r/naturalbodybuilding

I work with a coach as a recreational bodybuilder and so I take check in photos every 2 weeks in a few standard poses for assessment. Every time I’m initially reviewing the photos I don’t really feel great about how I look. But it’s always a few days later when I’ll be scrolling back through my camera roll and get a glimpse of the previous check ins and then all of a sudden I’m like wait what I look f*ckin sick…but never feel that way immediately after taking them. It’s even crazier when I look at photos of me at my leanest…in the moment I never appreciated how lean I actually was. It’s not til later I look back and realize how sick I looked. I wish I could appreciate the way I look when I look the way I do if that makes sense. Anyone else the same way?

Low volume training has been promoted as perhaps superior or at least efficient for hypertrophy. One thing I don't see people discuss are other, non-hypertrophic benefits to training. For example, it seems like a low volume training would fail to develop or erode work capacity (ability to perform multiple sets/repeated bouts of effort within a short time window). Are there any other negative consequences? It seems like everyone just debates whether low volume or high volume is more effective for hypertrophy but what about other tangential effects?

Started in my teens doing random Muscle and Fitness Magazine workouts
Then did P90X
Then Did SS
Then did Kinobody/Leangains program
Then did PHAT
Then did John Meadows Creeping Death 2.0 twice and learned what a real BBing program feels like
Then did shit in prison improvising workouts based Creeping Death
Then did Built From Broken a bunch of times to fix injuries
Then did John Meadows Project Collosus

Then I said you know what? Instead of forcing my body to do these extreme high-intensity or high-volume or powershitting programs. Instead of forcing myself to do uncomfortable workouts because the program says so, Why don't I just do shit that feels good on my body? I have enough experience to know what I like.

Instead of being an autist about it, I'll just do 1-2 warmup sets per workout at 50% weight, then do 3-4 sets of 8-12, and apply intensity techniques where I feel like it.

And holy fuck guys I feel so much better. I'm glad I went through these brutal John Meadows programs to learn what my body is capable of, but I think after awhile you just gotta do what feels good in your body. Learn different intensity techniques, learn multiple exercises that hit the same muscle group, and just focus on mind-muscle activation.

Fuck forced progressive overload. Obsessing over higher numbers didn't make me gain more at a certain point. Learning to increase intensity and activation with the same weight through different techniques has been so much more satisfying and easier on my joints.

Last several years the few gyms I’ve had access to haven’t had a shoulder supported hack squat. I’ve just been progressing on smith squats and leg press.

At the new gym I’m going to it has a shoulder supported hack squat and man, it really does hit the quads different. Especially using a heel elevated platform wedge and going full rom smashing my hamstrings into my calves, it lights up my quads more than any of the other leg exercises I’ve done.

What equipment/machines are your gyms missing that kills you inside lol

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

For reference, I am quite lean, around 10-12 %bf, and have very defined abs, but my serratus are not that prominent. How do I make them more aesthetic/prominent? Looking for exercises specifically.

For reference I’m 27 and only been training consistently for a couple years. I’m very curious what those of you who have been doing this 10, 15, 20 plus years more than me would tell your younger self.

I am looking for some advice, and guessing off how I have seen this asked a lot on TikTok, is a common question, so I hope this helps others!

I am transitioning to a 9-5, corporate job in a new big city - how have others been able to track their nutrition without going off the rails? I can definitely weigh myself daily and get a trending average, but what methods do people use to stay on track with their nutrition? Their is definitely tracking using a food scale to the gram, which I have been doing during college... but at my previous internship, I got lunch during work at your average "sclop" bowl place like chipotle, etc. How do those meals get tracked when the scoops have so much variance in their portioning?

Any tips on top of how other's continue their physique goals is appreciated!

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

Hey guys, looking for a second opinion on which macro split to run for my cut.

Stats:

• 179lb, ~20% BF
• Natural lifter, been training for years, pretty much at my genetic ceiling
• Leanest was 176lb at ~10-11%, trying to get back there
• Cutting to 156lb, so about 14lb to lose

I've got two options I'm deciding between. Calories are virtually identical (difference of 26 kcal), so it really comes down to the macro distribution:

	Option 1	Option 2
Calories	1945	1971
Protein	185g	171g
Net Carbs	142g	160g
Fat	60g	55g

My thinking:

Protein wise, both are >= 1g/lb. I know the Morton meta-analysis shows the upper ceiling for MPS is around 0.73g/lb, and recent research on cutting athletes found no significant difference in muscle/strength retention between 0.6g and 1g/lb. So 171g is probably plenty. The extra 14g in Option 1 isn't doing much for MPS.

Fat wise, the general minimum for hormonal health should be ok with either option.

Carbs are the main difference – Option 2 has ~18g more per day. That's not a ton day-to-day against total glycogen stores (~400-500g), but over a 10-12 week cut, that extra carb intake could help with training energy and CNS function.

Option 1 has slightly more protein/fat which might help with satiety since protein and fat are more filling.

So what would you pick?

Part of me wants the extra carbs for performance, but I also know hunger is going to be brutal in the later weeks and the extra protein/fat might help with adherence.

Anyone with experience cutting from ~20% down to 10-12% as a natural – what worked better for you? More carbs for gym performance, or more protein/fat for satiety?

Appreciate any input.

This is going to be a long post so I'll try to be as concise as possible.

