It's that time of the year again and I'm a bit early with this, but...

Quote :

"Tired of being a fat ass or a scrawny weakling? Want to be the envy of those on the beach? Then enter this challenge. Rules: 1. Post regular updates of your progress. This photo must be in a bathing suit. After all, that's what you're going to be wearing on the beach, isn't it? 2. Post your workout routine and diet info. Keep it to encouragement or suggestions and not telling people that they're doing it wrong because its not how YOU would do things. 3. Don't shit up this thread. It's in The Lounge for a reason. 4. NO FUCKING WHINING. Your muscles hurt? You don't like eating healthy food? You think you look fat? Shut the fuck up and get back to work. 5. Yes, there are going to be women posting photos of themselves in bikinis. Don't be a fucking creep."

So show us your dedication

If you want your name in the title make the most progress and win for 2012.

[Edited on December 20, 2011 at 1:42 PM. Reason : some modifications]

12/20/2011 1:18:58 PM

Ladies, be sure to post your pics so God can beat to them and hound you on facebook.

12/20/2011 1:27:33 PM

I TOO WANT MY NAME IN THE THREAD TITLE!

also good luck to all...i will try and motivate myself to do this atleast in 2012

12/20/2011 1:29:37 PM

no one follows the rules anyways

it's probably time for a revamp

12/20/2011 1:32:12 PM

I will do this this year. I will even post pictures...I think.

I am currently down 14 pounds from when I started about 6 weeks ago. This was all from a diet change though, no extra exercise, so I am still very squishy. I have absolutely zero plans for working out until the new year, so I'll get around to posting pictures sometime between now and then. Plz to halp keep me motivated.

12/20/2011 1:38:02 PM

i agree with pshoes. we should look to revamp the rules. posting pictures weekly never happened for most people - maybe we can say monthly posting. and instead of posting what you're eating and work outs every day - you can post it weekly or just make note when you made changes.

also we should consider adding in monthly, quarterly, and a yearly goal for everyone.

for example: my monthly goal is to incorporate 1 additional fruit/veggie into my diet.
my quarterly goal would be for me to continue to gain lean muscle mass. at this point my body is moving into maintenance mode so from here it looks like i'll stick to around the same weight (maybe lose another 3-5 pounds) but really focus on pushing hard and making strides in working leaning out more.

my yearly goal is to stay the fuck away from sweets. i've been better. i made over that hump of ZOMG SUGAR! that i had earlier this year and now it's much more controllable.

12/20/2011 1:49:37 PM

I say this every year but I really need to get my rear in gear. I think my biggest issue is crappy eating habits. And I could probably stand to do more muscle building exercises rather than just the stair walking and dog walking I do now.

12/20/2011 1:52:39 PM

^ i can help you. i have made tremendous strides in cleaning up my diet and also utilizing HIIT to complete quick work outs that make a huge difference.

12/20/2011 1:53:27 PM

I think I'm doing much better on my eating habits, but I'm sure I need more work.

But I am going to list my biggest issues on my body and maybe someone can help me fix this.

My flabby arms. You know what I'm talking about, that grandma wing thing.
Muffin Tops even when nekkid.
Inner Thighs.
I'd also like to tone my butt a big more.

12/20/2011 1:57:29 PM

Yay Did you do mostly calorie counting sort of stuff? I was doing HIIT for awhile, which was great, but I've fallen back of out it. A combination of getting home and just want to relax and my dog being a pain in the ass when I try to jog with her lol.

12/20/2011 1:58:52 PM

I'm not looking for a beach body, yet, but I am going to try to participate this year.

I am fat, really fat.

I would like to lose 75-100 pounds this year and have keep it off by this time next year.

