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[FallingEdge]

Muscle growth. I'm starting to wonder if the trainer's routines are any good.

If looking into muscle growth, high suggest looking into Starting Strength or Greyskull LP. Read up on the OP if you haven't yet. Lots of good stuff.

snip

As MrToughPants has said, you are nowhere near 13%. Maybe 20% or a bit less.

 

[blackflag]

It's not disgusting. Who told you you were 13% though?

Beaten...It's at least 20 most likely. Don't fret you'll get rid of it.

 

[ZeroRay]

Also, looking at your workout plan Hypertrooper, just do any of the ones listed in the OP instead for much, much, better results.

 

[FallingEdge]

I hate leg days can't stress that enough.

love leg days. best feeling is when your ass is sore from squats.

 

[sphinx]

I did overhead presses for the first time yesterday at 55lbs (25~ kg) for my work set, and damn they are killer. I think my form is poor, too, because I felt a bit of pain in my lower back. I'm not really supposed to be using that area if I had proper form, right?

It's also a relatively new move for me, I started maybe at the beginning of june so I am not sure what to say regarding the pain but it doesn't feel right, I just know my body is overwhelmed by the weight above it and the feeling in the lower back didn't feel right, I don't think it's right.

I have been watching this rippetoe explanation many times to try to have the best form possible so I can't be doing it that bad but still, I think 40 kgs was a bit too much and I just pulled through.

 

[chrisisawesome]

It's not disgusting. Who told you you were 13% though?

Beaten...It's at least 20 most likely. Don't fret you'll get rid of it.

How can you guys estimate body fat percentage? Is there a picture guide with an approximation? I'd be curious to see what I am without having to find somewhere to do a full test.

 

[Hypertrooper]

If looking into muscle growth, high suggest looking into Starting Strength or Greyskull LP. Read up on the OP if you haven't yet. Lots of good stuff.



As MrToughPants has said, you are nowhere near 13%. Maybe 20% or a bit less.

That is not 13% bf...not even close.

13% you have a 6 pack or very close, depends on the person.

It's not disgusting. Who told you you were 13% though?

Beaten...It's at least 20 most likely. Don't fret you'll get rid of it.

That thing told me it. Not sure how reliable it is. I can't find any reviews about it. So yeah. Like I expected it to be. It would have been too good to be true. lol.

I will check out the OP in more detail tomorrow.

 

[sphinx]

Also, looking at your workout plan Hypertrooper, just do any of the ones listed in the OP instead for much, much, better results.

I am pretty certain this is true, but I think newcomers will really appreciate it if you guys could explain what's wrong with their self-made routines. That way people learn and understand what they are doing.

 

[blackflag]

That thing told me it. Not sure how reliable it is. I can't find any reviews about it. So yeah. Like I expected it to be. It would have been too good to be true. lol.

I will check out the OP in more detail tomorrow.

Yeah those are pretty unreliable.

I'm at work so I can't provide a link but. google body fat estimation pictures. something like that.

13% you should just about see abs and some people can see abs. it's hard to get an estimate from that close up of a picture but it's definitely more.

 

[Chittagong]

That thing told me it. Not sure how reliable it is. I can't find any reviews about it. So yeah. Like I expected it to be. It would have been too good to be true. lol.

I will check out the OP in more detail tomorrow.

Yeah those scales are not good for anything else BF than very broad trends over a very long time, the actual figures are always wrong.

I have found that the best way to estimate your fat percentage is to google images 'body fat percentage men', you will find a bunch of comparison pictures showing what different fat percentages look like. Pay attention to lower abdominal fat, love handles and general muscle definition (how well you see the shape of eg arm muscles) and compare them to a picture of yourself with brutal objectivity.

I thought I was 20ish when I started in January. After comparing my pics to the google images pics I realized I must be much higher, close to 30%.

Not to panic though, I have been chipping it down and am now just under 20% I think, which looks already like what you would think of a 'regular person'. Almost no belly aside from a bit lower abdomen, and a bit of softness on lower back. Love handles gone, beginnings of definition in arms. Still a long way from 15% which is completely tight with no softness or 12% which is my ideal level of definition I aim for.

