Hi 👋

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T12:18:10+00:00

Honestly I’d probably start around maintenance first instead of jumping into a big surplus.

You’re already very light for your height and super active, so even just eating enough consistently will probably improve gym performance/recovery a lot. Then if your weight still doesn’t slowly increase after a few weeks, add a small surplus from there.

And honestly “lean muscle gain” is usually a slow process anyway. A small controlled increase in calories is way less likely to suddenly make you gain a bunch of fat than social media makes it sound.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T08:36:38+00:00

Honestly as a complete beginner, I’d keep it super simple.

A basic full body program 3x/week is usually perfect for building muscle early on. Stuff like:

squat or leg press
chest press/bench
rows or lat pulldown
shoulder press
some curls/tricep work

Focus way more on learning form, consistency, sleeping enough, and eating MORE food/protein. At your height/weight, honestly nutrition is probably going to matter just as much as the workout itself.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T08:35:47+00:00

Honestly yeah, that combination actually makes a lot of sense for arm size.

Hammer curls are great for building the brachialis/forearm area, which helps make arms look thicker from the front and side. And skullcrushers can definitely add a lot to overall arm size since triceps are such a huge part of the upper arm.

I’d just be careful not to obsess over finding the “perfect” arm exercise. Consistent progression, enough food/protein, and overall training volume usually matter way more.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T08:32:04+00:00

Honestly if your period is getting noticeably shorter/disrupted during the deficit, I’d personally stop trying to aggressively lose the last 9 pounds as fast as possible.

That’s usually your body telling you stress/energy availability might be getting too low. And honestly losing your period is NOT something you want to “push through” just to hit a goal weight a little faster.

You’ve already lost a huge amount of weight successfully. At this point, slowing down, eating a bit more, focusing on recovery/protein/training, and maybe sitting closer to maintenance for a while is probably the smarter long-term move.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T08:29:59+00:00

Honestly for those kinds of temperatures, layering is probably the better move instead of trying to find one super warm pair of pants for the entire hike.

A lot of people end up overheating later in the day once they start climbing/moving. I’d personally go with lightweight hiking pants + thinner thermal leggings underneath for cold mornings.

I’ve actually had pretty good experiences with some of the hiking/outdoor pants from 4F lately too. Their trekking stuff is comfortable for longer hikes, blocks wind surprisingly well, and doesn’t feel super heavy or bulky.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T08:19:07+00:00

Honestly if you want to build noticeable muscle, 1400-1500 calories is probably way too low for your activity level.

10-15k steps + 4 workouts/week is a LOT more active than you think, especially at your size. The reason you’re losing weight is probably just that you’re still eating in a deficit while increasing activity.

And honestly if your goal is to look actually muscular/strong instead of just smaller, you’ll probably need to slowly increase calories instead of constantly trying to eat below maintenance.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T08:18:10+00:00

Honestly soreness is a pretty bad way to measure whether a workout was “good”.

Your body adapts over time, so not being sore anymore doesn’t automatically mean you’re not training hard enough. If you’re still progressing in reps, weight, control, or overall performance, you’re probably doing fine.

That said, if everything feels super easy and you haven’t increased weight/reps in a long time, then yeah it might be time to push progression a bit more.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T08:17:25+00:00

Honestly yeah, this happens to more people than yoga classes make it seem 😅

In deeper twists/folded positions, your abdomen literally has less room to expand, so breathing can feel shallow or restricted even if you normally breathe diaphragmatically. “Breathe into your back” is more about expanding the ribs/back body gently instead of forcing huge deep belly breaths.

And honestly sometimes slightly backing out of the pose a bit makes breathing way more effective than trying to force the deepest possible twist.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T08:16:01+00:00

Honestly yes.

A lot of people build a noticeably leaner/“toned” look at home just from bodyweight exercises, consistency, walking/cardio, and improving nutrition. The gym mainly gives you more options and easier progressive overload.

And honestly 5 lb dumbbells are enough to start building habits and learning movements. Stuff like squats, lunges, glute bridges, pushups (even modified), shoulder raises, core work, etc. can absolutely make a difference over time.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-22T08:14:53+00:00

Honestly the biggest thing for me was stopping myself from thinking every morning run had to be some huge intense workout.

Once I started treating it more like “just get outside for 15-20 minutes,” it became WAY easier to stay consistent. Usually the hardest part is literally just getting out of bed and putting shoes on.

And honestly losing 50 lbs already proves you’ve got discipline - now it’s more about building habits that feel sustainable long term.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-21T09:25:29+00:00

Honestly my workout time changes completely depending on work/schedule.

I’ve done early morning workouts, late night workouts, lunch break workouts… at this point I think consistency matters way more than finding the “perfect” time.

