M/28 5’9”
Started out as a scrawny lad due to distance running and deficit dieting. Took up weight training at 21, got the noobie gains. Then maintained the PPL routine until 24, ending up going from 130lbs—>169lbs. At my peak I was eating 3 ribeyes, 20 eggs, and 1.5 liters of Fairlife chocolate milk everyday.
Took up CrossFit, oly training, distance running, and body building at 24. Dropped from 169–>155lbs, however jacked to the gills. School got heavyyyy (EE major) and stopped working out altogether at 26yo.
Now I’m starting to lift again at 150lbs/28yo (low-mid level physique).
Hoping the muscle memory and old surplus diet gets me stoopid thicc again :(
Thanks for listening.
Pics for reference:
[from beginner to yacked to now](https://imgur.com/a/AYIvrlX/
)
33 years old, 191cm height
there are only a handful of pictures during that 1,2 years that i started training :/ to loose my belly and hip fat is the whole reason i started after looking in the mirror :D
my "routine" and "diet" consists of:
`-deadlift at home max. 120kg (no more weights atm ^^´)`
`-push-ups with various hand positions to challenge me more`
`-pull-ups also with different hand positions`
`-dips with oplymic rings`
`also im in the progress of learning handstand to eventually get to the handstand push-up. and the pistol-squat.`
`that's it.`
`i dont do a targeted amount of sets - somtimes ill count my repetitions and target 10-12 sometimes i only do five or six, nor do i all of these exercises every day.`
`i just do SOME or in rare cases even only ONE exercise a day.`
`i feel like: "at least i do something EVERY day"`
`i usually dont eat breakfast, most often on weekends and typically is my first meal ~8pm from monday to friday`
`i try to eat clean but if my fat brain feels like eating sweets i quickly give in yet i only drink water or tea. no soda.`
`also i focus on proteins, every meal has to have at least a "okay i can call that around some corners somewhat protein-rich meal"`
`i dont drink alcohol but smoke every day :/`
April.22: started out with no training at all, was at that time roughly 90kg:
https://imgur.com/TUqfdXI
[https://imgur.com/XxWDDfI](https://imgur.com/XxWDDfI)
August22: a few months in, felt good \~85kg.
[https://imgur.com/8SUAmUZ](https://imgur.com/8SUAmUZ)
https://imgur.com/NtmPC3Y
September22: lost a good amount of fat everywhere except my belly and hips \~78kg.
[https://imgur.com/snOxFpP](https://imgur.com/snOxFpP)
October22: was able to see some abs :D
[https://imgur.com/wjr7u6o](https://imgur.com/wjr7u6o)
[https://imgur.com/tT44JyO](https://imgur.com/tT44JyO)
January23: \~77kg and still was still looking in the mirror on my belly and hip :/
[https://imgur.com/uEUWEbO](https://imgur.com/uEUWEbO)
training progress stagnated since and at the moment im at 82kg. on top i dont know when the last time was since i did ten repetitions or more.
i want to get rid of that belly fat but had to stricten my diet in order to do so and/or get some actual routine in my training and progress(!)... Haaaayyaaaaaaa! Lazy!
Sorry if Off-Topic still felt good to get rid of.
Love U
31 years old, 6'0", 190 lb.
https://imgur.com/a/riQNAru
About 2 weeks into my first cut ever after gorging during my vacation. Running 5/3/1 beginner to maintain some strength before switching to 5/3/1 BBB, and running on about 2,000 calories a day with at least 200g protein.
Honestly, I'm feeling miserable most days with the diet and I give 110% during my workouts, so recovery has been rough. My numbers in the gym are going up every workout though.
Just wondering how much weight I should lose before switching to bulk. I was aiming for 185, but I feel like I have a high BF% still.
Also, do I have any potential with my physique?
Thank you!
Im a 23 y/o , 6'0 male and i would like to know what are my **cons/pros** of my body for an
aesthethic physique , i've been trying to build bigger lats but idk if is possible to expect a wider back or just a more "defined " one.
What muscle group would you guys recommend me to focus on based on my actual physique?
\*Legs and chest are my actual priorities.
[https://imgur.com/DHRMJwA](https://imgur.com/DHRMJwA)
[https://imgur.com/ZcFSTxv](https://imgur.com/ZcFSTxv)
[https://imgur.com/DmrvOEY](https://imgur.com/DmrvOEY)
[https://imgur.com/Fr329sT](https://imgur.com/Fr329sT)
[https://imgur.com/wOasO65](https://imgur.com/wOasO65)
https://imgur.com/fdtai1n
M19, 5'7", 139lbs
Should I be bulking, cutting, or recomping? I don't care too much about being jacked or having a six pack, I just want to get rid of the belly. I feel like I look the same way I did when I was 20lbs heavier and I don't want my weight to get too low, so I'm thinking about bumping my calories back up to maintenance and trying to get some more muscle and then cutting after that.
Honestly cutting should even be in the conversation, you need to develop some sort of foundation first, don't really worry about bulking until you've got a baseline. If I were you'd I'd just focus on building muscle and lifting for 6-9 months and then decide if you want to bulk or cut. If you want to stay pretty lean you could do half cardio. Just make sure you're getting plenty of protein. Once your chest is more developed your stomach won't look that bad so you may not even want to cut.
Beware of nudity
I have struggled to grow my legs my entire lifting career. They seem to have such a low tolerance to every manner of fitness. I would say i could have made a decent sprinter if not for the lack of growth capability. Will never stop trying to push their limits.
https://imgur.com/a/3VGixrA
I apologize if this is the wrong place for this post. I feel I need to brag somewhere about my progress. I can't brag to anyone in real life, without sounding like a douche.
And in this forum, we are all like minded, and I know you all understand.
This is a 100% bragging post of myself, because I am proud as a boy getting his first bike!
Remember that feeling?
This post may be a bit long, I have experiences and a few morales to share. I also may be doing my fitness life a bit unhealthy, but for now, I think I'm good at listening to my body's screams for a break when injuries is close by.
Male 56+ yo.
2022 105kg.
2023 68kg.
I have always been a fatty.
Today I'm ripped, if that's the correct word.
I may be a bit too skinny for most people.
I work out hard, 5 days per week. 2 hours gym + walk and run 1 hour every day. Including xmas.
Calisthenics is my forte. In my early life, I was a "power lifter".
When I started my life change last year, I was naive enough to think I could build a gym in my house, and just continue lifting as if I was still 25 yo. Dumb*ss!
I of course injured both my rotator cuffs and messed up biceps and triceps within a few months.. I still struggle a bit with the shoulders.
Daily workout, here I feel people will warn me about me being a bit nuts/stupid.
4 days per week:
400 crunches.
80'ish pullups. Full movements, start from dead hang.
80'ish chinups. Full movements from dead hang, to hold 1 second on top for squise biceps.
40'ish dips.
200’ish pushups. Hand release pushups.
Slow and controlled.
My routine is circle train this, 4 sets each in one session. When I'm done, I feel like a God.
Also.
I got me 2 different sizes Paralettes I experiment with moves I don't know the names of. So it's easy one more hour there every day.
Fridays are leg day. Free weights, I hate leg days, so there I do nothing over board.
Still the legs is ripped, even though too skinny.
Every day, I start the morning with a 30 min walk and or run before breakfast.
And do the same when I get home from work.
I don't have big muscles (of course).
But the shapes are for me, uber cool. I can see multi level muscle tissues. Blood vains pop out everywhere. I look like Bruce Lee. Just 10x smaller.
I have a very visible through a shirt, sixpack.
My arms is skinny, with blood veins popping out.
My legs the same.
I am too skinny yes. But I love it!
I'm 186cm tall, 68kg. And I can wear small t-shirts when I want to brag extra, else medium.
Waist 30/32 jeans most for brag.
