Give it to me straight, anons.

Do I even look like I lift? Cause I honestly don't think so and at this point, roughly 8 months in, it is a bit disheartening. Of course I can't expect this "Normie to Greek God in 1 year!" transformation you see on social media, I know you can't get that natty. But I also thought I would look way, way better than this. It feels like in 8 months I just went from skinnyfat to skinnyfat but with a bit more biceps. That can't be it, bros.

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  1. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    by IST standards, no. by real world standards, looks like you've been lifting 2-3 months maybe (especially from back pics). cut the bf% and you'll look better, though.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >by IST standards, no.
      Fug, but I already knew that.
      >by real world standards, looks like you've been lifting 2-3 months maybe
      ...fug
      >cut the bf% and you'll look better, though.
      Are you sure I have enough mass to cut at this point? Shouldn't I build more muscle first, I barely have any. Currently I am at 67kg. Should I maybe go up to 70kg and then cut? Or will gaining 3kg muscle take like 2 more years or something?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        I mean right now, if your bf% was lower then it'd probably be more apparent that you lift. however, you should gain more muscle mass before thinking about cutting. perhaps at maintenance, as you're pretty skinnyfat. it's up to you - whatever your goals are. if you want to be leaner, eat at a slight deficit and continue to lift. if you want to gain more muscle but don't mind the fat, seriously up that protein, look at your routine, and work fricking hard. i would guess you haven't been working hard enough in the gym / haven't been eating enough protein if these are the results after 8 months. reassess, track your macros, and make sure your lifts are going up.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          Thanks, I do that
          >pic related

          >look at your routine, and work fricking hard. i would guess you haven't been working hard enough in the gym
          Yeah, I suspect it might be this. Thing is, I have two snapped up elbow tendons, so often times they fail before my muscles do, so I have trouble really pushing them to the limit, it feels like. I still feel the pump (tm), but often times the tendons just give in before the muscles like I said and I have to stop.
          Do you know if high reps/low weight or low reps/high weight might be easier on them?

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            Experiment with both and track the total weight moved for each.
            Also post legs

            • 1 year ago
              Anonymous

              I never train legs...
              Cope answer
              >I have scoliosis and a busted L5
              Honest answer
              >It's just not fricking fun at all man. Training upper body makes me feel good. Training lower body is just annoying and tiresome.

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                I guess that would make it difficult, cant even use a leg press?

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                My ghetto ass gym only has free weights. I tried deadlifting once with just a bar, zero weights, and had to drop it halfway up cause I felt my back was about to snap, that scoliosis/L5 combo is an absolute b***h. I went with bodyweight squat variations but it is just a pain in the ass. I know training legs gives a test boost, but I can't bring myself to do it.

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous
          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            >elbow tendons
            Take care of these. Make sure you are stretching and your doctor is watching them. Mix up your routine and try intense calisthenics and bodyweight. If you have access to a pool start swimming. Instead of running move to sprinting. Increase your caloric intake until you are gaining weight. Eat very clean and find a way to keep that going through the increase in cardio. After that, deadlifts, ohp, bench, rows. With jacked elbows I'd try farmer walks.

            For biceps, low weight and slow reps.

            • 1 year ago
              Anonymous

              I never train legs...
              Cope answer
              >I have scoliosis and a busted L5
              Honest answer
              >It's just not fricking fun at all man. Training upper body makes me feel good. Training lower body is just annoying and tiresome.

              I missed this. You need a physical therapist who is also a trainer. It is impacting your gains for certain. Most importantly getting a plan to deal with injuries that will (i) never go away and (ii) become less manageable as you age. IST is not a good source of this kind of detailed personal advice.

              Running will build your legs. Running up hills is better. If you can comfortably run then do that. If you can comfortably sprint, definitely do that. If you can do neither and either way, fricking find a pool and train hard in it. Then hit the jacuzzi and the massage therapist. If you can't afford it find a YMCA - something, but get in the water. That will fix a lot of your problems. Become a man and go in the winter.

              Lifting is good and I would advise you do this with supervision. Find local help in your community. This is your path to ottermode and beyond.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        >67kg
        how short are you that you're that light with so much fat on you?

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          168cm...
          >tfw Armenian

          don't be disheartened. However, in my opinion you have made a big mistake by taking the "skinnyfat" pill. I don't think there is such a thing. I agree with

          [...]
          You have a bit of a gut and unfortunately I doubt your muscle gain is going to outpace the fat gain.
          If we replace the word skinnyfat with "guy who has a bit of a pudgey gut" the solution is obvious: reduce your kcal to roughly maintenance then reassess, up your protein, reduce your weights volume, up weights intensity, treat "hard and fast" cardio as just as important as weights, get as good as you can on chin ups and push ups as you can progress just by virtue of losing dead weight. alternatively sack off the gym all together and join a boxing club. Whilst social expectations are kinda silly - you need to do this for yourself, you have nearly 3 months till the summer solstice. In this time you can lose a considerable amount of fat, your progress will be more visible, more tangible. This in turn will fuel your enthusiasm. keep doing weights but don't forget the basics of chin ups and press ups - you can make progress on these just by virtue of getting rid of dead weight. don't worry about whether you "look like you even lift" - worry about looking like you are in shape, lean, and taught. one you have that then you know what to do: crease kcal whilst adding weight to the bar with more volume.

