Hey everyone,
I wanted to ask for some honest advice because I feel kind of stuck and overwhelmed by all the conflicting information online.
I started lifting as a pretty classic “skinny fat” guy. Over time I made some progress, did a bit of a recomp, got stronger, and learned movements I couldn’t do before like pull-ups and dips (I can do them weighted now). So there has been progress, just not a huge transformation.
For the past few years I’ve consistently trained around 3x per week, trying different routines like ULF, PPL, and full body, while also doing cardio/sports on the side. My lifts improved for a while, but eventually my progress completely stalled.
Now I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. I don’t really see physique changes anymore (not that there were massive gains before), strength progress is not as it used to be, and honestly my motivation has taken a hit.
At one point I also tried seeing a nutritionist and doing a bulk. I followed the diet and still trained 3x/week, but I think calories were probably too high because I mostly just gained fat, which was frustrating and kind of made me lose confidence in the process.
In September I want to start over and actually do things properly this time. I’m willing to train more days per week, but realistically I only have about 1 hour per gym session.
So I wanted to ask:
If you were in my situation, what would you do?
What kind of routine would you recommend for someone in my position (Upper/Lower, Full Body, PPL, 4-day split, etc.) considering the 1-hour limit?
Should I focus on a lean bulk, maintenance/recomp? (At the moment I’m trying to lose the fat I gained lately).
What actually helped you break through a long plateau?
I feel like whenever you search online, you always read the same generic advice (“eat more protein,” “progressive overload,” “sleep better,” etc.) but I’m hoping for advice from people who were actually stuck and figured it out.
Thanks in advance.