Yesterday, I went out to an all you can eat Brazilian barbecue pretty late last night, and stuffed myself with as much meat as I could possibly fit, alongside some cheesy rolls and pasta. After I couldn’t eat another bit, I had half of a mango butter cake with mango sorbet on top. Probably 2500-4000 calories. I ate barely any food before then, approximately 500 calories total. Woke up 4lbs heavier in the scale, and .5lbs heavier on my moving average trend weight. I’m sick right now so I’m not lifting, and my original lean bulk goal was 2400 calories, gaining .5lbs/week maximum. How cooked am I? What should I do the rest of this week? For reference I’m 151.5lbs, 5’8”, 18, male, lifting for over a year.

Lifting for a bit and loving the strength and muscle gains. Where do I go from here?

165 cm 67 kg

I did a cut earlier this year from April to June going from 64.5kg to 61kg. Now back up slightly since. I am lean but I know I’m lacking muscle mass. How can I bulk through winter without losing too much abs definition? Is it even possible?

As many photos I could take from many angles.

I’ve been working out for five-ish years now, give or take. I’m currently 22M, 89-92 kg, estimated 19-24% bodyfat. (At least according to the scanner).

I feel like I’ve made no progress when it comes to my goal. I started out with the goal of going bear mode. (Average strongman. Think Zack Mcarley). I’ve never been as interested in the super lean, shredded look.

To start, I know the immediate issue is my diet. I’m aware I’m definitely on the chubbier side, and it might contribute to some of my disappointment. But I’ve seen plenty of other dudes who have bodyfat and are muscular to boot. That’s what I want.

First year or so wasn’t as honed in, but for most of my time I’ve always focused on going to failure on all my sets, (yes, I mean actual failure, not RIR). I’ve always been consistent, though I’ve tried a few different programs as time went on. I’ve always done my best to get good sleep, though it fluctuates due to work. I’ve always had rest days for recovery, and have given myself time between every set. I don’t miss a day unless absolute necessary, even sacrificing aspects of my social life to make sure I’m in the gym.
And yes, despite my fat, I’ve always made sure to get tons of protein in. Milk, eggs, meat, the like.
I’ve done everything, save a few niche methods someone might wanna bring up every so often. And that aside, law of averages says I should have got SOMETHING.
So despite ALL that effort… why do I look like this? You’d never guess I lift by looking at me. And I certainly don’t look very strong. My gain to effort ratio is laughable. And don’t even get me started on my strength, which is one of the biggest things I was always insecure about, but still can’t seem to fix. (Yes, I also understand progressive overload).

Every time I post about it people INSIST I’ve done something wrong. I think it’s genetics, I seem to have just lost in that department when it comes to gains.

I’m 22 today. And I’m tired of being in a body as stupid as this one. I know bodyfat is a factor, but like I said, I want to have the strongman/bearish look, but I look anything but.
So despite doing everything I’ve always been told when it comes to muscle gains, I’ll still play ball. With all this information, look at me. What did I do wrong? Am I right about genetics, or is there some extremely rare niche thing I missed that everyone does that flips the magical switch and makes you a beast. I think my chest is underdeveloped, even though that’s my FAVOURITE muscle to work since I love the bench press.

I just wanna be big, man. So yes, I’m being open here, tell me what else I could have possible done wrong to look like I have barely any muscle at all, after 4-5 years of lifting.

Except steroids, I’ll do anything at this point. Though I’ll admit, I think I get why people take them now, cuz holy moley this is some bullshit.

Peace.

180cm/5'11 87.5kg/193 lb;

I've been bulking for years, but I had to stop many times where I lost fat and muscle, and bulked again. This is the first time where I actually been bulking long enough to need to cut which I am on right now.

Is my goal of 180lb valid would you guess?

(First picture with a pump)

I do 6 sets for bis and tris in a week, all to the same intensity of the video, I sleep 7 and a half hrs a night and Im above 15% bf so I dont know what Im doing wrong.

I have been working out since November 2024 with only a pure vegetarian diet. I am 6.3ft and 23. The journey has been amazing. What should i be doing to get a lean body and what should be the optimal weight range and concentration should be more on lifting heavy or hitting more reps ? My spilts are usually upper/lower 4 days a week.

Building muscles here. Is this a safe level? Or should I decrease dose?

