Muscle Gain Forum

I’m trying to build a more athletic-looking physique rather than just becoming as big as possible. Strong legs, wide back, decent arms, and staying reasonably lean is the look I’m after.

Symmetry has become much more important to me as I’ve gotten more experienced with training. When I first started lifting, I was mainly focused on bigger arms, chest, and hitting heavier numbers. Now I pay much more attention to how everything works together—shoulder width, back development, chest thickness, legs, and overall proportions. A balanced physique just looks more impressive to me than simply being as big as possible.

Definitely bringing up my legs. My upper body gets most of the attention, but my physique looks way more balanced when my quads and hamstrings are actually keeping up.

I’m chasing that “looks like you lift but still athletic” physique. Not necessarily huge, just muscular enough that the work shows even in regular clothes.

For me it’s a combination of size and shape. I want more muscle, but I’m being much more intentional about where I add it instead of treating every workout like an excuse to chase numbers.

Back width is my priority right now. A stronger V-taper makes such a huge difference visually, especially when your waist stays relatively tight.

I used to measure progress almost entirely by body weight, but I’ve changed that mindset. Now I pay attention to how my clothes fit, strength progression, photos, proportions, and whether a lagging muscle is finally catching up. It feels like a much better way to judge an aesthetic goal over the long term.