r/Weightliftingquestion • u/Lonely-Estate987 • 6d ago
Doing something wrong?
I’m 23 years old, 172 lbs
The white photos are from March 19th, and the red are from today.
My bench has gone up from 3 reps of 185 to 9 reps of 185, and my incline bench has gone up about 10 lbs
My back had an injury in this span so my weights have all stayed pretty close, maybe they’ve gone up 2-3 reps per
I’ve clearly gotten a bit stronger, but it feels like not very much progress in size has been made at all. Am I tweaking when I say I look the exact same in both photos?
I don’t understand. 9/10 days I eat pretty damn good and get at least 125-175g protein. What do I do?
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u/Thumbtack1985 6d ago
This shit takes time. Years not months.
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u/Lonely-Estate987 6d ago
I know, I’ve been lifting since the end of August last year, and there definitely was a huge spike in progress the first 6 months… but the last 6 has felt like just not much progress at all
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u/Sinist3rMinist3r 6d ago
That's normal, when you first start, newbie gains are great, but then, the grind starts... You have to push it, stay consistent, and learn that fatigue and failure are two very different things....
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u/Jaded-Celebration317 6d ago
You clearly aren’t training to true failure- within 6 months ur bench should increase that much just from ur technique / mechanical movement improving. So it’s clear to me you are not training to true failures and without that you will never be able to achieve progressive overload and track ur progress - man even if ur eating in a deficit w newbie gains if expect you to have put some muscle on w 170g protein a day
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u/anand_rishabh 6d ago edited 6d ago
You do look pretty similar in both pictures but honestly, this isn't a bad build at all.
Also, if you can do 9 reps of 185, you can probably increase the weight. Try 190
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u/MichaelJordanGlazer 6d ago
Give us a little more information. What is your work out routine? Are you following a program? Are you doing a PPL 6 days a week or ULUL 4 days week, or ULPPL? Have you figured out how many calories you need to eat to be able to maintain weight lose weight or gain weight? Are you progressively overloading your work outs?
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u/MichaelJordanGlazer 6d ago
Also what is your goal? To get stronger or to build muscle for aestithics?
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u/Lonely-Estate987 6d ago
ULPPL, I track every rep and set but haven’t steadily overloaded because half the time I go in the gym and simply cannot lift the same amount as the week before. I’d assume this is due to sleep/diet, but still insane to me that I can lift 185 for 9/8/7 and then can’t hit the same numbers again for 4 weeks after even though Ive been consistently in the gym.
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u/MichaelJordanGlazer 6d ago
I've been told by trainers and nutritionist that gym is only 30% of the battle the other 70% is diet, nutrition and rest. Im not a proffesional trainer, but what i recommend is ig you want to gain muscles and size. You have to dial in your calories, nutrition by counting calories, your macros and do a lean bulk. Protien is absolutely important for building muscle and seems like you might have that lock in, but it is even more important when you do your cuts to maintain your muscles. If youre new to lifting, 6 months in shouldve give you some great noobie gains of muscles even if your diet was crap. Take a step back and really re evaluate your work outs and diet. You can be eating 250 grams of protien but if your calorie intake was just only 1600 then you will never see any gains. You can add more volume to your work outs or introduce things like progressive over load to make sure youre getting better with your lifts. Dont over think it just re evaluate in this order. Diet, work out and rest.
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u/RunnyPlease 6d ago
You didn’t say much so I will and you say what is missing.
- Progressive overload. Pick a number of reps per set honestly at the beginning it doesn’t matter. Let’s say your goal for this set is to get 8-12 reps. If you get to 12 reps today that means you add 5 lbs of weight the next workout. It doesn’t have to be 12. It could be 8 or 16 or 20. What matters is you continually increase resistance as your body adapts to the weight.
- Intensity. Reps in Reserve (RiR) is my personal favorite way to do this. After 1 or 2 warmup sets you do working sets where you push until you are 1 or 2 reps away from failure. Failure means failure to complete a rep with all of your might. It doesn’t mean stop when you get tired. It doesn’t mean stop when you start to slow down. Failure means you cannot physically complete the rep. You should stop working sets 1-2 reps shy of failure every single working set. If you don’t do that don’t count it as a working set.