I (23M) have been weight training religiously since I was 17, yet I have made embarrassingly underwhelming gains. At 5'11 185 lbs and 15% bodyfat, I can barely bench my body weight. My lack of progress is starting to seriously impact my mental health and I just feel like working out is pointless now.

My entire life has revolved around the gym for the past 5 years and I have nothing to show for it. This is basically a last ditch cry for help in hopes that someone can maybe identify something wrong with my routine or give me some hope.

I have put in countless hours of research over the years and I feel that my training, diet, and lifestyle are highly optimal and should lead to muscle growth. I'll share my current setup now:

• Training: 5-day upper/lower split with an arm day. (upper, lower, rest, arm day, lower, upper, rest)
• Sleep: 8 hours of sleep almost every night.
• Diet: Animal-based diet including 2 lbs of red meat per day, raw dairy, eggs, and fruit, but I do eat sweet potatoes and some sourdough bread to get enough carbs for intense training. (I realize this diet may be controversial, say what you want but my protein/macros are immaculate). My maintenance calories is about 4000 so I aim for about 4400 when bulking.
• I do not consume alcohol, caffeine, or any drugs
• Supplements: magnesium, zinc, vitamin D, creatine, boron, L-glutamine, and pomegranate juice.
• Despite all of this optimization and more, I see my peers going out for pizza and beers every weekend and still gaining more than me. It is the most frustrating and defeating feeling.

Body composition/genetics:

I have always been skinny. My frame is naturally thin. I have tiny wrists, a narrow waist and shoulders, small hands, a small head, etc. I look like a basketball player but in a 5'11 frame.

I have always naturally been good at endurance sports. Despite never going on runs I could probably enter a 5k right now and finish with a great time. Yet I can't put on muscle in 5 years of training.

My metabolism is insanely fast. I have to eat everything in sight to try and gain weight.

All of this would point to me being an "ectomorph" but I don't know how much I buy into the body types theory or the idea of "bad genetics." As science seems to point towards that being a bunch of BS.

It feels like when I bulk I just put on fat, and when I cut, I just cut off that fat. I look the same at the end of it all.

Training:

Over my years of research and trial and error, I would argue that my training style is optimal, yet it has yielded no results.

I keep up with the current scientific literature, yet I take each study for what it is and balance that approach with the results-based advice of the classic bodybuilders.

Currently...

• I train hard as hell. To failure on almost every set.
• I mix up the rep ranges, balancing compound and isolation movements.
• I try to hit every muscle at least twice a week.

But I have tried EVERYTHING

Training to failure. Stopping just short of failure. Strength training. Hypertrophy training. 7-day splits. 3-day splits. High volume. Low volume. Lengthened partials. Constant tension.Dropsets. Science-based training. "Bro" science training. Full body. PPL. Arnold splits. Upper/Lower.

The biggest problem is that I am unable to follow progressive overload since I do not get stronger week to week. I cannot expose my muscles to heavier weights and greater stimulus because I am not able to lift any more than i did the previous session. I am unable to "shock" my muscles.

Strength: at 5'11 185 lbs, my PR's are 195 bench, 255 squat, and 8 body weight pull-ups.

This is pathetic and I know it. I have only increased my bench PR by 60 pounds since I first started lifting. I see high schoolers in my gym lifting more than me. I watch as beginners join my gym and quickly become bigger than me. I see people in my gym with awful form that are way more jacked than me and they look like they aren't even trying.

In college I would bring my friends into the gym and train with them, and they all quickly surpassed me in size and strength.

Theories

These are some things that could possibly explain why this has happened to me, and hopefully sharing them here will help me explore the validity of them

1) I wasted my beginner gains. At first, I avoided compound lifts and I also probably wasn't eating enough. Yet i worked out hard and often. Maybe I "lost" my beginner gains because my muscles matured and adapted to the stimulus, but I did not get bigger or stronger.

2) I require more stimulus than the average person. The few times I do notice a noticeable strength gain after a workout is when I do a new exercise for the first time, or I push INSANELY far past failure with multiple drop-sets and isometrics. These always make me experience DOMS, and I always notice growth after DOMS. However, training like this is does not seem sustainable.

3) My muscles adapt to stimulus but do not get stronger. I cannot "shock" my muscles because I am not getting stronger. My muscles are used to my workout and ready for more weight/stimulus, but I cannot give it to them because I am not gaining strength.

Say I bench 135 and hit failure at 12. The next session if I bench 135, I can't reach 13. I just hit failure at 12 again.

4) Bad genetics. I always hear "there's no such thing as bad genetics" but at this point I literally can't think of any other reason why I can't progress. It would actually be a relief if someone just told me I had bad genetics, because then I would finally have an answer.

5) metabolism is too fast. Even when I bulk it's very slow. Despite eating until I almost throw up every meal, maybe I just can't physically consume enough calories

Anyway sorry for the very long post I kind of needed to just get all of this off my chest as it is significantly impacting my mental health at this point. I put my time, money, sweat, and tears into the gym and nothing comes of it. I watch high schoolers bench more than me despite 5+ years of dedication.

If anyone can offer me any possible insight it would be very appreciated. I will literally try anything at this point.

TLDR: despite 5+ years of focused and intense bodybuilding training, I've failed to achieve significant results. Despite perfecting my diet, training, sleep, and lifestyle, I see high schoolers come into the gym within 6 months they can bench more than me. I feel like giving up, as I feel like I've tried everything and nothing seems to work.

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...