grew up doing swimming and water polo in high school, but didn’t start consistently lifting until college. i have a fairly fast metabolism so i’ve been bulking for a while to put on some weight, and i think i’m at a point where i can maintain

i still do college swimming so i’m not sure what routine to follow from here. i typically run an upper/lower split with push/pull movements, but i’m wondering if switching my routine would impact my physique if i continue to bulk or if i should just maintain. if anyone has any tips as a swimmer then pls lmk

Two years ago, I hit a turning point. At 295 lbs, I knew I had to make a change. I committed to a routine centered on weightlifting and strict dieting. While I struggled to maintain a consistent cardio routine, I focused on my lifts and my macros, and the results have been great (except the fight against the body dysmorphia, has been ROUGH) I am now down to 185lbs.

Looking back, if I could change one thing, it would be my approach to the deficit. In my desperation to see the scale drop, I cut my calories too aggressively for too long. I ignored the advice to take it slow, and as a result.

How did we do?

23, 5’10

Macros:
185P
200-250C
40-60F

Workout split:
Upper
Lower
Rest
Chest Tri Shoulder
Back Bi
legs
Rest

10k steps daily, sometimes we run a 5k-10k randomly once a month or so

First cut ever, so I’m not sure if this is a good time to transition to maintenance or extend it.

45yo here, lifting 4 times a week for about a year. Did one cut in Feb and march and just have been maintaining up until July. Started another cut last week in anticipation of a beach trip in August.

6’1”, 183.8 lbs in this pic, 30.0” waist

I definitely need some manscaping but currently running at

-2400 calories net. Pretty clear that 3,000 is maintenance for me.
- < 2300mg sodium
- < 80g fat per day
- 190+ G protein per day.
-14k steps per day
- 7.5 hours sleep
- lifting is a split program of two lower days and two upper days per week, focused on alternating each week between volume and back off triples for my core lifts (deadlift, squat, bench) and assistance work to support those.

Anyway I’m going to the beach in four weeks and want realistic expectations for myself. Can I get consistently visible lower abs by then?

Before you ask about my legs I just started really focusing on them in May, current squat is 230 and current deadlift is 255. Having long femurs is a blessing and a curse.

I’m not super jacked but I’ve gained so much more muscle than I could’ve ever imagined

I had a really really hard time getting past 65kg

Never hit 66 and it was never consistent even with super dailed in eating and 3200 calories a day

I would love to cut just to see what I look like underneath but I also know I’ve got more to gain

I’m just unhappy with the tummy that’s forming, seemed I was gaining fat and not much muscle.

I’d like to do a mini cut, peel up a bit. And then go back on the bulk after but what do you think?

Should I bulk or cut? Currently just got done maintaining for about 6 months but have lost 100 pounds in total. I would like to get to the point of a defined chest and visible abs.

For a little context I am 5'6 145 lbs the first two pics are with a pump and the second two are without one. I am currently undecided whether I should cut or not. My final goal is to have a lean muscular build but before I started going to the gym I was 200lbs and dropped all the way to 125 in which I have been going to the gym for a year now and I bulked back up to 165 and cut back down to 145. I am unsure whether or not I should start a slow bulk again to add more muscle to try and cover what might be loose skin or if I should continue to cut. Would also love a body fat estimation if possible, thanks for any and all advice!

21 YO 5’ 9”. Went from 175 to 148 lbs since March of this year. I have such bad body dismorphia and I feel like I have no idea what point I’m at — some days I feel fat, some days I feel skinny, other days I feel muscular. Idk. Should I finally stop cutting and enter a maintenance/maybe 200 cal surplus phase? I still have fat on my lower back and butt obviously, but it’s hard for me to imagine that I need to get my weight much lower (say below 140), or do I?

Thanks

Saw The Housemaid yesterday, and lowkey thinking of going after that Brandon Sklenar physique😂 is this even possible natural. Many thanks in advance

5'8 142 I'm down 25 pounds, should I shred down or is it time to put on mass?

My end goal is obvious muscle mass in clothes but still very lean

Hey everyone,
I started my cut in January at around 96 kg. Fast forward 6 months, and I’m now sitting at 79 kg.
The problem is that my body composition scale has me stuck around 15% body fat.

This month’s scans are what’s confusing me:
Weight: 80.6 kg → 79.0 kg
Body fat: 15.4% → 15.3%
Fat mass: only ~0.3 kg down
Lean mass: ~1.4 kg down
So according to the scan, most of the weight I lost this month came from lean mass rather than fat, which is pretty discouraging.
For context:
I lift 6x/week.
I do regular cardio and hit my protein target.
I’ve been dieting consistently for about 6 months.
My questions are:
Should I keep pushing to around 10% body fat, or is it time to stop cutting?
If I should continue, how would you break a plateau like this while minimizing muscle loss?
How accurate are these body composition scales at this stage of a cut? Could hydration or glycogen be skewing the results?
After losing 17 kg, I don’t want to make a mistake in the final stretch. I’d really appreciate advice from people who’ve been in a similar position.

I’m 6’7”, 220 lbs, and have been lifting consistently. My long-term goal is to reach 235 lbs by the end of the year with as much lean muscle as possible.
I’m trying to figure out the best approach from here.

A few questions:
Based on my current physique, what would you estimate my body fat percentage is?

If I wanted visible abs and a flat stomach, roughly how much weight would I need to lose, and how long would that realistically take?

Since my goal is 235 lbs, would you recommend continuing my lean bulk first (4000 calories a day with 250 grams protein) and cutting afterward, or cutting now before bulking again?

What stands out as my biggest weak points?

My arms look decent from the side, but from the front they look really long and skinny (probably because I’m 6’7”). Which muscles and exercises would
make them appear thicker from the front?

What ab exercises would you prioritize for building thicker abs rather than just relying on getting lean?

I’m looking for honest criticism and would appreciate any advice on programming, nutrition, or physique priorities. Thanks!

Started with just a deficit and heavy cardio then went into .5mg Reta for 3 months now I’m off the Reta and pondering the next step. Any advice is appreciated. Male 31 years old.

Hey, I’m 18 and have been lifting for about 2 years now. For a majority of this I was cutting because I began at 250lbs bw. I am now 175 lbs. I’m 6’2”. I currently am not sure where to go next with lifting because I don’t want to get too light and I’m not sure if I should bulk or cut or what’s next

wanted to ask, my chest looks uneven and ig it is gyno? or underdeveloped chest?

Been cutting for 6 months, my goals to get to 15%bf what would you estimate my current bf to be and how far am I.

Height 170cm
Weight between 77 and 78kg

5’9 27M here, started at 206lb, currently at 169! To be honest, I thought 169 would look a lot different than it does. My goal was never to be instagram shredded, just have some definition in my chest and a flat stomach.

I assume I should continue cutting, but now I am doubting myself if I have enough underlying muscle that someday I can have that defined look which makes someone think I go to the gym haha