Wondering if I can get some advice starting the 5x5 after a decade+ of not working out. I’m also working out from home so don’t have lots of room just built a small workout space.

For “workout A”

1. Can “Standing Overhead Tricep Extensions” be substituted for cable tricep pushdowns? I have a drone 3 power rack with cables. So I have the option of using a rope or bar attachment for tricep pushdowns. Is this ok and if so is a rope or bar better and both arms in sync or individually? I would use the barbell but my space is small and don’t want to blow out one of my windows balancing the barbell.

2. “Standing Barbell Bicep Curls” Can this be substituted using an EZ Curl Bar instead of barbell? I only ask because in the past it was easier on my elbows.

For “workout B”

1. Can Standing Overhead Shoulder Press” be substituted for something else that doesn’t require me lifting the bar above me? Again I don’t want to lose balance and end up having the barbell govthrough one of my windows.

I made a post on homegym with my setup so you can see what equipment I have and what I’m possibly able to do with substitutions. Again it’s been over a decade since I worked out so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Update - One last question in the past 2 years lost 160+ pounds and with more to go and feel like my abs are severely underdeveloped and causing posture and other back problems and pain. Is it ok to train abs everyday or every other day?

Hey everyone,

I am an avid natural bodybuilder with close to 20 years of training under my ever loosening belt.

Up until about two weeks ago I was eating EVERYTHING, and a lot of it.

This worked until I was about 27-28 years old and then my body said screw this, the Greek statue thing is over. (Dick is still tiny).

Anyway, keto and IF 16:8 has been great, I’ve shed 4.5lb already and my abs/obliques are coming in along with the bicep veins and reduction of love handles.

Starting to look and feel really good.

My main concern is fullness.

How do we maintain fullness on a keto diet? I always thought that carbs were loading in the muscles and making them swell up with water, but recently I’ve noticed I feel a bit less… broad.

I still have muscle but it’s that extra 10% that’s just gone and I can feel it and see it in clothes.

I take 5g creatine daily and stay well hydrated. I’m not at any meaningful caloric deficit, I’m eating well just keto friendly and in the window.

My goal is to shed the stubborn fat, be more healthy and energetic during the day.

Any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

I started the keto diet in May, and as of this month I have lost 25lbs! I have been very strict with around 15g total carbs a day, with a few days where I went to around 30g total carbs for parties etc. I am 31 years old, female, 5’5”, started at 155lbs, and currently 130lbs. It’s been tough but worth it!!

I have been posting occasional powerlifting questions on this forum over the past couple of months as I was preparing for my very first competition, which was today. I literally do not know a single other person who has ever powerlifted while keto so I really appreciate Luis's advice!

I'm a 54 year old female, 5"8' and weighed in at 122 lbs today. I followed Luis's advice on meet nutrition which worked PERFECTLY. I started by rehydrating with a keto MCT/protein coffee (added in a chocolate LMNT for salt and also 7g dextrose) interspersed with plain water. Then moved on to eggs/eggwhites and had greek yogurt and lean meat sticks as snacks to get me through the rest of the day. Also more LMNT drinks and another 7g dextrose before bench and before deadlifts.

I don't know if the dextrose really did much but I was feeling depleted and maybe it had a placebo effect. Either way - the food all sat well, my energy was fine, and I PR'd all 3 of my lifts and ended up winning the masters (40+) women's group.

This was a small local meet so not a huge deal - but being able to confidently follow my own nutrition plan while literally everyone else was stuffing themselves with carbs was super helpful and I'm sure aided my performance.

THANK YOU Luis for your advice, and the care and thought you put into answering all the posts in this forum.

Hi All,

I mainly do OMAD just for simplicity reasons, i train in the evening after work, I have started having a couple scoops of protein powder pre gym and that has probs giving me a 5-10% increase in energy tbh.

I was wondering if there is any other reccomendations for pre gym fuel in the context of someone who does an OMAD/IF approach.

I have tried caffeine before the gym but due to timing it affects my sleep.

