Achieving Lean Gains and Improving Fitness: a Reddit User's Journey

Introduction

A male Reddit user at 21 years old and 6'3" changed his fitness regime and diet to achieve lean gains and improve his athleticism. He combined weightlifting with playing soccer and started eating better to put on muscle while staying lean. Here are the details of his journey and the impact of his diet and supplements.

Lifting and Fitness Progress

For the first 11 months, he played soccer and worked out at home before starting weightlifting six months before his Reddit post. He followed the Strong Lifts program and focused on the big lifts, including the squat, bench, bent-over barbell row, overhead press, and deadlift. He improved his form, flexibility, and strength for each lift, and was able to lift heavier weights over time.

Playing Soccer and Fitting in Cardio

Throughout his journey, he continued to play soccer for two teams and play futsal while weightlifting. He also participated in a beep test (leger shuttle run) and scored the highest in his class. He emphasized the importance of fitting in cardio and other soccer-specific training to improve his soccer performance.

Diet and Supplements

He made changes to his diet, introducing eggs whites and oats for breakfast, making his protein shakes with skim milk and taking fish oils and multivitamins. He also ate a mix of healthy and not-so-healthy foods for lunch and dinner. He supplemented with Musclepharm creatine and glutamine before and after workouts and soccer games.

Conclusion: Continuous Improvement is Key

While he put on muscle and achieved his goals of lean gains and improved athleticism, he continued to rethink his goals and work on a new program to further improve his soccer performance. He emphasized that continuous improvement through changes to workouts, diet, and supplements is key to reaching fitness goals. He also acknowledged his past fitness opinions and how weightlifting and other changes have helped him achieve his goals. Overall, his journey provides insights into achieving lean gains and improving fitness through lifting and playing sports.