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[The Lamp]

I know squats/bench presses/dead lifts are the best for beginners/intermediates but....I'm scared of squats and bench presses and dead lifts since I don't have a spotter. What can I do if I don't have a spotter? Is there a bar weight limit percentage or something I should set for myself in case I get stuck? What do I do if I get stuck? I visit a gym that is small and 24 hours and won't always have people there so I'm curious.

I'm in no rush to look a certain way. I'm just wanting to feel/get better and am willing to work from the bottom and get slow progress. Can I just work with the leg press machines and other equipment in the gym until I get to a point where I feel more comfortable with the bar? Even if that's not the standard recommended beginner's route...

 

[SquiddyCracker]

I can understand fear of squats, as I imagine your imagination can run wild with scenarious where you slip and fall or something, but with deadlifts the worst that can happen is that you simply drop the bar when you feel that it's too heavy (which you should do).

With squat, if you really feel like you aren't able to push it from your squat down position, then just let the bar roll off your back by letting it go. It will make a noise, sure, but you won't get hurt.

With bench press, if you absolutely cannot push the bar up, it's just a case of trying to gently let the bar down on your chest, and rolling it down off you.

Just start with the bar then. You can't get stuck with that.

Or this.
Add 5lbs every week to the bar, and you will in a couple of months be doing a respectable amount.

 

[SeanR1221]

I know squats/bench presses/dead lifts are the best for beginners/intermediates but....I'm scared of squats and bench presses and dead lifts since I don't have a spotter. What can I do if I don't have a spotter? Is there a bar weight limit percentage or something I should set for myself in case I get stuck? What do I do if I get stuck? I visit a gym that is small and 24 hours and won't always have people there so I'm curious.

I'm in no rush to look a certain way. I'm just wanting to feel/get better and am willing to work from the bottom and get slow progress. Can I just work with the leg press machines and other equipment in the gym until I get to a point where I feel more comfortable with the bar? Even if that's not the standard recommended beginner's route...

Just start with the bar then. You can't get stuck with that.

 

[Luscious LeftFoot]

A box runs 34 or 36$ here, with tax, about 40. That's the norm for us in Canadaland

I'm a canuck too! I had my sister pick up a box of cookie dough a few months ago while in buffalo. Definitely delicious, but at those prices I'd rather just make my own protein bars.

 

[The Lamp]

Just start with the bar then. You can't get stuck with that.

Sorry I'm ignorant. What do you mean by that?

 

[SeanR1221]

Sorry I'm ignorant. What do you mean by that?

A standard Olympic barbell weighs 45lbs. If you're worried about form or needing a spotter just start with that.

*edit* and there's no shame in it. I started with the bar so I could get form down.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Fairly delicious high-protein chocolate pudding dessert (great for those cutting):

1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1 scoop chocolate whey protein
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 or 2 packets of your favorite sweetener

Blend it all up. Pour into cup.
'
Using the products I use, the macros end up:

317 calories
11g fat
15g carbs
6.3 sugar
41.7g protein

Hearty, healthy, filling late-night snack. Again, it's great for those who are on a cut (like me), and need a fairly low-carb, high-protein snack to get through the night. Cut out the peanut butter to save on 100 calories if you so desire.

Other quick recipes are welcome!

 

[SeanR1221]

Fairly delicious high-protein chocolate pudding dessert (great for those cutting):

1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1 scoop chocolate whey protein
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 or 2 packets of your favorite sweetener
'
Using the products I use, the macros end up:

317 calories
11g fat
15g carbs
6.3 sugar
41.7g protein

Nice small, yet healthy and filling late-night snack. Again, it's great for those who are on a cut (like me), and need a fairly low-carb, high-protein snack to get through the night.

Other quick recipes are welcome!

Already hit my calories today but I'll try that tomorrow!

