Holy hell, that's quite a transformation. Congrats to you.

Yes, that's the biggest thing that's under-stressed about exercise: the benefits are not just physical/health related. Like you, exercise has made me far less averse to interacting with people, and resulted in me being more outgoing, more open meeting new people, and just living a better life as a result.

There's a book called Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain that relates that if exercise came in pill form, it would be plastered across the front page, hailed as the blockbuster drug of the century – purely on cognitive/psychological benefits alone. That really drove it home for me.

Don't just workout for health reasons. Workout for life reasons.

100% Being healthy is great and all, but you know what's REALLY fucking awesome? Feeling confident and not being afraid to just be a person.

I can't tell you how many times I used to sit at home alone feeling bad for myself, vs now: I don't have the same fear. It's so much healthier (mentally) to be proud of yourself and just not worry about the way you look (or feel afraid of being judged by people) constantly.

I couldn't agree more. I think if everyone just got to experience this dramatic difference, even briefly, there'd be no obesity epidemic.

I wonder if the effect is a causal relationship, or just correlated. If you are the type of person that can be disciplined to work out every week, then you may just be able to train your self confidence. It's not that working out gives you it.

Congrats, but there is no fricking way you are natty. At 235lb 15% body fat, and perhaps 5'11" - ish?

Whoever is readying this, don't think you can get that amount of muscle in a natural way so fast. Only Testosterone, trenbolone and other stuff will make you that large.

According to a simple calculator, if you cut down below 8% fat (which is pro body builder territory), you'd still be at above 205lbs, which is no way achievable with normal/simple workouts.

I don't want to chastise you, but to whoever is reading this, make sure to have realistic expectations once you get into weightlifting. Getting below 15% while body fat, while having some decent muscle definition is a goal achievable by everyone. It might take a couple of years for some, but it is realistic. Trying to looking like the models in the fitness magazines, unfortunately is not, as 99% of them take hormones and other performance enhancing drugs.

I'm 5' 11", ~230 lbs, with ~20% body fat and I work out 4x/week at moderate/high intensity and don't eat very well. I ran cross country and played varsity soccer in high school. When I graduated I was 195 lbs and 6-7% body fat. I've never taken any supplements except for the occasional protein shake.

Also, 2 years is a very long time if you consistently behave according to some goal.

In my opinion, there's no need to publicly accuse rdegges of anything but hard work and discipline.

That's easily possible all natural. I have a few friends who look like that, and these people would never experiment with testosterone, etc. I'll add that having good genetics does seem to be a strong component for how quickly one can bulk up though.

>That's easily possible all natural.

I disagree. Research has shown that it is extremely rare for natural bodybuilders to achieve an FFMI (fat-free mass index) of 28 or higher. Based on OP's stats, his FFMI is 27.94. So either OP has godly genetics rivaling those of Mr. America winners, or he is using PEDs. I have no problems with PEDs, but it is disingenuous to claim that his results are purely from diet and exercise.

So sure, OP's physique is possible to achieve naturally, but it is by no means easy (requires winning the genetic lottery).

Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/natural_bodybuilding.htm

Uh I went from 305lb to 205lb in a year and at my lowest was around 17% body fat at 205lb 6'1" -- I really think you're overthinking this, it's very possible to look what he looks like in that last photo by just being consistent and caring about what you do.

Nature's on his side too. I do believe if you are prone to gaining a lot of fat you can turn that tendency into muscle instead.

Really? I'd love to learn more.

That simply means he ate a lot of food.

Nobody is prone to it.

I agree. I explain my reasoning which is backed up by research in a separate comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12190732

Honestly, I'd extend this to any serious exercise. I'm not a big fan of weights, but I run a lot and it's profoundly changed things. All the research into +20% cognitive, getting tired a lot less, everything you've read that's been peer reviewed has proven to be true in my case.

The before and after is basically me being completely pumped and half-dead after my 8h vs. me taking a happy stroll out the office at the end of the day, going for a run and still putting in 4 more hours of whatever else I'm doing, easily. With 0 signs of burnout, when I was skirting the line for years before I started cardio.

So exercise, can't stress that one enough.

Was honestly expecting an obese -> skinnyfat runner body transformation. Pleasantly surprised. What's your diet look like nowadays and what are your lifting stats/height if you don't mind sharing? Thanks.

I just posted some diet stuff up above. But I'm 5'11". Lifting stats? Nothing terribly impressive, I'm afraid.

