How To Tell If You Are GAINING Muscle

[@Yupppi]

I figured out. If my muscles are bigger, I've gained muscles.

[@barcelomrozovic1625]

For me it's more like... if my muscles are bigger, I must have measured incorrectly

[@ze3bar]

​@@barcelomrozovic1625 underrated comment lol

[@nightwolf9951]

Write that down! Write that down!!!

[@alsalazar4826]

You must be a doctor or have a PhD, I deadasss never knew that

[@fignewtoneater]

It’s impossible to tell

[@jnf1283]

If you're natural, you're going to gain muscle at a slower rate. Patience is key. Your telltale sign is that you're consistently getting stronger, even if you don't appear to be getting any bigger.

[@SirDeeznuts]

Yeah bwoi

[@mattakudesu]

​@@dale2283 Nah, I can do it in 1

[@dale2283]

@@mattakudesu

[@N182-k3f]

⁠@@mattakudesunot naturally

[@kane6529]

@@N182-k3fdude in my first year of lifting I out on at least 20 pounds of muscle and lifts nearly doubled and yes it indeed was naturally. It’s a wide wide spectrum. In one year I looked like a bodybuilder and was accused of juicing. That said I’m 5’6” and stocky with an athletic wrestler build so 180 with abs at that height is pretty big but obviously nowhere near what an enhanced guy is

[@Shon52]

Gaining muscle keeping you big as hell

[@rippedkun]

Aint that the truth

[@cursorjustvanished]

literally

[@JasonBrand79]

It’s not funny

[@josezamora3365]

Winner:D

[@Shon52]

@JasonBrand79 Saying it’s not funny when thousands of people say it is keeping you big as hell

[@Wolverine-g-blaze4]

Never skip skull day

[@youngrav2311]

😂

[@Rat_Attack]

underrated comment. I could not stop laughing

[@affanthinks]

Lemme join with you , I just CANTTTT​@@Rat_Attack

[@Alyssa501]

hahahahahahHAHAHAHA

[@deltoids1151]

warrior skull brah

[@BulkBrogan.]

Dude was on track to gain 26lbs in a year and thought it wasn't fast enough lmao

[@quentonnankivell956]

Had same conversation with 18yr old at gym that's not happy with his build, kid has put on 20kg/ 40lbs in 2 years,

[@rushifaz]

Omg, I'm afraid then :( I gain like 26lbs in 3 months (and my lifting weight is going up also), but I think is too fast for what I see in comments, I should reduce calories 😵‍💫

[@stockdoc9384]

@@rushifaz😂😂😂 that’s fat boy status tbh

[@debsaye3360]

that was me 😂😂. I gaines 40 lbs in 9 months when I was 21. Insane muscle gains too I literally had skin stretchmarks

[@HookersAndCoke]

Seeing this makes me feel better and makes me realize I gotta just do it for the long haul. Was 25/26 when I gained like 40 pounds in one year. Went from 140 to 180. Here I was thinking I’d gain so much faster and I was going slow, but maybe I’m doing just fine. Had stretchmarks on my biceps and forearms. Pretty lean too. Probs don’t have much body fat to begin with either. Thanks gents 💪gonna keep it up

[@motherlove8366]

Honestly, knowing Dr Mike, I 100% anticipated that first sentence to end up in “how do you know you’re not gay?”

[@iwatchkittenvids45]

🤣🤣🤣

[@ethangorman5685]

There's really only one golden fleece way of figuring that out

[@-coolerlegothings-9784]

Being gay keeping you big as hell

[@repo636]

how do you know? you're not gay? ning muscle.

[@BlakeWrobbel]

@@ethangorman5685gotta have sex with a woman. then a man. then compare

[@therealdonaldtrumpjr]

“How can I tell if I am putting on muscle?” “Can you lift more?”

[@taylorhillard4868]

Yeah but it can be confusing because just getting fatter can make you stronger too....somehow. like, the strongest guys in the world aren't bodybuilders. It's the strongmen guys that are fat as heck. I know when I went on a crazy bulk I got wicked strong. And as soon as I lost 40lbs on a controlled deficit, I also lost a lot of that strength even though I kept most of the muscle.

[@SuomenPaska]

I've worked out consistently for a year now and all across the board I've had really good strength gains but I still feel like I mostly look the same. My bench 1rpm was 65kg when I started and now I can hit 110kg on a good day, but I don't think I look like someone who can bench that much. Maybe its all in my head, idk

[@shredgod6394]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@taylorhillard4868 At a super low body fat% you do lose strength. But that’s because your body fat is too low. Not because more fat = more strength. Strongmen competition guys never cut nor use “cardio” exercises so they don’t need to worry about shedding fat nor do they do it as part of their training

[@taylorhillard4868]

@@shredgod6394 I wouldn't call 20% "super low" bodyfat. That's what I was at when I lost my strength compared to my bulk.

[@shredgod6394]

@@taylorhillard4868 Dude if you were cutting you were literally on a caloric deficit. No shit your performance went down. Or your dietary choices lowered T levels. Or you can make up something that has zero scientific basis in reality and assume that carrying excess body fat makes you stronger ✌🏻

[@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz]

Another reason why documenting your progress is important. What you eat, what and how many times you lift, what you weigh, everything. Not only can it help you diagnose an issue if it comes up, but it also helps you remember the big picture when youre doubting yourself day to day.

