Anabolic Talks

I've been eating in a surplus for about five weeks now and haven't missed many workouts. My strength is moving up slowly, but the mirror really isn't showing much yet. I'm hitting my protein every day, so I'm wondering if I just need to be more patient or if I should bump my calories even higher. How long did it take before you guys actually noticed new muscle?

Five weeks really isn't that long, buddy. If your lifts are climbing, I'd stay the course for another few weeks before changing anything.

I was in the same boat. My strength went up first, then around the two-month mark people actually started commenting that I looked bigger.

Double-check your calorie tracking. I thought I was eating 3,500 a day until I actually weighed everything. Turned out I was closer to 3,000.

The mirror can mess with your head because you see yourself every day. Take progress pics every couple weeks. You'll notice changes way easier that way.

If the scale isn't moving at all after five weeks, I'd probably add another 200-300 calories and see what happens. No need to make a huge jump.

One thing I learned was not to chase weight too fast. I gained about a pound a week once and ended up putting on way more fat than muscle. Slow progress usually pays off better.

Sleep matters too, bro. I was eating plenty, but only getting five or six hours a night. Once I started sleeping closer to eight, recovery and growth got a lot better.

Strength going up is a good sign. Muscle usually doesn't show up overnight, especially if you've already been lifting for a while. Stay patient and keep grinding.

How often are you weighing yourself? I only check once a week under the same conditions. Daily weigh-ins had me stressing over normal fluctuations for no reason.