AdventureRacing
Member
Depends where you are. Here summer is about 5-6 months away, although we get lots of sun and good beach weather outside of that.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Fitness |OT3| BroScience, Protein Dysentery, XXL Calf Implants, and Squat Rack Hogs
- Thread starter Anton Sugar
- Start date
- Status
Depends where you are. Here summer is about 5-6 months away, although we get lots of sun and good beach weather outside of that.
Lamel
Banned
Well from the OP I know I should increase the rep range. However I have never really trained for size in all honesty. It has always been SS.
Secondly, yeah when schoolwork got too much, I pretty much stopped working out regularly (maybe once every two weeks? horrible i know). However now that I am home, I have time, however I only have access to my home gym. I can't use my university gym (which was amazing). At home I have a bench, one barbell, and up to 120 lbs total on that barbell...so as you can see, it really isn't feasible to continue starting strength with such little weight. Which is why I thought I would switch it up a bit for this summer. I am not trying to gain size for "summer looks", just trying to gain size overall.
hook a brother up? my friend mentioned pre-exhaustion tonight but i had no idea what he was talking about. and what's an RPE set? i know what drop sets are, i think
Lamel
Banned
Also, what do you gents think about this? I was just reading one of my medicine feeds as I stumbled upon this.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=158128
I mean it's only one study, but interesting.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=158128
I mean it's only one study, but interesting.
fredrancour
Member
Last time I heard this mentioned (don't remember if it was on GAF or someplace else), everyone's first question was "how fit were the people to begin with?" A person who is completely out of shape sees progress with almost anything.
Yep. Need more information.
Danne-Danger
Member
Yeah I've gone through the OP a couple of times, just decided to ramp everything up yesterday. Now I plan to workout 5 days a week resting sat-sun, doing legs, back and gut monday-wednesday-friday and chest, arms shoulders & upper back on tuesday-thursday, filling my belly with green lentils and/or eggs after each workout and eating healthy vegetarian cuisine every day. Feels great, hope I can keep it up. I'm not really looking to bulk up that much, I just don't want to loose more weight.
I don't really have the confidence to start with the barbells just yet but I make sure to get some form practice into each session (under the cover of darkness in an empty gym!).
So you read through the OP but decided to ignore almost all the advice given within it? Interesting...
Hi Guys,
could you give me some advice or comment as to why I'm not seeing any physical changes despite the fact that I'm much stronger than I was 3 months ago.
Current Stats:
193lbs
Waist 34"
Squat 315x3
Deadlift 385x5
OHP 155x3
Bench 250x2
I've been following SS for the past 3 months and I have added some significant strength back to my lift. Most of my strength gains were muscle memory though, as I had taken off 3 months as I recovered from Ulcerated Colitis and the medication I was taking made lifting too much for my system.
My weight is a bit up since I began, from 188 to to 193 but I think it was mostly fat gain or water since my stomach is better now. I'm not seeing any changes to my body though.
I am currently on about 2000 kcals per day, eating meat and veggies with very little carbs except for a few beers at night (low cal beer).
Diet looks like following:
6am: coffee with splenda
11am: eggs
5pm: chicken/beef/fish, a veggie, a starch
7pm: 1 glass of wine or a miller lite (sometimes 2)
10pm: Bed
I know the beer/wine aren't helping so I am going to cut that back to just a few nights a week. Still though, at 3 months I thought I would look better.
My program going forward looks like this:
Day 1:
Squat
OHP
Bentover Row
Weighted Dips
Pullups
Curls
Day 3:
Bench Press
Weighted Pullups
Dips
Lateral Rais
Tricep Extensions
Wrist Ups
Day 5:
Deadlifts
OHP
Pullups
Weighted Dips
Curls
I am also playing tennis a few days a week and I am running 3-5K as I training for a race in July. If I just want to look better, is going to come down to eating better (no beer)?
could you give me some advice or comment as to why I'm not seeing any physical changes despite the fact that I'm much stronger than I was 3 months ago.
