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dpr73
Posts: 495 Member
So this is my third attempt at a bulk and I am getting sick of failing. I put everything I have into workouts and I see a slow weight increase (137 at end of August and now 142). But my chest is hardly having any gains if any at all. I have slow increases in other muscles (legs specifically) but thats about it. I work really hard to hit 2650-2750 calories a day (5'8.5 male at 21 years old, walk about 4-5 miles a day avg). But never go over and pretty much never go below 2650 cals. Every so often on the weekends I get a meal out and so I estimate my calories that day but every other day I am right on. Also my measurements weirdly are not increasing much at all...very small as well...
When I started counting I realized that I may have been undereating for a while, so maybe the weight increase is my muscles rebounding from deficit? But then again my weight gain has been consistently slow over the pass few months...i never just shot up to 142 after a week or two.
I know some say if I am not seeing huge lifting gains that I should just eat more, but my problem is I am seeing small weight increases but my lifts are increasing very VERY VERY slowly. Am I doing things right? Is my surplus too small? I just don't want to waste my muscle building potential given that I am young, but I don't want to get fat and out of shape (I don't mind gaining fat, but I dont think EXCESS fat is healthy or necessary).
Any tips?
When I started counting I realized that I may have been undereating for a while, so maybe the weight increase is my muscles rebounding from deficit? But then again my weight gain has been consistently slow over the pass few months...i never just shot up to 142 after a week or two.
I know some say if I am not seeing huge lifting gains that I should just eat more, but my problem is I am seeing small weight increases but my lifts are increasing very VERY VERY slowly. Am I doing things right? Is my surplus too small? I just don't want to waste my muscle building potential given that I am young, but I don't want to get fat and out of shape (I don't mind gaining fat, but I dont think EXCESS fat is healthy or necessary).
Any tips?
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Replies
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Yeah sounds like you're not in a big enough deficit to see any proper gains. Add another 150-200 cals per day and see how you get on in 4-6 weeks.
Which lifting programme are you following?0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Yeah sounds like you're not in a big enough deficit to see any proper gains. Add another 150-200 cals per day and see how you get on in 4-6 weeks.
Which lifting programme are you following?
Shortcut to Size from Bodybuilding.com on the fifth day I do ab work and HIIT as well. Also, is the small weight gain that I have experienced likely muscle just a very small amount? Or is it more likely food and water weight etc...? The weight gain has been weekly0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Yeah sounds like you're not in a big enough deficit to see any proper gains. Add another 150-200 cals per day and see how you get on in 4-6 weeks.
Which lifting programme are you following?
Shortcut to Size from Bodybuilding.com on the fifth day I do ab work and HIIT as well. Also, is the small weight gain that I have experienced likely muscle just a very small amount? Or is it more likely food and water weight etc...? The weight gain has been weekly
How much have you gained?
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TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Yeah sounds like you're not in a big enough deficit to see any proper gains. Add another 150-200 cals per day and see how you get on in 4-6 weeks.
Which lifting programme are you following?
Shortcut to Size from Bodybuilding.com on the fifth day I do ab work and HIIT as well. Also, is the small weight gain that I have experienced likely muscle just a very small amount? Or is it more likely food and water weight etc...? The weight gain has been weekly
How much have you gained?
I started fluctuating around 135-138ish at the end of August. Now I am fluctuating around at 141-142.0 -
So 3-4 pounds in 3 months? Some of that may well be muscle. It's up to you if you want to carry on at that rate, or eat more to gain more quickly, knowing you'll need to cut at the end of it.0
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newbie3122 wrote: »
And why is that?0 -
Very high reps in that routine,maybe drop the walking and get on 5 sets of 5 stronglift routine.
https://stronglifts.com/5x5/1 -
Hire a trainer!
Do you have any nutritional deficiencies?
Read articles by Brad Schoenfeld and be flexible!
The trick is to eat above your maintenance weekly and shoot for 1/4lb gains to minimize fat accumulation.
Get to 15% BF drop to maintenance and add hiit to reduce body fat down.
Get to 10% bulk again....
Progressive overload is key.
If you want a great program check out PHAT or hire a coach.
