Novice strength levels - 0-1 rep a week even in calorie surplus, high protein, good sleep

[catholic500]

@cybernetic Damn dude I don't know then. You should get a professional trainer to give you advice. You're clearly dedicated so I think it's worth it.

I recommend this guy:

https://mennohenselmans.com/

EDIT: someone really downvoted me for advising someone to seek professional advice, you're ridiculous lmao

 

[cybernetic]

@catholic500 Menno is a legend, I follow his ig

 

[dupe]

@cybernetic Provided all of these, a few things come to mind.

1 - are you truly consistent about going to the gym?

2 - are you truly pushing yourself in the gym? Are you ever sore the next day?

3 - are you saying 22kg on either side of the bar, or in total?

 

[cybernetic]

@dupe

1. Yup, 5 days a week without question.
2. I’m always at around an RPE9. I’m not often sore though even though I increase sets every week. Even when I am sore I have the same slow progression. Doing about 7 sets of chest a week at the moment and increasing weekly.
3. 22kg dumbbell in each hand.

 

[faithofsaints]

@cybernetic 7 sets per muscle group per week is very low, might want to up that, to 9 - 12, maybe you just require shit load of volume. Are you trying to get stronger or looking better ?

 

[cybernetic]

@faithofsaints Looking better, but I should definitely not be this weak after years of lifting.

Edit: might have to up the volume then in that case. I’m always torn between “Am I doing enough volume” and “Am I doing too much volume?”.

 

[faithofsaints]

@cybernetic Definitely,
The only reason I can see is either the low volume, or that what you perceived as rpe 9 is more like 5. Not having a dig just trying to understand. Maybe some vidoe of the set that feel like rpe9 would be great.

 

[cybernetic]

@faithofsaints Yeah perhaps. I don’t think it would be RPE5 because I do feel the weight slow down a lot on my compounds before I stop, but would be very much be willing to try COMPLETE failure and see how many more reps I can do.

 

[faithofsaints]

@cybernetic I probably would not recommend taking compounds to failure, do it with some accessory work like on your keg day gey on pendelum or hack squat, and go until you get stuck ar the bottom and it won't move.

 

[conwel]

@cybernetic You said the last month you've made great progress due to muscle memory in another comment. This implies a break to lifting from before. How long was this break and have you only been back at it for a month since?

 

[cybernetic]

@conwel It was about 3 months. So what I did was on returning I did a 4 week mesocycle and gained about 5kg in each hand on bench and then progress started slow down a bit on the 4th week but overall good progress. It was all muscle memory though because I didn’t gain any NEW strength. Then I took a week deload and I’m on the second week of my second meso (linked program) and progress is slow as hell.

 

[jayb05]

@cybernetic There is an underlying problem here we can't really diagnose with the information we have. I don't believe that after 8 years of actual training you can bench only 22kg. My female training partner benches more and she has shitty genetics for muscle building.

I get good sleep, I’m doing a good amount of volume, I’m not deficient in nutrients, form is great

I just don't buy it.

 

[cybernetic]

@jayb05 22kg dumbbells in each hand, sorry I should have been more specific. I’ve read books on hypertrophy training, I’m super knowledgeable on this stuff, I just progress like shit lol. I’ve been doing RPE for a few years now.

 

[ingersoll]

@cybernetic Some blunt feedback:

I’m super knowledgeable on this stuff

You are not. Or you are not good at applying it.

You should switch to a proven program written by someone qualified to write a program and follow it exactly as written.

Frankly I think you should run the r/fitness beginner routine for the full 3 months.
Then try GZCLP or one of the SBS programs. 531 BBB is also plenty good for muscle growth.

Thinking you know about RPE, working to failure, and how to program is fine, but you either do not actually know anything about those or are just very bad at applying them.

 

[cybernetic]

@ingersoll I used to run my friend’s (who’s a respected coach with an online presence who owns his own coaching business) programs but I had the same issues. I followed RPE in the programs though so there’s that again…

 

[ingersoll]

@cybernetic Has this friend of yours produced results that are noteworthy? Have some of his clients achieved results that align with your goals? If so, ask your friend what you're doing wrong because you are doing something wrong.

Stop trying to work off of RPE.

Just do a program that tells you want to do, and do it as written. I have a feeling you don't actually understand RPE and sandbag yourself because you are overestimating RPE and not actually trying.

 

[cybernetic]

@ingersoll Yeah both in himself and hundreds of other clients. My programs are very similar to his. Based on the same science.

Why do you still insist it’s an issue with my programming and not a me issue when I’ve ran programs my friend has produced that have worked for hundreds of other people, and also my other friend who I create programs for completely destroying me in strength gains? It’s like you’re adamant about me being wrong instead of being somewhat subjective. You could be right about me underestimating RPE though.

 

[conwel]

@cybernetic If you're increasing a rep each week while trying to apply Dr. Mike's protocols and theories, you have a fundamental misunderstanding of how progressive overload works. I am trying to help when I say this - please run other programs that have been established to work. Please evaluate your diet.

If you need programs to run, DM me, I can suggest some. If you don't have trust in strangers, I am a powerlifting coach who has trained multiple national, regional, and provincial level athlete and record holders.

 

[cybernetic]

@conwel Could you elaborate more on the progressive overload comment please?

Awesome, thanks man

 

[ingersoll]

@cybernetic

My programs are very similar to his. Based on the same science.

Stop trying to make your own program.

Why do you still insist it’s an issue with my programming and not a me issue

I'm suggesting it is a combination of the two. I think you are following programs that are allowing you to not push yourself.

Your RPE gauge is low/soft if you are following programs built around it and you can only bench 22kg DBs for 10 after 8 years of training.

Following a program with forced weight increases and rep minimums will make you actually push yourself.

You are welcome to try to blame your genetics or being some outlier, and sure that very well might be the very very unlikely case, but most likely you are not an outlier and just need to try. Try and follow a proven program.

I know from personal experience how detrimental trying to follow self-made programs can be.

I was very plateaued at ~166/120/200kg SBD when I was following self-made programs.

2.5 years later after following a few cycles of two proven programs, my lifts are 234/175/275kg SBD (my 8RMs for SBD are 198/143/232kg, I'm assuming you don't care about 1RMs). I've also done multiple bulk/cut cycles during that time.

I am not special, in fact I'm pretty lazy. I just actually try during my workouts and follow programs that get people big and strong.