@wmsgil You're not seeing progress because you're not eating enough. It's honestly as simple as that. For 6 ft you're pretty weak too. Up your calories and focus on getting stronger.
@wmsgil First of all, you look great so try not to stress about it too much, just some stuff I've noticed below.
10 different training programs in 2 years makes progressive overload difficult and you even said yourself that your strength hasn't been progressing. Pick a program you like and work on getting better/stronger in those movements instead of changing every couple months.
Recovery, you didn't mention rest days or deload periods. If you're going to 0-1 RIR every set like you're claiming you're probably well overdue for a deload.
Your height/weight - I'm also 6' but I balloon up to 220ish pounds before I start a 3 month cut. That's where I notice most of my progress is after a slow bulk then a 12 week cut. Let the bulk go a bit longer then cut.
Eat more protein, you said you're eating 141grams at a weight of 168lbs, might not be enough for you, aim for 1g per 1lb of bodyweight. I know some places say 0.7g is good enough but for you it might not be.
@wmsgil Honest answer? The thing no one wants to hear as a natty? You hit your genetic ceiling. Plain and simple. To get even the slightest incremental change from this point will take drastic and extreme changes to diet and exercise. A routine that even the most disciplined person would struggle to integrate into their lifestyle. And even then, results will be fleeting. Your body will fight you tooth and nail and always return to this point of homeostasis.
The good news man, you’ve achieved your “best self” and you look great in this state. Do you know how many guys would kill for your look? Very few people reach an optimal personal physique like you have. Be proud of that and temper your expectations from here
@wmsgil Basement Bodybuilding, Natural Hypertrophy, and Bald Omni Man are great inspirations too. Never let people who have given up tell you what’s possible.
@dawn16 But he's also not (just my opinion) taking in enough protein - he's only taking in 140 gr of protein a day - & not taking in enough calories; and he's cutting down to 157 lb, which at 6' tall, is way too lean. His present weight, 176, should be his new floor ; he needs to eat his way up to ~ 195-205-215, to get both stronger and bigger (even if he has to drink a lot of those calories). [Just an opinion]
@wmsgil To me it looks like you did make some progress. Though not a massive amount. Which is fine.
Your calories are clearly maintenance level. Do a long, lean bulk. Up the cals by 250-350. Cut when you’re feeling bigger or uncomfortable with the body fat gain.
@cheung If you look at the attached MacroFactor Data, you can see that I have been doing a lean bulk for half a year now, but doesn't seem to be working that well...
@wmsgil I am the same height as you and MacroFactor tells me to eat way more than 2200 calories for a lean bulk. It even has my maintenance cals higher than your lean bulk cals. Something seems off there
@cheung I don't think we should look at calories relatively though. Regardless what calories I'm having, the fact is that I'm steadily gaining weight at a rate of 0.41lbs per week. And if 1lbs of fat is 3500 calories, 0.41lbs is 1435 calories surplus per week which is roughly 200 calories surplus per day. Isn't this the perfect surplus for a lean bulk?
@wmsgil Dude I'm a 5'7 143lb woman and my maintenance is the same as yours with no cardio... you gotta up those cals to like 2500 minimum and increase protein and carbs. Stick to the same program for a year and just focus on progressive overload because changing programs and undereating is gonna have you spinning your wheels.