          Depends where you started from.
          If you were overweight or skeleton mode, this is pretty good for starting with nothing. There's several other factors that people have already mentioned that might affect your development, but honestly, I think the number one thing is starting as an "untrained" individual. Because:
          A) Your muscles are not used to working hard so it takes time to get them conditioned to hard exercise
          B) You have to take the time to learn form and muscle "activation". I know it sound like bullshit, but I cannot tell you how many years, yes YEARS, I was mostly using my arms on lat pulldowns and not activating my lats what-so-ever
          C) Diet, etc. All the other shit people have mentioned

          If you're starting from nothing, your progress is pretty solid. Your back looks good and your front will develop. Maybe add in a bit more on chest and arm specific isolations (curls, tri pulldowns, etc.) to your routine. And above all, stick with it. Life hard, lift steady, and gains will come. Don't be discouraged by the genetic freaks who claim they got their physique in less than a year or whatever - everyone is lying, or you're being influence to feel inadequate by literally the top .0001% of genetic specimens who are probably blasting gear also.

          Thank you for this in depth reply, I will take it to heart

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >2-3 months
      when did we shift back to IST standards?

  2. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Your backs better atleast. I think you need to evaluate your program and diet

  3. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    You look fine

  4. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    If you’re trying to put on muscle and not loose it make sure you are eating right and maintaining some kind of a caloric excess. At least 300 calories.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I am gaining weight and went from 63kg to 67kg in those 8 months, but that's also kinda slow and I am pretty sure ot wasn't 4kg pure muscle. Calory surplus is not the issue, I think I just frick myself over with not taking enough protein, whey is just crazy expensive where I live. I estimate I get around 1-1.2g per kg and not 2g per 2kg, but I can't eat anymore than I already do without forcing it.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Still could be food especially with lower protein. Idk what your eating a day though, you need enough but at a cretain point it becomes preference. What is your training style? Ex: i do 3/4 sets, 8-12 reps, two sets to failure in each category for that day. And then some kind of a pump exercise. That has been doing great for me.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          >What is your training style?
          Similar to yours, 3-4 sets of each exercise 8-15 reps (but on the last set or two that goes down to 5-10), 2x a week

  5. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    frick you and your thread
    so i am thinking of trying meth as a prework out, what doses would anons recommend? meth is a bit hard to come by here so i am thinking of doing amphetamine instead.

  6. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Dude eat more.
    You’re only skin and bones.
    Also what’s your program because your back looks way more developed than the rest of your body

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Looks pretty fat to me

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        don't be disheartened. However, in my opinion you have made a big mistake by taking the "skinnyfat" pill. I don't think there is such a thing. I agree with

        You're still too fat. Cut more. Don't fall for the bulking trap, you'll never lose that gut if you do

        You have a bit of a gut and unfortunately I doubt your muscle gain is going to outpace the fat gain.
        If we replace the word skinnyfat with "guy who has a bit of a pudgey gut" the solution is obvious: reduce your kcal to roughly maintenance then reassess, up your protein, reduce your weights volume, up weights intensity, treat "hard and fast" cardio as just as important as weights, get as good as you can on chin ups and push ups as you can progress just by virtue of losing dead weight. alternatively sack off the gym all together and join a boxing club. Whilst social expectations are kinda silly - you need to do this for yourself, you have nearly 3 months till the summer solstice. In this time you can lose a considerable amount of fat, your progress will be more visible, more tangible. This in turn will fuel your enthusiasm. keep doing weights but don't forget the basics of chin ups and press ups - you can make progress on these just by virtue of getting rid of dead weight. don't worry about whether you "look like you even lift" - worry about looking like you are in shape, lean, and taught. one you have that then you know what to do: crease kcal whilst adding weight to the bar with more volume.

  7. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    more volume and speed work. combining the 2. time how long you it takes you to hit 135lb backsquat for 20 and get that speed up. By the looks of things to me you just train strength while not caring about athletic performance. you need to get your work capacity and muscular endurance up. your body will explode and you will make much more progress on heavy lifts if that is your goal. The thing about volume is it is hard and nobody wants to do what is hard. The idea of squating any weight for 20 even bodyweight makes many people who squat 3 plate weez. given a choice they would rather do the low volume.

  8. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Wtf is this on your back?

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >Tell me you’re a DYEL without telling me you’re a DYEL
      Those are stretch marks, newbie.
      When you get tall too quickly or get buffer, your skin might stretch like that.

  9. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    You're still too fat. Cut more. Don't fall for the bulking trap, you'll never lose that gut if you do

  10. 1 year ago
    Anonynous

    If you don't look like this after 9 months of training, it means you are doing something very wrong. You need to change something, because working out, eating and sleeping really is rocket science.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >tfw really looked like that after 9 mo

  11. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    No, you don’t.

