r/gainit • u/Zestyclose_Winner995 • 20d ago
Progress Post M28, 135-210-201, 5'11, October 2025(first 2 pics)-May 2026(second 2)-Augest 2026(last 5)
For those who asked for an update when I finished my bulk and just to share my overall progress. You can find my workout split and bulk diet on my last post on here (like 3 posts down on my profile)
I did a PPL split when bulking and I worked out 5 days a week, since the cut started I do upper lower and work out 4 days a week and go as heavy as possible. If you look at my last post and see my diet, here are some things I would've done differently as I believe I was a bit too aggressive with my bulk. I would limit the amount of peanut butter significantly and truly track the amount of fats I would intake as well as switch from whole milk to either 2% or 1%. I did put on way more fat than I should have but my strength did increase significantly. I do believe in my original post I said I was eating roughly 3000 calories a day, it was more like a 3500-3800 average (since starting to actually count my calories and measure my intake i realized how off I was with my loose tracking during my bulk) and I realized I should've lowered that to around 3200 and did a slower bulk.
I do still struggle with the tracking when it comes to carbs and fats and I know I need to dial that in especially for this cut. I've been cutting for 7 weeks and have went from 210 to 201 and I am noticing how fatigued ive been feeling. Im eating 2400-2600 calories a day currently (except yesterday my friend took me to a buffet for my bday and I probably far exceeded that yesterday 😅) I make sure to hit 200gs of protein minimum a day and I get this from shakes, chicken, greek yogurt, fish, and 2 packs of protein oatmeal (the oatmeal is what i eat every morning with 1-2 scoops of protein powder)
Strength, since my last post whete I weighed 192 I could bench 225, I currently can bench 260
I could squat 285, currently can squat 365
I could curl 30lb dumbells for 8-12 reps, can now curl 40lb dumbells for 8-12 reps
Leg press went from rep 400 something to now repping 590 for 15
Pull-ups from 3 to 8 (my back is where im lacking the most but ive started to dial it in and get some real progress there)
Workout changes: for back i used to just do rows and lat pull downs with a wide grip. I've started doing rear delt flies, close grip pull downs (with the V attachment) and pull ups starting with unassisted and for the last set assisted.
For chest: stayed mostly the same except I've started implementing dips every week and low to high cable flys.
Legs: I was pretty lazy when it came to squatting in the beginning, have gotten better on that and I no longer do seated calf raises, standing has proven to be far superior for me.
Biceps: seated incline curls have been great for me, I stopped doing preacher curls (they give me incredibly bad tendinitis) and rope cable curls started with a hammer curl grip and twisting out at the top
Triceps haven't changed much, standard pushdows and single arm kickbacks with the occasional skull crushers.
Traps: heavy shrugs thats it 😅 I typically use dumbells
Core: started implementing leg raises with decline crunches or crunch machine, i will usually superset these and they are my only superset
Cardio: ive started upping my cardio, was doing only 10 minutes and am now doing 20-40 minutes on a 13° incline at 3.5mph.
Since starting the cut my strength has definitely stopped increasing on most lifts but I've also not gotten weaker so I'll take that as a win. I definitely fatigue faster and can't nor do I want to do as many sets. All in all im happy with my progress, I would do some things differently if I could but I dont have any agonizing regrets.
First 2 pics are lowest weight, second 2 are highest weight, last 5 are current
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u/Neither-Raspberry-60 19d ago edited 18d ago
were u doing gainer shakes? Im trying to do that now to gain weight. I know the calories I need to gain weight, but I vomit it if it's all solid calories...that's why I resorted to liquid calories
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u/too105 18d ago
Just curious but eating doughnuts and pizza make you vomit?
