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Fitness |OT8| Dad Bods, Bulge Swelfies, and Wait...Do you even lift bro?

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notaskwid

Member
Hello FitGaf!

This is my first post here and I am a complete fitness noob so please bear with me... I've been reading a bit of the thread including the OP in search for tips but figured I might as well post since I'm a member anyway.

So, as a kind of new years resolution, I decided that I would finally get fit, after /years of wanting to but never really trying to. I'm a college student and my life is not very "active" think that I normally walk about 40 minutes everyday, and that's about it for my "normal" exercise outside of some longer walks that I've done in the past (like last year I walk 550km in 20 days).

So I just started to run every morning about half an hour and doing some 50 push ups and sit-ups, nothing too intense, but enough to get me tired since my condition is pretty terrible. Then again, when I used to do some sports I was always the "runs fast, jumps high, jumps far guy that will loose to everyone in an endurance test".

I'm 24 years old, I'm 1,80m and 70kg.

I guess I'm not "fat", but I'm getting a bit of belly showing that gets me unconfortable, I don't necessarily want to get really buffed up or super strong too, but some definition would help with my self esteem, as well as just increasing my fitness and health in general.

So fitgaf, any tips? At times when I read though this thread it seems that everyone is talking in some kind of fitness code that I can't decipher, and talking about exercises that I don't have any idea what they are (maybe because I'm not a native english speaker).
 
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BumRush

Member
Notaskwid, what about the programs in the OP don't you understand? I know you expressed a concern over a language barrier so I'm just trying to get a feel for where you're at.

Do you understand what the compounds are? (Deadlift, squats, overhead press (OHP) and bench press)
Sets?
Reps?
Etc.
 
D

Deleted member 47027

Unconfirmed Member
ILoveBish said:
Yes sir. I'm so in love with her. I literally went from swearing off of dating again to finding my exact match. We're both obsessed with each other, incredible communication and both of us are extremely attracted to each other. Anything that ever comes up, we can sit down and talk through because we know how much we mean to each other. It's unbelievable to have found each other.

I hope everyone here can find the same or better for themselves. Truly a game changer.
Click to expand...

You told me to live like a monk. I don't know what to do now.
 
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notaskwid

Member
BumRush said:
Notaskwid, what about the programs in the OP don't you understand? I know you expressed a concern over a language barrier so I'm just trying to get a feel for where you're at.

Do you understand what the compounds are? (Deadlift, squats, overhead press (OHP) and bench press)
Sets?
Reps?
Etc.
Click to expand...

The compounds I looked up with a simple google search, so no problem there.
Set I think its what you are supposed to do in succession? Like 3x deadlift, followed by 3x squats, etc?
Reps I didn't really understand.
 
B

BumRush

Member
Sets are the amount of sets of lifts you do and reps are the number of lifts you do within each set.

Example:

Squats 3x5x185

That would be where you do 3 sets of 5 squats at 185 pounds (45 pound barbell + 2 45 lbs plates + 2 25 lbs plates)
 
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notaskwid

Member
BumRush said:
Sets are the amount of sets of lifts you do and reps are the number of lifts you do within each set.

Example:

Squats 3x5x185

That would be where you do 3 sets of 5 squats at 185 pounds (45 pound barbell + 2 45 lbs plates + 2 25 lbs plates)
Click to expand...

Oh, ok, so reps come from repetitions, makes sense.
 
A

Arrowgigantic

Member
notaskwid said:
I'm 24 years old, I'm 1,80m and 70kg.

I guess I'm not "fat", but I'm getting a bit of belly showing that gets me unconfortable,
Click to expand...
I'm going to assume you're male.

If you're doughy at 5'11" and 154lbs. it's because you have so little muscle, so even smaller body fat percentages are going to show more. Muscle is going to help you lose fat because your metabolism will be higher to supply the extra muscle with food.

Don't worry about turning into

10-facts.jpg
Click to expand...

Because you won't. As a beginner, you will grow about 0,7kg of lean mass a month, and to be "big" you'd have to put on at least 20kg. So you see you will probably have to train a solid year and a half to get your lean mass up to an amount where you have to start to "worry" about being "too big".

For example, I am the same height as you, and this is me at 87kg, 16% fat:
vl7ziPB.jpg
Click to expand...

Nobody has ever said that I'm "too big", and that's at 17kg more than you. Strength training is a very slow process, and a very easy one to stop/reverse if you don't like how you look.