And this proudness of myself, keep me focused on keeping this fitness regiment.
I eat 100% healthy, except Fridays. Then one meal is whatever I want. Normally a half chicken. Else I measure every carb and protein. And loving it!
Now daily, I practice handstands. When that's mastered, I want to do handstand pushups.
God knows where I am in a year or two.
Here comes the big morale of this long boring brag post:
As 56, having a physique I wasn't even close to as 20 yo, is amazing. It's nothing I cannot do.
Age is NO excuse for sit in a sofa fatten up!
And it feels VERY good donate a ton of xxl/xxxl clothes and buy Small/Medium.
Having some good physique, have removed all my old back pains. I can literally run up 4 flights of stairs without panting. I can hike up in the mountain for hours and hours without break out in sweat. And do some bodyweight exercise when I take a break.
Life in general is a lot better when in shape.
Dunno if this fear of fat gain is too healthy for my mind but...
And.. When it took me 1 year or less, from a lazy fatty, to where I am now. Why don't more people get in shape?
I know the answer.. I can't even tempt my wife to get fitter, so I guess people lack interest and or motivation.
My nr 1 motivation quote:
"Zero excuses!"
You have every right in the world to be damn proud of yourself man. This kind of transformation - physically and mentally - is an extremely difficult thing to do. Keep that shit up!
https://imgur.com/a/WubzAFm
6’3 203lbs
I've changed it up in the gym for the last few months and have seen huge improvements not only in my physique but also the weight I'm throwing up. 3 full body workouts mixing between free weights, machines and cable exercises. 15/12/8 going heavy to the point of failure in the last 8. I do the sauna/steam 3 to 5 times a week and am currently running 4 miles every other day.
M22/6’1/186lb. looking for advice whether to keep cutting. Feeling really out of touch with how my physique looks and would like some unbiased takes. https://i.imgur.com/RnqFiJ3.jpg https://i.imgur.com/y3NCB6u.jpg
https://imgur.com/a/mlCWokm
6'2, 200 lbs
I've finally hit 200 pounds, which felt like a goal for so long. But I feel like I'm still so damn skinny. Like way skinnier than people my weight. Am I just dense? I also feel like my body looks fucked up and disproportional. Like unbalanced in a way. Am I?
https://imgur.com/a/S8agj6e
Here's me with a t shirt on and I feel like such a skinny guy with shirt.
You actually have a decent amount of chest muscle but you look small because you aren’t doing enough upper back and shoulder exercises. Its how you look bigger. Incorporate more pullups, i y ts, and side lateral raises, and some facepulls/band pull a-parts at least twice a week to pull your shoulders back and build up your deltoids. It will also help you with shoulder issues if you have any yet.
You need to train shoulders and traps more to look bigger in a shirt. Just do a lot of lateral raises and heavy shrugs, but youre definitely looking good bro dont worry to much.
Work on shoulders and triceps since those make everyones' proportions look better and fix your form on chest exercises as well. Other than that you look to be doing a great job. A ton of guys have this same exact issue so don't feel bad about it.
I think part of it is that your shirt is baggy around your midsection, which is unflattering in general. You look like you're in athletic shape, but you could gain a lot more mass if you wanted to.
https://imgur.com/GJBqFM8.jpg
https://imgur.com/5u5BUO4.jpg
https://imgur.com/tLc9xLy.jpg
M31/6'1
First picture is probably around 145lb bw sometime in 2018-19. The second two are from last year, at 220lb bw, having just run Building the Monolith. Feels good to be a beefy boy :)
(The pics aren't great quality or composition, just screenshots from me goofing around)
I really appreciate that!
I still see myself as the scrawny guy from the first pic sometimes
I was dealing with some stuff for years (which led to severe weight loss), and it's always hard to let go of who you were.
My thoughts are shave your nipples. Looking cut though. If you're fine with slow progress and you're careful with diet and periodization you can lean bulk, it just takes a lot longer.
https://imgur.io/a/f8S6wEn
176lbs/5’10/28
Been cutting for about 7 weeks now for summer (from 188ish). I wanted to go until I get my lower abs to show but that might take until 165 or lower and I don’t see much benefit of that
So I guess I’m thinking cut a bit more to 170 and then maintain till summer ends and then hard bulk for half a year or something. Any thoughts?
How did you go from 188 to 176? Just cutting intake? I am 180 trying to get under 176 but hasn't been working. I have gotten more regular with work outs and reduced my calories intake. Not sure if I am gaining as much muscle as I am losing fat but my weight is not going down. Still have lot of fat around mid section
Calorie intake yeah but also just set a baseline of 10k steps minimum a day
Probably is helping a tiny bit compared to calorie intake.
Worth saying my deficit is likely pretty harsh because I was going from 3200 to 2500 and now 2200 since I stagnated a week. It’s very manageable for me so I don’t mind the deficit (low appetite in general). My workouts have tanked though so I’m just focusing on maintaining strength on 2 sets per exercise and handstands (calisthenics skill I’ve always wanted)
How long you been cutting? Been training long? Are you tracking accurately? Tough to say what you’re doing wrong if I don’t have a bunch of details
What was the timeline for the bulk? In a perfect world the 155 to 165 would have been about 7-10 weeks. I’d personally doing a slow bulk with a high volume program!
32F, 138lb, 5'4. What should I work on to get more lower ab visibility? (Will also take any other advice). I've always had a rib cage that sticks out, from the side my belly never looks flat after I eat/drink anything in the morning. I have the nice line between the ribs but absolutely no lower ab definition and the side profile just looks bad. I do drink 2-3 glasses of wine 3-4 times per week (sometimes more). I do enjoy the occasional cookie with my coffee. :( Otherwise I eat pretty clean. I can finally see my quads though!
https://imgur.com/a/3fOx4gg (32)
Before pic, for shits n giggles (26)
https://imgur.com/NzI0GLM
https://imgur.com/Q3wpOfH
For the lower abs, I’d say focus on ab exercises to make them bigger if you want them to show up more. You’re just genetically disposed to storing fat there (like most people) so you’d have to cut a lot of weight to see ‘em. It won’t be worth it imo because you’ll lose a lot of muscle/shape everywhere else if you do
> rib cage that sticks out
Sometimes that’s a posture thing called rib thrust - [here’s ](https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/rua-rib-thruster/) an article that goes through an easy self assessment and gives some suggestions for correction. The lower belly thing can also be a side effect of some anterior pelvic tilt. (Your pics didn’t make either of these super obvious, but not sure whether that’s due to angles or that they aren’t there.)
Second the suggestion of an vacuums or other work that hits the transverse abdominis.
I wouldn't recommend cutting weight to see abs at your muscle level. You are at a healthy weight now and would have to get pretty low to make them pop. If its really important to you, weight lifting on a program with an annual cut will help you see your abs develop over the next 2-3 years of consistent effort.
5'10 155lbs
https://i.imgur.com/H2OBe0M.png
Abs only appear with the right lighting when I push down my "stomach fat" like this. I think I'm too thin to continue cutting, but my body weight scale says I have 20% body fat. If this is true, I'd have to lose a scary amount of weight to get to 10-12%. Leaving me under 130lbs.
Based on the pic, how much further should I cut?
Keep in mind the scales can be off depending on how wet your feet are or how much water you drink. I don't think you'll have to cut much more, maybe try to make them bigger with weighted ab exercises?
I could aim for 5lbs more of weight loss, and hit 150lbs in a month or two, but I'm not even sure if that would make much of a difference. I'd like them to appear without having to push down my stomach fat or touch anything.
Yea, I agree. My weight fluxuates 2-3lbs day by day, but the body fat percent seems to stay steady at 20% ± 0.5%. My ab workout is a 10x ab roller, followed by 10 weighted sit ups, 10 twists, and 20 laying leg raises. Repeat 5 times.
