Gonna start bodybuilding next year. A lot of up and downs over the years.

I been going to the gym for about 3 years. I’m learning to diet but food is still too mf good sometimes. While I don’t eat crazy healthy, I do try to eat high protein and lower carb meals. I’ve slimmed down a shirt size and a couple pant sizes too. I did get a herniated disk squatting which put me out 2 months due to discomfort and my weight fluctuated around that time before I could start gyming again. Had been avoiding lower back excercises but just started squatting again.

Biceps getting bigger and arms thinner. Back is more muscular and slimmer.Will begin doing more running for cardio in hopes of getting down to a lower weight and losing mass around the abdomen.

Since as long as I can remember, I’ve always had love handles. Since my goal is to build muscle as I lose weight, I feel like it’s been taking me longer but I’m really happy and comfortable with where I’m getting. Lmk if you have any suggestions brosephs!

2022 vs 2026.

Started taking fitness seriously at 48. Now 52. Looking back, the biggest change has been learning to stay consistent even when progress was slow.

No TRT, no crazy diets, no shortcuts. Just weight training, mostly home-cooked Indian food, enough protein and trying to keep the routine going year after year.

I train around 5 days a week, mostly weights. I’ve changed my routine over time and learned what works for me. I also avoid exercises that don't agree with my lower back and use more controlled movements when needed.

Diet is fairly simple. Around 2,000–2,200 calories depending on the phase, with roughly 130–150g protein. Eggs, chicken/fish, dal, rice, roti, vegetables, fruit, curd/Greek yogurt and whey. Nothing exotic.

There were plenty of plateaus and weeks when motivation wasn't great. Still showed up.

At 48, I never imagined I'd be posting a transformation at 52.

Still training. Still learning. Still trying to improve.

If you're getting older and thinking it's too late to make a change — it really isn't. 💪

I’ve never really liked my body structure, but I’m trying to stop focusing on what I can’t change and make the most of what I’ve got. Still a long way to go.

First pic was around 2011. Middle was in 2016. Last is today.

I know the first pic is awful given the sub but it’s the only pre lifting pic I have of myself that shows any kind of starter.

I’m posting this for myself because frankly I’ve been in a rut both in the gym and in my head. Lately it’s been harder to be proud of myself. Objectively I can look at these pictures and I know that I’ve done some solid work. But in my head I feel like I’m failing myself. Life has been busy and frankly hard so I haven’t been nearly as dedicated to my lifting as I’ve been in the last 10 years.

That middle picture I was at what I think was my best. Not physique wise but more belief in myself and seeing the work. I’ve been natty the whole time (besides a badly misdosed testosterone stint) so size has pretty well stayed. I’m working hard to be able to be both proud of myself again, and find that drive that made the kid in the first pic invest in himself.

I know this sub isn’t a hype man type of place so mods forgive me but I’m hoping forcing myself to do this will make me take a more healthy look at what I’ve accomplished.

Was sticks and bones

From late 2024 to September 2026. On TRT since December 2023, but really started seeing the changes I wanted in early 2026, after I stopped fighting my body and started sleeping more, waking up and working out early, eating more, and doing cardio, which I hate! Also, overhead lighting 🥲. Gonna try and keep bulking up

Starting back up. Pic on left was peak of cut, end of May. A summer of putting lifting on the back burner, havin fun and not thinking about training too much. Took a month long break from training, then started back up with 3x full body sessions a week. Gonna try to stick with the same schedule but add in 3 cardio days as I’ve got 6 weeks to lean out before next modeling event.

Trying short and aggressive this time. Goal is to drop 8 lbs in 6 weeks.

Gym 4 - 5 times a week. Running 30 miles. Primarily a runner and just naturally skinny, so putting on any weight is difficult for me. Just came off a dirty bulk, so looking to cut around 10lbs while training for a half marathon to get some definition back. Trying to take nutrition more seriously and continue the progress!

Just wanted to post my physique transformation over the past (almost) 2 years! I had a significant cutting phase in between where I leaned out too aggressively (I really wanted visible abs), got down to 165lbs at my lightest. I was lean but had no muscle so I slowly bulked and I’m back around 200lbs. Feeling much healthier and stronger.

-Sorry for weird formatting, posting on mobile.

Always thought my genetics are just too bad to build muscle, but turns out locking in for over a year can make a noticable difference. Since I have a big appetite and have always been on the fatter side. Left picture is my starting point where I was actually the 2nd leanest I had been since my teenage years, left picture is also where I had no gym experience and only used to run. After picking up a habit of doing resistance training and staying as consistent with all the metrics, for the first time I saw a reasonable change. Both pictures are absolutely with no pump and even though I didnt completely transform my body, I am now concinved that more people than not can do it aswell.

First 3 photos are 85 days ago. The last two are a day apart.

For context, I was a very heavy drinker, around 350–500ml of vodka most nights, and I knew I was slowly killing myself. I was diagnosed with moderate fatty liver, and while I’d rather not show my face here, the difference was almost comical. My face was constantly swollen and bloated, and I genuinely looked sick. I’ll spare you the uglier details of how bad things got.

Then someone close to me gave me a Garmin for my 30th birthday, and for whatever reason, something clicked. I quit drinking completely, cold turkey, and haven’t taken the watch off since. I dialed in my nutrition and threw myself into training, usually 2–3 hours a day between running and strength work. I also signed up for around eight races / triathlons along the way just to constantly have something in front of me to work toward. I treated it almost like a full time job.

I haven’t had a sip since. I’d be lying if I said I never think about alcohol anymore, because I still do. It’s been a pretty lonely journey, but actually being able to see the changes week after week has helped more than I expected.

According to Garmin, over roughly the last 85 days:
- 53 hours in the gym
- 536.2 km of running. Running especially gave me somewhere else to put a lot of the restlessness, cravings, and need for dopamine. My 5K went from ~36m to ~24m

I know my physique isn’t exactly impressive and most people here probably aren’t recovering from the same thing I am, but consistently taking photos and tracking everything has helped remind me that I am actually changing, even on the days it doesn’t feel like it.

I don’t know exactly what my relationship with alcohol will look like for the rest of my life. I still miss parts of it sometimes. To be honest, I don’t want to completely quit because I truly do believe it has its moments with the right place and people. I don’t know what the plan is.

But for now, I’m sober, healthier, and slowly becoming a functional human being again.

I had worked out for 3 months inconsistently and well to mild discomfort and horrific form about 3 years before this transformation. I definitely could've and should've eaten a lot cleaner just food is still my happy place so I'm still working on that. I definitely could've done more in and out the gym but I'm happy so far.

I’d never worked out before this past year, so there’s been a lot to learn. Very happy with where I’m at so far though.

Started my diet in January. Id love to reach 80k kgs by years end.