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[IceCold]

Meh. I do that with one arm and using my pinky.

Spoiler

I wish.

 

[Ashhong]

Not a good angle. His legs look pretty defined, notice the bulge above the knee.

Yeah, I'm a photography noob. My upper thighs have had the biggest visual growth since I've started barbell lifting. My legs should be more developed than my upper body, they're farther along strength-wise relative to my body weight according to those strength calculators posted in this thread.

Every once in a while a friend that's 5'6" says he's gonna go buy a pair of elevator shoes.

Yea I think it's your massive thighs that make your calves look literally bone skinny haha. Just the angle though, nice work.

 

[Mr.City]

Cutting out the bread and the rice. My new found chicken on the skillet skills are coming in very, very handy. I'm gonna buy a shit bunch of veggies tomorrow.

I only like broccoli covered in general tsao's sauce .


So, my diet is looking like

Oatmeal with ground flax seed and a banana.
Protein shake with 12oz of fat free milk and one and a half scoops of whey protein
Chicken and Veggies (I'll probably eat a banana here too. Love bananas.) Or substitute veggies for a baked potato with a bit of low fat sour cream.
Greek yogurt/protein bar.

Lots of water yada yada yada. I'll also probably throw in these Special K cracker chips that I'm totally in love with now throughout the day. Probably with my last meal at 7pmish.

Good/bad/ewww?

So, you've wanting to lose weight, but how much weight have you lost so far? This diet is very carb heavy, but low in protein and fat. What are you trying to achieve with this setup?

 

[HarryHengst]

Whoops! BRB. I r gud reddur.

Pretty funny post combined with your avatar. :lol

 

[AdventureRacing]

My biggest problem is just working out a good diet that i can stick to. My goal is to lose around 10 kg and then really work on building my strength (just all round body strength it's mostly for playing rugby and i've started doing a little boxing).

Basically i understand what's good and bad but i have a hard time coming up with actual meals to eat that aren't chicken and steamed veggies. Probably the most difficult meal for me is breakfast. I just have no idea what to eat. Dinner i struggle sometimes as well but at least i have the aforementioned chicken and veggies to fall back on (lunch i tend to just have salad a bit of fruit and some nuts).

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not going to worry about looking for advice on my routine or anything as i'm just trying out the basics and i feel like i will get better advice when i've learned a bit more.

 

[snoopen]

My biggest problem is just working out a good diet that i can stick to. My goal is to lose around 10 kg and then really work on building my strength

No, do them at the same time. You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, it's just keeping your diet clean and following something like starting strength.

Basically i understand what's good and bad but i have a hard time coming up with actual meals to eat that aren't chicken and steamed veggies.

Sample of my last few nights dinners..
Sunday - sliced chicken/brown rice/veg
Monday - salmon/salad
Tuesday - home made burgers (lean beef, bacon, egg, salad, wholemeal rolls - fucking delicious)
Wednesday - steak/brown rice/veg
Thursday - brown pasta/ grilled chicken breast/salad

and so on.. it's about core healthy ingredients and modifying them to create change.

Probably the most difficult meal for me is breakfast. I just have no idea what to eat.

breakfast I have either proats (protein mixed in with oats) or oats + water.. i always have a protein shake as well. a banana when I get to work gives me energy for a while as well.

(lunch i tend to just have salad a bit of fruit and some nuts).

tuna, turkey, cold chicken, heaps of options here, i generally just cook extra meat + rice and have it the next day at lunch.. it's very cheap and healthy.

 

[AdventureRacing]

No, do them at the same time. You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, it's just keeping your diet clean and following something like starting strength.

Yeah i worded that pretty poorly, i didn't mean one than the other i just meant those were my 2 goals.

Sample of my last few nights dinners..
Sunday - sliced chicken/brown rice/veg
Monday - salmon/salad
Tuesday - home made burgers (lean beef, bacon, egg, salad, wholemeal rolls - fucking delicious)
Wednesday - steak/brown rice/veg
Thursday - brown pasta/ grilled chicken breast/salad

and so on.. it's about core healthy ingredients and modifying them to create change.

breakfast I have either proats (protein mixed in with oats) or oats + water.. i always have a protein shake as well. a banana when I get to work gives me energy for a while as well.

tuna, turkey, cold chicken, heaps of options here, i generally just cook extra meat + rice and have it the next day at lunch.. it's very cheap and healthy.

Thanks a lot for the tips i will try some of that out.

 

[gdt]

So, you've wanting to lose weight, but how much weight have you lost so far? This diet is very carb heavy, but low in protein and fat. What are you trying to achieve with this setup?