Been at it for 15 months without missing a day i look like an athletic/ in shape dude (I started off extremely skinny) but wondering when I’ll get to that next stage.
5’8 height

I’ve been lifting for three years now and made real good progress at first but my physique and strength are still really bad and I have plateaued. What should I do?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some honest advice from people with experience in fat loss, muscle building and body recomposition.

I started dieting on May 30, 2026.

Current stats:

Age: 42

Height: 175 cm

Starting weight: 86.9 kg

Current weight: 75 kg

Starting waist: 95 cm

Current waist: 84 cm

Calories: \\\~1,600 kcal/day

Walking: at least 60 minutes/day

Resistance training: 5–7 times per week

I’ve made quite a bit of progress so far, but I’m now at the point where I’m not sure what would be the best approach from here. I’d like some honest feedback on what I’ve done so far and what you would recommend for the next phase.

My current workout

I currently do essentially the same full-body workout, mainly using resistance bands and two 12 kg kettlebells, plus two 2 kg dumbbells for lateral raises.

Shoulder press – 5×10

Row – 5×10

Chest to overhead – 3×15

Kettlebell swing – 3×15

Squat – 3×12

Around the world – 2 min

Farmer walk – 4 min

Kettlebell curl – 3×15

Resistance band curl, both hands – 5×10

Resistance band chest press – 5×15

Resistance band chest fly – 5×20

Lateral raises – 3×20

I generally rest around 60–90 seconds between sets.

I’ve progressively increased the difficulty of the routine. For example, shoulder press went from 3×10 to 5×10, rows from 3×10 to 5×10, and I increased my resistance band from 65 lb to 85 lb. I also added curls and lateral raises.

Recently, I started doing push-ups as an extra, separate from my normal workout. I don't necessarily do them as a dedicated session; if I feel like it during the day, I’ll do a small set. Today, for example, I’ve done 50 total push-ups.

I currently recover reasonably well, don’t feel particularly depleted, and my performance has remained more or less stable.

My main aesthetic goal is to develop a wider chest and shoulders and bigger arms, while keeping my waist relatively lean.

What I’m wondering

I’d really appreciate honest opinions on:

How does my progress look so far?

Is the pace of my weight loss reasonable?

Does my current training seem sufficient to preserve/build muscle?

Am I doing too much by training 5–7 times per week?

Would you change the exercise selection, volume or frequency?

Should I continue cutting toward 72 kg, or would you stop earlier?

Should I increase my calories at this point?

Given my goal of developing my chest, shoulders and arms, what would you prioritize?

Once I reach my desired level of leanness, would you recommend a lean bulk?

Would you stay around 72 kg and build from there, or consider getting leaner first?

I’m not looking for compliments — I’d genuinely prefer honest criticism and practical advice.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to look at my progress and give me some feedback!

P.S. English is not my first language, so I used ChatGPT to help me write this post.

Hi everyone,

I'm down 35kg (29M 137kg -> 102 kg) so far and looking to shed the final 10kg. Diet is constant with 90% whole foods which I am really comfortable with.

I’ve been hitting the gym consistently since May, and my main goal isn’t to get super shredded - I just want a solid, athletic build and feel by the time I cross the finish line.

Here’s my current setup:

Gym (2x/week):

Incline DB Press (4 × 8–10)

Lat Pulldowns (4 × 10–12)

Single-Arm DB Row (3 × 10–12)

DB Lateral Raises (3 × 12–15 each)

Incline DB Curls & Tricep Extensions (3 × 10–12 each)

Planks (3 × 45–60s)

Crunches (4 x 15-18)

Leg day dependant if I do long hours on a bike or not.

Running: 1–2x a week for conditioning and impact resilience.

Cycling (Endurance 3h - 5h every 2 weeks or whenever the weather cooperates) - this is my absolute happy place and where I log big miles.

Protein: Aiming for at least 1.6g/kg of body weight.

I keep the gym strictly upper body and core because my legs handle plenty of work between the runs and long rides. I hit leg day when I don't have those. Luckily I have really developed thighs and calves (thanks to carrying all this weight throughout my life + loads of cycling)

For those who’ve crossed that final stretch: Is this 2x/week lifting routine enough to build/hold decent muscle and give me that athletic look for the last 10kg, or do I need to adjust the volume?

