bar weight as I have no clue what that is.

Monday: Shoulders/Abs
4*8 Military press(90,90,90,90)
3*10 Dumbell shrug(60,60,60)
2*8 Arnold press(40,45)
3*8 Barbell trap raise(70,70,70)
2*8 Lateral Raise(15,15)
2*8 Front Raise(15,15)
2*8 Bent Over Raise(20,25)

Tuesday: Back
3*8 Bent over barbell row(140,140,140)
4*8 Barbell deadlift(140,140,140,140)
2*8 Single dumbbell bent over row(45,45)
3*8 Lat Pulldown(120,135,135)
3*8 Seated Cable Row(120,135,135)
3*8 Close Grip Lat Pulldown(115,130,130)
3 pullups failure

Wednesday: Legs/Abs


Thursday: Chest
2*8 Dumbbell fly(40,40)
5*8 Barbell bench press(110,140,140,140)
4*8 Cable crossovers(70,80,80,80)
4*8 Dumbbell incline press(50,50,50,50)


Saturday: Arms
3*6 Barbell Curls(50)
3*6 Seated Dumbbell Curls(30,35,35)
2*6 Preacher Curls(50,50)
2*6 Hammer Curl(35,35)
6*8 Dumbbell tricep extensions(50,50,55,55,55)
5*8 Tricep Cable Press Down(110,120,130,140,150)
3*8 Tricep Cable Press Outs(110,120,130)
2*8 Seated Concentration Curls(30,30)

[picantel]

Originally Posted by Captain Crunch

I know a lot of people here drink there shakes with water.........ugh.......yuck I cant do that try some On whey with some milk man .....the milk makes all the difference in the world!

tried water- barfed
tried milk- barfed
tried juice- barfed
took 2 bananas, an entire container of strawberries, then filled the blender to the top with punch- barfed

I have strange taste buds. Whey has the same taste to me as something like whipped cream which is this coconuty taste and it makes me sick to even smell it. I have tried muscle milk and 3 other brands with multiple flavors- barf

[Omaha101]

Well, I see some gains there. Not sure what your expectation was, but I would say you are far from "nothing"!

[ntrllftr]

Let me put this into perspective:

4 months is equivalent to waking up in the morning to start a week.


Consistency with training
Consistency with diet
Consistency with cardio
Consistency with positive thinking

All these equals set goals being achieved.


.

[m1k3g0rd]

I think the following thread ought to be a sticky:

Why aren't you growing?

Here's why
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=732835

[Bo_Flecks]

Originally Posted by picantel

Are you stressed? I am married so yes.

lol

[Whiskeyjack]

Originally Posted by picantel

tried water- barfed
tried milk- barfed
tried juice- barfed
took 2 bananas, an entire container of strawberries, then filled the blender to the top with punch- barfed

I have strange taste buds. Whey has the same taste to me as something like whipped cream which is this coconuty taste and it makes me sick to even smell it. I have tried muscle milk and 3 other brands with multiple flavors- barf

I understand this very well. Same here. I couldn't even eat a whey bar. I'm also lactose intolerant.

I think you can get plenty of protein from eating meat and eggs.

[Whiskeyjack]

Originally Posted by m1k3g0rd

I think the following thread ought to be a sticky:

Why aren't you growing?

Here's why
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=732835

You're quite right - should be a sticky. Very good article.

Haven't seen you around in awhile m1k3g0rd. Still lifting heavy?

[BergMuscle]

First of all, there is a difference between the two pics and you state that you have gotten stronger. There is an equation between developing strength and developing muscle mass, especially for a new trainer. You may not have dropped your bodyfat % enough to really see the difference in the muscles. Remember that about half of bodybuilding is what we eat so that our muscles can grow in response to the stress (i.e. exercise) we put on them.

If you haven't taken a break in the last 6-8 weeks take one now!. You are training hard, which is good, but you need to give your body some serious recovery time every so often.
After that break, change your training routine. Human bodies are adaptive, we "get used to" certain levels of stress and stimulation. If we do the same lifts in the same order on the same days, our bodies will adapt to reduce the stress level and growth will decrease. Change to a different split, put some bodyparts together, do fewer exercises per bodypart, but do them every 3-5 days, stuff like that. Your body's response will be "Whoa! What is he doing to us?" and your muscles will repond by growing bigger/stronger to accomodate what you are doing to them. Now, as soon as you get used to that routine (6-8 weeks is a decent rule-of-thumb), change it again to keep your muscles shocked, shook up, and growing.

P.S. how often do you eat and what are the size of your meals/snacks?

[bamaborn67]

Originally Posted by picantel

I do not know much of what to do. I am getting stronger but I am not gaining any muscle and it is getting frustrating. I do 1 bodypart 1 day a week for about an hour(5 days total with 2 off) and it is obviously not working. Here is an example.

Back-before
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...l/current4.jpg

back-after(2-3 months)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...el/bags002.jpg

I see all these people here making fantastic progress and I do not know what I am doing wrong. I am 3 days into my cut off a 20 lb bulk that pretty much gained me 20 lbs of lard. The only thing I can think of is my age, genetics, or maybe I am not getting enough protein since shakes make me barf.

Any suggestions?

It will be at least a year before you even see the pebble much less try and take it. Track your diet and balance your macros. Keep changing your routine until you find one that fits your goals! Good luck!