[@switchunboxing]

Yup I didn’t think I had been getting stronger but I went back 3 months in my log and yeah damn I’m stronger.

[@TomoHawKzZ]

I track all my exercises and track my bodyfat, skeletal muscle and overall weight every month, but I can't be assed to track food every day. I did it before when I had less responsibilities and more time and I got good results out of it and got a "feel" for how much food to eat but I'm getting good results now without it too. I'll do a rough check every once in a while to make sure that day is roughly where I expect it to be and move on.

[@wn6694]

Nah that stresses me out. I don’t want that shit.

[@NRG2]

Just look at the people doing that….. if you want to be like them, by all means, go ahead and join the herd.

[@matthewcreelman1347]

It applies to pretty much all athletic disciplines too. I had a moment of that today. I did a 25k long run this morning. And after I was done, I was like “huh, my average pace for a long easy fasted run today is a bit faster than what had been my half marathon personal best two and a half years ago.” I don’t always feel faster, but I am quite a bit faster.

[@ivanildocafu3452]

Gains are built while you're *SLEEPING* turn 📴 your device and sleep 8 hours!!

[@enraikow6109]

If i sleep 4h in 2 days, does that count?

[@thatneo4133]

@@enraikow6109 ur cooked

[@jackoblllllllll]

@@enraikow6109find a comfortable coffin

[@shreyasiyer2718]

Thank you I really needed that 😭

[@lvtcs]

@@enraikow6109 Several reasons why that’s not ideal for most people. There are 4 cycles when you sleep. Protein synthesis is the most active once you achieve deep sleep (stage 3), when HGH is released in its highest quantity. Interrupting this cycle at any point means you start over at N1 (stage 1), further meaning you’re cutting your repair time short. Additionally, it could throw off circadian rythm, which can distort your sleep cycle entirely and thus less deep sleep. Also, interrupted sleep leads to a lower quality of sleep, which decreases metabolism during sleep. Metabolism includes anabolism (synthesizing) and catabolism (breaking down). So, not only do you synthesize less overall, you’re going to have less energy available. TLDR: Sleep is when most bodily repair occurs, interrupting it will decrease overall repair. Interrupted sleep can also lead to deficiencies in other bodily processes. If all that muscle you break down during your workout only gets slightly repaired, you’re either going to not gain muscle or you’re going to lose muscle.

[@Generallygeneral]

Progressive overload is so important

[@executiveinvestments]

Lol. Ok noob

[@PatrickBall7]

@@executiveinvestments?

[@executiveinvestments]

@@PatrickBall7 noob

[@KalkuehlUncut]

People say that word like its something you can just do. Alot of people hit a plateau and then progressive overload is not possible. Some even lose strength.

[@xxora6568]

@@KalkuehlUncutgotta eat more or PR in reps

[@eddie1975utube]

I don’t even lift but I feel I get stronger just listening to this guy.

[@SolareofAstora]

Y not

[@ODJames1]

Come with us brother

[@eddie1975utube]

@@SolareofAstora I do body weight exercises… push-ups, pull-ups, squat kicks, indoor rock climbing, yoga, karate, rollerblading, mountain biking and rev+flow. Never really got into weights and they are more injury prone.

[@eddie1975utube]

@@ODJames1 thanks man. My kids say I should lift. I never got into it and to be honest my almost 50 year old back kind of dreads it. I am pretty active with body weight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squat kicks, indoor rock climbing, karate, yoga, rollerblading, mountain biking, rev+flow. I’d like to do Jiu-Jitsu as well but the schedule is full and the budget is maxed.

[@SolareofAstora]

@@eddie1975utube ur worried about ur back cuz ur almolst 50 and ya itll b sore if u squat and deadlift but itll make ur back stronger so u dont have those issues when ur acrually old

[@dimr1088]

I needed to hear this.

[@benriley7053]

Man, thanks for this. I'm working really hard to change. Losing a lot of weight, 92lbs so far and I've been really frustrated that my weight loss has stalled, but I've been getting stronger. A lot stronger by my own standards at least. I needed this reminder to think about muscle gains and not just fat loss. Too easy to get fixated on number go down.

[@richardevensen4864]

Keep up the good work👍💪 You doing a great job👍 Keep comparing yourself strength-wise.Don't compare yourself to others.Be proud of yourself😊👍Over 90 lbs in weight loss is insanely good💪💪👌💯 You give me motivation to keep working out💪Thank you👍💪💯

[@tonycj7860]

Sometimes taking periodic pictures to compare helps. Oh and don't forget taping yourself. For example, if you're losing inches off the belly, but gaining them on the chest, arms, etc. then you're on the right track. P.S. Good job on the 90lbs. Keep it up.

[@richardevensen4864]

@@tonycj7860 I agree👍.Take measurements of the belly,chest and if the belly get smaller and the chest bigger.Then you do something that really works👍💪Very good advice 👍💪💯

[@profilingmanipulation]

👌🙏💯💕

[@ShawnFumo]

And generally after you’ve been working out for a while, it isn’t very efficient to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time. That’s why people often move between bulking and cutting, though neither has to be super extreme. But generally you try to keep muscle during the cut (and probably won’t make tons of progress) and gain muscle during the bulk. Also be careful trying to lose for too long in a row. You’ll be more likely to lose muscle and get fatigued and have a rebound. If you lose for 12 weeks, probably want to stop and stay at maintenance calories for at least like 9 weeks before trying to lose more again (unless you’re going to bulk instead of trying to lose more again). Dr. Mike (the guest one, since they’re both Dr. Mike lol) had some good in depth videos on diet stuff.