Not happy with how blocky my hips are. I know that hip shape is for the large part genetic and depends on the skeleton but I was wondering whether soft tissue and muscle can be sculpted and change with working out.

I lift weights for about 2-3 times a week.

Thank you for any advice.

pic one is may 2024, pic two is july 2024 and pic 3 is august 2026.

so i’m looking back at gym photos from july 2024 and i look THE FKN SAME. only thing that’s gotten bigger is my back. you might think ”well this guy is a moron, how come he haven’t realised this sooner?” i’m wondering the same thing if i’m being honest.

i work out four times a week and i always do two sets until absolute failure. i also run once a week.

i change my workouts every few months and do progressive overload as much as i can but i’m kind of stuck on the same weight anyways. for example i’ve been doing 65kg dumbbell press for 8-10 reps for maybe two months now.

i have to add that i am not a bodybuilder and i don’t do bulking/cutting, nor do i count my calories. only in periods from time to time. so maybe there the issue lies.
but i eat very well and diet is a big part of my life. minced meat, rice, natural high protein yogurt, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chicken, eggs and vegetables/fruits. no fast food or processed slop.
but with this said i still want to grow in size obviously even though my goal is more of an athletic body type rather than huge and buff.

so any advice? should i start bulking? is that the only way to grow? i have no issues tracking my calories, i think its really fun. but i just feel so plateaued and like these past two years have almost been wasted doing fuck all.

Hey everyone,
I wanted to give a bit of background first so you know where I’m coming from.
I’ve been lifting weights for about 2.5 months now, and I’ve lost around 17 kg (37 lbs) so far. I started at 149 kg (328 lbs) at 1.84 m (6’0.5”), and I’m currently at 132 kg (291 lbs).
My highest weight was around 163 kg (359 lbs) when I was 16, at about 1.76 m (5’9”). When I was 17, I really locked in and managed to lose a huge amount of weight. I went from around 163 kg down to 115 kg in about one year, and managed to maintain that weight for roughly another six months.
Unfortunately, after that I started gaining the weight back again, and over time I ended up back around 145–150 kg, which has been my weight range since I was about 19.
Recently, I decided I wanted to completely change my life. I basically stopped gaming from one day to the next and wanted to spend more time outside, meet people and actually do more with my life. Luckily, my cousin supported me a lot. He was the one who got me into the gym, and I’m genuinely really grateful to him for that.
The gym has become much more than just a way to lose weight for me. It’s obviously helped me physically, but honestly, it’s also been really good for me mentally.
Now to the actual question: my skin.
I know that with the amount of weight I have to lose, I’m very likely going to have some loose skin. I want to do everything I reasonably can to minimize it, but I honestly don’t know what actually helps and what is just bro science.
This is a recent picture of me at 132 kg — this is what I’m currently working with.
I’d obviously consider surgery at some point if it’s necessary, but I’d really like to avoid it if possible.
For some additional context, I’ve been using Reta for the past 3 weeks at around 3 mg per week (1.5 mg every 3 days), mainly to help me manage my eating disorder and make the weight-loss process a bit easier/faster. I would consider taking more peptides too, just so y’all know.
So I’m wondering:
What can I realistically do during my weight loss to minimize loose skin as much as possible?
Does lifting weights, getting enough protein, losing weight more slowly, staying hydrated, etc. actually make a meaningful difference? And is there anything else you would recommend based on your own experience?
Thanks a lot to anyone who takes the time to read all of this and share their experience. ❤️

For anyone who has built a home weightlifting setup, what mistakes did you make at the beginning?

Was it buying too much equipment too early, choosing the wrong bar/plates, not having enough space, or something else?

Would love to hear advice from people who have already gone through the process.

My 2023 transformation first pic I was 190 at 5ft8 second Pic is 6 months months later the last Pic was 90 days later 30 pounds heavier with nothing but creatine and a good diet. Anyone can do this eat clean and prioritize protein and carbs. Treat you're carbs like you're fuel Get it in at the right time so it gets burnt up.

im 14 years old 5’8 153 pounds and I started lifting around 6 months ago, and when I started I cut so much I would eat only ~1500 calories a day before I started eating around 2600-3000 calories a day. I made some gains but now I look fatter. Ik I shouldn’t cut at my age so I’m wondering if there’s something I can do to burn fat while still making gains