Why am I not growing?

[wantsomegains]

Hello I'm 24 yrs old and I'm a medical student and my bodyweight is 70kg and I'm 169.1cm. Previously I have been working out on and off. Now 2021 have been very consistent I started with an upper lower split and now since I have some exams I'm doing full body 3x/week. I have been trying to recomp and eating at maintenance which is about 2000-2200kcal. my daily protein intake are 120-150g I'm trying to be between 0.8-1.0g/lbs of bodyweight. However I have seen some strength improvements in the gym but no visual changes, does anyone have any idea?
For more context Here are my programs that I run:

Fullbody:
A:
High bar back Squat 4x4-8 (60kg x6, I am not going so heavy since I hade difficulties with form and still practising)
barbell Bench press: 4x4-8 (60kgx4 is best)
Lat pull-downs 3/4x8-12
Db OHP: 3x8-12 (17.5kg)
RDL: 3x8-12
Hammer curls x triceps overhead extension 3x8-12

B:
Deadlift 3x3 (80kg)
Military press: 4x4-8 (5x32.5kg)
Seated cable row 3/4x8-12
Db bench press 3/4x8-12 (20kg x11)
Biceps db curls x triceps overhead extension 3x8-12

C:
Squats 3/4x8-12
Barbelrow 4x6-12 (32.5kg)
Benchpress 3x8-12
Lateral raise 3x10-15
RDL / lying leg curl 3x12-15

Here is the upper lower i used to run and that I might switch back to
Upper 1
Barbell bench press 4x4-8
Barbell row 3/4x6-12
DB Incline bench press 3x6-12
DB OHP 3x8-12
Lat pulldowns 3x10-12
Lateral cable raise 3x10-15

Lower 1
Back squat 4x4-8
RDL 3/4x6-12
Leg press 3x8-10
DB curls 3x10-12
Rope pushdowns 3x10-12

Upper 2
OHP 4x4-8
Barbell row 3/4x6-12
Benchpress 3x10
Lat-pulldowns 3x10-12

Lower 2
Deadlift 3x3
Leg press 3x8-10
Leg curls 3x12-15
Goblet squat 3x12-15
Barbell curls 3x8-12
Skull crushers 3x10-12

[air2fakie]

Hello I'm 24 yrs old and I'm a medical student and my bodyweight is 70kg and I'm 169.1cm. Previously I have been working out on and off. Now 2021 have been very consistent I started with an upper lower split and now since I have some exams I'm doing full body 3x/week. I have been trying to recomp and eating at maintenance

Well you've been working out consistently for only 4 months... but more importantly, why are you complaining about not growing if you're eating at maintenance and trying to recomp? And why are you doing that if you want to grow?

[SuffolkPunch]

Are you getting stronger for reps? For example, have you added weight or done more reps with the same weight in a progressive manner?

If not, there are a few things it could be - lack of calories, too much volume for your level (leading to subconscious pacing).

Perhaps you should do a novice routine focused on bringing up a handful of lifts first and introduce increases in volume once you have made some progress.

Also, 4 months isn't that long, not sure what you are expecting in that time frame, perhaps unrealistic expectations plays into this too.

[EliKoehn]

Looks like your approach is careful and measured, counting your macros and recording your lifts.

AFAIK in my smattering of reading and anecdotal experience, without eating at a surplus, your gains will mostly constitute neural adaption but your ability to hypertrophy will be quite limited. You'll probably make some relatively quick progress across the board for a while and then stall out, unless you eat more.

Not sure what 150ish pounds looks like on your frame since you're on the shorter side, but that still strikes me as light. I'd eat an additional 300 or so calories per day and keep a sensitive eye on your lift progress.

[wantsomegains]

I'm doing what most youtubers call a recomp. I'm about 20-23% of bodyfat. I used to be skinny fat in high school. I was thinking about cutting down to 66kg and then bulk up. Also something that I don't understand is that most youtubers say that a recomp is possible and that novicesshould gain muscle no matter what But I really don't agree since my progress in the gym has been slow. I don't follow these bs youtbers like athlean-x I follow alpha destiny geofrey verity schofield, jeff nippard and natural hypertrophy

[wantsomegains]

Also my workout program are inspired by viking bare bones and not fierce 5. Since i think fierce 5 neglect bodyparts like shoulders and arms and I'm not intereseted in training calves atm. I have run 5x5 by jason blaha but I didn't like the set rep scheme and i found it hard to progress and also It just throws in there a bunch of compounds and it made me gas out easy.

[wantsomegains]

But do you guys believe I should cut some volume in my fullbody program, if so which exercises?

[TolerantLactose]

It just throws in there a bunch of compounds and it made me gas out easy.

Not speaking to the program but this makes me think that effort is an issue. When I finish my last set of squats, I need several minutes of rest before I'm able to remove the plates from the bar.

[air2fakie]

But do you guys believe I should cut some volume in my fullbody program, if so which exercises?

Do a program focused on progressing your lifts and decide if your primary goal is to make gains, recomp, or lose bf.

[wantsomegains]

Do a program focused on progressing your lifts and decide if your primary goal is to make gains, recomp, or lose bf.