This is pretty good I think:

 

[ZeroRay]

I am pretty certain this is true, but I think newcomers will really appreciate it if you guys could explain what's wrong with their self-made routines. That way people learn and understand what they are doing.

I can try my best to explain, though I'm sure most of this thread can do a better job.

Compound lifts are the most effective way in building real strength and muscle, as opposed to isolation routines favored by most gym goers and trainers. That's because parts of the human body aren't meant to be worked separately, but as a total unit. For beginners especially, there is no need to isolate work on your front delts when you don't have any to speak of. To quote Dave Tate, "You can't flex bone."

The routines in the OP may not seem like much initially but it and its variants have a proven track record in building a solid base of strength for beginners.

 

[Gruco]

• Age: 31
• Height: 6 ft 1
• Weight: 170 ish
• Goal: 185-190. Pretty modest, but I want to put on weight.
• Current Training Schedule: I run a couple days a week, play ultimate once a week, and workout with pull ups, push ups, and dumbells probably twice a week. I want to take my goals more seriously and it's past time I got religion on squats and deads.
• Current Training Equipment Available: I have a pull up bar, 50 pound adjustable dumbells and a 20 pound vest at home. I have access to a university gym so I am sure I can get used to barbells.
  
• Comments: I definitely want to put on weight, but running is a huge priority and I don't want to end up neglecting it in this process. I have a pretty high resting metabolic rate though, and worry about being able to put on too much weight if I am also running.
  My thoughts are that I should go with starting strength, keep playing ultimate, and also have a day of hard interval training in there too.
  
• Questions: Should I buy and read starting strength before I start the beginner routine outlined in the OP? Will it be enough to have someone show me good form with the key lifts a few times?
  
  Squats 3x per week seems insane. Particularly if I have two pretty intense running days in there as well. Is that really giving yourself enough time to recover?

Thanks for all of your comments.

 

[abuC]

love leg days. best feeling is when your ass is sore from squats.

Nah man, you can keep all that, if Legs were a race Evil would have banned me for my hate speech on training them.

That thing told me it. Not sure how reliable it is. I can't find any reviews about it. So yeah. Like I expected it to be. It would have been too good to be true. lol.

I will check out the OP in more detail tomorrow.

I have one of these, they are more accurate -

7 skinfold site broski, I was down to 13% @ 218lbs and I had abs with pretty much no belly.

 

[Chittagong]

I can try my best to explain, though I'm sure most of this thread can do a better job.

Compound lifts are the most effective way in building real strength and muscle, as opposed to isolation routines favored by most gym goers and trainers. That's because parts of the human body aren't meant to be worked separately, but as a total unit. For beginners especially, there is no need to isolate work on your front delts when you don't have any to speak of. To quote Dave Tate, "You can't flex bone."

The routines in the OP may not seem like much initially but it and its variants have a proven track record in building a solid base of strength for beginners.

To build on that, think of it this way: the machines hit just a single muscle one which is not very strong for a beginner. So you can't push the muscle very hard. To grow as a beginner with machines you would have to spend insane amounts of time in the gym to hit each muscle two or three times a week. Borderline impossible.

This is where compound moves (squat, bench, deadlift, press, chin up, dip) come useful, they hit a huge amount of muscles simultaneously. You can hit your muscles harder because the chances are that some supporting muscles will take a load of the punishment. So you end up getting this super effective and hard total body work out for all key muscles three times a week. Intensity, frequency and repetition are all higher, so you progress faster.

Eventually you will want to add in a few isolation moves to balance areas less punished with the compound moves - biceps, upper pecs and lats for me. But still most of your time goes to efficient compounds.

The reason beginners avoid the big lifts is that they are hard. They require (teach) coordination, balance and an ability to recruit a lot of muscles simultaneously.

 

[sphinx]

I can try my best to explain, though I'm sure most of this thread can do a better job.