[@marcosramos5117]

I also just look in the mirror-if I’m not shocking myself 2-3 times a year at how much more jacked I’m looking especially after a good pump then I’m effing up somewhere.

[@BurnerTurner]

It feels so good too, especially when you get that good lighting and pump. Then the next day feel small again and must get pump.

[@aca347]

keep in mind it should be the same mirror with the same light conditions btw. light really changes how your body looks. I look fucking ripped in the mirror at my brother's house for some reason and when I look at my beach photos it's more like "meh slightly athletic I guess"

[@BurnerTurner]

@@aca347 body dysmorphia=engaged. Thank you sir

[@aca347]

@@BurnerTurner anytime 💪

[@bannana5563]

A year?! I do that every workout

[@TriniTsunami]

Good luck with your fitness journeys everyone. ❤

[@sotacoresabreenav]

❤

[@patriciav6710]

❤❤❤

[@orioncrawford9618]

This actually noting and tracking your process is so important. I got myself big into excel for that reason. And really hit nicely when you add charts

[@dust_to_dust]

I love it. So factual and confirming. Trust reality, the visual results don't show up as quickly as the functional ones.

[@jeremiaha5167]

Mike is my new favorite dude on YT when it comes to working out He talks about those things the way I do when I talk to people. Straight, concise, no BS, often motivating/inspiring and funny when possible. I truly enjoy his videos.

[@rockyevans1584]

No idea why that's worth sharing but you're way off in calling Mike straight so I'll assume you talk as straight as Mike does 😊

[@jeremiaha5167]

@@rockyevans1584 - Straight meaning efficient and direct. Without milking the video length or weird cringy ego stuff. I don't know if Mike is actually straight. As for whether it was worth sharing - It was more worth sharing that your quasi-funny comment was.

[@rockyevans1584]

@jeremiaha5167 dang, don't explain yourself dude haha. Mike's got a wife, he just loves gay jokes. I made a little joke regarding said gay jokes to bring you off your high horse a bit there. All good

[@jeremiaha5167]

@@rockyevans1584 - Ah. I see. Sorry, bud. I thought it was another weirdo saying something akin to "nobody asked" as people tend to do online. I enjoy Mike's jokes a lot. YT is full of fitness people trying to be something. He's just a solid dude.

[@deangelisdata]

Isn’t this Dane white?

[@stevieboy7075]

I love Mike, been in the hole recently myself after quickly losing 45 pounds and struggling to drop below 240 pounds, but I go back and look at my bicep curl when I started and struggling to do 15 pounds for 12 good reps, now I’m repping 30 pounds for 12

[@michaellove6349]

Body dysmorphia is so real. You could be huge as shit and putting on half a pound a week, and still look in the mirror and go “man i’m not gaining shit”.

[@CyraxxMedia]

Going to gym without tracking is like going on a diet without a scale or counting calories, its so important your future self will be thankful

[@vmdenis3350]

Started push ups (again) 2 weeks ago, was able to do 50, now i can do 40 in one set and max 120 before i cant push un any more. Definitely growing if i can jiggle them without touching

[@coolbeans4399]

I'm 1.5 months into my bulk starting at 185lbs 13% body fat New lifter My god I'm lifting more and more and my ass is rock solid now 😂

[@mikehawk2887]

Dude I’m bulking but I’ve lost 20 pounds in 3 weeks I can’t tell if I’m somehow totally wrong with calories or like terminally ill 😂

[@coolbeans4399]

@@mikehawk2887 I have IBS so it's a huge battle with digestion But I'm up 2.5 lbs since starting Maybe you need to up your calories

[@rockyevans1584]

​@@mikehawk2887that's an extreme cut, not a bulk silly

[@executiveinvestments]

Fucking noobs.

[@SeleniumBalls]

Damn bro are you 6'5?? 185 at 13% is insane

[@johnw3952]

Thanks for this, I'm an older lifter and my gains happen very slowly. If I gain a couple of reps or add 5 lbs in a month, I don't hark back to when I lifted in my 20s, even though that's where my mind naturally goes, I try to think it's a gain and any gain, usually in reps, or total sets, is a positive.

[@sdweim85]

I'll have to remember this. I always used to workout and get so frustrated I couldn't see it in the mirror, but i was increasing in gains. Felt like nothing was happening, but something was.

[@StraightGuyStraightTalk]

Happy he said this. I always thought I was getting stronger but not putting on mass. So what he saying makes total sense.

[@VegaIllusion]

This is why I have an excel sheet on my phone tracking and planning every session, and also rating my performance based on my subjective experience during the session. It keeps me motivated but it also gives me good feedback on my progress, my diet, my state of mind, my energy/sleep, and even my physical condition especially in cases where I had to take a larger break between sessions. The best part is that all of this is rather low effort to keep track of.

