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

[IronBrahh]

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 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.

Squat is around 225
Bench max was around 225
I stopped deadlifting around 200
BB rows probably around 100
OHP around 100


Should I just reconstruct a upper/lower workout based around the main compounds (minus deadlift)?

[Duckenheimer]

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.

Diet matters, but no matter how suboptimal for bodybuilding there is no reason that somebody cannot maintain their weight and develop good work capacity in the gym (and it is very unlikely that someone goes from beginner level lifts to good muscular conditioning without some level of recomp).

We also have no idea what OP's bodyfat level is like, but if someone is benching 130lbs after four years and they ain't improved their muscles, there's something very wrong with their training programming.

Hence I'm saying that while your dietary advice might be good, there's something more critical going wrong in OP's training.

[MmmWatermelon]

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

/thread

[IronBrahh]

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?

misc mentality i think. after seeing posts about people not needing as much protein as they claim and companies lying about protein amounts in their powders, I decided to just make sure that what I'm eating has protein in it.


Looking at it now, I get almost all of my protein around breakfast (11-12 due to IF). Then, I focus on eating leaner proteins throughout the week, but that has mainly been salads with turkey/ham (and not large quantities of it) so I'm mostly just getting greens which I don't believe have much protein if at all. So this is definitely one thing I need to work on.

here's my meal breakdown AFAIK:

Breakfast (around 11-12 due to IF)

4-6 Eggs (24-36p)
3-4 Strips of Bacon (12-15p)
Oatmeal + Protein Powder (20p)


Then I hit up a salad bar and just load up on spinach, mixed greens, turkey/ham, some cheese, and dressing.

[RonaldMcflurry]

Squat is around 225
Bench max was around 225
I stopped deadlifting around 200
BB rows probably around 100
OHP around 100


Should I just reconstruct a upper/lower workout based around the main compounds (minus deadlift)?

I would follow the diet advice that I gave you strictly, and get on a strength program from the workout section of this forum. Don't create a workout, follow one that others have had success with. I honestly think that diet is 90% of your problem. Work out that diet and you will see miracles happen. You're gonna make it, brosef.

[IronBrahh]

Diet matters, but no matter how suboptimal for bodybuilding there is no reason that somebody cannot maintain their weight and develop good work capacity in the gym (and it is very unlikely that someone goes from beginner level lifts to good muscular conditioning without some level of recomp).

We also have no idea what OP's bodyfat level is like, but if someone is benching 130lbs after four years and they ain't improved their muscles, there's something very wrong with their training programming.

Hence I'm saying that while your dietary advice might be good, there's something more critical going wrong in OP's training.

my Bf is solidly around 15-16%

also, should i be training to failure? I usually end each set right before.

[RonaldMcflurry]

my Bf is solidly around 15-16%

also, should i be training to failure? I usually end each set right before.

You need to be on a simple 3x5 or 5x5 program. Don't worry about going to failure, focus on lifting heavier weight with perfect form. This will come easily if you are eating correctly.

[Rabbitjb]

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****)

Eat adequate protein, fats and overall calories.

Wtf is that workout? You only interested in upper chest, arms with minimal core engagement?

You've got pecs, triceps, delts, lats and biceps going on...a little core in your pull ups

Get on a decent programme ..there's plenty out there ..and progress those weights

[MBisonSon]

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.

You're either not in the gym as consistently as you claim or you are getting results.

Even with the most terrible diet, after 4 years you'd see results.

[IronBrahh]

You need to be on a simple 3x5 or 5x5 program. Don't worry about going to failure, focus on lifting heavier weight with perfect form. This will come easily if you are eating correctly.

something else ive been wondering, how do I know if I had a good workout? do you guys feel exhausted after? or what?

I don't think I'm dillydallying around in the gym, but I have no indicator to let me know if that makes sense. After a workout I'm usually fine.

[IronBrahh]

Eat adequate protein, fats and overall calories.

Gonna try the diet suggested on page 1. But I'm a little guy, it doesn't take too many calories before my BF and weight shoot up.

Wtf is that workout? You only interested in upper chest, arms with minimal core engagement?

You've got pecs, triceps, delts, lats and biceps going on...a little core in your pull ups

Get on a decent programme ..there's plenty out there ..and progress those weights

looking for a workout now. hitting the gym in an hour

[Duckenheimer]

my Bf is solidly around 15-16%

I have no idea if it is.

also, should i be training to failure? I usually end each set right before.

Whether you should or shouldn't train to failure is majoring in the minors. I can't answer whether it'll work better for you. But it's such an irrelevant question compared towards the things that are going wrong. It's like wondering whether kale is better than spinach when you're only eating 25g of either a day, or how you should time your workout proteinz when you're only eating 25g of protein a day.

If you build up sufficiently good work capacity in exercises without training to failure (volume, technique and form), you'll grow/recomp just fine.

