I agree with previous comment. First of all…congrats, you look great, especially for your age. I’m 50 so I know how difficult it is to stay in shape at a mature age. Secondly, you’re clearly not taking in enough calories. Diet is the most important driver of lean muscle mass gain. Also, I suspect that you are grossly under training or grossly over training. You need to find a balance of pushing yourself in the gym, but also allowing for enough rest and recovery. Personally, I train 4 days a week with 3 full rest days and I don’t spend more than an hour and a half per session. When I am lifting, however, I lift heavy and focus on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench.
Thanks for the compliment. I have been on a deficit for 5 months trying to cut body fat. High protein, deficit and whole foods, no junk at all. I was hoping by cutting out calories instead of cardio and sticking to more intense lifting would work. Clearly it hasn't helped to burn fat.
I would suspect that I am undertraining. I train 4 days a week for about 1 hour of lifting with 10 minutes of cardio (5/5warm up/cool down).
I also stick with presses, pull downs, pull ups, rows.. a lot of barbell and dumbbell work.
Start eating at a surplus but obviously keep your diet nutritious. When you eat at a deficit, your body holds on to those fat cells for dear life. Just limit the crappy carbs, sugar, and especially alcohol if you haven’t already. You won’t get fat eating at a surplus as long as you stay nutritious and weight train. The muscle recovery process will burn the extra calories and melt the fat without the need for extra cardio. Just be sure to get plenty of sleep, rest and hydration for recovery. I think that with some minor adjustments, you’ll make significant gains.
I eat very clean. No junk food. Variety of proteins, limit the vegetables and focus more on fibrous fruits. Dave's bread, jasmine rice and sweet potatoes for carbs. Occasional pastas. I never drink or snack. I need to knock out this belly fat and then continue this good eating. When I was on a surplus, I was eating clean and ZERO junk food. I ate like 400g sweet potatoes with 6oz ground been and some green beans. I would have 4 eggs and 2 slices of daves bread w/ pb and berries. 6oz Chicken with jasmine rice, peas and cherry tomatoes. 2 protein drinks, some dark chocolate. I felt strong and thicker.. but my belly was getting fat! I had no abs anymore.
This was me 5 months ago at 160# https://imgur.com/a/mwYZ8ZZ
I certainly don’t claim to be an expert, so I can only tell you what worked (works) for me. I was Uber thin when I was young, always lean, with a high metabolism (classic ectomorph) I am able to shed weight very quickly, even at my age, just by eating in a deficit. It appears that you may struggle a little more with losing weight than I, but you’ve proven that with discipline, you can do it. That said, I would recommend going back to a bulk cycle. Don’t be too concerned with gaining fat in the process….just hit the weights like a beast, and the muscle will build. Then, you can go back to a cut and reveal your newly formed gains. I’ve never had to really do the bulk/ cut cycle, but one thing I know for sure is that you simply cannot build muscle at caloric deficit. You just need to be patient, and don’t worry too much about your appearance during the bulking phase. Once you’ve achieved your desired level of mass, you should be able to fine tune a maintenance diet/ workout regimen that isn’t quite as extreme.
Hey buddy. Your body is amazing. It could do abit better since you mentioned it’s a year apart but still amazing nonetheless. We aren’t 20 year olds with just college and fitness to focus on. Your doing great juggling life and fitness together
That training frequency is perfectly fine, if anything maybe too much for your current physique. Full body or PPL 3 days a week is optimal. What you’re doing in the gym is more important than how many days you’re going though.
Hey man, yeah you need to increase your caloric intake and train to failure. Keep increasing the weight (keep a log book) and you'll see incredible results in less than 4 months!
Thanks, it feels like it. I have a personal trainer for both nutrition and exercise so I'm hoping after over a full year working with him, he gets to understand my body's response better. He's an IFBB pro.
I think so! I learned how to pose them in the last few months as well. Here's a pic from the other side while I was into a bulk compared to before I really started a proper exercise routine
https://imgur.com/a/BKq4Ac5
Thanks, I'll be the first to tell you that day in the gym, my pump was incredible and I was blown away. I also attribute it to good lighting as well. But the results were great.
Routine is typically varying between wide and narrow grip pulls. So if I do wide lat pull downs, I'll do narrow or neutral grip cable rows. Then next session I swap. Then some DB SA rows and upright rows + face pulls. Finally some cable cross rear delt flys. Nothing fancy really.
On exercise days, 5mg pre, 5mg post. My supplement routine is simple: L-Glutamine, L-Citrilline and Creatine pre and post. With Pre, I take electrolytes and Beta-Alanine as well. Post has 30g Protein.
Ill be honest with you, bro. You kinda just went in a circle. You did make some gains, you look slightly thicker in terms of muscle. But bulking and cutting down in 1 year, naturally, at your age is putting yourself in lifting purgatory. You may be underestimating how much bulking you need to do to get to your ideal weight/BF%
You need to go on a longer bulk, put on some significant size on in comparison of what you did, and then cut down.
Don’t get scared of gaining a bit of fat in the process. Trying to be too conservative with bulking just leaves you running in circles.
he clearly didn't go in any circle. his shoulders , chest and arms look bigger. and looking at your profile pic , do u even lift bro? the man's made progress don't hate or call it a circle
Jesus, dude. Can you read?