12/20/2011 2:04:22 PM

Quote :

"i agree with pshoes. we should look to revamp the rules. posting pictures weekly never happened for most people - maybe we can say monthly posting. and instead of posting what you're eating and work outs every day - you can post it weekly or just make note when you made changes."

modified original post to just include regular updates. weekly updates just seems to be asking too much. definitely can do without daily updates. will see if i can still modify that part

Quote :

"also we should consider adding in monthly, quarterly, and a yearly goal for everyone. for example: my monthly goal is to incorporate 1 additional fruit/veggie into my diet. my quarterly goal would be for me to continue to gain lean muscle mass. at this point my body is moving into maintenance mode so from here it looks like i'll stick to around the same weight (maybe lose another 3-5 pounds) but really focus on pushing hard and making strides in working leaning out more. my yearly goal is to stay the fuck away from sweets. i've been better. i made over that hump of ZOMG SUGAR! that i had earlier this year and now it's much more controllable."

The goals seems like a good way to monitor and instead of hoping for a change tracking it in steps

12/20/2011 2:05:31 PM

I would like to lose 100 lb.

Not gonna happen. I suck at losing weight.

12/20/2011 2:08:13 PM

for wolfpackgrrr i used to calorie count and it drove me crazy. i found if i stick to basic eating plan everything balances out on it's own.

breakfast is: a banana, coffee with soy milk and sugar-free vanilla syrup, steel cut oats with 1 packet of truvia, a serving of blueberries, and hot water. i used to eat a hard-boiled egg as well but i have nixed that because i found i wasn't hungry for it anymore.

lunch: 1 serving of lean meat (usually chicken, sometimes fish, rarely lean red meat) with 2-3 servings of veggies. sometimes if i don't have enough veggies and i have some healthy carbs around the house, i throw that in the container too (like quinoa or quinoa pasta)

dinner: 1 serving of lean meat with 2-3 servings of veggies. if i didn't have a carb at lunch, i'll have one with dinner.

with some people they like to eat snacks in between meals. for me i find 3 meals a day works best for me. i have tried the snack thing before - it didn't help with hunger any more/less than just eating 3 meals a day.

i limit my dairy to 1-2 servings a day max. i also drink 3-5 liters of water a day.

mind you - because of my allergy, i can't have canned, frozen, or dried foods. i can't have beer or wine so i rarely drink, i can't have soda, i can't have chocolate, and i have to watch it with the processed stuff. for me, that filters out a lot of "bad" foods. not saying i don't splurge sometimes (hello 1 pound of cheesy pasta!!) but i try to balance it back out - if i know we're going out to eat that night, i make sure i eat right during the day and try to take it easy on the restaurant food and not go nuts. if i overindulge a bit one day, i reign it back in on the next and just try to get back into my routine as much as possible.

for HIIT - i use http://www.bodyrock.tv exclusively. i stopped running - i only run maybe once or twice a month for shits and giggles now or if i have a race. i have found if i pay attention to my diet and do these exercises 6 days a week, everything works out pretty well for me.

[Edited on December 20, 2011 at 2:10 PM. Reason : edit]

12/20/2011 2:09:55 PM

for those that are returning, we can do a quick intro about what what works for us, where we are in the beach body challenge that is life, etc.

BeachBodying' since: 2010
Highest Weight: 158 pounds - Fall 2010
Lowest Weight: 128 pounds - current
Diet: Mostly a low carb fare, sulfite-free, lots of whole grains, fruit/veggies, lean meats
Work Out: Bodyrock (HIIT)
Biggest Vice: ZOMG sugar! also i have no self-control.

12/20/2011 2:13:02 PM

Quote :

"I would like to lose 100 lb. Not gonna happen. I suck at losing weight."

stick to shorter range goals.

i got into a regular habit of weighing myself everyday and setting monthly goals.
also realize that if you take to weighing yourself everyday you'll see regular fluctuations in weight.

just look for small motivations to change the things you know you can live without rather than going with some crash diet. i allowed myself one cheat day a week, where i didn't gorge but i ate foods that were definitely not contributing to losing any weight, but it was enough to keep me from going crazy with healthy foods and starting to cheat all the time.

[Edited on December 20, 2011 at 2:16 PM. Reason : slow]

12/20/2011 2:16:23 PM

Ooh thanks for that link. I'll have to take a look at it tonight.

I need to be so much better about bringing lunch to work. I am bad bad bad about it now.

