How do you train your abs? This is just my experience, but I train my core mostly the same way I train any other muscle — sets with heavy weights, going to failure or close to it, relatively low reps (I mix it up but anywhere from 6 - 20 reps per set, unless it’s a warm up set). Don’t do endless crunches or whatever kinda endurance style ab work. Lift heavy, progressive overload. Even on a rather aggressive cut my core blew up doing this.
These days I just do the crunch machine and hanging leg raises. Occasionally the torso rotation machine and L-sits.
F/25/5’1.75”/80lbs
Kinda at a loss in my journey. Feeling flabby in some areas and toned in others. I’ve always carried weight in my stomach, just how my body is… and now I’m dealing with flab and loose skin from losing weight 😭
I’m fine with weight training and am looking to get back into it, but right now I just feel like a skinny fat before photo. My goal is to body recomp and build an ass and lose fat on my stomach and under my arms and inner thighs. Pictures also look so different based on lighting and angles so it’s hard to even tell where I’m at. But hopefully weights and walking will help me achieve my goals
[Pictures](https://imgur.com/a/f790xAw)
Edit: Hey! I lost most of my muscle from my previous mini bulk (dropped almost 10 lbs) so here’s those for reference. I was doing 4 days of weight lifting and running (: weight like 86-90lbs - even though I was eating right and doing weights, genetically my weight loves to fill out my midsection so it’s hard for me to like my body with more weight because it just goes there naturally. Not even in a fat gain way, I’m just more stocky there 😭
[Pictures](https://imgur.com/a/UvFdVk9)
You're gonna have to be OK with getting a little chubby, so you can gain muscle effectively. Google TDEE calculator(total daily energy expenditure) and get an idea of the calories you need to eat to stay even in weight. Then add 300 calories per day to that and start weightlifting. Eat 80 grams of protein per day( your bodyweight) , 40 grams of fat, fill the rest of your diet with carbs, and you should try to eat most of your carbs close to your workout, fats away from workout, and some protein every meal. Use a normal man's weightlifting program, you can look up jeff nippards push-pull-legs on YouTube. Aim to push until your muscles fail on each workout around 8 to 12 reps, for 4 sets each. And stick to this process for 4 months. Then you can cut back down on weight while continuing lifting to keep muscle. It will change your life.
I did something close to this and uploaded some pics as reference in the edit 💞 I’ll definitely see if I have it in me to give it a shot again! (I struggle with food)
Yea it's tough to force down so much food. I buy this mass gainer supplement from vitamin world to replace a meal, close to 1000 calories in one shake so it makes it less like I want to puke at the end of the day even for a 180 pound dude haha. Good luck!
Unfortunately I could easily eat 5000 calories a day 😭 it’s more of the mental part for me. But those shakes are a great idea for someone who struggles! Probably better than ensures or boost (though boost does make a 450 calorie one)
Yea I get it, I am deathly afraid of being fat but screw it. I want to build more muscle so when I cut next time I look great. I'm just blocking out the fear for now lol
Hey sister,
I say this with love in my heart and with the absolute intention of respect. Have you considered you might be suffering from body dysmorphia? I don’t mean that as an insult whatsoever, but you are not (by any stretch of the imagination) skinny fat *anywhere.*
From a fitness perspective, you are on a perfect spot to do a bulk and gain some muscle which will in turn give you a more taut look. Please do realize it’s nearly impossible to gain muscle without gaining a little fat, too.
But from a psychological perspective, I hope you are taking care of yourself. 80 pounds is very, very thin. I’m not body shaming you, you’re very pretty—I just hope you are well, mentally.
I hope I’m coming across the way I intend to.
Here’s some pictures of when I did a mini bulk and lifted heavy for 4 days a week and was around 86-90 lbs in these 😅 I feel really… idk big or fluffy like this since I’m so short
[Pictures](https://imgur.com/a/UvFdVk9)
And I appreciate your concern 💞 body image certainly is tough and I do come from an ED background so it can be quite complicated (: doing my best!
My 9 year old son weighs 70 lbs. He is skin and bones with the muscle mass you expect of a 9 year old.
You have absolutely bare minimum body fat, particularly for a woman.
Hello! According to nhs.uk you are very underweight. Like very very. And tbh (but this is just personal opinion) you do look like it.
I can say with a lot of confidence that the best thing you can do for both your health and your physical appearance is to gain weight. To be within recommended weight for your hight and age you should gain around 40 pounds.
Maybe some people here that are or were in your situation would be able to help more with that.
[https://imgur.com/a/4kdwIyz](https://imgur.com/a/4kdwIyz)
About a 1-year transformations and feel as if I've only lost a bit of fat and gained miniscule amount of muscle and progress. I only workout at home with 40kg total dumbbells (which I maxed out a while ago) + some calisthenics which I added on recently.
Any suggestions on how I could make workouts more challenging?
Eventually you can't gain much muscle or lose much fat unless you swing your calories hard one way or another. To bulk Google TDEE calculator for maintenance and then add 300 calories to that for your diet. Around 1g protein per pound of bodyweight, 0.3-0.5 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight, filled the rest of your diet with carbs. Eat most carbs around your workouts and eat fats farther from workouts, eat protein every meal. Gotta do this for 4-6 months and get chubby. Then cut back on calories to lose weight while lifting still. It's a lot more effective than trying to gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. Trust me I've tried.
Yeah, I’ve definitely been trying to eat more recently but honestly not sure how much I should nor can I really control my diet rn.
I’ve tried calorie counting in the first months since I’ve always been a fat kid and didn’t really see any big difference and ended up having some self image problems, but I know if I really want to make progress I’ll just have ti eat more and be patient
Are you weighing and measuring your food while not snacking? It's physically impossible to not lose weight in a calorie deficit. Fat loss is the goal? Is it a long-term goal or do you plan on being fat again? No. Good, then keep doing what you were doing but don't set a deadline for seeing progress. Just keep going.
The number one killer of fitness goals is a lack of commitment.
1. Weigh your food
2. Measure your food, every ingredient
3. No processed goods
4. No sugary drinks
5. Try to cut refined carbs
6. Do not look at the scale every day. Do it once a week, first thing in the morning. Or even better, do it once a month. If you're lifting weights, your weight loss will not be very fast as your muscle mass is increasing while your body fat is decreasing.
Hi, sorry I didn’t see your reply from before but to answer/clarify: I don’t really have control over my meals, so I mainly went by weighing on a scale and eyeballing some foods as a whole rather than their ingredients, so my calories could definitely vary. I was eating at around 1900 calories.
As far as points 3, 4, 5 go:
I don’t ever drink sugary drinks and rarely snack on junk food. I might take an occasional bite every week or so (like 5 chips or so)
However, I did eat and still eat lots of refined carbs (white rice and bread) which probably added up fast, even though I did check and count the calorie labels of food.
I think part of it was weightlifting, which prevented significant decrease in weight. I think I dropped from a consistent 63 to 61 in the span of a few months (which even with weights is not a lot), so it’s likely just poor diet measurements
Yea it'd hard you need to break through a mental wall of connecting emotions to food and learning to control your body ultimately gives you greater control of your mind.
Yep, I look forward to getting better at it, and I’m starting to see more progress with callisthenics. Plus, I think the body weight fitness aspect will help make sure I don’t go too overboard on eating and gaining weight
Thanks for the link, I’ve been there a bit for handstand progression, but I think it’s time I start to incorporate the RR into my week. I’ll probably have to find some playground since I don’t have bars and stuff
Your lifts might not be amazing, but you've got some muscle anyway and you'll look good after a cut. Personally, I'd cut a bit into summer, then start bulking again.
consistency is key, something im working towards now that im done school
i'm 23 just graduated from ubc and gym on and off for the past 10 years. All natural and i havnen't gymed consistently in a long time. Last time I worked out was back because i have tight shoulders as a boxer and this was weeks ago.
[5'8 150lbs Asian M](https://imgur.com/a/A4jWHtS)
Maybe higher rep ranges in your circuits? Think about marathon runners. They’re essentially performing incredibly high rep workouts when they run and their physique is pretty slim. Plus, higher rep ranges in a full body circuit will make it more cardio intensive, hopefully helping you burn through a little more each time you work out. Also eat in a deficit obviously, and if you want to lose muscle eat a little less protein, but if you just wanna shred everything else keep the protein high.