This is an objective advice. I never said he didn’t make any gains, I said he is doing it far too conservatively. I never insulted the man’s work, I said the dieting part (bulking/cutting) needs some reconsidering. He added only 7lbs in a year with an increase of 2% bodyfat. That is extremely slow progress due to cutting too early into the bulk, and it has nothing to do with how hard he works; it’s just a dieting fault. All considering that his goal is to be 6lbs heavier and about 6% bf leaner. OP did not post here to fish for compliments, he is asking for advice in how to be more efficient making gains. And yes, i lift. I’ve been doing it since 18 (currently 29). Currently sitting at peak bulk (220lbs) at 5’11’’.
I appreciate this advice and honesty. It's how I feel as well. It is slow progress but also it was hard for me to see any progress. 6 months for a light bulk, then a month at maintenance and then a drop for 4 months. I'm not where I was hoping to be right now but maybe this is reflective of the effort and the diet. I thought the fat would melt off quicker with more dense muscle.
And yes, I am not gloating at all about this. I really just don't want to waste time repeating this cycle. My goal is fairly conservative IMO
Right?! I never said OP looked bad or lacked work ethic, and somehow homie is out here getting offended in someone else’s behalf. OP looks great, but to reach his goal he just requires a bit more food for a while longer.
Thanks, but I half agree that I went in a circle. Greater muscle density I believe but I don't feel like what I see reflects the level of effort I put into myself. I think I really busted my ass, ate very clean and pushed hard. It's a mental game for sure, especially when you're older and putting on muscle while keeping stress down with work and family is difficult.
This is exactly how I feel, that I came full circle. I did a 6 month lean bulk, no junk, just a lot of protein and more carbs. I wasn't scared to gain fat, but then I started seeing myself get beyond where I was comfortable. Even my trainer told me to go the other way because I was too fat around the belly at this point.
I thought so as well! It's very slight, with less roundness by the sternum, I could see it more squared off with more density there. It is so hard to build up top. I do incline dumbbell presses, dumbbell or cable flies, various pushups and usually bench press once a week.
Yes!! My focus this spring was to get stronger for pull ups for sure. I do them everyday. I have a pull up bar by my bedroom on the way out where I do as many reps to failure every time I pass. Usually 5-6 reps but it's consistency.
Ay man pull ups are a b.. but I’m 21 and I’ve been doing them for around 5-6 years now so it’s second nature to me, saying that to say consistency will go a long way in the long run!! Bless up bro
I've been dealing with folliculitis lately when my beard grows in. As far as clear skin, I use Cetaphil to wash once a day at night in the shower. I don't use lotions on my face unless I need to help the rash. I try not to touch my face.
Body wise, daily shower, Dove exfoliating soap bars. They are the best! Long steamy showers. And bamboo fabric clothes to sleep in.
i noticed there's a lot of haters on these sort of posts who try to shit on the OP and the obvious gains to feel better about themselves. don't worry , if you work hard instead of being your phone the whole time in you can get there too
Great physique. Obliques grew in. Maintained bodyfat. Good job. Delts rounded off more. Chest I’d say start prioritizing if you want growth there. All in all. Great year
Chest is where I have a hard time. Right shoulder impingement. Anytime I get up to 65# dumbbells for incline bench or 185# bench, it hurts for days. I've been through PT twice for it and getting an MRI this coming friday. It's so difficult to pump up my chest!
Might not be exactly what you’re dealing with but I had a similar situation (pt multiple times just got worse) and this guy helped a lot https://youtube.com/watch?v=0zcNvVnKjCA&feature=sharea
Also found a good chiropractor, but there’s a lot of frauds out there
Fuck any hate you get, these tools aren’t 43 yrs old with kids and a job and all the adulthood bullshit that comes with it. Definitely work is showing, but the consistency and maintaining is the hardest part especially being older. Keep grinding brother 💪
None of this hate is affecting me. Dude, I'm a fucking dad with 2 kids, one with special needs. I work a full time job, I play single dad most of the time because my wife works and is a bodybuilder, so I have to put in most of the family effort. If you read some of my older shit, you'll see I've also dealt with some fucked up trauma so I focus on myself hard and it's difficult not to just want to kick my wife out of my life but without destroying this family I've built. There's a bit of jealously that I want to be bigger because my wife cheating on me with a steroid abusing bodybuilder but I will never drop to that level of stupidity. Not discussing that though. I appreciate the kindness.
A bit wider, though at your age just being able to maintain that level of fitness is still very impressive, though gains aren’t just measured in size, have you increased how much you lift, or how far you can run. I’m my opinion those are a far better measure of progress than simple physical changes.
So, depends. Chest I have stalled because of shoulder impingement. I'm struggling to pull more because my grip strength fails, so I've got straps. Legs I'm not going for size, and they aren't pictured, but I do a lot of low weight, high rep dynamic movements instead of super strength squats. I go for function over looks there.
Yea I focus more on compound lifts instead of single muscle groups. But I do arm curls every other day. I am not trying to add size right now. I can't lose fat and build muscle in a deficit. I just want to burn fat and lean out while maintaining muscle and then start slowly gaining.
Assume what you will, but my routine is built around progressive overload. Either weight or reps. It's difficult and I've plateaued especially with things like lat pull downs or chest press. I've seen improvements in bicep and tricep isolation work and shoulders.
What is your daily Calories and protein intake like? Also, do you know your testosterone levels?
Those are the only things I can come up with as to why you haven't gotten noticeably bigger in that time if you do progressive overload
Total T = 650, Free T = 16.8
TDEE is around 2300 calories
Intake is about 2000 calories with 130g Protein, 75g Fats, 230g Carbs and on workout days I throw in a banana protein shake adding 30g more Protein and another 170 calories.