12/20/2011 2:17:26 PM

i used to do the cheat day meal once a week but eventually i stopped thinking about it and then if i wanted something kind of indulgent that was my "cheat," i enjoyed it, and then moved on.

^ in regards to bringing a lunch, i pack ALL my food (breakfast and lunch) the night before and put it in the fridge. so in the morning all i have to do is grab and go. it makes it a lot easier for me and then i have less excuses in the morning to not bring something from home.

[Edited on December 20, 2011 at 2:19 PM. Reason : food]

12/20/2011 2:17:31 PM

I will participate in this, this year!

Starting point: I am not in shape by any stretch of the imagination. I am 110 pounds, but not strong, and have little endurance. I have improved in this area through personal training for the past few months. I'm able to make it through a HIIT workout for an hour now! My trainer is awesome, but he had to quit today, so I will need a new one.
Goals: Build endurance. Build strength. Tone fat into muscle. Learn how to eat well.
Weaknesses: Diet. I have a hard time eating 1) enough food and 2) food that will give me energy.

12/20/2011 2:20:12 PM

BeachBodying' since: 2011
Highest Weight: 226 pounds - April 2011
Lowest Weight: 180 pounds - current
Diet: heavier carbs in the morning and taper down to dinner, lower protein at breakfast and increase into dinner.
Work Out: weightlifting and cardio
Biggest Vice: sushi and tiring of cardio leading to skipping days

January Goal
No fast food - slipped up on this mostly this month due to poor sleeping and too many activities going on during the week

Q1 Goal(s)
Trim another inch from stomach
Stop weightloss and start increasing size

Yearly Goal(s)
Be a waist size 32-33 pants (may be unrealistic due to bone structure, but want to know for certain)
Biceps - gain 2"
Chest - gain 3"


Also as my 30th bday will fall in January of 2013 my original goal was left vague, but it is to be in the best shape of my life by that point.

[Edited on December 20, 2011 at 2:26 PM. Reason : .]

12/20/2011 2:25:39 PM

Quote :

"in regards to bringing a lunch, i pack ALL my food (breakfast and lunch) the night before and put it in the fridge. so in the morning all i have to do is grab and go."

Yes, this is what I need to do but I'm sooooooooo bad about it. I used to have a friend that every Sunday she would make every breakfast and lunch for the work week and put it in her fridge. I used to think she was pretty nutty for doing that but maybe she had the right idea. I'm much more motivated to do that sort of thing on a Sunday than I am after work.

Ironically, I just got an email from HR on their new weight loss initiative they're rolling out. Departments register as teams to compete in different categories. These are some of the names of the teams:

Quote :

" • Mission Slim Possible – Network Services • Shake and Bake – Student Affairs • Run On, Sentences – Office of Communication • Chubby Scones – Finance and Resource"

The Office of Communication one makes me laugh.

12/20/2011 2:28:07 PM

down from 310 in october to 268 today.

12/20/2011 2:31:57 PM

yay lots of new people!!!

and returning favorites

12/20/2011 2:38:47 PM

As of february I will also start including things that I failed at doing. Maybe in my monthly goal or just something I didn't foresee happening.

12/20/2011 2:45:19 PM

I'm going to continue my knowledge dropping and shameless plugging for my personal training business.

In March, I will do a weekly update of my body recomp/cut to get sexified for summertime.

12/20/2011 3:03:00 PM

I know this is a silly question, but does any one have any favorite work out video games? I have a wii and a ps3, and I love the fact that some of the games track your progress and I would be much more likely to pop in a game and work out than I would to pop in a video or just work out alone. I would be willing to consider getting an xbox and the connect system as well.

12/20/2011 3:15:18 PM

I can only think of DDR or dance central for kinect.

You would have to choose several songs to play back to back at a harder difficulty to get close to raising the heart rate enough for it to really classify into a work out though.

12/20/2011 3:21:56 PM

I'm not planning on video games as being my only workout, I just wanted some for an extra fun workout maybe once or twice a week.

and the one I'm considering right now is zumba for the wii.

[Edited on December 20, 2011 at 3:25 PM. Reason : .]

