pudha wrote:
Anyway, back to the topic. I think the cardio I am doing now is helping me loose the fat. Its the muscle and developing strength I cannot nail.
I should have seen gains after 4 months tho right? Look at my pics. Theres hardly any change.
Back to the basic way of thinking regarding training -
1. If you aren't getting bigger and stronger, but you're training with 100% intensity and doing a sensible program, then it's likely that you aren't eating enough daily to make the gains. Lack of sleep, too much stress, etc. will make it more complicated as well, but most often, it's a lack of calories that halts progress for adding size and strength.
2. It is definitely difficult to get bigger AND get leaner simultaneously. Often, it's that people who are fortunate enough to do so are the ones who eat just enough to gain lean mass with absolute minimal fat mass, so it seems like you're losing fat but in reality, it is more that you're just gaining enough lean mass to skew the bodyfat totals in the better direction even if your fat levels stay the same. Most people find it easier to cycle mass and cutting periods to keep things focused on one mission at a time where you'll get the most in the way of results and go back and forth between the two. Again, it's not impossible to do well for both at the same time IF you're fortunate enough to have your diet dialed in well and know your body well for training properly, but if you're still relatively new, I'd focus more on one part and then the other a few months later. My main discouragement in training my first year came as I would see people in contests like Body For Life where they'd say "So-and-so gained 10 lbs. of lean mass and lost 30 lbs. of fat in 90 days" when it is damned near impossible for the average person. Count your progress in steps, one bit at a time, making sure to work one goal hardest to maximize potential results and then switch it out for another periodically and you'll find a balance in time.
3. If what you've been doing isn't working, then change it up! If you aren't seeing results with a program after a few months, or if your diet doesn't seem to be moving you in the right direction in time, don't stay with it month after month if it isn't paying out. Many times, it's not the diet or training protocol that's at fault for lack of results (see above regarding incorrect caloric balance, too little sleep, stress, etc), but sometimes, a specific diet or program isn't ideal for everyone, and you need to experiment. I just cannot lose fat on a high-carb/low fat diet - I'm not built for it, and after numerous tries, it's been a miserable failure. My only good results come from lower carb/higer protein intake, so I know now what I have to do when I want to diet down a bit. I've learned over time what I'm meant to do and what doesn't yield results, even when I give it my best, and I'm sure you'll go through a few different situations like this in years of training. Experiment, experiment, experiment and give everything your full effort and in time, you should start to find what works for you.