I don't really know lol. I'm looking to lose weight really. Any suggestions to increase protein and cut carbs?

Edit: And I'm lifting a lot of course.

 

[Enco]

As long as your carbs aren't way over 200 g I think you'll be fine. Obviously you should be in a deficit too and you'll lose weight.

I love the gym. Such a great way to forget all your troubles and spend some private time with heavy objects. No drama, no deadlines and no stress.

Working out has to be the best decision I've ever made. I could have made more progress if my diet was great from the start and if I had a solid routine but I wouldn't take it back for anything. I'm stronger and more confident. I'm happy.

 

[gdt]

I could definitely use help with my diet, I don't really know too much. And man, I feel like I'm getting protein in every meal, as much a possible. Should I be having another protein shake as well?

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Hot damn, those are some legs. Last I read you had 24" legs. Well, keep to it, it'll just be a bit more work! I can understand how much more of a hurdle this must be for you, now. I'm 71½" tall 165lbs with a 31.5" waist. I have a 75½" reach so while I've got a bit more distance to travel for pull-ups and such deadlifts are comparatively easy. Presses suck, though. All of them. Still, I've got a lot less weight to move for bodyweight calisthenics of any sort.

Having a good strength to weight ratio and just being smaller in general is why cats like MrOogieBoogie excel at bodyweight calisthenics. I think he was like 5'11" 155 pounds. That's being built for this stuff. Oh, and if you're reading Boogie, how's the back?

If I never lie I'll never get caught.

Thanks for asking, buddy. It's much better. No more walking handstands for a while, though.

 

[Szu]

I'm thinking that's in reverse.

Yes, it is.

 

[entremet]

Cutting out the bread and the rice. My new found chicken on the skillet skills are coming in very, very handy. I'm gonna buy a shit bunch of veggies tomorrow.

I only like broccoli covered in general tsao's sauce .


So, my diet is looking like

Oatmeal with ground flax seed and a banana.
Protein shake with 12oz of fat free milk and one and a half scoops of whey protein
Chicken and Veggies (I'll probably eat a banana here too. Love bananas.) Or substitute veggies for a baked potato with a bit of low fat sour cream.
Greek yogurt/protein bar.

Lots of water yada yada yada. I'll also probably throw in these Special K cracker chips that I'm totally in love with now throughout the day. Probably with my last meal at 7pmish.

Good/bad/ewww?

Special K chips are garbage. I'd skip those and do a handful of nuts instead as a snack. Healthier, more filling, and more protein.

 

[kylej]

As long as your carbs aren't way over 200 g I think you'll be fine. Obviously you should be in a deficit too and you'll lose weight.

I love the gym. Such a great way to forget all your troubles and spend some private time with heavy objects. No drama, no deadlines and no stress.

Working out has to be the best decision I've ever made. I could have made more progress if my diet was great from the start and if I had a solid routine but I wouldn't take it back for anything. I'm stronger and more confident. I'm happy.

Yeah. I love being at war with the weights.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Yes, it is.

Thanks, yeah, I thought it seemed off.

 

[calza]

I did 25 pullups on my first set this evening at the gym, yet I still can't do a muscle up.

Have you do weighted pull ups? If you haven't move on to them. How many dips can you do?

 

[FallingEdge]

Okay, so last night I did 6 reps @ 350 for deadlifts. And while I'm not struggling with the weight, I am having a problem with grip. I feel it slipping out of my hands during the last reps. So I'm looking into getting some straps. Throughts? People who have had experience with them? Wouldn't mind investing in some quality ones if need be.

 

[ShaneB]

As long as your carbs aren't way over 200 g I think you'll be fine. Obviously you should be in a deficit too and you'll lose weight.

I love the gym. Such a great way to forget all your troubles and spend some private time with heavy objects. No drama, no deadlines and no stress.

Working out has to be the best decision I've ever made. I could have made more progress if my diet was great from the start and if I had a solid routine but I wouldn't take it back for anything. I'm stronger and more confident. I'm happy.

I wish I had started long ago as well. I doubt I've made the progress i could've in the same time frame, but it's been such a great thing.

However, I know I battle depression, and some days it stops me dead in my tracks, I sit longer between reps just not wanting to be there, and want to hide away, but thankfully those days are relatively rare (albeit this week has been tough)

I guess I don't spend much time in this thread as I use to just because I never have much to say. Just have to keep my goals in mind I guess, realize there's always something in the future to focus on. Travelling this summer to a friend's wedding, so that's my target.