[@thatboyunfazed99]

I'm always going off body weight exercises as an additional indicator. When you can do same reps or even more at pullups, dips etc. after gaining weight you are at a great spot. Went from 180 lbs to 196 lbs within 2 months and held my reps while drastically increasing weights on barbells. Once the body weight exercises are getting gruelling it's the sign to slow down.

[@bluecommand]

Was sure he was gonna say 'how do you know you're not gay?'

[@xn9333]

He looks like a lovely human pitbull 🤗

[@shotgunmasterQL]

I'm not going to the gym, but I work out at home (almost) daily. When I started and when I saw the largest increase in strength early on, my weight went up by 3kg in 4-6 weeks maybe, which I thought was crazy, and after that my weight has sort of seesawed but also gone slightly down gradually. I'm again about the same weight as when I started and I no longer gain weight, but do gain muscle (just slower than at the beginning). It's definitely some of the fat going away, I'm not obese but I'm a bit overweight for sure.

[@darrenjohncapalb]

I love the logic and your analysis Dr. Mike! I love your sense of humour! You are the main man!

[@DrJohnnyJ]

If your weight goes up and your waist stays the same you have gained muscle.

[@MitchellWells-s9f]

Honestly. It's not always that if your reps Strength is increasing, that you've actually increased muscle size. Your CNS also makes new neural pathways during resistance training to help develope muscle fiber recruitment along with coordination in movement. You can increase your 1RM without gaining a lbs of muscle.

[@bendodd2405]

100% right what he says at the end Strength and neural adaptation always precede muscle gain, its just most people don't stay at a weight long enough to adapt muscular wise. If you can lift a weight one time and increase it to 4,5,6 etc then your gaining strength but then people put more weight on and lift heavier which only forces the body to adapt neurologicaly again, skipping the whole muscle building process every cycle. You need to lift for strength first then stick with the same weight but increase the reps or slow then down to allow the body to build muscle before forcing it to just adapt for strength again

[@lrom5445]

Is that right? I'm no expect, I'm still in the beginner phase of my fitness journey, but that doesn't quite match up with what I was understanding there. It sounded like to me he was saying that the neuro adaption has a limit and if someone still going up in lifting weight they have to be adding muscle at some point. I get what you are saying about going in reps, and I don't know how people are able to keep raising the weight repeatedly. I have to increase reps for a while before I'm ready for the next weight level. I just think if someone is somehow able to keep climbing in the weight they are lifting, they either have to be gaining muscle or they weren't anywhere near the weight they should have been lifting.

[@motorbreath22]

Yeh it doesn't make sense to me the longer you lift at the same weight the more efficient you become at that weight and your body used less energy to lift the same weight, progressive overload is more reps, more load or both. I think what he is trying to say you need your body to 'catch-up' to your workouts as in it gets easier cause you're building more muscle at same weight and reps but it might be after three workouts at same reps and weight you're probably on muscle maintainance at that point.

[@RobinJohnsson1000]

Nah, that Ben dude is out swimming with the fish, he made no sense what´s so ever in what he typed.

[@terminaldeity]

People tend to increase weight too quickly. People at the gym think I'm a madman for doing sets of 15-20 reps, but can't argue with results.

[@victorolson6051]

It depends on the workouts, genetics, diet, etc Another factor could be influencers using roids but arent open about it.

[@MUIDYLANICE]

Maybe, but if what he was saying was true and he actually wasn't gaining weight it could've been hyperthyroidism, not the case here obviously but it's not too uncommon that it's not worth mentioning.

[@tmadlegionsoul3255]

2lbs of muscle is the average amount of muscle you CAN build naturally per MONTH. Other things that change weight: bowel movements, water retention, fat gain/loss.

[@p.gin3955]

I started working out in November 2023, so about six months now (although i didn't workout much throughout the December holidays), I'm a 23yo dude, 166cm tall (5'5") and I was 75kg when i started. I was steadily loosing weight and got to 72kg about 3 months in, and from that point on I started gaining weigh and I'm currently 77kg, which is the most I've ever weighed In my life. Im pretty happy with the journey and I dont "look" fat by any mean but i still have some belly and side fat that I want to get rid of. Was this a normal transformation or could it have been any better? I think Its fair to mention that Im not really counting my calories but I've been trying to hit my daily protein goals which is about 100g of protein a day, I have 3 meals a day. My workout split is PPL x Arnold split. Moday: Chest & Triceps Tuesday: Back & Biceps Wednesday: Legs & Core Thursday: Arms Friday: Chest & Back Saturday: Shoulders & core Sunday: Rest People would say that this is a lot for a beginner but I wasn't weak by any means... for example my max bench press the first day was 55 kg for 2 reps, and seated row was 70kg for reps... five-ish months in and my strength has improved a lot and Im slowly looking better.

[@suren123a]

How much do you bench now

[@p.gin3955]

@@suren123a most ive done is 75

[@varietyryan]

i’d recommend 2/3x a week full body , I started working out for the first time 6 months ago too and have made unbelievable gains from 10-25 sets a week. I bulked from 165-170lb to 208lb in a few months and then cut down to 190lb at 13% bf i’m going to bulk again just leaner I want to at least be 200lbs personally.

