You created this log like 3 weeks ago, dude. What kind of progress were you expecting?
Getting all your reps is a strategy I’ve heard a lot of people praise. So yes - after getting your 3x6 with no rest pause, then move the weight up. I say 3x6 because that’s what the program suggests, right?
Cool, that seems like a nice strategy.
I didn’t think of trying out rest-pause to get all the reps in, but I am hopeful this can work pretty well.
Realistically, how long has it taken for most people with normal response to training to go from 135 to 225? I keep seeing that its just a beginner level bench which kind of makes me wonder if its really supposed to be this hard to progress linearly
We had a guy on here whose name I can’t remember who mentioned being stuck around 185 for several years. It might take you 5 years. It might take you 1.
You haven’t worked long enough at this in a consistent manner to determine whether or not it’s “hard” yet, though.
Also, like a lot of us told you, you spent most of this time in a deficit, so you really gave yourself no chance.
When you say things like “I hope you guys can see I am really trying hard now” and “is it supposed to be that hard”, you should realize that you are already trying to build up lifting into something that is “just too hard”, because if you tell yourself that you gave it your all and it didn’t work out, there’s no harm in quitting.
The truth is, 3 weeks is a drop in the bucket, and running hypertrophy programs for 3 weeks with 2 of them being in a caloric deficit and wondering why your bench isn’t improving is silly.
Eat more. Follow the program. Log your entries. Look back in 6 months. That’s a good point to see what progress you’ve made, and it still isn’t going to be anything insane.
I should clarify that Rest-Pause is not exactly as i’ve defined it. Rest pause is geared with the intent of reaching x reps in as few sets as possible, but with only 10-15 BREATHS between ‘sets’.
The method I was recommending was more in line with reaching the total goal of reps, disregarding the number of sets it took to get there… Similar, but a little different - just don’t pace yourself between ‘sets’ based on 10-15 breaths yet.
As far as progression, whether you increase your weight lifted or your total number of reps - you will force yourself to improve on either. If that means doing 16 total reps, vs 15 as done the week prior, that is fine. Or if that means lifitng 151lbs (hypothetical) for 15 reps, that is also fine. The point is to just constantly be making progress.
“If you can’t fly, run.
If you can’t run, walk.
If you can’t walk, crawl.
But by all means, keep moving.”
This is a massively subjective question bro. I was training for about 3 years steady(ish) before I finally reached 225 (i was 21) and I only got there by messing with my setsxreps. Meanwhile, I remember lifting in the high school weight room watching some dudes bench 225, and they were juniors. I thought there was something wrong with me too at the time.
Stop worrying about the weight, you will get there when you are ready to. Besides, you’re really doing this to look good naked - right…?
you are right. you’d have to find subjects your age, height, weight, training history, limb length…
otherwise comparing is useless
Dude I spent like 350 bucks on groceries and it lasted almost a month (Well technically it’s not all gone because I still some have left but it will last til the end of this week. I am also eating WAY more than you. Did your mother cook for you when you were little, ask her to teach you how to make something.
Let’s talk about this again in ten years.
I’m assuming that is an inside joke for grown adults right?
You must not live in California. Or eat anything.
Idk what you’re eating or how you’re eating it, but there’s no way i could get away with my macros for that little.
Indeed, I guess I just need to keep slowly progressively overloading and focus on hypertrophy.
That’s true man, I guess I need to zoom out a bit and focus on the bigger picture and just keep it going for the long haul. Crossing fingers I’m looking back to these posts in a year and smiling at how anxious I was 
when you’re done with school and comfortably into your six-figure career I’d imagine you will have grass-fed, grass-finished Piedmontese.
that can of ham you showed me, there may come a day when you never eat that again.
the best example I can make is chicken thigh.
bone-in, skin-on $5 a pack you get around 12 pieces. but it’s work, remove the skin and so on usually left with 24-28 ounces of meat.
Or you can buy boneless skinless chicken thigh $12 for 20ish ounces.
I’ll probably get chicken thighs on my next shopping haul. I still have a big ol bag of uncooked chicken breasts in the freezer that I need to eat.
this bad boy has 72 grams of protein and costs $2.82. tuna, cottage cheese, eggs.
it can be done, you just don’t have to.
Canned ham, ground beef, ground turkey, ribeye steaks, canned chicken, chicken breast, shrimp, canned tuna, canned salmon. I usually eat a pound of meat each meal and then I eat a fat with it: cheese, almond butter, peanut butter, sour cream, cottage cheese etc.
I also drink gold standard protein shakes
something about eating cooked meat in a can just feels like i’m going to end up looking like whatever mystery meat im eating at that moment.
Tune does not apply to this irrational fear, but thats because I physically couldn’t look like a fish. I could however wind up looking identical to that cooked ham can. 
I refuse to believe you eat ribeye steaks regularly and still maintain <$350 per month. I haven’t seen a single ribeye at the store for less that $12/lb in over a year.
As for the rest of it - i’m pretty sure once you get over the age of 25, your bowels immediately seize up for 48 hours minimum if you eat canned, cooked meat (not including tuna).
The ribeye steaks are smaller than 1lb. The box I get is like 2 lbs overall and it comes with 5 steaks. I don’t even eat them regularly. I just eat them when I feel like cooking them.
every time I walk by spam in the store I wonder why I thought it was so good for all those years
I basically live off of chicken thighs, frozen veggies, eggs, costco protein bars, cheap protein powder and oatmeal
I also treat myself to something pricier (salmon, fancy latte, better protein bars) once a month and buy cocoa powder
THat plus supplements costs me ~250/month
I could probably get away with >200/month if I didn’t splurge so much