Current Stats:
193lbs
Waist 34"
Squat 315x3
Deadlift 385x5
OHP 155x3
Bench 250x2
I've been following SS for the past 3 months and I have added some significant strength back to my lift. Most of my strength gains were muscle memory though, as I had taken off 3 months as I recovered from Ulcerated Colitis and the medication I was taking made lifting too much for my system.
My weight is a bit up since I began, from 188 to to 193 but I think it was mostly fat gain or water since my stomach is better now. I'm not seeing any changes to my body though.
I am currently on about 2000 kcals per day, eating meat and veggies with very little carbs except for a few beers at night (low cal beer).
Diet looks like following:
6am: coffee with splenda
11am: eggs
5pm: chicken/beef/fish, a veggie, a starch
7pm: 1 glass of wine or a miller lite (sometimes 2)
10pm: Bed
I know the beer/wine aren't helping so I am going to cut that back to just a few nights a week. Still though, at 3 months I thought I would look better.
My program going forward looks like this:
Day 1:
Squat
OHP
Bentover Row
Weighted Dips
Pullups
Curls
Day 3:
Bench Press
Weighted Pullups
Dips
Lateral Rais
Tricep Extensions
Wrist Ups
Day 5:
Deadlifts
OHP
Pullups
Weighted Dips
Curls
I am also playing tennis a few days a week and I am running 3-5K as I training for a race in July. If I just want to look better, is going to come down to eating better (no beer)?
What type of physical changes are you looking for? Like, trying to get big? You're doing intense lifting, and running 5ks in training, and playing tennis, on 2000 calories a day. You need to eat more - a LOT more - if you want to see big arms and big legs.
I was hoping to get more cut. I have a 34" waist and a 44" chest but I really lack definition. If you go back to a previous post of mine you will see the pics of my weight loss, but even when I was 12lbs lighter (very sick at the time), I lacked definition.
Frankly ss is well known for increasing size pretty rapidly. It's one of the strengths of the program.
Mecha_Infantry
Banned
My exams have been fucking up my training and posting here, good to see another BB minded guy in here: DarthWufieu
I need to cut soon, but too many carbs, Guinness', exams and projects put me back...so I think I will compete early next year instead
Although I'm still getting bigger on this weird diet.
edit* My suit size has gone up again, now rocking a 54" blazer..this aint fun!
I need to cut soon, but too many carbs, Guinness', exams and projects put me back...so I think I will compete early next year instead
Although I'm still getting bigger on this weird diet.
edit* My suit size has gone up again, now rocking a 54" blazer..this aint fun!
Call me stupid but what is SS?
Mecha_Infantry
Banned
Starting Strength
You've been lifting at 2000 calories for 3 months? You need muscle first before you start seeing muscle definition.
I know that feel bro
I would think with my current lifts, especially my deadlift and bench, that I would have adiquate muscle at this point. I've been lifting most of my life except for the times when I was very sick. Do I really need to get my squat up to 400 before I start a cut to look good?
Darren870
Member
I would say no...as I can't squat as much as you any more and my legs are cut.
I've been doing high rep low weight exercises recently and have been seeing a lot of definition. How long have you been doing that routine you ironed out?
Thought it was that from the opening post. Thanks.
Robot_Rave
Neo Member
I just completed my first workout yesterday, and I've had today off. I would like to go to the gym tomorrow but my arms are still sore, so if they're still sore tomorrow it probably isn't a good idea to go is it?
Lasthope106
Member
Contrary to popular belief being sore doesn't mean you have to skip workouts until you are no longer sore. As your body adapts to this new stress you are putting on it, the soreness will eventually go away. I lift 4 times a week and not a single day do I feel as sore as the first week.
