Why do I gain strength so slowly and lose strength so quickly?

[thecel]

I lose a month’s progress when I take a week off training. If I don’t take breaks, I just plateau and plateau and plateau.

Every time I take a break and re-climb, my weights top out at the same numbers. I repeatedly failed to get past this brick wall for many months.

If I change my program, people will say I plateau because I program hop. If I stick to the program, people will tell me to change it. If I train to failure, people will say I plateau because I overtrain. If I keep reps in the tank, people will say I plateau because I train like a pussy. What am I actually doing wrong?

STUCK at 5x155lb Bench Press (Other Lifts Are Plateaued Too) for Several MONTHS

Help me. How do I get past this aggravating plateau? Current Bench = 5-Rep-Max = 155 lb = 70.295 kg PR Bench = 5-Rep-Max = 160 lb = 72.56 kg PR Squat = 6-Rep-Max = 215 lb = 97.5 kg PR Conventional Deadlift = 5-Rep-Max = 240 lb = 108.84 kg Manlet Height = 5'5.75" = 167 cm Cuck Weight = 145 lb =...

looksmax.org

 

[flippasav]

Hypertrophy and strength are not the same thing

 

[thecel]

Hypertrophy and strength are not the same thing

Yea but neither are increasing for me. And I lift more for strength than hypertrophy (of course I want both, but I care about the numbers more).

 

[thecel]

furious bump

 

[longjohnmong]

What program are you using? Are all your lifts stuck?

 

[thecel]

What program are you using?

@thecel’s UPPL 4-Day Begintermediate. The Best Gymmax Program Ever Designed.

looksmax.org

I’m running this with a few modifications.

---

Are all your lifts stuck?

Yes.

 

[longjohnmong]

Oh shit, I thought that routine was a joke. I saw an infinity sign and assumed it was satirical. Is it seriously not? Don't waste my time. I'm a wealthy businessman. Time is money.

 

[Deleted member 24940]

Why are you doing anything for 5 reps? Do you want to be a DYEL powerlifter or do you want to look like a bodybuilder?

You should be doing 8-12 reps minimum, fuck strength.

 

[thecel]

Oh shit, I thought that routine was a joke. I saw an infinity sign and assumed it was satirical. Is it seriously not? Don't waste my time. I'm a wealthy businessman. Time is money.

Is the program bad? What’s wrong with it?

 

[thecel]

Why are you doing anything for 5 reps? Do you want to be a DYEL powerlifter or do you want to look like a bodybuilder?

You should be doing 8-12 reps minimum, fuck strength.

Cope harder. Guys who train for both low and high reps make the best gains. JFL at copers (e.g. you) who say to only do high reps and never low reps.

Keep coping with your “DYEL powerlifter” dogma. Those guys are outliers. 99% of guys who can bench 150 kg, regardless of whether they train like bodybuilders or powerlifters, look jacked.

And I train for strength. Why do I do higher reps and drop sets? For hypertrophy for strength.

I lift more for strength than hypertrophy (of course I want both, but I care about the numbers more).

 

[fauxfox]

It's entirely due to genetics. I knew people who never went to the gym. The most exercise they did was the occasional pick up game of basketball yet they were very muscular.

 

[thecel]

enraged bump!

 

[Bojack]

you just dont have those prime elite athletic genetics my boi sorry to say

 

[thecel]

you just dont have those prime elite athletic genetics my boi sorry to say

I don’t have prime elite athletic genetics, but do I have adequate genetics? All males whose genetics are better than absolute garbage should be able to get to 100 kg bench.

How do I know if I have shitnetics? Before I draw this conclusion, I need to know what I could be doing wrong in my training and change it and see if it works.

 

[Bojack]

I don’t have prime elite athletic genetics, but do I have adequate genetics?

How do I know if I have shitnetics? Before I draw this conclusion, I need to know what I could be doing wrong in my training and change it and see if it works.

idk dude i'd say as long as you have six pack and look toned, that's good enough. Not everyone is olympic caliber !

 

[thecel]

idk dude i'd say as long as you have six pack and look toned, that's good enough. Not everyone is olympic caliber !

JFL. I don’t have a six pack, and I look DYEL.

No guy looks good at 160-lb bench.