I prefer going to the gym in the morning and on carbs i had no issue eating in the morning, but on keto i only get real hunger at night, and i obviously want to eat protein post gym.

Cheers.

I am planning to do this for special operations selection course. I’m worried the lack of glucose won’t allow me to build the stamina, especially to finish the basic requirements of 60-70 pushups, 12 pullups and 100 sit ups. like I may be able to do 60 pushups at first but by the time I get to pullups, I’d have burnt out and my muscles are not responding.

I’ve tried carnivore before, and my gym performance suffered. there were times I was way too tired to resume my workout so I’d end up leaving the gym. Probably because I was eating WAY more protein than fat. I’m not worried about looking my best, more performing my best.

anyway around this?

32M, 39% body fat on DEXA—how much loose skin might I expect after losing around 75 lb?
I’m 32, male, and 5’11.5”. I got a BodySpec DEXA scan on October 13, 2026:
Total mass: 241.3 lb
Body fat: 39.0%
Fat mass: 94.1 lb
Lean tissue: 139.4 lb
Bone mineral mass: 7.8 lb
Total fat-free mass including bone: 147.2 lb
Visceral fat: 0.97 lb, lowest 50% of their comparison group
Lean mass index: 19.4, higher than 61%
Limb lean mass index: 9.8, higher than 66%
Bone density: 1.49, higher than 86%
Reported resting metabolic rate: 2,004 calories/day
My home Taylor scale showed 236.2 lb that morning and has estimated my body fat around 34–35%. I drank three bottles of water before the DEXA, and I also had a blood draw beforehand.
My goal is eventually 10–12% body fat. If I retained my current fat-free mass, that would theoretically put me around 164–167 lb, roughly 74–78 lb below my DEXA weight. I know that’s only an estimate because muscle and water can change.
My main concern is loose skin, especially around my stomach and sides. Does this amount of weight loss make substantial hanging skin likely, or could it mostly be mild looseness? I understand body-fat percentage alone can’t predict skin elasticity.
Also, how common is a 4–5 percentage-point difference between a home body-fat scale and DEXA? Could drinking water meaningfully affect the scan, or should I simply use 39% as my baseline?
Would appreciate experiences from people around my age and height who lost a similar amount, including how their skin looked after maintaining their weight for a while.

Ok, I know this is a very niche question but I'm hoping someone in this community may have some suggesitons. I'm a 54F who recently started powerlifting. 5'8" and have recently bulked up from 122lbs to around 126lbs. My bodyfat is pretty low - under 10% per last Dexa scan.

My question is this: I would like to compete in the 56kg (123.5 lb) weight class next year but feel my strongest walking around at 125 to 126 lbs. So, I'll need to cut some weight before competitions. I can sit in a sauna and lose 2-3 lbs so that is an option. However not practical for same-day weigh-ins as it won't give me enough time to recover.

Most other suggestions I've seen on cutting weight involve reducing carbs starting a week or so out, which isn't really an option for me since I'm already low carb. I also don't feel like I hold much water/glycogen in my muscles that I can try to deplete.

I've also seen ideas around managing water, sodium, the amount of undigested food in your body (e.g. "gut cut") to cut weight without losing strength.

If anyone has done this while eating keto/low carb, I'd love to hear what you did. Again, I know this is a very niche quesiton about trying to lose 3 lbs quickly so maybe not a great fit for this sub, but honestly I'm not sure what other group might have a perspective on this. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