I use a couple tablespoons of brown sugar and a light helping of milk. On rare occasion I'll use a sweetened protein powder instead of the brown sugar. I only eat oatmeal a few times a month anymore, and I've never worried about putting anything unhealthy on it. I hope either of those ideas are helpful in some way.
Mecha_Infantry
Banned
reggieandTFE
Member
This might not be the topic to ask it in, but has anyone here benefited from yoga?
Okay I need some advice.
I succesfully dieted down from 80kg to 71kg (and BF% ~16%) during the winter and spring. My plan was to slow bulk with minimal fat gain using LeanGains method. At some point I figured out that slow bulk might not be the most effective method and started the "eat all bulk." I also drank around 3 litres of milk a day.
And so my weight ballooned from 71kg to 85kg (BF% 25% atleast) in around two months time. Most of it fat and water since my muscles haven't gotten that much bigger even though I progressed in my lifts. Though not as much as I would've liked. Still had some little problems with press, bench press (and squat) even though I was eating 3500-4000 calories a day. Little problems meaning that I couldn't progress as fast as I thought I would have been able to. Making 1-1,5kg jumps for the presses but I still had problems with the next workout.
The problem is that I'm still not an intermediate lifter and the bulk wasn't as effective as I would've thought. Too much fat and not as much progress in my lifts as I would've liked. So now I'm at an crossroads. Should I cut (with PSMF) for a month or two? Should I just continue and live with the massive gut I've build up and cut sometime in the future? Should I try to lose it slowly during the summer by upping cardio (not doing anything at this moment).? I dropped the milk to 1,5 litres of semiskimmed already and I need to get in some running shape again so I'm upping cardio anyway a bit.
Workout routine used to be SS and later the routine posted in the OP. Now I've been thinking of making the switch to 5/3/1 since my job is bit demanding physically than normally (lots and lots of walking). If someone need to know my goals, its muscular bodyweight. Ideally something like this, so not that huge. BF% 10-15% in the long run. I'm not in a hurry but I'd like to do this without becoming a massive lard ass..
wat do?
I succesfully dieted down from 80kg to 71kg (and BF% ~16%) during the winter and spring. My plan was to slow bulk with minimal fat gain using LeanGains method. At some point I figured out that slow bulk might not be the most effective method and started the "eat all bulk." I also drank around 3 litres of milk a day.
And so my weight ballooned from 71kg to 85kg (BF% 25% atleast) in around two months time. Most of it fat and water since my muscles haven't gotten that much bigger even though I progressed in my lifts. Though not as much as I would've liked. Still had some little problems with press, bench press (and squat) even though I was eating 3500-4000 calories a day. Little problems meaning that I couldn't progress as fast as I thought I would have been able to. Making 1-1,5kg jumps for the presses but I still had problems with the next workout.
The problem is that I'm still not an intermediate lifter and the bulk wasn't as effective as I would've thought. Too much fat and not as much progress in my lifts as I would've liked. So now I'm at an crossroads. Should I cut (with PSMF) for a month or two? Should I just continue and live with the massive gut I've build up and cut sometime in the future? Should I try to lose it slowly during the summer by upping cardio (not doing anything at this moment).? I dropped the milk to 1,5 litres of semiskimmed already and I need to get in some running shape again so I'm upping cardio anyway a bit.
Workout routine used to be SS and later the routine posted in the OP. Now I've been thinking of making the switch to 5/3/1 since my job is bit demanding physically than normally (lots and lots of walking). If someone need to know my goals, its muscular bodyweight. Ideally something like this, so not that huge. BF% 10-15% in the long run. I'm not in a hurry but I'd like to do this without becoming a massive lard ass..
wat do?
Price Dalton
Member
Blackstrap molasses. Lots of iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Depends on your routine. If you're doing a BB-type of thing, then they should get more rest. If you're doing the workout outlined in the OP, then I think you should train through it. Your first time into (or getting back into) training will make you very sore, and not training through that soreness will make sure you remain sore every time you train.