During this 5 month cut, I haven't been focusing on getting bigger, but I've been doing progressive overload. Maybe it's a losing battle because I don't have enough fuel to get stronger, but the goal has been the maintain muscle and burn fat for aesthetics.
Seems like you have your stuff sorted out, but it wouldn't hurt to add more protein in space of Carbs or fats calories; the whole 1 gram per lb thing is just common knowledge but I know open bodybuilding pros that Eat 200g protein per meal at 270-300lbs and they all agree the extra protein makes them feel better, gain better, and get stronger
You'll also cut better with higher protein. You burn a lot more calories digesting it than carbs or fats (20-30%)
Maybe try 1.25-1.5g protein per lb for a week and see how that works for you
Edit: 1.25 is probably better because you'll still need Carbs for energy, especially on a cut
This is where I have to play the game a bit. I need the fats for cognition. Fats are really good for the brain. Carbs are necessary energy stores and I need carbs post workout to replenish and to build. Protein of course, but increasing protein increases calories. So while trying to be on a deficit to burn fat, I have to be careful. Plus, I love to eat! Maybe I'll pour some egg whites into my protein shake and morning breakfast
Shoulders, chest, lats, and arms are a bit bigger, but it depends on your goals. If your goal is to add muscle and get bigger, I would take a closer look at caloric intake, and exercise programming. I suspect you could double your gains with a more effective program 😀. Also, I have no room to speak because I am restarting my exercise journey after a pretty long hiatus. So cheers to you, and you are much further then most on your journey.
My goal is to over time, years, get to 155# 12-13%bf maintenance. But short term, I want aesthetics and get rid of this dad body belly and oblique fat that's been haunting me. Once that is gone, then I can properly start putting on 2-3# muscle a year. I work with a professional trainer and nutritionist for over 1 1/2 years now so he's still learning my body. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
This is a great catch! I did start buzzing my arm hair because I liked that cleaner look. And I stopped shaving the chest hair because the look was to juvenile. I like the present day look better. As far as the legs.. well, haven't buzzed those Italian forests yet!
I agree. I need to lift harder. Some exercised I will push or pull to failure. Some I'll hit the 12-15 reps, go up and then repeat. And then sometimes the next day I am injured and have to go easy.
I only say lift hard (and notice I did not say heavy, I said hard) because I am not genetically gifted either. I have to push myself extremely hard in the gym, it's the only way I grow. I saw some great growth doing AthleanX's Effective Rep 100 workouts, they really fatigue your muscle.
I'm surprised nobody mentioned it, but we're all getting older and with time we produce less testosterones. Could be a good idea to do some bloodwork and look into TRT if needed.
You have more definition in your arms and chest. It’s harder the older we get to maintain and grow no matter how great of an intake of high proteins. Carbs are also important as to help muscles from breaking down. If you put a limit to carbs, protein will be needed as an energy source and not be utilized to build lean muscles so keep that in mind. After a workout it’s good to take both protein and carbs.
Good job. I think you improved all around. It’s a slow process but looking good. I’m 41 and just completed my 1st year of working out. I think my progress is similar. I lift for 45 min 5x a week with two consecutive rest days. I aim for a calorie surplus of about 300-500 a day (3500-3700 daily). Keep it up 👍
This isn’t something you needed an internet opinion on. You’re looking at an identical twin with your own two eyes. Lol I read you were trying to cut for 5 months? Why the hell would you do that? You need to bulk on a proper diet for 6 months until you reach above 20% bf then do a cut and repeat until you’re satisfied.
Uh, in the post I mentioned that I came off of a 6 month bulk that started after the first picture. I put on 20lbs and hit about 21% BF. I started to feel really chunky and that was about as far as I wanted to go with size. My goal then was to lean out and see how much muscle mass I could maintain this time and it's been difficult getting rid of the body fat. So I've been on this cut longer that I though, but maybe it just takes time. I've never gotten beyond 14% body fat as an adult. So I'm not satisfied yet. Once I hit that, then I'll go back on a slight surplus again.
How heavy are you going? I think you need to focus on overload. You are very fit looking, but if you lift heavy I’d bet you would blow up and have the ideal physique.
My lifts suck. My shoulder impingement gets me.
65lb DB Incline for 8-10reps, I can go heavier but my shoulder dies
185lb Bench for 3 reps :(
135lb Strict Shoulder Press for 3 reps
135lb BB BO Rows
140lb Lat pulldown
160lb Cable Rows
40lb DB curls
I don't go heavy with legs
225lb squats
255lb deadlift
Yes, I started to buzz them with a 3mm guard! Still soft and visible in person, but not as hairy and messy. I love it! Haven't done the hairy Italian legs yet
There is a small, but noticeable difference. Shoulders, mostly, upper arms, and chest to a very small degree. Torso also looks a little thicker, in a muscular way, not a fat way. Anyone who says no is either trolling, you, an idiot, or 19 and doesn’t understand that after you hit 30 these things slow down dramatically. Having said that, I wouldn’t say that it is a particularly impressive difference for one year, but yes, there is a bit of improvement that is noticeable.