Running for weight loss has its good points and bad points. The worst is that it's bad for your ankles and knees, it also doesn't make you strong nor does it raise your base metabolic rate as much as having a higher lean mass will.

So yeah, my recommendation is that you put on some muscle before you think about taking off some fat.
 
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notaskwid

Member
Ah, right, I'm male, completely forgot to mention it.

So, Matthew, would you recomend that I just start with the beginers program that is in the OP? And start to diet accordingly to build mass?
 
A

Arrowgigantic

Member
notaskwid said:
Ah, right, I'm male, completely forgot to mention it.

So, Matthew, would you recomend that I just start with the beginers program that is in the OP? And start to diet accordingly to build mass?
Click to expand...

Yes, Starting Strength or Stronglifts or any sort of Linear Progression style program are all going to work, because everything works for a beginner. Proper form to avoid injury is the most important thing.
 
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Nelo Ice

Banned
So kinda OT but there's some mysterious couple I keep hearing about at my gym from other members and said members keep telling me about them and their pyramid scheme. Kinda hoping it's not widespread since otherwise I feel like anytime I come to the gym some random member will start talking to me trying rope me or anyone else in their bullshit.
 
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Jacksinthe

Banned
Nelo Ice said:
So kinda OT but there's some mysterious couple I keep hearing about at my gym from other members and said members keep telling me about them and their pyramid scheme. Kinda hoping it's not widespread since otherwise I feel like anytime I come to the gym some random member will start talking to me trying rope me or anyone else in their bullshit.
Click to expand...
I'm very upfront about those kinds of things when confronted. I have no shame in telling people to pound sand. You should hear my responses to people who don't say "thanks" when I hold a door open. I'm not reserved XD
 
F

FallingEdge

Member
Nelo Ice said:
So kinda OT but there's some mysterious couple I keep hearing about at my gym from other members and said members keep telling me about them and their pyramid scheme. Kinda hoping it's not widespread since otherwise I feel like anytime I come to the gym some random member will start talking to me trying rope me or anyone else in their bullshit.
Click to expand...

i was hoping this mysterious couple was going around getting involved in threesomes and you were up next
 
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Nelo Ice

Banned
AbsintheGames said:
I'm very upfront about those kinds of things when confronted. I have no shame in telling people to pound sand. You should hear my responses to people who don't say "thanks" when I hold a door open. I'm not reserved XD
Click to expand...
The first time I had a convo I was too nice and and gave the guy a shot. Then he gave me a a mlm book and I returned it to him asap like nope. This time I tried to nicely say don't fall for their bullshit but it fell on deaf ears. But yeah now if I hear about some mysterious couple helping people with their business and magically making money without work then I'm just gonna shut the door.

On a sidenote I told the guy about starting strength and seems he's gonna get he book so yay I got through to someone on something lol.

FallingEdge said:
i was hoping this mysterious couple was going around getting involved in threesomes and you were up next
Click to expand...
Lollll. If that was the case that would be new thread worthy :p.
 
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notaskwid

Member
Psychotext said:
Having spend a solid year training (admittedly only recently with the big three) I can definitely say that you wont get big accidentally. :(
Click to expand...

I never really meant it like that, I'm just a noob at this and don't know about routines and stuff and that I'm not going for the very buffed type of look.
 
I

ILoveBish

Member
Gym went terrific today. I really worked on bench form to not aggravate whatever is annoying me on my left arm. Seemed to do the trick. Hit 5x165, 5x190 and 5x210. Finished with 10x165. Hit every rep. Arm feels terrific.

BumRush said:
Damn Bish! Exciting times!!
Click to expand...

Tell me about it. Couldn't be more thrilled.

Vince McMahon said:
You told me to live like a monk. I don't know what to do now.
Click to expand...

It took me living like a monk to meet her. I wasn't out there looking at all, I gave up. But then an arranged marriage between families was spoken about, we talked on the phone and the rest is history. Keep the faith baby.

FallingEdge said:
i was hoping this mysterious couple was going around getting involved in threesomes and you were up next
Click to expand...

It's exactly where I thought it was headed too.
 
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Teggy

Member
Deltoid said:
does any one use an app to log their workouts? what's the best option for iOS? looking at Strong, seems decent. Tried Fitocracy but doesn't really show me my progress like I want it to.
Click to expand...

These posts inspired me to get a more user friendly solution than my google sheet and I settled on Strong. It's around $7 if you want all the bells and whistles but I really like it. Very flexible.
 
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Joey Fox

Self-Actualized Member
Grip is feeling strong.

