Wtf is wrong with my body?

Soccermavrick

How do I say this. You are not alone. My upper body and legs hold very little fat, it all accumulates around my waist and handlebars, too. Now I am down nearly 50 lbs, and while it came from all over, my waist is still a problem area. Heck if I could get rid of that I think to myself some days that I would be soo set, but I am kidding myself.

Meghanebk

davidjonesbbforum wrote: »

Ready2Rock206 wrote: »

What I mean is that I feel the shape of my body is not manly.

If you are a man, and you are that shape, it is "manly." Don't let the barrage of images you see in media push you to unrealistic or unsafe expectations. Do you want to look "manly" for you or for other people? If it's for other people, that may not be the best way to start on this journey.

By all means, change your fitness and shape if you want to, just don't see it as a "failure" if you don't end up with 8% body fat and hypertrophied muscles and a 6 pack. If you lift progressively heavier weights and make some diet changes you will see results on the pounds you could lose safely. (Which is no where near 50 in my opinion).

LAWoman72

I don't know, OP, I don't know why you'd see your body as unmanly. That definitely looks like a male body to me. Just being soft doesn't mean no longer man-shaped. I think you're being pretty self-critical. I am not seeing what you're seeing.

I mean there are men who are downright obese but you can still tell they're men...right? Extra fat doesn't mean you look like a woman; a woman-shape does not equate to an overly fat shape.

People do come in all sorts of shapes, that's a given, but when I clicked the images my neocortex stupidly and reactively said, "itisadude."

davidjonesbbforum

LAWoman72 wrote: »

I don't know, OP, I don't know why you'd see your body as unmanly. That definitely looks like a male body to me. Just being soft doesn't mean no longer man-shaped. I think you're being pretty self-critical. I am not seeing what you're seeing.

I mean there are men who are downright obese but you can still tell they're men...right? Extra fat doesn't mean you look like a woman; a woman-shape does not equate to an overly fat shape.

People do come in all sorts of shapes, that's a given, but when I clicked the images my neocortex stupidly and reactively said, "itisadude."

Just the hips/love handles. I rarely see guys with them. Usually I see guys with like a beer belly but never love handles! You see how my body starts to go outwards near the hips, that is what I hate. I guess I'm just worried that I may have a hormonal issue.

LAWoman72

davidjonesbbforum wrote: »

LAWoman72 wrote: »

I don't know, OP, I don't know why you'd see your body as unmanly. That definitely looks like a male body to me. Just being soft doesn't mean no longer man-shaped. I think you're being pretty self-critical. I am not seeing what you're seeing.

I mean there are men who are downright obese but you can still tell they're men...right? Extra fat doesn't mean you look like a woman; a woman-shape does not equate to an overly fat shape.

People do come in all sorts of shapes, that's a given, but when I clicked the images my neocortex stupidly and reactively said, "itisadude."

Just the hips/love handles. I rarely see guys with them. Usually I see guys with like a beer belly but never love handles! I guess I'm just worried that I may have a hormonal issue.

You're kidding. I see loads of guys with love handles. It's very common. I even see overweight (male) children with them. In fact, as far as overweight kids go, I probably see a lot more of this on the boys than the girls. The girls seem to get a belly. Just my observations in my locale.

No, love handles are not uncommon on men who have put on a little bit of weight.

I doubt it's a hormonal issue, so to speak, but if you're really concerned you can always ask your doctor.

MegaMooseEsq

davidjonesbbforum wrote: »

LAWoman72 wrote: »

I don't know, OP, I don't know why you'd see your body as unmanly. That definitely looks like a male body to me. Just being soft doesn't mean no longer man-shaped. I think you're being pretty self-critical. I am not seeing what you're seeing.

I mean there are men who are downright obese but you can still tell they're men...right? Extra fat doesn't mean you look like a woman; a woman-shape does not equate to an overly fat shape.

People do come in all sorts of shapes, that's a given, but when I clicked the images my neocortex stupidly and reactively said, "itisadude."

Just the hips/love handles. I rarely see guys with them. Usually I see guys with like a beer belly but never love handles! You see how my body starts to go outwards near the hips, that is what I hate. I guess I'm just worried that I may have a hormonal issue.

The only person who can tell you if you have a hormonal problem is a doctor. But I will say that you might benefit from talking to a therapist as well, because you're giving off a lot of self-hate, and take it from someone who knows first-hand, hating your body is no way to live. It's trite, but you really do only get the one.

cmriverside

...and stay off Doctor Google!!

You look fine, @davidjonesbbforum

A few months of lifting some heavy stuff and putting it down, maybe a run a couple times a week and you'll be smokin'.