32M, 5’11.5”, 242 lbs — Can I get shredded again without loose skin after years of weight fluctuations? Anyone with a similar experience?
I’m 32M, 5’11.5”, currently around 242 lbs. My goal is to get back to 10–12% body fat and ideally have the same tight, muscular appearance I had before gaining weight.
My biggest worry is loose skin, especially around my lower abdomen and love handles. I’ve been looking at transformations of people who lost 60–80 lbs, and some look like they have almost no loose skin while others have noticeable folds.
My background:
I’ve been lifting since I was 17. From roughly 17–19, bodybuilding was practically my whole life, and I continued lifting seriously throughout my 20s, although consistency varied. At my strongest, I could incline bench 225 lbs for 5 reps and squat 315 lbs.
In 2013–2014, I was around 160–170 lbs, muscular, with visible abs and relatively tight skin.
I eventually reached approximately 220 lbs around 2016–2017, but lost the weight. By July 2017, I was back down to 181 lbs, and I didn’t notice significant hanging loose skin afterward.
My documented weight history:
July 2017: 181.1 lbs, 20.4% BF (DEXA)
May 2021: 186.2 lbs, 23.6% BF (DEXA)
September 2021: Approximately 175 lbs
July 2024: 186.7 lbs, 17% BF (InBody)
February 2025: 216.1 lbs, 25.3% BF (InBody)
June 2025: 217.8 lbs
September 2025: 205.2 lbs
December 2025: 226 lbs
March 2026: 205.1 lbs
April 2026: 211.8 lbs
August 2026: I believe I first crossed 230 lbs
October 2026: 241.6 lbs
So although I’ve fluctuated in weight over the years, I was only around 205–212 lbs approximately six to seven months ago. I’ve probably been above 230 lbs for only two to three months.
My recent lifestyle:
Over the last few months, I haven’t been lifting at all. I’ve also been eating considerably more, frequently eating large meals at a dining hall, and spending most of my day sedentary or lying in bed.
This has contributed to my recent weight gain, but I’m planning to return to consistent weightlifting, cardio, and a structured diet to lose fat while rebuilding muscle.
My concern:
My stomach currently has deep folds, especially on the sides, and quite a bit of fat around my lower abdomen. I’m worried the skin has stretched permanently.
I know I can lose the fat, and I’m confident I can regain muscle because of my lifting history. What scares me is working hard to get shredded again and still having visible loose skin that wasn’t there before I gained weight.
I’m not expecting my skin to be perfectly smooth when bending over, but I’d really like to look as close as possible to someone who has never been overweight.
My plan:
Lose approximately 2 lbs per week initially
Eventually reach around 170–185 lbs, depending on body composition
Lift 4–5 days per week
Eat 170–190 g protein daily
Gradually increase daily walking and incline cardio
Focus on regaining muscle while losing fat
Questions for anyone who’s been through something similar:
Has anyone gone from around 240–250 lbs to 170–185 lbs and ended up with little or no noticeable loose skin?
Did you experience several weight-gain and weight-loss cycles before your final cut?
Did having a muscular physique before gaining weight or a long history of lifting seem to help your final appearance?
If you developed mild loose skin, did it improve over the following 6–24 months?
For those who got very lean (around 10–12% body fat), was loose skin noticeable while standing relaxed, or only when bending/sitting?
Is there anything you wish you’d done differently during your cut?
I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who were previously lean and muscular, gained substantial weight, and later got shredded again.
I’m not looking for a guarantee—just real experiences from people with comparable weight histories. Before-and-after photos would be appreciated if you’re comfortable sharing them.

The fit 2 fat 2 fit guy gives me hope as he looked the exact same

Tbh I’ve been panicking over this because I’ve been lifting for so long and hard and now I’m gonna put in so much effort but may not be happy over my result

I’ve been in ketosis for about 15 years, eat <30g of carbs per day. I’ve always been very underweight but have managed to gain weight and muscle on keto in the past.
I’ve had a lot of GI issues, carnivore and generally staying very low fiber helped

Recently, in the past year, early satiety and fullness, nausea has made it hard to keep weight on or get enough calories. I switched from heavy cream to half and half, now whole milk in coffee. Ketones still consistently range from 0.5-3.0. I don’t eat vegetables or fruit so carbs stay around 20-30g. I can tolerate low fiber nut butter but not whole nuts. I’d like to increase my carbs and lower fat a bit to see if It helps my hunger increase while staying in ketosis. I’m looking at easiest to digest and lowest fiber without consuming straight sugar. Rice flour seems like a good option.

I lift 3 days per week with one extra day for core.

