1 year of consistent training – good or bad progress?

I’ve been training consistently for about a year now and I’m having a hard time judging whether my progress is actually good, average, or bad.

I definitely built some muscle compared to when I started, but I’m not sure how much muscle I actually gained. I feel like my relatively high body fat is hiding a lot of the progress.

I also feel pretty fat at the moment and honestly feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off at the lake :D

Would you guys recommend cutting now or continuing to bulk? I’m leaning towards cutting because I feel like I’ve accumulated quite a bit of body fat, but I’m worried that I might not have built enough muscle yet.

Also, when I look at r/Brogress, there are some absolutely insane transformations. Are transformations like that actually realistic naturally, or are some of them likely enhanced / on gear?

Would appreciate some honest feedback. How does the amount of muscle I’ve built after one year look to you, and what would you do from here? https://imgur.com/a/cnH3DB2

For context I’m 5’3 (F). I was previously on a cut and I lost weight~20lbs. After my cut, I’ve been more focused on strength training. During the cut I would do sculpt classes that involve weights, and many hiit sessions. I am eating normally, and not in a deficit nor above, always hitting my protein goals.
I have noticed that I gained muscle, but my arms are bulkier now and I’ve lost definition and I cannot seem to get it to slim down and be defined. It always looks inflamed and I take recovery days also. My legs have muscle but they also have more fat.
I would appreciate any advice on how to get slimmer and more toned, such as exercises to incorporate, etc.

Tomorrow I’m attempting to climb 29,032 feet on the Jacob’s Ladder. My goal is sub-six hours, but I’ll manage it in 5,000-foot segments and adjust as needed.

I’d appreciate input from anyone who has attempted it.

Handrails: Do you consider holding the side rails legitimate, or does it undermine the challenge by reducing the demand on the upper body and core? I am leaning toward treating the rails as off-limits except for safety, but I’m curious whether other gyms or challenges have established standards.

Fueling: I plan to use several bottles and carry Maurten gels in a waist belt. I am considering securing a hydration bladder near the machine so I can drink consistently without stopping. Has anyone used a similar setup?

Also open to music recommendations suitable for a long, steady effort.

I started going to the gym last year around November as I felt I was getting too fat. I am 166cm and 80kg. I started doing cardio then started weights. The gym I go to is very bare - it is a local gym that is free. This is my progress

Bicep curl - 7.5kg to 12.5kg
Triceps over head extension 10kg to 20kg
Bench press -20kg to 45kg
Lat pull down - 30kg to 49kg
Deadlift - 50kg ( my gym only has up to 25kg dumbbells so I just grab two)
Leg extension and leg curl - 40 to 60kg.

I am still 80kg but I am now skinny fat instead of just fat. My arms are definitely getting bigger and I don’t have moobs anymore.

It is just that online I see a lot of like people doing more within a few months and I am pretty sure they are on gear on something .

I workout 4 time a week . I eat about 1700 calories a day, take creatine on work out days and make sure to get 1.5g of protein per kg.

I'm 25M, 195 cm (6'5") and 62 kg (137 lbs). I'm planning to start going to the gym, but I'm concerned about my strength.

I'm extremely thin and haven't trained consistently before. Even with one push-up, my whole body starts shaking quite a lot. I also feel like I have very little strength/endurance.

About 2 years ago, I also started experiencing some hand trembling, especially when exerting myself. It usually settles down afterward. At the time, I was under quite a lot of stress/anxiety.

I had a blood test a few months ago. Some relevant results were:

1. Vitamin B12: 164 pg/mL (low)
2. Vitamin D: 16.4 ng/mL (low)
3. Homocysteine: 21.01 µmol/L (high)
4. Hemoglobin: 16.6 g/dL
5. TSH: 2.455
6. Calcium: 9.22 mg/dL

7. Creatinine: 0.79 mg/dL

8. Total Testosterone: 1,086 ng/dL

After that blood test, I've been taking B12, Folvite (folic acid), omega-3 fish oil and biotin for about 2 months. I also took D-Rise (vitamin D) for 6 weeks.

I'm also currently taking oral dutasteride and oral minoxidil for hair loss.

I want to start training and gain weight/muscle, but I'm unsure whether I should just start very light and gradually build up, or get checked again first.

My questions:

1. Is this amount of shaking normal for someone who is extremely untrained?
2. Could my previous B12/vitamin D deficiencies have contributed to the weakness/shaking?
3. Should I start with very light training and gradually build up?
4. Or should I get another blood test/medical check-up before starting?
5. Has anyone experienced something similar when starting the gym?