[sluge]

Originally Posted by picantel

I do not know much of what to do. I am getting stronger but I am not gaining any muscle and it is getting frustrating. I do 1 bodypart 1 day a week for about an hour(5 days total with 2 off) and it is obviously not working. Here is an example.

Back-before
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...l/current4.jpg

back-after(2-3 months)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...el/bags002.jpg

I see all these people here making fantastic progress and I do not know what I am doing wrong. I am 3 days into my cut off a 20 lb bulk that pretty much gained me 20 lbs of lard. The only thing I can think of is my age, genetics, or maybe I am not getting enough protein since shakes make me barf.

Any suggestions?

First. There is a change. Com'on it's been 3 months? What are you looking for in 3 months, to look like arnold? There are some gains my friend believe. My suggestion is write down all you eat adn what you eat for the whole week. Do you keep a workout journal? make sure your getting enough calories , clean calories not junk. Not sure what weight you are lifting, but maybe you may need to change some things up and lift a heavy. Keep grinding bro, like it has been stated before, ROme was not built in a day nor in 3 months.

Peace.

[domineaux]

Originally Posted by thomasale

Patience is key here. I know what you mean when you say less than you expect. Here is a suggestion for changing things up. I am about to go into this myself...

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/about.html

I've been doing HST (http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/about.html) quite awhile.

Always had good gains and most important NO injuries.

--------------------------------

Most people think Tough Workouts = Big Muscles

It is hard for the great bodybuilders to make any money off the food you eat.

Therefore, they push supplements and special exercises, workouts,etc.

Nothing wrong with that if you understand the actual formula is:

Workouts + proper nutition + rest = Big Muscles.

----------------------------------

The thing most newbs ignore is food and proper supplementation.

The exercise you do traumatizes muscle fibers (tears and stresses), and you in turn replenish and enlarge those fibers with protein and good nutrition.

There are plenty of articles on this site about nutrition.

---------------------------------

Remember the formula, even though it seems pretty simple. I've known plenty of BB that gravitated away from proper nutrition by placing to much emphasis upon the workouts. Basically, all they did was develop some improvements in their endurance.

You should have disciplined consistent approach to your workouts and training. I prefer the HST, but there are plenty of others that work well.

It is easy to get caught up, chasing the perfect exercises, the perfect supplements. I'm not knocking the practice.

If you microtraumatize your muscles with good workouts, eat and suppleemnt, and get plenty of rest you will get results.

I gained muscle mass like crazy doing my first two cycles of HST training.

-------------------------------------------

You mentioned the variation in size of your arms, etc.

When you exercise use single arm, leg, etc. exercises for a while. Start each exercise with the smaller or weaker arm,leg,etc. Then do the same amount of weight and reps with the larger stronger arm, leg, etc.

You shouldn't be making the larger arm, leg, etc. any larger, which gives the smaller or weaker part the ability to catch up.

-------------------------------------------

I should add ----> Many of the people you visit with on these forums have been BB quite awhile.

They did not gain their muscle mass with a few months workouts.

[ironwill2008]

You've stated that you're not eating enough protein; that needs corrected. Without getting into too many details, you need to be eating about 500 calories/day over your maintainance cals/day level, every day.

As for your posted routine, I don't see listed what you're doing for legs; leg training is key. Also, you're doing too many isolation exercises. You're using an entire day for arms.

I would strongly suggest you dump this routine, and take a hard look at Rippetoe's "Starting Strength". You can find it in the sticky at the top of the "workout programs" forum. Good luck.

[picantel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLFwf...eature=related

The row in that video- is it good or bad? I tried it with the little double pump at the top on my last back workout and my upper back was sore(good sore not injury sore) for 3 days. I could really feel the upper muscles almost individually. Should I try it out for a few weeks or go back to regular rows? thx

[Stevelegh]

Originally Posted by ntrllftr

Let me put this into perspective:

4 months is equivalent to waking up in the morning to start a week.

Oh, can I steal that?

[Khodiak]

Originally Posted by ironwill2008

You've stated that you're not eating enough protein; that needs corrected. Without getting into too many details, you need to be eating about 500 calories/day over your maintainance cals/day level, every day.

As for your posted routine, I don't see listed what you're doing for legs; leg training is key. Also, you're doing too many isolation exercises. You're using an entire day for arms.

I would strongly suggest you dump this routine, and take a hard look at Rippetoe's "Starting Strength". You can find it in the sticky at the top of the "workout programs" forum. Good luck.

I agree with ironwill, you are doing to many exercises per body part. Most importantly is the diet, find out what your BMR is and add about 500 cals to that. You have to get atleast 1.5-2 grams of good protein per lb of body weight or else your body will eat it self. Protein is the building blocks for muscle. One hour you should be able to fit 2 muscle groups into that time frame. Here is my current routine, which takes an hour exactly plus 30 mins cardio.

Mon- Chest and Biceps
Tue- Back and Triceps
Wed- Shoulders and Hamstrings
Thursday- Quads
Friday- Cardio, abs or calves
I do Abs and Calves alternating each day

I do 4 exercises per body part, 4 sets of 6-10

I have packed on a ton of muscle over the last year and dropped lots of bodyfat.

My base metabolic rate is around 3000 cals a day to maintain, less than 3000 a day to start cutting and 3500 to 4000 cals a day to gain. Eat smaller meals more times a day. Pure foods... no processed stuff. Whey Protein, and a good multivitamin should be all you need for supplements.