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Fitness |OT9|...You looked better before

I've actually been messing with the App all morning and last evening.

It's why I tossed some eggs and a green salad.

The numbers are getting to me though lol. I love to work with numbers but right now I'm fighting with myself to fill the bars and investing more food.

Though I did have two hard boiled eggs and a single slice of toast for Breakfast as alot of resources in the OP suggest lite meals to keep my metabolism up and frankly I can't do that huge dinner again.

Forget the numbers they give you, set your own once you get the hang of tracking and some suggestions here. My suggestion remains the same: 2 meals, lunch and dinner.

Holy high protein, Batman. And all those calories and only 50g fat?

If you check, I totally don't meet my macros lol. The app wants me to set percentages and so that comes out. Also, I do calorie/carb-fat cycling so my macros change almost day to day which the app doesn't support =(. The numbers there are technically set for a training day, my resting days are relatively low carb with high fat. In the end the "target" numbers are more of a guideline. Looking at it again I think I forgot to log some food. Oh well, dreamer bulking life.
 

fep

Member
from beginning to 2016

When is beginning? Nice work, hair got progressively better as well lol.

Haven't been in this thread for a sec, but happy with my current progress. I've been adding nearly +20lb to the big 3 every month since I changed up my routine.

Oct 31
Squat 3RM: 215
Bench 3RM: 155
Deadlift 3RM: 235

Nov 28
Squat 3RM: 235
Bench 3RM: 175
Deadlift 3RM: 255

- added run training here, still adjusting my food intake to compensate

Dec 20
Squat 3RM: 245
Bench 3RM: 175
Deadlift 3RM: 275

My workout is down pat, trying to get my diet dialed in now. I've stayed between 163-170lb this whole time and I'm trying to get down to 160 on average (with some water weight). I lift heavy on each lift one more time before end of the month... hoping my bench and squat make the jump, but I'm also hovering around ~165 right now.

I know it's probably better to cut or bulk, but this slow recomp has been working for me!
 

Beth Cyra

Member
Forget the numbers they give you, set your own once you get the hang of tracking and some suggestions here. My suggestion remains the same: 2 meals, lunch and dinner.



If you check, I totally don't meet my macros lol. The app wants me to set percentages and so that comes out. Also, I do calorie/carb-fat cycling so my macros change almost day to day which the app doesn't support =(. The numbers there are technically set for a training day, my resting days are relatively low carb with high fat. In the end the "target" numbers are more of a guideline. Looking at it again I think I forgot to log some food. Oh well, dreamer bulking life.
I'm doing your suggestion for sure.

Just by fast over lunch. I do physical therapy, core Excercises and some simple lifts on my lunch break so not enough time to eat.
 

mdsfx

Member
Having such a hard time balancing lifting with running, cycling, and swimming. I can't swim or cycle after upper body lifts, running sucks after lower body, I'm trying to run 3x per week, swim 2-3x, cycle 2x, and hit upper and lower body each 2x per week. Gah!

I'm sure as hell not giving up lifting

*Grumble grumble*
 
I can't swim or cycle after upper body lifts,

OK, so I get the first, but I've done mountain biking (heavily upper body involved) with serious upper body DOMS with no problem at all. What makes you think you couldn't handle being slumped over a road bike?
 

Gintamen

Member
I'm riding 16 miles each day, no matter what other exercise/lift I do on that day. Stop making execuses. Why would you need more than one lower body day to begin with(considering you also run/cycle)?
 

mdsfx

Member
OK, so I get the first, but I've done mountain biking (heavily upper body involved) with serious upper body DOMS with no problem at all. What makes you think you couldn't handle being slumped over a road bike?
My concern was mostly about triceps. I think hitting those hard then riding a road bike for an hour (supporting myself) would be tough (on the same day, immediately after lifting).

Stop making execuses.
That's quite the assumption.
 
Having such a hard time balancing lifting with running, cycling, and swimming. I can't swim or cycle after upper body lifts, running sucks after lower body, I'm trying to run 3x per week, swim 2-3x, cycle 2x, and hit upper and lower body each 2x per week. Gah!