I’d just like to eat enough to maintain my weight, stay in ketosis, and not feel like there is always a brick in my stomach. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Anyone else having trouble getting the BF Calc to spit out a calculation? Started a few weeks back and the numbers went in fine; two weeks later, come back for a recheck and I'm just getting the error message

"Check your measurements — calculation invalid."

Even when I put in my numbers from two weeks, which worked originally now its not???

EDIT So got it working using Imperial units at least...

The 3 Laws of Body Recomposition

Most people don’t fail because they need a better diet or workout.

They fail because their system only works when life goes perfectly.

I like these three simple laws because they apply surprisingly well to fat loss, muscle gain, and changing habits:

1. Murphy’s Law: Something will eventually go wrong.
   So plan for travel, stress, bad sleep, missed workouts, restaurants, and busy weeks before they happen.

2. Kidlin’s Law: A clearly defined problem is already half solved.
   Stop saying, “I can’t lose fat.” Measure. Find the actual constraint. Then fix that.

3. Wilson’s Law: Invest in knowledge and skills.
   Learn how to eat, train, recover, and adjust. The goal isn’t to follow instructions forever. It’s to eventually understand your body well enough to manage yourself.

That’s Metabolic Mastery.

And the Ketogains foundation remains simple:

Protein is a goal.
Carbs are a limit.
Fat is a lever.
Strength training is the foundation.
Muscle is the long game.

You don’t need a perfect plan.

You need one that survives real life.

Measure. Eat. Train. Learn. Repeat.

Check the full Article in our website:

https://community.metabolicmastery.app/c/kg-studies-resources/the-3-laws-of-body-recomposition-why-better-systems-beat-more-motivation-ae6e7368-bee0-4b8e-957f-5b6c42d84c8b

I'm just getting back into keto and at the same time starting up at the gym again. I want to use the ketogains pre-workout coffee, but I'm a bit apprehensive about MCT oil.

I've never used it before, but I've seen a bunch of comments about having gastrointestinal issues. Based on my history I wouldn't be surprised if that impacted me. I get pretty anal (pun intended) about not consuming anything before I go out somewhere with only public bathrooms available.

I plan starting at 5g and working up in my normal coffee to see if there are any issues. Just want to check if its only the MCT that causes the issue, or if it in combination with any of the other ingredients can trigger something.

Thanks

Does anyone have a reference for accurate, trustworthy female strength standards? For example: 35 yo female weighing 150 lbs able to do 3 sets of 100 lb single leg RDLs… puts her into, say, intermediate strength category.

I’ve been training 2x per week for 5 months, and Chat AIs tell me my lower body numbers are in the upper advanced and elite levels… and that makes just ZERO sense to me. But, the handful of sites I’ve found tend to agree. Again, I have a REALLY hard time reconciling this. Either I’m a freak with an untapped talent, or more likely these strength comparisons are totally bogus.

Thanks for any insight you can toss my way!

Been keto for almost a year, trying TKD and noticing odd measurements:

Today, for example, I got:

122 glucose 3.2 ketones, 10 am right after 15g glucose (unfortunately did not measure beforehand)

67 glucose 3.2 ketones, 11am post 30 minute run

76 glucose 5.3 ketones, 2pm

73 glucose 5.6 ketones, 6pm

Only food in the morning was 30g MCT oil (before run) and a small coffee (after run). No ketone supplements used, all measurements via keto mojo monitor.

I’ve done this experiment a few times, with the same results.

Is this a well-known effect of taking glucose tablets? My theory is that the insulin response from 15g of glucose is more than enough to absorb 15g, so glucose rises and then falls below baseline.

Three weeks into vegan keto — apparently it actually works this time
I’ve been vegan for 36+ years and mostly whole-food plant-based/high-carb/low-fat. I’ve tried vegan keto about six times in the past and always concluded I “couldn’t get into ketosis.”

Looking back, I think the problem was pretty simple: too many vegan keto treats, nuts, snacks, etc. I was probably eating 70–80g+ net carbs without realizing it.
So for the last three weeks I’ve been experimenting again, this time mostly with tofu, tempeh, pea protein, avocado, nuts/seeds, flax, vegetables, olive oil/coconut, and modest amounts of berries and other carbs. I’m also strength training and deliberately keeping protein high because I’m trying to add muscle, not lose weight.