[@Grant421]

Ngl ur split is kinda trash... only one leg day?? No wonder ur progress is that slow... u aren't training efficiently enough. U only lost 3kgs in 3 months? On average u should have lost 6kgs in 3 months. That's 2kgs a month of weight loss and 0.5kgs a week. I went from 90kg to 75kg in 4 months. My muscles got bigger but my waiste size got smaller and I got shredded. My arms and legs r bigger at 75kg than what it was at 90kg. Try upper lower split.

[@AntonioBressi-e8m]

Something happend to me that i really cant explain. Ive been training all my life at the gym and martial arts/mma Always had a decent shape holding steady at around 210lbs Going down to 200-205lbs in the summer and maybe 215lbs in the winter. Around 11 to 15% BF depending on how i feel and train. For the last 15+ years very stable im this numbers! I started a business that was very time demanding so i completely stopped training for 8months! While still eating healthy and working pretty physically! Last month i started training again. And started a very light cycle same one ive pretty much always run. Test E tren and some oral winny all very very low dose. Only training 3days a week when i usually train 5 or even 6 days a week!! And only short 40min sessions since im still short in time! And shockingly i went from 207lbs 17” arms 14%bf To 234lbs 19” arms 12% BF IN ONLY 33days! Barley enough time for my cycle to start kicking in! Eating the exact same diet and weighed portions that ive used to do! Im huge! Was nvr this big ever! But so much changed from what i usually do and ive had 8month break! Could it be the break? Or dropper to 3days a week 40min a day??? Or a cycle after being off for 8months?? Im completely shocked! Now i decided to fast for 48hours to see what would happen and i only dropped 2lbs in 48hrs! Im lean and hard asf! I can not explain what happened and i feel like if i continue i could probably grow because evryday i follow my meal plan i gain weight constantly! Can anyone explain Wtf is happening The most ive ever weighed was 221lbs and had to really eat like crazy 24/7 to actually keep that size! And i was chubby around 16-17% bf! The second i fasted 48hrs i dropped 5lbs! I really had to push hard to stay that weight! Now no effort and im staying over 230! Im sure this week i could hit 240lbs if i wanted too! Pls advice??!!!

[@Ultrainstinct81633]

needed this thanks ❤️

[@macgyvervanschwartzenstall4662]

This struggle is real. My son eats about 8,000 calories a day (7,000 if a lot of activities, 9,000 if he gets home from school early). It is a super slow crawl up for him. He takes his weight once a week to reduce the anxiety of daily variation. Some weeks, he might not gain weight or even lose weight, but that is usually a product of wearing different clothes, so he has learned to not worry unless it is a several week trend. Also, setting goals that can be quantified helps. He has roughly 56,000 calories a week. He knows he can gain with that. Tracking his lifting numbers and watching them go up helps. In talking last week, I said something about gaining as much weight before wrestling season starts, and he said "it is better if I pick a number." Bruh, my jaw dropped because it was like he learned the hardest thing. Pick achievable goals, give them something that can be tracked, and trust your hard work in meeting those numbers.

[@kidchupacabra4369]

how do you afford that…

[@macgyvervanschwartzenstall4662]

@@kidchupacabra4369 most of it isn't crazy stuff. Plus, I never really realized how cheap food was in the Midwest until I went to California

[@terminaldeity]

Way too many calories. I hope you're just miscalculating.

[@macgyvervanschwartzenstall4662]

@@terminaldeity we measure everything. My counter is covered with measuring devices. We had to do this because he was losing weight during the wrestling season at 6000 calories. He is trying to build up to 270-280 pounds for wrestling. I didn't know what number you want him to have, but that is what he needs to eat to consistently gain weight Edit: for reference, I am an anesthesiologist that makes measurements, like weight-based dosing, for a living

[@eenho]

Take gear and stop complaining

[@dinosaurkin5093]

Hell yeah, dude

[@eenho]

@@dinosaurkin5093 🤯

[@lolyiz971]

factssss ☝️

[@dale2283]

Blud's really advocating this to people who haven't even reached their NATURAL limit yet. Well it's your body I guess. If it's worth the years you'll lose on your lifespan just to speed up a process you would've gotten doing it naturally.

[@FlexStef]

My training style is bodybuilding and I train progressive overload only. I weigh 55kg, I'm trying to gain weight slowly. Back in december I could only bench 70kg for 1 rep max, so I went down and kept doing 60kg until I could hit 4 sets of 8 reps. Once I achieved that, I went up to 65kg for as many reps as I could. Then once I hit 8 reps of that, I move up to 70kg. I can now hit 70 for 6 reps and the other day I managed a pr of 80kg. It's all about consistency.

[@terminaldeity]

8 reps is low range imo. Keep the same weight until you start hitting 12-15 reps. Hitting PRs is fun and all, but if you're doing bodybuilding training, you should really be pushing reps over weight.

[@tankconnors7323]

im putting on abit of muscle..but damn i feel my strength going down a lot.. im just soar all over..all the time... and im not even 40 yet..