Compound lifts are the most effective way in building real strength and muscle, as opposed to isolation routines favored by most gym goers and trainers. That's because parts of the human body aren't meant to be worked separately, but as a total unit. For beginners especially, there is no need to isolate work on your front delts when you don't have any to speak of. To quote Dave Tate, "You can't flex bone."

The routines in the OP may not seem like much initially but it and its variants have a proven track record in building a solid base of strength for beginners.

To build on that, think of it this way: the machines hit just a single muscle one which is not very strong for a beginner. So you can't push the muscle very hard. To grow as a beginner with machines you would have to spend insane amounts of time in the gym to hit each muscle two or three times a week. Borderline impossible.

This is where compound moves (squat, bench, deadlift, press, chin up, dip) come useful, they hit a huge amount of muscles simultaneously. You can hit your muscles harder because the chances are that some supporting muscles will take a load of the punishment. So you end up getting this super effective and hard total body work out for all key muscles three times a week. Intensity, frequency and repetition are all higher, so you progress faster.

Eventually you will want to add in a few isolation moves to balance areas less punished with the compound moves - biceps, upper pecs and lats for me. But still most of your time goes to efficient compounds.

The reason beginners avoid the big lifts is that they are hard. They require (teach) coordination, balance and an ability to recruit a lot of muscles simultaneously.

thank you guys for taking your time.

Thing is,people need to learn. I know, it's not anyone's job here to educate but if a suggestion to change a routine is accompanied by an explanation as to why that is required, It's always better, think about all the lurkers reading. It's worth taking time and explaining it.

 

[SeanR1221]

The first guy is legit scary. Like he's going to emerge from the fridge and strangle me if I have a cheat meal.

 

[Mariolee]

So I'm back Fitness GAF. If any of you remember me, you'll remember my plight of my parents not allowing me to go to the gym. My dad, who is admittedly pretty ripped at 48 and as a result I would assume knowledgable on the subject, and he said he's been to plenty of gyms and says it's better or more efficient to work out at home, so he bought this a few days ago:

So he and I worked out a solid beginner's exercise routine with this machine unless otherwise noted with an *:
- 5 minutes of warm ups*
- 5 minutes of pull ups (as many as I can)*
- 5 minutes of bench presses
- 5 minutes of butterflies
- 5 minutes of lat pull downs
- 5 minutes of leg extensions
- 30 leg ups on the ground*
- As many push ups as I can (Currently 40) specifically with fists instead of flat hands on the ground*

I also do HIIT sprints every other day.
So far I'm starting with 10 pounds just to get used to the machine but I think I'll get to 20 pounds fairly quickly. I'm fairly skinny and looking at the chart above I have about 20% body fat. Is it enough?

 

[A More Normal Bird]

thank you guys for taking your time.

Thing is,people need to learn. I know, it's not anyone's job here to educate but if a suggestion to change a routine is accompanied by an explanation as to why that is required, It's always better, think about all the lurkers reading. It's worth taking time and explaining it.

The OP already contains a decent amount of information on this topic.

So I'm back Fitness GAF. If any of you remember me, you'll remember my plight of my parents not allowing me to go to the gym. My dad, who is admittedly pretty ripped at 48 and as a result I would assume knowledgable on the subject, and he said he's been to plenty of gyms and says it's better or more efficient to work out at home, so he bought this a few days ago:

So he and I worked out a solid beginner's exercise routine with this machine unless otherwise noted with an *:
- 5 minutes of warm ups*
- 5 minutes of pull ups (as many as I can)*
- 5 minutes of bench presses
- 5 minutes of butterflies
- 5 minutes of lat pull downs
- 5 minutes of leg extensions
- 30 leg ups on the ground*
- As many push ups as I can (Currently 40) specifically with fists instead of flat hands on the ground*

I also do HIIT sprints every other day.
So far I'm starting with 10 pounds just to get used to the machine but I think I'll get to 20 pounds fairly quickly. Is it enough?