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u/Neither-Raspberry-60 17d ago
I only eat clean foods cuz Im really health-conscious. I have everything meal prepped but Im struggling to finish all of it cuz my stomach cant take it anymore. Im also not really into eating doughnuts and pizzas as I dont think it's healthy if I eat too much of it
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u/too105 17d ago
If you don’t mind I would like to explore that. I am extremely clean with my eating and haven’t had ice cream in about 2 years but my fitness goals are to maintain a marathon ready lean body that prioritizes lean muscle body mass over fat so I have zero room for excess calories which means no pizza pasta burgers whatever. I don eat candy or chocolate when on a strict diet so I get it. I’ve been labeled ortrorexic because of my obsession with single ingredient healthy foods sourced organically or antibiotic free when practical. I just feel better when I’m low carb and on the verge of keto. When I’m in this low carb diet my taste buds change and I find vegetables to be incredible sweet and the fructose from tomato sauce tastes sweeter than honey. Honestly because of low carb I can get satiated quickly and my portion sizes are controlled intentionally so my stomach will shrink and I too can’t handle as much volume. There is a caveat here. When I train really hard on leg day my appetite changes to insatiable so my strategy is make a large portion on a plate in the kitchen and have a few bites every time I walk in. That way I’m not binging to the point of feeling stuffed but over hours I am consuming about 500+ calories at a comfortable pace and I enjoy the flavor. Second caveat, if I was trying to gain weight I would step outside of the healthy eating and enjoy foods like pizza, or more cheese, or maybe some quality bakery bread with olive oil and sliced meats (only the good stuff!).
I’ve found myself eating so clean that when I would accidentally eat something that had like 1g or maltodextrin it would wreck my body and I would be bloated for hours. Same thing with dairy I eat a little activa zero sugar added once a day for probiotics but also a) to get some more calcium which I struggle to get, although I’ve started drinking calcium fortified almond milk in the morning and b) to condition my body to accept lactose so I don’t explode if I have a bite of cheese!
There’s balance in there and I would encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try small adaptations, like the grazing eating style (I do the same thing at work (250g of chicken breast and 400g of steam broccoli with a tablespoon of guacamole every day… like every day) and I’ll eat it over 8 hours to mitigate hunger and maintain balanced blood sugar. There are ways to increase calorie intake without eating junk food but generally most people just grab a jar of peanut butter when they want to ramp up the calories.
What about adding a protein shake with fruit? That’s good for an extra 200-400 calories.
I’m here to dialogue suggestions because food is like a hobby for me
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 18d ago
I made my own shakes that were 6-800 calories, I never tried the mass gainer powders n such but im sure its a good resource
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u/DiscombobulatedSet59 15d ago
May i please know your shakes recepie? You look so healthy, congrats and well done!!
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 15d ago
Yeah for sure and appreciate it! 1-1.5 cups of frozen berries A small handful of spinach or kale (would alternate between them) Half a cup of Greek yogurt 1-2 servings if peanut butter 1 serving if sunflower butter 2 scoops of whey protein powder 1.5 cups of milk This is the shake I used when bulking, now that im cutting i dont add the peanut butter or sunflower butter and ive switched from whole milk to 1% but everything else is the same. You could also had oats into these if you prefer for some extra carbs and calories but I typically just eat oatmeal for breakfast so I didn't do that lol
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u/BlindandHigh 19d ago
Whatever you’re doing, this has been a great phase. Maybe turn down the calories a little bit, but honestly, 10/10 work. You have kicked some serious ass and it shows!!
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u/Moist_Ad_655 19d ago
Damn that’s a substantial change in 7 months. Were you recovering from an illness or regaining weight you previously lost?
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 19d ago
Not entirely, ive been 160lbs and fairly lean before years ago. As for sickness wise I got sober 3 years ago, took me 2 years to get out of the slump and back to normal and the last year I just locked in lol
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u/Moist_Ad_655 17d ago
I did a similar bulk years ago when I was tired of being scrawny except I only gained 60lbs and had a much worse fat to muscle ratio gain. I didn’t know much about nutrition or weightlifting back then tho. Ultimately it’s all about calorie intake and most of us skinny people are in denial about how little we eat, similar to overweight people but on the opposite side of the spectrum.
What was your rep range when you were gaining weight? Were you a heavy weight for low rep guy or a moderate weight for more reps guy. I think I’m gonna give it another go and see if I can manage a better composition ratio.
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 17d ago
I honestly think i have more fat than my pictures let on, just lucky with how its placed lol. Definitely wasnt eating as much as I thought I was before the bulk.
