[29M] Been training since 2021, not seeing much progress. Please help?

[ladydenise226]

I've been on a journey to get a muscular body, and it's been quite a ride. Back in 2021, I dipped my toes into the world of fitness as a skinny newbie. I remember stumbling upon the suggested bodyweight routine, and that's where it all began. Fast forward a couple of years, and I've gradually incorporated weights into my regimen, changing my workouts along the way.

Progress picture:

https://imgur.com/a/9Hs94jk

These days, I'm training on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. I have the following routine:

• 15 minutes of cardio
• Pull Ups w/ 7.5lb weights, 3 x 8 (Wed and Sun)
  • OR Dips w/ 7.5lb weights 3 x 8 (Fri)
• Squats w/ 7.5lb weights, 3 x 16
• Decline Push Ups, 3 x 14 (Wed and Sun)
  • OR Floor Chest Press w/ 17.5lb dumbbells (Fri)
• Bicep Curls w/ 25lb dumbbells
• Core rotation (bicycle crunches x2, lying leg raises x2, captain's Chair hanging leg raise x2)

One thing I've come to love about my routine is its versatility. By blending bodyweight exercises with weighted training, I've found a balance that works perfectly for me, from the safety of my house and without spending thousands on equipment.

I began my journey weighing in at 105 lbs and I'm at 125 lbs. Progress has felt (and continues to feel) slow, and looking back at those early progress pictures, it's clear that the changes weren't as visible as I'd hoped. I realize now that part of the reason might have been my diet - maybe I wasn't eating enough.

In October 2023, I decided to bulk up and EAT MORE. I started eating a PB&J sandwich every night, along with adding an avocado to my lunch. Then, I added a scoop of protein powder every time I exercise. Fast forward to now, and in the 2024 progress picture, you can see a small noticeable difference in my body size.

Yet, despite the progress, I find myself at a crossroads, wondering what my next steps should be. What's the best path forward to continue getting to my dream body?

 

[chuckchappell22]

@ladydenise226 Tbh man you’re just not working out that hard for your level of musculature, so you’re providing enough stress to not lose the muscle you have, but not enough stress to build more muscle. More protein isn’t going to change that. Lifting more (and doing harder body weight exercises) would.

 

[ungliovert]

@chuckchappell22 Yeah man, you’re not lifting any weight. Increase your weights.

 

[dawn16]

@chuckchappell22 Stack on those weights for squat and you will see a huge difference in no time.

 

[carlamwilkinson]

@chuckchappell22 Yeh that is less than my daily routine except I do legs only on days off from work and I do 6 days a week one day rest.

 

[abbalovesyou]

@ladydenise226 More weight, more sets, progressively add weight, eat a lot of protein, sleep.

 

[kymom1970]

@abbalovesyou Bicep curls with 25 lbs but only 7.5 on squats is what threw me

 

[werik]

@abbalovesyou Eat a lot of carbs and enough protein.

 

[abbalovesyou]

@werik A lot of carbs is useful if you’re working hard more than 3 days a week. OPs workout is not hard work in my opinion. Also it depends on the source of the carbs. The PB&J sandwich for example is not great at night. I would swap that for a hit of protein before bed. Just my thoughts based on my journey. I certainly don’t have a perfect body but I can stack muscle on over time if I work hard and eat right.

 

[werik]

@abbalovesyou Word intensity definitely matters. I work blue collar and hit the gym 6 days a week. I feel like I am constantly smashing pasta. It definitely affects my lifts but I am using those calories. Agree with you on the bedtime protein bit. Tall glass of milk is my go to for the casein.

 

[curiousaboutworship]

@ladydenise226 Are you progressively adding more weight to ur lifting? If you just stay at the same weight you’ll plateau

 

[ladydenise226]

@curiousaboutworship During the first two years of my training journey, I stuck to the bodyweight recommended routine, and my progressions as advised in the routine. However, despite my consistent efforts, I didn't see much progress.

As a result, I decided to add weights into my regimen over the past year. Beginning with 15lb weights for curls, I gradually increased the load to 25lbs. I wanted to get guidance on the optimal frequency for further increments in weight?

 

[theworstsinner14]

@ladydenise226 There’s lots of research you can do on progressive overload to help you advance further, but this is the basic idea:

For each exercise, start off with your baseline (3x8 body weight for example). Once you can do that without failing, add one or two reps to each set for your next workout. Keep adding reps each workout until you’re doing 3x12.

Next workout, drop down to 3x6 but add weight - could be 5 lbs, whatever works so that you can complete the 3x6 without failing. Then do the same thing, keeping the weight the same but adding reps each workout until you’re back up to 3x12. Add another 5 lbs at 3x6 and do it again.

If it’s a purely body weight exercise, add intensity with an alternate exercises that will stimulate the muscle differently and progress in reps that way.

Could also be worth visiting a dietitian to figure out how much you’re actually eating in a day/week, and if that’s supporting or hindering your goals. Research dietary macros and how that balance can affect your results.

Unfortunately, the routine you have listed above is still very much that of a beginner, and as others have said, with such low volume it’s not surprising you haven’t seen the progress you’re looking for.

Stick with it, don’t get too discouraged, and put in a lot more research and honestly trial and error to find what works for you.

 

[mytruth73]

@theworstsinner14 OP listen to this advice

 

[vvshinedownvv]

@ladydenise226 You should’ve progressed beyond 3 sets of 8 within the first two months

That’s barely any volume at all

 

[ladydenise226]

@vvshinedownvv I'm a bit unsure about how much volume I should be doing, and I'm not quite sure when I should add more sets to my routine. Also, I'm hoping to keep my workouts to less than 1.5 hours each if that's doable.

 

[vvshinedownvv]

@ladydenise226 I mean there’s no hard fast rule, but I highly doubt you’re getting anywhere close to being tired from any of the calisthenics you’re doing

3 sets of 14 pushups is crazy low (decline or not) considering you’re 3 years in

 

[yahwahistheway]

@vvshinedownvv It’s a warmup

 

[strivax]

@ladydenise226 3x14 push ups is really really low bro, if you wanna gain something you need to at least get tired doing your routine. I remember going from barely being able to do a single push up to 3x25 in 4 months. And my routine was a full body workout 3-5 days a week.

 

[jiglow]

@ladydenise226 I can tell you right now, without knowing how much weight you are lifting and how many reps, it's not enough.

What you need to focus on is intensity. Do 4 sets of an exercise, with the first set at about 50% effort. You're just warming up that muscle group.

Now you're warm and have 3 sets to go. Intensity/effort should be something like: 70%/80%/90% of your 1 rep max for the remaining sets. If you have a little more gas in the tank, do another set. Or do a drop set. Lower the weights back down until you can't lift your arms.

Do this, with strict form, for every muscle group, and you WILL see results.