ADVICE NEEDED - little improvement in 6 months

First of all, I really don't want to preface this post as being overly negative, I just want to improve upon myself.
I'm 18 years old and 193cm tall. I've been going to the gym now for exactly six months today, and I'm sure as much as it is a common issue for many starters, I just don't feel as though I'm making much progress at all. My arms when flexed have only increased an inch in size (12in -> 13in) and I haven't increased the weight on any back exercises (such as seated row at 42.5kg) because it just gets too heavy and compromises my form. I've stayed exactly the same body weight and I've not really grown anywhere that noticeably.

To be honest, I don't care too much if the weights I lift are light, if it means I preserve good form. But I've tried to be as consistent as I can, going three times a week, trying to make time for it in my schedule. I'm due to start university in two weeks also, and the cost of trying to sustain my increased intake of food is going to be really difficult, being that I'll be living in London.

So I had a few questions, and wondered if anyone is able to help -
- Obviously it is difficult to comment as everyone is different, but is my progress fair? You see peoples 6 months transitions online, and whilst they are great, is that realistic?
- Are there any specific exercises someone with a profile like me might benefit from? I try and change up my workouts to stop my muscles from getting adapted.
- Any cost-effective tips to continue my gains under a budget. I can probably afford going to the gym provided by my university, but definitely won't be able to afford the steak, red meat and chicken I've been eating.
- How to reduce scapula winging? This is something I'm very self conscious about and not sure on what muscles/exercises I can do to reduce/remove this completely.
- Any other general tips? I try and eat enough, and have tried calorie counting but I find it hard to understand how much I want to be eating, especially considering that my mum says I definitely eat enough even though I disagree. I probably don't sleep enough, as I sleep about 7 hours of not great quality. I'm trying to drink more water too.
Again, sorry if this seems defeatist, I just don't want to aimlessly continue if I'm not getting anywhere and spending a fortune. Thanks in advance for your help and advice!

Reply 1

Gazpacho.

13

1.

How much progress you make in 6 months depends on a huge range of factor such as your response to training, how hard you train, diet, etc. It is also better to measure your progress over years rather than a few months. Comparing yourself to others is pointless. It is particularly pointless when it comes to comparing yourself to people online. Few people are going to post pictures where they haven't made much progress and those who have for example gone from looking like they've never stepped foot in a gym to completely shredded in 6 months are generally juicing.

2.

Find a program for your goal (which I assume is more towards bodybuilding) and stick to it for a period of time. Pick a program that emphasies compound movements. Here is a good starting point: https://thefitness.wiki/routines/

3.

Whey protein is typically the cheapest way to good if you are on a budget but the cost of that has more than doubled in the last few years. The reality is if you are serious, you'll likely have to get a job.

4.

pass.

5.

By mentioning diet and sleep, you are already focusing on the important things. Get those sorted, train with a good intensity, get yourself on a tried and tested program. These basics are more important than anything else. The wiki link I posted above has a good overview of everything, so is worth looking through. It is a while since I've spent much time on fitness YouTube but there are good channels out there with great advice. Mike Israetel and Jeff Nippard are always reliable and quite accessible. He isn't very active anymore, but Omar Isuf is also worth checking out.

(edited 3 weeks ago)

Original post by JacheMoore

First of all, I really don't want to preface this post as being overly negative, I just want to improve upon myself.
I'm 18 years old and 193cm tall. I've been going to the gym now for exactly six months today, and I'm sure as much as it is a common issue for many starters, I just don't feel as though I'm making much progress at all. My arms when flexed have only increased an inch in size (12in -> 13in) and I haven't increased the weight on any back exercises (such as seated row at 42.5kg) because it just gets too heavy and compromises my form. I've stayed exactly the same body weight and I've not really grown anywhere that noticeably.

To be honest, I don't care too much if the weights I lift are light, if it means I preserve good form. But I've tried to be as consistent as I can, going three times a week, trying to make time for it in my schedule. I'm due to start university in two weeks also, and the cost of trying to sustain my increased intake of food is going to be really difficult, being that I'll be living in London.

So I had a few questions, and wondered if anyone is able to help -
- Obviously it is difficult to comment as everyone is different, but is my progress fair? You see peoples 6 months transitions online, and whilst they are great, is that realistic?
- Are there any specific exercises someone with a profile like me might benefit from? I try and change up my workouts to stop my muscles from getting adapted.
- Any cost-effective tips to continue my gains under a budget. I can probably afford going to the gym provided by my university, but definitely won't be able to afford the steak, red meat and chicken I've been eating.
- How to reduce scapula winging? This is something I'm very self conscious about and not sure on what muscles/exercises I can do to reduce/remove this completely.
- Any other general tips? I try and eat enough, and have tried calorie counting but I find it hard to understand how much I want to be eating, especially considering that my mum says I definitely eat enough even though I disagree. I probably don't sleep enough, as I sleep about 7 hours of not great quality. I'm trying to drink more water too.
Again, sorry if this seems defeatist, I just don't want to aimlessly continue if I'm not getting anywhere and spending a fortune. Thanks in advance for your help and advice!

1) Progress varies between individuals, there's no uniform answer. It's also difficult to say in your case because we don't know what your workout regimen is. your bodyweight, or any of your lifts (other than seated rows).

Also worth pointing out that a lot of the transformations you see on social media are with the assistance of proper lighting (and improper lighting on the before photo), dehydration (so they appear leaner and thus more muscular), and even sometimes anabolic steroids. Don't take them as gospel.

2) The basics, i.e. the compounds. Squats, bench press (barbell or dumbbell), deadlifts (including the common variations such as Romanians, stiff leg, etc.), overhead pressing, pull ups, dips, rows (barbell, dumbbell, cable, whatever), lat pulldowns. A lot of the commonly performed isolation exercises are also good, particularly as they focus on muscles sometimes not targeted particularly strongly with the compounds: curls (any type), lateral raises, hamstring curls, triceps extensions (overhead with dumbbells or cables), skull crushers (but don't actually crush your skull with these).

3) As Gazpacho says, whey is cheap on a £/g protein basis. Other cheap foods include milk, peanut butter, pasta, bread, and oats. Plus probably others that I've forgot to list.

4) Is this something that bothers you from a pain perspective? If so, you should get it checked out from a medical professional.

5) You need to add weight to your lifts. Mostly it will feel heavier, but as part of getting stronger you adapt to it. Form is important, but don't be so hyper focused on it such that you are too scared to go up a weight. You can even go up a weight but initially drop a few reps per set, and them build up. In fact that might even be a good idea.

If you are slim (and 193cm with 13" arms suggests you are), you'll need to gain bodyweight to gain muscle. You can only gain bodyweight in a caloric surplus. How much have your other body measurements increased since you've been lifting?

Also try and aim for a bit more than 7hrs sleep.

ADVICE NEEDED - little improvement in 6 months

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