33

Male

Current weight: 60 kg

Chest press: 68 kg for 4 sets

Pec fly: 64 kg for 4 sets

Bicep curls: 27 kg for 4 sets

Angled leg press: 70 kg for 4 sets

Lat pulldown: 36 kg for 4 sets

Cable crunches: 59 kg for 4 sets

1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight

Vegetarian diet but get my protein from eggs, mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, tofu, nuts yogurt and beans.

I'm doing Calgary Barbell's 16 week program and am currently on week 14. Last night I had a nice pull with room to spare. The program calls for this single to be a RPE 8, and while I'm quite terrible with rpe, I think this was right in the wheelhouse. Not bad for just about 42!

I'm heading into nationals in a couple of weeks, which will be my second ever powerlifting meet, and I'm hoping to pull even more. I'll barely have to cut any weight given I'll compete in the 165.3 lb class, so I think this pull bodes well.

I've been dealing with a herniated disc at L4-L5 for three years that has progressively gotten worse (numbness, pins and needles, muscle atrophy) and am going in for a microdiscectomy later this month. What has also been found is an abnormality at my L5-S1 where the two discs are partially fused which I am assuming means the brunt of the mobility/stress that would be absorbed at that joint is being put on the one above, hence the herniation and risk for future herniation.

I understand that the road to recovery may be somewhat long and the way I train is going to have to change either for a while or permanently. If you're currently going through this, or you've been through this and are out on the other side, I'd love to hear about it.

Edit: I’m 43

A staple in my training and also I love how this makes me feel.

There is something powerful and raw about it.

I have been stuck at this weight and reps (50 kg or 110 pounds for 7 reps) for a very long time, progressing seems quite hard, maybe even harder than deadlift or squats.

Today I managed an extra rep, 8 reps with 0 RIR, my absolute max and this is still just 66.6% of my body weight.

My routine is :

Warm up sets :

1. Empty bar (20 kg) x 10 reps

2. 30 kg x 5 reps

3. 40 kg x 5 reps

Working sets :

1. 50 kg x 7 reps

2. 50 kg x 7 reps

3. 50 kg x 8 reps (0 RIR)

4. 40 kg x 10 reps (0 RIR)

3 minutes rest in between working set.

Some day I hope to get to my body weight or atleast 80% of my weight, maybe it would take another year or perhaps more.

I'm assuming my form is correct, brace the core, engage the glutes in a way that the rib cage stacks over the hips (glutes) and no back-arching to the very best of my ability.

I'm doing the standing barbell OHP immediately (5 minutes rest) after my weighted pull ups.

This for me is purely strength based and I don't intend to reach 10-12 reps.

My gym has only 2.5 kg (5.5 pound) plates and so progressing 5 kg or 11 pounds is out of the question, at least for me, unless I get my own 1 kg (2.2 pound) plates.

On my 2nd shoulder day, I switch this standing barbell OHP with seated incline DB press at 75-80 ° and I do them 2 sets with 27.5 kg dumbells for 8 reps each and then the 3rd set with 25 kg for 10-11 reps, each rep including the last rep with dumbell touching the shoulder and not just till the ear.

Please tell me how to progress on this.

I can do two pull ups (maybe 1.5?) with the red band which is the thinnest I have! Small win but happy about it. This video was after several chin up reps so you see me switching the hand grip. I've been doing more negatives to build strength as recommended here before. I practice pull ups specifically every other day in addition to my twice a week 30 min strength training that I do with a trainer.

Another thing which I think will drastically help is some weight loss. I don't want to be in a significant calorie deficit so trying to increase TDEE through step count instead. I am not sure how much assistance the red band is providing, I'll try without a band once I can do 12 reps.

Hi everyone,

I'm 32F and really want the challenge of build a super fit, toned body with good posture. I want it to be obvious that I work out.

I consider myself to be generally fit, in that I walk 10k steps a day, I run a 5km usually once per week and I do between 2-3 45min cardio classes a week.

That said, I don't think thats immediately very obvious by me. I would like to become leaner, stronger and more toned.

What should I consider doing? How long would it take to build this?

5’1 30yo 127lbs —> 113lbs. Any advice on growing my glutes back? They disappeared on me. 😭 I’ve been focusing mainly on my diet (high protein and fiber) and have made those lifestyle changes but I’m ready to pack on some muscle. The problem is I am very much quad dominant and they take over every leg exercise. Any tricks?