I'm sure as hell not giving up lifting

*Grumble grumble*

I'm guessing you're more focused on cardio performance then? Why not make a 14 day training "week" instead of a 7 day schedule? Some lifters operate on a 10-14 day cycle rather than a 7 after all.
 

mdsfx

Member
I'm guessing you're more focused on cardio performance then? Why not make a 14 day training "week" instead of a 7 day schedule? Some lifters operate on a 10-14 day cycle rather than a 7 after all.

That might be a possibility. I'm kind of working with a restricted schedule which limits me to certain activities on certain days. For example I can only do my long run on a Saturday or Sunday and swimming is only possible sometime during the week. With 3 kids working out in the evenings is out, so I have to do everything in the morning between 5 and 7. I'll get it all done, it's just a matter of figuring out how not to limit I cardio as I recover from lifting.

Edit: I know that's way more information than anybody cares to know. That's a good suggestion though.
 
My concern was mostly about triceps. I think hitting those hard then riding a road bike for an hour (supporting myself) would be tough (on the same day, immediately after lifting).

If you're actively supporting yourself with your triceps then you badly need a bike fit.

Even if you were... you'd have to flat out be wrecking them to pieces to not be able to survive an hour using them for something as "challenging" as cycling.
 

mdsfx

Member
If you're actively supporting yourself with your triceps then you badly need a bike fit.

Even if you were... you'd have to flat out be wrecking them to pieces to not be able to survive an hour using them for something as "challenging" as cycling.
Funny, it actually occurred to me that my stem was slightly too long. That can certainly be making things harder for me.

I'll give the schedule I've created a shot and see if it creates an issue for me. Thanks for the advice.
 
410 max squat just now. Not bad considering I haven't squatted since August. Only lost 15 lbs on my max.

That's awesome! Gotta love the progress pics.

I don't take any pics of myself anymore. My progress in terms of aesthetics/size has completely stalled, probably due to my goals being cardio-based...? No idea, but I'd just be taking pictures of the same dude lol.

FE is just enormous :O

And don't sweat it, Mike. If that's what you are after that's what you are after. You know what you need to do for diet and training if you want to change - you just have to get over the mental hurdle of knowing you'll lose at least 2 of your 80 abs in the process :p

Tyty

Better be ready to work for years.

True true. I gave up on my goal to catch you on strength but at least I can look like I am strong lol.

This is literally incredible. How long did it take to get to that last picture? I'm only a year into lifting and hoping to reach that level at some point eventually.

My bad. 2010 is when I started.
 

alternade

Member

ILoveBish

Member
Long day at work, had to go shopping after, then came home and shoveled dirt for 1.5+ hours. Pretty good workout actually. The joys of being a diyer and owning a home.
 
We have an assortment of dumbbells already and extra carpeting for deadlifts. Anything else we might need?

Some bands for mobility work maybe?

Edit - Just got back from a full hour session of sports massage. Feel so dazed now. lol

She was pressing so damn hard on my legs that at one point she sort of shifted the (ridiculously heavy as it's motorized) massage table.
 

Szu

Member
Some bands for mobility work maybe?

Edit - Just got back from a full hour session of sports massage. Feel so dazed now. lol

She was pressing so damn hard on my legs that at one point she sort of shifted the (ridiculously heavy as it's motorized) massage table.

giphy.gif
 
Hmmm... my neck is a little sore...

At one point the woman in the cubicle next to mine sounded like she was being murdered by the physio. They're all sadists.
 
5 sets of brutally heavy squats done... IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!

Will be training like some airy fairy bodybuilder for the next 10 days. Is all about "dat pump" bros.

I'll be in a cottage in the middle of no-where, so all I have is bodyweight and bands.

\o/
 

mf.luder

Member
Got my squat to 315 today but left my lifting shoes at home! I would've been able to do a touch better with them.

Did deadlifts for the first time in a long time at 275. Need to start lower and work up to that, it was a little heavy at the moment.

I got such a good sweat on, love it.
 