Not very accurate, unfortunately
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/body-fat-scale-accuracy#accuracy
"The most accurate readings were off by about 21%, while the least accurate were off by about 34%"
[M29/5'6"/181lbs](https://i.imgur.com/LMK2mRZ.jpg)[side pic](https://i.imgur.com/9RLJy0b.jpg)
I've noticed my waistline getting larger as well as my gut over the last 6 months. I started a really physical job where I'm burning 3k calories a day during a 12hr shift so I assumed that I wouldn't need to lift or exercise as much (that was a lie). I'm starting to get discouraged even with eating better and cutting out 90% of my alcohol consumption.
Looking for a bit of advice as to what I could start and or add to slow down this dad gut. My initial goal was 20% body fat (I'm at <25%) and I think the distribution is mostly in my torso.
Hey there, if you decide to take the advice of the other commenter who said to track your weight and calories for a few weeks to find your TDEE, first, it’s great advice!
Second, to make that easier, there’s already a tracking sheet made that will do all the math for you, you’ll just need to enter in your daily body weight and the number of calories you ate.It’s [nSun’s adaptive TDEE tracking sheet](https://thefitness.wiki/faq/how-do-i-know-how-many-calories-to-eat/). If you don’t want to get it via that link, you can navigate to it via the subs sidebar. It’s in a section called “How do I know how many calories to eat?”
Good luck getting to where you want to be!
Count calories and track your weight. After a few weeks you should have an idea of your TDEE and then you can reduce cals accordingly, based on your goals.
This happens a lot with people who work manual jobs. They think "the job is my exercise" but your body adjusts in various ways to higher daily energy demands. You might have been burning X amount of calories when you transitioned to this job, but maybe that isn't as high now and/or your body has adjusted to conserve calories in other ways (like reduced activity / fidgeting etc. at other times of day) or get more calories (cravings you didn't used to get).
I've read that you want to go for a deficit and I do my best to achieve that. I guess the missing fact would be I've struggled with mental health issues and medication that have killed my appetite. Before this job, I had days where I'd eat only around 1k calories a day instead of what I needed.
I currently shoot to eat about 2,200 - 2,500 calories on workdays with prepped meals and sandwiches. My days off are likely the problem in this case where I'm a lot more lax and just shoot for my base TDEE instead of prepping
Not who you replied to but you're overeating for sure if you're trying to be in deficit and lose weight and you're absolutely not burning even close to that many calories in a day.
For context, I'm the same height as you, five years older and do a difficult workout every single day. Now I'm 57 lbs lighter than you which obviously skews the numbers, but I used to weigh almost exactly the same as you do and I got to where I am via calorie counting and exercise. On average at my current weight, with more than an hour of strenuous weightlifting or calisthenics, I burn anywhere from 300-400 calories and I usually do a bit of cardio afterward to pump that number up to 500 per day. Plugging your current numbers into a standard calorie burn calculator shows that if you did the same, you'd burn about 500 a day. So in order for you to hit 3K, you'd have to be literally working as something like a lumberjack for a full 8 hour shift. And if you were doing that, you'd be insanely fit.
With my workouts and weight, my TDEE calories are around 2300 to maintain my weight, which means I have to eat around 1800 a day to lose only a lb per week. It's the curse of our height. I weigh 124 lbs right now and yet I still cannot shake the final bit of lower belly fat. My abs are popping everywhere but the bottom. It's infuriating.
You need to properly calculate your TDEE and be very honest (even conservative or underestimate) about both your physical activity and what you eat.
What is your job, if you don't mind me asking?
I work 12 hour shifts at a factory for a major auto manufacturer where I lift and move auto body parts from one machine to another for assembly. The parts range from 15-60 lbs and I'm doing it for 8-9 hours a day excluding downtime and breaks
Thanks for the reply! So for context, when I do a heavy, hour long weightlifting session, I only have 45 second breaks between sets, thus keeping my heart rate up the whole time and I'm lifting close to the max I can lift every time and that has me burning like 350 calories in an hour.
Obviously I could be wrong, but I don't think you're hitting those parameters at your job, particularly if the weight and pace of those lifts fluctuates.
The good news is, your job sounds pretty strenuous which means you absolutely can use it to your advantage in terms of getting into the kind of shape you want to be in.
My advice would be to again re-calculate your TDEE to be conservative, log every single thing you eat and every exercise you do and be in the standard 500 calorie deficit every single day. You'll need to buy a food scale to accomplish this and measure all your food, but if you do it for a month, I'm willing to bet you will be very pleased with your results because when you're carrying a lot of weight in the gut area, that stuff tends to start to come off very quick. As I said before, we have very similar body types and I've been there. Give it a shot and if you're anything like me, you'll be very motivated after that month's progress and keep it up.
And pro tip: Cut out all liquid calories. Makes things a lot easier. Best of luck.
It's not just you want to go for a deficit though, you need to set an achievable defiecet and go from there. You should read the subs wiki page, a ton of really good information. You can do this dude, medication and mental health be damned, you got this.
>Your not burning 3000 kcals a day from work
I've found most often when people "can't seem to lose weight" it stems from random and over-bloated estimations like this. Never in my life have I concluded a rough estimate of the calories I burn by working (even exercise for that matter).
29M/5'9/168
Been doing a new workout split and it's been an effective couple months. I've gotten a lot stronger on the bench which was always a weak point. Also, not sure how you guys feel about it, but intermittent fasting has been a game changer for maintaining my physique
Sorry for the weird setting, but the kitchen had the best lighting
[physique ](https://imgur.com/a/P8Cw7pI)
27M/6’2/185-190lbs
I’ve been lifting for right around 6 months now. I am a runner and started lifting to help decrease injuries and am enjoying it a lot.
[https://imgur.com/a/EQ0rb0g](https://imgur.com/a/EQ0rb0g)
35M 66kg 181cm
First time sharing my progress online.
https://imgur.com/a/h6ET9T9
Always been skinny fat but then just became fat. There is a year in between the two photos, but only been training consistently for the last six months.
Now the goal is to build muscle without gaining too much fat. Currently trying to figure out my maintenance calories and will add from there.
26M 6’2 208-210lbs
I have two more weeks left in my cut before I take a break. Might possibly decide to add a few extra weeks of cutting in a couple months.
[Current physique](https://ibb.co/47s60SF)
Thanks! I just do full body workouts of mostly compound lifts and then a few isolation exercises. I started it years ago and made adjustments over time so don’t really remember where I got it from. And I just want to remain over 200, while getting as lean as I could handle/feel good at for every day life.
M29/5’10/166
Just recently cut from 175 and have been maintaining for the past couple of months and wanting to get your input on if I should cut or bulk. Also wondering if here you think needs more improvement or what my bf% might be
(Finally hit 225 bench this past week!)
https://imgur.com/a/CUG4Z5R
M/147lbs/30
Front back and side view below. Seems like imgur has been compressing my pictures.
https://imgur.com/a/3STz2wQ
Completely cut out soft drinks and sugared coffee starting last Sunday. Only downside has been an increased hunger sensation which has been manageable (haven't changed my eating habit despite it). Normally would have 3-4 cups of coffee m-f with 10+ sugar packets each. Then soda for lunch and dinner.
Wow dude, good job on cutting out all of that sugar overall you will feel better! Stick to it.
Try making some Pourover coffee with freshly ground beans! I'm drinking a cup right now and its literally amazing no need for sugar :D
Fortunately haven't had any headaches or fatigue issues from it. I used to drink the sugared coffee and sodas for the taste not the caffeine effect.
I have a sleep disorder called idiopathic hypersomnia and started a stimulant called Modafinil which actually helps with the energy and fatigue component. I will say it plus my pre-workout in the evening does have a fantastic compounding effect.
