Going from photo 1 to 2 in 2021, possible?
MDC2957
Posts: 417 Member
How to go from 1 to 2 this year?
40, 6'1" 186 lbs
40, 6'1" 186 lbs
3
Replies
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You’d need to reduce you body fat percentage. Do to that, you need a caloric deficit.
You’ll also need to gain some muscle. The best approach for you to do this is cut and bulk phasing. I’ve read Mike Matthews book ‘Thinner leaner stronger’. He’s also got a male version of the book called ‘Bigger, leaner, stronger’. He has a web site called Legion Athletics. Nearly all the information in the book are in the articles he has posted on his website. You would likely also benefit from a personal trainer to help guide you on a training approach.
You have to remember that photo 2 is ‘ photo shoot day’ ready. This model is likely dehydrated in the photo. He’s also likely pumped up to exaggerate muscle definition.
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I was gonna say, even the model doesn’t look like photo 2. Lol.18
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tgillies003 wrote: »You’d need to reduce you body fat percentage. Do to that, you need a caloric deficit.
You’ll also need to gain some muscle. The best approach for you to do this is cut and bulk phasing. I’ve read Mike Matthews book ‘Thinner leaner stronger’. He’s also got a male version of the book called ‘Bigger, leaner, stronger’. He has a web site called Legion Athletics. Nearly all the information in the book are in the articles he has posted on his website. You would likely also benefit from a personal trainer to help guide you on a training approach.
You have to remember that photo 2 is ‘ photo shoot day’ ready. This model is likely dehydrated in the photo. He’s also likely pumped up to exaggerate muscle definition.
Plus possibly makeup (or fake tan, oil) has been used to highlight muscularity, he's perfectly lit by a professional, photographed by another professional, and probably photoshopped a bit in post-processing. (Us regular folks can achieve a look with less work, more photoshop, if I'm cynical).
OP, it may not sound like it, but I wish you huge success: Focus on the process, and see how things come out as a result. Follow a well-designed strength program faithfully, get excellent nutrition, do some cardio for heart health and good circulatory function, avoid bad habits (smoking, excess alcohol, etc.), learn as much as you can along the way and work hard. I guarantee the results will be positive.
Will the results be exactly this? No way to know. Don't worry about results. Do the right things, you'll be the best possible you, and that will be pretty excellent.
Best wishes!10 -
Photo 2 the model also had an extreme cut for a few days prior to the photo to help them look skinnier. He’s also likely dehydrated (often done for these types of photos so that there is no water retention to mask the muscles). That in addition to lighting and makeup. One of my brothers is a professional photographer and we’ve discussed some of the “tricks” to get photos like that.
It isn’t realistic to think you will look like that photo. That said, you can absolutely cut body fat and build muscle throughout the year. Just don’t beat yourself up for not looking like photo 2. 😊4 -
also...you look really great in photo #1.
Let it gooooooooo
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Op. You look pretty lean and strong in the first pic, so firstly... Be proud of where you are now and what you have accomplished.
If you want the second, what every one above has said is spot on. You'll need to cut a bit more, and build a bit more muscle. For abs that pop a bit more like those, you may want to add in some targeted abdominal and oblique exercises. The end result may be different based on how your body is built, but that's out of your control.
But honestly.. You can probably dim the lights, get and overhead light source and do a pretty good job recreating that pic without much additional work.
Remember that he is a trick of good lighting, Photoshop, makeup and dehydration.
Congrats on your progress to date and good luck!4 -
Agreeing you look great in photo 1 but if you want to be closer to photo 2, do as discussed above.4
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Nothing venture, nothing gain. Good luck. You've got a great starting point.1
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Props to you. At least you were creative and didn’t spring yet another manipulated
Instagram model on us.
As a result, I will spare you my usual social media wannabe rant. Lucky you.
Ya know, after an hour and a half of getting my *kitten* kicked this morning at the gym, I was doing the final dumbell set in front of the mirror and secretly thinking “damn girl, those arms could be in a fitness magazine. You lookin good!”.
