# FItness, Weightlifting, Bodybuilding



## PHXCobra

Anybody else enjoy picking up heavy things and setting them back down again?

Had never lifted weight until high school and didn't like it all that much then probably because it was required. (lawn care as a kid/teenager anyone?). Thoroughly enjoy the gym 5-6 days a week with a couple runs and Softball mixed in. I have 2 young children so I have to go before everyone is up.

Started this time as a 5'10" 272lb fat ***. Currently sitting at 235lbs and have a decent amount of fat left to lose but I'm a lot stronger than I've ever been.


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## kds

I was 235 in 2013. For seemingly no reason whatsoever I started running in December of that year. By May 2016 I was down to 153, which was my lowest. By that time I was running about 20-30 miles a week and then I did my first half-marathon in September 2016. I also started lifting weights circa 2014. All of this was helped along by the fact that I lived downtown, so I was a block away from the gym where I work and we had a ton of beautiful trails to run and bike on that went everywhere.

Fast forward to now, I'm back up to 187 as of today. Moving away from downtown and into a home in the 'burbs that I have been busy taking care of, trails that aren't so great near my house, and working on a puppy that has (had?) severe separation anxiety, I've either been too busy or too tired to do anything. That's been changing in the past few weeks, I no longer have a significant other so I get to do what I want when I want and focus on myself. I've started picking up miles and heavy things again.

I was looking through some pictures the other day and came across some from June 2016. I was about 163 lbs there and 16% body fat. While it wasn't my lowest, I think I was most comfortable with myself there. I was lean but I didn't look sick like I probably did at 153. I'd be happy to get back there.

I guess I'm posting this just to share my story and hold myself accountable.


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## ericgautier

PHXCobra said:


> I have 2 young children so I have to go before everyone is up.


+1 :thumbup: . I also go before everyone is up. Right now, I am doing a 3 days on (push, pull & legs), 1 day off, repeat. My main goal is to get stronger on bench, squat and deadlift. Losing the weight is a bonus. :lol: But as you said, having 2 young kids.. you need to keep up with them. I also enjoy mountain biking when I get the chance too. I was thinking on my off day I might take that opportunity to go hit the bike trails.


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## PHXCobra

ericgautier said:


> PHXCobra said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have 2 young children so I have to go before everyone is up.
> 
> 
> 
> +1 :thumbup: . I also go before everyone is up. Right now, I am doing a 3 days on (push, pull & legs), 1 day off, repeat. My main goal is to get stronger on bench, squat and deadlift. Losing the weight is a bonus. :lol: But as you said, having 2 young kids.. you need to keep up with them. I also enjoy mountain biking when I get the chance too. I was thinking on my off day I might take that opportunity to go hit the bike trails.
Click to expand...

That's where I was at the beginning of the year. Set goals to bench 300 and deadlift 400 by the end of the year. Almost there with bench, not close with deadlift. My form sucks but I'm trying to get better. If i get that figured out I'm sure it'll shoot up. Knee flexibility sucks so I squat prettty high and make no apologies.

When I was actively trying to become a cop I had my 2 mile time in the high 17s. At 14 minutes with my 1.5 right now.


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## ericgautier

@PHXCobra you follow any type of program?


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## chrismar

I routinely lift 30-50 lb bags of fertilizer and other lawn amendments (between the months of April and December). Does that count?


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## Alan

I do 12oz. curls with aluminum cans. :lol: :lol:


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## PHXCobra

ericgautier said:


> @PHXCobra you follow any type of program?


Not really. I use the BodySpace app from BodyBuilding.com to keep track. Back when all of their workouts and programs were free I followed some like Building Von Moger, Shortcut to Cut, Arnold's program, etc... Now I basically take what I like and work with that. Alternate what I'm doing every 4-6 weeks as far as excercises, weights, reps, sets. Everything. Gotta keep the body confused and stress my nervous system.

I'm 31 years old and far from a freak physical specimen so I'm not working towards any sort of show or lifting meet. Just trying to get bigger/smaller, stronger, and better every day. Set a good example for my kids and try to live long enough to meet my grandkids.


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## Green

I used to do a few free-weight training sessions a week, years ago, combining compound and isolation movements. I'm getting back into it lately. I even got really into the nutrition aspect for a while, measuring macro nutrients. Not planning to do that regularly again, as it's too time consuming and obsessive.

The difference is now I'm in my early 30s, and I understand that there is indeed such a thing as a stiff back, lol. I actually injured it by sitting in a chair the wrong way for too long over a few weeks when I was sick last year...staying still is bad; movement is good, lol! I've been working on it, but it's still not perfect yet, after a year...when I do my yard work, it gets stiff again, and there's always slight lingering pain during range of movement activities. So, I'm always on the lookout for physical therapy-type stuff for the back, shoulders, and neck. Also hoping I will be good enough to lift regularly again soon...I'm easing back into it right now with a few light dumbbell and barbell movements.