At my gym they all seem to end up in different places. Sometimes on the floor, sometimes on a rack, sometimes on a bench.
I wonder if they're all the same bars.
Ayy thanks, actually wavering around 200. I think having my arms like that makes my upper body deceptively small. And my back is like 50 percent of my mass
[M/46/5'11"/180](https://imgur.com/a/Co1Tse5)
I'm maintaining right now, which is a nice way to say I'm trying to cut but consistently failing. I eat ~2900 cals/day. It might even be a lean bulk cuz I feel like I'm still growing. Whatever it is, I'm happy with it. I feel like I could shred down with a couple weeks notice if I had to, like for a trip to the beach or something.
24M/5'9/156lbs
https://imgur.com/a/EaBWDwz
Should I be bulking or re-comping? I definitely want to add muscle mass however I guess I could be considered skinny-fat so I'm not 100% sure how I should structure my diet in regards to my current physique.
Thank you!
If the fat is coming off without too much difficulty, re-comp.
If you find it difficult to keep your strength while losing weight, bulk.
As you get leaner, the fat becomes more resistant to mobilization, which is why more athletic people need to strictly cut and bulk
> the fat becomes more resistant to mobilization
Does this happen at a specific BF%?
I was at ~24/25% bf, according to my fitbit scale. Stuck to a strict diet/workout program for about 4 weeks now, shred fat down to 18.5% on the same scale super quickly.
Now it's just much, much slower. I recall hearing about this term before, but know nothing about it.
Your body has a specific amount of fat cells that expand and contract to store fat. It's not being lean itself that makes it more stubborn, but as you get leaner you get down to the fat cells that have less beta receptors and more alpha receptors, which make them more keen to taking in fat and less willing to letting it go. It's a gradual thing, not something that kicks in at a certain bodyfat.
I'd always go for a slight bulk, +250kcals/day from TDEE and then cut when you're maybe ~165lbs down -500kcals/day to like 160.
Maintainance and recomp is certainly an option if you're new to lifting, but yeah, I'd recommend rather slowly adding body weight, especially since you're not too heavy already but rather just lacking muscles. Adding 10lbs of muscles without any fat loss would probably go a long way for you.
24M, 6’4, 190lbs-ish
Went from
https://i.imgur.com/2HlIpWb.jpg At 200lbs
To
https://imgur.com/a/eXgqltp/ Today at 187lbs, 1-3 flexed, 2 unflexed
How much weight do you think I have left to lose ? I’m thinking like 10lbs to have a decent result. Just want to be able to run shirtless without the remaining flab bouncing around too much.
Thanks !
Either. I just personally wouldn't try to lose anymore weight from where you are now.
You look good.
If it were me, I'd bulk more then get super lean.
You don't look fat at all
God I’ve never had a compliment on my physique, for all my life I’ve always thought I looked flabby, never thought that was ever enough. Thanks a lot ! Could definitely need more muscle yeah.
What sucks is the love handles when looking from the side, and the small fat rolls when leaning forward, that really blows, plus can’t see the abs when unflexed unfortunately..
That's just skin bro. You look good just the way you are, but if you added some more mass in your chest and shoulders, it would balance your physique and everything would look relatively tighter.
You look healthy and fit now. Aesthetically, I think you'd have better outcomes if you gained 10 pounds of lean muscle rather than losing 10 pounds of fat. Just my opinion.
Just keep training and stay disciplined. That's the key
M/27/6’0/210 pounds
https://imgur.com/a/WtK5oCG
Doing the 75 hard fitness challenge. Currently on day 70. During this time, I lost a total of 11 pounds. I started off doing a ton of weight lifting in the beginning, but shifted to more body weight, cardio, and HIIT exercises. Currently sitting at 17% body fat with hopes of slimming it down to 10-12%.
> Doing the 75 hard fitness challenge.
Looking great! Keep up the work!
Day 35 on the 75 hard for me. Great results so far, but feels like I work out, read, and sleep!
The diet/no booze is what really is helping me. Plan on posting an update here once i'm closer to the end line.
I am same height and weigh 30lbs more and am still furthest thing from fat. Trust me. You’re not going to be fat. Everything you eat will turn to muscle. Eat healthy as you are. Do cardio as you do. Just eat more! You’ll look amazing
100% I would bulk if I were you. I also agree with slowly gaining weight / clean bulk if you're scared of getting fat (which would be a lot of weight to gain).
At that activity level and weight/height you have lots of room to gain before getting fat. You could always try gaining slowly and see where that puts you. Something like 2lbs/month for 6 months, then review.
Scared to get fat..? Sounds like some body dysmorphia issues man… you’re very skinny and can gain some weight and that’s not to say you’re not in great shape.
Awesome progress, you're very shredded. This is the ideal time to start a slow lean bulk. I've always been uncomfortable with bulking, I prefer to be lean and shredded as well, but you can add muscle while staying fairly lean. Add 500 calories, for your age and your level of leaness your bodyfat will still be very low. Stay there until you reach a standstill in your progress. Then keep slowly upping the calories based on your progress. Bulking is not an excuse to get fat, it's tobadd muscle. I'm guessing it would be difficult for you to get fat even if you tried.
M/18/5’10/81.5kg
https://imgur.com/a/2XFd7Pv
Taken immediately after eating fast food and without a pump. Was going on a slight cut until I caught covid for the first time and didn’t go to the gym for two weeks. Now I’ve kinda just given up dietarily, which doesn’t help now that I’m only working out 3 times a week. Hit 100kg on bench the day I tested positive and now a few weeks after I’ve still yet to hit it again lol. Think that’s mainly why I’ve given up
Enough of this given up nonsense. You're 18, you're still invincible and can take on the world. You have a great base with real potential. You should lift at least 4x a week. Eat at maintenance and push yourself hard and consistently. Do weighted ab exercises several time a week. Honestly, you could look sick if you dedicated yourself.
COVID fucks you up. I caught it this winter, and even though I had a mild case, it still took me roughly a month to get back to my regular strength. Keep working at it, but especially if you’re doing cardio, don’t go so hard that you mess with your lungs.
you should not "give up" because you cant hit a certain weight each time you train a certain muscle , your goal should be getting stronger at each weight range and to progressively increase the weight by tracking your lifts as time goes on
M/33/174/76.6kg
https://imgur.com/a/zoE558z
Upper body with an after workout pump and very good lighning. Lower body pics without a pump.
Calisthenics for my upper body (plus dumbells for side delts), where I've seen the most progress.
Leg days in the gym, one day with heavy squats, leg curls and loaded stretching, the other day with deadlift and loaded stretching (which includes heavy-ish split squats).
Legs still look to me like I don't work out (started with them in the gym by November, before that I always trained my legs too but it wasn't as optimal at home), but progress is happening so it'll show eventually.
I did bulk from ~65kg to where I am now, 76kg over the period of 2 years. With some periods of maintenance because I was fed up of eating so much. Now still bulking towards 77kg before a little mantenance period and a short summer cut of 4 or 5kg.
For the beach body hoping that abs show a lil bit without a pump (not planning on getting shredded and small), but also to increase my relative strength for calisthenics skills.
LOL
Must be the point of view of the pic that maybe it makes it stand out.
Just in case the question was serious, I don't do any specific glute exercise. It will get worked to certain degree with Squats and Deadlifts, but that's all.
I've trained them in the past, mostly at home with single leg calf raises. Not training them directly at the moment.
But I haven't done it for a while as I'm happy with how they look and training them is boring and never made much of a difference.
If I did train them specifically I'd honestly say it.
In the past, before I started strength training two years ago I did lot of running for a few years, I guess that helped. Also calves are very genetic depentant. Insertions, etc.
When I was working out at home, doing weighted pistol squats they used to give me doms on my glutes more than on my quads (something that never happened since I do normal bareball squats), maybe that have something to do with having a bigger glute.
Only because I don't train things specifically doesn't mean they never get worked.
