Bulking: Big letdown ... Thoughts and opinions needed!

[OdieJamesXX]

Hi Guys, this is my first thread so easeeee on me.

My fitness Journey:

Started lifting a year ago, I was a beginner skinny-fat small tiny guy, my stats then were 1,71m - 63kg and looking bad.

The first 5 months I was very dedicated, strict, went on a dirty bulk having great program and did very well, great gains I put on 11 KG which looked like ALL of it was muscle gains. or at least 80-90% of it as a made a bit of belly.

Then, so far the weight was 74kg, which together with all this muscle came some fat almost all of it on the belly (nothing crazy but still not looking great to have this popping gut). I decided to go on a cut, small one. I did a small cut (and un-bloating) very strict diet, cut all sugars cut all ****ty foods and focus on the gym, drink waters sleep enough etc etc and in 5-6 weeks the belly got reduced a lot, I lost 4% of bodyfat it was great.

On the scale it shows now 71kg. Amazing.. summer and holidays is still 5 months away so... let's not get back the belly so...let's LEAN BULK.....I thought. So I did, I've learnt everything about it, read, watch read watch took advice, start a new program plan and a normal diet.. not that strict but still no sugars etc.

4 months went by, lean bulking, got back to 74kg, got a bit of strength up, BUT not being very consistent in the gym, skipping some work-outs here and there, and something cheating in my diet. however I was very strict with the calories counting (as always).

The results this time? ok on the scale, but in the mirror I look exactly the same as at the end of my first bulk, same belly measurements came back, and I don't think I gained any muscle ....

Holidays is 4 weeks away though so I have to go on a cut no matter what, so I do.. I'm in the middle of the cutting phase now, 2 weeks out. The belly it hasn't got reduced, the bloating only is better and the scale?..72kg..

So with all these numbers it tells me that 4-5 months of hard work and very careful nutrtion together with very specific lifestyle and gym programs I managed to get a belly back(therefore fat) and not muscle gains..


In few words what happens was that I bulked to 74KG with some belly(but good muscle gains), then I cut to 71kg, belly gone(great so far), then ''Lean bulk'' to 74kg, get the belly back, and now cut to 72kg(so far), with belly still be there.

WHAT THE HELL!!!!

I'm so disappointing.. it's like my body does not want to pack muscle on after 71kg, only belly.. no matter how clean you eat, how much you count your macros and no matter what you do.. is like after 71kg my belly is unavoidable..

I really don't think I'm in my genetic's limits, as I'm sure there is another 10kg of muscle to put on for sure! so I don't know what to do or think..

[CommitmentRulz]

You gained 24 pounds in 5 months in your first (dirty) bulk. If you did EVERYTHING RIGHT in the gym, and got enough protein, at BEST you gained 10 pounds of muscle and 14 pounds of fat. In 5 weeks you lost 6 pounds. So you are still up at least 8 pounds of fat. Over next 4 months, you gained those 6 pounds back but were inconsistent in the gym, so guess 3 pounds muscle, 3 pounds fat, so you're 11 pounds up of fat... (at least). You need to be focused and consistent.

What does your weight workout look like? Be specific. What are you now benching, squating, and deadlifting?