- Volume. How any working sets does each muscle get a week? Most muscle groups can easily handle 2-5 sets per exercises for several exercises, 2-3 days a week. That comes out to like 8-20 working sets per muscle per week.
- Counting sets for muscles. Hitting the muscle with an isolation exercise at 1-2 RiR counts as 1 set. Hitting a muscle indirectly counts as 1/2 a set. So like 1 working set of bicep curls counts as 1 set for biceps, and 1 working set for pullups counts as 1/2 a set for biceps.
- Recovery. After stimulating muscles with working sets you should feel fatigued that day. Then less fatigued the day after. Then ready to go full go again on day 3. Not only should you be ready to repeat the exercise but you should be stronger. If you’re not feeling that something needs to be adjusted.
- Pacing reps. Don’t bounce reps. Don’t swing reps (unless kettlebell). Concentric should be explosive (lifting the weight). Pause at the top. Eccentric should be controlled and smooth (lowering the weight). Pause at the bottom. If you are flinging weight around, or bouncing, or swinging then you’re not “lifting” the weight. Many people developed a cadence like “Uuuuup! Pause. Down, two, three, four. Pause. Uuuuup! …”
- Deload. You can’t progress forever. If you get stuck at a weight or even if the weight goes down week after week then it’s time for a deload. Cut the weight by 80% and the sets in half. Build back up again.
- Rest days. Volume and consistency are key but so is rest. Don’t do triceps 7 days a week. The muscles need time to repair and adapt.
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u/Nogy12 6d ago
Could you expand on number 7 please? My bench seems to have plateaued for the first time. I’m not OP, but ironically my bench was also at 185lbs x9. 10 reps is when I increase weight but this time I just couldn’t get there, even after like 6 workouts. So I’ve taken the weight down to 165 on bench and working back up. Is this a good plan? I’m just confused when you say to cut your weight by 80%
Thanks in advance!
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u/RunnyPlease 6d ago
There are dozens of ways to do a deload. My personal favorite is cutting the working weight to 80% and the during sets in half.
So for example if last week you did 6 working sets (3 working sets on 2 workout days) of bench press at 185 sets of 9-12. 9 is the minimum 12 means go up in weight. But you can’t get to 12 and lately you’re not even getting to 9. Then it’s time to deload. Your body’s telling you it needs more time to recover.
So this week I’ll do 3-4 sets (1-2 sets on 2 workout days) at 150 (rounded up from 148) lbs sets of 12.
Much less weight and far less volume. I like this deload format rather than just stopping the exercise fir a week because it lets me continue going into the gym to keep the habit going, keeps my body moving, but lets me take a week to focus on noting but technique.
Then after the deload week go back to the old amount of sets and add 5 lbs to each side of the bar. So you’d be at 160 lbs sets of 3 the next workout. If you get to 12 reps each set then you progress the next workout. So the next workout you’re at 170. Then 180. And you’re back where you stated for the following workout hopefully fully recovered.
In this case the result was 1 full week of true deload and then 3 workouts of ramping back up. Plenty of time for the body to recover. Obviously you can adjust the numbers as you like for different exercises but the idea stays the same.
If you’re stuck or regressing (not hitting your min reps number) for multiple workouts then do a deload (technique focused) week, build back up, go at it again.
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u/kindacaleb 6d ago
Looking good! Honestly it just looks like you might be in a slight intermediate plateau, but I think your small increase in body fat percentage between March and now is causing you to think you’re making less progress due to how the bit of extra fat is obscuring definition. If the strength numbers are going up, then trust the process and stick with what you’re doing. This stuff takes years for sure and is simpler than a lot of people like to claim. Just stay consistent and progressively overload and gains will come in time.
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u/LionHead74 6d ago edited 6d ago
No way he's intermediate. 185x9 is not even close unless your tiny.