 

[Nelo Ice]

Speaking of squat form anyone know how to modify them for someone with a bad knee? Asked before but my sis wants help with a workout rouine and I was going just tell her to do the SS routine from the OP but apparently her right knee has problems. Also if this is answered in the book then nvm. *Goes back to reading*.

 

[rando14]

Speaking of squat form anyone know how to modify them for someone with a bad knee? Asked before but my sis wants help with a workout rouine and I was going just tell her to do the SS routine from the OP but apparently her right knee has problems. Also if this is answered in the book then nvm. *Goes back to reading*.

If she has legitimate knee problems I'd probably advise her to avoid squats entirely.

 

[Cooter]

Hit my 4th PB in a week guys! Feels great. Squatted 375x5 just now. I'm beat.

 

[Tashi]

Speaking of squat form anyone know how to modify them for someone with a bad knee? Asked before but my sis wants help with a workout rouine and I was going just tell her to do the SS routine from the OP but apparently her right knee has problems. Also if this is answered in the book then nvm. *Goes back to reading*.

I had knee problems and I didn't fuck with squats at all. That just does more harm than good.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Fairly delicious high-protein chocolate pudding dessert (great for those cutting):

1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1 scoop chocolate whey protein
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 or 2 packets of your favorite sweetener

Blend it all up. Pour into cup.
'
Using the products I use, the macros end up:

317 calories
11g fat
15g carbs
6.3 sugar
41.7g protein

Hearty, healthy, filling late-night snack. Again, it's great for those who are on a cut (like me), and need a fairly low-carb, high-protein snack to get through the night. Cut out the peanut butter to save on 100 calories if you so desire.

Other quick recipes are welcome!

Thanks, I could really do with something tasty right now.
Right now I'm on a 1,7k/2,3k (rest day/work-out day) calorie cut , and it's boring as heck on my rest days.
Today, I had six boiled eggs, a protein shake, and 120g of peanuts.

 

[Nelo Ice]

If she has legitimate knee problems I'd probably advise her to avoid squats entirely.

Alright figured in that case what routine should I put her on? Everything in the OP seems like it wouldn't work due to her knee problem. So I'm not sure what to tell her to do since I'm just doin SS and still learning myself. Speaking of which like someone mentioned earlier seeing gains like nearly everywhere but my bench has stalled.

 

[rando14]

Alright figured in that case what routine should I put her on? Everything in the OP seems like it wouldn't work due to her knee problem. So I'm not sure what to tell her to do since I'm jusy doin SS and still learning myself. Speaking of which like someone mentioned earlier seeing gains like nearly everywhere but my bench has stalled.

Are you talking about weight lifting or cardio?

As for bench, good chance it's stalled because of triceps strength. Dips, close grip bench, etc to build triceps strength.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Thanks, I could really do with something tasty right now.
Right now I'm on a 1,7k/2,3k (rest day/work-out day) calorie cut , and it's boring as heck on my rest days.
Today, I had six boiled eggs, a protein shake, and 120g of peanuts.

Tell me about it.

Today marks one whole month since I began my 1700 cal/day cut. To be quite honest, I've learned so much about food and general nutrition during this time that I don't regret not touching a single piece of bread or candy or alcohol. I've logged nearly everything using MyFitnessPal, and I've seen some tremendous progress. I went down from 153-154 to 143. You're probably thinking, "Why do you want to cut so much?" but honestly, I'm stronger now than ever before in my life. I've never eaten so healthy. Although I'm working out 5 days a week on a serious calorie deficit, I'm still able to hit PRs in pull-ups, one-mile runs, squats, etc., so I'm feeling great. My stomach has shrunken dramatically.

I should post one-month comparison pics. Hmmm

 

[Nelo Ice]

Are you talking about weight lifting or cardio?

As for bench, good chance it's stalled because of triceps strength. Dips, close grip bench, etc to build triceps strength.

She wants to lose stomach fat and get in shape. So I guess any will work but I did reccomend lifting then she mentione her knee problem. Also thanks will add tri work to the OP routine. Probably should do more accessory work in general since I usually just do the OP routine verbatim.

