I’m not getting the results I feel I should be

So, Jared asks, “I've been in the gym for 3 months and don’t feel like I'm making much progress.”

As someone who has been training for a decade, previously competed in powerlifting, has a decent physique, and has tried various programs and training methodologies over the years, including coaching others, I have a strong perspective from personal experience to answer questions like these.  

Additionally, over the past 3 years, my relentless commitment to maximizing my own progress and my passion for aiding my subscribers has resulted in many long days and nights of research. And being a health obsessed engineer (with OCD) and backdoor access to the most cutting edge scientific literature, i've dived deeper into these topics than most people ever could, 

allowing me to approach questions like these with a scientific perspective as well.

Training

Three months of lifting is still in the beginner stage, and you should be able to get away with training nearly any way and still achieve progress since you are experiencing a new stimulus.

However, whether you are training for strength or muscle, there are some key principles you should adhere to.

This includes incorporating big compound movements since these are easier to progressive overload on compared to isolation exercises and will create a solid foundation of muscle and strength. We want to focus on lifts such as standing overhead press, bench press, deadlift, squats, pull-ups, muscle-ups, push-ups, dips, etc. these type of lifts utilizing free weights or movements in which our whole body is moving through space will engage more stabilization muscles, which has been shown to lead to a more significant acute increase in serum testosterone concentrations ¹ which may potentially enhance androgen receptor sensitivity, optimizing hypertrophic adaptations from the workout, and growth hormone concentrations ², which is crucial for connective tissue healing, one aspect of our recovery. 

If your goal is to build muscle in specific body parts, consider incorporating isolation movements. However, remember that these should complement, not overshadow, the main focus of your workout.

Keep a workout log.

Even if it means just using a basic notepad app on your phone that lists the exercise performed, weight, reps, and sets. We will use this data to create goals for our next workout.

For example, our goal should be to add an extra rep to our set(s), or if we move up in weight, we want to hit it for a number of reps that are an improvement. 

We can use this formula to ensure that our next workout's goal weight and reps are an improvement:

Formula:

Weight x Reps x 0.0333 + Weight = estimated 1 rep max.

Example:

Let's say you do 100 lbs x 10 reps. Your estimated 1 rep max is 133.3 lbs. Your next workout could be 100x11 or a higher weight and fewer reps, so long as it equals higher than an estimated 1 rep max of 133.3.

115x5 equals an estimated 1 rep max of 134.1, so it would be a slight improvement over 100x10.

If you are doing multiple sets on your compound lifts, make sure that each set in your next workout is an improvement from your last workout, or at the very least, ensure that 1 of your sets is an improvement.

While the goal should always be to improve, it won't always be possible every workout, and that's okay! Progression is not always linear; otherwise, everyone would be able to just keep getting stronger forever.

What's most important is that you can continue to make improvements over time.

• If you would like us to design a custom training program for you, you can sign up for our limited coaching.

Nutrition:

There is a lot you can do here to optimize your results. First off, you should avoid a vegan diet if you want the best results since it's associated with reduced muscle mass ³.

You should also avoid keto. Contrary to what you may think, keto lowers muscle protein synthesis, since carbs are required to prevent the increase in glucagon from a high protein diet ⁴, and high glucagon oxidizes leucine, which lowers mtor ⁵. Keto also raises cortisol response to stress ⁶, and reduces thyroid hormones ⁷ which are crucial for maintaining high testosterone levels. 

So, a good diet will consist of all macronutrients, including protein, carbs, and fats. However, not just any protein, carbs, or fats – as is often justified with certain diet styles such as 'IIFYM' (if it fits your macros).

The food you eat truly matters…

This is because it's important to get all the micronutrients we need, avoid endocrine disruptors, and consume specific types of foods that support high testosterone levels, insulin sensitivity, and keep inflammation under control. The full depth of this is beyond the scope of this article and is covered in our testosterone maximization course. However, you should focus on whole foods and eliminate certain foods covered in our '5 things to avoid' post, such as flaxseed, fast food, processed foods, and soy.

I recommend consuming the right foods, monitoring your weight, and adjusting portion sizes depending on whether you want to lose or gain weight. Make sure you are eating to support your training goals.

Recovery:

After our training, we need to take enough time for our muscles and central nervous system to recover from the stress we have placed on them. This is not instant, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Your recovery speed will depend on many factors such as:

Your workout split

How much training volume and intensity

Your training experience

Your genetics

Your nutrition

Supplementation

Rest

Stress levels

And, of course, your hormones, like testosterone.

If you are someone who always pushes hard, and doesn't get adequate rest, you may find yourself overtrained. Difficulty progressing, persistent soreness when entering a workout, and developing more aches and pains are warning signs that you may not be recovering sufficiently from your workouts.

My advice is to listen to your body and take that extra day of recovery if you genuinely feel like you need it because it will only serve to benefit you in the end. Just be honest with yourself. If you are feeling good, then train.

Don't shortchange your sleep either, as it's crucial for your recovery. Not only do your muscles and CNS adaptations take place while asleep, but it's also crucial for testosterone levels. Anything less than 6 hours of sleep a night has been shown to decrease testosterone levels ⁸. So, make your sleep a priority.

Hormone optimization and the right supplementation can help give you an edge.

Many people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to results. When we look at social media, we see the best of the best: guys with elite genetics who are taking drugs and have been training for many years…

But it's understandable that unless you truly enjoy the process of working out, you want to get the maximum results possible from the hard work you are putting into it.

Dopamine and testosterone optimization can go a long way towards making the process easier and more enjoyable, through increasing your motivation ⁹ and reducing fatigue ¹⁰.

But optimizing your hormones CAN HELP you get more results out of your training as well. Testosterone has been shown to increase muscle growth and strength ¹¹ and so has dopamine ¹². Optimizing your hormones can go a long way in enhancing your training. 

I have also personally struggled with low testosterone in my mid-20s just a few years ago, and so I experienced the profound impact it had on maintaining physical gains. 

In our testosterone maximization course, we delve into solutions to "the mainstream masculinity meltdown", Empowering you to unlock the full potential of masculinity and reclaim high testosterone levels.

Conclusion

Have Patience, stay the course, make sure you are progressively overloading your training, and that your nutrition and recovery is on point. 

Unleash your vigor and conquer your limits,

-Brenden Henry