Going to be blunt and say that if your Dad thought that machine was a good investment then he knows less about the topic than you think. If you can't get access to free weights, at least program your lifts in sets x reps, not time. What does 5 minutes of bench press entail? As many reps as you can do with as little rest? Are you going to keep track of your number of reps and try to beat it? You'd be better served by working in sets of 3x8 or 5x5 on it and increasing the weight after each session where you reach your specified reps. You'd be even better served by selling the machine and buying a barbell and squat rack.

 

[sphinx]

The OP already contains a decent amount of information on this topic.

but then you are suggesting people should not ask for help or opinions regarding their workout plans because " it's already there, people should totally deduce from the info in the OP that their routines are shit".

that would be nice and may actually happen sometimes, that a guy realizes his routines aren't optimal and may decide to try SS just by reading the OP. That would be great but I don't think it works like that.

 

[Matugi]

I am well over 15% fat and fairly sure my obliques edges are showing. Is such a thing even possible..?!

I'm getting the same way right now.

 

[SeanR1221]

So I'm back Fitness GAF. If any of you remember me, you'll remember my plight of my parents not allowing me to go to the gym. My dad, who is admittedly pretty ripped at 48 and as a result I would assume knowledgable on the subject, and he said he's been to plenty of gyms and says it's better or more efficient to work out at home, so he bought this a few days ago:

So he and I worked out a solid beginner's exercise routine with this machine unless otherwise noted with an *:
- 5 minutes of warm ups*
- 5 minutes of pull ups (as many as I can)*
- 5 minutes of bench presses
- 5 minutes of butterflies
- 5 minutes of lat pull downs
- 5 minutes of leg extensions
- 30 leg ups on the ground*
- As many push ups as I can (Currently 40) specifically with fists instead of flat hands on the ground*

I also do HIIT sprints every other day.
So far I'm starting with 10 pounds just to get used to the machine but I think I'll get to 20 pounds fairly quickly. I'm fairly skinny and looking at the chart above I have about 20% body fat. Is it enough?

Please don't do things in minutes. You do things for reps within sets.

There's plenty of guys who are "ripped" and don't know a damn thing about proper lifting, unfortunately.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

but then you are suggesting people should not ask for help or opinions regarding their workout plans because " it's already there, people should totally deduce from the info in the OP that their routines are shit".

that would be nice and may actually happen sometimes, that a guy realizes his routines aren't optimal and may decide to try SS just by reading the OP. That would be great but I don't think it works like that.

What gave you that idea? I'm saying that telling someone their routine isn't great and to read the OP will provide some degree of explanation anyway. Retyping the basics for every poster instead of linking to them is somewhat redundant.

 

[Cooter]

Based on the body fat comparison pic I'd say I'm about 10.75% right now. Haha

Side note, I just picked up 2 boxes of quest bars! I took a month break. Mostly PB Surpremes and PB&J with their last 6 cookie doughs. Looking forward to getting back on the quest train!

 

[Matugi]

Based on that pic I'm around 16% but I knew I was somewhere there. I hate those pictures, though, because people carry their weight differently.

 

[abuC]

Based on the body fat comparison pic I'd say I'm about 10.75% right now. Haha

Side note, I just picked up 2 boxes of quest bars! I took a month break. Mostly PB Surpremes and PB&J with their last 6 cookie doughs. Looking forward to getting back on the quest train!

Do what I do, when they don't have full boxes I just take some from the other boxes. I tell the girls at the cash register and they don't care, mix and match for the W.

 

[Cooter]

Do what I do, when they don't have full boxes I just take some from the other boxes. I tell the girls at the cash register and they don't care, mix and match for the W.

That's what I do. I got 13 PBs, 5 PB&Js, and 6 cookie doughs. I miss the days when a box was 13 dollars.

 

[Noema]

I did overhead presses for the first time yesterday at 55lbs (25~ kg) for my work set, and damn they are killer. I think my form is poor, too, because I felt a bit of pain in my lower back. I'm not really supposed to be using that area if I had proper form, right?

Actually OHP will use pretty much every muscle in your body. It has the longest kinetic chain of all the barbell lifts. You shouldn't be really feeling pain though.

Have you read SS?

