I have no strength at Gym

ecasperlk
ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
edited November 20 in Motivation and Support
Hi Guys!

I had been a pack a day smoker for last 14years or so and never really cared for myself before. Finally I managed to quite smoking on 17th of February, 2017 then I made my first appearance at the Gym on 1st of March, 2017. I was weighed 96kg at that time and 170cm taller.
I currently weigh about 81kg as a result of proper dieting and regular exercises at the Gym for last few months.
Still a long way to go!
My goal is to reduce body fat (I'm having a big belly to loose) as much as possible and gain some lean muscles. By the way I'm 34yrs old.
My biggest problem is that I'm very weak at the Gym. I.e. After three months into lifting, I still cannot do bench press with 10kgx2 4 sets and 5 reps each. I literally gain no muscles it seems. It really demotivates me.
Currently I'm on a diet with 1500 (55% protein, 25% carbs & 20% fat) cal per day. I noticed my weight increases about 200g per day (it was a rapid growth) soon after I increased my carb intake and overall calorie intake up to 2000 per day.
How do I gain strength and eventually muscles without gaining much fat?
Does it sound like I'm running low testosterone?

Any help would be highly appreciated!!

Cheers!

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Are you using a lifting program or just doing whatever lifts you feel like doing that day?

    If you aren't using a program, I suggest you do. Stronglifts 5X5 is an awesome beginner program. Here's a whole list of programs to choose from.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    Thanks for your reply!

    I'm currently following a split schedule. I.e. I focus one or two muscles group each day. Doing 15-8 reps and 3-4 sets depending on the exercise.

    I will have a look at the link that you shared.
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Are you using a lifting program or just doing whatever lifts you feel like doing that day?

    If you aren't using a program, I suggest you do. Stronglifts 5X5 is an awesome beginner program. Here's a whole list of programs to choose from.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    This. And you aren't going to gain muscle on 1500 calories.

    Thanks but I don't want to gain fat either. What do you suggest? What my options are?
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
    Might be a good idea to get your testosterone checked. Do you take any supplements? I'm currently losing fat (very slowly) and gaining muscle doing 5:2 fasting - I find training the day after fasting really difficult so I take BCAAs, works really well for me.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    ecasperlk wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Are you using a lifting program or just doing whatever lifts you feel like doing that day?

    If you aren't using a program, I suggest you do. Stronglifts 5X5 is an awesome beginner program. Here's a whole list of programs to choose from.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    This. And you aren't going to gain muscle on 1500 calories.

    Thanks but I don't want to gain fat either. What do you suggest? What my options are?

    Continue losing weight, but start on a full-body, progressive lifting program. Even if you won't be gaining muscle, you'll be working to maintain what you have.
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    As well as these suggestions, having a trainer a check your technique/form can make a huge difference.

    Also, as my first coach told me, don't be afraid to increase weight in tiny increments. Small progress is still progress.
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    kimothy38 wrote: »
    Might be a good idea to get your testosterone checked. Do you take any supplements? I'm currently losing fat (very slowly) and gaining muscle doing 5:2 fasting - I find training the day after fasting really difficult so I take BCAAs, works really well for me.

    Thank you for your valuable information! What do mean by 5:2 fasting? I have been using a Whey isolate. This is the first time that I heard about BCAA and I will definitely try it out.
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    lizery wrote: »
    As well as these suggestions, having a trainer a check your technique/form can make a huge difference.

    Also, as my first coach told me, don't be afraid to increase weight in tiny increments. Small progress is still progress.

    Thanks, I see a progress on other areas but I'm always struggling with bench press, triceps and biceps. Yes, I need to check my foam and I'm not happy about it too.

  • tiffaninghs
    tiffaninghs Posts: 200 Member
    could u have copd from being a smoker? chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.. causes fatigue and the inability to exercise
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    With your stats you should be losing about 0.5kg pre week on about 2150 cals.

    So, maybe the reason that felt weak in the gym was the 1500 diet?

    When you upped your intake to 2000 you saw a weigh gain but this was not fat but probably increased food in your gut and increased water retention because of the increase in carbs. I note that you carbohydrate intake is pretty low (25% @ 1500 is going to be less than 100g carbs - not an issue in itself but some people would struggle on this figure) have a play about with your macro ratios to find what works for you.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    As a 5'6" woman I lose weight on 1500 calories, which would suggest it is way too low for a man. As above, up to 2000 calories and maybe tweak your macros. Also, rather than using the scale use the tape measure - but you will need to be strategic as you are also trying to increase muscle. As I worked out more once I'd reached my goal, I actually put on a couple of pounds although still lost inches because muscle is more dense than fat - 1lb is still 1lb, but takes up less room on your body!
  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
    163cm girl, maintaining on 1,900-2,000, lifting 3x a week.
    As others have said, 1,500 just sounds way too low. Try bumping to closer to 2,000 and also don't be afraid of carbs!
    While you definitely need plenty of protein to build or maintain lean muscle, carbs are what your body mainly uses as fuel during workouts. If you're too restricted, you may well not be able to train as hard as you want.
    Increased carbs may mean you retain more water weight, but I personally think it's worth the trade off to fuel your body effectively.