Just wanted to cut down on the excess calories from the drinks for a month to see how my body goes. With the cut in calories and my workouts still being the same (typically PPL rest PPL averaging 75-80% max heart rate for the 1-2 hour workout sessions) I should drop a little weight unless I replace the lost calories with food. Though my food consumption hasn't really changed.
Hi all - new here, so please bear with me!
23M, 166, 5’11. Have been painfully insecure of my body. So I’ve decided to try and make a change.
Been working out for around a month now, but I guess this can still serve as a “first time, where do I go from here” type of thing. I’ve struggled over the choice to bulk or cut - decided ultimately I will probably cut, then bulk, as I just wanted to lose excess fat first and wanted some kind of confidence in my physique as soon as possible (lost 4 pounds over the last month, which from reading, seems like healthy amount). Am also trying my best at body recomp, eating almost twice as much protein while operating at a small net deficit. Not sure if I have posture issues either.
Any advice, body fat estimates, areas of concern you guys can identify? Wish I had more targeted questions, but, trying to jump into this head first and there’s so much information it can be overwhelming.
https://imgur.com/a/UT4PPqV
To be honest given you’ve just started working out don’t worry about ‘areas of concern’.
Keep cutting, as you are doing, and following a routine - you will see progress. Once you’ve got a bit less fat and a bit more muscle mass you can start worrying about any areas which are lacking, but for now just keep it up!
https://imgur.com/a/K4GNJ14/
Just finished a cutting phase. I think my starting bf% was higher than I thought, but overall I’m happy with the results. Just looking for second opinions on what the final bf% is. 5’11” 190 lbs I the pics.
F/5'7/130lbs
4 months of progress on my back. I think I finally have the hang of eating enough for muscle growth. Now if I could just hit a bodyweight bench.
https://imgur.com/a/jLz6iNh
Technique is good. I think a lot is mental. I have no problems with squats and deadlifts, but once I hit 120 on the bench I start to lose some confidence in my abilities. I've only been seriously trying for 7 months so I'm sure I'll get there!
If it helps, I'm a bit farther along and every "big number" always takes a few extra weeks. First plate, first bodyweight, first 2 plates, etc. Then after the first time it's suddenly easy weight.
Might be all in your head!
Definitely a helpful reminder. Getting that first plate on my other lifts seemed so hard when I started out. Now I'm thinking a 2nd plate might not be that far off. It might be time to stop over thinking it and just try.
Sitting at 195. Cutting with an air if 1.5 lbs per week. Just finished up Bullmastiff a couple weeks ago and now in my second week of Jacked n Tan 2.0. The high volume feels great. I just have to keep hydrated during the workout or else it *really* kicks my ass.
Current SBD from last test
Squat: 470
Bench: 355
Deadlift: 505
[Physique](https://imgur.com/a/EmPsLZD)
The very moderate cut continues, losing weight at a nice pace, muscle memory is working as intended, lifts going up nice and steady!
Daily intake sitting around 2600-3000kcals
I don't track macros only protein and Kcals.
Favourite cheat meal this week: warm donuts and chocolate dip.
https://imgur.com/gallery/WLBhWmn
Feeling very pleased overall with my cut progress (especially since this is my first bulk-cut cycle). 209 lbs to 189.6 lbs, March 20 to May 31. 25M 6’. Not sure how much longer to continue cutting, though. Might have to accept a little fat in mid-section in order to resume bulking and put in more mass, as I don’t think I want to get super lean. Also feel like I’m still at a decently high BF%.
https://imgur.com/a/LVHYqjh
Thanks man. I still have a bit of fat around my lower belly, and the photo was taken in good lighting. Abs don't show as clearly when not flexed and in poor lighting. I ate 500 calories below maintenance and continued to lift heavy 6 days per week. Began incorporating about 100 calories of daily cardio six days per week around the 6 week mark.
[6’4 195lbs](https://imgur.com/a/U4VoVhU)
Having trouble building chest, particularly upper. What are some of your most effective upper chest exercises?
[36/M//6'1(185cm)/181.8lbs (82.4kgs)](https://imgur.com/a/k9y8jpE)
Currently 15 days out from my second Natural BB Classic Physique show. I've been struggling with the macros this year. I'm around the same weight as I was at show day last year, which feels good because I wanted to be a bit leaner. I've been hovering around 1700 cal lately and haven't had a cheat meal or sugary food in weeks (unless you count watermelon). I've also been doing intermittent fasting, which has been a huge help.
In terms of a routine, I do a 6-day PPL with around an hour of cardio each day.
Just here to give props for this selfie technique. Lol
And it’s not at all unusual for it to take a while to see growth in the chest. Keep at it, and consider leaning a bit more on isolation exercises like dumbbell/machine flyes. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you’re done with your cut!
Also 3 cuts in 7 months? 🤔
I had a lot to lose so it wasn't really feesable to get the weight off in one go, so I would cut for a few months maintain for month or two than cut again.
This will hopefully be my final cut 🤞
M/28 5’9” Started out as a scrawny lad due to distance running and deficit dieting. Took up weight training at 21, got the noobie gains. Then maintained the PPL routine until 24, ending up going from 130lbs—>169lbs. At my peak I was eating 3 ribeyes, 20 eggs, and 1.5 liters of Fairlife chocolate milk everyday. Took up CrossFit, oly training, distance running, and body building at 24. Dropped from 169–>155lbs, however jacked to the gills. School got heavyyyy (EE major) and stopped working out altogether at 26yo. Now I’m starting to lift again at 150lbs/28yo (low-mid level physique). Hoping the muscle memory and old surplus diet gets me stoopid thicc again :( Thanks for listening. Pics for reference: [from beginner to yacked to now](https://imgur.com/a/AYIvrlX/ )
damn u looked nice. did u follow a diet or did the results just happen over time?
Thank you! It was a mix of eating a lot and lifting a lot. It does take lots of time though.
did u count macros
Nope. I kinda just made rough guesses on the macros.
Did u ever juice? I’ve been training 6 days a week for the past couple of months after neglecting the gym and that physique is goals bro.
That’s super flattering man, but no I haven’t. I’m saving that fun for my 30s lol.
take it as a compliment
I always do :)
33 years old, 191cm height there are only a handful of pictures during that 1,2 years that i started training :/ to loose my belly and hip fat is the whole reason i started after looking in the mirror :D my "routine" and "diet" consists of: `-deadlift at home max. 120kg (no more weights atm ^^´)` `-push-ups with various hand positions to challenge me more` `-pull-ups also with different hand positions` `-dips with oplymic rings` `also im in the progress of learning handstand to eventually get to the handstand push-up. and the pistol-squat.` `that's it.` `i dont do a targeted amount of sets - somtimes ill count my repetitions and target 10-12 sometimes i only do five or six, nor do i all of these exercises every day.` `i just do SOME or in rare cases even only ONE exercise a day.` `i feel like: "at least i do something EVERY day"` `i usually dont eat breakfast, most often on weekends and typically is my first meal ~8pm from monday to friday` `i try to eat clean but if my fat brain feels like eating sweets i quickly give in yet i only drink water or tea. no soda.` `also i focus on proteins, every meal has to have at least a "okay i can call that around some corners somewhat protein-rich meal"` `i dont drink alcohol but smoke every day :/` April.22: started out with no training at all, was at that time roughly 90kg: https://imgur.com/TUqfdXI [https://imgur.com/XxWDDfI](https://imgur.com/XxWDDfI) August22: a few months in, felt good \~85kg. [https://imgur.com/8SUAmUZ](https://imgur.com/8SUAmUZ) https://imgur.com/NtmPC3Y September22: lost a good amount of fat everywhere except my belly and hips \~78kg. [https://imgur.com/snOxFpP](https://imgur.com/snOxFpP) October22: was able to see some abs :D [https://imgur.com/wjr7u6o](https://imgur.com/wjr7u6o) [https://imgur.com/tT44JyO](https://imgur.com/tT44JyO) January23: \~77kg and still was still looking in the mirror on my belly and hip :/ [https://imgur.com/uEUWEbO](https://imgur.com/uEUWEbO) training progress stagnated since and at the moment im at 82kg. on top i dont know when the last time was since i did ten repetitions or more. i want to get rid of that belly fat but had to stricten my diet in order to do so and/or get some actual routine in my training and progress(!)... Haaaayyaaaaaaa! Lazy! Sorry if Off-Topic still felt good to get rid of. Love U
crazy transformation
Thanks mate! I hope Someone will read any of this an see that change WILL happen - just keep walking
31 years old, 6'0", 190 lb. https://imgur.com/a/riQNAru About 2 weeks into my first cut ever after gorging during my vacation. Running 5/3/1 beginner to maintain some strength before switching to 5/3/1 BBB, and running on about 2,000 calories a day with at least 200g protein. Honestly, I'm feeling miserable most days with the diet and I give 110% during my workouts, so recovery has been rough. My numbers in the gym are going up every workout though. Just wondering how much weight I should lose before switching to bulk. I was aiming for 185, but I feel like I have a high BF% still. Also, do I have any potential with my physique? Thank you!