Are there any program you recommended which you recommend? Something other than stronglifts or fierce 5? My goal is a recomp.

[SuffolkPunch]

Did you see my questions?

Recomp should be possible but is generally harder and more prone to failure than a calorie surplus - it assumes you are doing everything right.

[wantsomegains]

Did you see my questions?

Recomp should be possible but is generally harder and more prone to failure than a calorie surplus - it assumes you are doing everything right.

Yeah! I have an evolving rep scheme so when I hit the upper number of a the rep scheme i aim to increase the weight. So let's say the bench I hitt 6 on 57.5kg so the next work out I did 60kgx4, 60kgx4. Then after afterwards I lower the weight to 57.5kg or 55kg for 2 sets if I don't have enought power. So When I hit 60kg for 6 I aim to do 4 sets of 6 kg with minimum 4 reps and after that I will increase the weight by 2.5kg. I don't want to bulk atm since my bodyfat % are quite high and I'm a medical student so I know what terrible consequences when someone goes beyond let say 30% bf . I was thinking about cutting starting june and then do a slow lean bulk. I was thinking about fierce 5 but I really don't see how 3x5 OHP is enough volume for shoulders or what do you think?

[TolerantLactose]

The weights you use are low. Volume is relatively unimportant at this level. You immediate goal should be to increase those weights.

[air2fakie]

I was thinking about fierce 5 but I really don't see how 3x5 OHP is enough volume for shoulders or what do you think?

I think what you're doing now isn't working since that's the subject of your post.

[SuffolkPunch]

Yeah! I have an evolving rep scheme so when I hit the upper number of a the rep scheme i aim to increase the weight. So let's say the bench I hitt 6 on 57.5kg so the next work out I did 60kgx4, 60kgx4. Then after afterwards I lower the weight to 57.5kg or 55kg for 2 sets if I don't have enought power. So When I hit 60kg for 6 I aim to do 4 sets of 6 kg with minimum 4 reps and after that I will increase the weight by 2.5kg. I don't want to bulk atm since my bodyfat % are quite high and I'm a medical student so I know what terrible consequences when someone goes beyond let say 30% bf . I was thinking about cutting starting june and then do a slow lean bulk. I was thinking about fierce 5 but I really don't see how 3x5 OHP is enough volume for shoulders or what do you think?

What I'm asking is what progress you have made - not how you manage progression.

I'm saying that you may have grown underlying muscle - just that its hard to see at the moment.

For example, I guy can go from 18% BF at 75kg to 16% at 75kg and look almost exactly the same... this could be what's happening.

Perhaps your weights were very low to start with. They aren't currently high enough to indicate a muscular guy but you may have been making more progress than you think.

[wantsomegains]

What I'm asking is what progress you have made - not how you manage progression.

I'm saying that you may have grown underlying muscle - just that its hard to see at the moment.

For example, I guy can go from 18% BF at 75kg to 16% at 75kg and look almost exactly the same... this could be what's happening.

Perhaps your weights were very low to start with. They aren't currently high enough to indicate a muscular guy but you may have been making more progress than you think.

Ah I see thanks! I'm going to focus on getting stronger and keep moderating my caloric intake. I'll cut out some of the junk volume like lateral raise

[BeginnerGainz]

Fullbody:
A:
High bar back Squat 4x4-8 (60kg x6, I am not going so heavy since I hade difficulties with form and still practising)
barbell Bench press: 4x4-8 (60kgx4 is best)
Lat pull-downs 3/4x8-12
Db OHP: 3x8-12 (17.5kg)
RDL: 3x8-12
Hammer curls x triceps overhead extension 3x8-12

B:
Deadlift 3x3 (80kg)
Military press: 4x4-8 (5x32.5kg)
Seated cable row 3/4x8-12
Db bench press 3/4x8-12 (20kg x11)
Biceps db curls x triceps overhead extension 3x8-12

C:
Squats 3/4x8-12
Barbelrow 4x6-12 (32.5kg)
Benchpress 3x8-12
Lateral raise 3x10-15
RDL / lying leg curl 3x12-15

This looks pretty good honestly....

You just have to pay attention to exertion levels, to make sure the weight is actually a challenge, and not just mindlessly pump out a pre determined amount of reps.

You can progress on a cut if you carry a high amount of BF, but that won’t last long as you’ll eventually gain muscle mass and lose fat.

[SuffolkPunch]

Ah I see thanks! I'm going to focus on getting stronger and keep moderating my caloric intake. I'll cut out some of the junk volume like lateral raise

You still didn't say how much progress you have made....

Actually looking at your routine, there probably isn't excessive volume, it's just one feature of a lot of home brewed routines we see.

[Filmbuff81]

So just gonna be honest.

If you think you’re 20-23% BF. You are probably more like 25+

And you’ve probably gained muscle but it’s covered by fat so it’s tough to discern any difference.

You CAN recomp but it’s tough.

You can also bulk at a higher bf% but it becomes tough to gauge.

Personally if you’re hovering 23% BF and higher you need to cut down a lot of weight and would be better off trying to get leaner before bulking.

Realistically if you have that much fat to lose you’ll still recomp as you drop weight.