Fitness Photos! (1 Viewer)

[Gathomas88]

Yeah... I know, I know. As much as I hate to be one of "those guys," I think I've earned this one, damnit. :lol:

The results of almost a year and a half of working out freaking religiously, three or four days a week, with some protein supplements for good measure.



Not too bad. I've still got a ways to go (chasing the ever elusive 'six pack'), but I'm finally starting to get the mass I've always wanted nevertheless.

Feel free to post your own pics if you've got results that you're proud of.

 

[imagep]

It's sorta hard for us to tell how much progress you have made, because we never saw your "before" pict.

Two summers ago I had a three pack. Seriously, I had abs on one side, but not the other.

Abs are largely genetic, some people can have very visible abs at a fairly high BF percentage, others may never have visible abs, either because they store nearly all their fat around the tummy (they would have to get their bodyfat percentage so low that they would be ill before their abs were revealed), or because they are like my left side - their ab muscle simply doesn't "knot-up" and is smooth.

Most people don't have those genetic issues though, and will start to have visible abs at around 12% bodyfat.

Anyhow, keep working out, and there is nothing wrong with being "that guy". Most people only WISH they were that guy/gal. I started working out at age 48, two years later random people who I didn't even know started approaching me with compliments (calling me "buff" or asking "what do you do for your arms" etc). I only wish that I had started decades earlier because being awesome is, well, kinda awesome!

 

[Gathomas88]

It's sorta hard for us to tell how much progress you have made, because we never saw your "before" pict.

Two summers ago I had a three pack. Seriously, I had abs on one side, but not the other.

Abs are largely genetic, some people can have very visible abs at a fairly high BF percentage, others may never have visible abs, either because they store nearly all their fat around the tummy (they would have to get their bodyfat percentage so low that they would be ill before their abs were revealed), or because they are like my left side - their ab muscle simply doesn't "knot-up" and is smooth.

Most people don't have those genetic issues though, and will start to have visible abs at around 12% bodyfat.

Anyhow, keep working out, and there is nothing wrong with being "that guy". Most people only WISH they were that guy/gal. I started working out at age 48, two years later random people who I didn't even know started approaching me with compliments (calling me "buff" or asking "what do you do for your arms" etc). I only wish that I had started decades earlier because being awesome is, well, kinda awesome!

I'm a natural ectomorph, so, suffice to say, I trend towards a longer and lankier sort of build in general, especially when I've been doing a lot of cardio.

When I let myself go, I still don't really "bulk up," so much as I simply develop a double chin and beer gut, with skinny arms and skinny legs. I'm happy to finally be slimming up, while simultaneously bulking up in the areas I want at the same time.

In any case, thanks for the encouragement, man! I definitely plan to keep working on this for the foreseeable future.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Nice gains - all that hard work shows.

--

After all this time of hitting the gym and gaining strength left and right, I'm okay with my strength-gains but still not pleased with my weight loss (down just 6 lbs). However, looking at this old photo of me and the one I took tonight for this thread, I can see major differences. (I used to tell myself I was 'so fat' because of my love of bulky sweaters. but let's stop lying, shall we?)

It still ticks me off my losses aren't showing up on the scale (I know I know... because science, health issues, and reasons, but I still don't like it)

But for the first time I am actually seeing the changes just by looking at myself so that's a huge step up.

And to think I used to be anorexic. lol Talk about dramatic shifts. Right now, though, never been more fit or healthier in my life.


Old Me:

View attachment 67202088


Me Now:

View attachment 67202086

 

[imagep]

...I'm happy to finally be slimming up, while simultaneously bulking up in the areas I want at the same time.

When I discovered that I was diabetic (which was my motivation to start working out) I lost about 50 lbs of fat while simultaneously gaining 20 lbs or so of muscle. It took two years to do that. Some people claim that it's impossible to loose fat and gain muscle simultaneously, but they are very wrong. It's not unusual at all for people to gain muscle and loose fat at the same time, I've seen lots of people at my gym do it (at least those who don't quit trying after two weeks).

I was always the skinny kid in school. Like really skinny. Then as a middle-ager I found myself fat. So it's pretty cool when people make comments about me looking strong instead of skinny or fat, especially at age 50-something when most other people my age are rapidly declining and I'm getting stronger.