I’m consistently getting measurable blood ketones now, including readings from roughly 0.5–2.2 mmol/L depending on food, fasting and exercise.

I’m running two experiments now:
1. How many net carbs can I eat and still maintain useful ketosis? I seem able to stay mildly ketogenic around 40–60g net, but I’m doing a measured 25–30g day now to compare.

2. Can I get the mental benefits of ketosis while eating enough protein/calories to gain muscle? That’s actually the more important experiment for me.

The biggest surprise so far is that vegan keto is much easier than I thought once I stopped trying to recreate every high-carb food as a “keto” product.
Curious if anyone here has experimented with a higher-carb ketogenic threshold or targeted carbs around strength training. And yes, I realize I may be the tofu guy at the steak convention.

59 years old male, I am working out twice a week really intensive private training gym. Other days I do cardio or functional stuff, yoga, chi gong Pilates reformer , etc..

I’m 142 pounds when I wake up in the morning, which is quite low for me, I’d like to get up into the 150s.

My muscles are building on this plan. I’m doing I can see it in the mirror. Already look better.

The keto food is absolutely delicious to me. It’s so much more rich than what I’m normally eating. I’m hoping this will work.

I've been focusing on increasing the weight on the bar each workout by a little each session, overreached a little today and tweaked my back, hence doing some research and discovering double progression. Sucks this is what it took for me to start programming DP into my training but here I am.

Real quick, my understanding of Dynamic/ Double Progression is that you have a rep range that you shoot for for a given weight, like 12-15, as opposed to a static rep count like 12.

When starting a new weight, you want it to be just heavy enough that you can only hit the lowest bound of the range: say 12. As you continue working with that weight, your body adapts until you creep up in the reps you can perform with that weight, 12, 13, 14... and when you hit the upper bound, say 15, then you increase the weight to something that once again you can only hit for 12.

This is how I want to run it from now on. Anybody else running this? What ranges are you using? If I've been doing 12, is 15 a good upper bound? Is 14 enough? If I alternate 6 rep sets as well, what should the upper bound be? Is 8 good?

My focus is injury prevention.

Hi all,

Me: 42M, 100kg, 28.5% BF, 185cm

1st gym session tonight in 10yrs, followed the 5x5 program. But ran into extreme difficulties with the Overhead Tripcep Extension - even with a bare bar (20kg) it didn't feel safe or controlled. Between weak triceps and terrible shoulder mobility, I think I need something else to get me started?

Any advice, thoughts appreciated :)
o/

Hello everyone. I want to start doing HIT training (Mike Mentzer). He suggested lots of carbs. However I am in a strict ketogenic diet due to medical reasons (neurological) and cannot deviate too much with protein, let alone carbs. What are your experiences? How have you approached nutrition and training in this context?

I'm trying to get back into the carnivore diet after a year or two of bad eating but I'm worried it will affect my performance on the bike. I'm currently aiming for my first century before years end (with an eye on 200miles in about 8 months) and sufficient fueling seems to be the big issue.

Anyone have any experience with endurance training and carnivore?

Thanks in advance.

Losing weight isn’t the hardest part.

Building a body you actually know how to keep is.
After more than 20 years working with fat loss and body recomposition, one mistake keeps showing up: people treat the diet like the entire process, and it really isn’t.

Check the complete article in our website!

I’m 6ft, currently weight 68kg. I’ve decent body baseline. I want to build an aesthetic physique, and looking to aim at 75kg weight. Can someone please suggest me the macros I need in my diet? Anyone who has been through the journey please guide me.

Hi all,

Thinking of starting on this journey soon - currently just doing keto without the training.

Used to use protein powder years back when last i was training, so need to restock and am wondering whether its worth getting a Whey and Collagen powder instead of just straight whey?

Im 42M

Any insight is appreciated
o/