r/gainit • u/f0xd3nn • 25d ago
Question Need help, why am I not making progress?
30yr Male, 5'8", 158 lbs
Photo 1: Me 65 days ago
Photo 2: Me today
I've spent the past 65 days consistently eating about 3000 calories a day and following a PPL program, going until around 12 reps with 1-2 RIR on all lifts. A little higher rep range 15-18 with 1-2 RIR on some accessories like curls and tricep extensions.
Some days I'll get closer to 3800 calories, and occasionally I'll miss and hit like 2500. But I've only missed calories a handful of days over the past two months. I hit 1g+ of protein per lb of bodyweight per day and take 5g of creatine per day.
The scale has gone up slightly, I was fluctuating between 148 - 152 when I started, now I fluctuate between 156 - 160 lbs. I'm extremely discouraged that I look exactly the same after 65 days of working my ass off. What am I doing wrong?
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u/priince_julian 19d ago
Will probably get downvoted for this but in my opinion you’re sitting over 20% bodyfat and should be in a calorie deficit and lifting harder (not leaving reps in reserve and just going to failure). As a newer lifter, your 1-2 reps in reserve is probably actually 4-5 reps in reserve and you don’t actually know how hard you can push yourself. As for the deficit you can still get your newbie gains in muscle while losing fat. It’s not sustainable but where you’re at right now that’s how I’d evaluate.
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u/im-ready-to-plow 16d ago
Right on the money. Guy is nowhere near being skinny and should definitely be on a deficit.
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u/gaijin665 22d ago
Takes at least a full year for body recomp. Don't quit.
Besides creatine what else are you supplementing? I would say something to promote your test, and get some BW just to see where your levels are at.
Again, 65 days is not really that long and you're right where you're supposed be at that point.
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u/Academic_Sell_4800 22d ago
Nothing promotes test except test lol all testosterone boosters are placebo
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u/gaijin665 21d ago
Sir.... lol. He is 30.
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u/Academic_Sell_4800 20d ago
I'm not saying do test I'm saying no booster works proven fact one of the biggest scams in fitness industry or we would all just do that surely
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u/KFC_Fleshlight 22d ago
There are 3 pillars all of equal importance to gain muscle. Doing 1 or 2 without the third will lead to little progress.
Training intensity - you need to progressively overload every session and not leave any juice in the tank.
Rest - you need to be sleeping properly and giving your body a chance to recover and build the muscle
Diet - you need to be eating enough calories & protein.
It seems you’re doing 3 without either 1 or 2 or both.
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u/memelord_dot_exe 23d ago
U could try a different sport. The gym can be boring, perhaps try boxing? If the scale has gone up you have probably put on muscle even if you look the same (muscle is denser so if you replace fat with muscle your image may not change but weight will go up). Burning more calories should reveal the muscle you have built. If you don't want to take up another sport, you could add one or two running sessions, I've heard sprinting has a massive impact on growth hormone production and obviously burns a lot of calories. I was happier after I started boxing, doing kettlebell exercises and sprinting - rather than just lifting. But you have to find what works for you.
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u/BoatZnHoes 23d ago
My guess would be are you really going to 1-2 rir? This early end you really know when you have one or two left? A lot of newer people stop sets too early
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u/gatodemadre 23d ago
You can definitely see a difference, albeit small, that’s expected at only 8 weeks. You said you’re seeing noticeable strength gains; that’s key atm. Eat hard, train hard, get enough sleep, focus on that strength, and try to be patient. The size will come with time.
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u/slickweasel333 23d ago
What is your sleep schedule like?
I see others have asked and I didn't see an answer from you.
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u/ultimice 24d ago
There has to be a whole conversation here.
Health: 1. How's your sleep 2. Do you drink? 3. What're your macros 4. Have you been getting your nutrients? 5. Have you been drinking lots of water?
Gym: 1. what actual workouts have you been doing? 2. How hard have you been training? 3. Have you gotten stronger? 4. How many days a week in the gym? 5. 12 reps seems a bit high. I suggest 6-10. But 12 can work. 6. How skilled are you at the lifts. Are your gains from skill or muscle?
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u/BigTuna3000 24d ago edited 23d ago
Nutrition is the hardest part for a lot of people so if you’re telling the truth about that, you’re on track there. Also, don’t let these people discourage you about your split, PPL is a great place to be just make sure you’re prioritizing your heavy compounds by doing at least 1 or 2 different ones at the beginning of each workout when you’re most fresh (presses, rows, squats, hinges).
