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12/21/2011 7:12:45 AM

Page 2! This thread is really taking off!

And I'm slow.

[Edited on December 21, 2011 at 7:15 AM. Reason : N]

12/21/2011 7:14:31 AM

Quote :

"Yearly Goal(s) swole patrol."

whoop whoop!

awesome goals for everyone so far! keep them coming!

question - what do yall do when you're on vacation? i'm going to be overseas for 2 weeks and i know we'll be doing a lot of walking around but i want to try to get in a quick short burst work out 4 days a week while i'm there. i can run obviously which is what i'll probably do since i'll be staying right next to a big park but any other suggestions? we'll be in a tiny apartment so doing my HIIT might not be optimal for the space.

12/21/2011 7:27:14 AM

Depends on the city.

I leave for London tomorrow, so I plan to walk a LOT, jog and do yoga in my hotel room. (there's no gym) The most important thing is to drink lots of water and get sufficient sleep so your immune system isn't shot.

One of my girlfriends always does her P90X wherever she is ... you really just need enough space for burpees. She just does everything a bit gentler if she's at a hotel, so she doesn't shake the hotel room below.

Oh yeah, you're talking about London, too! Does your hotel have a gym? Honestly, you're gonna walk a TON, so working out isn't the biggest priority.

[Edited on December 21, 2011 at 7:34 AM. Reason : .]

12/21/2011 7:33:23 AM

Quote :

"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 "

If you are doing 2 days of heavy/strength work, and 1 day of conditioning, that can work pretty well.

The bosu ball is only good for a few limited applications. In general, it just makes normal lifts harder by making you unstable, forcing you to use lighter weight. This isn't a good thing if getting stronger/more muscular is your goal. Plus there's been research that's found no carry over in stability and balance gains.

For body recomposition, I am a big believer in using the diet to create a calorie deficit and then use strength training (low volume/reps, heavy weight) to stimulate muscle growth/retention.

The reason I am not an advocate of high rep/conditioning work is that it causes more fatigue to your tissues. When you are in a calorie deficit to lose weight, your ability to recover from that fatigue is compromised and will lead to more muscle break down than necessary.

12/21/2011 8:13:40 AM

I agree with I<3k, but I thought the same thing about Ireland 2 years ago and gained weight my biggest piece of advice would be to stay away from all their delicious brown bread because that shit is like crack


Also, something grimx mentioned reminded me of something... for those who aren't sure what to do or where to begin, try thinking about a new hobby. I started doing taekwondo and am so much happier than when I was just trying to force myself to go to the gym (because I was so bored) - start some dance classes, martial arts, pilates, etc etc. You might even be able to find a groupon

12/21/2011 8:13:44 AM

^ Good point. I guess, best advice is to be mindful of what you eat ... don't deprive yourself ... but don't go too crazy with the fish & chips. Another good piece of advice is that you can't expect to keep up the exact same routine when you travel. You'll miss out on sightseeing time. With that in mind, just get back into your routine when you get back. Ignore the scale for a bit. You'll probably retain water from food + travel, so the scale may not be most accurate.

12/21/2011 8:47:14 AM

^^^Forgot to mention biomechanics

Biomechanics is process in which the body moves. When the body is in alignment and the right muscles are doing the right job at the right time, optimal biomechanics are expressed and you can move heavy stuff gracefully.

12/21/2011 8:55:40 AM

thanks. I should mention towards the end there i'm super gassed and my form wasn't looking so good.

today was all upper body chest/tris strength training, much slower pace, benchpress, dumbbells and also some core work in between.

I think I'm getting it done ok. My muscles aren't huge like yours or anything though but i've def lost a ton of weight (~35lbs) and about 10% body fat.

for personal appearances, i want to burn off the rest of the fat that's around my stomach and love handles, and size-wise grow my biceps/tris/shoulders some, but I can do that on my own. Right now i'm curling with 30lbs bells, I want to work my way up to 40-45lbs

12/21/2011 9:26:25 AM

Quote :

"Depends on the city. I leave for London tomorrow, so I plan to walk a LOT, jog and do yoga in my hotel room. (there's no gym) The most important thing is to drink lots of water and get sufficient sleep so your immune system isn't shot. One of my girlfriends always does her P90X wherever she is ... you really just need enough space for burpees. She just does everything a bit gentler if she's at a hotel, so she doesn't shake the hotel room below. Oh yeah, you're talking about London, too! Does your hotel have a gym? Honestly, you're gonna walk a TON, so working out isn't the biggest priority."

we're actually staying at my fiancee's godmother's apartment. a hotel would be ideal for working out because i'm sure i could have found some indoor space. but they live on the third floor of an old building so i don't think jumping around would be good.

we'll be next to Hyde Park so i plan to go out there for a jog in the mornings.

i just have to stay mindful of my diet. i've been apparently consuming something this week that is causing massive bloating - i've gained 3 pounds since Friday and can't seem to put my finger on what it is that's causing the issue. i've been super careful since Sunday so this is kind of frustrating.

