Size Gains Slowed Way Down, Ideas?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Hello!
So I’ve been lifting serious for about half a year but all in all around a year.
When I did start lifting serious I got on an upper/lower split, I was on that for a few months before it started wearing me down and making me lose energy and motivation. I did gain a little size with it though.
For about 2 months now I’ve been on sort of a full body hybrid (Mondays full body + chest/back focus, Wednesday full body + legs focus and Fridays full body + shoulders/arms focus).
I’ve made a lot of strength gains using this routine but honestly I don’t see much change in my physique. From now and back until I started the U/L split, I feel like I’ve gotten bigger, weight has gone up but the pics aren’t showing it.
I seem to be putting on weight really slow though, I’ve always been small and have a hard time putting on any weight, got it from dad’s side.

I’m thinking of maybe lowering the weights a little and upping the reps, switch from a 8-12 to maybe 10-15 or something and see how my body will react to that.
Do you guys maybe have any other ideas, something I could try?
I eat all my meals and drink at least 3L of water everyday. Snack a bit too between meals, typically fruit or have a shake, things like that.

EDIT: Maybe this is just the way I’m set up genetically?
I do realise this is all a work in progress, but surely there should be some more visible change in my pics after 6 months? Been taking pics every other week.

2

Unless you’re losing weight, you’re not really gonna see a big difference in 6 months. What exactly are you expecting? Post those pictures.

3

I know, but I’d expect a little more difference, not exactly visible in the pics. I feel like I’ve gained some size but the pics just aren’t really showing it.
I’m sorry but I won’t be posting them, way too self conscious lol growing up I was always being picked on and stuff for being skinny. Although that was about a decade or so ago, I’m still incredibly self conscious lol

4

Looks like your problem is mental, then.

5

Good very well be. But honestly not seeing much in the pics for some reason, I showed my best friend as well, he agrees but he still think I look bigger personally…

6

What did you weigh 6 months ago when you started training? What did you weigh 2 months ago when you changed routines? What do you weigh today? How tall are you, for context?

Those numbers will tell you, objectively and without bias, if your gains have actually “slowed down”.

7

Well, I don’t own a scale so I’ve only been able to weigh myself when I visit grandma and a while back I’d gained 6.6lbs in a couple months and then a while ago I’d gained another 2.2lbs in about a month or so.
I got my own first apartment last week so been moving things over there, definitely gonna get a scale now lol

How long would you say, on average, it’d take for someone to notice a more obvious difference? You see all these progress pics on certain forums and stuff, pretty short amount of time too usually.

8

Lots of progress pics you see are people losing weight. Or (rarely) drug usage.

Otherwise, to make a big difference, you’re talking about multiple years of work.

9

Well I’m mostly looking at the skinny to fit transformations.

Yeah I don’t mean a big difference like that, just kinda so you can tell and it’s obvious? Not all big and stuff yet

10

Those pictures are almost always someone losing fat. They went from skinny fat to … skinny. Or fat with a shit ton of muscle to lean. Heh.

11

I don’t know what you expected by starting this thread. You’re unwilling to post pictures, so all anyone can go on is what you write. Here’s what you’ve written:

You gained weight.
Your friend says you’re bigger.
You’re extraordinarily self conscious.

I’m going to guess that you have built muscle, and you personally don’t see a change because you have a negative self view.

So, here’s the deal. If you’re chubby, with little definition, and you’re focusing on gaining weight… you’re not going to gain definition quickly at all. You’ll look like a bigger version of yourself. Definition comes with fat loss, or significant (over many years) muscle gain.

I am not saying you should lose fat.

12

Idk anymore either lol I guess 'cause I just haven’t felt well lately (breathing issues and stuff) my mood has been going up and down.
Yeah no I don’t need to lose any fat, that much I know.
Just feeling a little down I suppose, kinda realising this was a pointless thread now then…

13

Ah, ok, I remember you. Serves me right for not checking post history like I usually do.

Dude, buy a scale ASAP. In your thread two months ago, I literally said: “You’re going to need to figure out a way to weigh-in once a week. That’s the only way you’ll objectively know if you’re moving in the right direction.” I stand by that.

Back in December, you were “5’7”-5’8", 141-145 pounds". In January, we never got an actual update. So since you haven’t been consistently tracking your weight, I don’t know how you can say your “gains slowed way down.” It sounds like you’ve gained almost 9 pounds total in 6 months of training, if I followed everything right. That’s not terrible, but for a light, younger guy (I forget how old you are), you could certainly see more progress if you simply bump up the food.

Gooch brought up a solid point. If you’re carrying some fat already, pictures can definitely be misleading. I think you’ve said you’re still/always pretty lean though, so it’s tough to tell without seeing the pictures. If we’re not going to see what you actually look like, then we need concrete numbers from the scale, but we don’t have those either.

Truth worth repeating.

14

Ooh yeah!
Yeah I definitely should lol I think we’re heading out tomorrow after I’ve been to the doc again, get some stuff for my new place. I’ll pick up a scale then :slight_smile:
Oh and I’ll be 22 in a few weeks.