 

[Trey]

Okay, so last night I did 6 reps @ 350 for deadlifts. And while I'm not struggling with the weight, I am having a problem with grip. I feel it slipping out of my hands during the last reps. So I'm looking into getting some straps. Throughts? People who have had experience with them? Wouldn't mind investing in some quality ones if need be.

I ran into this problem recently. I broke through the grip issue and can now comfortably finish my sets with the bar in hand. Over/under grip with chalk. So I would recommend you do as many warm up sets double over, and save the over/under for the work set.

And if you do get straps, only use them for the work set.

 

[Davidion]

So i'm taking this week off from lifting and my body's already itching a bit; last time I did a break it was during Thanksgiving.

Some of the minor milestones I've made in the past couple of months are:

-Went from being barely able to do one chin up to doing 3x5. Still a bit weak with parallel grip and pull-ups.
-Dropped 20 from bench press to improve form, now just about back to my old numbers with better form.
-Started doing squats, went up about 20 lbs from my starting weight in a couple of weeks. Still lifting very low to to long time negligence but am looking forward to relatively quick progress.
-shirts feeling extra tight as of late...


Big issue for the coming months is to find access to heavier weights (no barbell access and dumbbells stop at 95) so I can improve on my RDLs.

 

[Enco]

I wish I had started long ago as well. I doubt I've made the progress i could've in the same time frame, but it's been such a great thing.

However, I know I battle depression, and some days it stops me dead in my tracks, I sit longer between reps just not wanting to be there, and want to hide away, but thankfully those days are relatively rare (albeit this week has been tough)

I guess I don't spend much time in this thread as I use to just because I never have much to say. Just have to keep my goals in mind I guess, realize there's always something in the future to focus on. Travelling this summer to a friend's wedding, so that's my target.

I think everyone goes through phases where they can't be bothered. At least I do.

Sometimes I skip days and half ass it. Obviously putting in 100% is best but some breaks wont do anything.

You just have to do whatever you enjoy at the time. Fitness should never rule your life.

 

[Mr.City]

I don't really know lol. I'm looking to lose weight really. Any suggestions to increase protein and cut carbs?

Edit: And I'm lifting a lot of course.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/exercise-and-weightfat-loss-part-1.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/exercise-and-weightfat-loss-part-2.html

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-1.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-2.html

 

[ShaneB]

I think everyone goes through phases where they can't be bothered. At least I do.

Sometimes I skip days and half ass it. Obviously putting in 100% is best but some breaks wont do anything.

You just have to do whatever you enjoy at the time. Fitness should never rule your life.

Yeah, I understand, I just get worried when those phases start becoming more frequent.

I know my lack of sleep doesn't help much either. With depression comes the worrying, which makes me not want tomorrow to arrive, so I stay up late and never get as much sleep as I know my body needs, which in turn factors my energy levels for the next day, and keeps the cycle going.

I guess the last point you say hits the hardest, have to accept that I won't be perfect and won't ever devote my life to the gym and all that, just try and make the most of it. Realize I'm in much better physical shape than I was 2 years ago.

 

[Enco]

Yeah, I understand, I just get worried when those phases start becoming more frequent.

I know my lack of sleep doesn't help much either. With depression comes the worrying, which makes me not want tomorrow to arrive, so I stay up late and never get as much sleep as I know my body needs, which in turn factors my energy levels for the next day, and keeps the cycle going.

I guess the last point you say hits the hardest, have to accept that I won't be perfect and won't ever devote my life to the gym and all that, just try and make the most of it. Realize I'm in much better physical shape than I was 2 years ago.

Exactly.

My sleep sucks haha. I should really sort it out. I usually get around 7 hours.

In other news, I did 13 pull ups today. Feels good mang.

 

[ShaneB]

Exactly.

My sleep sucks haha. I should really sort it out. I usually get around 7 hours.

In other news, I did 13 pull ups today. Feels good mang.

I'll get I guess 6 hours on average. Sometimes more, sometimes much less. I get up around 7, and bed can vary from midnight to 3am some nights.

 

[Cheeto]

My sleep is awful too... I feel like my body wants 9 hours or so, but I generally only get 6 sometimes 7.

 

[Kosh]

This thread is way too serious and could use some gym humor.

http://youtu.be/Q6rSrFpl-wE

http://youtu.be/nCHzG1ZUvw8

 

[HarryHengst]

For you guys (and gals) who like really fit girls: http://pinterest.com/christineinca/fitspo/

 

[J Tourettes]

Seeing as sleep is a topic:

The myth of the eight hour sleep

We often worry about lying awake in the middle of the night - but it could be good for you. A growing body of evidence from both science and history suggests that the eight-hour sleep may be unnatural.

