Why do I bother?

[Gcixxer75]

I work out for 2 hours a session, 3-4 sessions a week. I follow a good diet, train hard, get enough sleep and use all the right supps, generally do like I should. I consider myself quite strong for my age and size.

Now, the disheartening side is I've been training for 8 months and have gained a lot of lean muscle, but no size. There are 3 or 4 guys who were as small as I was and all joined the gym around the same time, who are all bigger than I am now and work less at it than I do.

Pub and takeaway are much easier!!!

[John Prophet]

training 8 months and discouraged already? wow

any clue how many calories and how much protein u r getting?

u doing cardio or soccer or any such? (if so, probably stop lol)

[Fa1c0]

I work out for 2 hours a session, 3-4 sessions a week. I follow a good diet, train hard, get enough sleep and use all the right supps, generally do like I should. I consider myself quite strong for my age and size.

Now, the disheartening side is I've been training for 8 months and have gained a lot of lean muscle, but no size. There are 3 or 4 guys who were as small as I was and all joined the gym around the same time, who are all bigger than I am now and work less at it than I do.

Pub and takeaway are much easier!!!

It may seem counter-intuitive, but maybe, you should shorten your workout sessions a little. Perhaps, do fewer isolation exercises and focus on moderate to heavy compound lifts like bench press, squat, deadlift etc.

[johnmackay]

I work out for 2 hours a session, 3-4 sessions a week. I follow a good diet, train hard, get enough sleep and use all the right supps, generally do like I should. I consider myself quite strong for my age and size.

Now, the disheartening side is I've been training for 8 months and have gained a lot of lean muscle, but no size. There are 3 or 4 guys who were as small as I was and all joined the gym around the same time, who are all bigger than I am now and work less at it than I do.

Pub and takeaway are much easier!!!

From your .sig it looks like you are cutting....you can't expect to grow much (there are some newbie gains) while cutting weight. Don't get discuraged - it looks like you have made some great progress....when you hit your BF% goal and then start to bulk, you will see some real gains then

[highiso]

4 years in & still discouraged by growth. Takes decades man.

[djflex]

No size in 8 months?


Are you sure about this?

[cmoore]

why do I bother

Because YOU are worth YOUR time.

[hmmmm16417]

Confused. ....how can you gain a lot of lean muscle without gaining size?

I think you mean you leaned out (cut) and gained some definition....which shows you muscles.

Don't compare yourself to others, no two humans arw the same. We all react differently to training.

Fyi....muscles grow during recovery, not during a longer gym session

[timeload]

I work out for 2 hours a session, 3-4 sessions a week. I follow a good diet, train hard, get enough sleep and use all the right supps, generally do like I should. I consider myself quite strong for my age and size.

Now, the disheartening side is I've been training for 8 months and have gained a lot of lean muscle, but no size. There are 3 or 4 guys who were as small as I was and all joined the gym around the same time, who are all bigger than I am now and work less at it than I do.

Pub and takeaway are much easier!!!

I'm taking a guess here but you haven't done a bulk yet have you? looking at you stats at the bottom of your post looks like you have just been cutting for 8 months.

[Karl_Hungus]

Confused. ....how can you gain a lot of lean muscle without gaining size?

Was wondering the same thing. Maybe he was hoping to add some fat?

[Gcixxer75]

I've stopped cutting in Feb after getting to my goals. I've been bulking for almost 2 months and it's during this time I haven't seen any significant size increase.

I'm consuming between 2000-2500 calories a day, around 250g of protein, 500 g of good carbs at lunch. I can't do more without feeling ill.

I'm doing quite a lot of sleeping and not overdoing my workout. I have had my workout done by a personal trainer which I stick to besides sometimes trying a heavier weight or doing a couple of extra sets once in a while.

I've picked up bodyfat but not bulk, which is what I worked hard to lose initially.

Confused and frustrated!!!!!

[Gcixxer75]

training 8 months and discouraged already? wow

any clue how many calories and how much protein u r getting?

u doing cardio or soccer or any such? (if so, probably stop lol)

I'm discouraged because of the minimal gains compared to the others.

I've stopped cardio when I stopped cutting in February.

[GunBurn]

Being old school, when I started out as a skinny scarecrow. Guys were drinking lots of whole milk before bedtime. The big lifts that put on size were heavy bentover rows, squats, deads,
Bench press (safer with dumbbells) and heavy bent arm pullovers. For arms: heavy curls and triceps extensions.
Man, did I put on some solid pounds drinking about a qt. of milk a night and doing the right exercises. Good old whole body 3 times a week. Then when I got to around 185 from 135, I started doing the newer routines.
Gotta eat, gotta go heavy, less isolation.
Enuff about me, Good luck to YOU!

[ironwill2008]

I've stopped cutting in Feb after getting to my goals. I've been bulking for almost 2 months and it's during this time I haven't seen any significant size increase.