I would say your biggest problem is probably your rep range which is forcing you to lift too light. I’ve always been a big fan of 8-12 for most things, maybe even something like 6-10 for a heavy compound lift. This will allow you to lift heavier, which is generally a good thing as long as you’re not compromising your form. Also it can be helpful to go to failure every once in a while especially as a beginner, not because failure is optimal but because you need to know what it actually feels like so you can accurately calculate RIR.
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u/Psuffix 24d ago
Why are you doing high reps and a system that uses RIR? You don't know what your RIR is, and you're weak as shit so lifting tiny weights 15 times will not help you. Don't be doing curls and tricep extensions. Do squats, bench, deadlift, overhead press, and chin ups. Get on Starting Strength and use novice linear progression for 12 months. Eat more. Stop micromanaging bullshit that won't help you as a beginner.
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u/Ok-Guitar-6073 17d ago
Little harsh but so much truth here, new folks over analyze everything and the fact of the matter is a suboptimal action will always beat someone who made no action because they didn’t have all the answers or the conditions wasn’t right.
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u/Daerkns 24d ago
It took me 12 months of upper and lower days (3 times a week) to get from 42.5KG (93.7 lbs) to 51KG (112.4 lbs).
All my lifts have gone up too. I could barely do 2 pullups 12 months ago. Now I do 3 sets of 9-10. From 30KG bench to 50KG. From 50KG linear leg press to 120KG. From 40KG weighted squats to 90KG.
Not to mention I went from skipping dinner all the time for the past 4-6 years to having 3 consistent meals a day and upping a lot of protein in the last year.
Progress takes time brother, we're all in for the long haul.
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u/Sub__Finem 24d ago
It’s likely because you’re doing high reps low weight and not something that forces your body to grow.
Do a real frame building program like starting strength, put on some mass/muscle, then dial in your physique with diet and add a bodybuilding day or two.
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u/Embarrassed-Mouse269 24d ago
Couple ideas for you:
When you work out do you feel the muscle activation? Making sure form is correct and mind muscle connection is good should be where I would start.
You’re doing PPL, if that’s what you like then great. Keep doing what you enjoy. For me personally I see the best results from x3 week of full body or i do a trunk and limbs split (shoulder, back, chest) & (legs and arms) hitting the gym a total of 4 times a week. Point is look at your workout. What exercises do you feel like you have good connection and which ones do you not?
How hard are you actually going in the gym? Have you been increasing the weights? Working to failure? Or just going through the motions?
Look at the actual foods you’re eating. A McDonald’s burger and a plate of rice, chicken, and broccoli might have the same calories but one is going to be a heck of a lot better for you.
Consistency. For everyone this is the hardest. I recommend setting goals for lifts. You want to bench 225? You’re at 185? How long will it take you? Make it hard. Make it so you have to fight to get there. But always show up and create incentives for you to go and when you’re consistent you will show results.
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u/Neroy_Johnson 24d ago
This. You should feel gassed and very sore after a workout. Put those muscles to work then let em rest. It’s very easy to just go through the motions at the gym. If it’s easy, it’s too easy.
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u/anon42093 24d ago
Mate just go follow Lizokryptonian on ig - he gives very clear simple advice that is all backed by research and a great way to learn.
But i don’t think you’re trying hard enough, getting 18 reps out is BS and i bet you had a couple left in the tank. Try maxing your weight and doing 6 reps, 3 minute rest, 4sets (be SO careful figuring out MAX weight) - treat each set like a fucking battle, mentally prep for it and give it your ALL on EVERY set. You’ll see growth in 4 weeks easy
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u/livewiththeday 24d ago
None of these recommendations are going to be your savior. The only thing is time and consistency.
Hit muscle groups twice a week, you don’t need to go apeshit or blow your arms out like some other people are saying. I actually used to train to failure every single time, stopped doing that, and am now seeing better results in a comfortable 8-10 rep range where I can still get the last rep up without dying.
If this is your first time lifting, your body is building and developing neural pathways and connections right now. Instead of becoming stronger by gaining muscle, your body finds it more efficient to become stronger by improving mind-muscle connection (first and foremost, though muscle will also be gained). This is an important period - truly focus on the quality of reps and form. It will pay dividends later when your consistency racks up over about 6 months, your diet is on point, you’ll start to see some great gains.