Ixian

Member
Like 6-8 months later. Still in 2010.

I can post my fat "bulking" pics when I thought I was putting on muscle. I got fat. It was baaaad.
I'm trying to avoid that fate right now; I'm doing my first bulk and purposely set my calorie goals for November/December lower to account for the extra holiday eating. Wouldn't mind the extra layers for warmth though!

PS: Thanks for the response by the way! :D Excited to see where I end up as time goes on.
 
Christ, I have DOMS in some very strange places after squatting yesterday. Sort of on the inside of my groin on both sides. Never had that before.
 

Roufianos

Member
So I've been going gym for about 7 months now. I've put on a good amount of muscle but I have a small layer of fat over my stomach and chest that's bothering me.

It's really not much but that's the annoying thing, there's barely any of it and yet I've only lost about 30% of it since starting gym.

Anyone have a recommendation for the best way to lose fat whilst still retaining / building muscle? I read that I'd need to maintain high amounts of protein but cut the extra calories. I think the first thing to do would be to switch from a bulking protein shake to a lean one.
 
Not to my knowledge. I have some tape on the floor that I use as a guide and I believe my feet were in the same place they normally are.

However, I have been doing a ton of glute activation work recently so that may have had some effect on my form.
 

Ixian

Member
So I've been going gym for about 7 months now. I've put on a good amount of muscle but I have a small layer of fat over my stomach and chest that's bothering me.

It's really not much but that's the annoying thing, there's barely any of it and yet I've only lost about 30% of it since starting gym.

Anyone have a recommendation for the best way to lose fat whilst still retaining / building muscle? I read that I'd need to maintain high amounts of protein but cut the extra calories. I think the first thing to do would be to switch from a bulking protein shake to a lean one.
Losing fat and building muscle are pretty much at odds with one another; one requires a calorie deficit and the other requires a calorie surplus. You're going to inevitably lose some muscle and strength while cutting, the goal is to avoid losing too much by not operating at too large of a calorie deficit, eating a good amount of protein, and continuing with your lifts.

(Edit: Depending on where you're at with your lifts, you might still possibly grow stronger while cutting, that's generally something that happens if you're getting into the swing of things still though.)
 

Beth Cyra

Member
So over the last few days it seems like the two meals a day is slowly getting easier to handle.

Tracking the food on the app is nice if only a bit obsessive.

I'm still keep a 1700+ calorie deficit according to the read outs when you add in the calorie burns.

Gym is now a bit more erratic, at times feels like I have more energy but others feels like I'm dead. I did add a protien shake (1 scoop) before hand so maybe my timing is off on that.

I have the meeting today at 6 15 to get a more structured work out plan. Hopefully it works out and I've been looking into work out products like advocate to help myself cut down to 150.
 
Strained the left side of my neck/trap a little bit yesterday after my workout and can barely move my head left to right today. Like when you wake up after sleeping in an awkward position.

Any little tips to speed up the healing process a bit?
 

mdsfx

Member
So over the last few days it seems like the two meals a day is slowly getting easier to handle.

Tracking the food on the app is nice if only a bit obsessive.

I'm still keep a 1700+ calorie deficit according to the read outs when you add in the calorie burns.

I actually prefer 2 meals per day since they can be bigger / more satisfying. Also, the food tracking becomes easier the more you use it, especially if you are a creature of habit and eat the same or similar foods each day like my boring ass.

Are you sure about that 1700 calorie defect? Either you're not eating hardly anything or your workouts are legendary. I do one hour of cardio hard enough that I can't pay attention to music or a TV show and that probably only burns 500-700 calories max depending on the exercise.
 
Any weight belt recommendations?

Currently looking at Inzer Forever Buckle Belt 13mm

i have both the lever and the double prong inzer belt. i just prefer the prong because it just gets a better fit and i don't have to unscrew to readjust when i get fat.

as far as the lever goes you can always get a replacement from another company that offers better material if you worry about it breaking on you. but when they say wait 6-10 weeks. expect that lol my red/white/blue took ages to get here but i love it.
 
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