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

@ladydenise226 I’m not even 3months into RR but I follow some of the advice here.

I’ve been climbing for a year before I started RR so my pull is a lot better then my push,

Currently I do:
- 3 x 8 pistol squats and will likely progress to dragon squats or begin weighted squats very soon.
  • I do 20% of my body weight for weighted pull-ups, 3 x 6
  • Hinge progression hasn’t really clicked for me because I don’t have something to lock my legs in to do Nordic curls so looking for alternatives
  • Negative Dips I struggle a lot with but I currently am doing negative dips on rings, 3 x 6
  • Full push-ups, never been great with due to tendinitis in both wrists. I am seeing progress using small Paralette Bars that are great. 3 x 8 and experimenting with moving to diamond push-ups.
  • Wide rows, 3 x 10. However, I feel that this is too easy so might move to weighted rows but I find the position very uncomfortable currently have tried 60kg weighted.
I’m a 22YOM, 6’1, 72kg, goals are to try and get a bit bigger by getting to 75kg but mostly more muscle definition. I’m a avid climber so gaining weight only makes things harder and I love cardio.
 
@ladydenise226 Look I'm no expert but it seems like two things are happening:
  1. Not enough stimulus
  2. Too much food
For background, personally I'd class myself as an athletic beginner. I have a good feeling for what my body can do in most exercise. I'm fitter than most of my friend group and I've done exercise continuously for my whole life at moderate intensity. Hope that helps you weigh up the validity of what I'm saying.

I'm surprised a little that you're not getting significant change from just those exercises. So my guess is that it's down to technique. I can push out 25+ push ups and come back for more.

However 10-12 perfect form push ups will ruin me.

I can do half the pull ups you do with perfect form.

So my guess is form because that's what drives stimulus. As for food - most people get enough of everything already so no need for additional intake. In fact, most food studies are done in a clinical setting where people are working out MAXIMALLY. Far far harder than non athletes do.
 
@ladydenise226 30 y/o here and small framed. I went from 130lbs to 152 in 2 years of a mix of body weight and weights. Some of its bulk, I have no belly fat or anything but I did something. I’m by no means an expert but it doesn’t sound like you are challenging your self. I see my self every few weeks adding more reps or weight. I do what ever work out until I’m fatigued and then keep pushing until I’m exhausted. Started light and then just pushed and pushed and keep pushing. I started noticing mass after a few months of that. That’s just my take, doesn’t sound like you are pushing your self enough at all. Either increase weight or do more reps.
 
Also I have to eat a whole lot more now as well to gain that weight and consume like 140-160 grams of protein a day, even on rest days. And I only do plant based due to medical reasons. But man, work until failure is the only way I can think. Even just doing push ups I go until I’m sweating and shaking and keep pushing lol. Could be a wrong way but it’s shown progress for me. And I started adding weights on my back and Stuff. Not 7.5lbs but I started with 10 then 25 and progressing more slowly
 
@ladydenise226 You’re not doing enough volume. I know this is a body weight fitness sub, so as someone who goes to the gym I’m not gonna be much help. But I can tell you that 3x8 of squats with 7.5lbs is not enough. I feel like I could be doing more on squats and I’m doing 3x8 with 60% of my body weight.

Getting more muscular is all about creeping right up to a number of reps of a difficult movement, to where it is hard to complete, and then hitting that over and over until it gets easy. Then increase weight or a change to a more challenging movement and repeat the process. Staying at the same weight/movement leads to stagnation.
 
@ladydenise226 One obvious red flag is that you are writing the weights and reps as a static thing.

To get stronger you need to increase one or the other on a regular basis.

Generally you increase reps until you reach about 15, then increase weight and lower reps and start over.
 
@ladydenise226 I’ll be harsh. You need to stop bullshitting yourself on diet and not working out that much. Have an emotionally compelling reason to work out i.e. health, girls, etc. Maybe you want to do a bodybuilding competition, a triathlon, power lifting, or whatever! You need to crack down on studying fitness if you want to do better. And it’s always diet. I don’t know your age but you can eat like shit at 18, train 5 days a week properly. But if I (30 M) train 3 days a week and eat healthy I will surpass you in every way. If you don’t have a goal you will never become anything.
 
