Why am I so underwhelming?

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi Jordan and Austin.

I’ve been training the best part of a decade now. I’m male, 30 186cm and currently 233lbs. I have competed in Powerlifting in both USAPL and USPA and despite being most interested in getting to my strongest, have failed to do so. My lifetime PBs (set at lighter bodyweight in the 198 class) are a meager 420/255/570.

Now I’ve tried some programs and worked as smart as I can over the years. I’ve also worked off the RTS templates for Powerlifting and Sheiko too. I’ve found that I continually hit a ceiling as performance in training improves and don’t get any kind of outcome I’m looking for. Specifically the sets and reps improve to a point, then I regress or simply can’t make a set/rep or test to a new PB. I’m very disciplined and don’t program hop when I’m training.

My waist circumference is currently 38.5", and although I carry a bit more fat than I’d like to and need to for health reasons, I feel like I’ve not lost out on actually gaining muscle over the past decade. I am pretty filled out and have an pretty good bodyfat distribution - close to a good standard of what a natty and/or non collegiate athlete can achieve without training for aesthetics. So, I don’t think that being so underwhelming when it comes to strength is related to being undersized or undeveloped. I’m a pretty big dude to your average gym goer or guy in the street.

My current goals are to get my bodyfat down and lose however many lbs it takes to get to around the 35" circumference mark. But, I’m admittedly really bothered by the fact I’m just not strong and have repeatedly failed in efforts to be much stronger, having gained a good bit of size over the years in the belief it would get me stronger.

I’d like to be stronger for sure, although I feel I enjoy training more for aesthetics and health benefits to be preferable and more enjoyable broadly speaking. I would guess some part of the issue is I feel like I need to be stronger to support being healthier or further aesthetic development , if that makes sense? I am at a point in training week to week where I know that my current performance is beyond (although I don’t like to Deadlift anymore) what it was when I was Powerlifting and setting PBs, I’m just not pulling the trigger on trying to get stronger or improve max strength because I’m afraid of failing.

Is this some kind of programming issue, or have I got my training just flat out wrong? I’d be grateful for some advice, suggestions or direction/insight.

Thank you!

Rick

2

Hey Rick,

Thanks for the post and all the details about your history.

If the question is about you needing to be stronger to be healthier or carry more muscle, the answer to both of those things is definitively no. I don’t know what your programming looks like so I can’t comment on it, but other than that, I’m not exactly sure what the question is here and if you could clarify, I’d be happy to answer.

-Jordan

3

Hi Jordan

Thank you very much for your reply. To clarify, I’m wondering if I’ve missed a beat with respect to what I can gain in terms of muscular development by not being stronger than I currently am.

​​​I’m also wondering if I’m at my limit with respect to how strong I can get, or I’ve simply made a lot of errors when it comes to programing.
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4

Hey Rick,

I’m not sure about your programming with respect to strength, as I don’t know what you’ve been doing, ya know? However, I can say with certainty that your LBM and health trajectory can be optimized without you needing to get any stronger first.

-Jordan

5

Just curious…how much conditioning/GPP have you historically done?

6

Eh, nothing too intensive. Some running, hiking, biking, etc. How come?