 

[blackflag]

I almost always listen to Amon Amarth's first album when at the gym. If this track doesn't get you pumped, you're a lost cause!

Damn I thought this was the greatest thing ever until. They started...singing?

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Added unsweetened cocoa and sweetener to some Greek yogurt. Taste pretty damned good.

 

[Szu]

Dayumm Szu! Good for you. Quite a transformation!

EDIT: Oh, and the lack of love for apple pie quest bars is disappointing!

Thanks, Cooter!!!! And yeah, Apple Pie is my second favorite.

 

[SeanR1221]

Hit my 4th PB in a week guys! Feels great. Squatted 375x5 just now. I'm beat.

Awesome!

 

[MThanded]

Added unsweetened cocoa and sweetener to some Greek yogurt. Taste pretty damned good.

I add vanilla protein powder to my Greek yogurt. Godlike.

 

[agrajag]

Damn I thought this was the greatest thing ever until. They started...singing?

Growling is the correct term

 

[Vio-Lence]

Damn I thought this was the greatest thing ever until. They started...singing?

first experience with DM vocals?

 

[Cudder]

Damn I thought this was the greatest thing ever until. They started...singing?

They're a death metal band, what did you expect when you heard chugging guitars and blasting drums?

 

[abuC]

My gym came up!

Who wants to come get this work! They have a speed bag and a slip bag, as well as about 9 heavy bags, so who wants to get this work!!!!!!! (NOT YOU SZU, I'm not trying to get kicked in the face).

 

[duxstar]

Screwed up links see below

 

[Oblivion]

What kinds of pushups are the most effective for building up your forearms?

 

[duxstar]

So fitness gaf this is the first time I've ever done anything like this, but basically I'm going to show you guys what I'm working with, and why weight loss is so big for me, and I don't think skipping cardio is a good idea for me =[.

Note all pictures were taken by myself because I hate the way I look and don't want anyone else taking pictures.

Looking at these makes me kind of sick =[





I need to lose Fat, Im already 230 some pounds (30 - 35), muscle is kind of the secondary goal at this point.

Keep in mind that I have Osteacandidas Dissecans, AND tennis elbow that's lasted 2 years, I haven't been able to take my shirt off since i was like 10

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

One month progress on my cut!

154lbs:

147lbs:

143lbs:

 

[The Lamp]

So fitness gaf this is the first time I've ever done anything like this, but basically I'm going to show you guys what I'm working with, and why weight loss is so big for me, and I don't think skipping cardio is a good idea for me =[.

Note all pictures were taken by myself because I hate the way I look and don't want anyone else taking pictures.

Looking at these makes me kind of sick =[





I need to lose Fat, Im already 230 some pounds (30 - 35), muscle is kind of the secondary goal at this point.

Keep in mind that I have Osteacandidas Dissecans, AND tennis elbow that's lasted 2 years, I haven't been able to take my shirt off since i was like 10

^ As someone who has just started cardio (lightly, my cardiologist recommended it since I'm new and I have some heart issues) I recommend a few things to start out and keep up. Don't be afraid to start low, and by that I mean maybe 10 minutes on a stationary bike if you need to. My first week I did 30 min on stationary bike once a week. You don't have to do that, but that's what I did. Last week I moved to 30 min of stationary bike 3x a week. This week I'm doing stair stepper 3x a week + some strength training. Baby steps, I suppose, at least for me.

Thanks for the bar/squat advice, guys. I went to the gym today and avoided it since the gym was crowded and I didn't want to look like a fool trying to get used to the equipment when other people needed to use it. So I just did back exercises (which I desperately needed anyway). Some rows, some back extensions, and some lat pull-downs. Just a nice, simple work-out, though I worked with enough weight to make it to 10 reps, 3 sets each exercise.

 

[Chittagong]

So fitness gaf this is the first time I've ever done anything like this, but basically I'm going to show you guys what I'm working with, and why weight loss is so big for me, and I don't think skipping cardio is a good idea for me =[.

