Why am I so muscular but not that strong?

@daughterofaking You look bigger than 160 based on that picture. That looks like a 200lb frame to me.

Lose 20 lbs and you’ll be money. I can tell by the pictures you get a bit of extra weight hanging around. Slim and cut is the way to go and much healthier in my opinion.

At my peak I was 6’-4” 245 and a tank. But I couldn’t even scratch my back and I was sluggish. Did my bloodwork and I was pre diabetic and raised blood pressure to boot.

Carrying around more weight than your natural genetics takes a toll on your entire body over time. To me it’s easier to watch what you eat and get cut. Then you don’t have to max lift all the time and u can dial down the weight so you don’t burn out.
 
@daughterofaking Bro don’t listen to these guys that are saying you’re not muscular. By what standard these guys are basing that opinion off of idk.. social media fitness gurus on peds? I would say you have a really good muscular base but of course that doesn’t equate technique, skills or ability to do certain movements or physical feats- Only training can truly prepare you for that and that takes a ton of practice. Being muscular does not mean you can do a planche or even many pull-ups , it may put you at a certain advantage and give you a good foundation for training those movements though. Repetition and practice and most of all- patience will be your friend here. Also, don’t forget to eat clean and not overstrain yourself in a single session. There’s always more to do the next day so pace yourself.
 
@daughterofaking You’re not muscular you’re just a little skinny guy with some muscle. Time and dedications is what you need give it time, keep doing what you’re doing. Get back to me when you can do 20 pull-ups then we’ll talk.
 
@daughterofaking Bro i am 20 years old 5'7 and weigh 160 pounds to.

My advise as I see your body is you need to get lower body fat by eating lots of protein mostly from chicken that is low in fats
Also focus on your back remember to do pulls ups its the most important exercise for your back

Also cut down on carbs get your carbs through veggies and fruits before lifting

Consume ginger and cook with Olive oil only then you will see your fat go down fast
 
@daughterofaking I have (had) very broad shoulders for my size and weight and managed to get visible abs with exercise, but had dismal grip strength and get tired of holding weight easily.

I was fairly good at quick explosive exercises when I put my mind to it, so something tells me it's a combination of some genetics that make me plump up faster than I gain strength (I lose muscle tone and weight easily once I stop exercising and getting lazy, I deflate) and the other half of it must be that maybe I was training fast twitch muscles more than slow twitch.

If anyone wants to add something or correct me nicely, you're more than welcome.
 
@daughterofaking Bro you are really strong and certainly not a beginner. Most people cannot do a single pull-up and many cannot do a push-up either. RTO dips are really hard. Obviously the online youtuber community is going to select for the people who can do the most impressive skills not the average ability. Plus, if they have less muscle mass but also lighter they are lifting less weight during their activities.
 
@daughterofaking Don’t listen to them. Same height and as you but 5lbs lighter. Don’t cut. None of the skills are worth being 125lbs. 150-160 ripped as shit is a great weight at our height.

My progress was definitely a bit slower, but it more than paid off in the end. I’ve seen 6’ 180lbs people doing skills. You can get there.

Your programming might be the issue, assuming your diet and recovery are actually alright. Might be time to get a different stimulus in there. I think there is a lot of value in the progressions because they teach you how to activate your muscles, even if they aren’t as effective for strict strength and hypertrophy.
 
@big_sinner I appreciate your perspective. 125 is definitely a no-go, I wasn't even that light when I ran cross country and track in high school! I see where they are coming from though in terms of a moderate cut. I have some extra weight hanging around that's not helping me out haha. I think with some smart body recomp I can hover around 150-160 but have more of that weight be functional muscle rather than the extra fat I have right now.
 
@daughterofaking I'm in the 1,000lb barbell club, I'm 5'10, 190 at 12% bodyfat. I'm pretty damn fit, and I can't even imagine being strong enough to planche. Keep at it king, we're all gonna get there.
 
@daughterofaking
three solid meals per day

Okay this is gonna be dry:

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/2/180

Tl;dr: prefer 4-5 meals per day, >~0.24 g/kg protein @ 100 PDCAAS in each (take your weight in kg and divide by 4), 3h apart (so it's hard to fit five). As well, they don't have to be huge. More protein can be utilized in the last meal before sleeping but you must actually go to sleep.

STRENGTH = NEURAL ADAPTATIONS x MUSCLE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA. Are my neural adaptations really that poor?

my PRs for CTB chin-ups and ring dips have basically stagnated for my past 5 workouts.

The number of times you can do the same thing isn't strength, it's endurance.

In order to do complex movements, you need the little muscles to be ready as well as the big ones; every link in the chain has to be there. More variation will help but time is essential. You will also hurt yourself if you try to progress too fast before your tendons (which grow very slowly!) and ligaments are ready.

But also, you have three kinds of muscle fibers: red, white, and the one in between (it has a name, might be pink, might not). So it's not quite as simple as OG suggested. The white fibers develop immediate strength and the red fibers develop enduring strength. I don't think this is your key problem really but it's good to keep in mind.
 
@daughterofaking Neural Adaptations + Cross Sectional Area + Technique + Anthropometrics = Strength.

You seem moderately fit. No clue about your technique, anthropometrics/lever lengths seem normal. Maybe input more power and max effort training into your routine.
 
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