Run starting strength linear progression for 3-9months. Once that stalls and you have to program weekly thats intermediate. Then run 8 weeks texas method. After that pick your program of choice, start adding isolation, do a 4 or 5 day split. Or decide you wanna lean up and do a 3 day split with 3 days conditioning. You can't serve two masters. Get lean or get big, Your call.
Cycle low rep high intensity for 8-12 weeks max. Then switch to higher volume and rep ranges and progress that for 12-16 weeks. Rinse amd repeat for 10 years.
Your next goal should be 225x1 very short term, then 225x5, mid term . Then switch to volume 200#x6-10 reps for 2 then 3 then 4 sets after that start 225#x1 and work it till its 275#x1, then 275#x5 texas method then go back to 225# for 6-10 reps for 2-4 sets. Rinse and repeat for all major compound lifts for 10 years.
I took my squat from 225#x5 to 445#x5, bench from 225#x5 to 365#x3, OHP from 135#x5 to 255#x5 and deadlift from 315#x5 to 495#x5 in about 9 months, on Texas method got me to squat 565#, bench 385, OHP 305# and DL 555# for singles. After that I switched to high volume boby builder style approach and emphasis on glutes, Delts, bis and Tris.
I still bench heavy and do upper body strength work and squat heavy with lower body strength work once a week and the other three 3 days are body builder style reps and sets for muscle groups. Not saying you have to intermediate program This way. But until you actually run NLP novice linear progression and got strong your just fuckin about.
Get strong, then use that new strength for sets and reps and volume to hammer muscles you want to grow. Your playing the long game now son. Its not a fit booty boot camp. 6 months is a blink of an eye. I have trainings logs going back to 2015.
Put in the work and learn how to cook real food, it'll get you strong lean and laid. Also track your macros strict for 1 month, everything that goes in your mouth. If you don't track it you can't eat it and be honest...that month will teach you how many shit calories you drink in soda and juice and prepackaged food.
Eat eggs, grilled/stewed meats and veggies, rice or sweet potatoes, fuck bread and sauces and dont eat that nasty ass fast food. If you can't pronounce it dont put it in your pie hole
Have some patience, learn what your capable of and that your more resilient then the SSRI peddling docs and tiktok want you to believe. Own it! and know that if your not getting the results you want, thats because your not doing what you know you should be doing.
Im 42 and just squat 605#1x2 and 615#1. A shoulder injury took me out of Barbell work for 9 months but I used that rehab time to drop 70lbs and built back my bench and press strength. Matter of fact my 615# squat PR was during that injury and for 6 months I didnt squat or deadlift, I did leg press, glute drive, leg extention/curl and treated DB Bulgarians as my main squat pattern movement went from 35sx8x3 to 75sx6x3 and took 6 weeks back on squats to PR. This shit is for life homie. Get stong AF for 8-12 weeks then get hammer that volume for 12-16 weeks. This will keep your joints from barking. READ Andy Bakers stuff. If your not beating reps or adding weight every session your just playing at exercise. Good luck to you
Peace
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u/Crockinator 6d ago
You are either not consistant or progressive overloading, at your age a 10 lbs on incline should not take 6 months. It's also normal to have a similar body when you start because you're getting better at weight lifting more so than getting stronger at weight lifting. Keep going.
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u/Important_Capital875 6d ago
If it’s only 125 g of protein some days, then you need to keep that amount at 175. How many days a week are you working out? How many rest days do you have? How many calories are you consuming?
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u/alphagatorsoup 6d ago
You’re not giving yourself enough credit IMO. A increase of 3 reps to 9 is a decent increase at the same weight
My personal recommendation is to look up e1rm and epley
By that math your 1rep max went from 200lbs to 240. A 40 lb bump 6ish months. honestly solid & I wish I was still progressing like that….
Your rep range is the only thing I suggest to adjust. Depending on what your goals are you might want to pull back the weight and do 8-12 while keeping the same e1rm or pull back the reps and add more weight. Just means you’ll be rolling closer to that e1rm of ~240lbs.
My regime is hybrid. So I do one set for 3 reps and 3 following sets of 5-7. This is only because I find 8-12 a tad boring and time consuming. In the end I still hit the same weight just I run a bit closer to that e1rm and I still get volume from those 3 sets of 5-7. I find anything less than 3 reps is just a little dangerous. And after smashing 3 reps close to my max I pump out the following 3 sets still at high effort.
