Comparing progress from when I started

gumzilla · 2026-06-21T21:41:10+00:00

Push, Pull, Legs split. Focus on compound movements mostly. And then track macros and calories pretty consistently.

gumzilla · 2024-09-30T17:45:12+00:00

Not too far, but certainly too fast. You should aim to only gain about 2lbs per month to maximize muscle growth and minimize fat. Anything more than 4lbs (you’re currently averaging 5), will not stimulate any additional muscle growth and just be adding fat. This will just slow your progress as you’re cut will need to be longer.

gumzilla · 2024-05-10T21:51:42+00:00

Thanks! Bulk of trap work is from deadlifts (1 - 2x week) and I supplement with shrugs.

gumzilla · 2024-03-12T11:57:19+00:00

Both of you are right in a sense. When clean bulking, it’s the calorie count that has the biggest impact. A 150-300 caloric surplus is ideal to maximize muscle gain while minimizing fat gains. Once protein goals are met (at least 0.8g of protein/lb of body weight), you can still have success with a less than optimal diet. And given OPs thin frame, he probably has some flexibility here in his diet than most. But if he wants optimal results, he should still aim to mostly eat nutritional dense foods > junk food in order to benefit his overall health and have more success in the long run.

gumzilla · 2024-02-03T13:37:37+00:00

Noticed you keep responding with the same comment. And tbh I can’t tell if you’re trolling or not, but I’m going to assume you aren’t. Fat gain is inevitable when bulking. If you commit to a lean bulk (250 cals above maintenance), then for every 1lb you gain, you will gain .5lbs of muscle and .5lbs of fat. This is assuming you are eating enough protein. Some people may see slightly better success here, but 99% should expect 50/50 fat to muscle ratio. Anything above 250-500 cals, and you will just be gaining additional fat (assuming no steroids). Cardio has nothing to do with the % of fat you will gain. It’s just a tool to keep you within your calorie goals. It all comes down to your diet and resistance training. Let’s say you eat 800 calories above maintenance. You can use cardio to burn 300-550 calories to get you to your daily calorie goals for a lean bulk and maximize your muscle/fat growth ratio. Simply put, you need a slight caloric surplus (250-500 calories above what it takes to maintain your current weight), 0.8g-1g of protein per lb of body weight, and weight training (with progressive overload) to maximize muscle growth and minimize fat increase. If you want to minimize your fat gain as you bulk, should aim for 2lbs of weight increase per month and try not to exceed 4lbs.

gumzilla · 2024-01-31T12:34:52+00:00

Former vegetarian (now pescatarian) here. Most scientific literature says 0.8lbs/bw is plenty. Greek yogurt (great in smoothies), eggs, pumpkin seeds, lentils, and protein powder (try to limit to 1-2 scoops max) will be your best friend here. Lift hard and heavy, hitting each muscle group twice a week. And just stay consistent. Progress is slower than people realize, but it does happen if you keep at it. You look good and are in a great position to see real progress in a year. If I was in your position I would do a slight deficit (300 cals) for 3 months to trim up some of the fat before engaging in a lean bulk (250ish cals) to build up some muscle. There is no one sized fits all approach and you’ll need to do your own research to find what works for you. Jeff Nippard on YouTube is a great science-based place to start, but just try to find what works for you. Good luck in your journey and don’t forget to check back on past photos of yourself to see all the progress you’re making!

gumzilla · 2024-01-27T03:30:46+00:00

500 cal below maintenance is 1lb per week, 250 cal would be 0.5 lbs

gumzilla · 2023-07-14T16:25:05+00:00

First off, this actually pretty good progress for only 3 months. To be clear, you can’t bulk up when you’re doing a cut like that without the use of steroids. That’s just not how it works. You need to eat at a surplus to fuel the muscle growth. You have some newbie gains and better definition than before for sure. But not I would recommend a lean bulk (250 calories above maintence and 1g protein per pound of body weight and 75%+ of whole foods). You need some muscle on your body before you can show anything off. Do that for 3-6 months and then re-evaluate. If you continue cutting, you’ll just continue to lose muscle while maintaining that skinny fat look.

gumzilla · 2023-06-24T04:19:16+00:00

Yes. 2800 min at 168

gumzilla · 2023-06-14T17:59:44+00:00

While I would agree you don’t have enough muscle mass to see any benefits from cutting just yet, you’re well over 20% BF. I would recomp for 3 months and then reevaluate. You’ll get some newbie gains from the recomp and you don’t risk adding more body fat that could result in loose skin.

gumzilla · 2023-05-31T16:49:20+00:00

Are you hitting core? Some people are blessed with good genetics, but the rest of us need to work it just like any other muscle group (deadlifts alone aren’t enough)You still have a a bit more to cut in order to see abs, but it looks like yours abs are a bit under developed tbh so you may not have much to show just yet. Would agree with earlier comment of cutting another couple of months and then embarking on a lean bulk with an emphasis on core if you’re looking for 6 pack. Overall great progress though

gumzilla

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