Critique my beginner fitness plan? (Page 2 of 2)
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Yeah, not improving as fast as I was previously. DB bench press Last week 50x12,12,8 This week 50x12,12,10 Overhead DB press Last week: 35x12,8,7,5 This week: 35x12,9,8 Pullups Last week 6,5,5 This week 6,6,5 I feel like my rate of strength increase has dropped off quite a bit. But Im still losing weight and I dont seem to be losing strength, at least. I feel alot better. Sleep better. More energy. Might almost be ready to bump bench to 55s. Want to get at least 12,10,10 on overhead before I bump it to 40s |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Even small strength gains mean you're still progressing. Early on, you can build strength while in a calorie deficit and continue losing weight. Especially if there was weight to lose... Eventually things slow down and recovery becomes more important. |
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That overhead DB press has been the slowest thing to improve. But its getting there. Thursday did 35x12,12,11. Close to moving up to 40s, I think. Goblet squats went up to 60x12,12,11 (failed 12th). I'd been at 55s for awhile, building up to 3 sets of 15. This past week: Monday: Pullups DB bench press Seated cable row Overhead DB press Lat raises Hammer curls Tuesday: Leg press RDL Leg curls DB Calf raises Hanging knee raises Planks Wednesday: Cardio, stationary bike Thursday: Seated overhead DB press Lat pulldowns Incline Bench press Bent over DB rows Lat raises DB curls Tri pushdown Friday: Goblet squats Leg press RDL Leg Extensions DB Calf raises Hanging knee raises Planks Saturday: cardio Stationary bike Lat raises Tri pushdown DB curls Thats pretty much been my split upper/Lower schedule the past 3 weeks. |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By bnoji: Failure is a good thing if it's for real and you got quality reps in first. Do you keep the same order of movements? Yeah, pretty much. If you mean the specific order of exercises, thats been the order for the past few weeks. I don't normally do cable rows but my lower back was still a little sore so I subbed them in for bent over rows for one workout. One thing that seems to have helped a bit as well was increasing my rests on the compound lifts from a minute to 2 to 2.5 minutes. Reps started increasing week over week again when I did that. On reps, I try to reach a specific number for the first 2 sets where ive got maybe 1 rep left in me and then just go to failure on the third set. Seems to be producing incremental gains. Another thing I tried that seems to help alot was adding a small carb snack before workout. I'll eat a peach or nectarine and a glass of fruit juice about 45 minutes or an hour before workout. Tons more energy. |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Yeah, pretty much. If you mean the specific order of exercises, thats been the order for the past few weeks. I don't normally do cable rows but my lower back was still a little sore so I subbed them in for bent over rows for one workout. One thing that seems to have helped a bit as well was increasing my rests on the compound lifts from a minute to 2 to 2.5 minutes. Reps started increasing week over week again when I did that. On reps, I try to reach a specific number for the first 2 sets where ive got maybe 1 rep left in me and then just go to failure on the third set. Seems to be producing incremental gains. Another thing I tried that seems to help alot was adding a small carb snack before workout. I'll eat a peach or nectarine and a glass of fruit juice about 45 minutes or an hour before workout. Tons more energy. My schedule... Plain cream of rice and plain whey protein shake with whole milk as soon as I can fit it. Gives about an hour before I get to the gym most days. I quit artificial sweeteners so I might add pbfit and/or chocolate syrup some days. All the flavors had sucralose. Green tea and l citrulline on the ride. A banana if I have room. Same thing, all the flavored pre workout had sweeteners. By the time I do school drop off and get to the gym the citrulline is kicking in. I mix intra carbs (supercarb) in my water with some EAAs. I go to the treadmill for 5-10 to see how my back and hips are feeling then straight into lifting. I stick with a plain PPL Mon-Sat with cardio afterwards and core on leg days. I prefer to alternate movements between back/bicep or chest/shoulder/tricep or leg/core/leg. I have a cheap casio for the gym for timing rests. 1:45 - 2:30 depends. Single side isolated is on the lower end. Heavy pressing or squat is longer. |
