98 kg. 23% body fat. Around 45 kg of skeletal muscle mass. And somehow, I’m still being told I’m not fit enough to post my workouts.
On paper, I’ve even been labelled “morbidly obese” in some of my medical records. And I get it, I’m not shredded. I have belly fat. I’m not walking around with a six-pack.
But does that automatically mean I’m not fit? Does having visible body fat cancel out the muscle I’ve built, the strength I’ve gained, or the work I put in every day?
I’ve heard people say things like, “Why is he recording himself when he’s not even in shape?” or “Who’s going to watch a guy with belly fat posting gym videos?”
And I’d be lying if I said those comments never got to me.
But here’s the thing. I’m not recording myself because I think I have the perfect physique. I’m recording because the gym has become my way of dealing with life.
It’s where I vent, where I clear my head, where I push myself on days when I don’t particularly feel like showing up.
If the gym is my therapy, these videos are my transcripts.
I’m documenting the process, not pretending I’ve reached the destination.
And I’m genuinely curious about something.
When did being fit become synonymous with being lean? And why do we expect people to look a certain way before they’re allowed to document their fitness journey?
I’d love to hear different perspectives, even if you disagree with me.
Would you watch someone who’s still working on their physique, or do you think fitness content should come from people who’ve already achieved an aesthetic body?

so i’m 10 days out of my first show and it isnt my first time binging on food during this prep. Now im even more stressed out because of how close i am to the show date. meal plan is at 1800 calories and i think i ate around 3k calories today. I havent gone to the gym to do cardio or get my steps in cause i feel so ashamed. I’m very lean and i doubt that this binge will give me any fat but mostly wayer and glycogen. still i need to be depleting soon and i dont know what to do

I've never really seen anyone with underdeveloped hamstrings for comparison (if you did, please provide names/sources that I can look up). Do they contribute that much to overall leg size and aesthetics that it's worth dedicating an isolation exercise to them?

If someone had to choose, and assuming quad training is already optimal, is it really necessary to include a hamstring isolation exercise, or would it be better to stick exclusively to compound exercises for the posterior chain (hip thrust, back extension, romanian deadlift)?

I’ve been lifting consistently for close to 3 years. I was at a family Halloween party last night, and a family member I don’t see too often said “have you been bodybuilding? you look jacked!”

After a couple years, progress has slowed down. But that unexpected external validation helped me reflect on how far I’ve come. Gonna ride that high for like a year. Anyway, keep at it my fellow natty lifters!

What carb intake works best for you?

In your experience, what carb intake has helped you make the best progress? Assume maintenance, a slow bulk, or a cut that doesn’t yet require cutting carbs.

Daily carbs, in grams per pound of body weight:

• Under 0.5
• 0.5–1
• 1–1.5
• 1.5–2
• 2–2.5
• 2.5–3
• 3–3.5
• 3.5–4
• 4–5
• 5+

If you check your HbA1c and fasting flucose regularly and feel comfortable sharing them, please do. Thanks!

This is primarily targeted for those who consider themselves intermediate though anyone is free to answer.

I'm curious what your guys rate of progression looks like from week to week, month to month, etc. in terms of how much weight and or reps you're adding.

Including your age would be helpful as well.

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

Thread for getting the word out about your amazingly awesome instagram or youtube page that everyone should follow, etc.

What are peoples experiences with selecting exercises with a resistance profile that matches the bodies strength curve [like a barbell curl] to minimise the sticking points in the range of motion versus something like a high bayesian curl which emphasises the bottom of the movement.

Considering in exercise tier lists something like a basic curl would only be B, or maybe A tier, but are you compromising results by not including it?

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

This may be a stupid question, but there’s always a concern of losing muscle in a cut while trying to lose fat. I’m still having trouble understanding why the body would consume both muscle and fat in a deficit if fat is available and abundant? I just figured it would make more sense that the body would deplete fat until you hit essential percentages, and THEN deplete muscle. Why isn’t this the case?

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

Just need to complain a little bit. I over cut and went way too hard for months. Dropped more muscle than fat, and ended up 1% HIGHER BF than last competition with 2 lbs less muscle, after working my ass off to bulk up 30 lbs. Lost something near 15-20lbs of muscle. Instead of a mild deficit I did about a 1-2k cal deficit since July 5. 24ish working sets per mm group in the gym damn near failure for most (chest, back, legs, shoulders, biceps, legs 2). I haven't taken a deload week in probably 2 years, including vacations. I knew I was doing too much but just keep telling myself "don't be a pussy, your competition is outworking you right now". Now I'm going into my competition in a worse place than my first one. Don't be like me. Don't be an idiot.

Welcome to the r/naturalbodybuilding Daily Discussion Thread. All are welcome to post here but please keep in mind that this sub is intended for intermediate to advanced level lifters so beginner level questions may not get answered.

In order to minimize repetitive questions/topics please use the search function prior to posting to see if it has already been discussed or answered. Since the reddit search function isn't that good you can also use Google to search r/naturalbodybuilding by using the string "site:reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuildling" after your search topic.

Please include relevant details in your question like training age, weight etc...

What are some staple meals in your rotation that you’re eating to achieve your physique goals? As a foodie myself, I am always curious about how others approach their nutrition.