In the early 1990s, psychiatrist Thomas Wehr conducted an experiment in which a group of people were plunged into darkness for 14 hours every day for a month.

It took some time for their sleep to regulate but by the fourth week the subjects settled into a very distinct sleeping pattern. They slept first for four hours, then woke for one or two hours before falling into a second four-hour sleep.

Though sleep scientists were impressed by the study, among the general public the idea that we must sleep for eight consecutive hours persists.

In 2001, historian Roger Ekirch of Virginia Tech published a seminal paper, drawn from 16 years of research, revealing a wealth of historical evidence that humans used to sleep in two distinct chunks.

Two four hour chunks? I fucking wished!

 

[Mully]

Seeing as sleep is a topic:

The myth of the eight hour sleep



Two four hour chunks? I fucking wished!

Yep. That's how we used to sleep. We would sleep for 2-4 hours, wake up fuck the wife, go back to sleep.

On the topic of sleep, my sleeping patterns are terrible. I think it's mostly due to my ulcers I get when I stress myself out about my ex, but yeah I'll go into bed at 11PM, won't fall asleep until 5AM from exhaustion.

I try sleeping pills and the milk before bed, but both make me drowsy for atleast 6 hours the following day. It's really starting to screw with my workouts and my daily routine. Anyone have a suggestion?

 

[Price Dalton]

Yep. That's how we used to sleep. We would sleep for 2-4 hours, wake up fuck the wife, go back to sleep.

On the topic of sleep, my sleeping patterns are terrible. I think it's mostly due to my ulcers I get when I stress myself out about my ex, but yeah I'll go into bed at 11PM, won't fall asleep until 5AM from exhaustion.

I try sleeping pills and the milk before bed, but both make me drowsy for atleast 6 hours the following day. It's really starting to screw with my workouts and my daily routine. Anyone have a suggestion?

Avoid electronics after dark as much as possible. The light affects your circadian rhythm, tells your body that it's daytime, and disrupts the production of melatonin.

I also find a nice cup of homemade beef broth puts me to sleep at night. It's probably the gelatin, as a cup of gelatin slurry works just as well.

 

[NomarTyme]

Putted too much creatine in my water... got the runs like mofo.

 

[Aurora]

I could never do a two-chunk sleep pattern. Once I'm awake it's almost impossible for me to go back to sleep.

 

[FallingEdge]

I ran into this problem recently. I broke through the grip issue and can now comfortably finish my sets with the bar in hand. Over/under grip with chalk. So I would recommend you do as many warm up sets double over, and save the over/under for the work set.

And if you do get straps, only use them for the work set.

Word. I will try the chalk. A few other friends suggested this as well.

Thanks!

 

[AdventureRacing]

I wish I had started long ago as well. I doubt I've made the progress i could've in the same time frame, but it's been such a great thing.

However, I know I battle depression, and some days it stops me dead in my tracks, I sit longer between reps just not wanting to be there, and want to hide away, but thankfully those days are relatively rare (albeit this week has been tough)

I guess I don't spend much time in this thread as I use to just because I never have much to say. Just have to keep my goals in mind I guess, realize there's always something in the future to focus on. Travelling this summer to a friend's wedding, so that's my target.

I'm finding the opposite for me. I've been suffering from depression lately and exercise is the one thing i always seem to have motivation for. Exercising is probably the time when i'm most happy and i just forget about everything else and just concentrate on the moment.

For me a much bigger problem has been how my sleep pattern has been affected. I struggle to go to bed until really late and still struggle to get any sleep. It's a big issue for me. If i'm not busy doing something my mind just starts racing.

 

[X-Frame]

I could never do a two-chunk sleep pattern. Once I'm awake it's almost impossible for me to go back to sleep.

I am like that now but I wasn't always like that. When I was still in school I could go to class, come back, sleep, wake up and go to another class, come back, sleep .. etc. Probably why I was so much stronger in college than now with my average 6 hours of sleep.

 

[ShaneB]

I'm finding the opposite for me. I've been suffering from depression lately and exercise is the one thing i always seem to have motivation for. Exercising is probably the time when i'm most happy and i just forget about everything else and just concentrate on the moment.

For me a much bigger problem has been how my sleep pattern has been affected. I struggle to go to bed until really late and still struggle to get any sleep. It's a big issue for me. If i'm not busy doing something my mind just starts racing.