[Edited on December 21, 2011 at 9:39 AM. Reason : boo weight gain]

12/21/2011 9:37:58 AM

iop2.

I want to try to participate this year, so long as flight school doesn't get in the way. Obviously, my training comes first, but physical fitness is a close second in the Marine Corps.

Some of my goals include getting my waist down to 30" (currently a size 32), getting my neck down to 15" or less (currently 17"). Gaining some muscle mass, but focusing moreso on being in good cardiovascular shape in terms of running marathons and triathlons.

I'd like to try to do a sprint tri this year. Also, a goal of mine is to run the Marine Corps Marathon in under four hours this year.

12/21/2011 10:10:55 AM

I am sort of a strength training fanatic, borderline dogmatic, to the point where I almost write off doing curls or other small muscle group/isolation movements.

IMO, it is much more important to focus your training around getting the big compound lifts (squat, dead lift, bench, overhead press, chin ups, rows, dips) stronger and up in reps, than it is focusing on smaller stuff like curls, tricep extensions, or other isolation type movements.

It's so easy to get lost in the the minutae... Like if you are hitting the right angle on biceps, or if you are waiting long enough between sets. The most practical way to change your physique is to simply get profoundly stronger and then manipulate your diet/activity to lower body fat.

With all that said, I do still prescribe curls and other beach muscle lifts to myself and my clients because it's fun, we are all a little vane and want a good pump in the guns.

12/21/2011 10:18:39 AM

The only bicep thing I think I do now are chin ups and my chica says that she sees a good bit more improvement now than when I was doing all the dumbbell curling associated with p90x. Also, and MattJMM2 can tell me if I am wrong for thinking this, but I'd wager that you'll see more bicep aesthetic if you also work on building your shoulder press strength. This builds the shoulders and triceps making that whole area larger.

12/21/2011 3:20:41 PM

I squatted for the first time in about a month on Monday.

I hate my life still.

12/21/2011 3:39:27 PM

So I suppose I only owe you light beers after last nights poor excuse for a game?

12/21/2011 3:53:48 PM

Quote :

"Also, and MattJMM2 can tell me if I am wrong for thinking this, but I'd wager that you'll see more bicep aesthetic if you also work on building your shoulder press strength. This builds the shoulders and triceps making that whole area larger."

Getting your pressing strength up will definitely lead to bigger arms. More in the delts/triceps than the biceps though. If you want bigger biceps hitting them directly would probably be more effective.

12/21/2011 3:55:30 PM

Excerpt from Lean Gains:

Quote :

"When it comes to training, I'm a minimalist. I don't "attack the bi's from different angles". I do chins with an extra 100 lbs around my waist. I don't spend any time "working the core". I never do ab work. I squat and do triple body weight deadlifts. I don't "feel the burn". I give every set a 100% and only concern myself with adding an extra rep, or another 5 lbs, on the bar. And most importantly, I don't go to the gym to have a nice and cozy time. Sometimes people ask me things in between sets. "Nice arms, man. How do you get that veiny look - do you go for the pump to really bring those cuts out? And what's the lowdown on preacher curls with a straight bar vs the EZ-bar?" "I don't curl" "Yeah right, c'mon..." I then give them The Look. The Look let's them know I am dead serious and that the conversation is over."

12/21/2011 4:10:30 PM

^lol that guy is a douchebag

12/21/2011 4:36:05 PM

^Ha. He seems like a fairly nice dude.

I've taken 3 months off from lifting to focus exclusively on running. I am getting fat, weak, and depressed. Feeling like going all Kurt Cobain. I can't fricking wait to get back into lifting ala Starting Strength/Lean Gains.

12/21/2011 4:43:58 PM

smaller muscles recover faster, so you can train biceps, triceps, and shoulders twice as often as you can train chest and back. likewise, smaller muscles are not capable of doing as much volume as larger muscles, so you can't do 16 sets of back exercises that also work the biceps and then start doing bicep exercises on top of that thinking you'll see growth.

I train back by itself, knowing the rear deltoids and biceps are getting a heavy workout. I train chest by itself, knowing the front and medial deltoids and triceps are getting a heavy workout. The day after quad day when I'm too sore to do a lot of cardio, I train shoulders and arms again followed by as much as I can stand on the elliptical to loosen up.

I personally don't train calves ever, because they'rer massive from doing cardio and training them just makes me cramp in my sleep.

