Cleared it with the mods! A thread I’ve wanted to do for years. Post your real life picture let the community help fix your looks!(completely optiona)

[Blacksheep]

BSN TRUE-MASS Weight Gainer. You and @biggoal. It's the sh it. Get to it.

Add a protein drink after each workout. Add creatine to a morning and after workout shake to load up on creatine. About a teaspoon each load.

I use these.

Bulksupplements Creatine Monohydrate Powder Micronized (1 Kilogram)

Isopure Zero Carb, Keto Friendly Protein Powder, 100% Whey Protein Isolate, Flavor: Creamy Vanilla, 3 Pounds (Packaging May Vary)

You also need a good shaker bottle. Very important!!!

BlenderBottle Classic Loop Top Shaker Bottle, 20-Ounce, Full Color Black

It seems to be good ones bro!

I just don't know if I should take those bulking supplements... As I gain fat super easy! I'm basically eating protein and good fat sources. Some fruits also. And still having some difficult into losing fat.

I think it's the base side of endomorph. But creatine I'm thinking about using it again... It was fcking amazinnnng!!! I was like a crazy monster working out haha

 

[ImTheDoubleGreatest!]

The past few weeks I've made a conscious effort to push it with weight lifting, though. I was tired of spinning my wheels on that. The results have been slow but they're happening, better than with increased cardio which I think cost me muscle mass. For me it's better/easier to add weights to the rack than to run another 10-20 minutes, if that makes sense. Better results, at least for me and I enjoy it more.

I notice this myself. I kinda stopped doing cardio lol (not on purpose, it’s just such a drag so I’ve been slacking, but also bc it’s cold af out rn) and my numbers started going up a good bit too, although I doubt all of it was just bc I stopped running lol. God is with me it seems haha.

Weightlifting is just more fun imo.

You've got that swimmer body going on.

As a former swimmer, I find this offensive.

 

[Epimanes]

What you guys think for a 41yo lol ... im 203lbs ... 6'1.5

Recently (i believe from my planks i was doing) got an umbilical hernia ffs ..so dr ordered me to stop ab excercises for now til i get that sorted (suggestions?)

I been doing shrugs, curls, 100 pushups.. bench press.. lat pull downs ... lat pull ups ... squats.. arm hammers in 3 sets of 20 . Oh and stationary bike for cardio (one bad ankle im tryin to strengthen from a serious blow out in martial arts that ended excercise for me for nearly a year). I realized 20 reps is likely too many.. so last week i upped ny weights to max 6 reps 3 sets... im in the gym i have at work 4 to 5x a week for nearly 2hrs a day now (ramped up from 3 days a week til body could take it better).. im using creatine 3x a week and now im adding in protein shakes at lunch time (maybe timing is off? Since i work out aftetlr work?)

Im tryin to cut body fat... and increase muscle at same time.. i have an awesome digital scale that shows more than just weight..

Edit to add my average Fitbit stats for a day at work too... i do a ton of walking around at my job

 

[Glassguy]

I'll play.

I am just now getting back on a hardcore fitness run. Cutting out carbs, beefing up my Vitamin D (living in the northern part of the US is a real bytch in the winter).

Current work in progress.

 

[ImTheDoubleGreatest!]

I also own my own CBD and supplement company and religiously take about 18 grams (not milligrams-grams) of Vit C a day along with 8 grams each of lysine and proline. That helps.

Hey bro I gotta ask, why so much? Vitamin C is water soluble so all the extra stuff you just piss out. And does CBD actually help recovery or is it all jsut broscience? I see it advertised at my gym all the time now so that’s why I ask.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Save your money with all the supplement nonsense. Eat food. For mass gaining just drink whole milk

 

[RickTheToad]

It seems to be good ones bro!

I just don't know if I should take those bulking supplements... As I gain fat super easy! I'm basically eating protein and good fat sources. Some fruits also. And still having some difficult into losing fat.

I think it's the base side of endomorph. But creatine I'm thinking about using it again... It was fcking amazinnnng!!! I was like a crazy monster working out haha

If you burn more than you eat, you're good. The reason why weight gainers can work is that you give your body the main tools it needs in order to transform fat into lean muscle.

Save your money with all the supplement nonsense. Eat food. For mass gaining just drink whole milk

Respectfully, I disagree.