If you train to failure every workout, but never touch a 135lbs overhead press, there's no guarantee that your muscles have any good reason to compensate.

It doesn't matter if you find the world's most perfect workout program, if you don't program sufficient progression in work capacity. All the most perfect sets to failure with 60 seconds rest in between sets and perfect technique for mind muscle connection don't hold any guarantees without a sufficient progression plan.

[IronBrahh]

[QUOTE=Duckenheimer;1503810251]

my Bf is solidly around 15-16%



Whether you should or shouldn't train to failure is majoring in the minors. I can't answer whether it'll work better for you. But it's such an irrelevant question compared towards the things that are going wrong. It's like wondering whether kale is better than spinach when you're only eating 25g of either a day, or how you should time your workout proteinz when you're only eating 25g of protein a day.

If you build up sufficiently good work capacity in exercises without training to failure (volume, technique and form), you'll grow/recomp just fine.

If you train to failure every workout, but never touch a 135lbs overhead press, there's no guarantee that your muscles have any good reason to compensate.

last question

how should i progressively overload?

I normally do

3x12

once i hit 12, 12, 12 I up the weight by 5lbs if isolation or 10lbs if compound

is this progressing too slow?

[MBisonSon]

something else ive been wondering, how do I know if I had a good workout? do you guys feel exhausted after? or what?

I don't think I'm dillydallying around in the gym, but I have no indicator to let me know if that makes sense. After a workout I'm usually fine.

I wouldn't say exhausted but I'm usually soaked in sweat.

I tend to feel more energy after working out, though towards bed time I'm beat.

[eod8989]

If your lifts are progressing (post noob gains) you are building muscle. It just takes some people longer (thanks to small frame, diet, test, lifting program)

You don't go from a 110 lb to 250 lb bench press without gaining muscle lol

[Duckenheimer]

[QUOTE=IronBrahh;1503810271]

last question

how should i progressively overload?

I normally do

3x12

once i hit 12, 12, 12 I up the weight by 5lbs if isolation or 10lbs if compound

is this progressing too slow?

I don't know because nothing you've written there describes how fast that progression is.

I will guess yes because of the poundages you've described after 4 years of lifting.

I personally don't increase by 10lbs at a time (except rarely) because my mind-muscle technique would suffer a lot, and it's an uphill battle to find the reps again.

I would try microloads for a while (1lbs per workout, 2lbs for squat/deadlift) & increasing sets when you can. If you can do 6 sets of 12, you should be able to microload for quite a bit until you're maxing out at 3x12.

But progression (while maintaining form/volume/exercise selection) should be your number 1 goal because it's the number 1 thing you haven't done sufficiently. Even caloric maintenance shouldn't stop building good work/muscular capacity.

[IronBrahh]

I wouldn't say exhausted but I'm usually soaked in sweat.

I tend to feel more energy after working out, though towards bed time I'm beat.

i rarely sweat in the gym unless im doing something like farmer's walks or one arm DB rows

which makes me think that I am indeed not using enough weight

thanks guys, we'll see how this goes. be back in 2-3 months (srs)

[IronBrahh]

I don't know because nothing you've written there describes how fast that progression is.

I will guess yes because of the poundages you've described after 4 years of lifting.

I would try microloads for a while (1lbs per workout, 2lbs for squat/deadlift) & increasing sets when you can. If you can do 6 sets of 12, you should be able to microload for quite a bit until you're maxing out at 3x12.

But progression (while maintaining form/volume/exercise selection) should be your number 1 goal because it's the number 1 thing you haven't done sufficiently. Even caloric maintenance shouldn't stop building good work/muscular capacity.

oh, one thing that I just realized I repeat:

Often times, I'll progress with a lift to a point and then I get injured OR my form gets off, so I drop the weight and build back up over time. This has mainly only happened with benching, but it is a thing. Is this just mind-muscle failure? Or the protein issue again?

[Duckenheimer]

oh, one thing that I just realized I repeat:

Often times, I'll progress with a lift to a point and then I get injured OR my form gets off, so I drop the weight and build back up over time. This has mainly only happened with benching, but it is a thing. Is this just mind-muscle failure? Or the protein issue again?

The protein issue might help break through some of those sticking points, but it can't be the central problem: Anybody on maintenance calories with a protein crapshoot should still be able to build up good work capacity in four years, and most people eat enough protein to support a reasonable level of muscle at a lighter bodyweight (even if they don't train for it).

It's a progression/skill problem. Hell if I were you I'd double the frequency of 3-4 core exercises and do warmup sets throughout the week, and focusing on increasing sets (without trying to increase reps) a good bit as well. I'd back off failure when doing this. When you add 1lbs a week eventually you'll need to drop a set, but you've plenty of redundancy and room for maintaining good form for at least 3 sets at the next weight.

