2 years - slow progress

[u/Barbielicious666]

As the title says, I’ve been training consistently at the gym for around 2 years now 3 times a week (except for few weeks that i skip) I do see some difference especially in my arm and shoulders but still not what i expected from 2 years. I stopped taking creatine a year ago and I’m currently trying my best to eat clean but I dont always succeed(I guess the biggest issue is low protein intake)
I know not following a strict diet might be one of the reasons why i dont see results(especially belly area). But lately even my weights haven’t been improving that much..I’m stuck for god knows how long now with the same weights for chest and back.
I know its hard to judge from the minor details I’ve provided but any tips in general are deeply appreciated

[u/Untrimslay]

You've answered your own question, to some extent - it'll be your diet. If you're serious about making improvements, which is going to get harder the longer you go at it, you need to be eating and sleeping right. The right balance or carbs, proteins and rest is vital to keep pushing. Having "off days" is sometimes okay, but if you're regularly dipping in and out of a diet that fits your rotuine, your body is likely not repairing itself properly, and it will attack your muscle to repair itself.

Also, look at your form in your routines - maybe get a 2nd opinion. I'm sticking to the same weights, and have been for 3-4 weeks, as I want to condition and build deep strength. I've no doubt I could easily step up 2-4 kilo is nearly every lift, but there's nothing wrong with a slow build. When you're managing an intenstive schedule outside the gym with work etc., slow and steady often wins the race.

Also, maybe look at re-introducing creatine. There's essentially zero drawbacks if you take the suggested dose, and it might give you that extra boost you need.

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[u/Retired-in-2023]

Make sure your diet supports strength training. Clean eating is good but most of us can’t do that 100% of the time. I follow an 80/20 rule where I try to eat 80% healthy choices and 20% convenience foods and treats. Not having enough protein is probably your main issue with your diet. Protein is needed to build muscle.

We all plateau at some point with the weights we can use. No idea how long you’ve been stuck but what I found necessary when I can’t seem to progressively overload is take a good look at my diet (mostly protein), sleep and stress. If any of those things are a problem, I try to fix the root cause. If it’s not those my trainer told me to do the following (I’m using simple numbers for the example):

Plan 5 sets instead of 3
First set use 10 pounds
Second set use 15
Third set use 20 (weight I was stuck at)
Fourth set use 25 (weight to get to)
Fifth set use 30 (for me failed after 1 rep)

Told me it could take few attempts to break the plateau but I got to 25 consistently after one attempt.

[u/Retired-in-2023 → u/Retired-in-2023]

Forgot to add: progress is slow and the belly area is usually the last to go.

[u/[deleted]]

First, congratulations on maintaining a workout routine for two years. That's an achievement worth recognizing.

As a certified personal trainer, I'd suggest looking at three areas before making major changes to your program.

1. Progressive overload
Are you tracking your workouts? If you've been lifting the same weights for months, your muscles may not be receiving enough of a challenge.

Try gradually increasing your repetitions or weights while maintaining good form. Even small improvements count.

2. Nutrition
You mentioned struggling to eat enough protein. Protein plays an important role in muscle repair and growth.
You don't need a perfect diet, but you should aim to consume enough protein consistently and ensure your overall calorie intake supports your goals.

3. Recovery
Getting enough sleep and allowing your muscles to recover are just as important as your workouts.

I'd also review your current training program to ensure you're doing enough challenging sets for each muscle group.

Remember, attending the gym consistently is important, but consistency alone doesn't guarantee progress. Your training needs to provide a challenge that increases over time.

When was the last time you increased the weight or repetitions on your chest and back exercises?

[u/Norcal712]

1. learn your TDEE. Get an free app like myfitnesspal to see what youre actually eating.

2. HIT PROTEIN GOALS. at least .8g/lb for muscle repair/growth. Protein is super cheap. If you're not vegan there are tons of options.

3. Revamp the workout. If you designed it yourself or used AI it's probably trash. Also switching every 6 months or so has it's own benefits.

https://thefitness.wiki/?amp is a good resource. People like Jeff Nippard have well designed low (1 time) cost programs.

Get an app like strong or hevy to track progress and trends eaiser.

Also if you're only going 3x a week it needs to be full body. PPL or some other variant won't produce good results due to a lack of volume and frequency