 

[Octavian_Augustus]

Same here. That's why I hit the gym 5x a week religiously. 1 week off at the beach partying and not eating right and I'll take 1.5 months to recover to full strength.

You're a hard-gainer. Bad strength genetics. Got the same problem to a lesser degree.

 

[Bojack]

JFL. I don’t have a six pack, and I look DYEL.

No guy looks good at 160-lb bench.

fek idk man. I'm in terrible ass shape anyway. I'd be stoned if i was doing a 160 ib bench chit right now

 

[jojoyou]

I had a good progress when I did ppl and my protocol was the first three days I I did strength training with pr weights and the next three days I did hyperthropy with slightly lesser weights than my pr. Also is your diet on point? Natty lifting needs perfect diet imo.

 

[traveler]

such is life

people take years to accumulate wealth then it goes away fast

 

[thecel]

such is life

people take years to accumulate wealth then it goes away fast

Facts, but strength isn’t supposed to go away this fast. Most guys can take a week or 2 off and keep their gains. Most guys don’t hit plateaus at 155–160 lb on the bench press.

 

[longjohnmong]

Is the program bad? What’s wrong with it?

It's too complicated. Just do Greyskull LP:

Greyskull LP: Best Powerbuilding Routine for Beginners (GSLP)

Greyskull LP is, hands down, the best beginner program to pack on muscle and increase strength as long as you make sure...

physiqz.com

Read the whole article because there's added accessory work. For accessories I do lateral raises, incline DB bench, DB rows, and wide grip pullups, and Lu raises, all 3 x higher reps, keep adding reps every workout until I get to like 3 x 12-20 depending on the lift, and then I add weight. I do the accessories on the opposite day of the main lift, so DB incline bench on same day as OHP, but I doubt it matters.

If you're plateauing though, it's 100% because you aren't eating enough, even on your routine. If you're not gaining weight, you're not eating enough. I do Lu raises on a different day than lateral raises though.

 

[thecel]

It's too complicated. Just do Greyskull LP:

Greyskull LP: Best Powerbuilding Routine for Beginners (GSLP)

Greyskull LP is, hands down, the best beginner program to pack on muscle and increase strength as long as you make sure...

physiqz.com

Read the whole article because there's added accessory work. For accessories I do lateral raises, incline DB bench, DB rows, and wide grip pullups, and Lu raises, all 3 x higher reps, keep adding reps every workout until I get to like 3 x 12-20 depending on the lift, and then I add weight. I do the accessories on the opposite day of the main lift, so DB incline bench on same day as OHP, but I doubt it matters.

If you're plateauing though, it's 100% because you aren't eating enough, even on your routine. If you're not gaining weight, you're not eating enough. I do Lu raises on a different day than lateral raises though.

Should I go on a cut for a few months and then bulk again? I don’t want to bulk right now because I already bulked 10 pounds and maintained a body fat percentage of around 20%, which is way too fat to look aesthetic.

 

[Corleone]

Try progressive overload.

 

[thecel]

Try progressive overload.

Have you tried Mewing?

 

[User49]

i haven’t tried for 2 months and regained strength in like a week

 

[Corleone]

Have you tried Mewing?

It helped me break through my plateaus. Just lowering the weight by 10% and then slowly increasing the weight again each week.

 

[thecel]

It helped me break through my plateaus. Just lowering the weight by 10% and then slowly increasing the weight again each week.

That’s like what’s I’ve been doing, except the lowering-the-weight part is involuntary because I lose strength and have to work back up (then hit the same plateaus).

 

[thecel]

i haven’t tried for 2 months and regained strength in like a week

Excellent genetics!

 

[Corleone]

That’s like what’s I’ve been doing, except the lowering-the-weight part is involuntary because I lose strength and have to work back up (then hit the same plateaus).

You mean you‘re lowering the weight during the same set to get your last reps in?

If you‘re doing that, start your next work-out with the weight you had to drop down to until you can comfortably complete a set and then increase it again on the next work-out.

 

[Truecel14]

It's because it's the estrogen you are taking bhai. Anyways what happened to the oneitis that you had and kissed. DId u end up fucking?

 

[Corleone]

It's because it's the estrogen you are taking bhai. Anyways what happened to the oneitis that you had and kissed. DId u end up fucking?