Note all pictures were taken by myself because I hate the way I look and don't want anyone else taking pictures.

Looking at these makes me kind of sick =[





I need to lose Fat, Im already 230 some pounds (30 - 35), muscle is kind of the secondary goal at this point.

Keep in mind that I have Osteacandidas Dissecans, AND tennis elbow that's lasted 2 years, I haven't been able to take my shirt off since i was like 10

Nothing to be ashamed about or feel sick about, you have decided to work on it. It's not as bad as you think. I can tell you from personal experience that you can shift that amount fat fairly comfortably in 6 months or so (meaning not starving). I started at fairly similar metrics as you - 230lbs and +30%. It just requires strict discipline.

Here's what you can expect, as you see my belly looked very similar to yours when I started:

My program has been 3 x Starting Strength, 1 x accessory lifts / 2-3 x spinning / 1800-2000 kcal / two 24h fasts a week.

Currently I am thinner than the right pic and have gone to carb nite in the last push to get ripped. I could not have imagined of dreaming of getting ripped 7 months ago when that left pic was taken. Now it's conceivable.

Just stick to your decision.

 

[abuC]

One month progress on my cut!

154lbs:

147lbs:

143lbs:

You actually look bigger despite weighing less.

 

[fredrancour]

Damn I thought this was the greatest thing ever until. They started...singing?

Yeah this was one of the two bands that got me into rough vocals. Took some getting-used-to. The other was Mastodon, and this track by them is my deadlift anthem, for that guitar riff is what adrenaline sounds like.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Well, part of that might be due to the camera angle, but I've definitely packed on more muscle from working out consistently six days/week. Most people assume I'm at least 160lbs when they see me in person, which makes me feel like I'm cutting weight smartly. I'm definitely stronger now/fitter than I've ever been before.

 

[Detox]

Do you guys have any tips for close grip bench? The weights I'm doing I can comfortably lift but for some reason it tweaks my wrist, I can soldier through the pain now but I don't want to do it because it'll probably cause a long term injury and it'll increase exponentially with higher weights.

 

[blackflag]

They're a death metal band, what did you expect when you heard chugging guitars and blasting drums?

Haha I dunno the music was good though

 

[blackflag]

Yeah this was one of the two bands that got me into rough vocals. Took some getting-used-to. The other was Mastodon, and this track by them is my deadlift anthem, for that guitar riff is what adrenaline sounds like.

Actually I quite like mastodon. Maybe I'll give this other band a play when I'm in the gym. Can only listen to so much old school metallica every single day

 

[Anbokr]

Hey fitgaf, I need some food suggestions. I don't have access to a fridge, and so this makes my last meal of the day (just before bed) a pain in the ass. No milk, no greek yogurt, and no cold cuts . So any ideas on how to get a solid 30g of protein for the bedtime meal?

 

[Chittagong]

Well, part of that might be due to the camera angle, but I've definitely packed on more muscle from working out consistently six days/week. Most people assume I'm at least 160lbs when they see me in person, which makes me feel like I'm cutting weight smartly. I'm definitely stronger now/fitter than I've ever been before.

They say the best way to gain 10lbs of muscle is to lose 10lbs of fat and your pictures clearly show that. Your abs are now visibly ripped, and your delts and triceps stick out better. Really very nice progress in a month. Gives me something to strive for!

 

[Darren870]

Hey fitgaf, I need some food suggestions. I don't have access to a fridge, and so this makes my last meal of the day (just before bed) a pain in the ass. No milk, no greek yogurt, and no cold cuts . So any ideas on how to get a solid 30g of protein for the bedtime meal?

Powder whey protein and water?

 

[ILoveBish]

Well, part of that might be due to the camera angle, but I've definitely packed on more muscle from working out consistently six days/week. Most people assume I'm at least 160lbs when they see me in person, which makes me feel like I'm cutting weight smartly. I'm definitely stronger now/fitter than I've ever been before.