I don't ever train traps either, as they get more than enough work from doing back and shoulder work. I've never seen anyone get massive traps from doing shrug work.

12/21/2011 5:04:50 PM

i've made an executive decision to go away from strong lifts programming and into starting strength programming, except with keeping pendlay rows, and working on power cleans after the new year. 15 weeks was a pretty good run. eventually phase out the pendlay rows and focus on the PCs.

so, taking working sets from 5x5, to 3x5, since i was still in the 5x5 phase for all the lifts (except DL) on stronglifts was the main change.

that workout felt way too easy with only three sets of working weight.

however, goodbye asshole squat weight i've been stuck at

12/21/2011 6:58:00 PM

Starting Strength is great, but eventually you just can't recover from squatting heavy three days a week.

12/21/2011 8:05:03 PM

I understand and agree, but do not think I am there yet.

12/21/2011 9:12:33 PM

Depending on your height, form, age and willingness to gain weight; you can probably ride starting strength to a 405 squat.

I took it to about 315 for 3x5 @ 195 bodyweigh until I injured my back dead lifting. I've tried texas method (hated it), bill starr/madcow 5x5 (liked it), 531 (loved it), west side method (mixed feelings).

I PR'ed on the squat 385x1 with the westside method at a bodyweight of 170.

12/21/2011 9:16:08 PM

Quote :

"So I suppose I only owe you light beers after last nights poor excuse for a game? "

Chicken, buddy. We're gettin' lean

12/21/2011 9:32:09 PM

Chicken it is then!

12/21/2011 9:33:18 PM

I had a goal of making December more active than most months.

I think I'm failing already.

12/21/2011 10:14:22 PM

Quote :

"Starting Strength is great, but eventually you just can't recover from squatting heavy three days a week."

This. I'm at the end of a 4-month SS cycle, and have been doing the work sets for squats at 315, at a bodyweight of 156. That's 315 at 3x5, 3 days a week. Because of my job, I have to maintain a cardio component as well, but I had to give up long, slow distance runs altogether (which I hated doing anyway.) My legs just never seem to recover, and I think I've been exhibiting symptoms of CNS fatigue. I'll probably take off the holidays and try 5/3/1 for a few months.

Starting Strength is a fantastic program, but you'll know when it's time to hang it up. You can always go back to it later.

12/21/2011 11:01:13 PM

That's really impressive.

12/21/2011 11:35:32 PM

those extremely low rep ranges don't do much to actually develop muscle; most of the strength gains come from CNS adaptation. That type of training is also very taxing on the CNS and can make you burn out before any real muscle development occurs. Switch to a program that has you training in the 8-12 rep range for about 4 months, and then go back to the low volume work. I guarantee you that you will see major improvements in your lifts when you go back.

12/21/2011 11:49:00 PM

^^Thank you, I was in Iraq for much of it and so I was able to eat all the time, sleep well, and lay off the booze.

^I'll keep that in mind. Any program recommendations?

12/22/2011 12:11:48 AM

So my starting weight for Beach Bod 2011 was 395 as of Oct 17th(my birthday).

My current weight is 370 still

I've had a somewhat emotion roller coaster...but before Jan 14th rolls around I want to be closer to 350.

I've done blood work, bod pod, complete physical. - Check...no diabetes, high blood pressure or any of that stuff you see on those fatty shows.

The last week, I've started working out 5 days a week building stamina, and endurance.


Starting January 9th~ish I start working out 5 days a week with a trainer. Before it was only 2 days a week.


I want to get strict on my nutrition...I'm finding that lower carbs....are what will get me there...not atkins..but limiting them. Insight from others....is welcome and encouraged.


I would like to be 260-270 before June.

12/22/2011 1:27:34 PM

I wouldn't worry about the numbers on the scale as much as dropping sizes in clothing and how they fit.

Good luck with working out 5 days a week, especially going from 2 days per week. Listen to your body, you don't want to burn out.

Main thing would be, watch how much you eat, IMHO.

12/22/2011 1:32:18 PM

I've been coming home and crashing for 2 hours after these workouts with the trainer. Serious high intensity stuff.

I've gone from a 3XL shirt to a 2XL shirt in the last few months...so it's been great motivation.

I don't want to count calories...but ehhh....gotta do what I gotta do.

12/22/2011 1:37:32 PM

i found it's ALL about my diet. if i watch what i eat, get in a good amount of exercise daily, and get GOOD sleep (minimum 7 hours), then i had no problem losing weight. i have learned though that my body goes through waves - some weeks i'll lose on average more than others, some weeks i notice i will maintain. i know i have been putting on a lot of lean muscle so it's been expected.

12/22/2011 1:42:43 PM

The key to feeling like I'm accomplishing things is to only weigh myself once a week! With the diet change and proper meds for my PCOS I'm down another 3 pounds, making the total loss 17 pounds BEFORE starting an exercise routine. I was weighing every day and it was wonky.

12/22/2011 2:51:44 PM

yeah, weighing everyday can get you frustrated or motivated depending on how you take it. i know i was a pain to lunak when i was first starting out and weighing everyday, but after a week of seeing the changes and fluctuations and learning more i was less focused with the day to day number and just watching the trend.

this was back in june of this last year watching my weight day to day

12/22/2011 2:55:56 PM

265 today

12/22/2011 3:25:46 PM

Yah, definitely don't count calories all the time, just do it for like a month to see how much you are eating and get a feel for how much less you have to eat to start losing weight

for me, it definitely is how much I've been eating that ends up making me gain or lose weight

12/22/2011 3:28:34 PM

Weight isn't really something that I look at too often, at least not in isolation.

I remember about 3 years ago, I lost a lot of weight, going from about 245 to 185 in around 8 months. I did this almost entirely by running a calorie deficit and running 3-5 times a week. At 6' 3", that was the skinniest I've ever been. I was, without a doubt, "skinny fat".

I still kind of had belly fat that I was unhappy with though, and I didn't have anything that could be remotely considered muscle definition. I didn't really have any muscle development.

These days, I'm about 214 pounds and I'm unquestionably in the best shape I've been in. If I were to get to 185 now, I'd be ripped as hell. To me, it's not about weight, That's a number. It's about getting stronger and body recomposition.

For 2012, I've got a few goals in mind. I'd like to get my squat and deadlift to 400+ 3x5 (currently at ~280). I'd like to get bench press to 275 3X5 (currently at roughly 195). I'd like to get overhead press to 180 3x5 (now at about 135). I think those are doable in a year's time, but I guess we'll see what kind of obstacles I run up against. I'd also like to master the power clean, add a conditioning day into the mix somehow, and see if I can't get a better handle on programming in general.

I'm also going to be ramping up my efforts to cut as we move into the new year. I'd like to get down to 185 by around June without losing strength and hopefully still gaining strength. I'll likely do this using the intermittent fasting protocol I have been using.

[Edited on December 22, 2011 at 4:39 PM. Reason : ]

12/22/2011 4:29:18 PM

Quote :

"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."

Kinect + Your Shape 2012. It will kick your ass if you want it to. It will let you know when you're not moving fast enough or not lifting your legs or arms high enough but it's also encouraging when you do it right so it helps. Also has a ton of minigames and routines like cardio boxing or dance. It's really slick and while I'm not going to post pictures of myself in a bathing suit I will be using it 5 days a week this year and get back into shape, damn it!

12/22/2011 4:47:56 PM

DDR and let's Dance are still good ones. It's a different kind of goal structure. Try to work up to dance a 9 footer. You will burn generous calories in the process.

12/22/2011 5:11:04 PM

my favorite workout video game is Call of Duty, played while on the treadmill for an hour at 3mph and 5-10% incline.

12/22/2011 6:15:58 PM

Thanks! I think I want an xbox anyways, and there is a new one coming out that looks like r2d2!

12/22/2011 10:04:27 PM

the Kinect for the XBOX is a million times better than the Wii. you will definitely tell a difference

ugh i am such an idiot - last night got a tad stressful dealing with some wedding stuff and i had 2 small pieces (seriously small) of chocolate cake. well i can't have chocolate because of the sulfites so guess who woke up all swollen and 2.3 pounds heavier so stupid.

12/23/2011 8:58:07 AM

i should hope 2 pieces of cake did not equal 2.3 lbs and it was just a case of eating a tad late

12/23/2011 9:22:00 AM

it's allergy related. i'm all swollen today and feel uncomfortable.

i just have to eat really clean today and drink a lot of water to flush it out.

12/23/2011 9:34:21 AM

2012 Goals

Run a marathon
Decrease half marathon and 10 mile time by 5 - 10 minutes
run 5k under 20 minutes

475# deadlift
400 - 500# squat
300# bench
200# overhead press

gain weight

[Edited on December 23, 2011 at 10:24 AM. Reason : and stay consistent with supplementation]

12/23/2011 10:24:07 AM

Finally had a great work out today! All my lifts were strong and I felt like I could train for another hour.


I've come to the conclusion that not all workouts will be gems, and it's better to back off early when feeling run down; rather than pound yourself in to the dirt.

12/23/2011 10:26:21 AM

2012 goals

regain feeling in left toes
no heavy spine compressing lifting
unfat myself
405 bench

12/23/2011 10:41:02 AM