Thecel lost his kiss virginity?

 

[thecel]

You mean you‘re lowering the weight during the same set to get your last reps in?

I lower the weight from set to set. Like a top set and down sets. This isn’t the strength loss I’m talking about.

I’m talking about real strength losses. It happens even when I don’t take breaks (which I don’t do often, so consistency probably isn’t what’s causing my giant plateau).

Strength loss example:

6x195 , 4x200 , 5x205 , 5x210 , 3x215 , 6x215 , *Pow! Strength loss!* 2x220 , 3x215 , 5x210 , 4x215 , 5x215 , etc.

I lose a month’s progress when I take a week off training.

---

If you‘re doing that, start your next work-out with the weight you had to drop down to until you can comfortably complete a set and then increase it again on the next work-out.

What if I can’t increase the weight without going below the rep target?

Literally impossible for me to do 5 squat reps with 220 lb or heavier.

 

[thecel]

It's because it's the estrogen you are taking bhai.

Did you not read that I’ve been stuck on this plateau for MONTHS? I took estrogen for 3 days, and I plan to stop at 1 week. It’s a short-term hormone experiment.

 

[thecel]

Anyways what happened to the oneitis that you had and kissed. DId u end up fucking?

Nothing and no. I’m truecel. Your username is what I am.

 

[Pikabro]

Yeah it’s shit T levels and genetics. Plateauing at 160lbs isn’t THAT bad anyway. You can prob push up to 2 plate eventually.

 

[Max Frauder]

1. That's the worst program ever.
2. Congrats, brah - you've reached your natural limit.

 

[thecel]

2. Congrats, brah - you've reached your natural limit.

You’re joking.

 

[thecel]

1. That's the worst program ever.

Elab.

 

[Max Frauder]

You’re joking.

I wish I was, brah. I wish I was.

This is where you start looking into SARMS etc to take your dogshit genetics to the next level.

 

[thecel]

I wish I was, brah. I wish I was.

This is where you start looking into SARMS etc to take your dogshit genetics to the next level.

You really think the 1st major plateau is the time to hop on gear? Guys with bad genetics have lower strength ceilings, but rarely is anyone’s 1st plateau their genetic limit. Usually people progress through multiple plateaus before they reach their final genetic plateau.

 

[Max Frauder]

You really think the 1st major plateau is the time to hop on gear? Guys with bad genetics have lower strength ceilings, but rarely is anyone’s 1st plateau their genetic limit. Usually people progress through multiple plateaus before they reach their final genetic plateau.

C.
O.
P.
E!

 

[thecel]

C.
O.
P.
E!

Seriously bro, who can’t get through their 1st plateau? Every serious lifter gets past this.

 

[St.TikTokcel]

PSA: OP takes estrogen and is trannymaxxing

 

[The Grinch]

Estrogen Update : Day # 3

I feel fine now. Recovered from yesterday. https://looksmax.org/threads/2nd-day-on-estrogen-and-feel-sick.693581

looksmax.org

 

[thecel]

PSA: OP takes estrogen and is trannymaxxing

Estrogen Update : Day # 3

I feel fine now. Recovered from yesterday. https://looksmax.org/threads/2nd-day-on-estrogen-and-feel-sick.693581

looksmax.org

My weights have been stuck over several months. I took estrogen for a few days.

 

[Max Frauder]

Seriously bro, who can’t get through their 1st plateau? Every serious lifter gets past this.

Oh yeah I forgot...

OH WAIT!....everyone but you

 

[Mouthbreath]

You need to keep one or two reps in the tank.

Train the same muscle groups two times a week.

Stay in a caloric surplus.

Check your hormone levels (need atleast average testosterone levels)

Make sure to sleep enough.


I used to plateau all the time but I always managed to break them somehow by switching things up. I literally started plateauing at benching 50kg for reps, but I went on and benched 100kg half a year later.

 

[longjohnmong]

Should I go on a cut for a few months and then bulk again? I don’t want to bulk right now because I already bulked 10 pounds and maintained a body fat percentage of around 20%, which is way too fat to look aesthetic.

If that's what you need to do. In the long run it's not going to matter whether you cut now or cut more later. I guarantee if you do that program and actually eat enough to gain weight you'll blast through your plateau.