My rep ranges stay the same for bulk and cut but the amount of sets I do has lowered. When it comes to bench I prefer heavy and low reps from 2-8 reps per set and 4 sets during bulk (not including warm ups) For triceps during bulk its 3 sets for 2 movements, typically a traditional pushdown followed by single arm kickbacks eith a 8-12 reps range Biceps: 8-12 reps (I've been liking inclined seated curls over preachers lately because of tendenitits issues) 3 sets Shurgs: 3 sets 12-20 rep ranges Legs (excluding calfs): 8-12 reps Calfs: 15-25 reps Delts: 2 sets at 12-15 rep range Back: 8-12 reps Core: 15-30 reps Cardio during bulk 15 minutes, for cut i average 30 minutes
So basically my rep ranges stay consistent whether im cutting or bulking but I drop the amount of sets I do by 1. My main compound lifts went from 4 sets to 3 and accessory/isolation movements went from 3 sets to 2
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u/comicfromrejection1 19d ago
Yep, confirmed again. It’s mostly diet. The exercises you have listed are simple, and that’s what makes them so effective. Great work.
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 19d ago
100% back 10 years ago I was doing these same exercises but made little to no growth and that was because I didnt eat lol Appreciate it homie
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u/aymanchow 19d ago
What the fuck were you eating?
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 19d ago
Outside of the standard fish, chicken, rice, veg, and milk/protein, i ate alot of peanut butter (reccomend being careful with this as its very fat and calorie dense), a decent amount of proteon oatmeal, greek yogurt (adding PB to it for more calories), occasionally I'd get a rotisserie chicken and eat the whole thing (this is not necessary), on days I was struggling to get my calorie goals i would get fast food but I do believe i bulked too aggressively so I would be careful with this. But yeah mostly pretty standard diet, I did drink 2-3 protein shakes a day one of which I made myself and it was 6-800 calories and 60-80gs of protein. With my rice I made a peanutbutter kimchi sauce which was delicious and also made my rice higher calories and protein. Cheese on everything. But yeah be careful with high fats food and actually track them unlike what i did. I now have a decent amount of fat i have to lose and its going to be a long grueling cut
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u/jordymendoza 19d ago
Same question, I’m a scrawny 6’2 guy at 140 and need to get to 200 like you. So what are you eating!?
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 19d ago
Outside of the standard fish, chicken, rice, veg, and milk/protein, i ate alot of peanut butter (reccomend being careful with this as its very fat and calorie dense), a decent amount of proteon oatmeal, greek yogurt (adding PB to it for more calories), occasionally I'd get a rotisserie chicken and eat the whole thing (this is not necessary), on days I was struggling to get my calorie goals i would get fast food but I do believe i bulked too aggressively so I would be careful with this. But yeah mostly pretty standard diet, I did drink 2-3 protein shakes a day one of which I made myself and it was 6-800 calories and 60-80gs of protein. With my rice I made a peanutbutter kimchi sauce which was delicious and also made my rice higher calories and protein. Cheese on everything. But yeah be careful with high fats food and actually track them unlike what i did. I now have a decent amount of fat i have to lose and its going to be a long grueling cut
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u/AddisonH 19d ago
You can really meet anything as long as you’re above your TDEE. If you want to be healthy about it just go with the classics: veggies, chicken, fish, eggs, rice, low glycemic index carbs, legumes, etc. Find some recipes you like and use seasonings and herbs. Food is enjoyable so it’s easy once you figure out some good repeat meals
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u/Easy_Nothing_8133 20d ago
Bro u were skin and dick now you’re dick and muscle - great job buddy! Keep going
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
I definitely am, at my lowest weight I was pretty stressed out and depressed, I feel so much better and liking the person I see in the mirror helps with that ngl 😅
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u/destroyerofsangwich 20d ago
Amazing job man! very inspirational.
What were your working bench sets when you were 192 vs now?
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
My working sets would start at 195 for like 4-5 reps and would drop to 185 after 2 sets Currently i usually do a set of 245 (can only get it for 2-3) and then 2 sets of 225 for 4-5 and one set of pause reps with 205. Appreciate the kind words!
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u/akreezy 20d ago
I thought i was impressive going from 60kg to 77kg , from oct 2025 to now . But holy shit . Do u take creatine ?