Deadlifts - 225lbs 1x5, 250lbs 1x3 overhand, 290lbs 1x1 mixed
Power cleans - 140lbs 4x3, 1x5
 
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SeanR1221

Member
Pretty good squat night. 255x10 on 5s week, skipped the joker sets but did 195x15 after and then hit a front squat rep PR of 225x4

Ate a McGangbang after
 
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KillerBEA

Member
My diet is so fucked, I have a high dependency on energy drinks/supplements. So far have had 3 16 oz Monsters, some Pre workout, and then just recently downed a 20 oz coffee. Sure I did my overnight shift plus my work out but it's still nuts and expensive.

Other than over ingesting caffeine I had a good shoulder/arm workout today.
 
D

DivineRage002

Member
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Jacksinthe

Banned
Go to see my thyroid doc today for bloodwork and ultrasound for my tumor. If it didn't grow and there's no markers in my blood we will be good for another six months :D

KillerBEA said:
My diet is so fucked, I have a high dependency on energy drinks/supplements. So far have had 3 16 oz Monsters, some Pre workout, and then just recently downed a 20 oz coffee. Sure I did my overnight shift plus my work out but it's still nuts and expensive.

Other than over ingesting caffeine I had a good shoulder/arm workout today.
Click to expand...
I have about 150mg (cup of large coffee) throughout the day and 150mg as a preworkout (I make my own) and another 50mg I drink during the first 2/3 of my workout. That's about 2.3 cups of coffee every day. I also work 10-12 hour shifts at the day job. During the winter in my off time its just my pre and intra. I think that's an OK amount. I won't go past 350mg in a day. What's your mg breakdown?
 
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Spiritreaver

Member
DivineRage002 said:
2012 september to 2012 december seems hard as hell to believe, either the dates are wrong, or those are two different guys.

Also, at the very last picture, he travelled back in time.

I'm pretty sure that guy doesn't know how dates work.
Click to expand...
Those 2012 changes are 3 - 4 months of cutting. Didn't seem like he put on any mass. That's very, very, very doable.

You can make gigantic changes in 12 weeks if you have your diet on point. I've done it.
 
T

Teggy

Member
PBY said:
I don't believe this.
Click to expand...

If you read the Reddit post it seems pretty reasonable. He explains what he was doing every step of the way and admits he had no idea what he was doing for a while. In the beginning he was doing P90x but was eating a ton so he got fat. Then he learned about calories and later switched to compound lifts. It spans
Iike 3 years and he's really not that huge.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Spiritreaver said:
.....Why? Many on FitGAF have done this or better.

I really don't see anything crazy about it. Maybe I'm speaking too much from personal experience though.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've see crazier here. 3 years seems fine for that kind of transformation.

Pictures are a bit deceptive. He does angle shots during his later months, which gives him the illusion of more fullness.
 
P

PBY

Banned
Spiritreaver said:
.....Why? Many on FitGAF have done this or better.

I really don't see anything crazy about it. Maybe I'm speaking too much from personal experience though.
Click to expand...

Teggy said:
If you read the Reddit post it seems pretty reasonable. He explains what he was doing every step of the way and admits he had no idea what he was doing for a while. In the beginning he was doing P90x but was eating a ton so he got fat. Then he learned about calories and later switched to compound lifts. It spans
Iike 3 years and he's really not that huge.
Click to expand...

The three years is totally believable, my progress actually tracks pretty similarly. Its the sept 2012-dec 2012 I find suspect.
 
D

Dusk Soldier

Member
That sept. 2012 to dec. 2012 does seem suspect.

However, 4 months isn't an outrageous length for a cut, especially since he never appears to be out of the 15-20% bodyfat zone.

It also makes sense that he would take a picture right before a cut and then again right after which is why there is such a small gap when compared to the other photos.

His muscles also didn't get any bigger he just looks more shredded.

Honestly, this is the secret to bodybuilding that a lot of people miss out on. Going to low body fat is like trimming your pubes. Now that people can see more of the physical muscle, it looks bigger.

The smaller waist also creates a taper effect that enhances the size of your chest/lats.

So many people think that if they can go on a bulk, and if they just eat "clean" foods they'll only gain muscle and become bigger and shredded.

If you're 15% bodyfat, you're going to look way better cutting down to 10% and then bulking back up. rather than bulking up to 20% and cutting back down. It's so much cheaper too.
 