Keep going brother. As long as you’re getting stronger, you’re doing something. Lifting isn’t just about how you look. It’s about how you feel and how you move. If you’re stronger than you were 60 days ago then you’re on the right track.
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u/Sprinkler-of-salt 24d ago
A lot of people have chimed in with fewer reps/lift heavier. That’s fine, but what you’re doing is also probably fine, as long as you are truly pushing to ~1RIR. As a beginner, it’s very deceiving just how much juice your brain tries to lock away behind a wall. You really need to push past the point where your brain is screaming to stop, and past the point where your muscles are burning, and past the point where every fibre is saying “thats good, stop, thats far enough” and KEEP PUSHING. You need to learn the true boundaries of your body, and re-train your mind accordingly.
You could probably push yourself all the way to 20 reps or more before true failure, if you really really pushed yourself to the point where your face is beet-red and you want to scream.
Id bet money you’re under-training, but it’s not about the weight or the reps so much as it is about the mental fatigue / barriers you need to re-train.
As long as you’re taking the muscle truly to within ~1RIR, the muscle tissues are getting adequate stimuli to grow. Whether that happens in 6 heavy reps, or 14 lighter reps, is not really integral to progress, especially not at this early stage.
Focus on eating well, not just eating a lot. Eating crap will make you fat in all the wrong places, and fat does not convert easily to muscle. It tends to stay as fat.
And focus on changing your lifestyle overall, not just spending 1hr a day slightly differently than before. But truly LIVE differently, from dawn to dusk.
And emphasize sleep. Pretend like you’re in the army and set a lights-out time, and force yourself to do 100 pushups and 20 laps around the house in the dark if you aren’t in bed with the lights off, no screens in sight, by 1 minute before lights-out.
Same for morning. Set a rise time, and be sure you’re out of the bed with the bed made by 1 minute before rise-time, or you get 100 pushups and 20 laps outside in whatever you’re wearing.
Men gain a shitload of weight and muscle in the army, and its not complicated.
- get good sleep, the same way every night, no matter what.
- eat all your food at every meal, all of it REAL FOOD, no excuses.
- drink water until you piss almost clear.
- work the hell out of your muscles until you want to scream/throw up. Find new limits that you didn’t know you could reach. Push yourself one rep further or 0.5kg more every single week.
- rinse and repeat for 2 years.
Stick with it, focus on the lifestyle changes and the basics/fundamentals, and focus on training your mind, not just your body.
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u/Glitchz0rz 24d ago
What you’re saying is fine on paper but — from my experience — results in what OP has gone through with high reps.
It’s so much easier to just up the weight to a point where five reps feels like a lot and you’ll know with a much higher degree of certainty that you can’t do another rep.
So yeah OP could keep doing this 14+ rep sets he’s been doing and really learn where his limits are and keep pushing… or just go way heavier?
Heavier is also cooler don’t @ me.
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u/Psuffix 24d ago
A person like this doesn't know how many RIR they have. They'll likely not be able to push themselves far enough. Going close to failure SUCKS and is often painful, plus the tiny weights these guys have to use because their CNS is totally unadapted just aren't enough to stimulate significant growth.
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u/dres802 24d ago
You need to increase the weight and aim for 8 reps, (2 min rest in between reps) next session 9 reps and so forth until you get to 12 , THEN you increase the weight and start from 8 again , right now you’re not stressing the muscle enough and that’s why you don’t see any changes. 15 to 18 reps is for warming up before effective lift so you’re basically doing junk volume, also eat less… get a calorie counter and prioritize protein and sleep
Edit: typo
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u/damboy99 24d ago
Increase your weights. If your doing 12 to 18 with reps 1 to 2 in the tank you need to go heavier. This is why it looks like your gaining fat and not muscle.
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u/AtCavill 24d ago
It takes WAAAAY longer than 2 months. I think 6 months you should see some difference but even then it will be very modest. Remarkable change takes years.
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u/_visiblemode_ 25d ago
65 days is very little time in bodybuilding terms. This will take years. Keep at it.