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Yeah, pretty much. If you mean the specific order of exercises, thats been the order for the past few weeks. I don't normally do cable rows but my lower back was still a little sore so I subbed them in for bent over rows for one workout. One thing that seems to have helped a bit as well was increasing my rests on the compound lifts from a minute to 2 to 2.5 minutes. Reps started increasing week over week again when I did that. On reps, I try to reach a specific number for the first 2 sets where ive got maybe 1 rep left in me and then just go to failure on the third set. Seems to be producing incremental gains. Another thing I tried that seems to help alot was adding a small carb snack before workout. I'll eat a peach or nectarine and a glass of fruit juice about 45 minutes or an hour before workout. Tons more energy. Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Originally Posted By bnoji: Failure is a good thing if it's for real and you got quality reps in first. Do you keep the same order of movements? Yeah, pretty much. If you mean the specific order of exercises, thats been the order for the past few weeks. I don't normally do cable rows but my lower back was still a little sore so I subbed them in for bent over rows for one workout. One thing that seems to have helped a bit as well was increasing my rests on the compound lifts from a minute to 2 to 2.5 minutes. Reps started increasing week over week again when I did that. On reps, I try to reach a specific number for the first 2 sets where ive got maybe 1 rep left in me and then just go to failure on the third set. Seems to be producing incremental gains. Another thing I tried that seems to help alot was adding a small carb snack before workout. I'll eat a peach or nectarine and a glass of fruit juice about 45 minutes or an hour before workout. Tons more energy. As an older lifter, I promise that adding core workouts to your plan WILL improve your lower back. I hurt mine going heavy on DLs when I was tired. Saw a doc who recommended stretches AND core workouts. I doubted him, but did it anyway. He was absolutely correct. No more sciatica issues at all. Bonus, my mid-section is cut up now. Keep going to failure. If you can, get those lost reps back in a bonus set. The idea is to maintain volume. Volume is crucial. |
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
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Originally Posted By rob78: As an older lifter, I promise that adding core workouts to your plan WILL improve your lower back. I hurt mine going heavy on DLs when I was tired. Saw a doc who recommended stretches AND core workouts. I doubted him, but did it anyway. He was absolutely correct. No more sciatica issues at all. Bonus, my mid-section is cut up now. Keep going to failure. If you can, get those lost reps back in a bonus set. The idea is to maintain volume. Volume is crucial. Originally Posted By rob78: Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Originally Posted By bnoji: Failure is a good thing if it's for real and you got quality reps in first. Do you keep the same order of movements? Yeah, pretty much. If you mean the specific order of exercises, thats been the order for the past few weeks. I don't normally do cable rows but my lower back was still a little sore so I subbed them in for bent over rows for one workout. One thing that seems to have helped a bit as well was increasing my rests on the compound lifts from a minute to 2 to 2.5 minutes. Reps started increasing week over week again when I did that. On reps, I try to reach a specific number for the first 2 sets where ive got maybe 1 rep left in me and then just go to failure on the third set. Seems to be producing incremental gains. Another thing I tried that seems to help alot was adding a small carb snack before workout. I'll eat a peach or nectarine and a glass of fruit juice about 45 minutes or an hour before workout. Tons more energy. As an older lifter, I promise that adding core workouts to your plan WILL improve your lower back. I hurt mine going heavy on DLs when I was tired. Saw a doc who recommended stretches AND core workouts. I doubted him, but did it anyway. He was absolutely correct. No more sciatica issues at all. Bonus, my mid-section is cut up now. Keep going to failure. If you can, get those lost reps back in a bonus set. The idea is to maintain volume. Volume is crucial. Thanks, I started just with planks then added hanging knee raises a couple of weeks ago. What other core stuff do you recommend? What stretches do you do and when? Thanks for the advice. Ive done a make up set a few times when I was tired and failed pretty low (less than 8). On volume... is 3 sets generally the sweet spot on effort/time for result? Or does 4 sets as a regular practice make sense? |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By bnoji: My schedule... Plain cream of rice and plain whey protein shake with whole milk as soon as I can fit it. Gives about an hour before I get to the gym most days. I quit artificial sweeteners so I might add pbfit and/or chocolate syrup some days. All the flavors had sucralose. Green tea and l citrulline on the ride. A banana if I have room. Same thing, all the flavored pre workout had sweeteners. By the time I do school drop off and get to the gym the citrulline is kicking in. I mix intra carbs (supercarb) in my water with some EAAs. I go to the treadmill for 5-10 to see how my back and hips are feeling then straight into lifting. I stick with a plain PPL Mon-Sat with cardio afterwards and core on leg days. I prefer to alternate movements between back/bicep or chest/shoulder/tricep or leg/core/leg. I have a cheap casio for the gym for timing rests. 