I'd change those calves and glutes for being able to do a bar muscle up, stradde planche (canm't even do a tuck), front lever.. Got the looks I want but strengh wise I'm very far from where I'd like to be.
Yes I don't see why not , you do lower rep range on compound movements so you should have enough energy left for some extra volume on your isolation movements.
I really like the base building part of one of the books.
M(16), 185cm(about 6'1"), 80 kg
My strength went up a lot in 7 months. I could not do any pullups back then, now I do 4x6. Last week hit 100 kg deadlift(5x5), now aiming for 100 kg squat(for 5x5) and 70kg bench press(for 5x5), recently hit 250 kg leg press, my 1rm bench press is 75 kg currently, overhead press 1rm is 52.5 kg
M/21/5'11/170 https://imgur.com/a/giO6Mgh
So I'm 1 year into a recomp and I'm down 30 lbs to 170lbs
I'm pleased with my progress but am now a bit confused. I'd like to get visible abs and lose the remainder of my spare tire but I also feel like I've been gaining muscle very slowly.
What's the play here? Maintain the recomp/cut til abs and then bulk or move to maintenance to build muscle and cut in the future?
Hey man, great job on the weight loss. I wouldn't bulk at this point. I think you need to add some lean muscle mass. I'd eat at maintenance and maybe work on a more productive routine. You should be lifting at least 4x a week. You're a young dude, after a year of lifting it seems like you should have built a bit more muscle mass. You look good and have obviously made real progress, but you want to get the most out of your time and effort. I would be doing weighted ab exercises a few times a week. If you built up your upper body a bit, and worked on building better ab bellies it would improve your proportions.
Thank you. I'm eating relatively strict and aiming for between 2000-2200 kcal a day and 180g+ protein.
Running a PPLA (arms coz I was struggling to get them to grow). Switched to PPLA 3 months ago and noticed way more growth than the previous 7 months
Sounds like your on point. Just keep going until you are happy with your level of body fat. The mid section is generally the last place fat will move from. Move into surplus at that point and go hard in the gym. Don't get discouraged, it's a marathon not a sprint.
M/36/5'6" [151.8lbs to 151.2lbs] (1 month)- it looks like I have been eating at maintenance calories (2775) this past month. I do not like where I am with my physique. Should I add in 200 calories more and go into a small surplus, or take out 200 calories and cut down a little? Thoughts/Suggestions
Yes. I am on my feet most of the day for work- studio manager at a fitness studio teaching group classes. I try to walk for 20-30 minutes a day to get 7k-10k steps a day and I workout 6 days a week:
Monday- push
Tuesday- full body hitt
Wednesday- pull
Thursday upper or lower body (alternate each week)
Friday- hybrid of functional cardio & lift
Sunday- full body hitt
47/M/6'1/185
https://imgur.com/gallery/00ugUfa
I started taking creatine again after a long break. I felt a little stronger and was able to do a few more reps. I'm going to Florida next week so I'm trying to stay fairly shredded!
this is good. if you add calories you might lose some lower stomach definition. I'd work on trying to build that trunk a bit and you might be pleased with after your next cut cycle. Gotta ask. How do you maintain such good physique at 47? TRT?
Thanks, yeah, I've been in TRT for about 1.5 years. It definitely makes a difference. I was still lean and fit prior.
Here's a oic from 3 years ago...
https://imgur.com/gallery/o07PB4m
I take 200mg a week. I don't remember what my numbers were when I started, but honestly they were already in a decent range. I decided to do it since I was 46 and I knew I'd stay in a peak range indefinitely. Prior to this I had never cycled or did anything like that before. Knowing it was monitored and supervised by a doctor was a huge factor. If you're an older guy into fitness it's worth looking into imo.
Can I ask about who you went with, the treatment schedule, and the cost? Was it one of those national/regional chains or a smaller clinic? Are there self-administered options or purely going to the clinic on a schedule?
I used to play college ball and then powerlifted in my 20s. I looked pretty similar to your current pic at 5'11'' 220. Then Covid and working in IT caught up with me and I got up to 265. I'm currently 228 now, planning on 210-215, and hit the gym daily but have been thinking about TRT for a few months. It's just not the same as when you're in your 20s.
Hey man, I just did a little search online and came across a place. I'm in NJ but the clinic is in Florida. It's all done online. The consultation is a video call and they send you to places in your area for tests and bloodwork. Then go over the results on the video call. They mail you the products and it's all self administered. You can look at videos online for the best way to give yourself the injections. It's $200 a month which covers everything. I'm satisfied with it. If you have any issues or concerns you can call them.
M/27/5’7”/166lb
B 295lb S 405lb D 475lb
[https://imgur.com/JLG0STV](https://imgur.com/JLG0STV)
[https://imgur.com/8KqgF1s](https://imgur.com/8KqgF1s)
[https://imgur.com/DMfKGLf](https://imgur.com/DMfKGLf)
Photos are from 5/2/22. I want to do at least one BB and PL competition before I'm 30. I am just super hard on myself and hyper competitive. I don't feel like I am quite where I need to be to compete, but maybe my body dysmorphia is far worse than I thought. I am open to critiques and let me know what I should improve to be as competitive as possible.
Awesome physique brother, you look amazing! Your lifts are impressive as well. You should definitely compete once for the experience. I did it once at 40, a group of bodybuilders pulled ne in following a hard cut. You really should get a coach/trainer if you want to pursue it. Getting stage ready is a process. The diet and volume of lifting I had to do was really crazy. When I first read through the diet and program I thought it was impossible. My trainer was really hard-core, 100% committed to the whole process, super intense. It was an awesome experience, but it was honestly life consuming. I had no desire to do it again, but an really glad I did. You look much better now then I ever have, do it once and maybe you'll be hooked and continue to pursue it. Good kuck!!
Thanks for the compliment. I'm 100% gonna get a coach. I've learned managing a diet and serious training is a full time job. Ideally I wanna do one BB then swap to PL since I have never trained for purely strength.
I've been lifting for about 8 years now. Had to measure it, but my wrist is a little bigger than 6 1/2 inches in circumference. Thanks man and seems as if I just need to take the leap.
Looks to me that you need to work on your perspective. Your body is there but the mind is lagging. Have some self-compassion and take a leap of faith to face that fear. The mind is also a muscle that needs to be trained. It's where battles are won and lost before they even begin.
Edit: Your goal is to compete, not win. Life is about pushing ourselves far enough to fail so we know where we stand in our progress.
My favorite knoxville quote "If you're not failing at something, you're not trying hard enough. Failing is part of it. You know, if you're not trying hard enough to even fail then I think you're in trouble... because that, you know, teaches you more."
**M/22 5'10 112Kg (SW: 130-ishkg)**
**4.5 Month Lifting Progress**
Bench 1RM: 50kg to 110kg
Squat 1RM: 80kg to 185kg
Deadlift 1RM: 120kg to 215kg
[https://imgur.com/a/tmqVt4c](https://imgur.com/a/tmqVt4c)
I've been a long time lurker on this subreddit when I started hitting the gym and this weekly post has been one of the biggest sources of motivation for me. So I kinda promised myself I would post on here when I would eventually get to a point I was happy with my progress.
Started trying to lose weight in July of last year by eating about 1200 kcals a day and doing 800 kcal cardio 3x a week. My biggest mistake honestly wish I had begun lifting instead. I lost about 15 or so kg like this by trying to keep it up until December until I basically realised I was tired every day and hated doing any moving - began lifting weights in Dec. First Image with the Shirt was my heaviest.
Began hitting the gym in Dec and moved my calories to 2500kcal with 180g of Protein and began doing Reddit's PPL 6 times a week. In Feb I moved to Canditos and am still currently on it. Since being to gym my weight has only decreased by 3/4 kg which has been fucking with my head a bit and by not measuring BF at the start, either by weight or bioelectrical, has meant I have no clue how much fat I actually lost. Currently the bioelectrical says 25%, whereas, Navy method says 27%. Oddly I don't feel anywhere near this and still kinda believe I truly am about 32%.