Looking for programming and nutrition advice on a specific goal.

I’m in my upper 40s and want to add noticeable size to my quads and glutes while reducing fat on my upper body (arms, shoulders, back, and midsection). Legs currently lag behind, and upper-body fat loss has been slower recently, probably because I’m down to around 20% from 38% (according to my inBody). With cutting, I’ve lost a lot of legs. They are tone, just lost size and now want it back! 😂

Current approach:
• 4–5 days/week push/pull/legs split with extra leg volume
• Main lower-body lifts: squat variations, RDLs, lunges, hip thrusts, leg press
• Progressive overload focus on legs - I push 8-12 reps and increase weight to failure each set
• Slight overall calorie deficit with high protein. I try to get at least body weight if not 150g a day

What has worked for others in a similar situation? Specifically:
• Did you need separate phases (leg-focused bulk then upper-body cut) or could both happen at once? Started doing Upper/Lower Splits last week, is that the right path?
• Recommended rep ranges, volume, or exercise selection for leg growth while staying in a deficit?
• Any adjustments to training frequency, intensity, or recovery that helped balance the two goals?

Thanks for any direct experience or programming suggestions.

Last night, while making dinner, my daughter was helping me and just blurted out “Dad, I think you’re done with your arms!” Which was nice to hear that the work is noticeable and I replied “Honey, we’re just getting started.” She quickly followed it up with “Did you see (friends dad)? He has abs.” 😒 time to get back to the gym.

45M, 6'2". I used to lift regularly and built a decent amount of strength, but I've been away from consistent training for quite a while and I'm now about 70 lb heavier than I'd like to be. I'm curious about other people who returned after a long layoff in their 40s.

How quickly did strength start coming back? Did muscle memory surprise you, or was it as slow or slower than you expected? Probably no surprise that bulking is easier than cutting for me, so I want to start easy.

So about 5 months ago, the day after a heavy ohp session, I woke up and it felt a normal doms type of feeling in the shoulder. There was also an ache on the inside of my bicep and on the outside of my forearm. It hurt to fully extend my arm behind my body (as in a y position) - I've always been okay doing shoulder dislocations with a broom stick / resistance band, however, this felt like some serious damage would be done if I did this.

I rested for about two months, only doing light band work and eventually doing bicep curls. I started voodoo flossing and after about two months could put my arm behind my head no problem. I should add that there has never been any sharp pain and I can rotate my arm in all planes and there is no pain. Tensing my bicep initially was strange as it felt like no matter how hard I tensed it would only be like 70% capacity.

I was doing 60kg ohp for around 4x4 just before this happened and am now only managing 50kg for around 5 reps. It is also 5 months since I realised this weird feeling, and although things seem to have improved, my arm still doesn't feel quite right. I saw a physio and they said it seemed like a rotator cuff strain and I've been doing the exercises. I just thought it would have cleared up by now.

Has anyone had anything similar to this?

In 2020, I weighed 115 kg. Through running and a strict diet, I eventually got down to 75 kg.

Six years later, I’m back at 87 kg. I barely go to the gym anymore and don’t run at all. Honestly, I’ve completely lost my motivation.

I’d like to get back to around 80 kg and build some muscle. How did you guys motivate yourselves to start again and stay consistent?

Started resistance training back in 2023, but the first 2 years were with resistance bands. Around June/July 2025 I bought a bench + some dumbells. Last may I added a pull up/dip station. My progress exploded since adding normal weights.

I highly HIGHLY recommend investing in equipment at home. It made all the difference for me and allowed me to stay consistent, even with a toddler running around the house. Pretty happy with my results, and I'm still progressing pretty quickly so I think there are plenty of gains left in the tank.

I feel like the sticking point, besides the fact that I went all in with the home workouts, is accepting that a shit workout is better than no workout. Yes intensity is VERY important, but sometimes the reality is that you can't deliver that intensity when your nervous system is shot because of real life demands. The intensity WILL come back when you have some more breathing room.