1:45 - 2:30 depends. Single side isolated is on the lower end. Heavy pressing or squat is longer. Originally Posted By bnoji: Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Yeah, pretty much. If you mean the specific order of exercises, thats been the order for the past few weeks. I don't normally do cable rows but my lower back was still a little sore so I subbed them in for bent over rows for one workout. One thing that seems to have helped a bit as well was increasing my rests on the compound lifts from a minute to 2 to 2.5 minutes. Reps started increasing week over week again when I did that. On reps, I try to reach a specific number for the first 2 sets where ive got maybe 1 rep left in me and then just go to failure on the third set. Seems to be producing incremental gains. Another thing I tried that seems to help alot was adding a small carb snack before workout. I'll eat a peach or nectarine and a glass of fruit juice about 45 minutes or an hour before workout. Tons more energy. My schedule... Plain cream of rice and plain whey protein shake with whole milk as soon as I can fit it. Gives about an hour before I get to the gym most days. I quit artificial sweeteners so I might add pbfit and/or chocolate syrup some days. All the flavors had sucralose. Green tea and l citrulline on the ride. A banana if I have room. Same thing, all the flavored pre workout had sweeteners. By the time I do school drop off and get to the gym the citrulline is kicking in. I mix intra carbs (supercarb) in my water with some EAAs. I go to the treadmill for 5-10 to see how my back and hips are feeling then straight into lifting. I stick with a plain PPL Mon-Sat with cardio afterwards and core on leg days. I prefer to alternate movements between back/bicep or chest/shoulder/tricep or leg/core/leg. I have a cheap casio for the gym for timing rests. 1:45 - 2:30 depends. Single side isolated is on the lower end. Heavy pressing or squat is longer. Ive been sticking ear buds in my ears and cranking up synthwave remixes of old video game music for my timer.  Will look into better pre workout. Plumcot and a protein bar did not cut it. No gain on pullups or DB Bench press. Overhead DB press got a little worse. From 12,12,11 to 12,10,7,6. Rows were unchanged. Lat raises about the same. Hammer curls first set added 2 reps, otherwise about same. |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Thanks, I started just with planks then added hanging knee raises a couple of weeks ago. What other core stuff do you recommend? What stretches do you do and when? Thanks for the advice. Ive done a make up set a few times when I was tired and failed pretty low (less than 8). On volume... is 3 sets generally the sweet spot on effort/time for result? Or does 4 sets as a regular practice make sense? Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Originally Posted By rob78: Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Originally Posted By bnoji: Failure is a good thing if it's for real and you got quality reps in first. Do you keep the same order of movements? Yeah, pretty much. If you mean the specific order of exercises, thats been the order for the past few weeks. I don't normally do cable rows but my lower back was still a little sore so I subbed them in for bent over rows for one workout. One thing that seems to have helped a bit as well was increasing my rests on the compound lifts from a minute to 2 to 2.5 minutes. Reps started increasing week over week again when I did that. On reps, I try to reach a specific number for the first 2 sets where ive got maybe 1 rep left in me and then just go to failure on the third set. Seems to be producing incremental gains. Another thing I tried that seems to help alot was adding a small carb snack before workout. I'll eat a peach or nectarine and a glass of fruit juice about 45 minutes or an hour before workout. Tons more energy. As an older lifter, I promise that adding core workouts to your plan WILL improve your lower back. I hurt mine going heavy on DLs when I was tired. Saw a doc who recommended stretches AND core workouts. I doubted him, but did it anyway. He was absolutely correct. No more sciatica issues at all. Bonus, my mid-section is cut up now. Keep going to failure. If you can, get those lost