I don't know how old you are, but it's common to have confusing thoughts about a new "man" body if you are in your late teens/early twenties. No longer the little skinny kid, suddenly the world has changed.

You'll be fine. Get some exercise and it will drop right off.

lucerorojo

davidjonesbbforum wrote: »

LAWoman72 wrote: »

I don't know, OP, I don't know why you'd see your body as unmanly. That definitely looks like a male body to me. Just being soft doesn't mean no longer man-shaped. I think you're being pretty self-critical. I am not seeing what you're seeing.

I mean there are men who are downright obese but you can still tell they're men...right? Extra fat doesn't mean you look like a woman; a woman-shape does not equate to an overly fat shape.

People do come in all sorts of shapes, that's a given, but when I clicked the images my neocortex stupidly and reactively said, "itisadude."

Just the hips/love handles. I rarely see guys with them. Usually I see guys with like a beer belly but never love handles! You see how my body starts to go outwards near the hips, that is what I hate. I guess I'm just worried that I may have a hormonal issue.

You aren't looking hard enough! There are plenty of men with love handles. I don't see anything that looks effeminate about your photos. That's a man in them, no matter what. And you aren't even that big. From your description I was expecting something very different!

davidjonesbbforum

Thanks for the sound advice people, you have made me feel at least somewhat better about myself. I am not the strongest of guys, I had to originally start with dumbbells, but have recently purchased a power rack, barbell and weights and a bench. Is it okay to continue with just lifting the Olympic barbell or should I add weights to it ASAP? I say this because I really struggle with the overhead press and can't imagine myself doing it with weights added to the bar.

Tacklewasher

davidjonesbbforum wrote: »

Thanks for the sound advice people, you have made me feel at least somewhat better about myself. I am not the strongest of guys, I had to originally start with dumbbells, but have recently purchased a power rack, barbell and weights and a bench. Is it okay to continue with just lifting the Olympic barbell or should I add weights to it ASAP? I say this because I really struggle with the overhead press and can't imagine myself doing it with weights added to the bar.

If you have the time, read through this thread

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

It's long but there is a lot of good info in it and will give you a better idea of what you need to do. You can also ask for specifics in that thread.

Something I need to do

Maxxitt

pmm3437 wrote: »

All I see in the pictures is extra body weight and low lean muscle mass.

Its not abnormal to carry extra body weight predominantly in the lower torso ... its actually pretty common. This "pot belly" or apple shape is due primarily to a build up of visceral fat.

Mid 20's ( guestimate since not provided ) male @ 5'10" healthy range is considered to be 129-174 lbs. @ 189 lbs, that would put you at ~ 15lbs over the range max, around 26-28% BMI. Normal is considered to be between 18.5-24.9%. Depending on body composition, you could probably safely lose the 40 lbs your looking to. Id be less concerned about exactly how much to lose, and more concerned about getting back into your healthy range.

You would probably be best served ( and get the quickest initial results ) from eating at a deficit, with good protein levels and a full body strength training routine, to preserve as much muscle as possible while you drop back into your healthy range. It is possible to gain some mass while in a deficit, for those that are untrained or after a long hiatus. You are right that to add significant mass you'll likely need to be on a surplus.

^^^This. The only thing I would add to the above is that the deficit should be small-ish so that you can support a good training regimen, something like 3 x week full body strength training, active recovery days (ones in which you are moving around, not laying around), and mild level of cardio to build cardiovascular health -

crackpotbaby

Can’t really see what you’re talking about from the pic, but sometimes hormonal or chromosomal abnormalities can store weight in the hips/lower body area and other areas atypical for male fat distribution.

As I said, from what I saw in your pic there’s certainly no, ‘wtf!’.

If you are worried that your body fat distribution is unuasal though, talk to your doctor about it.

jemhh

davidjonesbbforum wrote: »

Okay it's OT but is it normal that as a guy I can't do more than one pull up or five push ups? I can lift heavy weight but can't do 10 push ups? When I try to, my whole body kind of trembles/shakes and I just fail lol.

If you haven't been training to do those things, yes it is normal. It's like anything in life. You need to practice in order to improve. There are definitely form tweaks that make a world of difference with pull ups and pushups but practice in general is what you need.

sgtx81

Weight training and a little cardio. Ride a bike and work on your abs and you'll probably be good in a month or two.

keishin129

I would recommend connecting with a Pilates studio/certified instructor in your area as core work is a primary focus in Pilates and an instructor can teach you how to strengthen all the muscles in your torso and pelvic floor.
And just in case your thinking Pilates isn’t for guys it was developed by this “ab-meister” as a rehab method for injured soldiers