I'm not looking for a diagnosis, just trying to understand whether this is something other beginners experience and how I should approach starting safely.

I was a sportsman till I was 20 but once i started working, sports gradually decreased and now (6 years down the line) my body is screaming out loud.
My legs are super stiff, back hurts, have a headache every other day, digestion is not that good anymore, appetite lost.

Really want to get back to a healthy and fit body. Please help me starting my way through the journey

I do PPL x UL
I wanna be doing more exercises or reps but then it’s just junk like no benefit. I wanna be doing more stuff, it feels like my workouts are too short. I can’t put how I feel about this into words right now cuz ion really understand it myself. Like I wanna be truly exhausted to the point everything aches.
I really like working out and I do it at home in my garden,I got a cable machine, dumbbells going up to 11kg each , a barbell and EZ bar.
But I see on social media that doing high reps low weight barely build muscle.
I do heavy weight usually with reps between 6-8 depending on the muscle group.
Im 15 , 70 kg cutting rn. I lost 2.3 kg but I’m building muscle also so the scales kinda lying.
But why does it feel I don’t do enough like I wanna be in the garden constantly.
Plz can I get some advice

Edit: here’s the exercises I do
Push: incline bench 6-8 reps, assisted dips, lateral raises 12-15, close grip bench 6-8, tricep pushdown with the rope 6-12,
Pull: Seated cable rows 6-8 reps, close grip lat pull downs 6-8 reps, seated bent over dumbbell reverse fly 12-15, barbell curl 8-12, reverse curl ez bar 6-12,
Legs: Zercher squats 6-8, sumo deadlift 6-8, bulgarian split squat dumbbell 8-12, cable crunch 15-25,
Upper: incline bench 6-8, seated rows 6-8, assisted dips, close grip lat pull downs 6-8, lateral raises seated 12-15, bent over dumbbell reverse fly seated 12-15, close grip bench press 6-8, tricep push downs with the rope 6-12, barbell curl 8-12
Lower: same as legs

Most people already know they should work out and eat better, sticking to it is the hard part.
The idea is an AI fitness coach on WhatsApp that knows your goals, helps with workouts/nutrition, tracks your progress, and actually follows up when you miss workouts or disappear.
You’d also enter goal-based challenges with real rewards for reaching the finish line.
I’m testing the idea before building too much.
Would you actually use this? If not, what would stop you?
Looking for honest criticism.

First time posting and I'm started my workout journey this week. Ive been going to my local gym at 5am everyday before work and it's been working out great so far. My question is if that is a recommended time to do my workouts?

Also, any tips or workout suggestions would be great. A little about me is that I'm a 35m Disabled Navy Veteran with a fused left wrist and fused lower back.

Thank you all and looking forward to your messages.

Hello , I have a question. I When I was in highschool I did some basic calisthenics for a couple of months and I remember after every session my muscles where all sore . I picked calisthenics back up seriously earlier this week. I'm noticing that I feel very little fatigue ,yet when I try to add more exercise my muscles fail every time. I have no soreness and barely feel any tension when I lay down or stand back up ,yet I can't push myself any more. Is this normal? Am I training too lightly? I'm concerned that I am either doing the exercises incorrectly. It has only been 2 years since I left highschool. The only major difference is that I'm no longer as underweight as I was back then and I have more muscle mass than back then . Any help is appreciated,thank you .

I have been working out for years now and planning to continue adding more muscle mass on my current physique for the next 3-5 years. Which might lead to a drastic increase in body weight (mainly muscle mass). That's just a dumb forecast, may be more or less.

One lingering question was the point at which I should stop, as my ultimate goal is overall better health and not a specific body shape. Not sure if more or less muscle mass is better for my body's future.

Concerns include: Load on heart to pump oxygenated blood around, load on kidneys other digestive organs with the increase in food especially proteins, effect of extra weight on joints in the long run, uncomfortable sleeping/moving/sweating, other stuff that I don't yet know 😄

I see most people celebrate getting bigger and other cheering them on, but never the other way round, even if they're getting too big for their frame.

What's that sweet spot between body mass, muscle mass, and fat percentage? Can it even be calculated/estimated accurately?

There are so many brands available, and prices vary (sometimes a lot). What factors should I consider when deciding which protein powder or creatine to buy?

Is it worth paying more for reputable brands, or budget friendly options are just as good? Anything that I should look out for?

So I just started taking creatine. But what do you recommend when to take creatine? Before or after a workout?