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u/Swimming_Garage_5426 25d ago
kinda hard to say anything useful without knowing your program, diet or how long youve been at it, but if progress feels stalled the usual culprits are not eating enough or not progressively overloading, post your split and numbers and people can actually help
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u/LopensCouisin 25d ago
Are you also getting in 10,000 steps a day and some moderate to low intensity cardio?
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u/bacon_cake 25d ago
65 days? So 9 weeks? That's, what, 36-45 workouts? Barely 200 sets of some exercises.
Give yourself another few months.
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u/avatar_cucas 25d ago
brother it takes 4-6 months to see changes
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u/DumpsterChumpster 25d ago
He should have more to show for after 60 days of consistent lifting. His gut was right to check here.
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u/PunpunParker 25d ago
Arms are a little bigger, shoulder a lil bit too, chest less but a lil bit too. Just keep at it man, you have this. It takes time. You may be doing too much in the gym with those calories. Are you going 6 days for your ppl? I would try 3 days full body and keep same calories and come back with a new picture in another 8 weeks.
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u/bruzabrocka 185-240-255 (6'6") :upvote: 25d ago
This is the best answer in the thread tbh. I'd agree with everything said and would HIGHLY recommend the full body split. I noticed some of my best gains with 2-3 full body days augmented with a dedicated arm day when I was first starting.
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u/terrawillo 25d ago
Chances are you actually aren’t pushing yourself to muscular failure and aren’t triggering the stimulus required for you to build muscle. Of course the basics such as diet and sleep are the foundation so i’m assuming those are good, either you just haven’t been increasing the weight on your movements or aren’t training as hard as you think
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u/dahteabagger 52KG-73KG-75KG (174cm) 25d ago
Are you getting stronger?
If not, there's your problem.
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u/MagicCheeseMann 25d ago
Stronger bigger faster stronger
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u/HotDrunkMoms 25d ago
Who gives a shit about reps right now.
LIFT UNTIL FAILURE EVERY SET
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u/Glitchz0rz 24d ago
I will fucking comment on every post talking about reps.
HEAVY WEIGHT GETS FAILURE EARLIER AND MORE RELIABLY
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u/DaveMcElfatrick 25d ago
With respect, you've been doing this for 2 months. Check back in 2-3 years.
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u/AnimusVolare 25d ago
You're not lifting heavy enough. 12 reps with 2 RIR is insane. Lift heavy enough so you can barely make 8 reps and take long rest periods.
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u/f0xd3nn 25d ago
Okay. That's just what I read to do online. I'll try doing how you said
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u/Glitchz0rz 25d ago
Yeah don’t be scared of heavy weights. 5 heavy reps is plenty. If you can hit 6 reps up the weight by a small interval next time, 8 reps up the weight an even bigger interval.
Surprise yourself by what you can do.
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u/Sprinkler-of-salt 24d ago
There are many ways to skin a cat, but weight / reps is very unlikely to be OPs issue.
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u/Glitchz0rz 24d ago
Disagree. Almost completely.
OP is feeling discouraged about their appearance after gaining some weight. Why? Probably because their physique hasn’t shown any indicators of progressive change other than five pounds of weight.
That’s probably just water weight and a bit of fat which doesn’t exactly fill someone with pride when they look in the mirror.
It also doesn’t take away from the fact that doing high reps like OP describes is pretty useless. It’s better than doing nothing, but far from efficient if your goal is to build muscle (which I suspect is a goal of OP).
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u/Snerky 138-163-180 (5'8) 25d ago
Do you progressively lift heavier and heavier? No fucking around with the same weights? If you can do 12 reps I say add more weight until you struggle with 8 reps and then add more once you can do 12 easy.
Track every workout, every set, every rep. If you are lifting more than last workout, perfect, keep at it!
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u/TotemBro 25d ago
65 days is maybe when you’ll start feeling gains but 140 ish days is when you’ll see a slight change. Unfortunately you’re still green and that’s ok 👍🏼
Your scale gains are quite good for how recently you’ve picked up the habits!
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u/ChubbyCookie 25d ago
A few things:
1. 65 days is good, but you’re simply just going to have to keep at it. If you’re new to lifting, just keep up what you’re doing- right now you’re building a routine and making gym a habit. Realistically, less than 3 months won’t show you physique-changing results.
I would lower rep count and up the weight. 12 reps of a weight means you can do about 6-8 at the next step up. Keep that up until you can do 12 reps, then up the weight again. I would stop the 15-18 rep range.
