Hey everyone, figured I’d finally introduce myself. I’ve been lurking around here for about a month and learning a lot already.

I’m 40 years old and started my fitness journey about a year and a half ago. My whole life I’ve been the “skinny guy.” I was always active and into running, so I considered myself fit, but I never really had an interest in lifting weights. That changed in the summer of 2024 when I finally decided to take the plunge and start weight training.

The first couple of months were rough, to be honest. I was still learning the basics and didn’t really know what I was doing. I started watching videos, reading, and doing a lot of research on proper training and nutrition. When I started lifting, I weighed around 157 lbs and decided to commit to a bulk. By the summer of 2025, I was up to 201 lbs.

Despite being consistent with my training and mostly consistent with my diet (I’d say about 85% on point), I always felt a bit off and low on energy. Something just didn’t feel right. That led me to get my labs checked, and my total testosterone came back at 245 with free T at 48. My doctor started me on TRT at 160 mg per week, and honestly, it made a world of difference.

My energy levels, gym performance, and overall recovery improved significantly, and I finally started seeing the kind of progress that felt like it matched the work I was putting in. Looking forward to continuing to learn from everyone here and contributing where I can

Before and after photos. First photo of skinny me was June 2024 and beside it is current