A 30-year-old Redditor transformed his body to such an extent that he looks like a different man, but to anyone looking to get swole — this path is not an easy one.
We just love body transformations here at DMARGE. There’s nothing better than seeing blokes who’ve been struggling with their weight and finding a way to turn it all around. In an effort to share the secrets behind their fitness success so that others can kickstart their own journies, we share some of our favourite stories.
This thirty-year-old Redditor — who posted progress pictures to the site’s dedicated subreddit under the username minisculemeatman — revealed an incredible transformation. We use those words often, perhaps even too often, but this fella genuinely looks like a different person. Gaining 11 lbs, he’s totally recomposed his body and rehabilitated his image with it. However, his story does reveal a hard truth about piling on the muscle that many may find a bitter pill to swallow…
Get Bulky
While he may have partaken in a short and sharp cut at some point during his journey, this bloke’s “before” picture shows that he was already pretty lean before he embarked on his fitness journey. As such, the man’s transformation — which he claims is totally natural, not involving any steroids or growth hormones — hinged on a process known as “bulking.”
Bulking entails increasing caloric intake while combining it with intensive weight training to increase muscle mass and strength. To safely and effectively bulk, men should aim to consume a maximum of 20% more calories than their body needs per day, which equates to around 2,750 calories for the “average” man – we strongly recommend using a calorific calculator to tailor this number to your needs…
Do not, however, eat 20% extra calories of just anything to hand. Eating cleanly is crucial so you can control the levels of nutrients, salts, fats, and sugars that go into your body. Broadly speaking, aim for your diet to consist of 30-35% protein, 45-60% carbs, and 15-30% fats.
It’s crucial to avoid dirty bulking, which can lead to significant side effects such as unwanted fat gain and, along with it, high cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Proper muscle growth should be a gradual process that takes time.
To bulk safely, lean individuals should aim to gain 0.5-1lbs per week, while heavier individuals should aim to gain 1-2lbs per week. Tracking your calories and macros is the easiest way to keep yourself in check and reach your goals.
Hard Truths
Naturally, the poster will also have combined this hard work in the kitchen with equally hard and, crucially, consistent work in the gym. We won’t go into too much detail about that just now, but we’ve got a tonne of workout content should you need advice in that regard. The hard truth we’re taking about here is actually all about timeframes…
This transformation took a massive 5 years to complete. Most people don’t realise that building muscle (without the help of steroids or ‘Vitamin T’) takes a hell of a long time and the commitment levels to match. At best, you can be hoping for a couple of pounds of lean muscle mass gained a month, and this will often plateau after the first few months that you start taking your nutrition seriously.
Of course, we don’t mean to put anyone off making the hugely positive changes that can result from hitting the gym and tightening things up in the kitchen… we just want you to understand that a transformation this total takes time. Patience is a virtue, but the long-term discipline is what marks the men from the boys.