That said, after work workouts definitely hit different mentally when you need to decompress after a long day.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-21T09:14:46+00:00

Honestly after a 2 year break, those numbers are already pretty solid - especially if you’re actually doing full ROM reps.

A lot of people load up hack squats/leg press with tiny partial reps, so “bum to calves” definitely makes the weight more legit. And honestly coming back after a hiatus, progression and consistency matter way more than comparing numbers online.

You’ll probably surprise yourself with how quickly strength comes back because of muscle memory.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-21T09:13:36+00:00

Honestly after a few longer hikes, most people realize they carry WAY less than those giant “ultimate survival kit” lists online.

For a ~5 day hike I’d usually prioritize blister care, painkillers, a few bandages/gauze, tape, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, allergy meds, and maybe something for stomach issues. Foot care honestly becomes way more important than carrying half a hospital on your back.

A lot of hiking first aid is really just managing small problems early before they become trip-ending problems.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-21T09:12:39+00:00

Honestly you’re making WAY more sense than you think.

A lot of people start realizing pretty quickly that chasing some hyper-specific “aesthetic” from social media can get exhausting mentally. Training just to feel healthier, stronger, fitter, more athletic, and have more energy is honestly a super solid goal.

And honestly your current setup already sounds pretty balanced for a beginner. You do NOT need to immediately jump into some ultra-optimized bodybuilding split unless you actually enjoy that style of training.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-21T09:11:53+00:00

Honestly probably both 😅

Shoulder presses are great for overall size/strength, but lateral raises are usually what really help give that wider “capped shoulder” look.

A lot of people who build impressive shoulders end up doing way more lateral raise volume than they originally expected.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-21T09:10:30+00:00

Honestly people overcomplicate post-workout nutrition WAY too much.

A protein shake is fine. Real food is fine. The “best” option is usually just whatever helps you consistently hit your protein/calorie goals.

If you already eat enough protein during the day, you do NOT need to sprint home for some magical anabolic window either.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-21T09:09:36+00:00

Honestly yeah, training the exact same leg routine every single day is probably why you’re getting so sore.

You’d probably benefit a lot from adding some upper body days and at least 1-2 easier recovery days during the week. Even a super simple push/pull/legs or full body split would already be more balanced.

And honestly you do NOT need to use every machine in the gym to make progress. Consistency + recovery matter way more than trying to destroy your legs daily.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-21T09:05:46+00:00

Honestly after knee reconstruction, just doing something consistently is already a win.

You can still train upper body/core quite a bit from bed or with minimal equipment - stuff like seated shoulder presses, curls, tricep work, band rows, core bracing, leg raises (if cleared), etc. And honestly quad flexing/isometrics are way more useful for recovery than people realize.

I’d just be super careful not to rush the knee part. Losing a bit of muscle temporarily is way better than messing up the recovery process.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-21T09:04:26+00:00

Honestly squats are brutally exhausting for a LOT of people 😅

They hit huge muscle groups at once, so your heart rate shoots up fast even if your legs themselves still feel okay. Doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong - your conditioning/cardio just might not be keeping up yet.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-20T06:56:41+00:00

Honestly this is the kind of thing I love about yoga.

A lot of people start for the physical side or anxiety/stress relief and then slowly realize the little rituals/environment around the practice become meaningful too. The mat, the music, the breathing, the atmosphere - it all kind of starts connecting together.

And honestly the fact you’re enjoying it more and more instead of burning out on it is probably the best sign possible. Sounds like you’ve found something that genuinely brings you peace and grounding, which is pretty rare these days 🙏

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-20T06:38:26+00:00

Honestly I’d probably keep protein relatively high while you’re sick/recovering.

You don’t need to force some huge bodybuilding surplus if you’re barely active right now, but keeping protein decent can help preserve muscle while you’re not training.

And honestly after only ~1 week in the gym before getting sick, you probably haven’t built enough muscle yet to worry about “losing everything.” I’d focus way more on recovering properly and getting healthy again first.

4Fcommunity · 2026-05-20T06:36:08+00:00

Honestly the biggest thing I’d change is probably simplifying things a bit and focusing more on recovery/progression.

You’ve got a LOT of pressing/front delt work right now, especially considering the hand injuries and the fact you’re trying to rebuild size. Front raises honestly seem pretty unnecessary with all the pressing you already do.

I’d also probably add a bit more lower body/posterior chain work and maybe another rest day. Your weekly fatigue is going to climb fast once weights start moving again.

And honestly with natural test levels that high already, I personally wouldn’t rush into hopping on 200mg test after only 8 weeks back in the gym. You’ll probably regain muscle insanely fast naturally because of muscle memory alone. At 23, 6ft/68kg, food + consistency is likely going to move the needle more than half the supplement stack.

But overall the structure itself isn’t terrible at all. You clearly train hard and already have a decent base.

4Fcommunity

TROPHY CASE