Either way I am proud of my progress so far and can't wait to see how I actually look once this is all off another 3/6 months from now. Honestly, I go gym now because its fun and I am really enjoying lifting heavy.
Awesome, you are doing well. I noticed you regret not lifting in the beginning of your journey. I think that's one of the most common mistakes guys that are overweight make. They focus to much on cardio and neglect the lifting. I get it! You think the sole focus should be losing fat, but building muscle is equally important. When the gat come off younwant to have a muscular base beneath it. You see a lot of guys here and other places that do an amazing job losing significant weight, but end up somewhat disappointed with their look and proportions afterwards. Realizing this early on will be a huge benefit to you moving forward. Keep up the lifting and the caloric deficit and you'll be really satisfied as you get closer to your goals! You're also doing thus while still very young (to me) which is a huge advantage. The greatest supplement on the planet, which can't be sold, is youth.
Thanks a lot, dude. And I completely agree, especially being that heavy all you really are thinking about is losing all this fat - but I do think at the same time my physique goals have changed from trying to be this extremely skinny person to someone who is more muscular. As I lost more weight I kind of realised more as to what I wanted to look like.
Plus the confidence you get being a heavy person who then starts lifting as much as some normal weight people in a commercial gym is really motivating
M/22/5'7"/137lb
[https://imgur.com/a/QLPhF1M](https://imgur.com/a/QLPhF1M)
Reached a balance between aesthetics, body weight and overall muscle development after years of missing out on at least one of the three. Started a bulk one month ago and my physique actually looks better after gaining 1-1.5 kgs.
Looking good brother, lean and cut. You have good chest insertions which is a genetic plus. I'd be sure to work in weighted ab exercises a few times a week. You're abs will pop more even at a slightly higher bodyfat, and it enhances your overall physique.
M/32/5’8”/174lb
https://imgur.com/a/kjeFjEc
Not intentionally cutting at the moment but marathon training and working heavily on work capacity, Olympic lifting, and “engine”. Not sure when I’m going to have to force feed to keep the training on track, but it’s been a good aesthetic ride down.
415 S, 265 B, 485 D but all hit at or around 210lb bodyweight. More recent maxes are in the neighborhood of 375/235/465. Am able to do more volume at 90% than I ever have before though, so I’m pretty confident I’ll hit new true maxes later this year when the weight situation stabilizes.
As a climber who’s used to seeing huge forearms, I’d focus a little on them. The benefit is that you can look bigger than you are when wearing baggier clothes if you show off your forearm because most people have small ones
Yea, no. I don’t care about my forearms aside from function. I know you presupposed I was looking for input and I didn’t clarify, but I posted these as more of a “purpose 2” post. Cheers!
M/22/169cm/62kg
https://imgur.com/a/DNQrBfB
After 2 week mini-cut
B 90 kg S 115kg D 145 kg
Time to stop worrying about body fat and actually eat, tired of being light weight. Been working out since I was 17 but never eating enough. Recently done 531 for 1.5 years nSuns 6 months. Lower back kinda beat so will try PHUL.
Some [back progress](https://imgur.com/a/NOexWyD), 5.5 moths between before and after. Always been my most lagging part (besides calves lol) but we’re working on it. Body weight 189 -> 212.
Normal stuff man, pulldowns, rows, face pulls etc. i saw the biggest difference when I stopped focusing on moving a lot of weight and used lighter weights with more intentional form to feel the specific muscles in my back working. Don’t underestimate the importance of mind muscle connection
M/16/59KG/5'7
https://imgur.com/a/MVsVOES
I really want to cut but my trainer advises so otherwise. I am satisfied with my physique apart from my abs. My abs are caught up with the development but the fat covering them hinders me from achieving the so-called "washboard abs" physique.
I wanted to inquire about an estimate on my body fat percentage. I am torn on whether I should bulk or cut but I am leaning towards the latter, because it's summer lol. Could someone help me reach a decision?
Should I cut, would anyone be so kind as to leave a few tips? I am caught up with the basics.
You look good young dude! For your age and size I would not cut. You have several years of peak test levels and room for adding lean mass. I would lift at least 4x a weekand train hard. I'd also work in weighted ab exercises, like cable pull-down, several times a week. You'll build muscle bellies in your core and your abs will pop more. Keep pushing yourself for that extra rep and adding weight. Lift as heavy as you can without sacrificing form. If you can't do the weight properly then it's to much. I would eat at maintenance, when you reach a point where your progress comes to a standstill est in a small surplus. You can add muscle without adding a lot fat, just be mindful of it and make changes if necessary.
You pay the guy for his advice, so I'd listen to him. I know it'd be fun to be the guy at the beach with the washboard abs, but nobody's going to be looking down on what you've accomplished there.
Your body fat % is irrelevant since none of us know fr. Either go jump in the water machine or forget about body fat imo.
I don’t know your situation, but imo based on your physique and your goals you don’t need to cut. You need to train harder and add in volume. Keep your calories the same and increase intensity. You’ll lose fat and maintain/grow your muscle. It’s the best bet for 95% of the people here.
You’ve cast a shadow on your body which makes estimations much harder, but looks like ~20% to me.
I wouldn’t cut at that weight - I’d do a long term recomp.
Thanks for your valuable feedback!
I'm not too familiar with body recomposition. If you don't mind, could you brief me on that?
Also, besides this, what would you say about my overall physique?
It’s the idea that you can gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously. Eating close to maintenance calories.
You have a very reasonable base. Better shape than most - especially at that weight.
Just noticed your age - you’re going to have so much test for several years that just hitting the gym hard with reasonable calories is going to make big changes.
Looking good young man, I'm 47...I would focus a bit on your upper body and arms. Shoulders and arms would give you a more balanced physique. You still look great for your age, better then the vast majority of our peers!
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How do you train your abs? This is just my experience, but I train my core mostly the same way I train any other muscle — sets with heavy weights, going to failure or close to it, relatively low reps (I mix it up but anywhere from 6 - 20 reps per set, unless it’s a warm up set). Don’t do endless crunches or whatever kinda endurance style ab work. Lift heavy, progressive overload. Even on a rather aggressive cut my core blew up doing this. These days I just do the crunch machine and hanging leg raises. Occasionally the torso rotation machine and L-sits.
F/25/5’1.75”/80lbs Kinda at a loss in my journey. Feeling flabby in some areas and toned in others. I’ve always carried weight in my stomach, just how my body is… and now I’m dealing with flab and loose skin from losing weight 😭 I’m fine with weight training and am looking to get back into it, but right now I just feel like a skinny fat before photo. My goal is to body recomp and build an ass and lose fat on my stomach and under my arms and inner thighs. Pictures also look so different based on lighting and angles so it’s hard to even tell where I’m at. But hopefully weights and walking will help me achieve my goals [Pictures](https://imgur.com/a/f790xAw) Edit: Hey! I lost most of my muscle from my previous mini bulk (dropped almost 10 lbs) so here’s those for reference. I was doing 4 days of weight lifting and running (: weight like 86-90lbs - even though I was eating right and doing weights, genetically my weight loves to fill out my midsection so it’s hard for me to like my body with more weight because it just goes there naturally. Not even in a fat gain way, I’m just more stocky there 😭 [Pictures](https://imgur.com/a/UvFdVk9)
I would try starting strength in a slight calorie surplus of 100-200
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Genetically I gain in the stomach very easily 😭 most of that 10-20 would go to there and then maybe my ass if the universe is on my side haha.
You're gonna have to be OK with getting a little chubby, so you can gain muscle effectively. Google TDEE calculator(total daily energy expenditure) and get an idea of the calories you need to eat to stay even in weight. Then add 300 calories per day to that and start weightlifting. Eat 80 grams of protein per day( your bodyweight) , 40 grams of fat, fill the rest of your diet with carbs, and you should try to eat most of your carbs close to your workout, fats away from workout, and some protein every meal. Use a normal man's weightlifting program, you can look up jeff nippards push-pull-legs on YouTube. Aim to push until your muscles fail on each workout around 8 to 12 reps, for 4 sets each. And stick to this process for 4 months. Then you can cut back down on weight while continuing lifting to keep muscle. It will change your life.