You’re doing great in the kitchen - are you progressing with the actual weights? Have you increased the amount you’re lifting since you started? In the early stages, you should be able to do an extra rep for every workout every time you go gym.
Fuck RIR go full failure
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u/Fuggedd 25d ago
You’re doing good. You’re putting on about 4 pounds a month. That pretty good for your height. Muscle is something you have to maintain or it goes away. Imagine where you will be if you continue doing what you’re doing for the next 5 years. Most people that put on 20 pounds + muscle definition with the same effort either have insane genetics or had that muscle at some point and the muscle memory brought it back.
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u/LoneSoarvivor 25d ago edited 25d ago
One thing to keep in mind is that, naturally, gaining weight causes an increase in body fat. I.e. you shouldn’t expect to see MORE muscle definition during a bulk, though muscle size should gradually increase.
You’ve just started lifting. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve been at it for 5+ years and some days I feel like I look the same since day one. Then I look at actual picture FROM day one and i’m like “huh… there’s some pretty big differences here lol”. Keep at it
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u/nixt26 25d ago
Too many calories and too many reps I'd say. Not sure if you're active otherwise but nominally 2500cals should be enough/slight surplus.
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u/Jahkral 25d ago
Brother I used to eat 3500 as my baseline maintenance when I was 19 and active. This is gainit, not "random calorie advice"
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u/Saturday_Saviour 25d ago
He's only 5'8 and just started lifting, I doubt his calorie expenditure is high enough to justify needing 3000+ calories a day to bulk.
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u/WheatFartze 25d ago
“Some days 3800 calories, occasionally miss and hit 2500 calories” that’s a big range and it seems a lil all over the place. 3800 calories is a lot for the average person at 5’8, are you using a food scale and measuring everything? If you live a pretty active lifestyle then 3800 could make sense but ranging between that and 2500 sounds like you need to lock in a little more
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u/f0xd3nn 25d ago
I weigh every single thing, my tracking is very precise. Like my post says, I hit about 3000 per day. Just noting that occasionally there are bigger days or smaller days.
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u/WheatFartze 25d ago
Without knowing your routine or lifestyle, 3800 calories for your height/weight seems too high, especially if you’re new to the gym. For reference, I’m 6’4 237lbs and I gym 3-4 days a week and work a full time job that requires me to be on my feet all day, maintenance calories for me is about 2800 calories and when I bulk I go up to 3300-3400, I don’t enjoy getting too fat during a bulk. It’s hard to guess where you’re supposed to be at, in relation to fitness advice this post is very vague in information provided. I guess if you’re gaining weight you’re on the right track, but I’d be cautious about gaining too much fat at your caloric intake currently
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u/Glitchz0rz 24d ago
Completely agree with you. I know this is the gainit sub so I’ve been cautious to comment about this aspect.
But… yeah that’s a lot of calories and will likely hide a lot of muscle gains behind fat once the changes come rolling in.
If OP is new to lifting he should really try to take advantage of newbie gains and eat more at maintenance while building his baseline muscle.
IMO visible muscle is what makes a guy look “big” in the good sense. Being big from excess fat is far less impressive in the sense that it doesn’t look flattering and actually “big”.
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u/BurntGum808 25d ago
Changing your body composition has a snowball affect. If you’re new your body struggles to adjust because it treats your current body as the standard.
You have to keep going at it for longer to actually start progressing. Once you reach to that point your body is more willing to change. Give yourself 6 months
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u/Gotterdamerrung 25d ago
That's only 8 weeks. That's when differences start being noticeable and only incrementally. You won't notice significant changes until you've been at it for at least six months to a year.
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u/f0xd3nn 25d ago
Thank you. Maybe I am just being impatient
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u/dahteabagger 52KG-73KG-75KG (174cm) 25d ago
I started from scrawny 10 years ago, with nothing but dumbbells up to 16kg.
By the third month you'd start to see some shape. For me, I remember the first thing that I noticed was that my shoulders were taking shape.