 

[a secret-boss]

I guess my calculation is right.
I'm 13% body fat

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Actually OHP will use pretty much every muscle in your body. It has the longest kinetic chain of all the barbell lifts. You shouldn't be really feeling pain though.

Have you read SS?

Reading SS now (all of the unfamiliar body part names in the book really made me realize how unlearned I am in anatomy) and watched videos of Mark Rippetoe teaching other people proper form before going into the gym.

I probably shouldn't have said "pain," actually. It was more of a tingling sensation rather than actual pain.

 

[abuC]

That's what I do. I got 13 PBs, 5 PB&Js, and 6 cookie doughs. I miss the days when a box was 13 dollars.

How are the PB&Js?

I keep getting the discount, one of the women there has a crush on me, she sets up new gold cards for me anytime she's there.

 

[Cooter]

How are the PB&Js?

I keep getting the discount, one of the women there has a crush on me, she sets up new gold cards for me anytime she's there.

F-ing delicious! Highly recommend them.

 

[abuC]

F-ing delicious! Highly recommend them.

I'll give them a try, believe it or not I like Brownie more than Cookie dough.

 

[Cooter]

I'll give them a try, believe it or not I like Brownie more than Cookie dough.

That's hard to believe but I can see it if you're a big chocolate guy. I adore peanut butter and so PBs and PB&J are my two favorites.

 

[Kawl_USC]

Today was a rough day. Woke up this morning and had a sharp pain running through my heel and outer side of my foot. Was really weird cause I went to bed feeling fine. But it was difficult to walk all day, looked like a gimp. Any one know if this is something that could have been caused by lifting?

Then for the first time since starting SS 4 weeks ago I failed a set. Was squatting 305 for working set. Got my first five but probably skimped on depth. Second set I was determined to not be a punk and do a partial squat and decided I'd rather fail the set then do it half assed....so I failed on the third rep and bailed out.

Dropped weight and did a third set to get my reps in but just wasn't feeling it today. Was the first time I've been scared of squats but I can understand what people mean now.

But I did crush my Dead lifts and Bench PRs, should get 3 plate dead lifts on Friday and get to 2 plate bench in a two more workouts. I'm really pumped about doing 225 for 3 sets of 5 on bench as its always been my weakest lift and the one I shied away from.

Overall, after a month of SS and eating a ton of food and drinking protein shakes I have to say that I'm pretty pleased with my progress. I've solidified my form as not awful like it has been for years, and my weights with proper form have been increasing at a very nice pace. I suspect that that pace will begin to slow now, but its time to settle into a slow comfortable grind from here on out. I've put on some weight, and a not insignificant amount of fat I feel, but I'm not gonna work about that for a while and just focus on fueling the machine and increasing my weights.

Also, getting enough sleep is tough when you work 7:30-5:30 with a 30-45 minute commute man. This whole real world working thing is rough in general. Looking forward to getting back to the easy school time plan in a few more months.

 

[Cudder]

I'll give them a try, believe it or not I like Brownie more than Cookie dough.

Me too. Brownie's are flippin' great.

 

[SeanR1221]

It is decided.

Gonna cut some weight starting tomorrow and put strength gainz on hold.

Probably will try a cardio + calorie control + high protein + heavy lifting approach.

 

[FallingEdge]

1) Brownie
2) PB&J
3) Cookie Dough
4) Apple Pie

 

[abuC]

That's hard to believe but I can see it if you're a big chocolate guy. I adore peanut butter and so PBs and PB&J are my two favorites.

I like the texture of the brownie quest bars more than the cookie dough, and the after taste is the bees knees. I'll pick a box of PB&Js on Friday though.

Me too. Brownie's are flippin' great.

They really are, at first I didn't like them then I noticed that I would eat 2 or 3 in one sitting and the box would be gone in no time.

1) Brownie
2) PB&J
3) Cookie Dough
4) Apple Pie

#teamdecline, #teambrownie and #teamhalfcuban We're officially internet best friends.

 

[rando14]

#teamdecline, #teambrownie and #teamhalfcuban We're officially internet best friends.

Hah! there is no stronger bond known than #teamtacobell

 

[a secret-boss]

It is decided.