 

[Roober]

What does everyone's diet and workout routines look like? Generally speaking

I feel like I struggle getting enough protein to bulk.

 

[RickTheToad]

What does everyone's diet and workout routines look like? Generally speaking

I feel like I struggle getting enough protein to bulk.

Need to track that sh it. I used myfitnesspal. In the winter, cardio (biking usually, sometimes jogging, but it's so f ucking boring), yoga and weight training or resistance bands. Food, I posted this awhile ago. I try to stay KETO, but I do sometimes have a slice of bread if I am having avocado or something like that in the morning. Eat clean, less processed food is better. I tend to never eat out as I do not know where the food is coming from. I do treat myself to something enjoyable once a week. Nothing crazy, but I stay within my numbers. My GF, though, she's not sticking to my workout and nutritional food guidelines.. I am not sure what to do with her.

 

[Staticus]

Just going to pass through very quickly on this due to some false information floating around. Using milk as a tool to bulk is completely unhealthy. Yes it holds a high calorie value but the amount of fats and bad cholesterol it also holds is the complete opposite of which you want during a BULK. Also, weight gainers are nothing more than a maltodextrin intense drink in which you pack carbohydrates into your body at a rapid rate. This would only be beneficial during a post or pre. There are gainers out there like Redcons MRE which is mad entirely of Whole Foods. That supplement would be good to add in as a meal. In all, track macronutrients is where you will succeed during a cut or bulk, and eating the right foods to get you to your goal is what matters. Drinking weight gainers and milk are not going to get you pleasant results you all are looking for.

 

[Staticus]

What does everyone's diet and workout routines look like? Generally speaking

I feel like I struggle getting enough protein to bulk.

Protein isn’t the only macro you need to track during a bulking process. Good clean carbohydrates are what’s going to make you bring out the full round size you’re looking for. During a bulk for myself, my carbs are up to 600-900 a day.

of course not everyone needs to eat in such a surplus. But to give an idea of what a bulk should look like. You shouldn’t be eating 180g carbs and 250g protein with a Calorie intake of 2200-2500 and expect to gain weight.

 

[RickTheToad]

Just going to pass through very quickly on this due to some false information floating around. Using milk as a tool to bulk is completely unhealthy. Yes it holds a high calorie value but the amount of fats and bad cholesterol it also holds is the complete opposite of which you want during a BULK. Also, weight gainers are nothing more than a maltodextrin intense drink in which you pack carbohydrates into your body at a rapid rate. This would only be beneficial during a post or pre. There are gainers out there like Redcons MRE which is mad entirely of Whole Foods. That supplement would be good to add in as a meal. In all, track macronutrients is where you will succeed during a cut or bulk, and eating the right foods to get you to your goal is what matters. Drinking weight gainers and milk are not going to get you pleasant results you all are looking for.

Going to have to partly disagree with you there dude. While yes, they do have maltodextrin, it really depends on the quality of the weight gainer. The one I recommended is about a 3rd. I've seen some as high as 87%. For people who are underweight, it's a great way to rev up your body weight in order to have the fat and carbs to build into muscle. For @biggoal, he's 5'7' -5'9' (depending on which post you read of his) at 122 LBS - 135 LBS (again, depending on which post you read). He needs to build weight. He should be in the 150 LBS - 160LBS. Best way for him to do that is through a high quality weight gainer. For some of the others, I do not believe they posted their numbers, so IDK. I can only speak for Mr. Goal, as he posted his numbers.

 

[Staticus]

Whole Foods over everything. He won’t see 150-160 sipping dirty weight gainers. And if he decides to use a gainer like that, he will be back on her complaining about why is core is still taking weight. Not to mention the cost for gainers at a rate he will need it to gain actual LMM he could spend way less at a grocery store getting his weekly food.

I’ll disagree on weight gainers in a whole coming from someone who gained 140-195 without gainers.

