Well it's never too early to start thinking about getting in stellar shape for the 2014 summer season.

This is the thread for those looking for motivation to get in shape. Post meal plans, exercise routines, goals, questions, or anything else related to fitness in this thread.

This morning I weighed 167.4 lbs. My goal is 155 lbs and 15% body fat. I'm currently on a 500 calorie/day deficit diet in hopes of losing about a pound a week.

For exercise I'm cycling the Insanity program with weight training. Insanity is a 9 week program if you stick to it 100%. Last time it took me 10 weeks to complete and I dropped 16 lbs. After Insanity I do a 10 week weight training program focusing on high weight, low rep compound exercises and hitting every muscle group once a week. I just finished my weight lifting cycle (only lost 4 lbs but I gained strength and muscle). I started back on Insanity this week.

You can find me on MyFitnessPal at jaredgrinstead

Let's keep each other motivated!!









LET'S DO THIS!!

10/3/2013 10:05:30 AM

I wish she'd squat on my face, bro.

10/3/2013 10:14:58 AM

So...can we give you feedback on your dry run?

Cause there are some issues.

10/3/2013 10:53:38 AM

Last two winters I've let myself go and put on an extra 10-15 lbs. I don't think it's going to happen this time. I've got a dog that needs to be taken out on runs several times a week and I think I've trained my body to be somewhat on a set diet. Mainly eating less during the day. If I put on a couple unwanted pounds, then I can easily skimp on breakfast and lunch for a day or two and lose it. And my breakfast and lunch portions are down considerably altogether. I still splurge on drinking and yummy dinners, but I can do so without fear of having to work my ass off the next day to not get fat.

Overall, I'm feeling pretty good with where I'm at at 30. I'm at my ideal weight and have been maintaining it for about six months. Little worried about the honeymoon in late October and then the holidays coming right afterwards. But I think I have the discipline to not let myself go this time.

10/3/2013 11:15:59 AM

dogs definitely help. My wife and I love going for a jog or walk with our dog every morning on the weekends.

Other than not getting as much sleep as I'd like lately, I have felt really good. One thing I do for myself is I get blood work every 6 months because my company does health screenings once a year and then I schedule my free physical 6 months later every year. I just had my company health screening yesterday; it's nice to be able to keep tabs on blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, etc. on a semi-regular basis all for free.

The lady reviewing my results yesterday with me said I had the lowest total cholesterol and best Total/HDL ratio she had seen in a guy in a long time Even though I'm pretty strict with my diet and exercise, I can't take all the credit. I definitely have good genes. Neither of my parents eat very well at all (though they are moderately active) and they both still have good cholesterol levels in their 50s.

I definitely recommend taking advantage of any health screenings or physicals available to you even if you have a co-pay or a small fee. I know a lot of younger people my age feel "healthy" and they tend not to get blood work done or visit a doctor very often at all, but I feel a lot more comfortable checking in on my health on a regular basis. If something ever pops up out of the ordinary, it would really stand out...

[Edited on October 3, 2013 at 12:04 PM. Reason : ]

10/3/2013 11:39:00 AM

Well I've officially allowed myself to get fat again. Decided to take a 3 week break from bulking to drop some EL BEES.

Will be starting Monday Oct 14th if anyone wants to compete. I'll be attempting to retain all muscle by eating ~210-220g of protein daily. 1lb of ground beef, 2 chicken breasts, 1 cup of skim, 2 scoops whey will be basically all I eat each day. Along with maybe a little broccoli, 10g fish oil, some psyllium husk, and multivitamins. Will be using ephedrine, caffeine, and vitamin d to supplement the fat loss.

My eating window will be ~5 PM to 11 pm everyday, and fasting the rest of the day. I will try to avoid alcohol (with the exception NIN concert i mean come on), and when i do drink i aim to drink more whiskey instead of beer. If i drink it will be miller lite.

Lifting regimen will be 2x per week with heavy weight, 3-5 reps, on squats, deadlifts, bench, press, rows, and pullups. I doubt I'll do any other exercises, possibly calf raises. I plan to walk 3 miles 3-5 times a week. Any longer than that seems to result in muscle loss for me.

My main reasons for going back on a cut is that I'm over 15% bodyfat again where fat gains start to accelerate, my belly is starting to stick out again in tight shirts, and i dont want to have a fat face when i go home for the holidays and see people i only see 1-2 times a year.

Who's coming with me?

10/4/2013 9:16:50 PM

Quote :

"1lb of ground beef, 2 chicken breasts, 1 cup of skim, 2 scoops whey will be basically all I eat each day. Along with maybe a little broccoli, 10g fish oil, some psyllium husk, and multivitamins."

That's not a healthy diet. The goal of a exercise/diet/fitness plan should be health, at least that's what is natural. But that diet you mentioned, is in no form natural. No humans ever had a diet like that, Paleolithic or otherwise.

