I used to lift in University, but not consistently, and that's where I got my bench press up from like 80 pounds to 135 pounds.

So I started lifting consistently in December 2015. Now I'm able to bench 170 - 185 pounds depending on how strong I am that day. I feel like my gains have been really slow on my chest/shoulders. I can shoulder press 115 on the barbell and like 120-130 with dumbells.

I feel like I've started to look bigger, without actually getting a whole lot stronger. I basically have stuck to 5x5 routine the entire time.

My pull down exercise was stuck for a long time as well, but then in a matte of a month or two I went from 70kg's on the machine to 100 kg's. I remember back in University I used to only pull down 120-140 max. At my best back then I did 170 pounds chin up style. I can do 5 chinups with my bodyweight, and I'm 240 pounds now.

I just feel like my progress has been really slow. I drink two protein shakes a day + whatever food I ate. I'm obviously not on any steroids.

The last 2 years my bodyweight has been 235- 240 pounds, and literally hasn't changed one bit. I'm just more muscle than I am fat now.

Is this a normal rate of growth for a natural lifter ? Or should I be stronger by now ? I feel like I should have been able to bench 225 by now, but I'm not even close.