Gonna cut some weight starting tomorrow and put strength gainz on hold.

Probably will try a cardio + calorie control + high protein + heavy lifting approach.

Do you guys do, 1 month cut (like IF diet) then next month just go all out eat for strength gains?

 

[Deleted member 47027]

It is decided.

Gonna cut some weight starting tomorrow and put strength gainz on hold.

Probably will try a cardio + calorie control + high protein + heavy lifting approach.

It's a hard choice to make but I'm with you. I don't want to stop gaining but I feel fat as fuck.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

Today was a rough day. Woke up this morning and had a sharp pain running through my heel and outer side of my foot. Was really weird cause I went to bed feeling fine. But it was difficult to walk all day, looked like a gimp. Any one know if this is something that could have been caused by lifting?

Then for the first time since starting SS 4 weeks ago I failed a set. Was squatting 305 for working set. Got my first five but probably skimped on depth. Second set I was determined to not be a punk and do a partial squat and decided I'd rather fail the set then do it half assed....so I failed on the third rep and bailed out.

Dropped weight and did a third set to get my reps in but just wasn't feeling it today. Was the first time I've been scared of squats but I can understand what people mean now.

But I did crush my Dead lifts and Bench PRs, should get 3 plate dead lifts on Friday and get to 2 plate bench in a two more workouts. I'm really pumped about doing 225 for 3 sets of 5 on bench as its always been my weakest lift and the one I shied away from.

Overall, after a month of SS and eating a ton of food and drinking protein shakes I have to say that I'm pretty pleased with my progress. I've solidified my form as not awful like it has been for years, and my weights with proper form have been increasing at a very nice pace. I suspect that that pace will begin to slow now, but its time to settle into a slow comfortable grind from here on out. I've put on some weight, and a not insignificant amount of fat I feel, but I'm not gonna work about that for a while and just focus on fueling the machine and increasing my weights.

Also, getting enough sleep is tough when you work 7:30-5:30 with a 30-45 minute commute man. This whole real world working thing is rough in general. Looking forward to getting back to the easy school time plan in a few more months.

How much do you weigh? Those weights are pretty high for a program like SS (impressive stuff, btw). If you have a history of training you might be better served by switching to an intermediate program like 5/3/1, Texas Method etc sooner rather than later. Especially when working long hours and without a short commute something like Texas Method may be very suitable, as each day is shorter and more focussed, with a mid-week recovery day that makes training feel like a vacation. Don't take this as a confident diagnosis, but foot pain upon waking like you described is commonly a cumulative thing from overuse/excessive volume. It's a good idea to do mobility work/foam rolling if you don't already.

 

[SeanR1221]

Do you guys do, 1 month cut (like IF diet) then next month just go all out eat for strength gains?

I did 2 months of a cut then 2 months of gainz. Funny thing is I didn't think my 2 months of cutting did anything, but then I looked back at an old picture and I got fatter so yeah, back to the opposite grind!

It's a hard choice to make but I'm with you. I don't want to stop gaining but I feel fat as fuck.

Yeah mang. I've felt pretty fat ever since I got back from my Honeymoon 3 weeks ago. It's really not that hard if you stick to eggs, whey, meat, fish and vegetables.

 

[FallingEdge]

#teamdecline, #teambrownie and #teamhalfcuban We're officially internet best friends.

Someone said that brownie wasn't very good so I stayed away from it. I bought one on a whim to just try it and now it is my fav.

INTERNET BEST FRIENDS!

Hah! there is no stronger bond known than #teamtacobell

Taco Bell!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALSO INTERNET BEST FRIENDS!

Yeah mang. I've felt pretty fat ever since I got back from my Honeymoon 3 weeks ago. It's really not that hard if you stick to eggs, whey, meat, fish and vegetables.

Yeah, it is just a mental block. You just have to fight the fact that you will feel smaller/weaker when that really isn't the case. Stay strong brother man.

 

[Captain Knutsman]

I have one of these, they are more accurate -

7 skinfold site broski, I was down to 13% @ 218lbs and I had abs with pretty much no belly.