10/4/2013 9:22:29 PM

What the hell are you talking about

10/4/2013 10:26:48 PM

Oh look, face is not going to make any gains once again. Shocked I am.

10/4/2013 11:05:25 PM

^^

It is plain English. You are not a carnivore, so don't eat like one. That's far from a healthy diet.

10/4/2013 11:34:00 PM

Made plenty of gains. Im not trying to be fat. You dont wanna bulk once you exceed 15% bodyfat thats basic knowledge

10/5/2013 1:43:40 AM

Not really but you are the muscle building expert around here...

10/5/2013 8:59:46 AM

10/5/2013 9:35:13 AM

Quote :

"Not really but you are the muscle building expert around here..."

reminds me of this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYyrWlCM2pA

[Edited on October 5, 2013 at 1:03 PM. Reason : ]

10/5/2013 1:03:17 PM

So good

10/5/2013 2:07:42 PM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uPnCV7K6ihM
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B0oVeDXzpdo
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bmQC83_9nbU



Amazing weird body weight exercises and feats of strength that you have probably never seen before, performed by a good looking fitness couple .

Wow, I am just speechless after watching those short videos. They are totally worth watching in full (short, 3-4 min each).

10/5/2013 9:31:42 PM

Quote :

"JERRY: And weren't there a feats of strength that always ended up with you crying? "

10/6/2013 1:28:06 AM

This is going well.

10/6/2013 9:41:48 AM

It is for me. I've put on around 13 lbs since starting my bulk with minimal fat gain. Literally seeing by far the best mass gains I have ever had. Original plan was 7 more lbs from where I am now but the way things are going I am going to have a hard time getting myself to stop. After I decide to start cutting I will do it at a slow rate so I am not starving myself and I keep most of my gains. Hopefully I can go through one more bulk/cut cycle after this one before summer.

10/6/2013 10:41:34 AM

Decided to start today.

173 lbs and would estimate 18% bodyfat. Really going to focus on muscle retentiom on this cut.

10/7/2013 9:57:37 AM

Don't you need some first?

10/7/2013 10:15:53 AM

So I'm totally not going to have a beach body but I do have some goals and such I need to keep up with and I may need some advice and such. Here is my story for this year:

I got pregnant this summer, due at the end of March
I have polycystic ovarian syndrome/insulin resistance
I took metformin up until 13 weeks and I'm currently 16 weeks
Coming off meds has been super tough. I gained zero pounds during the first 13 weeks and over weeks 14 and 15 I gained 6 pounds, which my doctor claims is too much, this last week I cut my carb I take down and managed to only gain a few ounces. I'm going to have to be very disciplined with my diet and continue the little bit of exercise I can get in before I'm exhausted. I walk 1-2 miles a day pushing a stroller and I work with a 20 pound baby and get some exercise lifting him and carrying him up and down the stairs.
The doctor wants me to gain between 25-35 pounds.

I may not follow through with this thread but I really wanted to have this written down somewhere.

10/7/2013 10:26:37 AM

Never had a worse upper body workout than I did yesterday. I think the combination of drinking all day for the game Saturday and falling on one of my shoulders playing beach volleyball at the bar near WF's stadium did me in. Hopefully I'll get back on track today!

10/7/2013 10:34:33 AM

for inspiration

10/8/2013 12:46:17 AM

Whew day 1 sucked. Thankfully my liver glycogen is drained and I can feed off the increased free fatty acids in my bloodstream today.

170.7 so a good start. Only had about 165g protein and maybe 30g carb and 20g fat yesterday.

Only used 2/3 the normal caffeine and ephedrine doses so my sleep patterns wouldn't get too ugly early on.


Depletion workout yesterday was brutal. Going to try to do another one tonight but I may just walk instead if im too drained.

10/8/2013 11:11:22 AM

are you going to post your tits again?

10/8/2013 2:17:52 PM

Did a deadlift workout yesterday 7-4-2 for max weight, 1-2 sec between reps.

Did 295-365-425. 425 for 2 reps was a PR for me as I can't remember ever going up more than 405 in the past. I felt like I could have easily gone to 450, but trainers said we did not have time for another set as we had a met-con to do following the deadlifts

10/9/2013 9:16:12 AM

^^^are you trying to eat under 1000 kcals?!

10/9/2013 4:04:27 PM

Really my goal is 1.25g protein per lbm. Minimal fat but not below 10% total calories. And as few carbs as possible. And as little alcohol as possible.

Once I hit 15% ill up the protein 100g or so but try to keep everything else the same until Halloween or I get to 12% or so.

10/9/2013 10:40:06 PM

I can't wait to see how this one works out

10/9/2013 10:55:49 PM

its a troll, it wont work out. dont wait, you'll only waste your time.