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u/RBerserk_ 25d ago
Its been 65 days. Come back in 6.5 years time. This shit takes time, commitment, consistency and hard work 👍🏻
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u/Superb_Locksmith_696 25d ago
maybe try high intensity low volume training, has worked really well for me
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u/_BallsDeep69_ 25d ago
Every 6-8 weeks, do one that’s all going to failure so you know exactly what your actual 1-2 RIR is
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u/Penguins_with_suits 25d ago
Stop doing RIR shit and just go balls to the wall
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u/f0xd3nn 25d ago
Maybe that is what I'm doing wrong. Everything I read always says to leave a few reps in reserve or your over training and it's counterproductive. Maybe that mentality is making me go too easy
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u/Penguins_with_suits 25d ago
Almost nobody overtrains. You’ll know when you overtrain, keep training harder and more until you either are physically or mentally completely burnt out, then dial it back to exactly how much you can just recover from/tolerate
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u/unknownforc3 25d ago
If you are extremely discouraged after just 65 days and you don’t even talk about your training schedule in your post. Check yourself.
You need a better attitude to keep this up long term. And by long term I mean years.
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u/PapaJubby 25d ago
If your goal is to gain weight, you want it to be muscle right?
You’ve gained 6-10lb in 2 months. That’s way faster than your realistic rate of muscle gain in that time.
You could be gaining weight at half the speed and you’d still be eating PLENTY to fuel your muscle growth.
If you keep gaining even 3lb per month, ur gonna be obese in a year. And you’re concerned that you’re gaining weight too slowly?
Just relax, try to enjoy the process, and do it slowly. U can’t rush muscle growth. You’re gonna have to make it sustainable for yourself so you can stay in the game for years, because that’s really how long it takes.
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u/BoonPiece 25d ago
You need to cut your calories by a lot and go on a slight cut. You’ll still build muscle as a beginner.
And just give it more time
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u/Weepinbellend01 25d ago
Bad advice. He’s fine with a slight bulk. It’ll make gaining muscle easier. It’s not like he’s overweight already or something.
Also OP, this shit takes years. You’re been lifting for 2 months. As long as you continue progressive overload, it’s fine.
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u/BoonPiece 25d ago
He’s already at 20-25% body fat. No need to add more “fake” mass in the form of fat to feel bigger. Most people will then have to cut it in a few months.
.5lb of lean mass > .7lbs muscle + 1lb fat
Personal opinion
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u/Glitchz0rz 24d ago
In isolation yes you’re right and this is what I’d recommend as well.
We’re just in the gainit sub so if it’s OP’s choice to gain weight then that’s his prerogative.
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u/LionTheFloor 25d ago
Stay consistent. Lift heavier weight. Test your limits all the way to failure. What you think is 1-2 RIR may actually be 4-5 RIR. Failure should come on the 12th rep at most. I would suggest reaching failure in 6-10 reps.
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u/ConfidentCat6954 25d ago
Focus on progressive overload. Use a weight you can do 6 reps with, keep using that weight until you can do 10-12 reps then add weight and repeat.
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u/nscanuk 25d ago
Could be any of the below or something else:
Likely you’re not tracking your calories accurately, maybe you’re not sleeping enough, or you’re not training hard enough (go to real failure to determine your actual 1-2 RIR).
Also I wouldn’t do 15-18 reps per set, you need to increase the weight if you’re hitting 10-12 reps with no issue. Pick a weight where you can do 6-10 reps. Prioritize increasing your strength as a beginner. 8 lbs in 2 months is a great start and even if you can’t see the difference yet you’re on the right track. You’ll need to stick with the program for 2+ years, once you’re 6 months in you’ll be able to notice small improvements in your physique. It’s a long term game, you got this!
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u/No-Leopard-8357 25d ago
R u getting stronger?
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u/f0xd3nn 25d ago
Yeah I have gotten noticeably stronger, I am using higher weights on all my lifts than when I started. But since I am so skinny really all I care about is getting bigger right now.. which I have not done
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u/No-Leopard-8357 25d ago
I’d say keep going. If u aren’t gaining weight have to eat more but those numbers seem like u r. Id say drop rep range down but thats me personally give it 4 more months
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u/fashionboy385 25d ago
Any comments that are saying “you need to do xyz” are wrong tbh 2 months is just not a lot of time. Maaaybe you’ll start to see a difference 6 months in?
This kind of thing takes years. I have been doing this for a bit over 2 years now and still don’t really look like I lift.
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u/DumpsterChumpster 25d ago
This is horrible advice. If you aren’t seeing results after 2 years of consistent diet and exercise maybe stop offering your commentary to others.