[@absolutecrapfilmstudios6783]

Sounds like it's time for a deload/rest week

[@JustaT6]

I’m agreeing with the dude who commented, take a rest and get really good sleep for at least 3 days you’ll feel better and the hype to get back into the gym will fuel you

[@Boostisablast]

Same boat and I’m 35. Elbows always smoked lol. I figured I’d get all jacked for fun and built a gym. I hit a wall and now just stay soar 😅

[@tankconnors7323]

@@Boostisablast ya man..ive been working out for a good 20 years, thinking i would have no pain all my life because of it, I was wrong hahah, soar shoulder, knee, arm, neck, im 37 and feel a lot older, I don't even go really heavy anymore (about 5 years) my body just can't do it,

[@tankconnors7323]

@@absolutecrapfilmstudios6783 nah, not soar muscles... I mean soar shoulder, neck, knee, arm.. 🤣🤣 Construction work will do that to you..

[@Robot-Overlord]

Some people can be self obsessed and still lack a lot of self awareness. When someone claims theyre the exception to physics, its because theyre stupid, ignorant, a liar, or all three.

[@joeBlowing]

dear lord its all bots

[@NerdAdventurer85]

⚡️EXTERMINAAATE!⚡️😂

[@supers0nic77]

Never skip bot day

[@al151]

The hard part is just gaining muscle mass without the fat. We have something called Bulking Season. You pretty much eat 7 to 8 times a day but watching the fat and carb content. What he said about the reps and increasing weight is correct. My last advice is for the last rep, hold the position for about 5 seconds before you clear it. That works wonders.

[@paulinemoira8442]

Jeans and fitted shirts! If a perfect sitting shirt is now too loose or tight, it's not the shirt that changed.

[@Scrubsgetrekt]

Meh, it shrunk in the wash, or the body did.

[@lmack6596]

This is one of the few downsides to getting bigger and stronger - some of my favourite shirts don't fit any more 😔

[@Austhesaucelifts]

ya for like a 3 month period i was stressing then realized i need to be consistent with increasing weight on my lifts. Increasing the weight and testing myself each week and while cutting , can confidently say i feel much better

[@andrewpellman6605]

Pretty simple: Clothes I like don't fit anymore. Weight goes up, waist stays the same. Everyday objects feel like cardboard, I broke a keyboard typing fast.

[@maxton-_-4243]

Break every glass you pick up

[@josephswolin7450]

Breaking your pelvic bone when jacking off

[@rahyan.]

Damn I did break a $200 keyboard typing fast too.

[@210doom]

You’re a frickin beast bro

[@supers0nic77]

Never skip finger day

[@halotroop2288]

Really refreshing to see a gym guy who's smart and helpful on my timeline. I'm not a weight lifter or even very critical of my physical health. But I love to see positive representation. Keep it up! 💪🏻

[@JustaT6]

3 weeks ago 50lbs preacher curls started to struggle around 12, last week I added 20lbs and went to 10 for 3 sets. It just takes time guys.

[@Mb10]

Like to lose my v card actually

[@cl3935]

​@@Mb10 Still a virgin if you're calling it a v card

[@PerishingTar]

​@@cl3935I call God to save me

[@aleksanderlarsen7943]

I love Mike. Learned so much from him the last year.

[@wesv8743]

I'm one of those dudes that could not put on weight. Maybe not a good recommendation but I started eating Oreos every single night I started off with four ended up around 7 a night and within 3 1/2 to 4 months I gained about 20 lb and because of my body type I can easily turn that into muscle. I have gained a little bit of a belly which I never had and it doesn't bother me too much but my chest and arms have shown a lot of gain and I just recently starting to work on my abs again but I had the first gain weight to be able to turn it into something

[@Dirty5420]

You have to be joking😂

[@smokey6455]

This is hilarious 🤣

[@dale2283]

Bro's chungus maxxing

[@wieser98]

@@dale2283lmao

[@benjamingifford8482]

Just replace like 3-4 of your daily 7 Oreos out for like a potato, pasta, some form of healthy carb that you can store longer that won’t mess with your hormones as bad. I’m happy your Oreos worked tho that’s why I’d keep the other half of them hehe

[@KILLOXY]

i feel like these kinda things just get to your head (myself include), it’s hard to visualize progress in such short windows at times. consistency has proven to be key :)

[@noone97048]

But idt muscle building is always equal to gaining strength..look at those 60 70 kg powerlifters they lift heavy af for their bw but hypertrophy wise they are small

[@devinerentalsltd8708]

He did say for reps through.

[@maicolguti5775]

Yes. It's true, training for strength is not the same as training for hypertrophy, but they are directly correlated, which means that while having more muscle wont mean that you will be stronger than other guy with less muscle, you will be stronger with that muscle than the version of you with less muscle.

[@JumpingJacksism]

Training for size is not same as strength.

[@VeteranVandal]

My weight stabilized for a while and I was increasing everything in the sets, reps and weights and I was worried I wasn't gaining muscle, because that started after gaining a ton of weight, but it was just slow. Sometimes you are better off tracking not your weight, since you won't measure muscle mass all the time every day.

[@mrgreen...9643]

Serious though have you ever flexed at the sky when it's sunshining or when it's raining either it lets you know your alive bare chested full glory you say "sky look what I have made for you" Lol

[@Seasixk]

wtf are you on about

[@mrgreen...9643]

@@Seasixk have you ever tried it? It feels good lol if Dr mike did a video about it, it would be easier to understand

[@altofant]

Sunlight keeping you big as hell

[@mrgreen...9643]

@@altofant definatley, flexing each muscle at the Sun or Rain show the sky what you've made

[@mrgreen...9643]

@@Seasixk no idea but try it lol

[@ShaniOnSinai]

I buckled and bought a scale after two years of not weighing myself because I was so obsessed with the numbers. I only measured myself and went by energy cues. Now I know I can use both methods to gently nudge me in the right direction!