I'm also noticing the very beginning of the negative body composition changes that occur over time if you don't lift weights. So, more motivation to lift, to stay healthy and prevent fat accumulation and negative metabolic changes!


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## Mightyquinn

I don't lift weights but i do love this commercial 

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOSeOieLh7s[/media]


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## ericgautier

PHXCobra said:


> Now I basically take what I like and work with that. Alternate what I'm doing every 4-6 weeks as far as excercises, weights, reps, sets. Everything. Gotta keep the body confused and stress my nervous system.


^ yes!

ATM, for my main lifts (bench, squat and deadlift) I am trying 5-3-1 and add whatever accessories I like.


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## Jericho574

Trying to get back into shape. Being an ectomorph, most of my life was trying to gain weight. Lifted from college, through most of my 20's (currently 34). Being tall and lanky, I never had overly impressive lifts (250/415/335 B/D/S). I built a gym in one of the spare bedrooms (half rack and treadmill) but getting in there is difficult. I have 2 young children, a blossoming career, and seemingly every time I get into a groove, the family gets sick or something happens that requires me to briefly stop. I thrive on consistency however gym gains and young family are polar opposites.

I've tried most routines and if I could do it all over again, it would be to increase the reps. I was always so focused on getting stronger that I never did enough reps to induce hypertrophy. I never left the gym tired or sweaty because the reps were 5 or less.

As for diet, in my mid-30's, I'm a big advocate of intermittent fasting.


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## J_nick

Jericho574 said:


> As for diet, in my mid-30's, I'm a big advocate of intermittent fasting.


I started intermittent fasting around mid January. I'm down ~26 pounds since then. My eating window is 2pm-8pm right now. I plan to keep it that way till I break 200 then I'll relax the hours. The first week wasn't much fun but after that it wasn't bad, now I don't even think about it. Currently at 212


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## gijoe4500

I'm at 243 lbs as of this morning, and I'm going to start to work on getting back in shape. I've had several half hearted attempts lately, but I got called out by the ol' lady. So now I've gotta buckle down and it done.

Plan is for a simple IIFYM diet at 2200 kcal/day. When I hit 230, 220, 215, 210, 215 and 200 lbs, I'll have 1 "mental health week" at 2800-3000 kcal.

Cycling a couple times a week to build up my lungs and endurance. 1 quick roadie around 15-25 miles. And 1 MTB fun ride around 10-15 miles and skill building practice.

And I'll also start on some sort of weight training regime. Not 100% sure which routine yet. May just go with a simple 5/3/1. Old PRs were 330 deadlift, 345 squat, 225 bench. Would like to eventually join the 1000 club. But its secondary to weight loss and general health.


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## FRD135i

https://youtu.be/FK_LQtc0ALQ

https://youtu.be/rbX5Wi4El3Q

My 4AM alarm to get things going in the morning


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## coachgrd

Finishing Body Beast program here in a week or so. Don't really see much difference but I love the program...mainly because it's 30-40 min and DONE! Going to start another round and see where it takes me. I've always been a hard gainer. I'm 53. 6'2" 207.


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## LawnNerd

I just started in January as well, and it wasn't even a new years goal. I was beat after holding the kid for an hour and knew something had to change. I weighed about 190, not really heavy, but not in shape either.

I started with StrongLifts 5x5 and lifting with just the bar weight. Now i bench 150, Sq 205. I'm currently at 175lbs. I am gaining muscle and slimming down some, but i want to enter a cut. Too much fat on my chest still to see all the new muscle i built. So last week i started Keto and plan to do it for a month. It kinda sucks because i freaking love Carbs, but after 5 days so far i've already lost fat on my chest and belly. I can start to see the abs coming through now!


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## Guest

Anyone else hitting up a keto lifestyle? I've been keto solid since beginning of March. I will probably cycle with it and go back to eating healthy carbs in moderation at some point. My starting weight was 260 and I'm just under 230. Feeling good enough now to really get back into workouts, where as before I had zero energy or motivation. We work out at the fire station doing some workouts by Tom Venuto. It's basically a uppers/power split with supersets. I wasn't happy giving up carbs but I do think there is something to be said about carbs/sugar causing health issues. Ideally if I can get back to riding bikes and workout without injury like before I will see under 200lbs.