I don't really care about strength much, I try to focus on slow, controlled movements, and being really safe. But, with that said:

- bench: 400lbs

- squat: 315lbs for reps (been a while though, I recently hurt my back)

- deadlift: 585lbs (before I hurt my back, now I don't do them)

If you are truly natty, it would be absurd to call a 400 bench and 585 dead "not terribly impressive".

Btw, crazy gains. You look big in that second pic

Thanks ^^

Oh wow, you weren't joking. I've been lifting weights since I was a teenager. I'd only consider myself an intermediate, but pretty good on strength scales and general fitness. At 180lb and 8%-9% body fat, I was expecting to see someone well behind me in terms of physique. Not so much.

Thanks! I've still got a long way to go towards my goal, but still happy with progress! I'm about 235lbs at ~15% BF as measured by DEXA.

Holy shit, dude. Those guns!

I'm just starting the lifting thing. Not looking for the bodybuilder look, but definitely working toward being more muscular! Great job!

I know you talked mostly about fitness, but what's your diet like these days?

It's not too bad. I cook every Sunday. I eat roughly 6 -> 7 meals per day (every 2.5 hours).

My first and last meal are:

- 50g protein - 16g fats

The rest of my meals are:

- 50g protein - 16g fats - 50g carbs (rice)

That's about it! If you like chicken and rice (like I do), it isn't too bad. On Sundays, I take about 10 hours and 'carb up' as well, just eating lots of sugary low-fat foods: frozen yogurt, candy, etc. Helps keep you sane and balanced.

The 'bro science' of bodybuilding diets is that by eating small, frequent meals, you train your body to digest food faster and use it more effectively after training. It works well for me, so I've stuck with it.

Body builders look like that because they swallow a ton of protein pills and other shit that eventually take a toll in their health. I hope for your sake you're not going down that path.

There's a lot of negative stereotypes out there about bodybuilding, but it can for sure be done in a healthy way!

Protein, etc., is not bad for you: it's just food. Eating 1/2 pound of chicken breast, and drinking a hefty protein shake are roughly equivalent in terms of nutrition. There's nothing wrong (in my opinion) with maintaining a relatively high protein diet, unless you're eating far more than 2g per pound of body weight (at which point you're going to unnecessarily tax your kidneys to break it all down).

Many bodybuilders eat around 1g of protein per pound of body weight, which isn't terribly much. People like me, for instance, eat mainly 'clean' foods: chicken breast, brown rice, green veggies, etc. I get my bloodwork done every few months, and have never had any issues.

Nothing wrong with protein supplements. There are far more dangerous things body builders ingest that you would've been better mentioning.

There are many different types of steroids each with their own protocols, pros, cons, and effects. The type of 'steroid cycle' you run can range from very casual to really complex and dangerous.

You're correct that top level bodybuilders are taking a toll to their health, but running a casual cycle really isn't anything to write home about. Combined with a decent body fat percentage and a few hundred worth of Test-E, you too could look like him.

There is a world of difference between the lifestyles of top level mass monster Olympia bodybuilders and casual steroid users.

Protein pills? Seriously? There is nothing wrong with lifting weights and getting big.

But what about your calves, Degges? We all know why that photo is cut off at the knee. It's OK to feel comfortable with your calves as they are.

Nice work M. muscle :) I should probably do that too, I'm somehow staying skinny despite eating a lot but I know I'm not healthy.

You should just get started! It honestly isn't that hard. If you can write software, you can get into amazing shape =)

Wow, rdegges that's very impressive! Congrats on your transformation.

I'm curious what your routine is like. If you don't mind, could you share how many days a week you train/rest as well as how many hours on a good/average day? Thanks.

Thanks! And sure, my routine is pretty standard for a 'bodybuilding' split:

I go to the gym 4x's per week, for roughly 2 hours each.

Day 1: Back & Abs + Cardio Day 2: Chest and Traps + Cardio Day 3: Legs + Cardio Day 4: Shoulders and Arms

For cardio, I do 30 minutes of moderate intensity stuff: elliptical, bike, stairmaster, etc.

For training, I do about 6 exercises per body part, with lots of high intensity (till failure) stuff. It's hard for sure, but works well.

For sleep, I try to get 9 hours per night. This one is really important. Without sleep, the rest doesn't work so well :(

As someone who knew you somewhere in the middle, totally didn't recognize you in the first pic, and the guy in the second pic looked really familiar, then I checked the username!

Do you need special keyboards with those arms? :-)

Yves! Long time no see =) How are you doing these days? <3

Hey!

Wow, you actually look younger and way more badass. Good job.

That's impressive. Nice job.

Amazing transformation! Well done, sir!