14 months of failing

[mwestman88]

How is this even possible? I have no problem whatsoever gainin weight (so no, I'm not going to "EAT MORE") since ive gained like 45 pounds. I need to solve this, or give up.

My goal is to just look average.

[mh22]

Doesnt look like you lifted
Did you count cals/macros?
You had a solid starting point though

[Heraclitus]

I would not necessarily eat more, but eat cleaner. Also, remember to train with rage, passion and heart. Try changing your workout routine and remember to implement compound exercises.

[mwestman88]

Yes, I did. My caloric intake was not the problem (since i gained weight). Neither was my protein intake (aprox 160-180 g/day).

I have been training like hell. Still, no results. It's even possible that i lost some mass.

What could I have done wrong? Possible medical problem? Should I start over and try a program with less reps (like 5x5)?

Edit:
Heraclitus, what would be the benefit of eating cleaner?

[8ball1621]

Pure fat gains.
You need to eat healthier, eat lean protein. It honestly doesn't even look like you lifted at all. You just need a good routine and a good diet.

[8ball1621]

Yes, I did. My caloric intake was not the problem (since i gained weight). Neither was my protein intake (aprox 160-180 g/day).

I have been training like hell. Still, no results. It's even possible that i lost some mass.

What could I have done wrong? Possible medical problem? Should I start over and try a program with less reps (like 5x5)?

Edit:
Heraclitus, what would be the benefit of eating cleaner?

The benefit of eating cleaner is that there would not be as much fat gain. More muscle gains. You were probably going to much over your calorie maintenance and not training hard enough or enough at all. Yes start over and try starting strength as your program. and check out the stickies in the nutrition section.

[GROSO]

LOLOLLOL
IIFYM
Fat gainz, Not really as bad as you think. I bulked 60 pounds in 9 months. Fat gains cut off in 3 months.

[mwestman88]

Pure fat gains.
You need to eat healthier, eat lean protein. It honestly doesn't even look like you lifted at all. You just need a good routine and a good diet.

My diet isn't the problem. I almost never eat ****. Chicken breasts, ground beef, rice, pasta, vegetables, milk, cottage cheese etc.

Let's say that I'm an extreme hardgainer with extremely bad genetics (which i probably have since i have the body of a 9 year old), could it be that the standard 8-12x3 routine just isnt optimal for me?

[unleashthelion]

If you ate enough to put on that much mass, your eating is not the problem -- your lifting/rest is the problem; you gave your body enough fuel, you just didn't use it properly.

[Currensy420]

I would not necessarily eat more, but eat cleaner.

Please explain what eating cleaner means.

[mwestman88]

8ball1621: Thanks for the tip! I have actually thought of Starting Strength.

unleashthelion: Okay, sounds reasonable. Maybe it's not hopeless after all.

Are there any supplement that can improve my sleeping by the way?

[BJonezy]

Solution - Eat cleaner, and adjust your TDEE now since you've gained and start at just a bit over for a few weeks and see the gain. Work your butt off like never before in the gym everytime you go. And you should definitely see progress.

Don't quit bud, keep it up and you'll get it!

[mwestman88]

Thanks for the encouragement!

On "eating cleaner" though: I don't exactly eat dirty, as i mentioned before.

Now I'm leaning more towards that there must be something wrong with how I spend my time at the gym.

___
Before I jump in to a new program, how does this look?...

Day 1:
- Squats, 3x5
- Bench press, 3x5
- Deadlifts, 1x5

Day 2: Rest

Day 3:
- Squats, 3x5
- Military press, 3x5
- Lat pulldowns, 3x5

Day 4: Rest

Day 5
- Squats, 3x5
- Bench press, 3x5
- Deadlifts, 1x5

[unleashthelion]

Disregard any and all "eat cleaner" posts. You gained significant weight while eating (too much of) "clean foods" and I lost significant weight while eating (small amounts) of "dirty foods".

[Duman90]

I would not necessarily eat more, but eat cleaner.

The benefit of eating cleaner is that there would not be as much fat gain. More muscle gains.

No.

Disregard any and all "eat cleaner" posts. You gained significant weight while eating (too much of) "clean foods" and I lost significant weight while eating (small amounts) of "dirty foods".

This.

[Partyrocking]

You ate too much. 45lbs in a year is a lot. On average about 25lbs of that would be muscle for a beginner. I don't know what you were lifting, so your program might have had something to do with it.

Eating clean/dirty is mostly irrelevant for muscle gain. Your body won't turn broccoli into muscle but Oreos into fat. If you're eating the right number of calories and enough protein, you should be good. There are other health considerations to diet, but for mass, calories and macros is mostly it.

Trim off the fat, figure out you're program and start again. It's not the end of the world. I've seen worse bulks than that.

[xhighflyerx]

Thanks for the encouragement!

On "eating cleaner" though: I don't exactly eat dirty, as i mentioned before.

Now I'm leaning more towards that there must be something wrong with how I spend my time at the gym.