reps back in a bonus set. The idea is to maintain volume. Volume is crucial. Thanks, I started just with planks then added hanging knee raises a couple of weeks ago. What other core stuff do you recommend? What stretches do you do and when? Thanks for the advice. Ive done a make up set a few times when I was tired and failed pretty low (less than 8). On volume... is 3 sets generally the sweet spot on effort/time for result? Or does 4 sets as a regular practice make sense? Planks are good. Hanging knee raises are good, but hanging leg lifts are better. For knee raises or leg lifts, go slow and no swinging. Form is always most important; good form makes a move more effective and you're less likely to hurt yourself. Also, concentrate on tightening your abs when you do these; far too many people engage their hips/lower back (you can tell because their lower back rounds a bit at the top) Other core exercises: -Dumbell side bend (great for obliques) Don't lean forward, pull your shoulders back to stand tall. 4x10 -Standing one-arm dumbell shoulder press (start w/ light weight, squeeze glutes, stand tall) 4x10 -Russian Twists w/plate or dumbell (I do a variation of this on an incline situp bench. I lean up from the hips 45degrees relative to bench and with a 45lb plate, twist slowly to right then left. Be sure to turn your shoulders, not just your arms) 4x10 -Weighted incline sit-ups with twist. Hands clasped behind head. As you reach the top, left elbow touches right knee. Alternate for 10/side, 20 total. 4 sets. -Alternating lunges with shoulder press. Kind of difficult and takes coordination. Hold dumbells at shoulder height. Start the lunge with either leg, shoulder pressing at the same time with the opposite side. IOW, you start with right leg out front, the left arm raises the dumbell into a shoulder press. It should be one fluid motion. As you come up out of the lunge, your opposite side dumbell should start coming down. Now alternate for 20 lunges (10 reps/side). It'll kick your ass. Volume is: weight moved X # of reps X # of sets. Most of my work is done on a 4x10 with lots of supersets to save time. The more volume, the better IMO if you're looking for a body recomp. Strictly strength is lower reps, higher weight. You'll get stronger with either, but the higher rep count will burn more calories and create hypertrophy. Conversely, if all you want is strength, the lower rep count/higher weight is more efficient. My stretches for sciatica pain were: figure 4 stretch, stretching cobra (yoga stretch), knee to opposite shoulder (lie on back, pull right knee up and towards left shoulder, hold, now do alternate side), forward pigeon pose (yoga too I think) The stretches help alleviate pain. The core work will keep it from happening again. Good luck! |
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
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Oh dear. Ive never been the most physically coordinated person. Thought have noticed some improvement since Ive been lifting. On Goblet squats... at what weight should I just bite the bullet and switch to back squats? I'm doing 55 pound db goblet now. To be honest, im a little nervous about back squats and hurting myself. |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Oh dear. Ive never been the most physically coordinated person. Thought have noticed some improvement since Ive been lifting. On Goblet squats... at what weight should I just bite the bullet and switch to back squats? I'm doing 55 pound db goblet now. To be honest, im a little nervous about back squats and hurting myself. Start with a bar (45lbs) with a couple of 10lb plates. Watch videos and study. Back squats are one of the best lifts out there. They can also hurt you. Practice form in the mirror with a bare bar. Add weight until form breaks down, then reduce. |
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Oh dear. Ive never been the most physically coordinated person. Thought have noticed some improvement since Ive been lifting. On Goblet squats... at what weight should I just bite the bullet and switch to back squats? I'm doing 55 pound db goblet now. To be honest, im a little nervous about back squats and hurting myself. My limiting factor on goblet squats is my arms. As I get over 70 pounds my legs can keep going, but hanging on to the weight becomes a problem. I prefer back squats. I started them at the age of 63, and like you, I was apprehensive of back squats. I just started with the bar loaded with what I was doing with Goblets, then moved up as confidence grew |
