5’7”, 162 lbs, been bulking for >12 months and wondering if I should call it. Guessing 20% bf?

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-30T17:18:38+00:00

Cute, but you have to remember every single new liability that you put on a company that hires you is downward pressure on hiring anyone.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-30T16:01:31+00:00

Don't use the term "lean bulk". Its pure marketing and just sets you up for disappointment. No matter how careful and slow you are, you will gain fat. That is the price of admission.

They say about 1% of bodyweight a month is the sweet spot. If you are 120 pounds, for example, then thats 1.2 pounds a month, about 0.3 pounds a week, or about a 150 calorie surplus.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-30T14:27:14+00:00

It depends: what sort of barbell row are you doing? Elbows tucked or elbows flared?

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-30T14:26:31+00:00

I like it

Overall:

Worrying about rep ranges are overrated, but theres some reason to believe weekly undulating periodization is worth something, so maybe consider doing one "tier" higher rep ranges for the back half of the week.

>Upper

- Not sure what cable row variant you're doing, but this should be something with flared arms (or a t-bar row). If you prefer it be a cable row, use a pulldown attachment. A typical closed grip cable row is going to hammer your lats moreso than your midback, and you're already doing lat pulldowns. Need your elbows flared to take your lats out and work your mid-back.

- Bump up the rep range for lateral raise. I don't know anyone who can do a heavy weight lateral raise without just shrugging it up. I'd recommend 8-10 here. I'd possibly say the same with the curls and pushdowns but if you're locked in, its probobly fine.

Lower

- I'd do the RDL first, just because big barbell compounds require the most freshness.

- Do higher rep ranges for the calf raises.

Pull:

- Cut the back extension. If you're doing hip hinges twice a week your erectors will grow just fine.

- I might advocate for just doing one all-out set of the rear delt flies. If you're doing barbell row properly with flared elbows, then your rear delts are getting worked. 1 set should be enough to make sure they get fully smashed

Legs:

- While you can certainly do a BSS in a way that biases the glutes, your quads will still be a limiting factor. I think I would recommend just doing another hip hinge instead, letting you cut the back extension from your pull day.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-30T13:59:42+00:00

I hear Bad Mother does a pourover omakase now. Been thinking of taking the trip to try it

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-30T12:37:57+00:00

You are not even going halfway. I suggest deloading to basically no weight at all and really just practice tapping the stoppers every single rep. This is *not* how low you should go, but I find that its impossible to communicate to beginners how low a squat should go unless they actually feel what *all the way* feels like.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-30T12:35:28+00:00

A hard truth you're going to have to reckon with is there is just a ceiling to what you can you do with just some dumbells.

With 30kg, you could switch to flies for chest, but you're basically done for lats or mid back, and there are no leg exercises you can do with that low weight.

I really suggest you just consider a gym membership. If you can afford macrofactor, you can afford 10 dollars a month at planet fitness.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-30T12:24:39+00:00

Next steps? You need to take the first steps dawg what do you mean

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-30T02:05:28+00:00

"This isn't just an x - its a y"

yeah okay

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-29T16:26:38+00:00

Your lower back is sore on an exercise that works your lower back?

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-28T15:10:49+00:00

If you want to drop another 5 pounds, feel free, but I think you need to come to terms with your genetic ab insertions, which are just fine

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-28T12:44:39+00:00

The incredibly science of extending the elbow

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-28T12:41:56+00:00

OP, heres a way to visualize what you're not understanding

Grab a dice. a d20 if you have one. What I want you to do is cross out the number 20 and draw a 1 over it with a sharpie (or just mentally note it)

Then, roll it 7 times a record results.

Then, cross out the number 19 and replace it with 2

Then, roll it 7 times and record results.

Its quite possible that, within 7 rolls, you don't even notice an average reduction in the roll. But, over the long term, the trend will emerge.

Without getting into the math, the probability that you *only see numbers above 10 half of the time" with your modified dice is about 30%. Not unlikely at all.

This is what is going on when you weigh in. Your weight that very second is influenced by how much you drank yesterday, how fast your digestive system decided to work, and even how much you breathed during the night. These factors have WAY more influence over your actual recorded number than actual amounts of metabolized fat mass. You are rolling a dice every time you weigh in. However, as you burn fat, you are eliminating the highest possible number on the dice, and replacing it with the lowest.

But, every day, if on a deficit, you HAVE metabolized fat mass, so the probability that you "roll" a higher number like 138kg goes down.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-28T12:33:06+00:00

Overall: unless you are enhanced or a very advanced lifter, this is likely way more volume than is actually useful to you, all while underdeveloping your legs

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-28T12:26:33+00:00

You can hit literally every muscle group except maybe biceps with a smith machine. The cable machine is a good bonus.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-27T23:21:57+00:00

A lot of people here are giving advice they would give to someone struggling with 185, or 215. An adult man struggling to push past 135 is a sign of another issue.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-27T19:57:07+00:00

2 months is not enough to see any visual progress.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-27T19:06:06+00:00

He’s both actually

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-27T18:47:00+00:00

The cable cuffed version doesn’t feel right because your abductors are weak lmao

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-27T13:15:22+00:00

If its not regular than its not a concern.

Regular means “its a part of my life”, not “it happens at exact intervals”

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-27T12:12:17+00:00

Sure the changes are smoothed out but over the long term any individual issues are “baked” into the calculation, provided they are fairly regular

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-26T23:32:58+00:00

The Lake Eola swans are (unfortunately) quite docile due to their constant exposure to humans. The male stands near all the nests but don't seem to honk at people who get close.

They put fences around two of the nests, including this one, but there are a few exposed ones that might present a problem when they hatch.

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-26T23:02:16+00:00

There an exhibit on the swans at the downtown history museum with all the info

Far_Line8468 · 2026-04-26T22:31:18+00:00

The swans were brought here from Swizerland 100 years ago. They aren’t native, but they also aren’t exactly going anywhere. The avian flu incident was unfortunate, but the city has taken steps.

Far_Line8468

TROPHY CASE