this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2025
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Hey I am kind of feeling sad right now.

I started working out in December 2024 and since then I am consistantly in the gym. I started off with Full Body for a month but got bored and did a Upper Lower Split for maybe 6 weeks and then I swapped to PPL.

I ran PPL 6x a week.

My workout I could just say was (imo) on the lower end (Push had 2 Chest, 1 Shoulder, 1 Triceps // Pull had 1 Vertical 1 Horizontal 1 Shoulder (Face Pulls basically) and 1 Bicep exercise and Legs I did Barbell Squats, Leg Curls, Extensions, Calf Raises and 1 Ab Exercise)

I am still SKINNY. I mean not skinny my chest and belly are still fat and my arms and legs skinny.

What I changed in diet: Increased Protein intake from never ever tracking in my life to 2.2 g per kg bodyweight. I cut out most crap but still it bad stuff cause I need kcal to gain muscle. I try to eat healthy 3000 kcal a day but its hard but I always have my 2.2g of protein a day in me. The lowest I tracked was 4 months ago 1.55 gramm protein. The highest I had was a month ago with 2.9g of protein per kg bodyweight.

I started at 83.9 kg, droped to 76.5 kg (kcal reduced to 2100-2300) and now I am back to 80 kg after I increased kcal a month and half ago to 3000 kcal.

I am still benching only 22.5 kg (8 reps) dumbbells. I started at 15 kg which is already nothing (male, 32 years old) now. I started Lat Pulldowns at about 30 kg now I am at 73 kg (6 reps)

What am I doing wrong? How can a body (again I am a 32 year old male) only bench 60 kg (Barbell Flatbench Press) for 3 Reps??

Its depressing. People start off at 60 kg. I worked my way to 60 kg and thats considered beginner lift. And I cant even do 4 reps lol.

My genetics are so bad I honestly dont know what to do at this point.

Maybe PPLPPL is too much and I am not recovering properly? But its only 4 exercises day. And I dont even feel tired after training - despite not even being able to lift another rep. People say you should feel exhausted after training. I think if Id go back to the gym I can do another 9 reps of my last weight. But I cant do more than 9 reps of something if my energy is gone.

Today I did Cable Hammer Curls (38 kg…) 11 Reps, then 8 in my second set and in my third set I made 6 reps. It wasnt possible to get 7. I squeezed so hard to try to get the 7 but it wasnt possible. I took a shower, came back to the cable machine and did 9 reps of hammer curls with 38 kg. So I didnt train to failure earlier?

I just want to look decent and not skinny anymore. I need help…

Going to the gym isnt actually the problem at this point. I am so ready for my workouts I cant wait to go again. A reason why I prefer PPLPPL over Upper Lower or Full Body cause I have time to be in the gym every day for 1-2 hours (my workouts currently with these 4-5 exercises only 50 minutes per workout though) but Id have time for more if it was worth it.

Edit: Yeah it might look like progress my Lat Pulldown 30 kg to 73 kg (6 reps) but how am I even sure if I wasnt able to do 73 kg in december 2024 already? I never tried it. I just started off at 30 kg. I remember the 30 kg feeling quite hard, but just by looking in the mirror Id say I didnt gain strength/ muscle at all. My wife says I look wider but I think she is just wanting me to feel proud lol. I slightly remember trying to Bench Press the Barbell (20 kg at my gym) and did a few reps and added 5 kg left and right (so 30 kg) but I eventually instantly switched to Dumbbells cause I had no spotter and was alone most of the time in the gym and didnt want to die early by weights squooshing me. But I also never really bench marked my barbell bench.

Also the shame kicked in. Had 13/14 year olds benching 60 kgs while I was just benching the bar. So I made my final switch to dumbbells and started benching when no one was at the gym.

Today the same 16 year old started his warm ups with 30 kg dumbbells. I get it, he is strong asf but he is 16 years younger than me. I cant even pick up the 25 kg dumbbells and place them properly to start benching lol.

Not even judging him, I am judging me. I wonder how unnormal this is that a male my age cant bench 25 kg dumbbells.

Am I delusional or in a bubble? Maybe 22.5 kg is okay and I am just on the wrong side of youtube and the gym? Is 22.5 kg really that bad? lol.

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[–] sunoc@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 months ago

I don’t have the conversions on top of my head for what 85% of 5RM represents exactly (around 70% of 1RM?), but that sounds maybe a bit “low” for strength?

But if you can go to failure between 5 and 15 reps, again, with great form, that should do! 👍 And if your issue to start with was the volume, then yeah, going for more reps will help.