12/20/2011 3:25:08 PM

I figured you were treating it as an additional cardio activity you could do during days of bad weather or allergies acting up

while the reviews of the game itself aren't overwhelming positive by game reviewers it seems that other people have turned to the zumba games with success and had fun with the cardio. I haven't seen the zumba game (i will on xmas day i'm sure as its one of the gifts being given)

most people say they get a nice workout from the games though.

[Edited on December 20, 2011 at 3:35 PM. Reason : ]

12/20/2011 3:29:00 PM

I might get in on this. In the last year I have put on weight I lost previously by simply adjusting diet from my new job, which is far more sedentary. I was fighting back this summer with playing tennis and doing some running, but since the family moved up and I've been involved with scouts, church and my photography shoots, I have been getting close to 200 lbs. I'm 6' tall, so I would like to get it down to maybe 175. I don't want to be ripped or anything, just want to look like a fat pig at the beach or pool.

Planning to cut back on the eating after Christmas and really get to using the weight room or just run. We will see. Maybe doing this would help me not be such a pussy and stick with it.

12/20/2011 3:44:13 PM

Elise I have Zumba for the Kinect and it's awesome - very tough but I like the challenge.

12/20/2011 4:13:27 PM

Good! I hope the game play is comparable on the wii. I know it cant see what im doing like the kinect but it has the thing you wear on your leg. Maybe it will work out ok.

12/20/2011 4:18:07 PM

Come on, man. No one really loses weight with those things. They're a ploy to get the really fat people thinking they can become only kinda fat. Kinda fat people won't get skinny unless they do real exercise.

12/20/2011 4:24:41 PM

Dont be dick. Also read the thread. I want a game to sub in for a day when i want to have fun with my workout, or as grimx said, when the weather is bad or i dont feel well.

12/20/2011 4:27:38 PM

^^I've got to agree with this.

If you want to shed a few pounds and maintain an average look, by all means take a game-like approach to your exercise.

However, if you want to dramatically change the way you look, feel and perform; Taking a serious approach to training and nutrition is in order. There are a variety of ways to reach fitness goals, but the most productive methods are rigorous, quantitative, and rooted in doing things the "hard way".

12/20/2011 4:31:07 PM

I'm in (again, hah.) I'm going to be more dedicated to posting this time though.

Goals for the spring:
1. Get to a green belt
2. Do 40 push-ups (the right way)
3. Drop 20 lbs (this is for all spring, end goal being May 12th)


Right now I'm at about 165 lbs, I think. But, to be honest, I'm not sure what my actual weight is when you subtract that massive amount of bloat and whatnot in the middle region... Regardless, I want this to be gone and to be at 145 lbs by the time I graduate. My lowest ever was 146 lbs last December, but I want to get to that in a healthy way instead of starving myself via stimulants.


And I guess for a good short term goal, I want to be able to do a 360 jump spin sidekick and break a board by March.


Oh and I want to battle my sugar cravings.

12/20/2011 5:03:30 PM

Quote :

"Yearly Goal(s) Be a waist size 32-33 pants (may be unrealistic due to bone structure, but want to know for certain) Biceps - gain 2" Chest - gain 3""

BeachBodying' since: 2010 i guess
Highest Weight: 210 pounds - dec 09
Lowest Weight: 172 pounds - april 11 a couple months of paleo made me look like i had AIDS.
Current weight: 190 pounds no idea bout body fat. smaller waist then at 172. quads cant fit into my pants though and have had to buy more.
Diet: pretty terrible. fuck tons of eggs (~30-40/week), meats with vegetables sprinkled in sparingly, milkz... etc. but right now, mostly gingerbread men.
Work Out: weightlifting. walking.
Biggest Vice: 8,000 cals/week in alcohol. sometimes more. shit poor sleep habits. whiskey binges. greatly effects recovery and being ready to lift.

January Goal
Start intermittent fasting, cut down on the drankin'. keep chugging with starting strength style programming.


Q1 Goal(s)
recomp, drop a little body fat. dont care about weight. look healthy in wedding photos. probably unlikely since i tend to look strung out from not sleeping enough.


