Been working at it on my own, with no results...

First off, hello and thanks for letting me join in! Hopefully this will be a place to learn and eventually get the help I am looking for.

About a year ago I looked at myself and realized I was a pretty disgusting person all-'round. I decided make it an active effort to fix myself physically, emotionally, and intellectually. As to the last two notes, I have made great strides and am extremely pleased at my progress.

On the Physical note, however, I do not seem to be making any progress. I have been keeping at it for about a year now with no real results. I do feel good after my workouts, there just doesn't seem to be any long term results in muscle growth.

I want to make one thing clear, I am not looking to have some body builder body. I don't expect nor want that. If I can get above the "stick figure" physique I have now, I'll be happy. I suppose I should start by stating the exercise I get as of now.

Every day I walk about three miles (one and a half miles each way) to the store to buy dinner. This is something separate from my exercise, but I guess it would count in as well. I keep a fairly quick pace, enough for my heart rate to stay accelerated.

I work out every other day. I wake up and do some light yoga and simple weight lifting, nothing too heavy considering I just laid mostly motionless for six hours. Around noon I a routine of exercises (alternating between Burpees, Situps, pushups, jogging in place, jumping jacks, and shadow boxing in no particular order, I do one minute of one constant and then one minute of another) for as long as I can physically do them. My routine ends when I physically can't get back up, usually about an hour later.

Due to not having the money to invest in this, I only have one 20lb weight. After I feel recovered from the light noon routine I lift that weight in various different ways until I again simply can't lift it anymore, I then use it to do weighted situps and squats, then go back to lifting it until I can't anymore.

About two hours before bed I do the same noon workout again, only I usually don't do it for quite as long.

Now, I have stuck to this for about a year now with no results and do not understand why. It is because I am taking one day off after each day? Should I do it every day? Or is it simply that the workouts are not intense enough? How can I make them more intense if I only stop when I physically can't do it anymore?

Thank you in advanced for any advice you can give me. I also apologize if this was in the wrong place. The layout of this site sort of confused me and I only chose to post here because I am new.

Again, thank you. I look forward to reading your answers.
 
If you are trying to put on some lean muscle, then you need to start lifting heavier, and stop doing so much high intensity cardio. Your problem is most likely that you are still burning off more calories than you are taking in a day, and you really aren't taxing your muscles enough for them to grow if you are only using a 20lb weight. What are your physical goals exactly? I'd be happy to help you set up a routine if you provide me with some more specifics. It seems like you have great determination, you just need help building an appropriate routine
 
Well, before a year ago the only thing I ate about six days a week was rice. It was some stupid (hindsight is always better) spiritual thing I was doing in my depression.

While I now eat "whenever I feel hungry", I still don't really eat much compared to other people I am around. I usually eat one proper balanced meal (I prepare it to someone else's preferences, so it actually does include a lot of meat) and then snack on vegetables, fruits, and breads the rest of the day. For weight gain, should I keep eating "just whenever I feel hungry"? Or should I force myself to eat more even when I don't feel like it?

Honestly my physical goals are not too clear. I guess I want a vanity "athletic" build, even if my daily life doesn't require it. But I am not totally sure what that means even. Like I said in my first post, this past year I have been mostly focusing on the other aspects of improving myself, and am only now really looking into the physical aspect.

I am also currently unemployed, and asking the person I am mooching off of while I go to college for money is kinda awkward. So buying new weights is pretty much out of the question, sadly. I could attempt making makeshift ones, if that is an options.

Thank you for your offer of assistance, if there are anymore questions you need answering please ask.
 
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