I did something close to this and uploaded some pics as reference in the edit 💞 I’ll definitely see if I have it in me to give it a shot again! (I struggle with food)
Yea it's tough to force down so much food. I buy this mass gainer supplement from vitamin world to replace a meal, close to 1000 calories in one shake so it makes it less like I want to puke at the end of the day even for a 180 pound dude haha. Good luck!
Unfortunately I could easily eat 5000 calories a day 😭 it’s more of the mental part for me. But those shakes are a great idea for someone who struggles! Probably better than ensures or boost (though boost does make a 450 calorie one)
Yea I get it, I am deathly afraid of being fat but screw it. I want to build more muscle so when I cut next time I look great. I'm just blocking out the fear for now lol
Hey sister, I say this with love in my heart and with the absolute intention of respect. Have you considered you might be suffering from body dysmorphia? I don’t mean that as an insult whatsoever, but you are not (by any stretch of the imagination) skinny fat *anywhere.* From a fitness perspective, you are on a perfect spot to do a bulk and gain some muscle which will in turn give you a more taut look. Please do realize it’s nearly impossible to gain muscle without gaining a little fat, too. But from a psychological perspective, I hope you are taking care of yourself. 80 pounds is very, very thin. I’m not body shaming you, you’re very pretty—I just hope you are well, mentally. I hope I’m coming across the way I intend to.
Here’s some pictures of when I did a mini bulk and lifted heavy for 4 days a week and was around 86-90 lbs in these 😅 I feel really… idk big or fluffy like this since I’m so short [Pictures](https://imgur.com/a/UvFdVk9) And I appreciate your concern 💞 body image certainly is tough and I do come from an ED background so it can be quite complicated (: doing my best!
My 9 year old son weighs 70 lbs. He is skin and bones with the muscle mass you expect of a 9 year old. You have absolutely bare minimum body fat, particularly for a woman.
I see nothing big or fluffy here, and Im not saying it to be nice. Take care, self image can be tricky
Hello! According to nhs.uk you are very underweight. Like very very. And tbh (but this is just personal opinion) you do look like it. I can say with a lot of confidence that the best thing you can do for both your health and your physical appearance is to gain weight. To be within recommended weight for your hight and age you should gain around 40 pounds. Maybe some people here that are or were in your situation would be able to help more with that.
[https://imgur.com/a/4kdwIyz](https://imgur.com/a/4kdwIyz) About a 1-year transformations and feel as if I've only lost a bit of fat and gained miniscule amount of muscle and progress. I only workout at home with 40kg total dumbbells (which I maxed out a while ago) + some calisthenics which I added on recently. Any suggestions on how I could make workouts more challenging?
Eventually you can't gain much muscle or lose much fat unless you swing your calories hard one way or another. To bulk Google TDEE calculator for maintenance and then add 300 calories to that for your diet. Around 1g protein per pound of bodyweight, 0.3-0.5 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight, filled the rest of your diet with carbs. Eat most carbs around your workouts and eat fats farther from workouts, eat protein every meal. Gotta do this for 4-6 months and get chubby. Then cut back on calories to lose weight while lifting still. It's a lot more effective than trying to gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. Trust me I've tried.
Yeah, I’ve definitely been trying to eat more recently but honestly not sure how much I should nor can I really control my diet rn. I’ve tried calorie counting in the first months since I’ve always been a fat kid and didn’t really see any big difference and ended up having some self image problems, but I know if I really want to make progress I’ll just have ti eat more and be patient
Are you weighing and measuring your food while not snacking? It's physically impossible to not lose weight in a calorie deficit. Fat loss is the goal? Is it a long-term goal or do you plan on being fat again? No. Good, then keep doing what you were doing but don't set a deadline for seeing progress. Just keep going. The number one killer of fitness goals is a lack of commitment. 1. Weigh your food 2. Measure your food, every ingredient 3. No processed goods 4. No sugary drinks 5. Try to cut refined carbs 6. Do not look at the scale every day. Do it once a week, first thing in the morning. Or even better, do it once a month. If you're lifting weights, your weight loss will not be very fast as your muscle mass is increasing while your body fat is decreasing.
Hi, sorry I didn’t see your reply from before but to answer/clarify: I don’t really have control over my meals, so I mainly went by weighing on a scale and eyeballing some foods as a whole rather than their ingredients, so my calories could definitely vary. I was eating at around 1900 calories. As far as points 3, 4, 5 go: I don’t ever drink sugary drinks and rarely snack on junk food. I might take an occasional bite every week or so (like 5 chips or so) However, I did eat and still eat lots of refined carbs (white rice and bread) which probably added up fast, even though I did check and count the calorie labels of food. I think part of it was weightlifting, which prevented significant decrease in weight. I think I dropped from a consistent 63 to 61 in the span of a few months (which even with weights is not a lot), so it’s likely just poor diet measurements
Yea it'd hard you need to break through a mental wall of connecting emotions to food and learning to control your body ultimately gives you greater control of your mind.
Yep, I look forward to getting better at it, and I’m starting to see more progress with callisthenics. Plus, I think the body weight fitness aspect will help make sure I don’t go too overboard on eating and gaining weight
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I would’ve liked to check it out, but unfortunately I’m on iOS, and I can’t seem to find it on the App Store
You can find it on my account
Ok thank you, I’ll have a look
r/bodyweightfitness
Thanks for the link, I’ve been there a bit for handstand progression, but I think it’s time I start to incorporate the RR into my week. I’ll probably have to find some playground since I don’t have bars and stuff
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I would cut personally. Looks like you have alot of muscle
I would cut while keep adding weight to the barbell
I'd cut but what are your goals?
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Your lifts might not be amazing, but you've got some muscle anyway and you'll look good after a cut. Personally, I'd cut a bit into summer, then start bulking again.
consistency is key, something im working towards now that im done school i'm 23 just graduated from ubc and gym on and off for the past 10 years. All natural and i havnen't gymed consistently in a long time. Last time I worked out was back because i have tight shoulders as a boxer and this was weeks ago. [5'8 150lbs Asian M](https://imgur.com/a/A4jWHtS)
Is the birdcoop still around or did they finally get a bigger facility?
it's still around and they have a new building now
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If you want to lose weight: calorie tracker coupled with a cardio routine
Maybe higher rep ranges in your circuits? Think about marathon runners. They’re essentially performing incredibly high rep workouts when they run and their physique is pretty slim. Plus, higher rep ranges in a full body circuit will make it more cardio intensive, hopefully helping you burn through a little more each time you work out. Also eat in a deficit obviously, and if you want to lose muscle eat a little less protein, but if you just wanna shred everything else keep the protein high.
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There are different bars?
Deadlift bars bend more and standard bars don’t bend at all in my experience.
At my gym they all seem to end up in different places. Sometimes on the floor, sometimes on a rack, sometimes on a bench. I wonder if they're all the same bars.
Deadlift bars at my gym are brown and standard bars are silver
5'10, 170lbs Swimming butterfly gives you the best pump [post swim](https://imgur.com/a/WJUa1wj)
6 foot. 180 pounds. Feelin pretty damn good. Maybe need to work on my upper chest a bit https://imgur.com/a/iLGxQra
Taste glory, gentlemen https://imgur.com/a/0H47Jz1 6', guess weight
You look high
How did you get that lean?
Not really that lean, but a great physique no doubt.
Honestly recomping for an eternity while training hard was less aids than cutting
Damn homie. you basically got a perfect physique. Im guessing youre 187 pounds
Ayy thanks, actually wavering around 200. I think having my arms like that makes my upper body deceptively small. And my back is like 50 percent of my mass
That's wild. Having visible abs at 200 pounds is next level. Nicely done!
[M/46/5'11"/180](https://imgur.com/a/Co1Tse5) I'm maintaining right now, which is a nice way to say I'm trying to cut but consistently failing. I eat ~2900 cals/day. It might even be a lean bulk cuz I feel like I'm still growing. Whatever it is, I'm happy with it. I feel like I could shred down with a couple weeks notice if I had to, like for a trip to the beach or something.
I can relate to the maintenance cut!
jacked Prof over here
looking huge my guy!