Yearly Goal(s)
swole patrol.

ok really,
squatz up to 3x5x310lb. current 3x5-> 220. <10 lb/month.
deadlift up to 5x410lb. current 5rm-> 275. 11.25 lb/month.
bench up to 3x5x225lb. current 3x5-> 165. 5 lb/month.
ohp up to 3x5x135lb. current 3x5-> 120.

ok i had goals set for end of 2012 set a few months ago. some of these as im typing them out seem kinda silly and ill have to re-evaluate.

10 45lb weighted chins currently ~10 unweighted
15 45lb weighted dips currently 12 unweighted
10 45lb weighted wide grip pullups currently 2 unweighted.

i think this should be feasible. worried about the deadlift though.

might move into texas method over the summer if i start to hate myself.

12/20/2011 5:05:58 PM

iop1

I suck at attaining fitness goals

damn shoes has been getting swole

I've been slowly losing weight/reshaping my body by eating better, but my recent work schedule change to 50 hours M-F then plus some on the weekends has been taking its toll on me...a lot more fast food for lunch and generally not a well cooked dinner.

I get in the garage gym and my drop-in bench weight is 205, which I get about 7 reps and 3 sets out of before I go do something else. Pull ups are getting better, but I quickly lose progress if I don't keep up on them. Drop in reps are 5 each of chin ups, pull ups, wide grip, but I can get more with additional sleep/energy.

I might bring some weights into the make shift gym we are developing at work so I can do some drop in sets there, but I don't know how much progress I'll make without good determined workouts. My lift numbers have been increasing at least, since I can casually do 205 and pull ups now.

Maybe the new dog will help me get out and do some running, or otherwise I'll do time on the elliptical.

So, goals are lose fat, get swole, do deadlifts.

[Edited on December 20, 2011 at 5:14 PM. Reason : I don't really think I set any goals]

12/20/2011 5:08:19 PM

BeachBodying' since: August 2010
Highest Weight: 166 pounds - December 19, 2011
Lowest Weight: 143 pounds - August 2010
Diet: 3000 calories on lift days, tilapia, body weight in grams of protein, peanut butter, lots of veggies, sweet potatoes, occasional pasta
Work Out: Barbell program designed by MattJMM2
Biggest Vice: Pepsi, sweet tea although I've moderated this out a good bit by focusing on 64oz of water a day.

January Goals:
170 lbs. Switch to a maintenance diet of low fat, still high protein to start lowering bf% without losing muscle.

Q1 Goals: These are rough estimates based on my end goals divided by how many quarters I have left to do this.
Deadlift: 250 (currently 225)
Squat: 185 (currently 165)
Press: 105-110 (currently 90-95)
Bench: 150-155 (currently 135)

Yearly Goals: These are with about a quarter to go before I leave to hike the AT and hopefully hit my end lift targets
Deadlift: 320
Squat: 240
Press: 155
Bench 200

I'll post some pictures here soon to see where I started and where I'm at now from this past year.

12/20/2011 5:23:35 PM

I'm opening a CF gym this new year, so I should have lots of free time between classes to work out.

I'm looking for some big gains this year, but my #1 goal is to be smarter about volume/recovery so that I don't have to take any time off due to stupid little "injuries"

Some goals off the top of my head

become proficient at rope climbs, handstand pushups, pistols
Snatch 200+
Clean and Jerk 250+
Deadlift 475+
Press 175+
Front Squat 275+
Back Squat 350+

If I can hit all those by the end of the year, I'd be extremely happy.

12/20/2011 5:28:04 PM

haha, i think that frowny face was at what could be low yearly goals for me, but as i'm not sure when i'm going to go into putting on more weight i didn't want to go overboard and i'm not sure what that will look like for me.

for others that are seeing the thread and immediately scared off by lots of body builders and huge weight lifting routines don't get discouraged. if you're scared off from the thread and posting picture updates try to find a good partner or 2-3 people also going through a similar stage that you can share with and encourage each other at your own pace, when you feel comfortable with progress post and let us in on your success.