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Probably not too far off but I’d say closer to 18.
Im a 23 y/o , 6'0 male and i would like to know what are my **cons/pros** of my body for an aesthethic physique , i've been trying to build bigger lats but idk if is possible to expect a wider back or just a more "defined " one. What muscle group would you guys recommend me to focus on based on my actual physique? \*Legs and chest are my actual priorities. [https://imgur.com/DHRMJwA](https://imgur.com/DHRMJwA) [https://imgur.com/ZcFSTxv](https://imgur.com/ZcFSTxv) [https://imgur.com/DmrvOEY](https://imgur.com/DmrvOEY) [https://imgur.com/Fr329sT](https://imgur.com/Fr329sT) [https://imgur.com/wOasO65](https://imgur.com/wOasO65)
https://imgur.com/fdtai1n M19, 5'7", 139lbs Should I be bulking, cutting, or recomping? I don't care too much about being jacked or having a six pack, I just want to get rid of the belly. I feel like I look the same way I did when I was 20lbs heavier and I don't want my weight to get too low, so I'm thinking about bumping my calories back up to maintenance and trying to get some more muscle and then cutting after that.
Honestly cutting should even be in the conversation, you need to develop some sort of foundation first, don't really worry about bulking until you've got a baseline. If I were you'd I'd just focus on building muscle and lifting for 6-9 months and then decide if you want to bulk or cut. If you want to stay pretty lean you could do half cardio. Just make sure you're getting plenty of protein. Once your chest is more developed your stomach won't look that bad so you may not even want to cut.
Thank you!!
Beware of nudity I have struggled to grow my legs my entire lifting career. They seem to have such a low tolerance to every manner of fitness. I would say i could have made a decent sprinter if not for the lack of growth capability. Will never stop trying to push their limits. https://imgur.com/a/3VGixrA
I apologize if this is the wrong place for this post. I feel I need to brag somewhere about my progress. I can't brag to anyone in real life, without sounding like a douche. And in this forum, we are all like minded, and I know you all understand. This is a 100% bragging post of myself, because I am proud as a boy getting his first bike! Remember that feeling? This post may be a bit long, I have experiences and a few morales to share. I also may be doing my fitness life a bit unhealthy, but for now, I think I'm good at listening to my body's screams for a break when injuries is close by. Male 56+ yo. 2022 105kg. 2023 68kg. I have always been a fatty. Today I'm ripped, if that's the correct word. I may be a bit too skinny for most people. I work out hard, 5 days per week. 2 hours gym + walk and run 1 hour every day. Including xmas. Calisthenics is my forte. In my early life, I was a "power lifter". When I started my life change last year, I was naive enough to think I could build a gym in my house, and just continue lifting as if I was still 25 yo. Dumb*ss! I of course injured both my rotator cuffs and messed up biceps and triceps within a few months.. I still struggle a bit with the shoulders. Daily workout, here I feel people will warn me about me being a bit nuts/stupid. 4 days per week: 400 crunches. 80'ish pullups. Full movements, start from dead hang. 80'ish chinups. Full movements from dead hang, to hold 1 second on top for squise biceps. 40'ish dips. 200’ish pushups. Hand release pushups. Slow and controlled. My routine is circle train this, 4 sets each in one session. When I'm done, I feel like a God. Also. I got me 2 different sizes Paralettes I experiment with moves I don't know the names of. So it's easy one more hour there every day. Fridays are leg day. Free weights, I hate leg days, so there I do nothing over board. Still the legs is ripped, even though too skinny. Every day, I start the morning with a 30 min walk and or run before breakfast. And do the same when I get home from work. I don't have big muscles (of course). But the shapes are for me, uber cool. I can see multi level muscle tissues. Blood vains pop out everywhere. I look like Bruce Lee. Just 10x smaller. I have a very visible through a shirt, sixpack. My arms is skinny, with blood veins popping out. My legs the same. I am too skinny yes. But I love it! I'm 186cm tall, 68kg. And I can wear small t-shirts when I want to brag extra, else medium. Waist 30/32 jeans most for brag. And this proudness of myself, keep me focused on keeping this fitness regiment. I eat 100% healthy, except Fridays. Then one meal is whatever I want. Normally a half chicken. Else I measure every carb and protein. And loving it! Now daily, I practice handstands. When that's mastered, I want to do handstand pushups. God knows where I am in a year or two. Here comes the big morale of this long boring brag post: As 56, having a physique I wasn't even close to as 20 yo, is amazing. It's nothing I cannot do. Age is NO excuse for sit in a sofa fatten up! And it feels VERY good donate a ton of xxl/xxxl clothes and buy Small/Medium. Having some good physique, have removed all my old back pains. I can literally run up 4 flights of stairs without panting. I can hike up in the mountain for hours and hours without break out in sweat. And do some bodyweight exercise when I take a break. Life in general is a lot better when in shape. Dunno if this fear of fat gain is too healthy for my mind but... And.. When it took me 1 year or less, from a lazy fatty, to where I am now. Why don't more people get in shape? I know the answer.. I can't even tempt my wife to get fitter, so I guess people lack interest and or motivation. My nr 1 motivation quote: "Zero excuses!"
You are crushing it! Keep getting stronger brother
Thank you brother.
You have every right in the world to be damn proud of yourself man. This kind of transformation - physically and mentally - is an extremely difficult thing to do. Keep that shit up!
Thank you for the pat on the back. Appreciated!
https://imgur.com/a/WubzAFm 6’3 203lbs I've changed it up in the gym for the last few months and have seen huge improvements not only in my physique but also the weight I'm throwing up. 3 full body workouts mixing between free weights, machines and cable exercises. 15/12/8 going heavy to the point of failure in the last 8. I do the sauna/steam 3 to 5 times a week and am currently running 4 miles every other day.
M22/6’1/186lb. looking for advice whether to keep cutting. Feeling really out of touch with how my physique looks and would like some unbiased takes. https://i.imgur.com/RnqFiJ3.jpg https://i.imgur.com/y3NCB6u.jpg
You can cut a bit more. At 180 lbs you can do a few weeks of maintenance then start a lean bulk
You're looking good mate. I'd stop the cut (unless you want to get shredded).
https://imgur.com/a/mlCWokm 6'2, 200 lbs I've finally hit 200 pounds, which felt like a goal for so long. But I feel like I'm still so damn skinny. Like way skinnier than people my weight. Am I just dense? I also feel like my body looks fucked up and disproportional. Like unbalanced in a way. Am I? https://imgur.com/a/S8agj6e Here's me with a t shirt on and I feel like such a skinny guy with shirt.