That said, 21 day cut in effect via Ashley Conrad.

Day 1 wasnt bad but it progressively gets harder.

should be in great shape come halloween

10/9/2013 11:44:26 PM

no, it's not a troll.

169.9 this morning so I'm moving the right direction. Still not completely glycogen depleted though. Yesterday all i did was 6-7 sets of 15 pushups with one minute rest intervals, two sets of 15 squats with just bodyweight (man thats annoying on your balance when you're used to holding weights), some ab work, and a light walk of probably 15 minutes. I wanted to hit the gym and do another depletion workout but i just hate lifting the same bodyparts on back to back days and i had some other good options come up after work.

Today was day 3. Didn't work out because i get extra bones this month for working late one day a week on a project and tonight was that night. Calves are sore as fuck from DOMS from the high reps i did on Monday. Now I can see why they recommend adding calf work along with squat/deadlift focused workouts. They must not get hit much at all without direct calf work.

Upped my protein to 190 as I plan to slowly up it ~20g or so every few days rather than making one huge jump. It was much easier today from a hunger perspective, but definitely feeling the carb cravings. I probably don't eat fast food once a month and wanted to stop at everyone i passed on the way home. It doesn't help that I was out of ground beef and my cabinet/freezer is still full of pasta, oatmeal, and pancakes from my recent bulking.

Had a comped work meal tonight so went for the T-bone and just didn't eat the really fatty parts. I did have a few squash that I felt guilty about that were mixed in my zucchini and broccoli (double order vegetable medley side) but I figure its much better than the alternative and I'm not passing up a free steak dinner ever really. Skipped the loaf of bread that came with it. I know where it is right now. Just sitting in my fridge. Man, I want it.

Still just taking 2/3 my normal ephedrine/caffeine dose (50mg ephedrine/400mg caffeine instead of 75/600) since I have trouble getting enough sleep anyway.

Popped 9mg melatonin with magnesium/zinc supplements and a benzo tonight so that should help me get to bed early.

3-4 drinks of whiskey while watching the Pirates game. Had 4 $1 beers last night. None Monday. So I'm around 7-8 drinks after 3 days which is good but not as good as I hoped for.

Ready for this shit to be over. Forgot how bad dieting sucks. Especially after I'd just gotten used to eating again.

I'm focused man tell Stout to holla at me man.





[Edited on October 10, 2013 at 12:55 AM. Reason : a]

10/10/2013 12:48:54 AM

^^ oh I am well aware, I find the effort that face puts into trying to sound legit humorous.

10/10/2013 7:59:12 AM

Quote :

"That said, 21 day cut in effect via Ashley Conrad. Day 1 wasn't bad but it progressively gets harder. should be in great shape come halloween"

Dude let me know how that goes. I just finished the first week of Insanity. It's pretty brutal. I could barely walk after the first two workouts. Glutes and calves were killing me. My body has adjusted so I don't get as sore anymore but I am tight, which feels good. Weighed 166.2 this morning so moving in the right direction. eating clean and under my calorie goal so just gotta keep at it.

10/10/2013 8:49:48 AM

169.2

Im just an efficiency slave.

I want a better body with the least time/effort and most amount of drinking possible so I like to do everything correctly.

10/10/2013 11:29:35 AM

I think the last thing your fictitious workouts and diets are is efficient/least amount of effort.

10/10/2013 11:53:30 AM

His workouts and diet plans do lead me to believe he is very efficient at maintaining the status quo.

10/10/2013 12:11:18 PM

efficiency is meaningless without results.

whats this... the 5th or 6th time you've "started" this year?

10/10/2013 12:18:02 PM

Quote :

"@GSElevator: #1: If a person says they 'work smart, not hard,' odds are they are lazy and stupid."

10/10/2013 12:24:46 PM

Not sure what you mean by "started" as I really havent quit since January.

I havent missed more than a week here and there either working out or dieting with a purpose since the year began. Sticking with it.

This week I entered a mini cut because I dont want to get fat while im bulking. Theres just no advantage for me to get fat.

Get back to lean then resume bulk.

10/10/2013 2:55:35 PM

^ But aren't you still built like a high schooler though? I mean if you have been "sticking with it" for a year now, you should have noticeable results. When I got to State, I was skinny like you and with about 6 months of lifting, I adding 20 lbs of muscle and looked completely different in my chest, shoulders, and arms. Also there are other people on here that have gotten more results than you in a shorter time yet you act as if your way of lifting and eating are the only way to get results.

To each his own, but I just find all this bulking and cutting shit to be crazy for an average guy to be putting his body through.




[Edited on October 10, 2013 at 4:31 PM. Reason : df]

10/10/2013 4:31:02 PM

well yeah dude newsflash i'm not 19 anymore. It's easy to gain muscle quick when you're young because of hormones and testosterone levels. I had muscle back then too.