I'm consuming between 2000-2500 calories a day, around 250g of protein, 500 g of good carbs at lunch. I can't do more without feeling ill.

I'm doing quite a lot of sleeping and not overdoing my workout. I have had my workout done by a personal trainer which I stick to besides sometimes trying a heavier weight or doing a couple of extra sets once in a while.

I've picked up bodyfat but not bulk, which is what I worked hard to lose initially.

Confused and frustrated!!!!!

If you're not gaining weight, you're not eating enough.

[Corbi]

There are 3 or 4 guys who were as small as I was and all joined the gym around the same time, who are all bigger than I am now and work less at it than I do.

Mexican creatine, that is all

[Bladerunner1811]

I work out for 2 hours a session, 3-4 sessions a week. I follow a good diet, train hard, get enough sleep and use all the right supps, generally do like I should. I consider myself quite strong for my age and size.

Now, the disheartening side is I've been training for 8 months and have gained a lot of lean muscle, but no size. There are 3 or 4 guys who were as small as I was and all joined the gym around the same time, who are all bigger than I am now and work less at it than I do.

Pub and takeaway are much easier!!!

Bro you don't need more then an hour to an hour and 30 minutes 3 times a week

[Gcixxer75]

If you're not gaining weight, you're not eating enough.

I can't stomach anymore. I'm eating everything I should be but can't get more in me. My body is trying to store it as fat instead of feeding the muscle.

[Gcixxer75]

Bro you don't need more then an hour to an hour and 30 minutes 3 times a week

I get so much conflicting advice. How often should I be doing chest, this is one Bain of my existence.

[mirroroferised]

I've stopped cutting in Feb after getting to my goals. I've been bulking for almost 2 months and it's during this time I haven't seen any significant size increase.

I'm consuming between 2000-2500 calories a day, around 250g of protein, 500 g of good carbs at lunch. I can't do more without feeling ill.

I'm doing quite a lot of sleeping and not overdoing my workout. I have had my workout done by a personal trainer which I stick to besides sometimes trying a heavier weight or doing a couple of extra sets once in a while.

I've picked up bodyfat but not bulk, which is what I worked hard to lose initially.

Confused and frustrated!!!!!

I'm far from an expert but the bolded does not sound right. If you want to gain size you need to eat more like ironwill said. 2500 calories on a bulk sounds off to me, especially at your weight.

If you're not gaining weight, you're not eating enough.

Mexican creatine, that is all

lol

[o0o0]

I can't stomach anymore. I'm eating everything I should be but can't get more in me. My body is trying to store it as fat instead of feeding the muscle.

If it is hard to stomach, why not try eating calorie dense foods and also easy to consume foods such as protein shake?

[pharmamarketer]

Suck it up buttercup. Go eat more and keep lifting. You said you aren't " over doing your workouts". Maybe you should try working out a little harder

[DuracellBunny]

I'm consuming between 2000-2500 calories a day, around 250g of protein, 500 g of good carbs at lunch. I can't do more without feeling ill.

You don't know what you are eating. You are guessing at either the macros or the calories. 250g protein + 500g carbs is 3000 calories in and of itself, never mind anything else.

[John Prophet]

I get so much conflicting advice.

thats the nature of the beast.

on the plus side, this is one of the ONLY activities left in the world where YOU are in control. No big brother, or special division to nanny you

YOU are the scientist

[SuperZar]

I'm discouraged because of the minimal gains compared to the others.

Grass is always greener... they're probably looking at you thinking "holy shyt he's lookin' so muscular and ripped!"

[mcbourque]

You say you got your workout done by a PT. There are a lots of bad PTs out there. And those that give complicated routines so you come back to them and give them more money.
Did your PT give you a 2 hr routine to do 4 days a week? That's seems excessive.
Great advice from the guys in this thread.

[kimm4]

I've stopped cutting in Feb after getting to my goals. I've been bulking for almost 2 months and it's during this time I haven't seen any significant size increase.

I'm consuming between 2000-2500 calories a day, around 250g of protein, 500 g of good carbs at lunch. I can't do more without feeling ill.

2 months of building is nothing. The process takes a hell of a lot longer, so you better be in the mindset to go the distance. Your calorie intake doesn't match up with your breakdowns...so that's a clear indicator you have no idea how much you're eating.

I'm not sure what your 2 hour workout includes...but most people can get a solid workout done in an hour.

[Do_Somethin]

Bro you don't need more then an hour to an hour and 30 minutes 3 times a week

[JRT6]

You're having stomach problems because you can't stomach all the constant whining. Read the stickies and get a clue about what you can do and what you can expect to get from it.

[djflex]

Mexican creatine, that is all

Fuk yea!


The cure for what ails ya!

[Smelly bull]

You don't know what you are eating. You are guessing at either the macros or the calories. 250g protein + 500g carbs is 3000 calories in and of itself, never mind anything else.

This says it all..good catch Db!