Thin Guy Looking To Gain Muscle

Just in this above thread alone, there's a lot of varying information and it can get a bit overwhelming trying to figure it all out.

Welcome to paralysis by analysis.

Another way to increase intensity without reps increasing and potentially moving towards a cardio workout level - go slow.

You slow it down, increase Time Under Tension, and you may need to back off the reps actually.

https://youtu.be/h63JTsVdntw

Also pay attention to a workout being for strength or muscle gain (hypertrophy). Usually more volume for gain, so rep increase not too bad.

That video gives good compare - which body type - Jesse or Jeff?

Blue1516 wrote: »

heybales wrote: »

That video gives good compare - which body type - Jesse or Jeff?

If you're asking me definitely closer to Jesse!

You stated a goal landing in moderate section - so if that is Jesse that shouldn't be a hard goal at all.

It’s definitely easy to get bogged down in the minutiae trying to figure out what’s optimal. IMO, consistency is the biggest key, this is what 6 years of lifting and giving a hoot about nutrition did for me.



I’m about 6 lbs heavier on the right but a whole lot leaner and stronger than when I started (18% to 11% BF if my metrics are valid).

Of course, just showing up isn’t everything and that might not look all that impressive for six years but I feel way healthier, stronger, and more comfortable in my own skin at 32 than ever before.

Blue1516 wrote: »

steveko89 wrote: »

It’s definitely easy to get bogged down in the minutiae trying to figure out what’s optimal. IMO, consistency is the biggest key, this is what 6 years of lifting and giving a hoot about nutrition did for me.

Of course, just showing up isn’t everything and that might not look all that impressive for six years but I feel way healthier, stronger, and more comfortable in my own skin at 32 than ever before.

That's very impressive progression! Are you working out in the gym or at home?

At home exclusively, though with a thoroughly outfitted home gym. I did a bunch of random p90x-type workouts with adjustable dumbbells and a cheap Amazon bench 2012-mid-2015. Bought my first barbell/plates July of ‘15 and got serious about adding muscle and strength (concurrent to first picture). I’m fortunate to have pretty adequate space and funds to allocate to whatever I really want/need equipment-wise.

Here’s a gif from a recent bench PR to give you and idea. Not pictured is an incline bench, pulley tower, dumbbells, treadmill, and rower.

Here’s a decent idea what the overall progression looked like. I’m not the best at taking pictures consistently.



Top:
dates - 7/6/2015, 9/21/2015, 10/4/2016
Weights/BF% - 168/18%, 177/17.5%, 174/16%
Bottom:
Dates - 9/14/2018, 8/1/2020, 6/16/2021
Weights/BF% - 179/13%, 173/12%, 174/11%

So the biggest jump was in those first three months of barbell training. I tried some different things but primarily trained full body 3x/week. Probably gained weight a little too quickly. November-December 2016 I was having some lower back pain and was diagnosed with lumbar facet arthritis. Being self-taught on form, every cue I saw talked about avoiding rounding the upper back on deadlifts but didn’t caution against hyperextending the lower back. Took a month off lifting entirely and pain went away. I now DL with better form and manage my volume more appropriately so no issues there. 2017 was interesting for a variety of reasons. Coming off the back injury I eased into things to start the year and spun my wheels trying to get leaner while eating way too much listening to a HR monitor and eating back all my exercise calories. I maintained just under 180 until July, then switched to a TDEE approach to setting my calories and started to drop weight really successfully down to a low of 170 in 4/2018. However, I had a pretty severe pec strain or maybe even a partial tear in the late fall of 2017 which put my bench progress back for a good while and was frustrating to rehab from. I’m also an idiot and never saw any medical professional about it.. don’t do that. 2018 was also pretty interesting in that my wife had our first child in December of 2018 so a lot of late 2018 and most of 2019 was spent just treading water on less than ideal sleep and nutrition. 2020 similarly saw me start the year unhappy with my body composition in the high 170s. I was privileged to be able to both work and workout from home without interruption through the teeth of covid lockdowns and probably had my best stretch of training over the past 18 months or so. I hit a bench PR (300lbs) in April, matched a lifetime DL PR (400) in May and have improved my hip and ankle mobility to better my squat depth and overall movement mechanics. I also started listening to the RP strength podcast and reading their free resources on their website. Subsequently, I’ve implemented things they suggest in training and diet and have found improvements in both. I’d also highly recommend following Squat University on Instagram and/or checking out their website for a ton of good movement, mobility, rehab/prehab stuff.

Aside from the measurable and visual progress, my mental health is immensely better. I’m sure some of it comes with age (going from 26-32) but lifting and fitness has really become a cornerstone activity for me. Lifting first thing in the morning has become almost spiritual and helps center me for the day ahead. I find I’m more confident, resilient, and mentally tougher. Having battled with imposter syndrome and anxiety in the past, these are all welcomed improvements and have helped my personal and professional relationships thrive.

An average guy who is a beginner can gain up to 1-2 lbs of muscle in a month, depending on various factors. Keep in mind that visually there are two methods for better visualization of muscles: from more muscle or lose the fact that covers it. If you want objective progress you can measure, I think tracking the amount you lift is a good measure.

Blue1516 wrote: »

richardgavel wrote: »

An average guy who is a beginner can gain up to 1-2 lbs of muscle in a month, depending on various factors. Keep in mind that visually there are two methods for better visualization of muscles: from more muscle or lose the fact that covers it. If you want objective progress you can measure, I think tracking the amount you lift is a good measure.

I'm still at the exact same weight as when I started this tread in June of this year and I just measured my bicep right now and it's actually the same as in June but smaller than April. I don't know how that's possible because I can see and feel that it is different and I can do more with weights than I could back then.

This is so frustrating!! I feel like I'm just wasting time on this for zero results.

At least some of it is a result of neuromuscular adaptation, which happens initially. Basically, your nervous system is learning to more thoroughly engage your muscle fibers when performing a lift.