@ladydenise226 You don't need more weight necessarily. You need more intensity. Take every set to failure and control every eccentric (negative). You will notice the progress more. This might make you hungrier so eat accordingly. Also start the pistol squat progression
 
@ladydenise226 In terms of diet, you should do a ballpark estimate of how much protein you are eating per day. This should be over 100 grams if you want to gain muscle efficiently.

Up to date scientific literature supports 0.7-1g protein per lb per day. The lower end of that range is fine if you are gaining weight.

In terms of training, it looks like your volume is pretty low. If I was you, I would cut the 15 mins of cardio to 5 to save time. Doing unweighted or easier variations of exercises for 1 or 2 warm up sets (not close to failure) allows you to push harder in your working sets

I would also cut the ab exercises as your core is indirectly targeted by other exercises and ab training typically functions as cardio while not producing impressive results visually. With this extra time, I think you should do more sets of back/chest/legs.

If I had to pick one, I'd do lateral raises over bicep curls, because shoulder width is aesthetically important and your biceps are already being trained when you do pull ups.

Other general advice is that each set should be hard and close to failure, focus on the muscle stretch, and that you should control the descent of each movement. E.g. if you are doing bicep curls do not let the weight fall back to your side.
 
@ladydenise226 I have seen 10x this progress in about a year… You need more weight, volume, intensity… honestly whatever you’re doing stop doing it. Its not working. Spend some time researching how to actually put on muscle and follow someone else’s program.
 
@ladydenise226 Dosing your workouts: Try to complete every set that you do until fatigue or failure, which means that you are doing as many reps as it takes to physically not be able to do another or until your form breaks down.
Progressive overload : Over time you should be able to complete more reps/sets with increasing weight or difficulty (squat to single leg squat for example) and you should continue to push yourself with every workout to achieve muscle growth.
Pick whatever workout schedule you like but make sure you are hitting all your muscle groups including chest, back, triceps/biceps, quads, glutes.
Nutrition: Try to get at least 1.5-2g of protein for every kg of your body weight
 
@ladydenise226 If you want a minimal routine that focuses on the upperbody and the muscles that can quickly change your looks, try this small calisthenic routine below.

Before the hate, it is still not an optimal routine and far from perfect with numerous ways of improving it, but I have found provides good stimulus if you train hard with intent and eat right, with enough frequency to get good at certain movements.

You'll need bands, pull up bar, weights, backpack, gym rings.

Push A (Monday, Friday)
Ring weighted decline pushup 3 sets
Ring pike push up 3 sets
Overhead banded triceps superset with lat raise 3 sets

Pull A (Tuesday, Saturday)
Pull up 3 sets
Ring weighted row 3 sets
Bicep curl superset shrugs 3 sets

Push B (Wednesday)
Ring weighted push up 3 sets
Ring weighted dips 3 sets
Overhead banded triceps superset with lat raise 3 sets

Pull B (Thursday)
Neutral grip weighted pull up 3 sets
Ring weighted face pulls 3 sets
Bicep curl superset shrugs 3 sets

Each session takes 20 mins max, progressive overload each week by reps or weight.
 
@ladydenise226 Yeah you just don’t work out enough, I’ve been at it for shy of two years and manage 4 hours a week with roughly 30x3 sets of exercises that challenge me each week. You gotta work harder for the gains ;)
Do more sets.
Add more weight regularly.
Target specific muscle groups on different days.
Add variation.
Eat protein.
 
@ladydenise226 More reps and sets. Maybe chest press the 25s and curl the 17.5s instead and go for more control/more reps. If you’re comfortable with your push-up range add more. Do more pull ups.
 
@ladydenise226 You aren’t putting in enough work. I’m glad you’ve been consistent! But you’ve needed to change and adapt more, for a while.
If you are gonna do light weight, focus on negative, eccentric phases, and HIGH reps. Add more weight. If you don’t go to the gym, do more functional training. Pick heavy stuff up, put it down.

Honestly, your ENTIRE workout could be done DAILY, with food and rest. DAILY.
Your volume needs to significantly increase. Significantly...
 
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