Pre-exhaustion sets: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/randy1.htm
(Bodybuilding.com...I know, but it's a good article that outlines how it works)
I think I mistyped RPE or whatever is it is, but it's basically going to failure or just short of on your last set. 5/3/1 and the GSLP make use of it.
http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=30751
I'm not sure what you're trying to do here. Do you want to lose body fat or gain muscular body weight? Your diet is not helping either since it resembles that of Christian Bale's during The Machinist. It has almost no protein (or food) and you eat a bed?
Aw geez. I don't understand this strange mentality where people feel they need to perfect and practice form forever in hopes of one day mastering the Perfect Form Forever. Starting Strength the 3rd Edition by Mark Rippetoe is a great book that teaches all the major barbell lifts.
Also, what is going to happen if people actually see you in the gym as you work with the barbell? Will you be attacked? Jailed? Executed?
Your problems stems from the idea that you can make the biological processes occur faster than they can actually happen. You went crazy with a bulk, got fatter, and are not happy with your body image. I'm not sure about that not being an intermediate lifter part. A lot of people misread that chart and think they NEED to hit those numbers to become an intermediate/ advanced/ whatever. It's just an average of people who have trained. The real sign of not being a novice lifter anymore is the inability to progress from workout to workout anymore. What are your lifts, body weight, and other things like right now?
As for weight loss, you can do whatever makes you the happiest. Your options
RFL/PMSF diet: Works fast but can be really hard for some people. Don't do this unless you have the book, don't modify or play with it.
Cardio and veggies: "Clean eating" and doing cardio 1-2 times a week can work too, albeit much slower than your first option.
Cut later: I'm not sure why you would choose to cut later if you're not happy with your body now. You could try to recomp, but I probably wouldn't give your body fat %.
On a side note: What I'm about to type may or may not rub you the wrong way, but there seems to be franticness in your writing, like you really want the Best Official Way to get cut/ jacked/ whatever. Looking at how you went crazy on your bulk to get all the mass now and are now considering a crash diet ( although a very good crash diet) may not work for you in the long run.
Poindexter
Member
Be patient.
Go back to the basics and nail them. It seems like you're getting ahead of yourself. Eat clean and lift heavy. A dirty bulk is never a good idea.
Also get your priorities in order. No one can tell you what you should do. Do you want to get stronger first or do you want to shed the fat? Your diet and routine will depend on your goals.
Again, be patient. If you're not a newb anymore don't expect the same kind of gains as when you started. Think of long term goals and work out a plan on how you want to get there. There are no quick fixes in this game.
Just researched this on google... looks good. How does it taste though?
Yeah I know. I'd just like some advice since a lot of guys here obviously knows a lot more from this stuff than I.
My goals at this moment are bit conflicting since I obviously want to get stronger but I also would like to lose my gut or atleast make it a bit smaller..
Tablespoons. I use it to make 2-3 cups of unsweetened oatmeal more palatable.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Is there any consensus on who makes the best protein shake? I was going to pick up some Muscle Milk mix at Costco today and I'm just wondering what everyone recommends or if Muscle Milk is good enough.
Also, if I'm lifting three times a week and doing cardio on my off days, should I still take a protein shake after cardio?
Also, if I'm lifting three times a week and doing cardio on my off days, should I still take a protein shake after cardio?
Protein isn't magical. It's just a means of increasing your daily protein intake. Have it whenever.
Using 80 - 120 minutes of yoga a week I'd gather that it's been helpful for ending the day relaxed, passively stretched and focused. All qualitative and anecdotal results, of course.
I never emphasize the lower back stretches. Helpful quotes from Pavel Tsatsouline's book, Relax into Stretch:
In general, it's also why I never abuse stretching in yoga as much as the instructor. For their lifestyle it works great I suppose, but for me, I'm much more interested in active flexibility (aka mobility) than passive flexibility. Again, from Relax into Stretch:
Most of the time I prefer active stretching using the Trifecta, a sequence of back bridges, twists and L-sits described in Convict Conditioning 2. I do these 5-7 times a week.