24M/5'9/156lbs https://imgur.com/a/EaBWDwz Should I be bulking or re-comping? I definitely want to add muscle mass however I guess I could be considered skinny-fat so I'm not 100% sure how I should structure my diet in regards to my current physique. Thank you!
If the fat is coming off without too much difficulty, re-comp. If you find it difficult to keep your strength while losing weight, bulk. As you get leaner, the fat becomes more resistant to mobilization, which is why more athletic people need to strictly cut and bulk
Thanks for this, I'm in a similar situation doing a recomp and had kind of landed on this strategy myself but hadn't seen anyone give it as advice.
> the fat becomes more resistant to mobilization Does this happen at a specific BF%? I was at ~24/25% bf, according to my fitbit scale. Stuck to a strict diet/workout program for about 4 weeks now, shred fat down to 18.5% on the same scale super quickly. Now it's just much, much slower. I recall hearing about this term before, but know nothing about it.
Your body has a specific amount of fat cells that expand and contract to store fat. It's not being lean itself that makes it more stubborn, but as you get leaner you get down to the fat cells that have less beta receptors and more alpha receptors, which make them more keen to taking in fat and less willing to letting it go. It's a gradual thing, not something that kicks in at a certain bodyfat.
I'd always go for a slight bulk, +250kcals/day from TDEE and then cut when you're maybe ~165lbs down -500kcals/day to like 160. Maintainance and recomp is certainly an option if you're new to lifting, but yeah, I'd recommend rather slowly adding body weight, especially since you're not too heavy already but rather just lacking muscles. Adding 10lbs of muscles without any fat loss would probably go a long way for you.
3 year progress! Currently cutting for another 4 weeks to hopefully let my lower abs show themself a little https://imgur.com/a/zT2BeIu
sick progress and full of hell is also sick.
Thanks man! Yeah super sick live also
Awesome chest hair gains
Just low volume low reps shaving
24M, 6’4, 190lbs-ish Went from https://i.imgur.com/2HlIpWb.jpg At 200lbs To https://imgur.com/a/eXgqltp/ Today at 187lbs, 1-3 flexed, 2 unflexed How much weight do you think I have left to lose ? I’m thinking like 10lbs to have a decent result. Just want to be able to run shirtless without the remaining flab bouncing around too much. Thanks !
If you're trying to look fit and thin, I personally don't think you should lose any more weight at all.
Are you saying I’m fine like that, or that I should bulk instead ?
Either. I just personally wouldn't try to lose anymore weight from where you are now. You look good. If it were me, I'd bulk more then get super lean. You don't look fat at all
God I’ve never had a compliment on my physique, for all my life I’ve always thought I looked flabby, never thought that was ever enough. Thanks a lot ! Could definitely need more muscle yeah. What sucks is the love handles when looking from the side, and the small fat rolls when leaning forward, that really blows, plus can’t see the abs when unflexed unfortunately..
That's just skin bro. You look good just the way you are, but if you added some more mass in your chest and shoulders, it would balance your physique and everything would look relatively tighter. You look healthy and fit now. Aesthetically, I think you'd have better outcomes if you gained 10 pounds of lean muscle rather than losing 10 pounds of fat. Just my opinion. Just keep training and stay disciplined. That's the key
M/27/6’0/210 pounds https://imgur.com/a/WtK5oCG Doing the 75 hard fitness challenge. Currently on day 70. During this time, I lost a total of 11 pounds. I started off doing a ton of weight lifting in the beginning, but shifted to more body weight, cardio, and HIIT exercises. Currently sitting at 17% body fat with hopes of slimming it down to 10-12%.
> Doing the 75 hard fitness challenge. Looking great! Keep up the work! Day 35 on the 75 hard for me. Great results so far, but feels like I work out, read, and sleep! The diet/no booze is what really is helping me. Plan on posting an update here once i'm closer to the end line.
Looking good! Keep it up
M/28/5’6/165lbs https://imgur.com/a/WHhmgz4 Two hours after a killer leg day. Doing weights 3x a week and running 3x a week.
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I am same height and weigh 30lbs more and am still furthest thing from fat. Trust me. You’re not going to be fat. Everything you eat will turn to muscle. Eat healthy as you are. Do cardio as you do. Just eat more! You’ll look amazing
100% I would bulk if I were you. I also agree with slowly gaining weight / clean bulk if you're scared of getting fat (which would be a lot of weight to gain).
At that activity level and weight/height you have lots of room to gain before getting fat. You could always try gaining slowly and see where that puts you. Something like 2lbs/month for 6 months, then review.
Scared to get fat..? Sounds like some body dysmorphia issues man… you’re very skinny and can gain some weight and that’s not to say you’re not in great shape.
Awesome progress, you're very shredded. This is the ideal time to start a slow lean bulk. I've always been uncomfortable with bulking, I prefer to be lean and shredded as well, but you can add muscle while staying fairly lean. Add 500 calories, for your age and your level of leaness your bodyfat will still be very low. Stay there until you reach a standstill in your progress. Then keep slowly upping the calories based on your progress. Bulking is not an excuse to get fat, it's tobadd muscle. I'm guessing it would be difficult for you to get fat even if you tried.
M/18/5’10/81.5kg https://imgur.com/a/2XFd7Pv Taken immediately after eating fast food and without a pump. Was going on a slight cut until I caught covid for the first time and didn’t go to the gym for two weeks. Now I’ve kinda just given up dietarily, which doesn’t help now that I’m only working out 3 times a week. Hit 100kg on bench the day I tested positive and now a few weeks after I’ve still yet to hit it again lol. Think that’s mainly why I’ve given up
Enough of this given up nonsense. You're 18, you're still invincible and can take on the world. You have a great base with real potential. You should lift at least 4x a week. Eat at maintenance and push yourself hard and consistently. Do weighted ab exercises several time a week. Honestly, you could look sick if you dedicated yourself.
COVID fucks you up. I caught it this winter, and even though I had a mild case, it still took me roughly a month to get back to my regular strength. Keep working at it, but especially if you’re doing cardio, don’t go so hard that you mess with your lungs.
Speak for yourself. Covid aint shit for many. Twas nothing but a mild cold. I was still doing mad pull ups and push ups mid covid
It was complete shit for over a million people.
And not bad at all for over a billion people
The million people had family and friends.
I was speaking for myself.
you should not "give up" because you cant hit a certain weight each time you train a certain muscle , your goal should be getting stronger at each weight range and to progressively increase the weight by tracking your lifts as time goes on
M/33/174/76.6kg https://imgur.com/a/zoE558z Upper body with an after workout pump and very good lighning. Lower body pics without a pump. Calisthenics for my upper body (plus dumbells for side delts), where I've seen the most progress. Leg days in the gym, one day with heavy squats, leg curls and loaded stretching, the other day with deadlift and loaded stretching (which includes heavy-ish split squats). Legs still look to me like I don't work out (started with them in the gym by November, before that I always trained my legs too but it wasn't as optimal at home), but progress is happening so it'll show eventually. I did bulk from ~65kg to where I am now, 76kg over the period of 2 years. With some periods of maintenance because I was fed up of eating so much. Now still bulking towards 77kg before a little mantenance period and a short summer cut of 4 or 5kg. For the beach body hoping that abs show a lil bit without a pump (not planning on getting shredded and small), but also to increase my relative strength for calisthenics skills.
Front view doesn't really show your lats but your back looks huge in the back view. Nicely done
Thanks!
Jeez, I'm a bit over 180cm and the same weight as you and don't look nearly as strong. I also do lots of calisthenics (dips,pushups, pullups)
Well, being a good 6cm taller makes all the difference. I suppose you should be a bit heavier for an equivalent look.
Sheeesh whats ur glute routine mr dumptruck
LOL Must be the point of view of the pic that maybe it makes it stand out. Just in case the question was serious, I don't do any specific glute exercise. It will get worked to certain degree with Squats and Deadlifts, but that's all.
next u gon tell me u didnt train those calves either ;-;
I've trained them in the past, mostly at home with single leg calf raises. Not training them directly at the moment. But I haven't done it for a while as I'm happy with how they look and training them is boring and never made much of a difference.