But fundamentally progression problems should be about training unless your poundages are advanced or you're in a deficit, so while diet may be a portion of the issue here, it is not the
issue.

[4ea]

there are several tips i can give you op

first, plan out your routine. sit down with paper and pen and lay out the specific muscle groups you intend to hit on each day. then fill it in further with the specific lifts youl use.

second, plan out your diet, make sure to eat approximately 30 grams of protein and 50-60 grams of complex carbohydrates every 3 hours

third, write down your routine as you perform it. track the weight youre using and the number of reps you perform. force yourself to lift a little more every time you lift

fourth, focus on form. lift weight you can control, lift slow and deep, and deliberately flex the fuk out of the muscle group as you perform each rep

taking creatine monohydrate is also a good idea

[helles65]

Wanted to help out a bit here I can somehow relate I've made some mistakes myself when I was younger but OP seems to lie a lot (no offense) here no reason to lie. 4 years of consistent training this guy would see PRETTY MUCH SOMETHING

Now let me tell you

a) your diet sucks most likely like dudes above said - are you someone with a really skinny frame?? That has low bf?? Then eating 500-1000 cals surplus at a 30 protein 20 fat and 50 carb diet will help

b) your food quality sucks. Of corse you have to avoid proceeded food fast food sugars etc etc

c) you're over 20% bf which will affect your T cut down to 12-15 first

c.1) your T is too low see a doctor or eat T enhancing foods and leave out estrogen rising foods

d) your workout is not intense enough. There's a golden rule. Your muscles will only grow when they have to. Otherwise they are just recovering and not growing. Hitting them hard with 8-10 reps (at 80-85% one rep max) will help a lot. Try Squats and deadlifts 10-20 reps high weight

every 1-2 weeks you have to have a improvement at first. Increase reps or weights. Max 12 reps after that increase weight by 3-5 lbs. But as always form>weight

e) see some personal trainer at your gym and give him the money if you're not able to figure out at your own or can't realize advice from the internet

[cheeseNmills]

-Fix your diet. Do not fuk around with intermittent fasting when you can't even tell us what your protein intake is like.

- Fix your body imbalancement. You say you bench 220 yet you BB row 100. At these weights, your row should be higher than your bench. My shoulders hurt just imagining what your form must look like. There is absolutely no way you are actually hitting the muscles you're trying to hit if your antagonist muscle groups are too weak.

- Get rid of the 'I've been lifting for 4 years' mindset. Do a complete deload, watch a metric fukton of form tutorial videos on YouTube, learn how to activate your muscles in the proper way, then start increasing the weight by increments as small as 2.5% per 1-2 weeks.

[LukeS1]

Your programming likely sucks

Its about progressive overload, not intensity or going all out every workout

[lumbarflexbrah]

For someone who has been lifting for 4 years you really don't know a fukkin thing so it's not surprising you haven't mad progress. I've been lifting for just over 3 years and look at my avi and stats in my sig.

A good workout means that you successfully completed what you had planned to do before your workout. You shouldn't just be winging it and thinking "Oh yeah that felt like it did the job". As a natty stronger = bigger, follow a strict periodized strength routine and eat at a caloric surplus. That's literally the only secret.


If after 4 years you don't have at least a 315 bench, 405 squat, 500 deadlift you have been fukking the dog on your programming.

[Sergis]

Squat is around 225
Bench max was around 225
I stopped deadlifting around 200
BB rows probably around 100
OHP around 100


Should I just reconstruct a upper/lower workout based around the main compounds (minus deadlift)?

after 4 years? dafuq m8

lift more and dont minus the deadlift

you gonna stay in your comfort zone the body will stay in its

[janglingjack]

Thread is useless without pics. You might have body dysmorphia for all we know

Or you are lifting with zero intensity

[Tickyouup]

I can lift for a month, eat like a chit and see gains. How do people end up like this wtf?

[TheAdlerian]

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

You aren't lifting weight.

I lift until the point where I have to make noise, like I'm having a giant orgasm because it's so stressful and I can't take it.

I lift 10X20 and by the time I'm done, the muscle group is exhausted.

So, try something like German Volume Training and make sure you're lifting weight where on the 10th rep, it's stressful.

Note: I had a friend who went to the gym and nothing happened, and I've seen if with many other people, they aren't lifting enough weight and struggling. They're just lifting whatever and doing some routine. Muscle is built by struggling and damaging the muscle, then it heals and you gain mass.

[IronBrahh]

Had a good compound focused workout, thanks for the tips guys. Will eat more and report back

[XPmpnII]

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

THIS OP x infinite

Just lol @ people offering up all sorts of advice that legit means fuk all without even knowing what OP looks like.

If you're serious about needing help, we need some current pics vs 4 years ago back when you started