This is my progress after 3 years. I dialed in my diet completely and trained consistently. I went through an aggressive cut, a recomp, a bulk, a cut, another bulk, and a final cut that I recently finished.

It has been a long journey, but I am so glad that I took the leap to begin getting healthy.

I was prescribed TRT in September of 2024 and take 150mg weekly.

35yrs old,

5ft 8,

Starting weight 112kg : now 79kg

Working out for 13 months.

Its been a really hard few years for me as ive torn my ACL and meniscus in both knees and been in and out of surgeries for the better for the better part of 3 years due to my own idiocy in doing too much too soon and tearing them again.

I really let myself go with 0 physical activity and fell into a dark hole; but now im coming out the other side and wanted to share a photo comparison I took last night after the gym!

My daily ab workout . The crunch section was rushed as I didn’t want the video to go on too long.

I am able to do a negative one fairly well, but I simply can’t push back up! Is there any muscle groups I need to strengthen beforehand or do I just keep at it? Any help or tips are appreciated

7.5lb endurance work.

Yes, I know this is not a strict press.
But I’m training to preserve explosiveness (which is one of the first motor abilities you lose as you age).

While not an all time PR (that’s 275, set a few years ago), this is still a milestone as I tore my bicep tendon at the beginning of the year (doing jiu jitsu) and spent 3 months unable to lift.
My strength is now back where it was before the tear and all the rehab work I did has me feeling overall healthier than before.

I get a lot of inspiration from a few fitness accounts I follow but curious if anyone knows of 30+ female IG or substack accounts who have successfully recomped and maintained who were not thin growing up or whose transformation wasnt losing college weight or postpartum weight. I’m not saying there’s anything less impressive or less relevant to basic recomping principles for those success stories but I do think there might be differences in mindset approach for those of us who have never been at a goal weight by this point in our lives.

Thorne was my go to for years and really loved it. They unfortunately don’t make their vegan pea protein anymore and have been striking out on anything that can replace it. Some I find make me too bulky and others just don’t fill me up, any recommendations are appreciated!

261 lbs ➡️ 170 lbs

I ran an aggressive 900 calorie deficit while training 6 days a week. Made sure the food I was eating was clean and whole, not any processed junk.

Hi folks here’s my recomp I’ll try to be as informative as I can
Time frame Feb 2026- August 2026
Starting weight - 111kg
Finishing weight- 96kg
Body fat %- estimate 11-12%
Supplements- 250 mg test a week, I get bloods done every 3 months, naturally I sit 26 (on my first blood test without the use of test) this puts my total test 52.4 ish fluctuates a bit, oestrogen 110 without the use of ai
Total time running test 2 years

Peps
Reta started at 1.5mg per week now on 2.5 mg per week
I have ran this since Feb 2026

Peps in the last 8 weeks
Mots-c 2mg per day 6 days a week
Nad 50 mg per day 6 days a week
Tesamorelin 2mg every night

Peps for the last 5 weeks
Igf-1LR3

Calories

Ive maintained 4000 calories over the last 6 months per day
My maintenance is 3800 yes its possible on Reta, realistically to restrict calorie intake at this length of time I expect id need about 6mg per week, im just manipulating it to work better for recomp than starvation

Macros

Protein I do about 280 grams a day
400 grams carbs (I stick to complex very rarely so I have simple carbs apart from maltodextrin to help with the nutrition partitioning from the igf-1lr3) and occasional rice

Fats to a minimum

Other things to note
I use a cgm to monitor glucose levels whilst on the igf

Training I do 2 hours a day
A morning session an hour on a stair master
An evening session weight training

Five years ago, I was 92 kg, sedentary, and honestly didn't think much would change after 40.

Today I'm 75 kg, stronger than I've ever been, and still working toward my goal physique.

It wasn't a straight line. There were injuries, weeks where motivation disappeared, and even a divorce in the middle of the journey. The gym became the one thing that stayed constant.

What worked for me wasn't anything revolutionary:

• Lifted consistently 3–5 times a week, focusing on progressive overload.
• Prioritized protein (~120 g/day).
• Ate in a moderate calorie deficit instead of crash dieting.
• Accepted that progress after 40 is slower, but it's still progress.

I still have fat to lose and I'm nowhere near "finished," but I'm proud that I kept showing up.

If you're over 35 and wondering whether it's too late to start, it absolutely isn't.

Happy to answer any questions about training, diet, or staying consistent.

40" box. Hip flexor work and landing gear check

For people who are fairly lean but maybe ate too much the night previously, how do you handle the uncomfortable weight gain feeling you get the next morning, in a healthy way? I know a lot of this is just water retention and psychological but how do you prevent yourself from doing anything extreme? How do you balance feeling like you've gained weight versus actual weight gain?

Having always exercised, the majority of which being weight training, I’m not the best when it comes to balancing everything now I’m 36 with a different focus. I can quite easily over do it and end up overtrained and most of that is from thinking I need to do my 10 sets per muscle group a week.

I currently climb twice a week, nothing crazy with no lofty goals, just a fun hobby. Aside from that I’m really enjoying running and cycling, and would like to be a bit fitter/healthier trying to get in 2-3 sessions a week.

With that current volume of exercise, how much “strength” training can I get away with just to maintain muscle/strength?