[@nswblues3146]

Hummus every day is the answer. Try it and thank me later

[@devoidfishgamer4888]

Explain?

[@nswblues3146]

@@devoidfishgamer4888 The high protein and carb content of chickpeas aid in muscle building and keep energy levels up. It’s also high in calories.

[@nswblues3146]

@frederikbosman3278 hahaha how is this a “weird trick”? It’s worked for me. Food is important and it’s convenient but not compulsory to spend money on protein powders. I’ve gone from 88kgs to 94kg in less than a year and improved massively. Don’t like my suggestion, cool, you’re welcome to keep scrolling.

[@nswblues3146]

@frederikbosman3278 weird tricks? I went from 88kg to 94kg in less then a year. You do realise that you have to eat food right? Protein shakes are just a pure convenience and not compulsory.

[@zeph9809]

​@@nswblues3146Do you drink protein shakes at all

[@UncleSwell707]

I could only do 3 pull-ups 6 months ago. Now I’m doing 17 pull-ups on the first set, 4 weighted pull-ups with a 45lb on the 2nd set, and 3 weighted pull-ups with the same 45lb weight on the last set. I’m gaining muscle. It’s that simple y’all. Everything he just said makes sense.

[@jamesyoung1356]

A lot comes down to body type, endo, ecto, meso.

[@rohantohaan8684]

Body type were disproven a while ago. I believed in them too

[@suparcamel5852]

There are simply people who put weight on easier than others and has nothing to do with “body types” mentioned.

[@jamesyoung1356]

@suparcamel5852 lol, I totally thought that body types was still a thing. Never knew it had been debunked. Late to the party

[@ThatGuyJager]

This is why documenting your progress is important instead of going off of visual differences

[@Chick4choice]

As a woman this is important to hear. I didn’t necessarily SEE bigger muscles because of having a higher body fat percentage ( fat was cloaking the actual muscle size)…:.but nearly every session and certainly every week I was adding weight and lifting bigger than last time to nearly EVERY SINGLE lift and exercise. So CLEARLY I was growing muscle.

[@roxanahernandez5157]

Thank you so much. Now i definitely need to record my progress

[@EinSofQuester]

I can tell from Dr. Mike's eyes that he's got a good soul.

[@KhattaRapidus]

Please go tell that to your pastor and don't stop telling him until he leaves town, thanks.

[@nickname4103]

These Lifts do add up. Just be Patient, it takes Time. But do it consistantly and you will get better every day. Consistency is 🔑

[@CurleyHobo]

Also fluctuating hydration levels can mess up your perception of weight gain. Weigh yourself constitently every morning and use the weekly average to get the best idea

[@Nutty2087]

Love the aggressive blinking. I feel like you’re doing eye lid lifts instead of blinking

[@SouthAfrican_AF]

The mirror tells you more than the scale

[@terminaldeity]

Also, when your clothes start feeling tighter in your arms, upper torso and legs, while feeling looser around your waist and belly.

[@SouthAfrican_AF]

Greatest feeling brother. Keep throwing the weights around💪

[@onlyhuman3]

A real important note to this, is don't equate lifting numbers with muscle gain. Sure, progressive overload will ensure enough resistance to stimulate growth, but I see so many people think if they can squat a high number, regardless of technique, that it means muscle growth. By increasing weight or reps, people mean keeping that same tempo, control, pauses in the stretch, and form. Keeping it all within an accepted quality, and then you will see muscle gain skyrocket if your diet and rest is perfect. If you just want to PR every week, then congrats you're stronger. You won't be gaining muscle anywhere near as fast though if your goal is to get bigger.

[@andrewgray5275]

My weight has been steadily going up and I was worried at first but my lifted weight and reps are up as well 😮‍💨

[@Portia620]

Thanks!! This is an excellent guide!

[@kendoglarson5419]

I am easily 15-20 pounds stronger every cycle through my split. Now I am 50 years old and I take 4-5 days off routinely. I gained 7 pounds in 1 week. What am I doing? Protein isolate and free eating and taking A-gpc late at night. Training with cables to failure and past failure and getting insane pumps. I have learned that a certain type of soreness is actually muscle growing.

[@DonBlueberry]

I was extremely tiny when I started, like a thin twig blowing in the wind. I genuinely thought the pain I felt for the first year or two was damaging my body. Muscle gain when you're this tiny feels like you're making no progress but it's not a fast turn around for normal people. I can still only lift max 35lb dumbbells for 2 sets of 4. But had you asked the version of me to do that 2 years ago I would have cried and walked away. If you have a hard time gaining just keep at it, keep pushing those numbers and upkeep your calories. You don't need to go excessive. Just stay not hungry and maintain your proteins alongside your hydration. Water goes through me like a straw it seems. Dunno if that's a weight thing too.