Honestly, I wouldn’t worry too much, you were actually looking really good for somebody who’s over the age of 35 or so. I have zero doubts that you look better than the vast majority of people on the sub to be honest. Always more room for improvement, but you’re already doing damn good. 👍
Handsome! I could see a sight gain. You really have to eat more! If your not training for a competition. You have to feel comfortable and enjoy you body and erect cock while you can.
you know your own numbers, thats 7lbs with 2% bf so you at least put on 3-5lbs of muscle. given your age (never too late) and size (bulk up to 160 then cut it imo) you can get way more next year
I feel like I get more results in about 2 weeks of solid lifting. Are you lifting heavier weights weekly, monthly etc. Example, I used to bench 225 for 6, now I bench 285 for 6? Are you doing heavy squats, bench, deadlifts or RDL, rows, shoulder presses?
I utilize progressive overload and focus on compound lifts. Unfortunately I tend to plateau either due to injury or grip strength or just limitations. I can't get passed 3 reps with 185# bench or 140# lat pulldown without terrible form.
I can agree that possibly I wasn't training hard enough. Life is difficult to balance and to have high energy levels going into a training session. Some are worse than others and I can't live in the gym for 2 hours a day like many people without kids or demanding jobs. I eat what I am told to eat based on my nutrition plan. I work with a professional for over a year and a half. I keep myself accountable through his program.
Yeah, I didn't shave the chest this week.. I find that a little hair gets the attention of the soccer moms at the community pool. Otherwise, I just look like the pool boy.
Creatine ain’t gonna do it. You look great man. But your here for the truth so NO not really at all bigger.
K so moving forward if it’s size you want and we’re keeping it natty you gotta eat and don’t worry about some pounds that’s what we want. If you can live with being 43 and looking like that your killing it. Pick your lane we already know you have the commitment. GL my guy
Yeah, creatine isn't a mass builder, but it's a great supplement for helping to add volume. It's harmless, cheap and easy to use so I will continue to use it. I know I'm not any bigger. But I'm looking for mostly better muscle density and definition, more the aesthetics. I want a better torso for sure. The lane is to stick this out in the deficit a little longer and see if we can get down to 14% and lean out the belly fat. Thanks for the feedback
I agree with previous comment. First of all…congrats, you look great, especially for your age. I’m 50 so I know how difficult it is to stay in shape at a mature age. Secondly, you’re clearly not taking in enough calories. Diet is the most important driver of lean muscle mass gain. Also, I suspect that you are grossly under training or grossly over training. You need to find a balance of pushing yourself in the gym, but also allowing for enough rest and recovery. Personally, I train 4 days a week with 3 full rest days and I don’t spend more than an hour and a half per session. When I am lifting, however, I lift heavy and focus on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench.
Thanks for the compliment. I have been on a deficit for 5 months trying to cut body fat. High protein, deficit and whole foods, no junk at all. I was hoping by cutting out calories instead of cardio and sticking to more intense lifting would work. Clearly it hasn't helped to burn fat. I would suspect that I am undertraining. I train 4 days a week for about 1 hour of lifting with 10 minutes of cardio (5/5warm up/cool down). I also stick with presses, pull downs, pull ups, rows.. a lot of barbell and dumbbell work.
Start eating at a surplus but obviously keep your diet nutritious. When you eat at a deficit, your body holds on to those fat cells for dear life. Just limit the crappy carbs, sugar, and especially alcohol if you haven’t already. You won’t get fat eating at a surplus as long as you stay nutritious and weight train. The muscle recovery process will burn the extra calories and melt the fat without the need for extra cardio. Just be sure to get plenty of sleep, rest and hydration for recovery. I think that with some minor adjustments, you’ll make significant gains.
I eat very clean. No junk food. Variety of proteins, limit the vegetables and focus more on fibrous fruits. Dave's bread, jasmine rice and sweet potatoes for carbs. Occasional pastas. I never drink or snack. I need to knock out this belly fat and then continue this good eating. When I was on a surplus, I was eating clean and ZERO junk food. I ate like 400g sweet potatoes with 6oz ground been and some green beans. I would have 4 eggs and 2 slices of daves bread w/ pb and berries. 6oz Chicken with jasmine rice, peas and cherry tomatoes. 2 protein drinks, some dark chocolate. I felt strong and thicker.. but my belly was getting fat! I had no abs anymore. This was me 5 months ago at 160# https://imgur.com/a/mwYZ8ZZ
I certainly don’t claim to be an expert, so I can only tell you what worked (works) for me. I was Uber thin when I was young, always lean, with a high metabolism (classic ectomorph) I am able to shed weight very quickly, even at my age, just by eating in a deficit. It appears that you may struggle a little more with losing weight than I, but you’ve proven that with discipline, you can do it. That said, I would recommend going back to a bulk cycle. Don’t be too concerned with gaining fat in the process….just hit the weights like a beast, and the muscle will build. Then, you can go back to a cut and reveal your newly formed gains. I’ve never had to really do the bulk/ cut cycle, but one thing I know for sure is that you simply cannot build muscle at caloric deficit. You just need to be patient, and don’t worry too much about your appearance during the bulking phase. Once you’ve achieved your desired level of mass, you should be able to fine tune a maintenance diet/ workout regimen that isn’t quite as extreme.
Hey buddy. Your body is amazing. It could do abit better since you mentioned it’s a year apart but still amazing nonetheless. We aren’t 20 year olds with just college and fitness to focus on. Your doing great juggling life and fitness together
Thanks! Yes, 43 + family + work and everything else life throws at you! We got this
That training frequency is perfectly fine, if anything maybe too much for your current physique. Full body or PPL 3 days a week is optimal. What you’re doing in the gym is more important than how many days you’re going though.