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Oh dear. Ive never been the most physically coordinated person. Thought have noticed some improvement since Ive been lifting. On Goblet squats... at what weight should I just bite the bullet and switch to back squats? I'm doing 55 pound db goblet now. To be honest, im a little nervous about back squats and hurting myself. You can start on a smith too if your gym has one. Keeps the bar path straight for you and you can lean on it a little. When I first got back to the gym I was scared to squat at all so I was doing box squats in the smith. Or like mentioned, just use the bar and focus on form. Film from the side. Watch in the mirror. |
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Yeah, they've got a Smith. I've been using it for bench/incline bench so I can go to failure without dying. thanks, might start back squats with the Smith machine. Finally whipped 35s on db overhead. 35x 12,12,13. Failed 14th. I know it sounds like a petty thing to be proud of but it feels good to finally move up to 40s. Been stuck at 35s it seems like forever. |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Bonus effect? Blood pressure in the normal range for first time in years. 117/74. Curious to see bp numbers in another 3 months after ive lost more of this belly/visceral fat. |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Down to 164/165 109 over 68 at dentist office yesterday. 60bpm Most lifts still slowly improving |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Down to 164/165 109 over 68 at dentist office yesterday. 60bpm Most lifts still slowly improving Good!!!!! Progress will slow at times. You're still making progress and that's what matters. Maintain your diet, adjust as needed (you lose weight, your caloric needs reduce as well). Keep hitting it hard in the gym. At 48, my progress comes much more slowly than it did when I went back to the gym at 40. |
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
|
Overhead db Press progress 8/13: 40 × 8, 8, 10 8/17: 40 × 9, 9, 8 8/20: 40 × 9, 9, 9 8/27: 40 × 9, 9, 10 Feels excruciatingly slow. But I am still also slowly losing weight. Honestly, this belly fat really hid how overweight I truly was. At 180, I thought getting down to 170 maybe 165 would make me really lean. But I'm at or slightly past that now and can still see there's weight to be lost. |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Yeah, not improving as fast as I was previously. DB bench press Last week 50x12,12,8 This week 50x12,12,10 Overhead DB press Last week: 35x12,8,7,5 This week: 35x12,9,8 Pullups Last week 6,5,5 This week 6,6,5 I feel like my rate of strength increase has dropped off quite a bit. But Im still losing weight and I dont seem to be losing strength, at least. I feel alot better. Sleep better. More energy. Might almost be ready to bump bench to 55s. Want to get at least 12,10,10 on overhead before I bump it to 40s Not uncommon for the rate of gains to diminish after a couple months. A lot of newbie gains are neurological as your body learns how to apply force and becomes more efficient in the movement patterns. Adding muscle is a slower process. These guys have a free beginner program that can be tailored based on available equipment. They also have a free post novice program (The Bridge). BBM Beginner Program |
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Overhead db Press progress 8/13: 40 × 8, 8, 10 8/17: 40 × 9, 9, 8 8/20: 40 × 9, 9, 9 8/27: 40 × 9, 9, 10 Feels excruciatingly slow. But I am still also slowly losing weight. Honestly, this belly fat really hid how overweight I truly was. At 180, I thought getting down to 170 maybe 165 would make me really lean. But I'm at or slightly past that now and can still see there's weight to be lost. BTDT. I started at 5'10" 285lbs, 46" waist. I was a fat bastard. I'm now 180lbs, 32" waist. I've dropped by BF to 9% (with Dexa scan) to go to the beach. I was miserable. I've found that 10-12% is a good place for me. I'm not fluffy and I don't have vascularization in my abdomen/pecs, but I look better than 98% of the slobs out there. As a single guy, that helps big time. |
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
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Originally Posted By rob78: BTDT. I started at 5'10" 285lbs, 46" waist. I was a fat bastard. I'm now 180lbs, 32" waist. I've dropped by BF to 9% (with Dexa scan) to go to the beach. I was miserable. I've found that 10-12% is a good place for me. I'm not fluffy and I don't have vascularization in my abdomen/pecs, but I look better than 98% of the slobs out there. As a single guy, that helps big time. Originally Posted By rob78: Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Overhead db Press progress 8/13: 40 × 8, 8, 10 8/17: 40 × 9, 9, 8 8/20: 40 × 9, 9, 9 8/27: 40 × 9, 9, 10 Feels excruciatingly slow. But I am still also slowly losing weight. Honestly, this belly fat really hid how overweight I truly was. At 180, I thought getting down to 170 maybe 165 would make me really lean. But I'm at or slightly past that now and can still see there's weight to be lost. BTDT. I started at 5'10" 285lbs, 46" waist. I was a fat bastard. I'm