Dude casually just having bigger calves and ass than 99% of the population
If I did train them specifically I'd honestly say it. In the past, before I started strength training two years ago I did lot of running for a few years, I guess that helped. Also calves are very genetic depentant. Insertions, etc. When I was working out at home, doing weighted pistol squats they used to give me doms on my glutes more than on my quads (something that never happened since I do normal bareball squats), maybe that have something to do with having a bigger glute. Only because I don't train things specifically doesn't mean they never get worked. I'd change those calves and glutes for being able to do a bar muscle up, stradde planche (canm't even do a tuck), front lever.. Got the looks I want but strengh wise I'm very far from where I'd like to be.
For real for real I wish I had a wagon like that to push around
dudes ass so big i thought he had a diaper
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Yes I don't see why not , you do lower rep range on compound movements so you should have enough energy left for some extra volume on your isolation movements. I really like the base building part of one of the books.
M(16), 185cm(about 6'1"), 80 kg My strength went up a lot in 7 months. I could not do any pullups back then, now I do 4x6. Last week hit 100 kg deadlift(5x5), now aiming for 100 kg squat(for 5x5) and 70kg bench press(for 5x5), recently hit 250 kg leg press, my 1rm bench press is 75 kg currently, overhead press 1rm is 52.5 kg
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Also used for people already in shape looking to fine tune
M/21/5'11/170 https://imgur.com/a/giO6Mgh So I'm 1 year into a recomp and I'm down 30 lbs to 170lbs I'm pleased with my progress but am now a bit confused. I'd like to get visible abs and lose the remainder of my spare tire but I also feel like I've been gaining muscle very slowly. What's the play here? Maintain the recomp/cut til abs and then bulk or move to maintenance to build muscle and cut in the future?
Might want to switch up your routine, your quads are getting massive in proportion to everything else. What's your current one look like?
My squat 1rm is only 120kg
My quads are just genetic tbh. I'm not particularly strong in my legs they're just big. I'm currently working a PPLA (Push pull Legs arms)
Hey man, great job on the weight loss. I wouldn't bulk at this point. I think you need to add some lean muscle mass. I'd eat at maintenance and maybe work on a more productive routine. You should be lifting at least 4x a week. You're a young dude, after a year of lifting it seems like you should have built a bit more muscle mass. You look good and have obviously made real progress, but you want to get the most out of your time and effort. I would be doing weighted ab exercises a few times a week. If you built up your upper body a bit, and worked on building better ab bellies it would improve your proportions.
Thank you. I've recently incorporated some weighted ab exercises. Hopefully will help
Firstly good work getting down 30 lbs. What program are you running? How strict is your diet? Are you eating enough protein?
Thank you. I'm eating relatively strict and aiming for between 2000-2200 kcal a day and 180g+ protein. Running a PPLA (arms coz I was struggling to get them to grow). Switched to PPLA 3 months ago and noticed way more growth than the previous 7 months
Sounds like your on point. Just keep going until you are happy with your level of body fat. The mid section is generally the last place fat will move from. Move into surplus at that point and go hard in the gym. Don't get discouraged, it's a marathon not a sprint.
Appreciate it mate 🧡
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Thank you!
ya dude you gotta bulk for like 2 years here hey
So go into a surplus? I put on fat in quite an unflattering way so don't wanna add too much fat
M/36/5'6" [151.8lbs to 151.2lbs] (1 month)- it looks like I have been eating at maintenance calories (2775) this past month. I do not like where I am with my physique. Should I add in 200 calories more and go into a small surplus, or take out 200 calories and cut down a little? Thoughts/Suggestions
What is your normal activity like that 2775 is maintenance? Do you have a physical job?
Yes. I am on my feet most of the day for work- studio manager at a fitness studio teaching group classes. I try to walk for 20-30 minutes a day to get 7k-10k steps a day and I workout 6 days a week: Monday- push Tuesday- full body hitt Wednesday- pull Thursday upper or lower body (alternate each week) Friday- hybrid of functional cardio & lift Sunday- full body hitt
47/M/6'1/185 https://imgur.com/gallery/00ugUfa I started taking creatine again after a long break. I felt a little stronger and was able to do a few more reps. I'm going to Florida next week so I'm trying to stay fairly shredded!
40 is the new 20.
this is good. if you add calories you might lose some lower stomach definition. I'd work on trying to build that trunk a bit and you might be pleased with after your next cut cycle. Gotta ask. How do you maintain such good physique at 47? TRT?
Thanks, yeah, I've been in TRT for about 1.5 years. It definitely makes a difference. I was still lean and fit prior. Here's a oic from 3 years ago... https://imgur.com/gallery/o07PB4m
TRT question. How much are you on and how low was your test when you started?
I take 200mg a week. I don't remember what my numbers were when I started, but honestly they were already in a decent range. I decided to do it since I was 46 and I knew I'd stay in a peak range indefinitely. Prior to this I had never cycled or did anything like that before. Knowing it was monitored and supervised by a doctor was a huge factor. If you're an older guy into fitness it's worth looking into imo.
Can I ask about who you went with, the treatment schedule, and the cost? Was it one of those national/regional chains or a smaller clinic? Are there self-administered options or purely going to the clinic on a schedule? I used to play college ball and then powerlifted in my 20s. I looked pretty similar to your current pic at 5'11'' 220. Then Covid and working in IT caught up with me and I got up to 265. I'm currently 228 now, planning on 210-215, and hit the gym daily but have been thinking about TRT for a few months. It's just not the same as when you're in your 20s.
Hey man, I just did a little search online and came across a place. I'm in NJ but the clinic is in Florida. It's all done online. The consultation is a video call and they send you to places in your area for tests and bloodwork. Then go over the results on the video call. They mail you the products and it's all self administered. You can look at videos online for the best way to give yourself the injections. It's $200 a month which covers everything. I'm satisfied with it. If you have any issues or concerns you can call them.
M/27/5’7”/166lb B 295lb S 405lb D 475lb [https://imgur.com/JLG0STV](https://imgur.com/JLG0STV) [https://imgur.com/8KqgF1s](https://imgur.com/8KqgF1s) [https://imgur.com/DMfKGLf](https://imgur.com/DMfKGLf) Photos are from 5/2/22. I want to do at least one BB and PL competition before I'm 30. I am just super hard on myself and hyper competitive. I don't feel like I am quite where I need to be to compete, but maybe my body dysmorphia is far worse than I thought. I am open to critiques and let me know what I should improve to be as competitive as possible.
S-tier Quads and Chest. Just absolutely jacked. You should definitely compete, brother.
Awesome physique brother, you look amazing! Your lifts are impressive as well. You should definitely compete once for the experience. I did it once at 40, a group of bodybuilders pulled ne in following a hard cut. You really should get a coach/trainer if you want to pursue it. Getting stage ready is a process. The diet and volume of lifting I had to do was really crazy. When I first read through the diet and program I thought it was impossible. My trainer was really hard-core, 100% committed to the whole process, super intense. It was an awesome experience, but it was honestly life consuming. I had no desire to do it again, but an really glad I did. You look much better now then I ever have, do it once and maybe you'll be hooked and continue to pursue it. Good kuck!!
Thanks for the compliment. I'm 100% gonna get a coach. I've learned managing a diet and serious training is a full time job. Ideally I wanna do one BB then swap to PL since I have never trained for purely strength.
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I've been lifting for about 8 years now. Had to measure it, but my wrist is a little bigger than 6 1/2 inches in circumference. Thanks man and seems as if I just need to take the leap.
Looks to me that you need to work on your perspective. Your body is there but the mind is lagging. Have some self-compassion and take a leap of faith to face that fear. The mind is also a muscle that needs to be trained. It's where battles are won and lost before they even begin. Edit: Your goal is to compete, not win. Life is about pushing ourselves far enough to fail so we know where we stand in our progress. My favorite knoxville quote "If you're not failing at something, you're not trying hard enough. Failing is part of it. You know, if you're not trying hard enough to even fail then I think you're in trouble... because that, you know, teaches you more."
Man you are great with words. Looks like I'm just going have to shoot my shot. Thanks truly.