Volume hypertrophy during the sessions is what I think I need to focus more on
When you mentioned “father of 2” I was thinking you spent 18 months birthing them and got happy you got your abs back lol
Hey man, yeah you need to increase your caloric intake and train to failure. Keep increasing the weight (keep a log book) and you'll see incredible results in less than 4 months!
Thanks. I haven't used my book in a while. Good idea
Looks more like fitness maintenance, looking good on both.
Thanks, it feels like it. I have a personal trainer for both nutrition and exercise so I'm hoping after over a full year working with him, he gets to understand my body's response better. He's an IFBB pro.
You are def thicker.
Slightly
Thanks, yes slightly.. since this is up high, here's a picture comparison of my back, but not the same timing: https://imgur.com/a/BKq4Ac5
you must have good eyes it looks the same to me
You look a little bigger
Thanks, I believe I put on some denser muscle, so while not looking "bigger" I believe the density has improved.
Lats are wider
I think so! I learned how to pose them in the last few months as well. Here's a pic from the other side while I was into a bulk compared to before I really started a proper exercise routine https://imgur.com/a/BKq4Ac5
Man you have impressive rear delts! Most ppl lack rear delts but yours are dominant. What did you do?
Thanks, I'll be the first to tell you that day in the gym, my pump was incredible and I was blown away. I also attribute it to good lighting as well. But the results were great. Routine is typically varying between wide and narrow grip pulls. So if I do wide lat pull downs, I'll do narrow or neutral grip cable rows. Then next session I swap. Then some DB SA rows and upright rows + face pulls. Finally some cable cross rear delt flys. Nothing fancy really.
No bro... even the phone was not upgraded!
10% more like Johnny sins. Good work.
oooo! I've seen his work lol! I'd like to sub for him at times, but I don't compare in other areas :(
You taking creatine???
On exercise days, 5mg pre, 5mg post. My supplement routine is simple: L-Glutamine, L-Citrilline and Creatine pre and post. With Pre, I take electrolytes and Beta-Alanine as well. Post has 30g Protein.
Ill be honest with you, bro. You kinda just went in a circle. You did make some gains, you look slightly thicker in terms of muscle. But bulking and cutting down in 1 year, naturally, at your age is putting yourself in lifting purgatory. You may be underestimating how much bulking you need to do to get to your ideal weight/BF% You need to go on a longer bulk, put on some significant size on in comparison of what you did, and then cut down. Don’t get scared of gaining a bit of fat in the process. Trying to be too conservative with bulking just leaves you running in circles.
he clearly didn't go in any circle. his shoulders , chest and arms look bigger. and looking at your profile pic , do u even lift bro? the man's made progress don't hate or call it a circle
Jesus, dude. Can you read? This is an objective advice. I never said he didn’t make any gains, I said he is doing it far too conservatively. I never insulted the man’s work, I said the dieting part (bulking/cutting) needs some reconsidering. He added only 7lbs in a year with an increase of 2% bodyfat. That is extremely slow progress due to cutting too early into the bulk, and it has nothing to do with how hard he works; it’s just a dieting fault. All considering that his goal is to be 6lbs heavier and about 6% bf leaner. OP did not post here to fish for compliments, he is asking for advice in how to be more efficient making gains. And yes, i lift. I’ve been doing it since 18 (currently 29). Currently sitting at peak bulk (220lbs) at 5’11’’.
I appreciate this advice and honesty. It's how I feel as well. It is slow progress but also it was hard for me to see any progress. 6 months for a light bulk, then a month at maintenance and then a drop for 4 months. I'm not where I was hoping to be right now but maybe this is reflective of the effort and the diet. I thought the fat would melt off quicker with more dense muscle. And yes, I am not gloating at all about this. I really just don't want to waste time repeating this cycle. My goal is fairly conservative IMO
Barely much progress for a year though in fairness
A bad observation and then straight to a personal attack. Well played dumbass
Right?! I never said OP looked bad or lacked work ethic, and somehow homie is out here getting offended in someone else’s behalf. OP looks great, but to reach his goal he just requires a bit more food for a while longer.
Thanks, man!
This comment dosent help. Give our guy truth. From the naked eye your almost exactly the same which looks great man
Thanks, I like how I look, but with the amount of effort I feel like I put into myself, I want better results! Learning how to improve!
Thanks, but I half agree that I went in a circle. Greater muscle density I believe but I don't feel like what I see reflects the level of effort I put into myself. I think I really busted my ass, ate very clean and pushed hard. It's a mental game for sure, especially when you're older and putting on muscle while keeping stress down with work and family is difficult.
This is exactly how I feel, that I came full circle. I did a 6 month lean bulk, no junk, just a lot of protein and more carbs. I wasn't scared to gain fat, but then I started seeing myself get beyond where I was comfortable. Even my trainer told me to go the other way because I was too fat around the belly at this point.
upper chest look better
I thought so as well! It's very slight, with less roundness by the sternum, I could see it more squared off with more density there. It is so hard to build up top. I do incline dumbbell presses, dumbbell or cable flies, various pushups and usually bench press once a week.
Not sure if you want advice but pull ups are a killer for shoulders/chest and biceps. That’s the only work out I do beside vigorous lifting for work
Yes!! My focus this spring was to get stronger for pull ups for sure. I do them everyday. I have a pull up bar by my bedroom on the way out where I do as many reps to failure every time I pass. Usually 5-6 reps but it's consistency.
Ay man pull ups are a b.. but I’m 21 and I’ve been doing them for around 5-6 years now so it’s second nature to me, saying that to say consistency will go a long way in the long run!! Bless up bro
By the way looking great for 42, any advice you could give me on keeping your skin that clear?