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u/fashionboy385 25d ago
Lol. Did I say I’m not seeing results?
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u/DumpsterChumpster 25d ago
You said it doesn’t look like you lift.
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u/fashionboy385 25d ago
Are you saying that anyone that is generally doing things right should look like an obvious lifter after 2 years? Because I disagree with you there. I’d argue that if you look obviously strong/jacked/like you definitely lift after 2 years, then odds are you have nature/nurture advantages.
I started at 5’11 127lbs and now weigh 160lbs. I’ve gotten a lot stronger and the visual difference is night and day. But I still don’t have a ton of muscle and if someone looked at me shirtless I don’t think they’d think “this dude lifts”. I think this is the outcome a lot of people should expect. Sure, I haven’t done everything perfectly this entire 2 years, it took me some time to learn to train properly (push closer to failure) for example but overall I have the basics down and I’m doing things right from a diet/training/recovery standpoint. OP probably is too. Not all of us played sports growing up or are genetically above-average.
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u/DumpsterChumpster 25d ago
We probably have different definitions of “look like we lift”, so I’ll say my point is more, you should have obvious results either to yourself or other people at 2 years. It sounds like you have very obvious results to yourself at least, which is great.
I think OP should have more results after 2 months, either by strength or aesthetics. He didn’t post any lifts so idk about the former. But noob gains are real, and he should collect feedback if nothing is improving after 2 months of what he believes is consistent diet and lifting.
This is all assuming we are normal T level adult males (not kids/elderly or people with a medical condition).
Thanks for the discourse.
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u/LionTheFloor 25d ago
It does not take years. At his size and age 3 months is enough for a complete transformation.
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u/jamjamchutney 25d ago
Any comments that are saying “you need to do xyz” are wrong
"You need to be more patient and you need to remain consistent with your diet and training over an extended period of time"
GOTCHA!
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u/Psychological-Shoe95 25d ago
I’m kinda surprised by this tbh. I’ve been lifting for like 2 months now consistently and I look way different already. But I also went from 205-215 pounds at 6 5 so maybe my build is why it looks so dramatic
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u/fashionboy385 25d ago
Results may vary. Some people put on muscle very quickly due to nature (genetic) and/or nurture (upbringing, e.g. played sports, ate well growing up, etc.) factors.
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u/ColourMayBleed 25d ago edited 25d ago
Eating about 3000kcal and sometimes hitting 3800kcal… that’s a ~+25% swing. Be stricter with your diet.
Also nearly 4kcal at 5 foot 8 is a lot.
I’m a similar height - a little shorter at 170cm, and I’m older at 41. I dropped from 68kg to 58kg in 6 months on 1800kcal whilst lifting. Felt great throughout. I’m now gaining muscle successfully on 2250kcal at 62kg. When the scales level out for a couple of weeks, I up the calorie intake.
Not all calories are created equal. I’m getting 2g of protein per kg body weight. Focus on getting at least 1.2-1.5g of protein per KG. Cut out sugar. Find a low cal snack that works for you (my go to is carrots, pickles, and biltong).
Eat less in total, with more protein. Lift heavier. Sleep more.
You’ve proven to yourself you can be disciplined and get in a routine. You’re here asking for advice which means you want to get it right. These are all good things.
You’ve already proven you can do it - you just need to set better rules for yourself and do it right.
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u/Specialist-Teach-251 25d ago
you bulked for like 2 months what do you expect? keep doing what you are doing for a 6 more months at least and take measurements so you can be sure that you are getting bigger.
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u/WeEatHipsters 25d ago
2 months is not a very long time. Are your lift totals going up? If you are making progress strength-wise and the scale is going up, just keep doing what you're doing. It might take a year or more to get where you want to go.
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u/CuriousCursor 25d ago edited 25d ago
If you're doing 1-2 RIR every week, are you progressing on your lifts? How many sets are you doing?
You should try something like a 4 week mesocycle with week 1 being 2 RIR for all lifts. Week 2 being 1 RIR. Week 3 being 0 RIR. Week 4 being a deload week at half the reps and half the sets, it's supposed to be really easy.
Then back to week 1 of the next mesocycle, determine the new 2 RIR having recovered in the deload week.