Yeah, I understand, it does work both ways. I know I'm doing much better now than before I started working out, but it never really goes away. There are those days where being at the gym is the escape and everything is great when I'm there, just me and the weights and making myself better, and there are the days where I think about everything else and I just can't focus.

Seems like sleep problems are quite common for a lot of folks here, so it's cool to see it discussed. I don't even have a clock in my room to keep from being distracted and keep no little led lights or anything around. Just a matter of getting to bed at a decent time. lol

 

[Mr.City]

This thread is way too serious and could use some gym humor.

http://youtu.be/Q6rSrFpl-wE

http://youtu.be/nCHzG1ZUvw8

Hilarious.

 

[deadbeef]

I'm thinking of adding some reverse back-snaps to my workout. What do you guys think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nds_D9NPCs&list=UU4FhvdvgZU5CVbXi2uWgiZg&index=1&feature=plcp

 

[Ashhong]

awwwwwww yea! finally was able to complete 5x5 of 50lbs OHP. I know its not much to 99% of you guys, but I just started SL and I have been stuck on it my past 2 workouts. So happy that I don't have to go down

 

[hawkshockey11]

So I started about 2 weeks ago and I have made mediocre lift gains. Part of the problem was because I started high on most stuff. I started with 95 on squats and my max so far is 115 :/
On top of that, my knees are just awful after today's workout. I thought I was doing squats properly as told in SS but maybe not...

 

[Trey]

So I started about 2 weeks ago and I have made mediocre lift gains. Part of the problem was because I started high on most stuff. I started with 95 on squats and my max so far is 115 :/
On top of that, my knees are just awful after today's workout. I thought I was doing squats properly as told in SS but maybe not...

You know you have to eat a lot, right? That's probably why you're stalling.

 

[parrotbeak]

If I didn't have a job I would sleep biphasically. Typical weekend is 12 am - 5 am, then a 3-4 hour "nap" later in day.

I have never seen that reverse deadlift. WTF.

So I started about 2 weeks ago and I have made mediocre lift gains.

I would think that your body is just getting used to the movement and any weight at all. Don't be in any hurry.

 

[Ashhong]

So I started about 2 weeks ago and I have made mediocre lift gains. Part of the problem was because I started high on most stuff. I started with 95 on squats and my max so far is 115 :/
On top of that, my knees are just awful after today's workout. I thought I was doing squats properly as told in SS but maybe not...

Isn't that the entire problem? I thought the point of starting low is so that you wont hit your high quickly as you did.

 

[parrotbeak]

Isn't that the entire problem? I thought the point of starting low is so that you wont hit your high quickly as you did.

That's another problem. You really want your body to adjust to the whole lifting way more than your own body weight thing. It probably didn't do that much before. Not just your muscles, your bones, joints, nervous system, everything has to get used to it. You also want to get the form good before going heavier.

I would start over again. It's only 2 weeks. Better than getting hurt and losing years.

 

[-viper-]

What is the correct way to perform bent over rows with the barbell safely, and what is an ideal weight to start them on? And how by how much should I increase the weight safely each workout?

 

[JB1981]

Decided to bench last night and see how my back felt. I merely benched 155x5x3.

My back is acting up today. I am fairly positive that I can blame it on the benching because it is the first time that I have lifted anything in many weeks.

I think my lifting days are over, at least they are over for a very long time. Very depressing.

On a brighter note I did HiiT on the stairmaster last night. I manually did the intervals myself. 60 seconds at level 6 and 30 seconds at level 13 for 12 minutes. Was very hard but it felt good when it was all over.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

awwwwwww yea! finally was able to complete 5x5 of 50lbs OHP. I know its not much to 99% of you guys, but I just started SL and I have been stuck on it my past 2 workouts. So happy that I don't have to go down

Good shit! Keep it up!

Are you doing any rear delt work? If not you really should be for optimal shoulder health.

 

[MjFrancis]

@JB1981 - Are bodyweight exercises of any sort feasible?

It would be unfortunate if you were to throw everything to the curb if that doesn't have to be the case.

 

[parrotbeak]

Decided to bench last night and see how my back felt. I merely benched 155x5x3.

My back is acting up today. I am fairly positive that I can blame it on the benching because it is the first time that I have lifted anything in many weeks.

Damn, that sucks. Ya, my lower back hurts sometimes during and after benching. I had never thought it would be an issue since there's no direct load on it, but I guess just the holding it in position can be hard.

Have you tried feet on the bench?