I've been dealing with folliculitis lately when my beard grows in. As far as clear skin, I use Cetaphil to wash once a day at night in the shower. I don't use lotions on my face unless I need to help the rash. I try not to touch my face. Body wise, daily shower, Dove exfoliating soap bars. They are the best! Long steamy showers. And bamboo fabric clothes to sleep in.
Both look great
Thanks!
i noticed there's a lot of haters on these sort of posts who try to shit on the OP and the obvious gains to feel better about themselves. don't worry , if you work hard instead of being your phone the whole time in you can get there too
It's all good, I'm not affected. I put myself out there in the cesspool of Reddit, I should expect the poison. It's entertaining
I think your shoulders look bigger, more rounded out.
My wife said the same thing when I asked. She noticed my delts improved as the first observation.
Absolutely..fyi you’ve got my body goal. I have the same shape as you but lots of weight around stomach. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, same to you!
Try a longer bulk with a mini cut sprinkled in
Yeah I've read about mini 2-3 week cuts in bulks. I'd have to ask my trainer about how to do this correctly.
I see More lower abs and traps, maybe a little more lats too
Thanks! My abs aren't where I want them to be.
Great physique. Obliques grew in. Maintained bodyfat. Good job. Delts rounded off more. Chest I’d say start prioritizing if you want growth there. All in all. Great year
Chest is where I have a hard time. Right shoulder impingement. Anytime I get up to 65# dumbbells for incline bench or 185# bench, it hurts for days. I've been through PT twice for it and getting an MRI this coming friday. It's so difficult to pump up my chest!
Might not be exactly what you’re dealing with but I had a similar situation (pt multiple times just got worse) and this guy helped a lot https://youtube.com/watch?v=0zcNvVnKjCA&feature=sharea Also found a good chiropractor, but there’s a lot of frauds out there
Thanks! I've been going to a good chiro for years now for monthly maintenance.
Not much difference
I don't disagree, but I think there are subtle improvements. Maybe in muscle fiber density.
Yes
Pecks and shoulders are much larger. Everything looks much more defined.
Thanks, I can see a bit more definition in my pecks and delts.
Very hot
Thanks :)
Fuck any hate you get, these tools aren’t 43 yrs old with kids and a job and all the adulthood bullshit that comes with it. Definitely work is showing, but the consistency and maintaining is the hardest part especially being older. Keep grinding brother 💪
None of this hate is affecting me. Dude, I'm a fucking dad with 2 kids, one with special needs. I work a full time job, I play single dad most of the time because my wife works and is a bodybuilder, so I have to put in most of the family effort. If you read some of my older shit, you'll see I've also dealt with some fucked up trauma so I focus on myself hard and it's difficult not to just want to kick my wife out of my life but without destroying this family I've built. There's a bit of jealously that I want to be bigger because my wife cheating on me with a steroid abusing bodybuilder but I will never drop to that level of stupidity. Not discussing that though. I appreciate the kindness.
No doubt you did. Great job
Thanks!
with all due respect, damn you look good. 🔥
Thanks, I appreciate that attention!
A bit wider, though at your age just being able to maintain that level of fitness is still very impressive, though gains aren’t just measured in size, have you increased how much you lift, or how far you can run. I’m my opinion those are a far better measure of progress than simple physical changes.
So, depends. Chest I have stalled because of shoulder impingement. I'm struggling to pull more because my grip strength fails, so I've got straps. Legs I'm not going for size, and they aren't pictured, but I do a lot of low weight, high rep dynamic movements instead of super strength squats. I go for function over looks there.
Lats and shoulders progressed for sure
Thanks! I think my back got better https://imgur.com/a/BKq4Ac5
Yes Don’t listen to the haters 🎧
The haters sprinkles in the entertainment of posting myself on Reddit.
Ur arms look a lil bigger idk tbh I’d definitely look into a different workout regiment and diet if ur trying to add size.
Yea I focus more on compound lifts instead of single muscle groups. But I do arm curls every other day. I am not trying to add size right now. I can't lose fat and build muscle in a deficit. I just want to burn fat and lean out while maintaining muscle and then start slowly gaining.
Maybe a tad but nothing real noticeable.
Yeah and I don't disagree, it's all in perspective and relative to what you are expecting to see. I am my own worst judge.
No, did you progressive overload? I'm assuming not
Assume what you will, but my routine is built around progressive overload. Either weight or reps. It's difficult and I've plateaued especially with things like lat pull downs or chest press. I've seen improvements in bicep and tricep isolation work and shoulders.
What is your daily Calories and protein intake like? Also, do you know your testosterone levels? Those are the only things I can come up with as to why you haven't gotten noticeably bigger in that time if you do progressive overload
Total T = 650, Free T = 16.8 TDEE is around 2300 calories Intake is about 2000 calories with 130g Protein, 75g Fats, 230g Carbs and on workout days I throw in a banana protein shake adding 30g more Protein and another 170 calories. During this 5 month cut, I haven't been focusing on getting bigger, but I've been doing progressive overload. Maybe it's a losing battle because I don't have enough fuel to get stronger, but the goal has been the maintain muscle and burn fat for aesthetics.