Yoga has it's place, and I recommend utilizing it for what it does and not fooling yourself into thinking it's a cure-all for every ailment or ill. If I had a bone to pick with yoga, aside from the lower back stretching and overemphasis on relaxation, it would be that the pose names are just downright silly.
Mountain pose?
It's called standing.
I appreciate the answer. It's true that I might be an intermediate lifter even though I haven't hit the marks on the chart yet.
My lifts atm in metric and imperial units so everyone can understand easier. Bench is quite pathetic in my opinion. I've always been weak with pushups etc. so it might be my weak point. Though the others ain't that great either.
Squat 5RM 92,5kg/204lbs
Bench 5RM 63,5kg/140lbs
Deadlift 5RM 130kg/286lbs
Press 5RM 43,5kg/96lbs
Power Clean 3RM 55kg/122lbs
Height: 183,5cm/ 6 foot
Weight: 85kg/186lbs
BF%: ~25% atleast
I know PSMF is quite radical but I also know its fast. I'd prefer to do this fast and get back to making gains than spend half a year losing weight and not making gains.
It might seem like I run around looking for the fast fix but it's not that. I try to think these things as thoroughly as possible but I'm new at this and have made a few mistakes. I guess I underestimated how fast I would get fat eating that much. Also I know I can cut the fat off at any point since I've already done it succesfully so I guess I let myself go too much.. I wasn't planning on going crazy with the bulk originally but then I thought I'd need to get that 4k calories to progress on SS. I was thinking of doing it very clean and for the most part I've done it quite cleanly. I guess it's the 3 litres of full milk that was too much for me.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
One last pic before the cardio phase really kicks in, I seem to have bulked up quite a bit in almost two years.
This was me two years ago.
This was me two years ago.
The milk is only there to gain weight. It, much like protein powder, is not magical. If I remember correctly, you were on SS for a year. Not to knock your progress, but those are some low lifts for a year of linear progression.
I need to ask a few more thing about your progress, such as how many times did you rest on your lifts, are you still squatting heavy three times a week, how often do you deadlift.
And something for you and other posters to keep in mind is this: If you can achieve progress/ desired results with variable X, then would you need X + 4. Ponder that and how it can relate to your training and diet.
Who is that big guy holding in you in the second picture?
I had ACL surgery on my right leg in 2005 and had some muscle atrophy. You can tell in the mirror that basically my right leg quads and hamstrings are essentially half the size of my left leg.
Can I regain this doing squats or do I need to isolate the right leg? The doctor recommended against me doing leg lifts I believe, probably because my ACL was reconstructed from a portion of my patellar tendon.
I'm hoping doing squats will eventually even out the legs.
Can I regain this doing squats or do I need to isolate the right leg? The doctor recommended against me doing leg lifts I believe, probably because my ACL was reconstructed from a portion of my patellar tendon.
I'm hoping doing squats will eventually even out the legs.
I only started Stronglifts (and later SS) in around december so you must confuse me with someone else. And the progress have been halted somewhat since I cutted down during the spring. Maybe 4 months of proper linear progression. The cut in retrospect was for a bit for nothing since I'm now back where I was before weight wise.
I've been resting enough between sets. Normally 3-5min, sometimes a bit more if I felt like I needed it. Or do you mean how many times I stopped linear progression? At the end of january I started a serious cut and my progress halted pretty much until the beginning of mach. Though I had been eating too little while trying to lose weight most of january so my progress was weak.
Been deadlifting 2 times a week lately with the OP program. Been able to put 4kg or so to it every workout for a while now. 110kg > 113,5kg > 117,5kg > 122,5kg > 126kg > 130kg up until now. 130kg was last week, haven't deadlifted yet since then. I was thinking of taking a week off this week so haven't been to the gym.