___
Before I jump in to a new program, how does this look?...

Day 1:
- Squats, 3x5
- Bench press, 3x5
- Deadlifts, 1x5

Day 2: Rest

Day 3:
- Squats, 3x5
- Military press, 3x5
- Lat pulldowns, 3x5

Day 4: Rest

Day 5
- Squats, 3x5
- Bench press, 3x5
- Deadlifts, 1x5

Squats three days a week? Sorry man but you need to head over to the workout forum and pick up a GOOD beginner routine. It sounds like you had no clue what you were doing in the gym which is probably the cause of the outcome of your bulk. Look into SS or maybe even GST which is what I am doing now. You can't just throw together exercises and expect to look ripped. You need to know what you are doing and if not educate yourself to reach your max potential. I hope everything works out for you and you find you place!

[NFriesen11]

Squats three days a week? Sorry man but you need to head over to the workout forum and pick up a GOOD beginner routine. It sounds like you had no clue what you were doing in the gym which is probably the cause of the outcome of your bulk. Look into SS or maybe even GST which is what I am doing now. You can't just throw together exercises and expect to look ripped. You need to know what you are doing and if not educate yourself to reach your max potential. I hope everything works out for you and you find you place!

The very foundation of SS is squatting 3x per week.

But I definitely agree that OP should look into a tested and proven beginners program and work at it HARD.

[xhighflyerx]

The very foundation of SS is squatting 3x per week.

But I definitely agree that OP should look into a tested and proven beginners program and work at it HARD.

My apologies!

[kiloh]

Squats three days a week? Sorry man but you need to head over to the workout forum and pick up a GOOD beginner routine. It sounds like you had no clue what you were doing in the gym which is probably the cause of the outcome of your bulk. Look into SS or maybe even GST which is what I am doing now. You can't just throw together exercises and expect to look ripped. You need to know what you are doing and if not educate yourself to reach your max potential. I hope everything works out for you and you find you place!

This right here. You're on a bulk so of course you're going to gain some fat but it looks like you hardly gained any LBM. ***You need to revamp your training*** Look into Starting Strength or any of the beginner routines. Learn the lifts and soon you can modify them and implement into your training. Get plenty of rest and also, I noticed you have no cardio at all in your training. I would at least HIIT 1-2 days per week. Your heart is the most important muscle in your body not to mention HIIT is very forgiving in terms of catabolism given you don't go overboard and perform properly.

[mwestman88]

kiloh and xhighflyerx:
Lol, I didn't even write the program myself. What NFriesen11 said.

Anyways, I think your advice has been of help. I'm going to the doctor to get my t-levels checked though, just to be sure that's not the problem. Any male body (under 40) should at least adapt SLIGHTLY, even when disregarding routine, nutrition and rest (not to the extreme, obviously, but you get it).

Thanks!

[xhighflyerx]

kiloh and xhighflyerx:
Lol, I didn't even write the program myself. What NFriesen11 said.

Anyways, I think your advice has been of help. I'm going to the doctor to get my t-levels checked though, just to be sure that's not the problem. Any male body (under 40) should at least adapt SLIGHTLY, even when disregarding routine, nutrition and rest (not to the extreme, obviously, but you get it).

Thanks!

Yeah that was my idiotic mistake. I hope everything works out for you man!

[mwestman88]

Thanks!

[NiCe85]

Just curious what were your lifts when you first started and now?

[mwestman88]

Just curious what were your lifts when you first started and now?

I haven't really gained any strength. Could barely get 88 pounds of the floor on my deadlift when i started out. Managed to pull 198 not too long ago though, but that's probably just because i have gotten more used to the movement.

[mwestman88]

Bench press now: 115 (1rm)
Bench press then: Never maxed out, but my working weight hasn't gone up by more than 10 lbs.

Squats now: Probably around 115 lbs.
Squats then: Not sure actually, only that it was a very, very difficult exercise for me. So, less, but not that much less. No significant gains.

Dips now: 10 (bodyweight)
Dips then: Barely one. Started with bench dips and various tricep exercises.

[Aasemd]

How is this Ben possible? If you lifted hell if you even did push ups you'd have at least some arm gains. Are we being trolled? Maybe you don't progressively overload. Seriously I dirty bulk and gain a ****ton of mass and strength.

[mwestman88]

How is this Ben possible? If you lifted hell if you even did push ups you'd have at least some arm gains. Are we being trolled? Maybe you don't progressively overload. Seriously I dirty bulk and gain a ****ton of mass and strength.

No, I'm not trolling. My guess is unusually bad genetics combined with low testosterone. Before I get any medical help, I will try to change my program, get better structure and so on.

Even women get better muscle gains from like, Zumba, than I do from lifting. Lol.

[mwestman88]

Oh, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION!

What do you guys think I should do first? Lose all the fat, or start bulking?

[lee168]

I would not necessarily eat more, but eat cleaner. Also, remember to train with rage, passion and heart.

I love this comment because its so true. Training with your heart makes all the difference than just going through the routine just because you have to.