So I've been doing bodyweight exercises semi-frequently for the past few months, and while I definitely feel stronger and can do way more reps of push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and lunges than before, I feel like I look no different and I've only gained one pound. I want to have less scrawny looking arms and shoulders, and for my butt to not be a pancake for once in my life. Not sure if this is shallow, but it would help a lot with motivation if doing this shit that my body really doesn't enjoy doing actually left some visible impact.
I know these things take time, but I'm wondering if my approach is wrong. What's usually the best way to actually build visible muscle? Is it about how much weight you lift or what? I feel frustrated. Hope this doesn't count as doomposting, just saw that's against the rules, I'm just looking for tips and venting at the same time.
In our "exercise testing and prescription" class in college we looked at a study where people were made to resistance train a muscle group 2x per week, and the results were that it took something like 6-8 weeks for individuals to start seeing increase in cross-sectional area (e.g. increase in actual muscle mass [muscular hypertrophy]).
It turns out that the path of least resistance for an 'untrained individual' to adapt to a challenging physical stimulus is to make a number of "neural adaptations" before cross sectional area in the tissues needs to increase (motor neuron recruitment, frequency coding changes, decreased activity in antagonist muscle groups, reduction in protective mechanisms like golgi tendon organ, etc.)
This is one of the hardest things to overcome IMHO, because you have to ask someone basically to commit to something like 12-16 challenging training sessions on average before they start to look better (which seems to be what most people want, myself included). It is a pretty big ask to have someone commit to that on faith alone, and I think, one of the reasons that most people will drop out of a new exercise program.
Of course, it is also critically important to continue to supply a progressively challenging stimulus to each muscle group/exercise/motion, so you may need to find ways to add resistance like incorporating therabands/rubber tubing or other ways of adding mass to your body for body weight exercises. For example, you might use a chain and carabiner to hang a 25 lb weight around your hips while doing dips or pull ups.