S

Spiritreaver

Member
PBY said:
The three years is totally believable, my progress actually tracks pretty similarly. Its the sept 2012-dec 2012 I find suspect.
Click to expand...
I just posted about that. He didn't put on much, if any mass. Just leaned out. He wasn't really very fat before the cut either. Mostly bloated from water. Dropping your BF% around those levels will do tremendous things to your physique in just a couple of months.

I literally did what he did back in 2012 with a trainer's help. Diet was dialed in (almost no cheating) and I worked out 5 times a week hard.
 
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Jacksinthe

Banned
According to his post over 3 years his difference total was 10lbs. That sounds a lot like he simply tread water and happened to swallow a bit while he was doing it. He looks bigger in the final pic but that's really not much of a difference, IMO.

Noob gains alone should have net him more his first year alone. I guess a lot of that comes from him being unsure with everything he was doing pretty much the entire way.

It would seem like he tried too hard to keep the weight off while trying to pack on muscle.

Am I wrong for thinking 10 pounds in 3 years is treading water? 135 start to current 145.
 
P

PBY

Banned
AbsintheGames said:
According to his post over 3 years his difference total was 10lbs. That sounds a lot like he simply tread water and happened to swallow a bit while he was doing it. He looks bigger in the final pic but that's really not much of a difference, IMO.

Noob gains alone should have net him more his first year alone. I guess a lot of that comes from him being unsure with everything he was doing pretty much the entire way.

It would seem like he tried too hard to keep the weight off while trying to pack on muscle.

Am I wrong for thinking 10 pounds in 3 years is treading water? 135 start to current 145.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think you're wrong. In about 3 years, I've put on 10-15 pounds. At some points I was up 20, then down 10, then back up. The net doesn't look crazy, but the body composition change is fucking WILD. Although it depends where you start, I was around 185 when I started seriously, at peak starting strength I was over 215, and now I want to be at 200. Also the strength gains are critical. Bench 1RM is at 315, and at my peak I could squat/deadlift 8 plates (can't do that anymore as I'm more squarely focused on BB now, and frankly, SS fucked up body composition for me after a while). When I started, I could barely dream of pushing 185 on the bench, or squatting 4 plates.
 
J

Jacksinthe

Banned
PBY said:
Yeah, I think you're wrong. In about 3 years, I've put on 10-15 pounds. At some points I was up 20, then down 10, then back up. The net doesn't look crazy, but the body composition change is fucking WILD.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm. For a noob gainer I would have expected to see more but I have seen much greater transformations in 3 years. Then again a lot of the "holy shit" transforms were bulk, bulk, bulk - until a final cut. If he was bulking/cutting constantly then I guess progress overall would be minimal compared to someone who just went for slab after slab of muscle without stopping.
 
P

PBY

Banned
AbsintheGames said:
Hmmmm. For a noob gainer I would have expected to see more but I have seen much greater transformations in 3 years. Then again a lot of the "holy shit" transforms were bulk, bulk, bulk - until a final cut. If he was bulking/cutting constantly then I guess progress overall would be minimal compared to someone who just went for slab after slab of muscle without stopping.
Click to expand...

Sure, I edited my post above - I think at my peak, 3 years ago now, I was at 215ish, and that was after around 3 years.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
Going to try and force myself to just do a light day on the weights. House move has gone from moderately fucked, to complete clusterfuck, has got me really depressed.

Not going to help my numbers, but all I can assume is that doing something is better than doing nothing.
 
Wulfric

Wulfric

Member
notaskwid, try the page in Chrome. I had the same issue.

That guy's transformation strikes me as realistic if you're doing things right. He wasn't very fat to begin with, and it looks like he cut twice. His body recomposition is insane, especially on what seems to be a smaller frame.
 
M

marmoka

Banned
Today I went to a specialized sports center between my gym and my workplace. I need a personal trainer and I asked for that service. When I go to the gym, I do different exercises, but they are based on what I've seen in the Internet. I haven't seen any improvements in myself during the last months, enough to conclude I'm not doing it right, and I need a coach.

I could ask in my gym for advice to the coach there. I go to a community gym, it's cheap, and the quality is lower than the private ones, as expected. The point is that I don't like the coach of my gym. He seems to be a nice guy, and probably knows a lot, but he does not look fit at all. In other words, would you trust a fat nutritionist? Same with this guy.
 
B

BumRush

Member
Came in to say 2 things.

1). Spirit's a fucking beast
2). The redditor's transformation is absolutely possible in that amount of time. I'd like to think I had a very similar transformation in around the same time (if not less), as have many other gaffers.
 
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