12/20/2011 5:43:25 PM

BeachBodying' since: 2011
Highest Weight: 162 pounds - Spring 2011
Lowest Weight: 135.2 pounds - current
Diet: fruit and veggies, meats, been trying to cut out the processed foods
Work Out: Running/cardio
Biggest Vice: sweets, chocolates, breads, beer

My Goals for this year(2012):
Do another 8k, hopefully two
Do the Broad Street Run May 1st (10k)
Run the Philly Rock & Roll half marathon September 16th
Trim my body down some more, get down into the 120s

12/20/2011 6:12:56 PM

Grimx, naw man... the was due to how often dudes are like "I want a bigger chest and biceps" and neglect the lower body. If your jean size goes up, but its due to quad/ham/glute strentgh, ain't no problem there. Don't let that hold you back. Also, what's more likely in terms of a real life use of strength? Picking up something heavy off the floor, or one arm curling a lady to safety who is dangling perilously from a cliff?

12/20/2011 6:24:57 PM

haha, well i want the rest of me to increase as well, but those are the main goals

12/20/2011 6:37:39 PM

Hey guys i made a video of one of my workouts, thought i'd share with you

somebody mind embedding?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56SDn1rQg_M


I meet with my trainer 3x/week, we usually do 2 days heavy weights and then one day of cardio-interval training in the studio room. It's geared towards lighter weight, rapid movement, and maximum heart rate. I'm usually pushing 180 when i finish a set. There's typically 2-3 exercises in each set, followed by a 45s-1min break, then back to work. I edited out a lot and made an 8min video of my workout so you can see some of the things I do during the workout.

I can tell just from my body posture how freakin tired I am by the end of this. I'm embarrassed about the way i'm breathing and also my form in a lot of the moves (checkout the pushups I'm doing around 7:03.....ugh). But I'm super exhausted by this point, so it's just trying to finish them up at this point.

anyways, hope you like it and maybe it'll stir some motivation to go workout!!

12/20/2011 9:55:58 PM

BeachBodying' since: 2010
Highest Weight: 195 pounds - July 2010
Lowest Weight: 186 pounds - Spring-ish 2011
Diet: cottage cheese and organic peanut butter for breakfast, salad for lunch, chicken with veggies or rice for dinner
Work Out: Running/cardio, dumbbells at home
Biggest Vice: beer/liquor and fried foods

My Goals for this year(2012):
Get down to 180
Work on flexibility

12/20/2011 10:20:26 PM

got weighed at the doctor today, and i weigh 235. thought i was more around 215-220. yikes!

i need to get to 190-195. commence diet and exercise.

12/20/2011 10:28:56 PM

BeachBodying' since: 2012
Highest Weight: 200 pounds - current
Lowest Weight: 150 - 2007
Diet: Chicken and tuna
Work Out: Running going to start lifting once the school year starts
Biggest Vice: being lazy and ordering pizza

My Goals for this year(2012):
Lose weight, gained a shit load being lethargic due to shoulder issues.

12/20/2011 11:17:27 PM

dharney, I don't like to sound like such a hater, but the stuff your trainer has you doing is not optimal. At all.

Practically all of your movements are partial ranges, bosu ball work is almost counter productive, and doing so many light, high rep movements is not the best way to grow/retain lean mass when cutting weight.

If you stick with any program for 3x a week that has you metabolically fatigued every time, you will see some changes. Will it be optimal and safe? That depends, but from what I saw in that video, I'd recommend hiring someone who can teach you optimal biomechanics and methods to get stronger.

12/21/2011 5:41:34 AM

thanks, no worries. Like I had said, we meet 3x/week, but this particular workout is only once per week. The other 2 workouts are slower paced and focus on heavier weights and strength training.

I will admit though i've wondered about that bosu ball. It's hard to stay planted on the back of my feet 100% of the time, you can see im struggling to maintain balance there.

what would you recommend in particular that would help grow and retain muscle mass while cutting BF% at the same time? also idk what biomechanics is

12/21/2011 6:55:36 AM