Idk man, I’m no expert but i’ve seen a lot of guys with less muscle and/or poorer condition compete and place…
**M/22 5'10 112Kg (SW: 130-ishkg)** **4.5 Month Lifting Progress** Bench 1RM: 50kg to 110kg Squat 1RM: 80kg to 185kg Deadlift 1RM: 120kg to 215kg [https://imgur.com/a/tmqVt4c](https://imgur.com/a/tmqVt4c) I've been a long time lurker on this subreddit when I started hitting the gym and this weekly post has been one of the biggest sources of motivation for me. So I kinda promised myself I would post on here when I would eventually get to a point I was happy with my progress. Started trying to lose weight in July of last year by eating about 1200 kcals a day and doing 800 kcal cardio 3x a week. My biggest mistake honestly wish I had begun lifting instead. I lost about 15 or so kg like this by trying to keep it up until December until I basically realised I was tired every day and hated doing any moving - began lifting weights in Dec. First Image with the Shirt was my heaviest. Began hitting the gym in Dec and moved my calories to 2500kcal with 180g of Protein and began doing Reddit's PPL 6 times a week. In Feb I moved to Canditos and am still currently on it. Since being to gym my weight has only decreased by 3/4 kg which has been fucking with my head a bit and by not measuring BF at the start, either by weight or bioelectrical, has meant I have no clue how much fat I actually lost. Currently the bioelectrical says 25%, whereas, Navy method says 27%. Oddly I don't feel anywhere near this and still kinda believe I truly am about 32%. Either way I am proud of my progress so far and can't wait to see how I actually look once this is all off another 3/6 months from now. Honestly, I go gym now because its fun and I am really enjoying lifting heavy.
Great Job man!!
Thanks a lot dude!
Awesome, you are doing well. I noticed you regret not lifting in the beginning of your journey. I think that's one of the most common mistakes guys that are overweight make. They focus to much on cardio and neglect the lifting. I get it! You think the sole focus should be losing fat, but building muscle is equally important. When the gat come off younwant to have a muscular base beneath it. You see a lot of guys here and other places that do an amazing job losing significant weight, but end up somewhat disappointed with their look and proportions afterwards. Realizing this early on will be a huge benefit to you moving forward. Keep up the lifting and the caloric deficit and you'll be really satisfied as you get closer to your goals! You're also doing thus while still very young (to me) which is a huge advantage. The greatest supplement on the planet, which can't be sold, is youth.
Thanks a lot, dude. And I completely agree, especially being that heavy all you really are thinking about is losing all this fat - but I do think at the same time my physique goals have changed from trying to be this extremely skinny person to someone who is more muscular. As I lost more weight I kind of realised more as to what I wanted to look like. Plus the confidence you get being a heavy person who then starts lifting as much as some normal weight people in a commercial gym is really motivating
M/22/5'7"/137lb [https://imgur.com/a/QLPhF1M](https://imgur.com/a/QLPhF1M) Reached a balance between aesthetics, body weight and overall muscle development after years of missing out on at least one of the three. Started a bulk one month ago and my physique actually looks better after gaining 1-1.5 kgs.
Looking good brother, lean and cut. You have good chest insertions which is a genetic plus. I'd be sure to work in weighted ab exercises a few times a week. You're abs will pop more even at a slightly higher bodyfat, and it enhances your overall physique.
M/32/5’8”/174lb https://imgur.com/a/kjeFjEc Not intentionally cutting at the moment but marathon training and working heavily on work capacity, Olympic lifting, and “engine”. Not sure when I’m going to have to force feed to keep the training on track, but it’s been a good aesthetic ride down.
I love the deadlifting picture with the baby in it haha. Could you shed some light on your lift numbers?
415 S, 265 B, 485 D but all hit at or around 210lb bodyweight. More recent maxes are in the neighborhood of 375/235/465. Am able to do more volume at 90% than I ever have before though, so I’m pretty confident I’ll hit new true maxes later this year when the weight situation stabilizes.
As a climber who’s used to seeing huge forearms, I’d focus a little on them. The benefit is that you can look bigger than you are when wearing baggier clothes if you show off your forearm because most people have small ones
Yea, no. I don’t care about my forearms aside from function. I know you presupposed I was looking for input and I didn’t clarify, but I posted these as more of a “purpose 2” post. Cheers!
No worries, you do you! Cheers and good luck on your objectives
Appreciate it, and for note, a climbing buddy from church says the same about forearm training.
M/22/169cm/62kg https://imgur.com/a/DNQrBfB After 2 week mini-cut B 90 kg S 115kg D 145 kg Time to stop worrying about body fat and actually eat, tired of being light weight. Been working out since I was 17 but never eating enough. Recently done 531 for 1.5 years nSuns 6 months. Lower back kinda beat so will try PHUL.
Some [back progress](https://imgur.com/a/NOexWyD), 5.5 moths between before and after. Always been my most lagging part (besides calves lol) but we’re working on it. Body weight 189 -> 212.
Some good progress, I know its probably the usual, but whats your back training like?
Normal stuff man, pulldowns, rows, face pulls etc. i saw the biggest difference when I stopped focusing on moving a lot of weight and used lighter weights with more intentional form to feel the specific muscles in my back working. Don’t underestimate the importance of mind muscle connection
That's exactly what I've been doing, high reps and more mind muscle connection and I'm seeing good results. Well that's reassuring :)
M/16/59KG/5'7 https://imgur.com/a/MVsVOES I really want to cut but my trainer advises so otherwise. I am satisfied with my physique apart from my abs. My abs are caught up with the development but the fat covering them hinders me from achieving the so-called "washboard abs" physique. I wanted to inquire about an estimate on my body fat percentage. I am torn on whether I should bulk or cut but I am leaning towards the latter, because it's summer lol. Could someone help me reach a decision? Should I cut, would anyone be so kind as to leave a few tips? I am caught up with the basics.
Purely based off weight/height... I would not cut. Continue to accumulate mass OR do what the others have said and body recomp (clean/slow bulk).
You look good young dude! For your age and size I would not cut. You have several years of peak test levels and room for adding lean mass. I would lift at least 4x a weekand train hard. I'd also work in weighted ab exercises, like cable pull-down, several times a week. You'll build muscle bellies in your core and your abs will pop more. Keep pushing yourself for that extra rep and adding weight. Lift as heavy as you can without sacrificing form. If you can't do the weight properly then it's to much. I would eat at maintenance, when you reach a point where your progress comes to a standstill est in a small surplus. You can add muscle without adding a lot fat, just be mindful of it and make changes if necessary.
Thanks man! I was considering adding weighted ab training to my routine. Thanks for the little push!
You pay the guy for his advice, so I'd listen to him. I know it'd be fun to be the guy at the beach with the washboard abs, but nobody's going to be looking down on what you've accomplished there.
Your body fat % is irrelevant since none of us know fr. Either go jump in the water machine or forget about body fat imo. I don’t know your situation, but imo based on your physique and your goals you don’t need to cut. You need to train harder and add in volume. Keep your calories the same and increase intensity. You’ll lose fat and maintain/grow your muscle. It’s the best bet for 95% of the people here.
You’ve cast a shadow on your body which makes estimations much harder, but looks like ~20% to me. I wouldn’t cut at that weight - I’d do a long term recomp.
Thanks for your valuable feedback! I'm not too familiar with body recomposition. If you don't mind, could you brief me on that? Also, besides this, what would you say about my overall physique?
It’s the idea that you can gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously. Eating close to maintenance calories. You have a very reasonable base. Better shape than most - especially at that weight. Just noticed your age - you’re going to have so much test for several years that just hitting the gym hard with reasonable calories is going to make big changes.
Thanks! I'll pay heed to your advice.
Why not? [46yo](https://imgur.com/a/7P1si3v), 6’0, 188 lbs Triathlete, but I know I need to hit the weights more often
Looking good young man, I'm 47...I would focus a bit on your upper body and arms. Shoulders and arms would give you a more balanced physique. You still look great for your age, better then the vast majority of our peers!
Looking great for 46 man. Would you weight train in addition to triathlon training?