24M/2m(6'6") from 69kg(152lbs) to 80kg(176lbs) in 2 years

[u/Jake_310]

I started working out 2 years ago because I was getting too weak for my liking (my trigger was that I couldnt do a pullup anymore which is something I was able to do all my life because I was always very light). The first year I didn't adjust my diet at all except for adding protein shakes and creatine. I stayed mostly consistent until I took a break for about 2 months because of sickness, military and holidays at the end of 2023. As a new years resolution 2024 I decided that I would track my calories and while I didn't stick with it I did it for about 2 weeks which gave me a rough idea about how much calories I was consuming. After that I just started eating more, aiming for roughly 3000 calories. I still eat whatever floats my boat so I can't list a diet plan but I try to eat protein rich food like chicken, eggs, cheese more often. The main thing I changed is eating breakfast everyday (either a banana shake with a weight gainer powder, yogurt with oats or soaked oats) aswell as increasing portion size so I eat more than my body tells me to eat. Needless to say in 2024 I gained about 10kg while in 2023 I was mostly stagnant. My workout routine started off with mostly calisthenics with a focus on pullups because I set a muscle up as my goal (I am still not there yet because I don't have a suitable bar to practice the technique because the ones I have access to are too low for my height) After a couple of months I also started going to the gym and since then I am doing a push/pull/legs split so I go to the gym 3 times a week. The exercises aren't anything special I just try to train safe and do proper ROM. Pictures taken on March 2023, August 2023, May 2024, December 2024

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[u/CockVersion10]

Dude you can get huge. Your frame is big. I understand it's hard, but you can. I'm in the same boat.

[u/Jake_310 → u/CockVersion10]

Thanks bro. We're all gonna make it brah

[u/Flarrow2012 → u/Jake_310]

People don't understand that it's not just a matter of height, you can only improve what you have, you can't give yourself someone else's genetics. I started at 138 lbs at 6'4", bulked up to a lean 195 lbs but it took me many years. I see guys who are 18 who start at 195 lbs lean (still 6'4"), who bulk up to 220 lbs in 2 years, that's because their frame is bigger.

Height does not determine frame size, height has nothing to do with it. People think, oh you're 6'6 so you should be as big as hockey players of that height at the very least, but the truth is those people have good genetics for being big, their frame is huge, but your frame is probably smaller, like mine. Still, training will always make you look better but you won't be "huge" if you started very small. If you train for 10 years consistently and do things right and sacrifice social outings and other hobbies for gains, then maybe you could become like Natural Hypertrophy on youtube, but is it really worth dedicating 10 years of your life to the gym just to have that look? In my opinion, it's really not, hence why a lot of people quit. It's not that it's hard but it gets repetitive and boring.

I mean when I play guitar, I can switch to a different song if I get bored, or just learn techniques, but when you lift weights, all you can really do is repeat your workouts and remain consistent, and it's so discouraging to just be going through those motions working hard and having to wait years to see decent results. People quit not because it's hard but because the time and resources invested is so huge compared to what you get past a certain point. Everyone should gain their first 20-35 lbs of muscle, which is what I did, but going beyond that, it's a huge grind, and it's not really worth it unless you're really passionate about that over everything else and willing to sacrifice your social life and other hobbies/goals for the sake of your gains.

Another thing I realized over the years is women didn't care about my muscles that much, I mean I lost muscle, and they were still complimenting me. You get to a point eventually, where you get complimented even though you look at yourself in the mirror and you're not even that big. Women's standard for a man being muscular is so low, it's basically Brad Pitt in Fight Club, while for guys the goal is to look like Kratos from God of War, or maybe the bodybuilder Steve Reeves but it's really not necessary.

Your progress is very good for the timeframe, for many women this is considered muscular. It's around the level I'm at after having lost muscle from being sick and not training for like 2 months, but I've been training for way longer and went on multiple bulks and cuts.

[u/Jake_310 → u/Flarrow2012]

Thanks for typing this out (and ending on a compliment ^^).
I definitely don't have the prime genetics for getting huge and I wont sacrifice more of my free time/social life for working out so ill have to be content with not having the peak physique. However I am happy with where I am at now and im still making progress so we will see how far I can take it. Maybe there will be another post in 2 years but I am well aware that there are diminishing returns so I might just switch to maintenance mode at some point.

[u/djbluntz69]

You look awesome! Great job dude

[u/Jake_310 → u/djbluntz69]

Thanks for the motivation bro

[u/thatmanbarneysimpson]

Man I feel I'm 6'2 and already find it hard to put on mass keep grinding tho brah.

[u/Sea-Championship1798]

Damn man! Great progress.. these posts are what motivate me because i am kinda as your first pic now

[u/Jake_310 → u/[deleted]]

I am lowkey kinda scared to go on an agressive bulk. Not sure why. Maybe im worried that i send my body some wrong signals because so far it takes very little effort to stay lean but once my body starts storing fat it might be hard to reverse. This is based on nothing and purely a result of my imagination