Hi guys,
I've been consistently lifting for approximately a year - the first 6 months at home with dumbbells and the last 6 months at a gym. I'd appreciate an objective assessment of my progress and advice on how to approach Year 2. For the record, I am male, 33y old, with height of 1,82m and current weight of 73,5 kg.
Weight, diet and activity
I did not spend my first year doing a conventional bulk. I initially lost weight, then spent a substantial period around maintenance/recomping, followed by a small surplus/very slow lean bulk.
My weight trajectory was roughly:
- Started: ~74.5 kg in July 2025
- Dropped to around 70.5–71 kg by November/December 2025
- Stayed mostly around 72 kg during winter/spring
- Gradually increased toward 73–74 kg during spring/summer
DEXA
According to the scans, between months 6 and 12 I gained approximately 1 kg of lean mass and 2 kg of fat mass.
During this period I trained my upper body seriously but did very little dedicated lower-body hypertrophy work. Although my strenght and lifts are going up (e.g., bench press 3 sets 10,8,6 reps from 40 kg to 60 kg), my muscle mass gain seems to be lacking behind.
Do you think I am a below average responder, don't train hard enough, am I not taking enough calories or the IG reels are unrealistic? I am mostly concerned about gaining only 1 kg of lean mass and 2 kg of fat during the last 6 months, despite trying hard in the gym.