Feeling Stuck. What's wrong?

[robingood]

32 M | 191lbs (86kg) | 5'10" (177cm)

Goal: body recomposition

I've been off and on over the past few years due to not seeing significant muscle growth and experiencing plateaus.

Initially I started at 232lbs in mid 2019 and saw significant changes until mid 2020 while following fierce 5. Strength increased during this phase. I dropped down to 205lbs. I wasn't tracking calories or macros I simply ate less carbs and IF.

Late 2020-present day I've run different programs (full body, ppl, UL, bro splits). I began tracking calories and saw weight reduce to 183lbs. Met with a registered dietitian who shared protein should only be at 89g for my specific needs. I tried that and basically stalled. Strength increased at a snails pace.

Currently trying again with macros set to: 202 P | 270 C | 90 F

I'm tired of feeling like I'm wasting time and/or not being as efficient with my efforts as I'd Iike to. It's a bit demoralizing to try hard and not see results.

Any pointers would be extremely appreciated.

 

[blueskye30]

@robingood If you used up your newbie gains, then went into an extended cut then it isn't super surprising that you didn't make huge gains during that period of time. Further, if you kept changing up your regime and routine, you might have fallen prey to being too focused on the program rather than the effort and having technique down. There could be a chance you are getting hyper focused on finding the right program and nutrition to fit your needs, such that you are burning yourself out thinking about optimization.

Maybe take a step back, find a consistent routine and stick with that for 6-12 months. Focus on training 0-3 Reps to failure in a moderate rep range, with volume of at least 10-20 working sets per muscle group a week. Stick with a protein macro goal, but try not to hyper fixate on the rest, and eat to maintenance at least. If you can keep things simple and reduce variables, you have less to stress about. Try to focus less on optimization, and focus more on consistency and effort - the rest will come with time.

 

[robingood]

@blueskye30 Thank you for taking the time to respond. The newbie gain explanation makes sense. I lost a ton of weight and did end with some form of body recomposition.

I will try to take a step back and just keep it simple and see where that takes me.

 

[trumpeter2]

@robingood Doing a cut and peaking are 2 different things. After a cut you need about 2 months to fully realize the muscle gains you made while hiding them under fat.

 

[smm]

@robingood

I tried that and basically stalled.

Well, then, stop following their advice.

Currently trying again

How long you been on your current program? Macros look good if you want to bulk or maintain.

Be advised that for some people (like me), recomp is always much, much slower than bulk / cut.

You might want to consider cutting hard and then bulking up.

 

[robingood]

@smm Makes sense. I was hesitant to stop following their advice as I've heard muscle growth can be painfully slow. I was unsure how much was due to the protein goal vs common experiences w/muscle growth.

Just started 3 day full body last week.

 

[smm]

@robingood be advised that 3 days a week can get you growth results (if your goal is growth), but more days a week will get you more growth.

 

[robingood]

@smm Would it be overkill to run a consecutive 6 day PPL followed with an active recovery day (bicycling)?

 

[smm]

@robingood generally speaking, no. lot's of people do that. (including me.)

but the only way to know for sure is to try it yourself.

there's a reason 6-day PPL split is so popular; it's free, it's simple, and it works.

give it a shot.

Plan on doing it for 6-8 weeks at a time, then taking a break, then going back in.

 

[robingood]

@smm Thank you for help my friend.

 

[pejay60]

@smm Great advice, I just wouldn’t bike on your day off, because if you’re highly motivated, it will soon turn into a high-paced workout. That won’t allow for nervous system fatigue to drop like a full rest day will. I would add cardio to the tail end of day 6 if you feel like you have to do it to lose weight. Otherwise I would just up your steps on all days and not add cardio fatigue to the equation.

 

[smm]

@pejay60 I mean, biking can be done for just chill and relaxation, you know? it's good to move. some people feel better moving and doing something than just sitting around and doing nothing.

 

[krafty4ever]

@robingood Whatever you do, don't go back to that RD. What a garbage recommendation given the literature showing significantly higher protein targets for people undergoing regular resistance training.

 

[robingood]

@krafty4ever I thought it was off too. She shared excess protein was only necessary for elite lifters and would turn into fat as the body "can't process more than 30g".