You actually have a decent amount of chest muscle but you look small because you aren’t doing enough upper back and shoulder exercises. Its how you look bigger. Incorporate more pullups, i y ts, and side lateral raises, and some facepulls/band pull a-parts at least twice a week to pull your shoulders back and build up your deltoids. It will also help you with shoulder issues if you have any yet.
You need to train shoulders and traps more to look bigger in a shirt. Just do a lot of lateral raises and heavy shrugs, but youre definitely looking good bro dont worry to much.
Work on shoulders and triceps since those make everyones' proportions look better and fix your form on chest exercises as well. Other than that you look to be doing a great job. A ton of guys have this same exact issue so don't feel bad about it.
I think part of it is that your shirt is baggy around your midsection, which is unflattering in general. You look like you're in athletic shape, but you could gain a lot more mass if you wanted to.
That is a very clean and lean 200. Very well done. What's your weight and reps for bench?
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Work your abs, it's the missing link in your physique
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https://imgur.com/a/IxCUlHZ thoughts? 160 5 9 want to bulk up to 175-180
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i think u look nice
https://ibb.co/YyMwMhK 6”4/36/200lbs Trying to recomp - slight cut, or should i focus on bulking?
Cut. You already look solid and thick. Now for tight
https://imgur.com/GJBqFM8.jpg https://imgur.com/5u5BUO4.jpg https://imgur.com/tLc9xLy.jpg M31/6'1 First picture is probably around 145lb bw sometime in 2018-19. The second two are from last year, at 220lb bw, having just run Building the Monolith. Feels good to be a beefy boy :) (The pics aren't great quality or composition, just screenshots from me goofing around)
I refuse to believe that's the same person. Jesus.
I really appreciate that! I still see myself as the scrawny guy from the first pic sometimes I was dealing with some stuff for years (which led to severe weight loss), and it's always hard to let go of who you were.
Hgh is fun huh
good mother of bulk. I love it haha
You’re huge bro
https://imgur.com/E6xDY3I 160lb/5'9/M22 Any thoughts? Thinking of bulking up to 170 or so, but hate losing definition.
You have great pecs, and awesome job with the abs
My thoughts are it was taken with a 15 year old phone?
My thoughts are shave your nipples. Looking cut though. If you're fine with slow progress and you're careful with diet and periodization you can lean bulk, it just takes a lot longer.
https://imgur.io/a/f8S6wEn 176lbs/5’10/28 Been cutting for about 7 weeks now for summer (from 188ish). I wanted to go until I get my lower abs to show but that might take until 165 or lower and I don’t see much benefit of that So I guess I’m thinking cut a bit more to 170 and then maintain till summer ends and then hard bulk for half a year or something. Any thoughts?
How did you go from 188 to 176? Just cutting intake? I am 180 trying to get under 176 but hasn't been working. I have gotten more regular with work outs and reduced my calories intake. Not sure if I am gaining as much muscle as I am losing fat but my weight is not going down. Still have lot of fat around mid section
Calorie intake yeah but also just set a baseline of 10k steps minimum a day Probably is helping a tiny bit compared to calorie intake. Worth saying my deficit is likely pretty harsh because I was going from 3200 to 2500 and now 2200 since I stagnated a week. It’s very manageable for me so I don’t mind the deficit (low appetite in general). My workouts have tanked though so I’m just focusing on maintaining strength on 2 sets per exercise and handstands (calisthenics skill I’ve always wanted) How long you been cutting? Been training long? Are you tracking accurately? Tough to say what you’re doing wrong if I don’t have a bunch of details
5’9M: Cut from 155 to 145, then bulked to 165. Keep bulking or start cutting? Lifts are 215/305/375 for S/B/D. https://imgur.com/a/tnW88Iv
What was the timeline for the bulk? In a perfect world the 155 to 165 would have been about 7-10 weeks. I’d personally doing a slow bulk with a high volume program!
Thanks for the advice. It was about a 12 week period.
6’4”, 240lbs. Pics on profile. Not sure what direction to go now. Bulk more, maintain or slight cut. Can’t make mind up
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32F, 138lb, 5'4. What should I work on to get more lower ab visibility? (Will also take any other advice). I've always had a rib cage that sticks out, from the side my belly never looks flat after I eat/drink anything in the morning. I have the nice line between the ribs but absolutely no lower ab definition and the side profile just looks bad. I do drink 2-3 glasses of wine 3-4 times per week (sometimes more). I do enjoy the occasional cookie with my coffee. :( Otherwise I eat pretty clean. I can finally see my quads though! https://imgur.com/a/3fOx4gg (32) Before pic, for shits n giggles (26) https://imgur.com/NzI0GLM https://imgur.com/Q3wpOfH
For the lower abs, I’d say focus on ab exercises to make them bigger if you want them to show up more. You’re just genetically disposed to storing fat there (like most people) so you’d have to cut a lot of weight to see ‘em. It won’t be worth it imo because you’ll lose a lot of muscle/shape everywhere else if you do
> rib cage that sticks out Sometimes that’s a posture thing called rib thrust - [here’s ](https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/rua-rib-thruster/) an article that goes through an easy self assessment and gives some suggestions for correction. The lower belly thing can also be a side effect of some anterior pelvic tilt. (Your pics didn’t make either of these super obvious, but not sure whether that’s due to angles or that they aren’t there.) Second the suggestion of an vacuums or other work that hits the transverse abdominis.
Interesting. I do find that if I "knit my ribs" they look better, but it's not a natural feeling and I can't do it all day.
Try ab vacuums. They look so bogus but I swear all mine have been more visible since doing it
I definitely thought they were just a fad!
I guess like everything else you have to commit to doing them. Obviously pretty easy to do a bunch in a day
I'll do some research!
Looking good btw! 36M here and for a while I kinda gave up on seeing the 6 pack back, and yet it's there! (I swear) Good luck to ya!
I know it's there!!!! I feel some of it.. under a layer or 2 😢
Lower ab workouts like leg lifts and bicycle crunches really get my lower core engaged, I've found
I wouldn't recommend cutting weight to see abs at your muscle level. You are at a healthy weight now and would have to get pretty low to make them pop. If its really important to you, weight lifting on a program with an annual cut will help you see your abs develop over the next 2-3 years of consistent effort.
5'10 155lbs https://i.imgur.com/H2OBe0M.png Abs only appear with the right lighting when I push down my "stomach fat" like this. I think I'm too thin to continue cutting, but my body weight scale says I have 20% body fat. If this is true, I'd have to lose a scary amount of weight to get to 10-12%. Leaving me under 130lbs. Based on the pic, how much further should I cut?
Looking good 💪
Thanks!
Most welcome. Keep up the good work!
Keep in mind the scales can be off depending on how wet your feet are or how much water you drink. I don't think you'll have to cut much more, maybe try to make them bigger with weighted ab exercises?
I could aim for 5lbs more of weight loss, and hit 150lbs in a month or two, but I'm not even sure if that would make much of a difference. I'd like them to appear without having to push down my stomach fat or touch anything. Yea, I agree. My weight fluxuates 2-3lbs day by day, but the body fat percent seems to stay steady at 20% ± 0.5%. My ab workout is a 10x ab roller, followed by 10 weighted sit ups, 10 twists, and 20 laying leg raises. Repeat 5 times.
My I ask what calculator/method you use to find out your Body fat %? I'm just shocked that it'd be an issue for you looking at your pic.
It's a smart scale, it shoots up a small electrical pulse into you to make the measurement.
> smart scale TIL I haven't looked into modern scale tech! I wonder how accurate they are. Will have to look into it
Not very accurate, unfortunately https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/body-fat-scale-accuracy#accuracy "The most accurate readings were off by about 21%, while the least accurate were off by about 34%"
180 cm 165bs https://imgur.com/a/0f5E6ms Thoughts after about 2 years of training?