[@beboysub]

Dr Mike has gained a lot

[@patriarchmike]

The first 30 lbs of muscle I gained in my first two years of lifting came in at about a pound per week after I started to build momentum after 6 months of no gains. Then i gained another five pounds over the next 8 years. That was in my 20's. Now I'm 42 and have been lifting consistently for the last two years after losing all but 7 lbs of that new muscle during my 30s when I did not lift at all. It took only 7 months to gain all that muscle back due to memory. Now I am gaining new muscle and I'm stoked to gain a 1/4 lb a week. Half a pound is great. People don't realize how noticeable a lb of muscle is especially when you're lean.

[@gerembg1102]

I went up 20 kg on most things I do yet I have not gone once for 2 months straight

[@gerembg1102]

I am the same weight

[@jonchapman8344]

Best thing is to take a picture of yourself in your skippies every 30 days and compare. Mirror dont lie.

[@jamesmorrison7989]

I got off opiates about a month ago. Kicked it and never going back. I always worked out, even when using, but never gained weight and I was skinny as hell at 6’3” 155lbs. In the last 12 days I’ve gained 1 lb every day. I’m gonna slow my eating at 170 and try to turn it into more muscle before adding 10 more lbs and repeating. The other problem is I’m a runner. That’s what I love most about working out, which definitely slows the gains. And for anyone who struggles with working out consistently, I did it while addicted for 10 years. You can do it if I was doing it during that time period

[@rambohrynyk8897]

Mate I just love listening to you break it down…cheers.

[@stephenkm7280]

ALSO, if your body recomping, measure ur waist. And check the scale. If ur waist is going down, but u weifht its nearly the same. Ur gaining muscle. AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO BURN FAT GAIN MUSCLE.

[@Tyler0789]

When the Sauron Goo flopped out of the mountain like a post-drinking/night out shit .. i almost cried. Pure cinematic excellence

[@Samtreee]

I've found that influences show crazy gains in short timespans, and it's warping peoples perception of what is realistically achievable for most people natually.

[@dalequale9365]

Reps and 🏋. I'm 69 and it's steady and more EVERY workout. Plus more recovery, 2x gym and 1x HIIT per week is enough for ME. 💪🙏

[@Uselessthoughts1659]

Dang mikes so buff he got that nose muscle Def! That's whats up! Dude is a beast and super intelligent! I have learned so much from these videos thank you!

[@butters22441]

Thanks Jocko!

[@jonathans3091]

I think this mindset goes into lifting as well. Guys will be working out trying to increase their bench or squat by 30-60lbs every time they’re in the gym. In the beginning sure, increase it. Squatting the bar to then squatting 135lbs in a 3 month period makes sense. But experienced lifters, just try to increase the weight by 1-2lbs per week. After a year you’ve increased your max by 30-60lbs.

[@silviadambrosio7234]

I'm not loosing weight, I prioritize proteins,I keep the calories intake to 1200 a day or lower.I exercise regularly,alternate days, resistance with some Hi ,and rocking about 1.5 hrs.I'm a woman 68 y/o,5ft tall,141pounds,I'd like to loose 5lbs especially in my abdominal area.

[@nickybjammin7629]

“Repetition strength!!”👏🏼 Got it thanks Dr. Mikey

[@DrealShadow]

this was really interesting to hear as i workout at home, i have a home gym setup, so i tend to focus on more reps rather than more weight.. after awhile i stopped seeing results but i can go higher rep number so its really good to know i am making progress! plus i usually notice any results from increase in muscle size (visually) every 7+ months, i don't really care for that anymore but its nice

[@Joyride37]

I gained about 8 lbs of muscle since June last year, and 25 lbs of muscle over 12 years (110 then, about 133-135 now). Never been trying to gain weight or size; I was just in the army, doing army things and meeting physical requirements in training, liked working out on top of it, and focus on a mix of calisthenics and weight training and athletic skills I want to have IOT accomplish my childhood ninja dream. Lots of different hobbies, like hiking, climbing, parkour, BJJ, Muay Thai. Not gonna win medals at any of it but I enjoy it. All in all pretty good for someone my size and age and body type

[@DeDe-cr2og]

Love this guy

[@allansimba64]

That first blink cracked my screen.

[@theworldlywarrior]

Very quickly and easily my fav dude on youtube alog with seth ferocs

[@ohhellnooooo8233]

Fuck… I’ve been stagnant on my weight progression for months if not year

[@ZonymaUnltd.]

I noticed every week that things like pull-ups and push-ups get a little bit easier. It’s nice to feel the body adapt and recognize improvement.

[@nahhwe1141]

That "Where's it coming from?" made me gasp in astonishment, so simple yet so hard to find

[@zacharyball8009]

The biggest indicator is that your clothes will fit differently. For me, I am 6ft 200 ilbs at around 12% body fat. I wear 32x34 jeans and large shirts. This was completely different when I was at 25% bf 34 waist and XL shirts.

[@richsandness5409]

A "fair analysis"! 😉 (Seriously, an 'encouraging' guideline, as I've been in a relatively similar quandry, and find it consoling, upon self-enquiry. The thing is that one can 'despair' a bit when 'advances' or progression serm 'hard-earned'. I'm "a bit older now", whereas when I was younger, gains came [much] more readily. Appreciation can be a good replacement for presumption. Any [true] progress is 'a sure bless', and thankfulness can add momentum, when harnessed.