Full Circle. No Muscle Only Fat Gains

[fattofame3]

Hey Guys,

I was 171.6lbs/78kgs last year around may 2019. I got to 143lbs/65kgs by December and it was great, the lowest weight I have ever been. The highest being 242lbs/110kgs since youth and a couple years back. As I was cutting last year and like an idiot was doing extra cardio on top of my workouts alongside being in a deficit I did not provide my body enough energy to build muscle well I was cutting. So where I was supposed to cut 500 calories, I was doing this with food I was also adding an extra deficit of 300 calories based on the elliptical machine even if we half that, an extra 150 calorie deficit is present. I did program hope near the end after I did Fierce 5 for a while and gave other programs a go. Either they were to long like VBB which took long and was very taxing while cutting and tried All Pro's which I found IMO was just not for me. They are great programs but either to much volume or not enough for me. So I stuck with Fierce 5 from that point on. The plan was to lean bulk back to 171.6lbs/78kgs, however as Corona Virus happened and gyms shut down etc, I gained all the weight I lost in 8 months in 6 months this year. Bringing me back to square 1 at 171.6lbs/78kgs, now gyms have opened back and fourth this year and my training has been inconsistent throughout. However, as I am now eating at a surplus I am still not able to get pass the heaviest lifts I have ever lifted in squats and have made minimal progress on other lifts. I go up in weight one week and then the next I am unable to lift any further weight and hence de load 10-15%. I have done this roughly more than twice on squats and bench and I think RDL, not sure. Now that I am back where I started I just don't know wtf to do, do I cut again and spend 8 months getting back to that weight, or do I increase my weight by 20lbs and hope that I gain muscle or lastly "Eat at Maintenance" hoping they both happen? I am still on Fierce 5 Novice Full Body 3x a week but am thinking maybe switching up to a upper lower and eating at surplus for a year might make me grow some muscles ? Since the last 3 months I have gained 12.1lbs and am currently at 187lbs which indicates I am gaining 0.5lbs a week. All this weight gain does not feel like any muscle, and apparently if you have been as big as I have been, its easier to pack the fat back on since the fat cells just shrink and don't despair, so there's that. Lost at what to do.

Cheers once again.

Stats:
5'8" - 173cm tall
187lbs - 85kgs
Lifts: https://imgur.com/a/L17lLcX
I have switched and currently do: RDL>DL, FS>Ham Curls, OHP>DBOP, Pendaly Rows> Cable Rows with 45 degree angle elbows, Lat Pull downs>Pull Ups.

[air2fakie]

Usually I don't think this would be necessary, but find and work with a reputable trainer or coach even if not for every workout. Your saga is an endless circle where you always end up back in the same place, and you tend to ask a lot of basic Qs about lifting, diet and F5 when you've been doing it for 2 years.

I don't say the above to be negative but unless you're one of those people that secretly sabotages their own training/nutrition when no one's looking, you may benefit from some guidance from someone who can keep an eye on your lifts and progress, and call you out on things like form, effort, consistency, nutrition, etc. You can get good advice here but in the end none of us are actually there to see how you apply it.

[BeginnerGainz]

Usually I don't think this would be necessary, but find and work with a reputable trainer or coach even if not for every workout. Your saga is an endless circle where you always end up back in the same place, and you tend to ask a lot of basic Qs about lifting, diet and F5 when you've been doing it for 2 years.

I don't say the above to be negative but unless you're one of those people that secretly sabotages their own training/nutrition when no one's looking, you may benefit from some guidance from someone who can keep an eye on your lifts and progress, and call you out on things like form, effort, consistency, nutrition, etc. You can get good advice here but in the end none of us are actually there to see how you apply it.

/thread

[RapidFail]

Usually I don't think this would be necessary, but find and work with a reputable trainer or coach even if not for every workout. Your saga is an endless circle where you always end up back in the same place, and you tend to ask a lot of basic Qs about lifting, diet and F5 when you've been doing it for 2 years.

I don't say the above to be negative but unless you're one of those people that secretly sabotages their own training/nutrition when no one's looking, you may benefit from some guidance from someone who can keep an eye on your lifts and progress, and call you out on things like form, effort, consistency, nutrition, etc. You can get good advice here but in the end none of us are actually there to see how you apply it.

İ think this is a good idea. I also.think:

1) You should be cutting, not bulking or maintaining
2) Switching to F5 UL will achieve nothing as you're still a beginner lifter

You did a pretty good job of cutting the first time, where it seems to have gone wrong is when you switched to bulking while being inconsistent with training and put on weight too fast, most of it being fat.

[safcpaul]

I completely agree with others. You need to get someone to coach you as something is seriously wrong. I wouldn't even think about cutting or bulking and yoyoing anymore. I would get someone to show you the lifts properly and eat enough to fuel your body for your workouts and get them lifts up

[CommitmentRulz]

Since the last 3 months I have gained 12.1lbs and am currently at 187lbs which indicates I am gaining 0.5lbs a week.

No, you are gaining about 1 pound a week -- not half a pound a week. This is too fast. You are gaining at least twice as fast as recommended.

[TolerantLactose]

Stats:
5'8" - 173cm tall
187lbs - 85kgs
Lifts: https://imgur.com/a/L17lLcX
I have switched and currently do: RDL>DL, FS>Ham Curls, OHP>DBOP, Pendaly Rows> Cable Rows with 45 degree angle elbows, Lat Pull downs>Pull Ups.

I think you would benefit from a coach. My sense is that you don't know what effort really feels like.