For those unfamiliar, these are the five stages of TRP. When I first came here, I had stages one and two knocked down. TRP helped progress me into that third stage of: "Well, if I better myself, and increase my SMV, I'll see results". I had already started doing that to an extent, but TRP gave me that affirmation that this was, indeed, the correct path to be taking.

I'm 23 and shorter than average, 5'8". Last year I was a buck thirty. Lanky little shit. I've been bulking and lifting, and hovering around 145 now. I'm proud of the work I've put in. Family is concerned I'm taking steroids, which I'm not.

I learned German, and have been focusing on my career. I just changed employers and am so close to hitting that 6-figure landmark. But I can't progress to that fourth stage of "spinning this many shallow plates has become boring", because, quite frankly, I haven't spun any new plates. The same girl or two that have liked me since high school on occasion.

It's not from lack of trying. I haven't approached the usual hundred that most people recommend, but I don't shy away from an opportunity. Nonetheless, the rejection isn't just usually what happens, it's always what happens. My self-confidence is at an all-time low, despite looking the best I have (both physically and on paper) my entire life.

In fact, it seems like I reel in women for my friends more than anything. Whether I go out with my gay friend, my friends in relationships, my obese friend, my down-in-the-dumps friend. They all seem to draw more interest than me. It's a little disheartening when your 300-pound friend wearing a tee-shirt stained with Mountain Dew piques the interest of a girl at the bar you approached over you, a guy who benches his bodyweight, squats and deadlifts twice that, and is wearing an Armani tailored suit.

I try my absolute best not to let it get to me, but when that shit happens over and over again with no success, I can't help but get a little upset and curious as to why my progress with women's interest doesn't coincide with the progress I'm seeing with myself. I'm going to keep at lifting, learning, and getting better at my job, but do you guys have any pointers on what could get me out of this slump?

TLDR: Seem to be piquing less interest of women than friends of significantly-lower SMV and social skills. All efforts of obtaining plates resulting in disheartening rejection. Any pointers to progress to stage 4?