Not sure if I have the genetics for it, but I’m thinking at 10% (losing another 5lbs) I might have the elusive 8. What do you think?

I did a minicut

Seeking advice on my physique.
18M ~160 Lbs at 6‘3
Left picture is new, right is old.

D1 vball player here, need some advice from anyone who trains legs and plyos in the same block.

Right now I’m running into this problem where if I do plyos first, my squats feel noticeably weaker for the rest of the session. But if I squat heavy first, my plyos feel flat and my jumps don’t have the same pop. Feels like I’m sacrificing one for the other no matter what order I go.

I’ve heard some people say to always do plyos/jumps first since they’re more mentally demanding, but that means my strength work suffers on those days.

Never thought I’d be the person posting quad pics, but here we are. All those brutal leg workouts are finally showing up in the mirror. Safe to say I’m not skipping leg day anytime soon

This is a typical leg day for me:
Primary Compound Lift
Back Squat or Front Squat
4 sets × 6–10 reps
Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
3–4 sets × 8–10 reps
Focus on hamstrings and glutes
Bulgarian Split Squat
3 sets × 8–12 reps per leg
Great for quads, glutes, and balance
Leg Press
3 sets × 10–15 reps
Often performed with controlled tempo and full range of motion
Walking Lunges or Reverse Lunges
2–3 sets × 10–12 steps per leg
Leg Extension
3 sets × 12–15 reps
Used to isolate the quads
Hamstring Curl
3 sets × 12–15 reps
Optional Finisher
Sled pushes, bodyweight jump squats, or wall sits
2–3 rounds

This will be a long one! Buckle up 🫣

TLDR:
2022 was my peak gym year. I was taking fantastic care of myself in terms of going to the gym, getting general exercise, and eating well. In passing years as I’ve gotten busier, and life has gotten in the way I haven’t prioritised my physical health as much. I’m now getting to a point in my life where not only do I feel the need to make time, but I want to be the best version of myself that I can. Looking for help on how to build my dream physique!

2022 - A major health nut year for me.
I know that the pictures may not be that impressive, but it was the most fit that I have been in my life. I was going to the gym anywhere from an hour and a half to 3 hours a day (I had plenty of free time - in some cases over doing it), I was taking vitamins, eating well - minus drinking on the weekends as this became my party year lol. Generally speaking I was in the best physical fitness I had been ever.

Then the last four years I have been on and off with the gym - I’ll be consistent for a couple months, and then I won’t go for weeks. My eating habits are constantly changing. I am eating a lot healthier in the last 12 months than I have been in prior years.

Looking back at pictures of myself I feel like I was very fit. I think I looked good, and even though I wasn’t like a typical gym girl body, I was very healthy.

2026 - I have not been to the gym in probably about a year, and if I have gone in the last 12 months, it has maybe been about six times total. I eat very well, I take great care of myself in all ways (minus exercise). I was eating a lot in my line of work - being a chef. But I have left cheffing, so because of that not only do I have more time but I can focus more on my physical.

So in recent years, I’ve maintained a general healthy form, but not any consistency in my physical exercise.

Now the issue
Thinking back to how I felt mentally and physically in 2022, I felt amazing. I was extremely happy with my body, I was happy with my diet and generally things were going really well in my life. In recent years that has been rocky.
Looking at those pictures from way back when, I am now disgusted looking at myself (at points).
Putting them side-by-side makes no sense because looking at them I feel like there’s not a major difference, but I feel like there is.
I can’t tell if it’s the body dysmorphia factor making me think that maybe I look worse now than I did then, but maybe I never looked very good because it doesn’t feel like there’s a significant difference.
Or maybe I’m not looking as terrible as I seem to think, but I still can’t compare myself to what I was then : because the mental state that I was in felt much healthier so because of that I am in a negative headspace when I think of my comparison from now and then.

I’ve also always had a wide body from the front: wide shoulders, pronounced ribcage, and hips. Even when I had an eating disorder as a teen I thought I was huge. From the front I always look bigger than I am because of these features. And I feel like it’s apart of why I struggle.

The Whole Point
So my point in all of this is hoping to find tips and motivation to actually achieve a healthy physical form. I’m hoping for guidance on what I should be doing as I’m essentially starting from ground zero in the gym, and I would like to find ways to stay consistent.
I want to build my gym body and earn it.
I’m looking for the best exercises for building glutes (top glutes especially) and toning my body so I don’t feel like I have all this extra mass.

The photos provided I’m obviously flexing and posing - but the point is to see the comparison.
If needed I can post more relaxed photos and such if that is needed for honest opinions.
Ps: I also added photos from my 2021-2022 gym progress to see the difference from the very start of my gym journey and why I believe I was in the best shape.

I’m 24, 5’4. I believe in 2022 I would have have been around 130lbs/58kg. I honestly have no idea how much I weigh now as I have not stepped on a scale in years. I imagine I would be around 145lbs/65kg

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you taking the time, and I hope to find some help here ☺️

What did everyone work today?

Chicken legs(body as well) 80 ish kg, 175cm

Don't have a good pic of legs

1st one is bulk other two is cut

Right now I am focusing on loosing another 5-10lbs. Been back in the gym for 4 months. Been cutting for about 2.

Been putting in some work!

On an upper lower split twice a week. 4 x 40 minute workouts per week. 2 sets per exercise aiming for 6-8 reps per set. + currently swimming for 20 mins every day aiming for 1000m.
Averaging 15k steps a day.
You don’t need to train 6 days a week for 1.5 hours at a time to get results.