I have been using such a tool as well, but I don't trust it either. My BF kept has been the same for half a year, while visually I see a change. Basicly I don't think there is any method I really trust, but the pictures are new to me - based on those I guess I'm at about 13%

 

[Enfinit]

As someone who knows little to nothing on nutrition and fitness, this OP was a blessing. Knowing where to begin from scratch is something that's eluded me for some time. I have the will, want, and work ethic to dive into the world of health and fitness, and being in he current state I am, I could use it. Just wanted to say this was awesome, and thank you for this!

 

[Hypertrooper]

Yeah those are pretty unreliable.

I'm at work so I can't provide a link but. google body fat estimation pictures. something like that.

13% you should just about see abs and some people can see abs. it's hard to get an estimate from that close up of a picture but it's definitely more.

Yeah those scales are not good for anything else BF than very broad trends over a very long time, the actual figures are always wrong.

I have found that the best way to estimate your fat percentage is to google images 'body fat percentage men', you will find a bunch of comparison pictures showing what different fat percentages look like. Pay attention to lower abdominal fat, love handles and general muscle definition (how well you see the shape of eg arm muscles) and compare them to a picture of yourself with brutal objectivity.

I thought I was 20ish when I started in January. After comparing my pics to the google images pics I realized I must be much higher, close to 30%.

Not to panic though, I have been chipping it down and am now just under 20% I think, which looks already like what you would think of a 'regular person'. Almost no belly aside from a bit lower abdomen, and a bit of softness on lower back. Love handles gone, beginnings of definition in arms. Still a long way from 15% which is completely tight with no softness or 12% which is my ideal level of definition I aim for.

This is pretty good I think:

I'm happy that thing was wrong. It was always unrealistic for me to be at ~15% with that belly and I thought I had a gen defect or something. Haha.

 

[burnfout]

You need to maintain the arch in your lower back, and drive up through your heels. You seem to be pivoting forward onto your toes on the way down. You've gotta be grounded. Also, I'd recommend that, instead of bending down and pulling the bar to you to start off, walk up to the bar with your feet beneath it so that it is touching your shins. Then, sit back while maintaining your lower back arch until you feel like you're gonna fall back, but you'll have time to grab the bar. This is the starting position you want as it'll force you to drive through with your heels/legs instead of merely swaying at the top of the lift due to being off-balance.

Of course this is my interpretation based off a video with a crude camera angle, so don't take my word at face value. Hopefully others can comment.

Here is the deadlift setup by Rippetoe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syt7A23YnpA

The form is decent. It's hard to tell because the weight seems light, however I would start by walking up to the bar until the middle of your foot is under the bar. Someone posted a link to a Rippetoe video, so I would watch that.

Also, you need better shoes. Cushy running shoes are the worst for lifting.

Thanks guys, appreciate it! That Rippletoe vid is awesome.

Any recommendations on shoes? Why are running shoes bad?

 

[Szu]

I pull a calf muscle yesterday. At least, it happened near the end of my workout. I had to call it a night earlier than I expected, but shit happens.

Since I'm hobbling a bit, this puts me at a slight disadvantage to my mobility for this week.

With my luck, I probably get ambushed by ninjas or zombies on my way to work now.

Sucks.

 

[SeanR1221]

Breakfast: 2 eggs 2 egg whites, 1 cup of shrimp.

Lunch: 2 cans tuna, 2tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp crumbled bacon and spinach

Dinner: 8oz of mahi mahi and vegetables.

Already puts me at 170g of protein and I have a bunch of calories left.

I pull a calf muscle yesterday. At least, it happened near the end of my workout. I had to call it a night earlier than I expected, but shit happens.

Since I'm hobbling a bit, this puts me at a slight disadvantage to my mobility for this week.

With my luck, I probably get ambushed by ninjas or zombies on my way to work now.

Sucks.

Hope you have a quick recovery. That last line gave me a hilarious mental image. I'm just picturing you fighting back with fitness moves (like a hanging leg raise to the face of a zombie)