[Progress] M/23/6'2" - 155->175lbs - 1 Year - No Compound Lifts

EDIT: Title should be No barbell lifts, didn't understand what a compound lift was.

So I've just reached the 1 year progress point and thought I'd post on reddit which has been my main place for motivation and advice. I haven't made major progress but I'm happy with where I'm at.

I haven't been to the gym once since I started my fitness journey. At the start I just wanted to do some home workouts with dumbbells and build a foundation to then go to the gym, but then the pandemic came. Because of this I have never done any barbell lifts and I haven't attempted a pull up ever. I can't get a pull up bar as I am too afraid of damaging the door frames in my rented apartment.

Before and After Pictures

1 Year progress, going from 155lbs to around 175lbs at the moment. Height is around 6'2".

https://imgur.com/a/H6seKZz - 0,4,8,10,12 Month Progress

Training

I started out with a dumbbell full body workout that I found on Simeon Panda's YouTube that had some basic exercises that consisted of:

• Pushups, Bent Over Rows, Bicep Curls, Tricep Kickbacks, Overhead Press, Squats, Stiff-Legged Deadlift, Leg Raises

In the beginning I couldn't do one push up and used very light weights, doing 2 sets of 8-12 reps. After a month or two I started doing 3 sets. I would do this workout whenever I felt like it, sometimes everyday for a week and other times just once or twice a week.

After a few months of that I progressed into a PPL dumbbell split that I've been doing ever since. My dumbbells only go up to 45lbs so I can't do anything crazy.

Dumbbell PPL Routine:

Day 1 -

Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

• Pushups / Floor Press - 4 Sets, 8-12 Reps
• Dumbbell Flys - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps
• Dumbbell Overhead Press - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps
• Dumbbell Side Raise - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps
• Diamond Push Ups - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps
• Tricep Kickbacks / Skullcrushers - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Day 2 -

Back & Biceps

• Dumbbell Bent Over Row - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps
• One Arm Dumbbell Row - 5 Sets, 8-12e. Reps
• Dumbbell Bicep Curl - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps
• Dumbbell Hammer Curl - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps
• Dumbbell Pinwheel Curl - 2 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Day 3 -

Legs

• Planks - 3 Sets, 30s
• Dumbbell Lunges - 3 Sets, 8-12e. Reps
• Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps
• Dumbbell Calf Raise - 3 Sets, 20-25 Reps
• Dumbbell Goblet Squats - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Day 4 -

REST DAY

​

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-JClsMGI9TlttAfcphfDhQaygmg-TN-pGWJSHAJvRfk/edit?usp=sharing - Here is the sheet if anyone is interested. I do a version of that ab workout every day or two with some variations now and then. Admittedly I've skipped a lot of leg days, they are just not as enjoyable as the upper body days. Maybe once I get under the squat rack I'll enjoy them more.

Now I can do around 15-20 pushups in one set and feel much more comfortable doing them. I add weight to the dumbbells each week to try and make progress but it's hard since I only have a limited amount of weight to add.

Diet

When I started working out I had just started learning how to cook so I was having 3 meals everyday and probably getting around 2500 calories in most days. I bought a mass gainer powder that I'd have 3 scoops of with 700-800ml of milk after a workout.

As for my diet right now, I try to get in 3000-4000 calories. I succeed most days but its not always the cleanest food. I usually get between 120-180g of protein. For breakfast I have 3 Weetabix with chocolate soya milk, a banana and a glass of fruit juice every morning, around 700kcal. My lunches vary. I was making a green smoothie with fruit juice, an avocado, spinach and peanut butter that was around 700kcal but it was too expensive so I've stopped making it. I'll usually have a sandwich and a couple clementine's or Baked beans on toast, lets say 500kcal. Dinner is usually around 800-900kcal, my go to meals are Tuna pasta, Chicken fried rice with chicken breast and 2 eggs, Beef burgers, Chicken breast with a sauce, rice and broccoli, etc. About 30 minutes to an hour after my dinner I'll have a protein smoothie that's around 700-800kcal. 400ml milk, 1 banana, 1 or 2 tbsp. of peanut butter, 1tsp. Nutella, 1 scoop whey protein. Around 10 or 11pm I'll have something else to eat, usually another sandwich or a couple pb&j sandwiches. That's about all I eat + some other snacks and unhealthy foods in-between. I'm going to start having a glass of whole milk with my lunch and later meal to get some more calories in. I definitely have more space to eat as I have a big appetite it's just I don't really enjoy eating and don't know what to eat without being super unhealthy.

I don't take any supplements or creatine, except protein powder.

Hopefully the world returns to normal soon and I can make some real gains in the gym. I'm pleased with the progress I've made though and hope to continue gaining weight this year.

Advice and tips on what I could change and improve on are appreciated. Also feel free to post your favorite meals for lunch and dinner to give me some more ideas on what to have. Thanks for reading.

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* This article was originally published here