You look absolutely fantastic in those shots man. Keep it up.

 

[TurtleSnatcher]

Hi Fitness GAF.. Posted on the weight loss thread last week but guess I should post here..

I have never really worked out in my life. I've tried a few times in the past and that has always deflated after a week. I finally found a bit of exercise that I enjoy and that is swimming. I started about 2.5 weeks ago and it was brutal. I could only do 1/3 of a mile and was exhausted after an hour. Though by the end of the first week I was pushing a mile and now I am swimming about 1.15 miles in an hour of swimming a day. Pretty proud of myself. I swim about 6 out of 7 days in a week.

I have diddly squat for muscle or definition or anything since I've never worked out but swimming gives me a nice burn and I know it won't produce a ton of muscle but it will produce some for me and endurance which I appreciate. My goal isn't to be bulky or anything. I'm not overweight and my BMI I think puts me at the high end of 'normal'. I clearly had a gut and some love handles though and the gut was becoming visible in my normal clothes.

A few weeks ago when I started, I began to really nitpick on my diet and I use MyFitnessPal to track stuff vigilantly. I have cut back on calories by quite a bunch and with my swimming every week, I am about 5-6k under calories each week.

Since I've started I have lost 5lbs and I no longer have that gut sticking out and it feels great. Food isn't so terrible when you watch portions and stay away from the bad stuff. Ultimately my goal is to lower my body fat by a decent amount.

I will probably begin some weight training maybe in August/September. For now I'm sticking to swimming only. Just wanted to post something.. and say that I am really excited about the progress I've made so far


PS: Sorry I don't lift yet.. but figured I could post this hear since it is Fitness.

 

[Petrie]

My goal isn't to be bulky or anything.

As is always said, don't worry, you won't. Nobody ever accidentally got huge. IT requires years and years of hard work and dedication.

 

[SeanR1221]

Tomorrow will mark one week on my cut. Things have been pretty easy peasy when you eat the right foods.

Today's looking like

Breakfast- 2 eggs 2 egg whites 1 cup of shrimp

Lunch- 9oz of Korean BBQ chicken and tons of spinach with a tablespoon of crumbled bacon

Dinner- two salmon filets and 9 jumbo shrimp.

That gives me 300 calories to play with and I'm already over 200 grams of protein.

Hoping for a good weigh in tomorrow

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Tomorrow will mark one week on my cut. Things have been pretty easy peasy when you eat the right foods.

Having just cycled to a cut phase for the next couple months, it's helpful knowing how easy and that you CAN cut easily. I'm like what, 5 days in or something? I already feel fantastic. Got a weird gain at my gym too, but hey, I'll take it. Feeling less exhausted than expected. In other words...so far so good! I'm sure I'll hit one of those days where I feel like trash but right now, I've got a positive attitude and shit's going well.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Hey fitgaf, I need some food suggestions. I don't have access to a fridge, and so this makes my last meal of the day (just before bed) a pain in the ass. No milk, no greek yogurt, and no cold cuts . So any ideas on how to get a solid 30g of protein for the bedtime meal?

Can of tuna?
There's always protein bars.

You guys and your easy time with the cut.

 

[Petrie]

Can of tuna?
There's always protein bars.

You guys and your easy time with the cut.

Cutting is easy after the first week or 2.

 

[PBY]

Cutting is easy after the first week or 2.

The diet is never hard for me. I just cut literally all carbs that aren't veggies, and rotate proteins. Mix in quest bars and omelettes, and how can you not like that?

Hardest part for me is being disciplined about abs and cardio.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

They say the best way to gain 10lbs of muscle is to lose 10lbs of fat and your pictures clearly show that. Your abs are now visibly ripped, and your delts and triceps stick out better. Really very nice progress in a month. Gives me something to strive for!

You look absolutely fantastic in those shots man. Keep it up.

Thanks guys, appreciate it!