u/CourageLeChien

I applied a few months ago for an A1-level position at STATEC in Belval (I've just come out of a PhD that I did right next door, at LISER). I sat the written tests two weeks ago at the designated centre in Luxembourg City; there were 8 of us out of the 15 candidates originally called in, and to my great surprise (I thought I'd bombed the tests, which were quite numerous and varied), I was contacted two days ago to attend what is presumably the final interview.

Aside from the fact that getting this job is by no means a done deal, I wanted to know whether anyone on this thread has already worked as a civil servant or state employee in Luxembourg, and how it went for them, what you need to know, what they'd want to mention to anyone about to start working there.

I'm originally from France, I had planned to return after my PhD (it's the only degree I completed in Luxembourg, everything else in my academic career was done in Paris), but apparently, despite the overwhelming number of applications I've sent out in Paris, I've only had one positive response out of roughly sixty applications, and zero replies to ministerial positions equivalent to the one Luxembourg has called me back for (not to mention that I also received a positive response to sit a written interview at IGSS, which I ultimately chose not to attend since that position interests me less). What wage and working conditions would make it worth giving up Paris for Luxembourg, and vice versa? Has anyone faced this dilemma?

Thanks in advance for your precious insights!

Hi all! I've been training seriously for 4 years and I'm at a point where I'd genuinely value outside perspective from people who've seen unusual cases or who recognize the profile I'm about to describe. I'll try to be as factual as possible.

Background: Started lifting at 23 with zero athletic background. Currently 27, 73 kg, around 5'10". I went from 65 kg to 73 kg over the past few years through controlled bulks, with one successful cut from 75 kg to 65 kg in 2025 during which I lost almost no strength. So I know how to manipulate my body weight I guess?

Strength numbers (current working sets, not 1RMs): Squat 130 kg for 4×8. Stiff-leg deadlift 125 kg for 10. Weighted dips +40 kg for 12. Smith machine bench around 92 kg total bar weight for 10 reps stable. Pec deck 113 kg for 12. Vertical pulldown 109 kg for 9. Barbell row 102.5 kg for 9. Seated cable row 86 kg for 9. These are objectively advanced numbers for my body weight, and they've been progressing steadily for 4 years.

The problem: Despite this strength progression, my visual hypertrophy is minimal. I don't look like someone who has been lifting seriously for 4 years. I'm modestly muscled at best, and the gap between my strength and my appearance is striking enough that people are surprised when they hear what I lift.

The other anomaly: I don't feel my muscles working during exercises. I feel the load is heavy, I feel general effort and fatigue, but I have no localized muscle perception. When I do bench press I don't feel my chest specifically. I just feel "the weight is hard to push." If I didn't know intellectually which muscle is supposed to be working on a given exercise, I couldn't tell from sensation. To me, all upper body exercises are essentially "moving a load with my arms." I get faint pump on a few exercises and vague sensations during warm-ups, but nothing like what other lifters describe. I've trained with mind-muscle connection cues for years and they don't operationalize for me.

What I've already tried over 4 years: Different splits (full body, upper/lower, push-pull-legs, body part splits). Different volumes (low to high). Different frequencies (1× to 2× per muscle per week). Different rep ranges (5-8, 8-12, 12-20, occasional 100-rep sets). Drop sets, slow tempo, full ROM emphasis, isolation pre-exhaust. Different rest periods (1 min to 5 min). Properly tracking nutrition with adequate protein (~2 g/kg) and controlled bulks/cuts. Sleep is generally 7-8 hours.

Other context: Zero injuries in 4 years. Little joint pain which resorb in a few days. Strength gains have been disproportionate to muscle gains, well-preserved during my cut, which seems to line up with a neurally-driven phenotype. I started lifting at 23 with no prior sport, so no developmental window of varied physical activity in childhood/adolescence (some think it is important, so I'm emphasizing that aspect)

My current working hypothesis: Some combination of: modest hypertrophic response genetics, type II dominant fiber profile, late start with no developmental athletic base. The lack of muscle perception isn't the cause of poor hypertrophy but probably a parallel symptom of the same underlying biology.

Here are my questions:

1. Has anyone here trained with someone matching this profile : strong, no muscle sensation, no injuries, minimal visible hypertrophy after 4+ years of serious training? What worked or didn't?
2. For low responders specifically: did intensification (true failure on isolations, higher volume, stretch-mediated work) actually move the needle, or did it just produce marginal improvements?
3. Is there any value in pursuing things like blood work, DEXA scans, or other diagnostics before assuming this is just genetic and recalibrating my goals?
4. Honestly : is the strength-focused path (powerlifting, strength sports) probably a better fit for someone with my profile than continuing to chase hypertrophy that may not be in the cards naturally?

I'm not looking for "just eat more bro" or "you need to feel the muscle" answers, I've heard them. I'm looking for diagnostic input from people who've seen unusual cases, low responders specifically, or who recognize this configuration. Thanks for reading!!