now 180lbs, 32" waist. I've dropped by BF to 9% (with Dexa scan) to go to the beach. I was miserable. I've found that 10-12% is a good place for me. I'm not fluffy and I don't have vascularization in my abdomen/pecs, but I look better than 98% of the slobs out there. As a single guy, that helps big time. Wow! How long did it take you to drop 105 pounds? My average so far from the start of this journey is about 1.2 pounds per week. A little faster than I actually wanted. Was thinking about bumping average calories up from 2100 to 2300 to pump the brakes a little and try to support the lifts better. Chatgpt thinks my maintenance is around 2600 |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Wow! How long did it take you to drop 105 pounds? My average so far from the start of this journey is about 1.2 pounds per week. A little faster than I actually wanted. Was thinking about bumping average calories up from 2100 to 2300 to pump the brakes a little and try to support the lifts better. Chatgpt thinks my maintenance is around 2600 Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Originally Posted By rob78: Originally Posted By 1Andy2: Overhead db Press progress 8/13: 40 × 8, 8, 10 8/17: 40 × 9, 9, 8 8/20: 40 × 9, 9, 9 8/27: 40 × 9, 9, 10 Feels excruciatingly slow. But I am still also slowly losing weight. Honestly, this belly fat really hid how overweight I truly was. At 180, I thought getting down to 170 maybe 165 would make me really lean. But I'm at or slightly past that now and can still see there's weight to be lost. BTDT. I started at 5'10" 285lbs, 46" waist. I was a fat bastard. I'm now 180lbs, 32" waist. I've dropped by BF to 9% (with Dexa scan) to go to the beach. I was miserable. I've found that 10-12% is a good place for me. I'm not fluffy and I don't have vascularization in my abdomen/pecs, but I look better than 98% of the slobs out there. As a single guy, that helps big time. Wow! How long did it take you to drop 105 pounds? My average so far from the start of this journey is about 1.2 pounds per week. A little faster than I actually wanted. Was thinking about bumping average calories up from 2100 to 2300 to pump the brakes a little and try to support the lifts better. Chatgpt thinks my maintenance is around 2600 It took a long time man. This has been a 7 year journey. My diet was screwed up. I was eating better, but calories are calories. Too much peanut butter, trail mix, and other calorie-dense foods were being consumed. I was also still eating frozen "healthy" meals chock full of preservatives. Additionally, I was losing weight and not changing my caloric intake. As I lost weight I didn't significantly reduce/change my caloric goals to match my daily needs. Bear in mind, it gets harder to drop weight as you progress. Just like plateaus in the gym (weight increases), plateaus in body composition occur as well. Your body will adapt to stimulus in the gym and caloric intake in the kitchen. You have to continually push to make improvements and sometimes that includes deload weeks and/or boosting metabolism with a caloric increase (both of which are counter-intuitive). Lastly, at some point in your journey you'll realize that conventional means aren't moving the needle the same. This is when you have to listen to your body and see how changes impact your progress. Fad diets like keto/carnivore didn't work for me; I never could come out of the "keto flu" stage...I just felt like shit even with strict adherence. That said, carbs at dinner stick with me and I can see/feel the difference in a negative way. Subsequently, carbs are relegated to lunch time with protein-forward meals at dinner. |
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
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5 days into creatine. Maybe placebo effect but I do feel like it might be helping me get a couple extra reps. Hit 40x 10,10, 10 on seated overhead db press. 2 rep increase over last week and I haven't even been on 40s that long. |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: 5 days into creatine. Maybe placebo effect but I do feel like it might be helping me get a couple extra reps. Hit 40x 10,10, 10 on seated overhead db press. 2 rep increase over last week and I haven't even been on 40s that long. Biggest impact besides creatine for me has been greens. Like you said, not sure if placebo or real, but my energy levels significantly improved in the afternoons. |
If you don't have a plan, you can't change it.
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Down to 161/162 Upper body gains slowing down a bit. Lower body still improving. Physique-wise, still have a it of belly fat but upper abs starting to be visible without flexing. I think lower belly fat is the last to go. But its slowly going. When I hit 155, I think I might go do a dexa scan |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale