1) this is not a PR or an attempt. this is the last rep of a 10 rep set.
2) my hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, traps, and lats are significantly stronger than my grip. i can't hold this weight for 10 reps. so bitching about lifting straps is going on deaf ears.
3) i need to find a power belt. that toy looks like a joke in this pic.

[Edited on July 19, 2013 at 11:15 AM. Reason : .]

7/19/2013 11:13:08 AM

I've shifted almost entirely off of weights now (exceptions being kettlebell swings and farmer's walk). Trying to drop ~8-10lbs in the next months, for no particular reason

[Edited on July 19, 2013 at 11:15 AM. Reason : RIP compound lifts ]

7/19/2013 11:14:09 AM

^what size KB?

I've got a 16kg and am planning to move up to the 24 in November (hopefully).

We should swing out at the park sometime

7/19/2013 11:55:12 AM

I do them with a dumbbell, since that's all I have

~18kg (40lb dumbbells).


I'm trying to ween myself off the gym, other than going to swim or due to poor weather.

7/19/2013 12:34:57 PM

Quote :

"I've shifted almost entirely off of weights now (exceptions being kettlebell swings and farmer's walk). Trying to drop ~8-10lbs in the next months, for no particular reason "

Why are you eliminating weight training when trying to cut?

7/19/2013 1:45:00 PM

Don't need it.

7/19/2013 2:15:26 PM

Stupid stupid stupid.

Not only is weight training the most effective way to burn fat. Cutting calories without weight training is the stupidest thing you do.

50% of the mass you lose will be muscle

7/19/2013 4:15:42 PM

Quote :

"Cutting calories"

Not doing this.

Quote :

"[XX%] of the mass you lose will be muscle"

That's the intent.

7/19/2013 5:09:55 PM

^^ Wrong wrong wrong. It's not for everyone. Maybe he doesn't wanna look like Ronnie...

http://fitnessblackbook.com/muscle_tone_strategies_/gaining-muscle-doesnt-increase-the-metabolic-rate-a-significant-amount/

7/19/2013 5:18:27 PM

Im not reading that but youre wrong and the title isnt relevant to what I said.

10 lbs of muscle will increase your calorie expenditure barely. Like 60 calories a day.

But lifting weights is thw most effective exercise for burning fat.


And if you cut calories without lifting you will lose a huge percentage of muscle unless youre 30%bodyfat or so.

Dont spread bullshit. This guys plan is completely retarded

7/19/2013 7:54:44 PM

Gray fox pulling Out the ole trollbait. Worked like a charm

7/19/2013 8:00:50 PM

Quote :

"if you cut calories without lifting you will lose... muscle"

Quote :

"That's the intent"

Quote :

" "

7/19/2013 8:12:20 PM

Got trolled. Feels bad, man.

7/19/2013 10:22:21 PM

If only MattJMM2 would chime in along with face and d357r0y3r, we'd have the Holy Trinity of denial and narrow-mindedness

He must be trolling if he doesn't make hypertrophy his only goal.

a little bit of , but mostly

[Edited on July 19, 2013 at 10:48 PM. Reason : more like 2013 Naysaying, Doubting, and Egotripping Thread, amirite?]

7/19/2013 10:35:06 PM

[Edited on July 20, 2013 at 3:04 PM. Reason : ]

7/20/2013 3:04:09 PM

So this is a quick review of the Insanity workout program. If you want to know more about it click here http://www.teambeachbody.com/workout-routines/insanity-workout

So Insanity is a very intense HIIT. Most of the workouts consist of a warm up, stretch, 3-4 Circuits with 3 intervals/circuit, and cool down stretch. It also comes with a diet program which emphasizes eating 5 small meals a day. After doing the calcs my meals averaged about 300 Kcal/meal for a total of 1500 Kcal/day. I burned anywhere from 350 - 700 Kcal/workout. Maintenance calories for me is 2100 so I was looking at a 700 - 1200 Kcal deficit per day. When i started the program I weighed 186 lbs. Yesterday I weighed 167.5 lbs. I lost almost 20 lbs in 10 weeks. I still have final measurements to take and when I do I'll post those up.

Overall I'm extremely satisfied with the program. I'm able to fit into clothes I haven't worn in 5 over years. My pant size went from a 36 to 32. I have to go down to the last notch on all of my belts. I was on the first or second 3 months ago. I feel stronger, more flexible and in general healthier. I would recommend this program for anyone who can take the challenge. It's one the of hardest things I've ever done.

Now that I'm done with the program I'm moving to a 10 week strength training program. I lost quite a bit of muscle along with fat. I don't want to loose much more muscle to I'm going to add heavy weight resistance training while trying to burn off the rest of this belly fat. My goal is 15% BF which will but me around 155lbs, so I still have a ways to go.

If you have any questions about Insanity hit me up.

Here are some before and after pics.









[Edited on July 22, 2013 at 1:36 PM. Reason : pics]

7/22/2013 1:34:49 PM

^ Nice work man. Also you look like Carlos Boozer. I am sure you've heard that before...

7/22/2013 1:49:38 PM

That's awesome. And 20lbs is pretty impressive weight loss (though, I wonder how much of that was chest hair weight ).

Other than the weight / appearance, how would you say the program impacted your overall fitness / ability to perform other workouts?

IE - is it just intensity of specific workouts (which you are now better at) for the sake of weight loss, or has it had a significant impact on the broader spectrum of your physical capabilities?


if that makes any sense at all

7/22/2013 1:54:36 PM

Good job sparky.

You going to bring back the velcro?

7/22/2013 2:14:59 PM

7/22/2013 3:03:36 PM

Is it just me, or do sparky's before and after pics look identical except for the lack of body hair?

7/22/2013 3:14:40 PM

^^^^

It's had a huge impact on my endurance. Prior to this I rarely worked out legs because I've always had big strong legs, but the muscle endurance was not there. It's ridiculous the amount of squats, lunges, kicks and jumps you do in one workout. The first week I could barely walk. My legs toned up significantly (quads and calves).

My core strength significantly improved as well. There is a lot of emphasis on engaging the core in all movements as well as isolated exercises for hip flexors and obliques which help to get that classic "penis line" as some girls call it. Another area I saw significant improvement was my flexibility. The stretches focus a lot on the legs, ham strings, hip flexors, etc. The recovery workout which you do once a week is basically 45 mins of Yoga.

Prior to this program I visited the chiropractor every 2 -3 weeks due to a L5 and L4 misalignment. I had daily back pain. I haven't been to the chiropractor in 3 months.

I’m not sure if this program is going to help with my upper body strength training but I think it will definitely help with my leg and core workouts.

^^^ the velcro is staying off

^ the body hair in my before pics hides the fat.

[Edited on July 22, 2013 at 3:17 PM. Reason : .]

7/22/2013 3:16:10 PM

I'm just fucking with you. I did P90X for a couple months and got shredded, now I'm fat again. Props for having the will power to stay on it.

7/22/2013 3:22:46 PM

Yeah man I thought about doing P90x but did Insanity because you don't need any equipment.

I'm going to keep this up though. My diet isn't really a "diet" anymore, it's just the way I will continue to eat. Same with exercising. After my 10 week strength training program I"m going to do Insanity again. Hopefully I'll have that "beach body" look by next summer. That's my goal anyway.

7/22/2013 3:39:03 PM

Sparky - give me an idea what you are eating now. I am just curious if it is the same stuff they talk about with P90X. I assume so since it's all the same company...

7/22/2013 4:07:53 PM

I ate healthy with P90X, veggies and lean meat. But I did do protein shakes immediately after each work-out, not really sure if that did anything or not.

7/22/2013 4:30:53 PM

sparky, looking good my dude. i'm sure wifey is really enjoying the new body.

is Insanity a "loud" workout? lots of jumping, etc? Curious because i live on the third floor and i've always turned away from some of these types of workouts because i know people below me can here me banging around.


also...can anyone recommend a good daily vitamin/supplement pack? More so for overall health and wellness. Less for any kind of workout/training.

7/22/2013 8:00:03 PM

DYEL?

7/22/2013 8:15:09 PM

Mega Men.

7/22/2013 8:36:04 PM

Pretty good results, but you said you lost a good bit of musclee.Im going to estimate you were 25%-27% bodyfat in the starting pic which would put you around 137- 139.5 LBM which sounds about right based on your build/height.

In the 2nd pic id say 18-20% bodyfat which would give an estimate of 133-137 LBM.

Given that it will take several months of hard strength training to add the muscle back and you will gain some accompanying fat I just dont see the benefits of cutting calories while on a program like this.

A much simpler 2-3× a week weight lifting approach would have definitely preserved more muscle and saved you a lot of exercise time. It likely would have burned just as much fat too. Youd already be at your 15% bodyfat goal.

But youre where you are now and it sounds like youre heading in the right direction. Fat loss gets harder as you get leaner as there aren't as many fatty acids flowing in your blood stream and you have to mobilize the fat stores.

If you lift heavy (4-6x reps) at your current caloric deficit you should be at 15% in almost exactly 3 weeks. Just dont lift more than 2-3 times a week and get at least 170-200g of protein daily so you dont lose muscle. Youll be more catabolic at this body composition and youve probably hurt your metabolism a good bit by doing insanity on low calories so you cant push it.

In fact to be safe id probably take a 2 week diet break first to avoid potential long term damage.that could be irreversible

7/22/2013 9:02:25 PM

There's a lot of broscience around permanent metabolic damage

7/22/2013 9:54:38 PM

Nothing broscience about low calories and heavy calorie expenditure over the long term potentially causing metabolic damage.

7/22/2013 10:33:04 PM

You traded the word irreversible for potential

[Edited on July 22, 2013 at 10:48 PM. Reason : .]

7/22/2013 10:47:51 PM

I agree with Paul, I think the problem is that the term is too broad. What exactly happens? You become less insulin sensitive or what? Things shut down systemically? You can't burn fat at all anymore?

I mean, that is really complicated if you're going to break it down to science.

Maybe Layne Norton explained all this. But from one of the videos I've seen of his, MD isn't necessarily permanent, but it's reversable by just eating foods you were once afraid of- carbs and fats...but add them back gradually per week.

7/22/2013 10:49:31 PM

I think youre confusing the adaptive component with permanent metabolic damage.

ANY caloric deficit will cause your metabolism to begin slowing down. Thats just inarguable science we all agree upon.

Upon raising your calories back to a normal level your metabafteolism will be restored in healthy, normal individuals.

However, long term heavy caloric deficits have the ability to permanently lower your metabolism or your "maintenance" calories if you want to think of it that way.

Im not saying it definitely will happen if he presses on but the risks are there and the effects are incredibly hard to reverse if you end up suffering from metabolic damage.

Personally id raise the calories to maintenance while you introduce strength training in a moderate (8-12 rep range) for two weeks to build tendon strength and muscle memory for the movements and then cut the carbs/fat very significantly for 3-6 weeks while lifting in a low rep range with low volume.

That will get him the fat results he seeks with less chance of injury, metabolic damage, or muscle loss.

7/22/2013 11:32:27 PM

damn, testosterone is amazing! lil girly on the left



PS- I don't necessarily like a guy that cut...

[Edited on July 23, 2013 at 1:02 AM. Reason : ,]

7/23/2013 1:01:23 AM

^ so what was the time frame between those pictures. Dude looks like he is 4-5 years older in the shredded picture.

We did a pretty rough HIT this morning. The called it Death by Shuttles. Run 10 m shuttle in the 1st min, two-10m shuttles in the 2nd min, three-10 min shuttles in the 3rd min, etc until you could not finish. If you finished a round in 10 sec, you got to rest the remaining 50 secs. Sounds easier than it is. I got to the 18th minute and 17th shuttle. My quads were on fire and feet starting to blister from all the pivoting and turning. Good, fun workout though, much better than running 3 miles.

7/23/2013 8:00:30 AM

Quote :

"Sparky - give me an idea what you are eating now. I am just curious if it is the same stuff they talk about with P90X. I assume so since it's all the same company..."

I'm not sure what the diet is like for P90x but the diet with Insanity focuses on 40/30/30 split for protein/carbs/fat and for me it was 300 Kcal/meal or 1500 Kcal/day

This is what I had yesterday

Breakfast (240 Kcal)

6 oz Chobani Blueberry Non-Fat yogurt
1 pack Emerald Walnuts & Almonds (the 100 cal pack)

Snack 1 (280 Kcal)

Protein shake

Lunch (318 Kcal)

Half roasted turkey sandwich ( 1 oz turkey, ½ slice cheddar cheese, 3 oz power greens, mustard) on Ezekiel Sprouted Bread
1 cup Healthy Valley black bean soup

Snack 2 (270 Kcal)

Builders Protein Bar

Dinner (305 Kcal)

6 oz Alaskan Salmon Fillet (pan seared)
½ cup Zucchini Sauteed in Olive Oil

Totals: 1413 Kcal, 142g protein, 47g fat, 113g carbs

For days that I work out I’ll have a an EAS Recovery Shake which is an additional 270 Kcal, 20g protein, 42g carbs and 2g fat but I was burning 500-800 Kcal/workout

Quote :

"Pretty good results, but you said you lost a good bit of musclee.Im going to estimate you were 25%-27% bodyfat in the starting pic which would put you around 137- 139.5 LBM which sounds about right based on your build/height. In the 2nd pic id say 18-20% bodyfat which would give an estimate of 133-137 LBM. Given that it will take several months of hard strength training to add the muscle back and you will gain some accompanying fat I just dont see the benefits of cutting calories while on a program like this. A much simpler 2-3× a week weight lifting approach would have definitely preserved more muscle and saved you a lot of exercise time. It likely would have burned just as much fat too. You'd already be at your 15% bodyfat goal. But you're where you are now and it sounds like you're heading in the right direction. Fat loss gets harder as you get leaner as there aren't as many fatty acids flowing in your blood stream and you have to mobilize the fat stores. If you lift heavy (4-6x reps) at your current caloric deficit you should be at 15% in almost exactly 3 weeks. Just don't lift more than 2-3 times a week and get at least 170-200g of protein daily so you don't lose muscle. You'll be more catabolic at this body composition and you've probably hurt your metabolism a good bit by doing insanity on low calories so you cant push it. In fact to be safe id probably take a 2 week diet break first to avoid potential long term damage.that could be irreversible"

Yeah I'm moving to a strength training regime. I posted it on the previous page. maybe you didn't see it. I have received some feedback and need to make some changes but additional feedback is welcome.



As far as my results, I'm moving in exactly the direction I want. I knew I would loose muscle and that's ok because I'm trying to change my body composition. I started more of an endomorph and am shooting for a mesomorph. I'd also like to be in the green for BMI. At 5'7" and 155 lbs I'd be barely in the green for BMI which is crazy to me. To be dead middle of the healthy BMI scale I'd have to be 135 lbs which is way too little in my opinion.

Anyway, with a goal of 15% BF and 155lbs that would put me at 131.75 lbs of lean muscle and 23.25 lbs of fat. I'm cool with that.

[Edited on July 23, 2013 at 9:12 AM. Reason : .]

7/23/2013 8:55:01 AM

^ I'm 5'7" and fluctuate between 145 and 150. I'm 100% satisfied with my body type at this moment. I'd shoot for that if I were you. We seem to have similar builds (broad shoulders/small waist/etc). I definitely see the pudge coming out at 155/160...and I feel a little too lean once I get in the low 140s. I'm probably perfect at 150...but being at 145 allows me an occasional binge weekend or a week or two where I'm swamped with shit to do and can't workout as much.

7/23/2013 9:01:23 AM

^ yeah man looking good. what size waist are you? You have nice body comp. I'd like to be at your BF %15 but maybe 5-8 lbs more muscle. I'm going for this....

7/23/2013 9:18:44 AM

My waist is pretty small. I fluctuate between 28 and 30 depending on the brand and whether or not I put on a few lbs. Although my tailor just put me at 30.25 for my next suit...so maybe that's my official measurement.

Good luck going for the old Marky Mark look. I wanted that (and was pretty close to it) for a while in my mid-20s. But IMO, it's a little too much work if its not your job (personal trainer, professional athlete, or underwear model). I was a 5 day a week gym attendee, 1.5/2 hr workouts, at the time. These days...

7/23/2013 9:40:55 AM

How tall is Marky Mark? 5'9?

PS-

And youre right rflong, now that I think about it, that pic is prob several years old vs the one on the right. I don't know exactly though, my brother sent it to me.

[Edited on July 23, 2013 at 9:54 AM. Reason : .]

7/23/2013 9:51:27 AM

google says 5'7" or 5'8"

nothin wrong with goals

7/23/2013 10:34:47 AM

Quote :

"nothin wrong with goals"

A glimmer of hope, in the dark tunnel known as this thread.


We could all aspire to be more like Wahlberg in our lives.

7/23/2013 11:14:18 AM

Anyone care to suggest a good gym in the RTP/south Durham area that's not obscenely expensive for a couple's membership? Doesn't have to be brand new, just need equipment that's not always broken.

7/23/2013 11:22:59 AM

^^^ I feel ya. Not trying to discourage. Just saying that I've "been there/done that"...and now that I'm older...it's not worth it. Sounds like you're riding a good wave and might as well keep going til you reach your peak. Good luck.

7/23/2013 11:37:28 AM

lol

7/23/2013 11:57:48 AM

It doesn't take 10 hours a week to look like Mark in that picture. Just hard work and consistency over a few years.

7/23/2013 12:24:22 PM

Yeah I’m not expecting to look like that by the end of the year, but maybe the end of next year. I’m really enjoying the life change I have made. I’ve learned so much just from measuring out portions. I can’t believe how much I used to eat. I was eating healthy food just double what I should have been eating. It was nothing to eat a whole chicken breast, cup of rice and veggies for dinner. Now it’s 4 oz of chicken (maybe 1/3 or ½ of a chicken breast) and veggies with MAYBE ¼ cup of whole grain rice. I’ve cut drinking out to just the weekend where it used to be 3 or 4 beers a night and more on the weekends. I believe with maintaining a calorie deficit plus strength training and making sure I get enough nutrients and protein I could be ripped in a year. Oh and I drink a shit ton of water now. 12-16 cups a day. Used to be 6-8.

7/23/2013 12:38:36 PM

A year? You could be ripped in 3 months or 4 months - right in time to be uncomfortably cold for winter.

The body can deal with a slight calorie deficit for months or an extreme calorie deficit for weeks, but eventually it's going to fight back and prioritize survival over reproduction (i.e., lower sex drive and other hormones). Being ripped looks good, but you probably aren't going to be at the top of your game when you get there.

7/23/2013 1:12:22 PM