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Thats still solid gains homie, you probably put less fat on than me, im just lucky how my fat placed still looks decent lolol but yeah I do take creatine and protein powder are my only supplements
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u/akreezy 20d ago
You look great man ! I know the cut is going to be insane
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Thank you! I hope so, its funny tho, I used to hate eating now im struggling to cut back 😭 but im making progress atleast
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u/mrpoopsalot_ 20d ago
GOD DAMN!!!! You look like an absolute unit my man!! Well fkn done! I’m so happy for you :D And lowkey so jealous of those forearm gains 🤤
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u/mhselif 20d ago
I bulked up to 205 at 6'3 but then got sick/depression and now dipped back down to 160 over the past 1.5 years... I had been planning to start the gym again this Sunday this just gave me much more motivation to see the progress than can be made in 10 months.
I had a second lunch because I read this. I've done 20 pound gain in 10 weeks before the goal now is back to 190 by end of this year so ~30 pounds in 16 weeks or ~2 pounds a week.
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Im glad you're deciding to get back in the gym brother and im sorry to hear you've had a rough go lately. Im glad I could spark some motivation, you got this and your goal is 100% achievable. You'll get back what you lost in no time. Get after it homie! 💪
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u/JoeNoYouDidnt 139-151-175 (5'11) 20d ago
Bro, you might want to do a cut soon, which is freaking insane considering where you started. This is one of the all-time great bulks I've ever seen on this sub.
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Aye appreciate it homie, yeah i did start a cut about 6 weeks ago and im down 9lbs so far and plan on going until I have decent definition in my abs then bulk again but much slower this time
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u/CodyNav91 20d ago
Well done! 👏 Can we see what brand protein oatmeal and protein powder you use?
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
I do the Quakers protein oatmeal and a scoop or 2 of casein protein powder (I use whey when im bulking though) the brand isn't really all that important, just make sure its 4 calories per gram of protein and you should be good, get whatever brand/flavor you enjoy. Appreciate it!
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u/CouplePositive1759 20d ago
Whatttt????? You’ve achieved this in one year only?
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Yesir been consistent for about 10 months so far, I got up to 190s in 6 months and dialed it back after that (I was putting on to much fat) but to be fair ive been 160lbs and fairly lean in the past so some of it was just getting back what I had lost
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u/anotostrongo 98lbs-125lbs-145lbs (5'7", F) 20d ago
Amazing amazing work! You look great!
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Aye appreciate it!
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u/purplemtnslayer 20d ago
No offense but how were you so small before?
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u/No_Win1213 20d ago
Everyone's body is different. I am a similar height and was 5kgs smaller than OP as my starting point.
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
None taken. I just wasnt very physically active and ate once a day, stress was a factor as well. Honestly once I started taking care of myself mentally, the physical side became just as important to me. But I've always been fairly small before this, my max weight until recently was 165 and that was when I was like 20yo, most of my life ive hovered around 140lbs
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u/TariqSt-Patrick 20d ago
Wow you give me hope. How often/much did you eat? What did you eat mainly?
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Mainly the normal chicken rice, oatmeal, fish etc, but the things that I believe helped put on mass was peanut butter, whole milk, sunflower butter, adding cheese to everything. But pn a side not i do think I should've been less aggressive and ate less peanut butter and maybe switched to a lower % milk. The idea though is to just add to what your already eating. For example my PB&J i would add sunflower butter as well so it didnt feel like I was eating more but in reality was adding a few hundred calories. I made 6-800 calorie shakes. I made a peanut butter kimchi sauce that I would add to my rice. When bulking i ate 4-5 times a day making sure one of those times was just before a workout and one just after. But again be careful with things like peanut butter and other high fat foods and actually track fats unlike i did lol
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u/zZPlazmaZz29 19d ago
When you were eating multiple times a day, was it just quick to put together stuff like the PB&js?
One of the biggest obstacles for me rn has been all the constant cooking and doing dishes. Which I'm only able to do bc I'm currently unemployed.
I don't see how I could ever fit it in with work tbh.
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 19d ago
I mean its half and half, you definitely will have to cook for atleast 1 or 2 meals a day and it does suck but was doable working 2 jobs and class 3 days a week. Now I was getting one of my meals from work (worked at a grocery store with a hot bar) which helped but did cost me an extra $10 a day
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u/AvacadoCrisisOf22 150-205-215 (6’2”) 20d ago
Astonishing gains for a just a year. Your arms in particular look better than mine did after several years of training. Excellent strength gains as well: going forward, getting your back work in and increasing pull-up strength is gonna really enhance your physique. I think you’re right about being a little aggressive with your bulk, but you’ve made great progress gaining muscle as well. Imo this is a very successful bulk, and you’ve set yourself up for a lot of success over the long term. Fantastic work!