By the time I walked home, they’d deflated.
Beauty is so fleeting.
Oh and lots of oil to achieve that look. Which means you may want to visit the How Often Should I Bathe thread.
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Aside from cutting calories to reduce fat, what is a good routine to follow with dumbbells only?
There are some recommended in here:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p10 -
Sorry I didn't mean to imply identical to the guy in the photo, just the type, not bulky muscular but lean, with muscular definition. If I lean out, I'm afraid I'll look like a stick man.
Y'know, I bet the closer you get, the better idea you'll have of what the end result will be. If you're losing fat and you're approaching "stick man" (which I doubt), stop losing fat & either recomp, or do a bit of a bulk then lose some more fat later. All of these decisions can be reconsidered at any time. You've made some great progress, you'll make more, and it'll work out really well in the long run, I'd betcha.
Having a timeline for it is optional, might be motivating, but might also set up for feeling disappointed after making great improvements but maybe not quite getting to that arbitrary goal line. Up to you, obviously.
Best wishes!2 -
Sorry I didn't mean to imply identical to the guy in the photo, just the type, not bulky muscular but lean, with muscular definition. If I lean out, I'm afraid I'll look like a stick man.
You have a decent muscle base so getting leaner will emphasise the definition and give the illusion of more muscle.
"To look like you have gained 10lbs of muscle lose 10lbs of fat."
But that of course only works with your shirt off.
There's the problem that with clothes off we tend to see shape but with clothes on we see size. Put a shirt on that fitness model and he probably just looks like a slim and fit bloke.
If you cut sensibly you really shouldn't lose any significant amounts of muscle if you are training well.
Whether several cycles of cutting/bulking are needed or you like how you look when you lean out you won't know until you try. You are lean enough that a small loss of fat will show but unless you have been very lean before you won't know which body parts hang on to fat the longest. Your midsection looks leaner than your arms currently, other people get lean limbs before their ab definition starts to show.2 -
I vote that photo #1 looks much better than photo #2. 👍6
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chris89topher wrote: »I vote that photo #1 looks much better than photo #2. 👍
Agreed. Photo #2 is just that: a photo. Pic #1 is called living life. Fit, able.6 -
Sorry... this is lost on me. Photo 1 looks like a fit young man to me. If you want to improve on that.. I guess I sort of kind of get it...we all want to improve. I think some members on the fitness thread who re-comp and lift could be more critical of your more than okay body. They could relate to your goals.0
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Thing is... He wasn't asking for opinions on whether his body is good enough, or whether he should try to look like the second pic.
He stated he has a goal, and wanted tips on how to achieve something like that. That physique is similar to a lot of profile pics on here and can likely be accomplished by him with a bit of effort. Sure he won't be as cut or oily unless he chooses to do a model shoot, but he can be a softer natural version of that without killing himself in the process.
As long as he's not hurting himself to achieve an unattainable goal, I don't think it's our job to tell him that his goal is unnecessary.
Sorry if I'm projecting here... But it can get really frustrating when people tell you that what you want for yourself is not the right thing to want.
It's important to love yourself at all stages, but there is nothing wrong with wanting more, and working hard to get it.8 -
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The nice thing is, if you do start feeling like stick man, you can settle in at maintenance for a while, while considering your next step. The only person pushing you, is you. I know I forget that, sometimes.
Can be a plus and a minus.1 -
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Have you spoken with a trainer and/or dietician (if you’re in the US, dieticians are certified, anyone can call themselves a “nutritionist” without any education)?
I reached a point a month or two ago where I was too low. I did look like stick man- but didn’t realize it til my trainer took some very deliberate photos showing just how thin I’d gotten.
I’ve intentionally put five pounds back on. I look and feel 100% better. My muscles are showing much, much better at this weight.
It may not be so much a matter of continuing to lose weight as needing to shake up your routine to make those little guys “pop”.2 -
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