I tore my triceps loose from the bone back in Feb (non gym related injury) and had to have it surgically reattached, so I went about three months without working out. During that three months I gained fat and lost muscle at the same time. The day before I injured myself I benched 320 (once) and then benched 265 ten times, both were personal records. I just started working out again a few weeks ago and had to start all over again, but I'm making very fast gains and I think by the end of the summer the injury and my strength levels will both be fully recovered. Three weeks ago I could only bench 135 twelve times because my injured arm felt so unsteady. Last weekend I benched 165 twelve times, so that's about a ten lb per week improvement.

 

[SocialD]

Ive got a very similar physique to yours. For me though the mass is the easy part. its the ever elusive six pack you mention that is the hard part. I gain the mass easy, its just keeping off the table muscle that's the hard part

 

[SocialD]

Nice gains - all that hard work shows.

--

After all this time of hitting the gym and gaining strength left and right, I'm okay with my strength-gains but still not pleased with my weight loss (down just 6 lbs). However, looking at this old photo of me and the one I took tonight for this thread, I can see major differences. (I used to tell myself I was 'so fat' because of my love of bulky sweaters. but let's stop lying, shall we?)

It still ticks me off my losses aren't showing up on the scale (I know I know... because science, health issues, and reasons, but I still don't like it)

But for the first time I am actually seeing the changes just by looking at myself so that's a huge step up.

And to think I used to be anorexic. lol Talk about dramatic shifts. Right now, though, never been more fit or healthier in my life.


Old Me:

View attachment 67202088


Me Now:

View attachment 67202086

invalid attachment is all get.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

I'm a natural ectomorph, so, suffice to say, I trend towards a longer and lankier sort of build in general, especially when I've been doing a lot of cardio.

You don't look like an ectomorph at all to me. Your wrist size and over all bone structure is too big. You are lean but not a true ectomorph.

Now me on the otherhand...





I do have abs though.

 

[Gathomas88]

You don't look like an ectomorph at all to me. Your wrist size and over all bone structure is too big. You are lean but not a true ectomorph.

Now me on the otherhand...

View attachment 67205662

View attachment 67205664

I do have abs though.

View attachment 67205665

Ehhh... I dunno, bro. You see dem chicken legs in my photo? :lol:

I think you're just seeing that I put a lot more effort into exercise that would lead one to "bulk up," rather than cardio. All I can say for sure is that I'm long, lean, take a long time to bulk up, and no time at all to lose most of those gains when I do a lot of running. I also don't have anything remotely resembling the "muscle belly" or short torso Mesomorphs are known for, nor do I have the large build and propensity for fat which tends to go along with an Endomorph.

I might be a somewhat upscaled Ectomorph due to my training, military service, and eating habits (I'm definitely a 'meat and potatoes' kind of guy lol), but I definitely think I fall somewhere on that spectrum.

 

[Jane]

Yeah... I know, I know. As much as I hate to be one of "those guys," I think I've earned this one, damnit. :lol:

The results of almost a year and a half of working out freaking religiously, three or four days a week, with some protein supplements for good measure.

View attachment 67200432

Not too bad. I've still got a ways to go (chasing the ever elusive 'six pack'), but I'm finally starting to get the mass I've always wanted nevertheless.

Feel free to post your own pics if you've got results that you're proud of.

Hey! I want to see a little thigh or I can't judge properly.

 

[Gathomas88]

Hey! I want to see a little thigh or I can't judge properly.

Hmmm... This seems like one of those "If you show me your's, I'll show you mine" kind of situations.

Hehe. :mrgreen:

 

[Jane]

Hmmm... This seems like one of those "If you show me your's, I'll show you mine" kind of situations.

Hehe. :mrgreen:

Nah. Just playing. However, I think I do see considerable change over your PFC photo. Bulkier. Well, except for those skinny legs. Good luck in your program in the future! And yes, I know it's not luck. If only one didn't have to keep working at it constantly to maintain the musculature.

 

[Gathomas88]

Nah. Just playing. However, I think I do see considerable change over your PFC photo. Bulkier. Well, except for those skinny legs. Good luck in your program in the future! And yes, I know it's not luck. If only one didn't have to keep working at it constantly to maintain the musculature.

Thanks!

In fairness, however, the PFC photo was taken when I was 20 and just out of Basic Training. I'm 28 now (and was just recently appointed as a Warrant Officer to boot).

One would certainly hope that a guy would bulk up at least a little bit in that time frame! lol