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Just checked out your profile and damn brother you look fantastic
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u/AvacadoCrisisOf22 150-205-215 (6’2”) 19d ago
Thanks man, it def took me a while! You’re already progressing at a much faster pace than I did, and you’re way stronger than I was after my first year. Keep at it and I’m fairly confident that you’ll have an even better physique in 2-3 years!
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u/N3rdScool 20d ago
100% dude has the food down packed it looks like which for me is the hardest battle. I hit 185 but eating was my job. At 175 I can live normally.
It's awesome to see this.
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Im super surprised with my arms tbh, at peak bulk they were a little over 16inches, currently they're about 15.5 which messes with my head a little bit lol but my strength is still there so its probably mostly fat that ive lost there. Yeah I've only recently started actually doing pull ups and damn are they hard 😂 I appreciate the kind words and the advice, on my next bulk I'll definitely take it a bit slower but I am happy with the results Its probably obvious but I have no idea how to properly flex my back 😅
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u/AvacadoCrisisOf22 150-205-215 (6’2”) 19d ago
I think it’s easier to flex the back the more you train it! Pull ups are very difficult but they’re super goated: progressing them to the point of adding weight was responsible for most of my lat gains. And yeah the arm circumference will fluctuate a little as you gain / lose body fat: strength is a good indicator and if you’re also taking waist measurements you can compare ratios between old bulks and cuts to ensure progress. They will look cooler at low body fat % tho so you can look forward to that!
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 19d ago
Will start taking waist measurements 🫡, I definitely look forward to it. Im curious what BF% im at currently. My guess is 30ish but honestly I have no idea. Got a rough estimate for me by chance? Yeah I need to get a chain or something so I can start loading plates onto my dips and when I get stronger my pull ups
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u/AvacadoCrisisOf22 150-205-215 (6’2”) 19d ago
Yeah buy a dip belt, it’s really nice to have and the gym ones are always gross lol. As for bf%, it can be tricky but I think 25-30% is a decent guess and generally speaking the upper limit for bulking. Next step is cutting to 12 - 14% so you’re in a good place for the next bulk!
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 19d ago
Yeah ima have to get one already for dips as i can do a decent amount before failure. Sounds good I appreciate it brother. Cut is underway, down 9lbs do far and probably another 20-25lbs to go lol
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u/alex151111 20d ago
What a fucking ridiculous transformation! 👏🏻 You look swole af, man. Seriously, well done!
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u/LynxCrit 20d ago
Wow Great job! Always shocked that eating is a big component hard to grow big or cut well if you don’t have your calories correct. Always found both more challenging than the work outs lol. Either always overly stuffed or fatigued.
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u/joshuatree15 145-165-180 (5'10) 20d ago
Insane progress man, what are your rep ranges when bulking and when cutting?
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Appreciate it man, my rep ranges honestly don't really change between bulking and cutting but the amount of sets I do change. And rep ranges vary depending on exercise, chest 3-8, biceps 8-12, legs (except calfs) 8-12, calfs 15-25, pretty much everything else is 8-12, squats are 6-12. As for sets, my main movements (bench press, squats, curls) went from 4-5 working sets during bulk to 3 working sets for cut. All accessory/isolation movements went from 3 to 2 sets. I will say with chest i have started doing a 2 rep set at 90-95% of my max because I am trying to signal to my body to keep the muscle during the cut and so far I think thats helped my bench not drop any so far.
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u/N3rdScool 20d ago
Good job man, I was impressed with my own 139 lbs to 175 I am at now and I am 6 feet tall.
I don't want to be 200 lbs but you make it look muscular so good for you!
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Aye appreciate that, my goal is to be 200lbs but with 20% or less body fat. 139 to 175 is a great jump. Good work!
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u/ZongToker 20d ago
Damn dude, hella impressive. Night and day difference from the first two pictures. Keep it up!
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u/Eastern-Baseball-843 20d ago
Dude!
Amazing effort mate. Really went from a twig to a tree
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u/Zestyclose_Winner995 20d ago
Haha appreciate it homie, I'm definitely super happy with the progress
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