How “swol” are you or have you been, and how long did it take you to get like that?

14 comments

1. I think you mean swole

2. I once went from 72kg to 85kg of pure ripped muscle in 6 months.

   The secret was steroids.

3. This will be different for everybody so I can only say for myself but I am someone who is naturally very skinny. I mean skin on bone skinny. When I started hitting the gym it was… Tough, embarrassing. But if anything the gym was the easy part. I could be consistent with that.

   The hard part for me was eating. Just getting to 2000 calories a day was a struggle, nevermind my aim of 3000. And keeping that consistent was a nightmare. However when I did eat a lot, I saw real improvements real quick.

   I’m not swol and I don’t think I’ll ever be but I really built up and am way broader than I’ve ever been but it took a solid 2 years of consistent gym and constant struggle of eating more to go from mega skinny to what probably just looks like a normal person. I think it would have been much quicker if I could have been consistent with my diet.

   My number one tip, if you’re struggling to get calories in is drink them.

4. Went from 155lbs at 17 to 180lbs at 20 both at 6% body fat. Lifted 6 times a week on a 3 day split (no not religiously life can happen) for about 3 years.

5. People say I am but I don’t feel that way. I grew up wrestling. I love working out, always have. My back is huge, my legs and neck are thic, my front upper body muscles are whatever. I’ve been doing BJJ for almost 7 years and I’m getting my dad strength, it’s great.

   When I think swole, I think of the steroid boys at the gym. I might have body dismorphia though

6. Took me about a year of dedicated work to start feeling that way.

7. Not exactly swol but ive definitely gotten leaner and feel better about myself as a result. Just a lot of running, weights, strength training etc. To get like that, I would say a good couple of years including a period where I had to really watch what I ate to lose weight, but now im at a point where I can treat myself a little bit, as long as I keep hitting the gym and eating a balanced diet.

   ​

   For reference I used to weight 170 pounds at my heaviest, now down to about 155 pounds with lean muscle. Trying to get to about 160-165; thats the goal!

8. I was skinny. Trained Mondays Tuesdays Thursdays and Fridays.

   Two exercises per body part twice per week. Barbell press, dumbbell side laterals etc.
   Basic exercise accompanied by a targeted exercise as above.

   4 X 6 working to 4 x 8 on the basic exercise then would increase the weight

   4 X 8 to 4 x 10 on targeted.

   On the Thursday and Friday I reduced the weight by 20%.

   Trained hard while maintaining good form with slow raising and lowering. Ate egg whites, and took an amino acid capsule halfway through workout.

   Grew quick – people were saying look at how big your legs have got etc. Decades ago now but still remember that bloody hack squat machine for one. Was noticeable difference 6 to 9 months.

   Mr New Zealand wrote me out that program and was the only one he used in 13 years and was Mr NZ for most of that time.

9. When I was 19 I was at 10% body fat at 175lbs and I was/am 5’3. It took about a year but I was already pretty athletic at the time. I just went hard-core on my diet and was lifting 5x a week for like 1 to 2 hours at a time among other workouts like cardio, wrestling, boxing, and bjj alternating during the week (except wrestling, that was also 5x a week).

   When I was 26 I got close to it at 180lbs but I was around 18% bodyfat.

10. I’m pretty naturally broad and muscular, but I’m definitely the swollest I’ve ever been in my life now. Took years to get here of being on/off due to an inconsistent and chaotic lifestyle.

    Right now I’m working on cutting body fat percentage down, but the muscle definition is already showing.

11. The swolest I was about 12 years ago. Pre-marriage and a heap of health issues.

    Roughly 8% body fat, benching 225, squatting 285, DL of 315. I was lean AF. Probably took me about 2 years to get there from a 25% body fat and getting winded going up 2 flights of stairs.

12. Quite swole. As of this morning… I’m a very muscular 6’1″ 190 lbs with a 30″ waist. It took my whole life to get this way.

    If you look at my profile for pics, I recommend leaving your NSFW filter on unless you want to see “all” of me, lol.

13. Im bigger than I used to be. Im not swole but getting there. Ive been using gymnastics rings for 7 months and they really blew up my shoulders and biceps

14. 6’, 215lb, approaching 19% body fat down from 24%. Lifting 6 days a week, solid cardio 3x / week. Very happy with where I am for 42. Good definition and strength. Goal is maintaining at 17% bodyfat. If I look at myself without a shirt on I’m not at all embarrassed.