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## Ecks from Tex

firefighter11 said:


> Anyone else hitting up a keto lifestyle? I've been keto solid since beginning of March. I will probably cycle with it and go back to eating healthy carbs in moderation at some point. My starting weight was 260 and I'm just under 230. Feeling good enough now to really get back into workouts, where as before I had zero energy or motivation. We work out at the fire station doing some workouts by Tom Venuto. It's basically a uppers/power split with supersets. I wasn't happy giving up carbs but I do think there is something to be said about carbs/sugar causing health issues. Ideally if I can get back to riding bikes and workout without injury like before I will see under 200lbs.


Best thing I ever did was buy a Peloton Bike and cut sugars. Keto diet is pretty good, but all successful diets have one component and that is a calorie deficit. The specific type of diet is just a question of what fits you and your lifestyle best.

Cycling is an awesome way to get your calorie deficit. I use a Peloton Bike 6 days a week (a few runs thrown in there). The Peloton is pretty legit and I highly recommend it if you can fit it in your budget. I'm riding several hundred miles per month and burning at a minimum 10,000 calories a month, and with the bike it's honestly not that hard . With that kind of exercise, pretty much any diet I do is successful to some degree.


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## Guest

Ecks from Tex said:


> firefighter11 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone else hitting up a keto lifestyle? I've been keto solid since beginning of March. I will probably cycle with it and go back to eating healthy carbs in moderation at some point. My starting weight was 260 and I'm just under 230. Feeling good enough now to really get back into workouts, where as before I had zero energy or motivation. We work out at the fire station doing some workouts by Tom Venuto. It's basically a uppers/power split with supersets. I wasn't happy giving up carbs but I do think there is something to be said about carbs/sugar causing health issues. Ideally if I can get back to riding bikes and workout without injury like before I will see under 200lbs.
> 
> 
> 
> Best thing I ever did was buy a Peloton Bike and cut sugars. Keto diet is pretty good, but all successful diets have one component and that is a calorie deficit. The specific type of diet is just a question of what fits you and your lifestyle best.
> 
> Cycling is an awesome way to get your calorie deficit. I use a Peloton Bike 6 days a week (a few runs thrown in there). The Peloton is pretty legit and I highly recommend it if you can fit it in your budget. I'm riding several hundred miles per month and burning at a minimum 10,000 calories a month, and with the bike it's honestly not that hard . With that kind of exercise, pretty much any diet I do is successful to some degree.
Click to expand...

Thats awesome, I hope to either grab a indoor bike and maybe a outdoor bike to ride single track. I've got a buddy at work who harassess me religiously to grab a bike lol. He's pretty serious about it. I figure I lost 30lbs with no exercise at all. If I can stay strong on the diet and then start incorporating exercise I can lose another 30. I will look into the peloton, although I honestly haven't heard of them.


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## Ecks from Tex

firefighter11 said:


> Ecks from Tex said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> firefighter11 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone else hitting up a keto lifestyle? I've been keto solid since beginning of March. I will probably cycle with it and go back to eating healthy carbs in moderation at some point. My starting weight was 260 and I'm just under 230. Feeling good enough now to really get back into workouts, where as before I had zero energy or motivation. We work out at the fire station doing some workouts by Tom Venuto. It's basically a uppers/power split with supersets. I wasn't happy giving up carbs but I do think there is something to be said about carbs/sugar causing health issues. Ideally if I can get back to riding bikes and workout without injury like before I will see under 200lbs.
> 
> 
> 
> Best thing I ever did was buy a Peloton Bike and cut sugars. Keto diet is pretty good, but all successful diets have one component and that is a calorie deficit. The specific type of diet is just a question of what fits you and your lifestyle best.
> 
> Cycling is an awesome way to get your calorie deficit. I use a Peloton Bike 6 days a week (a few runs thrown in there). The Peloton is pretty legit and I highly recommend it if you can fit it in your budget. I'm riding several hundred miles per month and burning at a minimum 10,000 calories a month, and with the bike it's honestly not that hard . With that kind of exercise, pretty much any diet I do is successful to some degree.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thats awesome, I hope to either grab a indoor bike and maybe a outdoor bike to ride single track. I've got a buddy at work who harassess me religiously to grab a bike lol. He's pretty serious about it. I figure I lost 30lbs with no exercise at all. If I can stay strong on the diet and then start incorporating exercise I can lose another 30. I will look into the peloton, although I honestly haven't heard of them.
Click to expand...

If you want to put your diet into overdrive get a spin bike. Do the outdoor bike when you have met your goals and feel like you are ready to do 50+ mile rides. You've got so many choices for indoor bikes, but after a ton of research I went with the indoor cycle as opposed to an upright bike. This is known as a spin bike and if you put the picture of rich housewives in spin class out of your head this is head to toe the best and most efficient way to burn over 500 calories a day and build serious strength and overall fitness.