    Also, don't worry too much about your weights. Can you press with 8kg dumbells? Can you do 9kg? Just start with what you can do, and work up. It'll come.
    There's nothing that says you have to be equally strong across your whole body. Maybe your squats and deadlifts are awesome? I'm the other way round - my bench press is decent, but my legs are puny as all heck, with improvements coming sooooo sloooowly.

    A more formal sort of lifting programme is probably a good idea, to make sure you're hitting all the major muscle groups, and a couple of sessions with a trainer can be important to check form. I'd recommend finding one that has a strength and conditioning qualification, and who takes time to listen to what you want to achieve rather than just hustling you round lots of different machines.

    Good luck!
  • LeeAnn254
    LeeAnn254 Posts: 35 Member
    Congrats on cutting out the cigs!!
  • EastLAhomie
    EastLAhomie Posts: 5 Member
    You really need to see a doctor and get a blood/chemical panel done. That along with a complete physical to know exactly what's going on with your body. Congrats on quitting smoking, I'm sure all those years of smoking caused some issues but your correcting it so that's a plus. My t level was really low and now I'm getting testosterone injections. My strength and gains/recovery has greatly improved.
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    tiffaninghs wrote: »
    could u have copd from being a smoker? chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.. causes fatigue and the inability to exercise

    Thanks! I do have a short breath due to smoking but I don't think I'm having COPD. But it's worth checking though.
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    StealthHealth wrote: »
    With your stats you should be losing about 0.5kg pre week on about 2150 cals.

    So, maybe the reason that felt weak in the gym was the 1500 diet?

    When you upped your intake to 2000 you saw a weigh gain but this was not fat but probably increased food in your gut and increased water retention because of the increase in carbs. I note that you carbohydrate intake is pretty low (25% @ 1500 is going to be less than 100g carbs - not an issue in itself but some people would struggle on this figure) have a play about with your macro ratios to find what works for you.

    I bumped my cals intake to 2200 and carbs intake to 30%. So far I gained about 1.4kg in three days or so. But as you mentioned it could be the extra water retention. I have also started taking a BCAA. I managed to squat with 25kgx2 and 22kg bar today. It was a huge improvement from 10kgx2 before.
    Tomorrow will be my chest day and I'm excited to see the results.
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    mazdauk wrote: »
    As a 5'6" woman I lose weight on 1500 calories, which would suggest it is way too low for a man. As above, up to 2000 calories and maybe tweak your macros. Also, rather than using the scale use the tape measure - but you will need to be strategic as you are also trying to increase muscle. As I worked out more once I'd reached my goal, I actually put on a couple of pounds although still lost inches because muscle is more dense than fat - 1lb is still 1lb, but takes up less room on your body!

    Thanks! I have already bumped my cals intake and I will keep posted on the progress.
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    cs2thecox wrote: »
    163cm girl, maintaining on 1,900-2,000, lifting 3x a week.
    As others have said, 1,500 just sounds way too low. Try bumping to closer to 2,000 and also don't be afraid of carbs!
    While you definitely need plenty of protein to build or maintain lean muscle, carbs are what your body mainly uses as fuel during workouts. If you're too restricted, you may well not be able to train as hard as you want.
    Increased carbs may mean you retain more water weight, but I personally think it's worth the trade off to fuel your body effectively.

    Also, don't worry too much about your weights. Can you press with 8kg dumbells? Can you do 9kg? Just start with what you can do, and work up. It'll come.
    There's nothing that says you have to be equally strong across your whole body. Maybe your squats and deadlifts are awesome? I'm the other way round - my bench press is decent, but my legs are puny as all heck, with improvements coming sooooo sloooowly.

    A more formal sort of lifting programme is probably a good idea, to make sure you're hitting all the major muscle groups, and a couple of sessions with a trainer can be important to check form. I'd recommend finding one that has a strength and conditioning qualification, and who takes time to listen to what you want to achieve rather than just hustling you round lots of different machines.

    Good luck!