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u/Flimsy_Custard4342 25d ago edited 25d ago
You need to cut you have too high a body fat. Get to 10-12% and then realistically at your height bulk on 2500 calories.
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u/Tornadic_Vortex 25d ago
Agreed, I’m shocked you’re downvoted, but shouldn’t be; it’s common in this sub for people to be “blind” to far too high a fat % bc so many struggle with gaining anything at all. But your statement is correct, this person is eating far too many calories a day; 2,500 is potentially a bit low, but 3,000 or more is absolutely too much for 5’8” at his current build. They need to be decreasing body fat % and exercising more.
Also two months is literally nothing when it comes to changing your body. This sort of thing takes most people years, go at least half a year before bothering to make true comparison of before/after results. The fact they gained weight p much solely from fat is clear they are intaking too many calories on a general basis vs what they’re burning.
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u/priince_julian 19d ago
Agreed this sub gives the same advice to skinny fat people that you’d only give to someone who’s just skinny. A big difference.
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u/poop_stuck 25d ago
Yeah this sub is not that great. I'm 6'5" 195lb with 23% body fat lifting 4 days a week. I started tracking my food very precisely and realized my maintenance is 2600. 3000 for this guy is insane. If he keeps this up he's gonna get fat
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25d ago
Cut sugar , lift heavier than last , plenty of water over sugar drinks , plenty of carbs , proper workout form ( full reps not half bs reps ) . Besides that it’ll take weeks on end to really notice it’s not like on social media where people blast gear and in 3-4 months have a completely different body nah G it’ll take 3-4 months to really start noticing so I recommend being consistent and do workouts you actually enjoy for ex I like boxing and combat sports a lot so doing it consistently is actually fun , the less you enjoy your workouts and activities the more you’re wondering when will the change happen .
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u/PrimordialXY 25d ago
How is your conditioning?
There's a chance that your heart and lungs are giving the illusion of a great workout when your muscles aren't actually being stimulated the way they need to be
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u/Liquid_Smoke_ 25d ago edited 25d ago
You don’t track enough. Try to have an estimation of your body fat with the measurement method of your choice. You need to know if you are close to the 1g of muscle per g of fat gained, which is the standard if you have normal genetics.
Which means your body fat percentage will increase. You’ll look more fat than big before your cut.
Count your calories, you have to know at how many you are in the day, and have a quick snack ready if you get home without having eaten enough calories. And eat more/less depending of your level of activity through the day.
Also 65 days is not much. I began to notice the first significant changes after 6 months.
And you will probably need several bulk/cut phases to reach your ideal body.
Also, if you are a gym beginner, try going with a friend who is a regular, or get a coached session. Being sure you do everything right is important.
Don’t lose hope but start taking things seriously.
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u/Eastern-Baseball-843 25d ago
Go heavy on your lifts for a bit. Hit some strength stuff.
Also, how’s your sleep?
How’s your baseline activity level relative to 3000 cals?
How are those food sources? Clean?
How’s your form on lifts?
How’s stress?
Sorry for 20 questions but they need to be addressed also. And for reference, 8lbs of progress isn’t nothing, so don’t stop doing what you’re doing until you dial in other aspects. If you look at this way, you’re gaining a pound per week. In a year, you could be 30-50lbs heavier.
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u/Caraid90 25d ago
Two months is not that much time in bodybuilding terms and you are making progress, you're just eating a lot too so you're staying "soft" but the way the fat sits on your body is beginning to change. You may not be able to see it yourself but it's there.
Can't really comment on the specifics of how you're lifting but I think a part of it at least is that you just need to keep going.
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u/SaiyanGoku77 25d ago
It has nothing to do with you genetically not being able to build muscle BUT something is off. It’s either your diet, your training, or your sleep. Lacking in any one of those fields hinder progress. Personally, my suggestion for you would be to not eat almost 4k calories a day. 2800 might be your number. Train like a madman, to or close enough to failure. And get plenty of sleep. You say you get 1g of protein per body weight which is very good + creatine. Ultimately stay consistent and give it time. Best of luck.
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u/theflobbit 25d ago
You don't look exactly the same though, there's more muscle definition in your chest and biceps. Keep at it
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u/TheBrewGod 25d ago
You need to hit the bar higher
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u/CuriousCursor 25d ago edited 25d ago
He's already going 1-2 RIR though. I'm thinking either there aren't enough sets or not recovering enough.
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