Weight: 97.1kg (-0.15kg this week, -2.1kg total) 🎯 76kg

📊 measly 20K steps
🏋️ 3 gym sessions
🏃 5km run

Honestly, it should have been a lot better. Portion control and healthy eating were great but I clearly didn't move much 🙈

Anyway, it's a lot easier to eat better and less now, so I'll just keep pushing forward 💪

I've been pretty slack over winter, no gym for 3 months and not getting as much sun. Currently in week 6 of a lean-up and increasing muscle for summer here. My routine at the moment:

Training 3 times per week 40min sessions - Push, Pull, Legs split.

Running 3x 5km per week and long walk on day 7.

Currently eating 1800kcals per day

11% body fat and 78kg

Big difference a bit of sun and some exercise can make

Stallone recently did a sit down interview where he admits at one point he had to have a heart valve replaced due to steroid use, but he didn't mention when it took place. Is this the first time he ever mentioned it?

I think it's good he brought up the steroid use and the dangers of it. I'm sure many people in Hollywood do it. But I think it's a major reason why people like The Rock have majorly downsized recently.

I guessing he still must be on TRT or something? Because once you use and or abuse steroids, your body then loses the ability to produce testosterone like it did before. And he still looks in great shape for an 80 year old.

I still find his characters and workouts very motivating, despite the gear use. Those 1980s workout montages were the best!

This is after a 3 week very minimal workout (due to a small injury from deadlifting) with alternative days of running and walking, today was my leg day and I decided to lower the weight by 16% from my previous best of 30 kg to 25 kg and instead increase the range of motion and knee flexion by elevating the front foot by 2.5 inches.

Before this I could do Bulgarian Split Squats with 27.5 kg in each hand for 3 sets of 12 reps and had since then moved to doing with 30 kg in each hand for 3 sets of 10 good reps.

But the demand to keep the torso upright holding a total 80% of my body weight (60 kg in dumbells total) for 3 sets of 10 reps was really tiring my stability, grip strength and control of both ascend and descend. Straps would help with regards to grip, but not with stability of the core and balance and I was worried could affect my lower back

At 40 years old now, I feel I started deadlifting quite late, and in this almost 2 years' time, I've had four minor injuries, and three of them were because of deadlifting.

Of course, my poor technique is to blame.

So I feel that, you know, the risk-to-reward ratio personally for me isn't all that great to pursue deadlifting again.

Because, after all we are working for health and fitness, and what I'm doing with my shitty form is, quite the opposite by getting injured, and so I wanted to get an opinion on my bulgarian split squat form, I don't want to be doing something that will be counterproductive, same like deadlift that will further stall my progress and cause unnecessary injuries.

My warm up :

1. 5 reps x body weight x each leg

2. 5 reps x 15 kg x each leg

3. 5 reps x 20 kg x each leg

Working sets

3 sets x 10 reps x each leg @ 25 kg with 3 minutes rest between each set, 60-75 seconds between each leg.

One year of progress.

I've been lifting for about 3 years now, running an upper/lower split 2–3x per week. This past year I stayed in a slight calorie deficit to bring my body fat down while trying to keep (and ideally build) strength.

The slow approach worked well for me. My lifts stayed solid or even went up, and I didn't feel drained.

Mostly posting this because the idea of what happened is interesting. I had a significant equipment failure during heavy pause deadlifts, and all that happened is that the weight dropped to the ground.

Lots of time I'll read rhetoric about how lifting heavy is dangerous or that the deadlift in particular is dangerous, but in my experience, it's the easiest lift to fail safely. Just let go. Or in this case, have a strap blow up. The weight falls to the ground and that's it.

Anyway, that's not to say injuries don't happen. Frankly it's quite the opposite, they're inevitable with physical activity and bad luck can happen. But if you build up and progress over time, whether that's rep work, heavy singles or both, your body adapts to that load and movement pattern. So even when unforseen things happen, it's really not the biggest deal. Don't be afraid to try!

Today I turn 50. Yesterday I decided I wanted one clean answer before I left my 40s.

I'd heard about the 12-3-30 treadmill challenge — 12% incline, 3 mph, 30 minutes — but I had never actually attempted the full challenge. I'd played once with a steeper/slower incline session, but never 12-3-30 itself.

I started the treadmill at 4% / 2.2 mph, ramped to 8% / 2.8 by about 2:30 and 10.5% / 2.8 by 3:30. At 5:00 I set it to 12% and 3.0 mph.