 

[lamath]

I knew your body wouldn't look that bad, no one who runs 6 miles a day has a bad looking body. You just have no muscle. Even at the weight you're at now, your body would look way better if you were doing any kind of resistance training. Weights or bodyweight. You've got that swimmer body going on. Women find out you're a runner, so they're thinking ok he's skinny but he must be ripped under his clothes... and then they find out you don't work your upper body muscles at all

You have many posts where you talk about seeing women with guys who have big upper body's, but scrawny legs. The irony is that you are the exact opposite of these guys. You run and work your legs, you have great conditioning, but you don't work out your upper body regularly

A long distance runner body is not a powerful body.
A few guy i know are runners like this and imo they look unhealthy skeletons with no muscle.
Need to either eat more or run less, you are burning too many calories, thos is also a state where injiries can happen more often because of the lack of nutriment

 

[lamath]

Still working on my mid-section. Sigh..

Looking good Rick !
Things like thos makes me want to go harder on the nutrition and work out

 

[EyeBRollin]

Just going to pass through very quickly on this due to some false information floating around. Using milk as a tool to bulk is completely unhealthy. Yes it holds a high calorie value but the amount of fats and bad cholesterol it also holds is the complete opposite of which you want during a BULK. Also, weight gainers are nothing more than a maltodextrin intense drink in which you pack carbohydrates into your body at a rapid rate. This would only be beneficial during a post or pre. There are gainers out there like Redcons MRE which is mad entirely of Whole Foods. That supplement would be good to add in as a meal. In all, track macronutrients is where you will succeed during a cut or bulk, and eating the right foods to get you to your goal is what matters. Drinking weight gainers and milk are not going to get you pleasant results you all are looking for.

Using whole milk to bulk is effective for skinny little men like biggoal. It is not a lifestyle. It is not a long term diet. Telling him to eat 6000 calories a day just isn’t going to work. Small guys have small bones and even smaller stomachs.

I’m a former skinny guy. Take the advice from me. I gained 30 lbs of muscle on food and compound lifts. No drugs, no protein shakes, no wasted money on supplements.

Big goals best path to weight gain is to eat 3 meals per day and work his way into drinking as much milk as possible. He’s going to spend his entire day eating, shvtting, and complaining trying to eat 6000 calories. It’s just not gonna happen. That’s also overkill and a lot of fvcking money in food. Milk and peanut butter are really cheap calorie sources.

Even in bulk season I barely eat 3000 calories. Still gain more size and strength every year.

 

[lamath]

Using whole milk to bulk is effective for skinny little men like biggoal. It is not a lifestyle. It is not a long term diet. Telling him to eat 6000 calories a day just isn’t going to work. Small guys have small bones and even smaller stomachs.

I’m a former skinny guy. Take the advice from me. I gained 30 lbs of muscle on food and compound lifts. No drugs, no protein shakes, no wasted money on supplements.

Big goals best path to weight gain is to eat 3 meals per day and work his way into drinking as much milk as possible. He’s going to spend his entire day eating, shvtting, and complaining trying to eat 6000 calories. It’s just not gonna happen. That’s also overkill. Even in bulk season I barely eat 3000 calories. Still gain more size and strength every year.

Body type and muscle mass does make a difference for me anything below 3000 cal was cutting, i dont think i ever got to a daily 6000 cal.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

You need *some* carbs or you'll bonk big time. Plus, eating too few carbs over time leads to a build up of ketones in your body which are toxic. The keto diet is great for short term weight loss but it's unsustainable long term. The avg diet is 200-300 carbs per day. My program for the past two years has been 100g/day. It's enough to keep up my energy but not more than I need.

A lot of it is "fake" weight loss in that much of the weight short term is simply glycogen and water leaving the muscles. Which is why your muscles feel flat and you are weaker on keto...the muscles are not volumized which is where a lot of the strength comes from.

Carbo-HYDRATE. For each part carb it requires 4 parts water to store it as glycogen. Depleting glycogen on keto leads to weight loss but its not "real". Once you eat carbs the weight comes back.

Carb cycling works just as well as keto for weight loss if not better but without the downsides.

 

[cola]

Still working on my mid-section. Sigh..

Rick I thought you were a nerdy looking dude but you aren’t, you look great!

 

[cola]

I'll play.

I am just now getting back on a hardcore fitness run. Cutting out carbs, beefing up my Vitamin D (living in the northern part of the US is a real bytch in the winter).

Current work in progress.

View attachment 3586

You look good man, you could pass for 28-30 easy. You are also one of the rare guys who look good with no beard.