  12. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    cut and yes.

  13. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Depends where you started from.
    If you were overweight or skeleton mode, this is pretty good for starting with nothing. There's several other factors that people have already mentioned that might affect your development, but honestly, I think the number one thing is starting as an "untrained" individual. Because:
    A) Your muscles are not used to working hard so it takes time to get them conditioned to hard exercise
    B) You have to take the time to learn form and muscle "activation". I know it sound like bullshit, but I cannot tell you how many years, yes YEARS, I was mostly using my arms on lat pulldowns and not activating my lats what-so-ever
    C) Diet, etc. All the other shit people have mentioned

    If you're starting from nothing, your progress is pretty solid. Your back looks good and your front will develop. Maybe add in a bit more on chest and arm specific isolations (curls, tri pulldowns, etc.) to your routine. And above all, stick with it. Life hard, lift steady, and gains will come. Don't be discouraged by the genetic freaks who claim they got their physique in less than a year or whatever - everyone is lying, or you're being influence to feel inadequate by literally the top .0001% of genetic specimens who are probably blasting gear also.

  14. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    You need to bulk more. Your upper body mogs the overwhelming majority of normies don't worry about it.

  15. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Cursed physique, back looks kinda good but then you have this doughy chest and stomach. Hpw is that even possible.

  16. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    you biggest problem is your core/abs

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Compare that to this where I just cut out the lower section and you can instantly feel the person is more athletic.
      In short you need to both lose the fat around your gut and build some ab muscles for better posture and looks.
      Thats the biggest bang for your effort currently.

  17. 1 year ago
    Anonymous
  18. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Listen boi I'm going to give it to you straight, you are not training the right way. I had the same problem where I would train wrong, see lacklustre results and then give up like a homosexual.

    Did this a couple of times until I found out about Mike Mentzer's HIT.
    It's all really simple, you need to work out only once a week, but when you do lift those fricking weights until you are shaking and can barely stand up, then and only then have you put enough stress on the muscle that it generates the biggest amount of hypertrophy.

    But just as important, do not train more than once every 4 days, I personally go 6 days minimum. If you train more often than that, you are effectively overtraining and draining your body's limited recovery ability, and in doing so also killing your gains.

    Roughly it should take any man 1 year to reach his genetic potential, you're at 8 months now and far of from what anyone would call genetic potential.

    What I wrote here today barely scratches the surface of everything about the HIT program, so I encourage you to go ahead and look this up on the internet, read Mike's book and understand what training the body in the most efficient way is all about.

    I'm also going to leave you a beginners 6 months program, Mike's latest update to HIT before he passed away, this is what you should start on if you want to see some real fricking results.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      The program:

      Train once every week, alternating program A and B for a minimum of 6 months

      Track your progress

      Focus on perfect form

      Workout program A:

      1) Squats 8-15 reps to failure
      -Rest until breathing slow down, as soon as you recognize that you're ready to go ->
      2)Closed grip palms up chin ups 6-10 reps to failure (20 cm wide grip)

      Additional important points:
      - Go to almost impossible rep
      - If you can do more than max reps, do until failure, that last rep is the most important one for muscle growth
      - No yanking, thrusting or momentum, lift under full muscular control
      - 4 seconds up, 2 sec rest, 4 seconds down

      Workout program B:

      1) Regular deadlifts is 5-8 reps to failure (bar rolled back flush against your shins, slightly wider than shoulder width grip, hands interlocking, hips and shoulders slightly lower than your shoulder, back flat and head up at all times, do not round back or drop head, your arms are like chains with hooks on the end)
      Deadlift the bar evenly and smoothly, stand straight up, pause momentarily, lower the bar, reset psychologically and take a deep breath, do it again
      - Rest 1-2 minutes
      2) Regular parallel bar dips 6-10 reps to failure under strict full muscular control
      - If you can do 10 relatively easy add weight

      Training to failure means you train until you can't do one more full range positive rep with proper form despite your greatest effort

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      mike mentzer also smoked meth as his pre workout and was on a shit ton of steroids.

  19. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    You need to bulk or cut. This is the reason why recomping is a meme and DOES NOT WORK. If you want to look lean then cut but you will still be weak, if you want serious mass then you need to bulk.

  20. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Good progress I would say, keep growing lats via pullups, it will at least slightly offset the narrow shoulder look. Also bench more for pecs.

  21. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    no you dont look like you lift and i cant imagine how bad you look if you werent flexing. im thinking yikes imagine too if you had a shirt on lol it will probably take you 3 years to be even noticeable

  22. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >8 months lifting
    >0 pecs

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      You cant even brace properly before you hit 500lbs deadlift
      >8 months lifting
      try 8 years then talk
      newbie

  23. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Do you skip chest entirely or do you only barbell bench press for your chest? It's 100% one of the two. Stop the bench press and get on a good converging chest press machine and push that shit to failure. What the fk man

  24. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Do you even lift?

  25. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    You have low testosterone, get yourself checked out. This is NOT normal progress for a young man lifting for almost 1 year.

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