As a side note, I eat around 2600kcal a day at 140lbs to maintain my weight.
Doesn't look like you're eating enough.
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It will be hard to progress with that kind of rep scheme/microcycle. Even the basic Starting Strength will get you better results. It is my advice to my friends to avoid all featured programs on bodybuilding dot com, especially the ones with the word "shortcut" in it.
And why is that?
As a beginner, you need a solid/proven to work program, such as: Starting Strength, Stronglift 5x5 as someone mentioned, a good upper/lower split etc. After that, the last 4 components for growth come into play:
1. Caloric surplus
2. Progressively overload/ Consistency
3. Effort with form
4. Rest
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Two big things:
1: Muscle gains are typically slow. Not turtle-paced, necessarily, but you won't get big in just a couple of months.
2: It doesn't sound like you're eating enough. 2650-ish, for a 21 yo male, 5'8", walking 4-5 miles a day? I'd think 3000+.
Also, Shortcut to Size is not very good, IMO. It's listed as an intermediate program, but I'd say it's more appropriate for an advanced bodybuilder that doesn't want or know how to make his/her own program.
And what newbie posted above.0 -
Well I've been lifting for 4 years consistently now (no breaks) I just am a FFB so I have never successfully bulked. I have been squatting deadlifting etc for years now. So would 5x5 still be for me?
Also I thought you wanted high rep for hypertrophy and low rep for strength?0 -
Well I've been lifting for 4 years consistently now (no breaks) I just am a FFB so I have never successfully bulked. I have been squatting deadlifting etc for years now. So would 5x5 still be for me?
Also I thought you wanted high rep for hypertrophy and low rep for strength?
PHAT
Google it!1 -
Helloitsdan wrote: »Well I've been lifting for 4 years consistently now (no breaks) I just am a FFB so I have never successfully bulked. I have been squatting deadlifting etc for years now. So would 5x5 still be for me?
Also I thought you wanted high rep for hypertrophy and low rep for strength?
PHAT
Google it!
Love PHAT!1 -
Well I've been lifting for 4 years consistently now (no breaks) I just am a FFB so I have never successfully bulked. I have been squatting deadlifting etc for years now. So would 5x5 still be for me?
Also I thought you wanted high rep for hypertrophy and low rep for strength?
Given that you are gaining weight slowly, I'm inclined to believe the main issue is training related or perception of progress.
At a glance I don't like that program you're on due to low frequency. If you goal is to grow your chest you should be training your chest more often than once per week.
One great program that isn't mentioned as often in the forums is Lyle's GBR (Generic Bulking Routine), you could check that out and consider giving that a run. You may want to browse his forums or see if JC Dean still has his write-up of the program since it should cover progression schemes.
Ultimately though, your main lifts should be increasing over weeks/months, and you should be training muscle groups at least twice per week each with adequate total volume. Lyle's program does that, other programs do that, the one you're on doesn't appear to.1 -
What are your 5rm stats?I have been squatting deadlifting etc for years now. So would 5x5 still be for me?
Also I thought you wanted high rep for hypertrophy and low rep for strength?
And also:
Myth:
High rep= 10 mass, 1 strength; low rep= 10 strength, 1 mass
Truth:
High rep= 10 mass, 9 strength; low rep= 10 strength, 9 mass
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newbie3122 wrote: »
What are your 5rm stats?I have been squatting deadlifting etc for years now. So would 5x5 still be for me?
Also I thought you wanted high rep for hypertrophy and low rep for strength?
And also:
Myth:
High rep= 10 mass, 1 strength; low rep= 10 strength, 1 mass
Truth:
High rep= 10 mass, 9 strength; low rep= 10 strength, 9 mass
5rm iirc is around 145 Bench 215 squat and I would assume 205 dl but it's been a bit since I've tested them due to the high reps0 -
Yes 5x5 can definitely work for you. I have a friend squatting 335 on he's still on it.
If you want to start 5x5, download the spreadsheet, then plug in your stats. Make sure you start low. Starting at your actual 5rm right now might stall you quickly, which is not good.
Add me if you decide to commit to it. I can do form checks and monitor your progress.0
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