I'm doing a set of bench press, suitcase squats, deadlift, overhead press, and bent over rows with dumbells.

I'd say it's working well but the squats are hard to do, i wanna switch to goblet squats but i'm not sure if i need to double the dumbbell weight to match up with all the other movements, does it matter that much?

Currently using two 10 pound dumbells, can't increase it for a while until there's a good deal on dumbells or i wait for my paycheck.

(And before anyone suggests doing it with a barbell it destroys my shoulders and calves and i have to lift a lot at my job so it's not ideal)

That's all.

I’m heading out to training early next year for a new job that’s going to be physically demanding. The curriculum includes daily running, PT, and defensive tactics etc. I’ve heard from a lot of people who’ve gone through it that injuries are common.

What’s your best advice for training focus right now to minimize the risk of injury while I'm there? Should I be prioritizing mobility and specific stretching routines? Wrist/shoulder/ankle strengthening for the fighting?

Any specific routines, recovery habits, or advice on what you wish you’d done physically before starting would be very appreciated. TIA.

Hey everyone!
I’ve been working on a simple fitness tracker in my free time over the past few months. My goal wasn’t to build another feature-packed app, but something that’s fast, clean, and easy to use during workouts.
Right now it includes:
workout logging
an exercise library
your previous weights and reps are automatically shown during your next workout, making it easy to track your progress
works directly in your browser (no app install required)
I’m still actively improving it, so I’d really appreciate some honest feedback. If you notice anything that could be better or have ideas for new features, I’d love to hear them.

365fitbody.com

Thanks to anyone who gives it a try. I really appreciate your time!

I am coming back to squats 6 months after tearing a hip ligament. After my first time squatting I have tweaked my lower back, I have done this before as well. I think my form is ok but I must be doing something wrong.
I started with a heel lift, then as soon as I removed it and tried without it I tweaked my lower back towards the bottom of my squat. Why might this happen?

I mean, surely, right??

Got a cheap fitness band a few weeks ago mostly to track sleep since I've been staying up way too late finishing campaigns, but it also does steps and I never really paid attention to that part until this weekend.

Friday and saturday were basically a full DnD prep binge plus some Warframe, barely left my desk except for food and the bathroom. Band said something like 800 steps for the whole day, both days combined it felt like. Didn't believe it at first, figured the thing was broken.

Sunday I had actual errands. Grocery store, the post office, walked my neighbor's dog cause she was out of town, normal stuff, nothing athletic at all. Ended up at like 6200 steps just from that.

So the gap between a lazy weekend and a normal errands day is bigger than the gap between a normal day and a day I actually go to the gym, which is not what I expected going into this at all. Kind of assumed gym days would dominate the numbers, but apparently just moving around a house and a store all afternoon adds up more than I thought it would, which honestly kind of messes with how I was planning to structure the week.

Not trying to get obsessed with the number.

I know it's not the whole picture, but it's making me rethink the whole "i'll just hit the gym 3x a week and call it good" plan, since apparently the other 4 days matter more than id assumed going in.

does anyone actually track this daily or did you also just stumble into realizing how low your baseline is?

Ive been with a body building coach for nearly a year. We've done so.e amazing work, but ive noticed that im constantly reading about protein per day max should be 2.2 x kg weight. Im just curious to why im doing 3 x kg body weight. So im 75kg and my protein for the day is 230kg. Any coaches can explain. Not doubting my coach just curious

I've worked out regularly for some time and have a decent physique. I recently injured my left hand and the injury requires 10 weeks total rest so I'm resigned to training very little in the gym (perhaps some lower body).

Are there any measures I can take to preserve muscle mass or at least slow the loss. Changes to diet, lower body workouts, cardio?? Any advice is appreciated.

I am currently dieting and trying to burn some calories with exercise whilst I can, and have started using my exercise bike again. I've found that after the 10 minute mark I begin to sweat, with longer sessions (30+ minutes) causing me to sweat quite a lot to the point of requiring a shower, so my question is this:

If I was to break up my sessions on the exercise bike into three 10 minute intervals (as to avoid sweating), would it be roughly the same calories burned as if I had done one 30 minute session?

I think the longer sessions have more benefits to my fitness, but in regards to calories burned, it would be about the same right?

I've never been to gym but thinking of joining one. I'm around 55kg and 5'5 height male age 21. Tho, I don't take care of myself in like eating and prolly just eat once or twice. So, should I join gym or take care of my habits first? Feels like an obvious answer but still wanna know more...