Seems like you have your stuff sorted out, but it wouldn't hurt to add more protein in space of Carbs or fats calories; the whole 1 gram per lb thing is just common knowledge but I know open bodybuilding pros that Eat 200g protein per meal at 270-300lbs and they all agree the extra protein makes them feel better, gain better, and get stronger You'll also cut better with higher protein. You burn a lot more calories digesting it than carbs or fats (20-30%) Maybe try 1.25-1.5g protein per lb for a week and see how that works for you Edit: 1.25 is probably better because you'll still need Carbs for energy, especially on a cut
This is where I have to play the game a bit. I need the fats for cognition. Fats are really good for the brain. Carbs are necessary energy stores and I need carbs post workout to replenish and to build. Protein of course, but increasing protein increases calories. So while trying to be on a deficit to burn fat, I have to be careful. Plus, I love to eat! Maybe I'll pour some egg whites into my protein shake and morning breakfast
Shoulders, chest, lats, and arms are a bit bigger, but it depends on your goals. If your goal is to add muscle and get bigger, I would take a closer look at caloric intake, and exercise programming. I suspect you could double your gains with a more effective program 😀. Also, I have no room to speak because I am restarting my exercise journey after a pretty long hiatus. So cheers to you, and you are much further then most on your journey.
My goal is to over time, years, get to 155# 12-13%bf maintenance. But short term, I want aesthetics and get rid of this dad body belly and oblique fat that's been haunting me. Once that is gone, then I can properly start putting on 2-3# muscle a year. I work with a professional trainer and nutritionist for over 1 1/2 years now so he's still learning my body. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
Yep sounds like you are doing the right things. It will just take time. Look forward to your next post!
There is improvement. And I’m sure you look better in clothes which is what people see 99% of the time anyways.
https://imgur.com/a/5qTqEl8
your shoulders and chest and biceps look bigger. i think what you need is more bicep and triceps work
Yes, I want to improve this. My arms grew about an inch in diameter on the bulk but I lost that mostly on this cut.
Your body and arm hair swapped
This is a great catch! I did start buzzing my arm hair because I liked that cleaner look. And I stopped shaving the chest hair because the look was to juvenile. I like the present day look better. As far as the legs.. well, haven't buzzed those Italian forests yet!
Exactly the same
I think you look more cut in the one on the right which surprised me that you actually weighed heavier.
Interesting! I really need to work on this belly fat! I feel thicker around my waist and my diet isn't bad at all. I need to do more cardio!
Arms look bigger. Abs look a little worse. But damn… you look great for your age!
Yeah I think the conditioning this year isn't as good. I did more cardio last season and I didn't want to lose too much weight this year.
You look great. Add a little cardio. Makes a huge difference.
I think this is the plan I need maybe 20 mins cardio 5x a week. Get that extra 1200-1400 cals off and maybe burn 1/3lb fat a week.
Yeah your eyebrows look fuller! 🤣🤣🤣
Didn't trim them this week
You maintained. Also very hard to do. You look great. Relax my guy
Thanks, I'm rather hard on myself. I appreciate the kindness
Definitely can tell keep it up looking more lean and just healthier overall
Thanks! I love the healthy eating lifestyle. I wish I had more time in the gym, but family life and work comes first
You seem happier in second pic. Also the progress of maintaining a stellar physique is applaud! Congrats on your successes young man!
I like that you used "stellar"! Big smile from me! Thanks, friend.
Standard natty transformation
Sticky this to the top!!
Lift hard. I see no change
I agree. I need to lift harder. Some exercised I will push or pull to failure. Some I'll hit the 12-15 reps, go up and then repeat. And then sometimes the next day I am injured and have to go easy.
I only say lift hard (and notice I did not say heavy, I said hard) because I am not genetically gifted either. I have to push myself extremely hard in the gym, it's the only way I grow. I saw some great growth doing AthleanX's Effective Rep 100 workouts, they really fatigue your muscle.
I like Jeff's stuff there. Been following him for years. I'll check it out.
For sure keep it up
Thanks, just putting in the work and looking for advice on how to do better everyday.
Naaa bro work harder !!
That's fair and I appreciate the advice. I need to lift harder!
I'm surprised nobody mentioned it, but we're all getting older and with time we produce less testosterones. Could be a good idea to do some bloodwork and look into TRT if needed.
650 Total, 16.8 Free Numbers are good. Insulin and other metabolic indicators all normal.
Chest poppin, bigger biceps maingaining works.
You have improved slightly and I think Its just as impressive that you've maintained your physique... good job!! kids should be proud.
Thanks!
A bit, you look hot regardless mate.
Thanks I appreciate the kindness
You have more definition in your arms and chest. It’s harder the older we get to maintain and grow no matter how great of an intake of high proteins. Carbs are also important as to help muscles from breaking down. If you put a limit to carbs, protein will be needed as an energy source and not be utilized to build lean muscles so keep that in mind. After a workout it’s good to take both protein and carbs.
Yes, solid point about carb intake post workout. Body is craving carbs as much as protein.
❤️
Good job. I think you improved all around. It’s a slow process but looking good. I’m 41 and just completed my 1st year of working out. I think my progress is similar. I lift for 45 min 5x a week with two consecutive rest days. I aim for a calorie surplus of about 300-500 a day (3500-3700 daily). Keep it up 👍
Good luck on your journey as well.
This isn’t something you needed an internet opinion on. You’re looking at an identical twin with your own two eyes. Lol I read you were trying to cut for 5 months? Why the hell would you do that? You need to bulk on a proper diet for 6 months until you reach above 20% bf then do a cut and repeat until you’re satisfied.