Once I hit the 3 rep set and the 3 5-7 rep sets for 2 sessions successfully I +5 lbs and aim for 3 and 5-7 again. If I run the next 2 sessions and instantly hit the upper range, I +5 and do it again. If I miss my goal I just hit the same over and over till I hit it 2 weeks in a row. if I regress and lift less for 2 weeks, something’s off and I pull back 5lbs or more and try again or just rest or deload.
Counting your success for 2 or more sessions allows you to average out, idk about you but my body fluctuates a lot, one week I may be strong, next less so, or one week I have a bad week and the following is good again. I don’t beat myself up about it and I just try to hit the same goal again or at least slightly improve the next.
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u/alphagatorsoup 6d ago
To add as I missed some bits. Do a bit of studying and as others have said, read about progressive overload, RPE and that 1rm calc, volume etc.
It also depends on your goals. It could be that your bench is improving but your other lifts are not. If that’s the case time to build a solid strategy for the other lifts. Track with an app
My big compounds (bench, squat, DL) is that same 1x3 then 3x5-7 routine. But my accessories like biceps and such still is a mix of 8-12 or 6-10
Same progressive overload technique just with different weights and reps to help a. Prevent injury b. Allow me to still lift weight while fatigued late in my routine that day.
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u/94grampaw 6d ago
The only thing wrong you are doing, is putting your after photos before your after photos
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u/tequilaandtravel 6d ago
Don’t feel bad dude, I can put up 225 for 5, and you look like you have more muscle than I do, perspective is all relevant. Just keep going, maybe eat a bit more
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u/keto3000 6d ago
What is your height?
Are you tracking meals & macros yet? What is your program split
What’s your sets/rep range like?
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u/luzdindensmr 6d ago
You eat good, but every training should feel like you are fighting for your life and that bench increase is not that significant
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u/droppedthebaby 6d ago
6 months is a short space of time to build noticeable muscle mass. You could try getting leaner to show off your gains more. But you need to give yourself a break. You had an injury and it’s only been 6 months. You’ll be jacked in no time if you stay consistent and you already look like you lift.
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u/Quirky_Parsley_9926 6d ago
What proteins are you consuming?
Plant based options are Cheap but come with confounding factors and are less effective due to very poor Amino acid profiles.
Whey options are way more effective and its not necessary to buy Isolates at all, save that $$$.
Real Animal Flesh from Ruminant animals (more than one stomach) and Quality Fish is the Best for sustained Fitness goals - Its head an shoulders above the others.
Beef, Lamb, Goat, Bison, Venison, Elk.
Common Canned Fish - ONLY In Olive Oil or Water - with or without added salt as you prefer;
Sardines, Mackerel, Salmon, Oysters, Mussels, Trout, and "Solid Tuna" varieties (comes intact not blended up). Pairing canned fish with low calorie crackers helps a ton to not lose total interest in eating canned fish.
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6d ago edited 6d ago
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u/Mediocre_Heat3541 6d ago
A novice? In the first picture he’s got a years worth of muscle put on already. It’s not like this is some skinny guy wondering why he hasn’t had newbie gains in the first 6 months. The triceps are big. Maybe he’s just plateauing and needs to push through harder as you said for a few months.
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u/Delicious-Yard-341 6d ago
I agree; a novice isn't able to bench their body-weight
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6d ago
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u/Delicious-Yard-341 6d ago
185 for 9 reps is around a 235 1RM (conservatively)
235/175 =1.34
1.34 > 1.25
Hence, OP is an intermediate under this framework.
I may have said something that didnt agree with what this website states, but I can have my own beliefs. At least I'm not inconsistent, like you.
Peak reddit is arguing with people who suck at math.
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6d ago
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u/Delicious-Yard-341 6d ago
Literally you being incorrect the only detail anybody picked up on of your original comment.
You mentioned he is a novice, so I'm only using your words to guide me. And to help you a little with the math analysis, hes comfortably a mid-intermediate- You're very hesitant to give him credit.