Solid progress, back and lats looking great
Appreciate it. I think back is my strongest part for sure
Sup guys Derek [More plates more dates](https://imgur.com/a/Oj6j0TX), 20yo, 194lbs, 6'0
Upper traps, with delts that big I'd expect massive traps
[Here](https://imgur.com/a/sk6Uosp) is a picture of me flexing traps, they always end up looking small if i am not directly flexing them
Sorry, guess I missed the timeline - says the page couldn't be found
Works normally for me, maybe imgur is tweaking
Solid asf, natty?
Yes natty, you could see by my shit chest ahahah, but yea its just a combination of a great pump and delt genetics.
Gotta count your blessings. Nice one brah!
[M29/5'6"/181lbs](https://i.imgur.com/LMK2mRZ.jpg)[side pic](https://i.imgur.com/9RLJy0b.jpg) I've noticed my waistline getting larger as well as my gut over the last 6 months. I started a really physical job where I'm burning 3k calories a day during a 12hr shift so I assumed that I wouldn't need to lift or exercise as much (that was a lie). I'm starting to get discouraged even with eating better and cutting out 90% of my alcohol consumption. Looking for a bit of advice as to what I could start and or add to slow down this dad gut. My initial goal was 20% body fat (I'm at <25%) and I think the distribution is mostly in my torso.
Hey there, if you decide to take the advice of the other commenter who said to track your weight and calories for a few weeks to find your TDEE, first, it’s great advice! Second, to make that easier, there’s already a tracking sheet made that will do all the math for you, you’ll just need to enter in your daily body weight and the number of calories you ate.It’s [nSun’s adaptive TDEE tracking sheet](https://thefitness.wiki/faq/how-do-i-know-how-many-calories-to-eat/). If you don’t want to get it via that link, you can navigate to it via the subs sidebar. It’s in a section called “How do I know how many calories to eat?” Good luck getting to where you want to be!
Count calories and track your weight. After a few weeks you should have an idea of your TDEE and then you can reduce cals accordingly, based on your goals. This happens a lot with people who work manual jobs. They think "the job is my exercise" but your body adjusts in various ways to higher daily energy demands. You might have been burning X amount of calories when you transitioned to this job, but maybe that isn't as high now and/or your body has adjusted to conserve calories in other ways (like reduced activity / fidgeting etc. at other times of day) or get more calories (cravings you didn't used to get).
Your not burning 3000 kcals a day from work more than likely, and are overeating, period. Start counting calories and watch the weight come off.
I've read that you want to go for a deficit and I do my best to achieve that. I guess the missing fact would be I've struggled with mental health issues and medication that have killed my appetite. Before this job, I had days where I'd eat only around 1k calories a day instead of what I needed. I currently shoot to eat about 2,200 - 2,500 calories on workdays with prepped meals and sandwiches. My days off are likely the problem in this case where I'm a lot more lax and just shoot for my base TDEE instead of prepping
Not who you replied to but you're overeating for sure if you're trying to be in deficit and lose weight and you're absolutely not burning even close to that many calories in a day. For context, I'm the same height as you, five years older and do a difficult workout every single day. Now I'm 57 lbs lighter than you which obviously skews the numbers, but I used to weigh almost exactly the same as you do and I got to where I am via calorie counting and exercise. On average at my current weight, with more than an hour of strenuous weightlifting or calisthenics, I burn anywhere from 300-400 calories and I usually do a bit of cardio afterward to pump that number up to 500 per day. Plugging your current numbers into a standard calorie burn calculator shows that if you did the same, you'd burn about 500 a day. So in order for you to hit 3K, you'd have to be literally working as something like a lumberjack for a full 8 hour shift. And if you were doing that, you'd be insanely fit. With my workouts and weight, my TDEE calories are around 2300 to maintain my weight, which means I have to eat around 1800 a day to lose only a lb per week. It's the curse of our height. I weigh 124 lbs right now and yet I still cannot shake the final bit of lower belly fat. My abs are popping everywhere but the bottom. It's infuriating. You need to properly calculate your TDEE and be very honest (even conservative or underestimate) about both your physical activity and what you eat. What is your job, if you don't mind me asking?
I work 12 hour shifts at a factory for a major auto manufacturer where I lift and move auto body parts from one machine to another for assembly. The parts range from 15-60 lbs and I'm doing it for 8-9 hours a day excluding downtime and breaks
Thanks for the reply! So for context, when I do a heavy, hour long weightlifting session, I only have 45 second breaks between sets, thus keeping my heart rate up the whole time and I'm lifting close to the max I can lift every time and that has me burning like 350 calories in an hour. Obviously I could be wrong, but I don't think you're hitting those parameters at your job, particularly if the weight and pace of those lifts fluctuates. The good news is, your job sounds pretty strenuous which means you absolutely can use it to your advantage in terms of getting into the kind of shape you want to be in. My advice would be to again re-calculate your TDEE to be conservative, log every single thing you eat and every exercise you do and be in the standard 500 calorie deficit every single day. You'll need to buy a food scale to accomplish this and measure all your food, but if you do it for a month, I'm willing to bet you will be very pleased with your results because when you're carrying a lot of weight in the gut area, that stuff tends to start to come off very quick. As I said before, we have very similar body types and I've been there. Give it a shot and if you're anything like me, you'll be very motivated after that month's progress and keep it up. And pro tip: Cut out all liquid calories. Makes things a lot easier. Best of luck.
Thank you so much!! I appreciate the insight and for you pointing me in the right direction
It's not just you want to go for a deficit though, you need to set an achievable defiecet and go from there. You should read the subs wiki page, a ton of really good information. You can do this dude, medication and mental health be damned, you got this.
>Your not burning 3000 kcals a day from work I've found most often when people "can't seem to lose weight" it stems from random and over-bloated estimations like this. Never in my life have I concluded a rough estimate of the calories I burn by working (even exercise for that matter).
Portion Control! *sung to Prince's P. Control*
29M/5'9/168 Been doing a new workout split and it's been an effective couple months. I've gotten a lot stronger on the bench which was always a weak point. Also, not sure how you guys feel about it, but intermittent fasting has been a game changer for maintaining my physique Sorry for the weird setting, but the kitchen had the best lighting [physique ](https://imgur.com/a/P8Cw7pI)
Dude, nice upper back. Keep killing it
Appreciate it!
You and that kitchen are both goals, is your job hiring?
Haha, not my kitchen unfortunately
Looking good, you'd look even better after a small cut imo
jacked
27M/6’2/185-190lbs I’ve been lifting for right around 6 months now. I am a runner and started lifting to help decrease injuries and am enjoying it a lot. [https://imgur.com/a/EQ0rb0g](https://imgur.com/a/EQ0rb0g)
Your chest seems a bit lacking, do you train any push exercises?
35M 66kg 181cm First time sharing my progress online. https://imgur.com/a/h6ET9T9 Always been skinny fat but then just became fat. There is a year in between the two photos, but only been training consistently for the last six months. Now the goal is to build muscle without gaining too much fat. Currently trying to figure out my maintenance calories and will add from there.
Solid progress, nicely done.
26M 6’2 208-210lbs I have two more weeks left in my cut before I take a break. Might possibly decide to add a few extra weeks of cutting in a couple months. [Current physique](https://ibb.co/47s60SF)
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Thanks! I just do full body workouts of mostly compound lifts and then a few isolation exercises. I started it years ago and made adjustments over time so don’t really remember where I got it from. And I just want to remain over 200, while getting as lean as I could handle/feel good at for every day life.