I also average 400-500 drinks/month and get 4-6 hours continuous sleep on weeknights. Not the easiest conditions to get ripped under.

On top of that i have nerve damage in my back, degenerative knees, and don't really like working out.

I'm not training to be the next Arnold I just want to be ~180 lbs and under 10% bodyfat ultimately. Can I get there in a year? No way. That's 162 LBM dude. Even if i couldve gainws that much mass in a year I'd be fat as hell right now. Like over 30% bodyfat easily.

I spent most of the year shedding fat because i was fat from having a girlfriend for several years which makes it impossible to give enough of a fuck if you're focusing more on money than pussy. Top that off with a lot of free meals and booze from work, more booze to ignore your g/f after you get home, etc and you will be fat.

#1 goal was to get unfat. That took through February. After that i focused on gaining strength/flexibility (i've got a bit of an anterior pelvic tilt i've been working on correcting from sitting at a desk all day and ignoring hamstring lifts most of my life) for a few months. Then i cut again for the summer so i would be lean for the summer when your shirt is off.

At the end of the summer i started gaining again for strength/size. Given that I'd been restricting calories for a long time i definitely overate and drank a little while bulking.

Now I'm probably around 18% so there's no good reason to continue bulking when you get that fat. The fatter you get the more your body is susceptible to store fat. I'd rather not get ridiculously fat and then have to diet for months again to get back to normal levels.

The most efficient bodyfat to alternate between is probably 12-17%. That way you don't have to diet forever and crash leptin levels. You don't have to loathe dieting. You don't have to lose a ton of muscle. You don't ever have to look fat as shit to other people.

Yet if you want to add muscle you have a several weeks window to bulk as long as you don't just eat everything in sight.

I'm dieting down so i dont look fat as shit while i bulk. Who wouldn't want to do that? We're not training for Mr. Olympia here. I'm just trying to get a better body without looking like shit in the meantime. Or making myself more susceptible to loose skin, adding more fat cells, etc.

Anyone can diet down and lose 5 lbs of fat. Losing 25 is hard work. Why let yourself get that fat on purpose? No need to put yourself in position to fail.

Most guys who lift are obsessed with gaining muscle. They always talk about cutting but they never do it because:

1) Cutting sucks to do
2) They can't handle getting smaller
3) They want to add more muscle

So they walk around all their lives with a pretty good amount strength and muscle. And a giant layer of fat covering it. I don't want that. I'd rather be lean.

[Edited on October 10, 2013 at 7:01 PM. Reason : a]

10/10/2013 6:57:03 PM

tl;RIPGF

10/11/2013 8:42:09 AM

I would just like to note the only part of that I read was face averages 400-500 drinks a month. That's right, an average of around 13 drinks every day lol

10/11/2013 9:21:14 AM

You mean 13-17 per day.

Who knows, but he did post recently in the 2013 thread about spending something like $2k-3k on alcohol per month.

10/11/2013 9:32:00 AM

In 2014 I'll probably just continue to do what I have been doing the last 6 months, though adding 1-2 more cardio workouts per week would make things ideal. Currently I've been:

-eating healthier for breakfast and lunch
-eating more protein and fruit for breakfast and lunch, and fewer carbs
-weight lifting 2-3 times per week and cardio 1-2 times per week
-drinking overall less, though this is mainly a function of me spending my "entertainment funds" on other things

This sort of routine has led to me losing around 1-2 lbs per month, and losing around an inch at my waistline. Right now I weigh around 190lbs and while I'm happy with that weight I would like to lower my body's fat percentage. Also I still eat whatever I want for dinner, and whatever size as well.

10/11/2013 9:36:16 AM

I've decided to keep some measurements and it seems that while my chest and belly are growing the rest is shrinking or staying the same. I gained less than half a pound this week. Seems I am doing better, at least in my eyes. We shall see what the doctor says...

10/11/2013 9:42:35 AM

face has read the sticky

10/11/2013 9:44:29 AM

I decided I am going to start my cut now since it will hit a bump in the road during the holidays. Going to try to get down to 2500 calories and see how that works. I went from around 230 pre bulk to 245 yesterday. I am hoping to lose the 15 lbs I put on while keeping as much of the muscle gains I made as I can. I am really looking forward to it, I got sick of stuffing my face every day.

Want to eventually get down to 215 but I want to do some more bulking first, that's a goal for maybe next year this time.

10/11/2013 9:51:25 AM

Yesterday I did a pull up for the first time since I was probably 10 years old. I did two this morning. For most, that is not a huge accomplishment but it's something that I've wanted to be able to do for a long time.

Note: I've never been out of shape, just lacked the upper body strength.

Small wins!

10/11/2013 9:53:35 AM