Decided to lock back in this year (35M 5'10" 185 lbs, 5.5 months)
In full transparency mid 30s and been cycling gear the past decade or so. For the past 4-5 years I've just been on TRT almost exclusively and a lot of that time deprioritized training and diet.
This year decided I was sick of looking like a washed out middle aged gymcel and decided to get serious again. Diet, training, supplementation all back on point.
I cut down from around 195-200 lbs and a very inflamed and somewhat out of shape 16-18% bodyfat in my before pic (taken in late December) to a lean 177. Since then I've been on a leaner bulk/recomp and currently sitting around 185 lbs and 9-10% bodyfat.
Training:
Ive always trained pretty high intensity. I used to do a lot of heavy power lifting style training in my 20s. These days my training follows more of a bodybuilding approach mostly though.
I still go as heavy as possible but tend to be in a higher rep range (8-20+ depending on exercise) and I incorporate a lot more machines rather than a high focus on heavy free weight compound lifts. I still do free weights but it tends to be focused around higher reps and more mind muscle connection rather than just lifting the most weight I can now.
My training is generally 3 days on 1 day off and I'll do chest/arms, legs, back/delts with some light cardio/tennis or mobility work on my off days.
Diet and supplements:
My diet has been pretty terrible the past few years. This year me and my wife have made an effort to start cooking more rather than ordering Uber eats all the time. I've also been focusing on fixing my gut health with daily kefir and high fiber intake which I think has helped my overall bloat and inflammation.
I still don't follow a very strict diet but eat more intuitively. I am pretty good at estimating my caloric intake and will tend to aim for 2000-2500 calories with at least 150g of protein. Trying to eat more whole foods and fruit rather than filling up on processed junk. I'll do a refeed day with higher calories once a week.
This has been what I've been following to lean out, my maintenance calorie intake is probably around 3000.
Supplement wise, I've been running a lot as I've been focused on not only improving my body but my overall health this year. Especially anything that can help with mitochondrial health and efficency. Some of the staples though are
Thorne multivitamin (hit all basic nutrients, especially b vitamins)
Vitamin d3/k2
NMN/TMG for NAD+ production
NAC/Collagen peptides for Glutathione production and reduced inflammation
Magnesium glycinate
Omega 3s
Urolithin A, Ubiquinol and PQQ for mitochondrial support
Creatine/Taurine for gym performance
Besides that here's what I've been running in terms of gear and peptide use:
200 mg test (no need for more, I'm a high responder)
25 mg var cycled 6 weeks on 6 weeks off
Titrated up to 4 mg reta
Mots c 3x/week 5-10 mg (cycled) for mitochondrial efficiency
SLU (cycled) for same as above
Klow for joint and tendon health
3 iu HGH (added in March)
The goal right now is to continue working off the last bit of fat I have and see how shredded I can actually get. The only other time I've been this lean was briefly in my mid 20s so I want to see if I can push it even further.
After that, the long term goal is to slowly put on a little more size while keeping bodyfat 10-11% max. Getting lean has been great for my mental and physical health and I feel holistically I'm in the best shape I ever have been. Don't want to fall back into the lazy habits I formed over the last few years. Especially as I keep getting older I think it's even more important to keep fitness, health, and diet as top priorities in my life.
Happy to answer any questions about training, diet, gear, peptides, supplementation, etc..