+ 9 Stages in Life
What's up brothers! How have your goals in this world changed as you've gone through life?
I was a pretty regular gym bro from my early my 20s til about 32. My only goal during that time frame was to be strong as fuck. I didn't give a shit about being lean, or having abs, or seeing veins. Didn't really care about my weight as long as I kept under 280. I just wanted to be one of the strongest guys in the gym, and I was for a while during my late 20s-32.
At 32 two things happened that shifted me to a different stage in life. First one was I royaly fucked my lower back deadlifting. All I could do was lay on my floor for a week, and it was months before my lower back felt anything close to what I would consider normal. Then about two months after fucking my back up, our first kid was born. Those of you that have kids know exactly what its like trying to refigure life out, especially after the first one.
From 32 to 36 life kept lifing, more responsibilities at work, kid #2 came along, more extracurriculars. During this time I tried to get back to working out, but I could never seem to find my groove or stay consistent for more than a month or two.
Finally in early 2025 I bit the bullet and spent the cash on a nice garage set up, and after trying a few different routines came to the realization that waking my ass up at 4am to get it in before the fam woke up was the only way I could stay consistent.
Started 2025 at 310, hit my goal weight of 230 in February this year, and have been holding steady there ever since. I was in a calorie deficit for a whole fucking year, so after I took the time to figure out what my true maintenance calories were and going from 1800 calories a day to 3300 a day my strength and muscle gain went through the fucking roof. This is also the lightest I've been in my life as an adult. I graduated high-school at 290, and never got below 260 even when I was lifting back in the day.
The plan as it stands right now is to just keep doing what I'm doing until my progress slows. I track my lifts and progression religiously, so when the log book stops moving I want to take an honest to god shot at getting lean for the first time in my life.
I'm nowhere NEAR as strong as I used to be, and honesty probably never will be. Even being enhanced now, I was completely natural until May of last year, I was living a different life back then. I'm ok with that, even though I'm not as strong, I am absolutely healthier overall.
Anyway, this rambled on way longer than I planned. I'm still pretty new here, but want to contribute the little bit I can. Below are some pics of my stages. I was around 31 in the gym bathroom pics, probably 270ish, and what I affectionately referred to as "retard strong" . Beach pic is from summer 2024 34/35ish, every bit of 320. And where I currently stand at 38 230lbs.
Current form built in 400mg test from some Titans of the industry and 200mg mast P from some guy probably born in '87.
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Nice work ... upper body looking sturdy.
Good for you man. You must feel great mentally about your progress.
Night and day man, my physical and mental well-being are at an all time high. Better dad, better husband, better friend, better human being lol.
It’s incredible how we improve in other areas when feel good about ourselves.
Hell yeah my boy great work ! Muscle memory is amazing
100%! I was training hard the whole time i was in a deficit, once I started eating more its like my body said "fucking finally" and literally started recomping week to week. Even though I haven't gained or lost a pound since February I've had to go down 2 pants sizes already since then.
That’s what I need to do then eat eat eat. I’m 43 and started working out for the first time at 41. I’m a Rookie but I have learned a lot from the friends I’ve made here
If you’re having the gaining, and you’re putting in the work, it’s probably a lack of food. I did this for yrs. I would increase dose but not food volume. Now I realize less is more in most cases. I’m too old to find function with a bunch of side effects lol
Respect for the self awareness here. A lot of guys never make that transition, from strong at all costs, to actually thinking long term. You went from chasing numbers to building something sustainable around family, health, and consistency. that’s the harder evolution.
Dropping from 310 to 230 while holding strength and adding muscle is no joke, especially after back issues and kids changed the whole structure of your life. The 4am training is a huge sacrifice. sometimes discipline is less about motivation and more about engineering your environment so excuses can’t win.
Also smart move figuring out your actual maintenance calories instead of staying buried in a deficit forever. A lot of people spin their wheels doing exactly that.
You’re looking thick af. Happy for you!
Appreciate it brother! Name of the game for me right now and hopefully forever is health and sustainability.
Our situations and goals are similar. I was over 300 pounds. I’m 42 now and made my life change around the same age as you. Always makes me happy to be someone putting in the work to get what they want.