Then I left it there for 30 minutes.

No holding the rails. The only hand contact was briefly checking the grip HR at the start and immediately afterward. I saw roughly 106–109 before the challenge, 164–167 after, and ~140–142 after cooldown.

Total session: 40:05, 1.99 miles, ~1,110 vertical ft according to the Star Trac. Photos attached.

For context, I'm about 5'11" and ~226 lb now. At my heaviest I was over 460 lb. I spent a lot of my younger working life doing physical electrical construction and later oilfield work, but I'm not a runner and I've also spent decades inhaling things my lungs probably wouldn't have ordered for themselves.

What got me through wasn't a training program for this challenge. It was an old work mentality:

The job isn't over because it sucks. The job is over when the job is finished.

Somewhere in the last several minutes my brain stopped asking whether I wanted to continue. The setting was the setting. I could focus differently, breathe differently, distract myself, swear at the treadmill — whatever — but the demand stayed 12/3 until 30:00.

I'm not claiming this makes me some elite athlete. I just know what it meant to me to finish the full thing on my first attempt, one day before 50.

Nobody else in the gym knew anything unusual had happened.

So I'm telling people who might.

FUCK YES.

**1st contributor & I promise to provide my historical progress on demand and any future posts

I'm 50 and have been physically active since childhood. I played team sports at school, but after the age of 18, movement became more of a routine obligation in my life. I did weight training, but without any specific goal, mainly to stay in shape. My weight and height are the same as they were when I was 13 (53 kg at 1.58 m).

My body has really reshaped itself since I started working as a baker. It's physically demanding work that requires strength, balance, flexibility, stability, explosiveness, and the ability to stay on my feet for at least eight hours a day. I also use my work routine to stay in shape, bringing intention and attention to everyday movements: carrying 20 kg bags of flour, handling large batches of dough, and moving trays of dough from the lower levels to the top of a rack.

Outside the bakery, I keep moving intentionally, but without committing to any specific routine. I follow my enthusiasm. One day it's yoga, another day weight training. I dance, lift weights, jump, run. I'm curious about what else my body might be capable of that I haven't discovered yet.

I copied the movement in this video from someone I saw on Instagram. First, I successfully tried the jumps from the floor. Since I already do pistol squats, it was mostly a matter of landing firmly on my foot. It took just a few attempts to get the result you see in the video.

I've been working hard on having a balanced, athletic, capable body. I'm not too focused on a specific esthetic - I seek harmony.

That said, once I leaned out, I realized my stronger, more defined upper body kind of overshadows the hips from the front view. These pictures don't do my broad shoulders justice 😆

I'm aware that we can't change our hip structure but I assume that working on glute medius could help visually? If you agree, which exercises you think or have found to be most efficient? How often would you recommend doing them?

I've always done seated hip abductions and cable kickbacks but maybe I'm not doing them right. From the side view, I think my glutes look great in relation to my waist (I see the growth happening over the past few months), but from the front not much has been changing.

I was also thinking that working on my core a certain way could help but I already avoid heavy oblique training and I don't think I should lean out even more, that would harm the goals rather than help.

Anyway, thanks to anyone who's gonna share some advice!

Is it possible for someone with a muscular wide frame to get leaner and look more feminine? My body type is very similar to Hillary Duff and I put on muscles very easily. People ask me if I lift but I only pick up my little kids, do occasional yoga and garden. I’m currently about 10lb over my ideal weight because I’m breastfeeding but want to get in shape on the next few months and want to find the best fitness approach for me. I’m a 38yo Female, 5ft2 and 123lb

At what body fat percentage do you think recomp is no longer possible? I think I am hovering around 13% body fat and am wondering if recomp is still possible for me or should I do a proper cut or bulk. I feel like I’ve got more muscle to put on but not 100% sure with my age and genetics. I am a 42 year old male.

Progress of almost a 2 year recomp. Worked out a lot when I was younger, so muscle memory has been a significant help.

First photo pre Retatrutide and no consistent exerxise program.

Second photo is after 11 months of Retatrutide (4mg/week) and only cardio. No resistance training.

Third photo is current. 20 months of Retatrutide (now 6mg/week) and prescription TRT for last 5 months (160mg/week). Resistance and cardio 6x/ week

Lighting/flexing doesn’t hurt either 😉