    Thanks a lot for your time and thoughts. Even though I'm having chicken legs, my squats and deadlifts are acceptable. They can lift 60kg without a much hassle now.

    As I already mentioned on my previous replies, I increased my carbs intake and overall cal intake. Honestly I'm afraid of carbs as my body reacts quickly for carbs but I was in a position where I had no better option but to increase my carbs intake. So I will keep posted on the progress.
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    LeeAnn254 wrote: »
    Congrats on cutting out the cigs!!

    Thanks!
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    EastLAhomie wrote: »
    You really need to see a doctor and get a blood/chemical panel done. That along with a complete physical to know exactly what's going on with your body. Congrats on quitting smoking, I'm sure all those years of smoking caused some issues but your correcting it so that's a plus. My t level was really low and now I'm getting testosterone injections. My strength and gains/recovery has greatly improved.

    Thanks! I also do believe that I need to get it checked but it can wait on the wishlist for a while at the moment. Are those dietary t pills going to do any good?
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    ecasperlk wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Are you using a lifting program or just doing whatever lifts you feel like doing that day?

    If you aren't using a program, I suggest you do. Stronglifts 5X5 is an awesome beginner program. Here's a whole list of programs to choose from.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    This. And you aren't going to gain muscle on 1500 calories.

    Thanks but I don't want to gain fat either. What do you suggest? What my options are?

    1 hour of serious lifting (where you end up shaking by the end of each exercise, and sometimes end up going to complete failure) burns about 1000 calories! If you're only consuming around 1500-2000 calories a day, you simply do not have enough fuel to build muscle. You need to eat more! And you need to eat good food, lean protiens, complex carbs and fresh veggies.
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    BabyBear76 wrote: »
    ecasperlk wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Are you using a lifting program or just doing whatever lifts you feel like doing that day?

    If you aren't using a program, I suggest you do. Stronglifts 5X5 is an awesome beginner program. Here's a whole list of programs to choose from.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    This. And you aren't going to gain muscle on 1500 calories.

    Thanks but I don't want to gain fat either. What do you suggest? What my options are?

    1 hour of serious lifting (where you end up shaking by the end of each exercise, and sometimes end up going to complete failure) burns about 1000 calories! If you're only consuming around 1500-2000 calories a day, you simply do not have enough fuel to build muscle. You need to eat more! And you need to eat good food, lean protiens, complex carbs and fresh veggies.

    After listening to many of yours advices, I realized that I need to increase my daily calorie intake. I'm still waiting to see the new result of my bench press performance later in the day today. Thanks!
  • ecasperlk
    ecasperlk Posts: 21 Member
    After bumping my daily calorie intake, today was the first day I did bench press. Unfortunately I still don't see a progress. I couldn't press 10kgx2 with 6 reps for 4 set.
    I'm not sure if it was something internal that causes the weakness. I had a shoulder cartilage problem 12yrs ago.
    What else I can think of?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I am a woman and I also have weak little girly arms. Strength comes from progressing from where you are. Has there been any improvement from where you started?

    Also consider that some health improvements take up to eight months to show up after quitting smoking.

    http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Benefits_Time_Table.html

    Legs are naturally stronger as they hold up your body all day. Those thigh muscles are big for a reason!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CnBmiBqp-AI
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    ecasperlk wrote: »
    After bumping my daily calorie intake, today was the first day I did bench press. Unfortunately I still don't see a progress. I couldn't press 10kgx2 with 6 reps for 4 set.
    I'm not sure if it was something internal that causes the weakness. I had a shoulder cartilage problem 12yrs ago.
    What else I can think of?

    I've got one bad shoulder and my bench presses are terrible. Someone suggested incline press as being easier on the shoulders and it does seem to be helping - my bad shoulder feels overall stronger after a month. How do you feel when you fail? When I fail because of my shoulder I can definitely tell, I can feel that one side is collapsing and that my shoulder is the problem.
  • Polo265
    Polo265 Posts: 287 Member
    edited August 2017
    A few years ago I had a personal trainer with the goal of increasing muscle. At the time I was about 61-62 years old and weighed about 130 lbs. Much of those 130 lbs was fat. Anyway, my personal trainer informed that there were stages in increasing muscle. The first stage was creating muscle fibers. That involved a sufficient weight to induce fatigue at about 15 reps. The second stage was enough weight to induce fatigue from 8-10 reps. The 3rd stage was finally a heavy weight with only 4-6 reps to fatigue. My opinion (and I'm no expert) is that if you're lifting to failure, no matter what the weight, you will progress in strength and muscle.

    PS - I'm female
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