I've been taking a few weeks of heavy squatting now since I've had problems with tight hamstrings and lower back pain that probably stems from the hamstrings. Osteopath thought that since my hamstrings have trouble stretching while going down, it's likely that my back has to accommodate. So I've been seriously stretching them and keeping it so that not to aggravate anything further. Was planning on resuming squatting when I get to the gym next time.
:edited
I'm not quite sure why hamstring problems would cause you to take such drastic measures. The hamstrings are attached to the pelvis, as are your lower back muscles. If you're tight or can't keep a lumbar arch, the hamstrings "win" the tug a war with your pelvis and then your back loses extension at the bottom. Simply holding a stretch for a while in the morning and evening or even stretching by getting into the squat position at the bottom for a while. The squat itself acts as stretch, so you really want to examine how well you can hold an arch in your back.
Also, you may wish to cycle deadlifting down to once a week at some point. Heavy deadlift don't recover well, and guys who do the OP (which is kinda like SS) will eventually twice a week deadlifting to be too much. I found it to be too much when I hit the 300s on the deadlift, which where you are around right now.If left unchecked, they'll beat the shit out of you and cause everything else to go down the tubes.
Thanks Mr.City, I really appreciate the answers 
Gonna take your advice. I'm going to try to stick with linear progression for a while still. Probably going to cycle deadlifts so that they are once a week only like I had also planned. Going to resume squatting and I need to improve them still by doing them and stretching. And even though I have trouble with my presses, I should be able to progress with them still. I just need not to be afraid to deloading I guess.
And I'm gonna do the PSMF for a month or so to get some blubber off at some point in the near future. Not too much or too long but enough. I think it's the best choice since it's fast even though it is rough. I'm really itching to get back to making gains and it pains me to lose time like this just because I ate too much and too fast.
As for now I'm going to try to make some gains for a short while still and then gonna do the diet when I feel like I can't manage with SS anymore. Let's see how far I'll get
Gonna take your advice. I'm going to try to stick with linear progression for a while still. Probably going to cycle deadlifts so that they are once a week only like I had also planned. Going to resume squatting and I need to improve them still by doing them and stretching. And even though I have trouble with my presses, I should be able to progress with them still. I just need not to be afraid to deloading I guess.
And I'm gonna do the PSMF for a month or so to get some blubber off at some point in the near future. Not too much or too long but enough. I think it's the best choice since it's fast even though it is rough. I'm really itching to get back to making gains and it pains me to lose time like this just because I ate too much and too fast.
As for now I'm going to try to make some gains for a short while still and then gonna do the diet when I feel like I can't manage with SS anymore. Let's see how far I'll get
Etrian Oddity
Member
I never do public/group yoga because I know I'm going to be that guy. XD
Yoga to me is a workout more than a relaxer... but that's because my experience is P90x's X-Yoga, which was probably the second hardest workout in the program.
I much prefer a drawn out stretching session [X-Stretch] to yoga... that shit gets intense.
Spiritreaver
Member
They say that because we never hang out often enough I need to let loose when we do get together and enjoy myself. They just don't understand, many of them want to be healthier and lose weight or get more fit, but don't fully comprehend what it takes to get there and thus don't understand where my mind is at.
I try to explain to them I want to compete and need to be very strict, and I can have a good time without eating or drinking junk. I do cheat and binge, but I prefer to save those moments for when I really feel I need it mentally.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Well, it's official. I need to reset my press. I knew I was reaching the limit. I failed today on my last rep. I know it's due to diet change and the upping in cardio, but it's for the best right now.
FallingEdge
Member
1x20 @ 175 for squats. No signs of slowing down for me!
As always Alienshogun, good ish with the pics. Definitely can see a change.
As always Alienshogun, good ish with the pics. Definitely can see a change.
Pushups it is. Thanks all, and for those variations!
- Status