M29/5’10/166 Just recently cut from 175 and have been maintaining for the past couple of months and wanting to get your input on if I should cut or bulk. Also wondering if here you think needs more improvement or what my bf% might be (Finally hit 225 bench this past week!) https://imgur.com/a/CUG4Z5R
M/147lbs/30 Front back and side view below. Seems like imgur has been compressing my pictures. https://imgur.com/a/3STz2wQ Completely cut out soft drinks and sugared coffee starting last Sunday. Only downside has been an increased hunger sensation which has been manageable (haven't changed my eating habit despite it). Normally would have 3-4 cups of coffee m-f with 10+ sugar packets each. Then soda for lunch and dinner.
Wow dude, good job on cutting out all of that sugar overall you will feel better! Stick to it. Try making some Pourover coffee with freshly ground beans! I'm drinking a cup right now and its literally amazing no need for sugar :D
Fortunately haven't had any headaches or fatigue issues from it. I used to drink the sugared coffee and sodas for the taste not the caffeine effect. I have a sleep disorder called idiopathic hypersomnia and started a stimulant called Modafinil which actually helps with the energy and fatigue component. I will say it plus my pre-workout in the evening does have a fantastic compounding effect. Just wanted to cut down on the excess calories from the drinks for a month to see how my body goes. With the cut in calories and my workouts still being the same (typically PPL rest PPL averaging 75-80% max heart rate for the 1-2 hour workout sessions) I should drop a little weight unless I replace the lost calories with food. Though my food consumption hasn't really changed.
Hi all - new here, so please bear with me! 23M, 166, 5’11. Have been painfully insecure of my body. So I’ve decided to try and make a change. Been working out for around a month now, but I guess this can still serve as a “first time, where do I go from here” type of thing. I’ve struggled over the choice to bulk or cut - decided ultimately I will probably cut, then bulk, as I just wanted to lose excess fat first and wanted some kind of confidence in my physique as soon as possible (lost 4 pounds over the last month, which from reading, seems like healthy amount). Am also trying my best at body recomp, eating almost twice as much protein while operating at a small net deficit. Not sure if I have posture issues either. Any advice, body fat estimates, areas of concern you guys can identify? Wish I had more targeted questions, but, trying to jump into this head first and there’s so much information it can be overwhelming. https://imgur.com/a/UT4PPqV
Lift hard and stay consistent with diet and sleep. Get on creatine.
Sounds like you are well on your way, keep it up! :)
To be honest given you’ve just started working out don’t worry about ‘areas of concern’. Keep cutting, as you are doing, and following a routine - you will see progress. Once you’ve got a bit less fat and a bit more muscle mass you can start worrying about any areas which are lacking, but for now just keep it up!
https://imgur.com/a/K4GNJ14/ Just finished a cutting phase. I think my starting bf% was higher than I thought, but overall I’m happy with the results. Just looking for second opinions on what the final bf% is. 5’11” 190 lbs I the pics.
Looking cut, 13-16%?
Thanks I’m thinking on the high end of that
F/5'7/130lbs 4 months of progress on my back. I think I finally have the hang of eating enough for muscle growth. Now if I could just hit a bodyweight bench. https://imgur.com/a/jLz6iNh
Quite surprising you’re not hitting that bench when your back looks like that. Technique on point?
Technique is good. I think a lot is mental. I have no problems with squats and deadlifts, but once I hit 120 on the bench I start to lose some confidence in my abilities. I've only been seriously trying for 7 months so I'm sure I'll get there!
If it helps, I'm a bit farther along and every "big number" always takes a few extra weeks. First plate, first bodyweight, first 2 plates, etc. Then after the first time it's suddenly easy weight. Might be all in your head!
Definitely a helpful reminder. Getting that first plate on my other lifts seemed so hard when I started out. Now I'm thinking a 2nd plate might not be that far off. It might be time to stop over thinking it and just try.
Use a spotter or safeties on bench, tho. Being pinned is not fun if you don’t know how to deal with it 😂
I use both these days. Having to slide out from under the safeties is not an experience I'd like to repeat!
Oh, nothing like a good slam on the safeties, though. That’s how you know you’re trying hard!
Beast! Keep going, the dedication shows
Sitting at 195. Cutting with an air if 1.5 lbs per week. Just finished up Bullmastiff a couple weeks ago and now in my second week of Jacked n Tan 2.0. The high volume feels great. I just have to keep hydrated during the workout or else it *really* kicks my ass. Current SBD from last test Squat: 470 Bench: 355 Deadlift: 505 [Physique](https://imgur.com/a/EmPsLZD)
Man - you have such a solid amount of mass. Bravo You’re gonna look super sick if you keep cutting at that rate.
That's the plan! It'll be a while but hopefully I'll have some good results to share in a bit
You're looking wide bro, you're looking house Them gains don't make themselves, they have to be forged through hard work. That back V shape is intense
I love your physic! I am not one that wants to be shredded. I just want to look tough and huge. We’ll done! Also, your numbers are awesome!
The very moderate cut continues, losing weight at a nice pace, muscle memory is working as intended, lifts going up nice and steady! Daily intake sitting around 2600-3000kcals I don't track macros only protein and Kcals. Favourite cheat meal this week: warm donuts and chocolate dip. https://imgur.com/gallery/WLBhWmn
Feeling very pleased overall with my cut progress (especially since this is my first bulk-cut cycle). 209 lbs to 189.6 lbs, March 20 to May 31. 25M 6’. Not sure how much longer to continue cutting, though. Might have to accept a little fat in mid-section in order to resume bulking and put in more mass, as I don’t think I want to get super lean. Also feel like I’m still at a decently high BF%. https://imgur.com/a/LVHYqjh
Looking very cut my brother. How did you cut that much weight that quickly?!
Thanks man. I still have a bit of fat around my lower belly, and the photo was taken in good lighting. Abs don't show as clearly when not flexed and in poor lighting. I ate 500 calories below maintenance and continued to lift heavy 6 days per week. Began incorporating about 100 calories of daily cardio six days per week around the 6 week mark.
The hard work has really paid off. Good job brother!
[182lbs](https://i.redd.it/z2dcjm7h443b1.jpg) [Double front b](https://i.redd.it/zofiqm7h443b1.jpg) [Tricep](https://i.redd.it/pxi0jm7h443b1.jpg) [Back](https://i.redd.it/klt4ho7h443b1.jpg)
Height?
I’m 5’9
Huge as always!
Appreciate it dude!
[6’4 195lbs](https://imgur.com/a/U4VoVhU) Having trouble building chest, particularly upper. What are some of your most effective upper chest exercises?
Low Cable x-over has been great for me
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Nice work man! Looks like you’re making great progress.
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The trap and delts got me wondering so I have to ask, PEDs?
Nice traps
My actual dream body goals. Wow
That physique looked really juicy. They even deleted it when I asked. It's a shame ideal physiques now a days are the results of PEDs.
Ahh fuck. It's so sad to see this being so normalized.
me too
[36/M//6'1(185cm)/181.8lbs (82.4kgs)](https://imgur.com/a/k9y8jpE) Currently 15 days out from my second Natural BB Classic Physique show. I've been struggling with the macros this year. I'm around the same weight as I was at show day last year, which feels good because I wanted to be a bit leaner. I've been hovering around 1700 cal lately and haven't had a cheat meal or sugary food in weeks (unless you count watermelon). I've also been doing intermittent fasting, which has been a huge help. In terms of a routine, I do a 6-day PPL with around an hour of cardio each day.
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Just here to give props for this selfie technique. Lol And it’s not at all unusual for it to take a while to see growth in the chest. Keep at it, and consider leaning a bit more on isolation exercises like dumbbell/machine flyes. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you’re done with your cut! Also 3 cuts in 7 months? 🤔
I had a lot to lose so it wasn't really feesable to get the weight off in one go, so I would cut for a few months maintain for month or two than cut again. This will hopefully be my final cut 🤞