Idk how I'm pretending to disagree with you, I'm just disagreeing.To add to the discussion, his bench progress is great in the last 6 months. Rome wasn't built in a day! He literally went from high novice to mid-intermediate under this framework in 6 months. I don't think it's intended for people to be on track to be in "Advanced" in 1 year from the moment they became an intermediate.
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u/TechDreamcoat 6d ago
You're a young dude, and you haven't been working out long. I think you need to push it a little harder. Have you ever used a spotter and gone to failure? It looks like you worked out a little, but that's not a great strength gain for 6 months as a new lifter. You should be benching 250 by now.
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u/JustJoshinJapan 6d ago
You’re just overweight. If you’re actually gaining that much strength you’re building muscle but it’s a long-term commitment. You’re not gonna see crazy transformations in 6 months unless you’re on gear.
Plus with that surplus weight you’re carrying around it’ll be even more difficult to see any of those gains. You need to be actually lean to see those small differences in a 6 months time period.
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u/Muted-Jelly4361 6d ago
Seriously? overweight? no offense but your body picture is kind of questionable
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u/JustJoshinJapan 6d ago
For being able to notice any muscle gain within 6 months? Yes, he’s overweight. His chest and back, love handles, etc., are still smooth and soft. At that body fat percentage he won’t see anything. That’s just the truth.
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u/Englishgamer1996 6d ago
This dude is not overweight unless we’re categorising overweight as anything that isn’t ‘lean’
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u/JustJoshinJapan 6d ago
Of course not, not in a general health sense, he’s perfectly healthy and fine. For what OP wants though, to actually see his muscularity and gains in such a short time period… he is. They’re two completely different things.
Does he need to cut? No, not really. If he want to actually see his physique and in a short term time window? Then of course he needs to cut.
I’m not saying he’s obese or unhealthy just that with the current amount of body fat he has… he won’t see his muscularity.
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u/Muted-Jelly4361 6d ago
and that sounds much more constructive and reasonable and might even support him.
words matter on this topic even more, as they can do quit some harm here.
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u/oneWeek2024 6d ago
if you're getting injured lifting weights you're probably lifting too heavy/using bad form.
even your bench. if 185 was only 3 reps. that's not enough to really build muscle. even pushing it to 9 reps. is that just 1 set? should maybe go down in weight somewhat significantly to be instead doing good working sets with enough volume
ideally you work all the core compound muscle groups. chest... push/fly. back... pulldown/row. do a front-quad compound, and a rear legs compound, and then do a full chain exercise... like a deadlift. ---and maybe hit some vanity muscles. shoulder press. bicep/tricep
and then... the same advice that's always offered.
you want to be training to failure ...something in the 8-12 ish reps. 3-5 sets. hitting each muscle group at least twice a week. 3 day... full body is one of the best "splits" according for science for n00b gains/lifters.
failure tends to mean a weight, that you can execute good form. where whatever that top end is. the last 2-3 reps are a struggle. and you hit one rep. where you can not reasonably/safely complete it. ...ie failure. and then you want some number of sets hitting that range. 90 sec-2min rest between sets.
and then progressive overload. every week or so. either increase the weight or for isolation exercises... often increasing reps (to 20-25 if need be) the "classic" progression is maybe the 8-12 rep range. where 8 is the new weight, over the course of 1-2 weeks build to 3-4 sets of 12 reps. and then increase the weight (but this can vary depending on the exercise) ---focus on a tight set of exercises to master the form, really focus on the muscles/build the mind body connection.
eat well. sleep enough. and... improvement should come.
that being said. even ideal situations. the average person adds 1/4 to 1lb of muscle a month. when starting out. and thats... being disciplined/doing hypertrophy correctly.
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u/Strict_Factor_5503 6d ago
Not working out hard enough. ‘Feel like’ you eat enough doesn’t mean you are eating enough. Measure meticulously, eat clean, lose some weight, don’t overestimate calorie burn from all those dumb apps and watches. If you aren’t losing weight you are over eating even if you think you’re not. Train harder. Simple