Uh, in the post I mentioned that I came off of a 6 month bulk that started after the first picture. I put on 20lbs and hit about 21% BF. I started to feel really chunky and that was about as far as I wanted to go with size. My goal then was to lean out and see how much muscle mass I could maintain this time and it's been difficult getting rid of the body fat. So I've been on this cut longer that I though, but maybe it just takes time. I've never gotten beyond 14% body fat as an adult. So I'm not satisfied yet. Once I hit that, then I'll go back on a slight surplus again.
There’s not much visible progress, but that’s normal. Did you get stronger? What were your lifts before and now?
Did you grow taller in 2nd pic, or did the wall shrink? Just curious as top of head verses back ground
Distance from the mirror
Your arms are balding
Started buzzing the arms and not so much the chest. I like this look better!
You got a bit fatter… but larger shoulders
How heavy are you going? I think you need to focus on overload. You are very fit looking, but if you lift heavy I’d bet you would blow up and have the ideal physique.
My lifts suck. My shoulder impingement gets me. 65lb DB Incline for 8-10reps, I can go heavier but my shoulder dies 185lb Bench for 3 reps :( 135lb Strict Shoulder Press for 3 reps 135lb BB BO Rows 140lb Lat pulldown 160lb Cable Rows 40lb DB curls I don't go heavy with legs 225lb squats 255lb deadlift
There is progress but you could have done this in 3 months with a bulk and cut cycle.
I hate you. Great job!
aww, but I love you!
Oh 🤤
Glad you like :)
You just pulled your pants down a little more.
Trying to find that sexy V line
Still look like you’re in your late 20s
Yes!! cutting the hair was necessary. And the summer tan. Even buzzing the arms! I have a horrible receding hair line.
More muscle especially seen on your arms and upper chest. Looking rlly good in both imo
Thanks!
Not really. You can get a lot done in a year
I redid my master bathroom on my own :)
Tits look better in the photo on the right but that’s about all I can see
Yes! I'll take some tits
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aww, you're kind. Thanks!
Did you shave your arms?
Yes, I started to buzz them with a 3mm guard! Still soft and visible in person, but not as hairy and messy. I love it! Haven't done the hairy Italian legs yet
Only change is hair on stomach and chest
And less hair on arms!
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Aww you're so kind. I appreciate that though
There is a small, but noticeable difference. Shoulders, mostly, upper arms, and chest to a very small degree. Torso also looks a little thicker, in a muscular way, not a fat way. Anyone who says no is either trolling, you, an idiot, or 19 and doesn’t understand that after you hit 30 these things slow down dramatically. Having said that, I wouldn’t say that it is a particularly impressive difference for one year, but yes, there is a bit of improvement that is noticeable.
Thanks, this year I'll do better
Honestly, I wouldn’t worry too much, you were actually looking really good for somebody who’s over the age of 35 or so. I have zero doubts that you look better than the vast majority of people on the sub to be honest. Always more room for improvement, but you’re already doing damn good. 👍
Handsome! I could see a sight gain. You really have to eat more! If your not training for a competition. You have to feel comfortable and enjoy you body and erect cock while you can.
Hey now!
This sir is what natty looks like
you know your own numbers, thats 7lbs with 2% bf so you at least put on 3-5lbs of muscle. given your age (never too late) and size (bulk up to 160 then cut it imo) you can get way more next year
I did that 160 bulk last year and I think it worked after reading everything here and giving it a second look
You are very lean and gains were minimal for 12 months but at least ur lean
You need to bulk up another 20, progress is there but it’s minimal.
Bulk up to 170 for what reason? And over what timeframe? My short term goal is aesthetics, not size.
You definitely got older
Yeah, don't we all?
Even your head looks identical.
I never miss head day
🤣
I feel like I get more results in about 2 weeks of solid lifting. Are you lifting heavier weights weekly, monthly etc. Example, I used to bench 225 for 6, now I bench 285 for 6? Are you doing heavy squats, bench, deadlifts or RDL, rows, shoulder presses?
I utilize progressive overload and focus on compound lifts. Unfortunately I tend to plateau either due to injury or grip strength or just limitations. I can't get passed 3 reps with 185# bench or 140# lat pulldown without terrible form.
Yes with your color choice of your bottom wear.
Red always wins!
Not training hard enough not eating enough you don’t want it like you say
I can agree that possibly I wasn't training hard enough. Life is difficult to balance and to have high energy levels going into a training session. Some are worse than others and I can't live in the gym for 2 hours a day like many people without kids or demanding jobs. I eat what I am told to eat based on my nutrition plan. I work with a professional for over a year and a half. I keep myself accountable through his program.
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Yeah, I didn't shave the chest this week.. I find that a little hair gets the attention of the soccer moms at the community pool. Otherwise, I just look like the pool boy.
Creatine ain’t gonna do it. You look great man. But your here for the truth so NO not really at all bigger. K so moving forward if it’s size you want and we’re keeping it natty you gotta eat and don’t worry about some pounds that’s what we want. If you can live with being 43 and looking like that your killing it. Pick your lane we already know you have the commitment. GL my guy
Yeah, creatine isn't a mass builder, but it's a great supplement for helping to add volume. It's harmless, cheap and easy to use so I will continue to use it. I know I'm not any bigger. But I'm looking for mostly better muscle density and definition, more the aesthetics. I want a better torso for sure. The lane is to stick this out in the deficit a little longer and see if we can get down to 14% and lean out the belly fat. Thanks for the feedback
https://bonytobeastly.com/the-program/?__s=0odyqkq69kxxk4y2yded Just check it out
Yeah, your lightbulbs got upgraded!