Within that category I looked at a number of bikes like the Flywheel, Soul Cycle, and the Peloton. I settled on the Peloton because it is the best and really has some huge perks to using it. It is a connected bike with a 20 inch flat screen that offers live and on-demand spin classes with a wide range of instructors. I take a type of cardio class called Power Zone Endurance with a guy named Matt Wilpers, who is a professional cyclist, marathon runner coach, and Ironman competitor. The Peloton bike is very data driven; it records your heart rate and your total output (watts) generated among other data for each exercise. It compiles this data into charts and tracks your progress monthly so you have one of the most detailed and comprehensive overviews of your fitness progression available. I can tell you how many miles I've ridden down to the foot, how many calories I've burned, how many units of energy or "output" I've generated, how fast I ride and at what resistance. All of this data helps me set achievable goals that maximize my returns in weight loss and strength building. It really is phenomenal. I probably lost 25 lbs the first 40 days. The classes are very addicting, and the other benefit is that my wife uses it all the time too so it was an easy purchase. And it's of course from the comfort of your home.

That being said there are other comparable spin bikes. None quite like the Peloton, but still great options. I'm happy to give you some links if you're interested in researching.

The one thing I suggest is get a bike with a magnetic flywheel. They are dead silent. The only noise I make on the peloton is my breathing and the audio through my earbuds. Mechanically the bike is quiet.

The big downside to the peloton is that it is expensive as hell. It will set you back over $2,500. I haven't regretted it in the slightest and I have seen results big time.


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## PHXCobra

Started keto last Thursday. I weighed myself and was 238 (going the wrong direction). It's those $0.49 ice cream cones at QT that were getting me, so I decided to give keto a try. As of this morning I was 234, have no idea if I'm in ketosis but I still feel fine. To this point no changes in how my workouts have gone, massive headahces, or withdrawals. I don't even have any cravings for sugar but have had to catch myself from eating my kids left over French fries a couple times. The goal is 210ish, we'll see.


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## Rackhouse Mayor

If anyone is interested in a good read I recommend The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung. I just finished it on audible a few weeks ago. It helped me understand why diets are "temporarily" successful often times. All these years I thought diets were about cutting calories, but recent research suggests it's about insulin levels. That would explain why diets like keto work. It's not an exciting read but it's informative.


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## Guest

PHXCobra said:


> Started keto last Thursday. I weighed myself and was 238 (going the wrong direction). It's those $0.49 ice cream cones at QT that were getting me, so I decided to give keto a try. As of this morning I was 234, have no idea if I'm in ketosis but I still feel fine. To this point no changes in how my workouts have gone, massive headahces, or withdrawals. I don't even have any cravings for sugar but have had to catch myself from eating my kids left over French fries a couple times. The goal is 210ish, we'll see.


Ketone strips will work in the beginning of ketosis I've found but not after being in it awhile. It usually takes me around 3-4 days of 20 net carbs or less to get to into keto. I dropped 264-228 in about 3 months doing lazy keto. I tried to average under 30 was my goal. I'll pick it back up as I feel I have better results cycling carbs. Only physical sign I could tell when I was in ketosis was sweating at the drop of a hat. 
Good luck, if you need guidance Reddit has some sweet guides and how to's for meal planning


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## thegrassfactor

In the vein of fitness, has anyone ever dealt with hip injuries? Moreso, physical therapy success stories relating to hip injuries?


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## TN Hawkeye

firefighter11 said:


> PHXCobra said:
> 
> 
> 
> Started keto last Thursday. I weighed myself and was 238 (going the wrong direction). It's those $0.49 ice cream cones at QT that were getting me, so I decided to give keto a try. As of this morning I was 234, have no idea if I'm in ketosis but I still feel fine. To this point no changes in how my workouts have gone, massive headahces, or withdrawals. I don't even have any cravings for sugar but have had to catch myself from eating my kids left over French fries a couple times. The goal is 210ish, we'll see.
> 
> 
> 
> Ketone strips will work in the beginning of ketosis I've found but not after being in it awhile. It usually takes me around 3-4 days of 20 net carbs or less to get to into keto. I dropped 264-228 in about 3 months doing lazy keto. I tried to average under 30 was my goal. I'll pick it back up as I feel I have better results cycling carbs. Only physical sign I could tell when I was in ketosis was sweating at the drop of a hat.
> Good luck, if you need guidance Reddit has some sweet guides and how to's for meal planning
Click to expand...

My wife and I are doing a modified keto through a metabolic weight loss clinic in town. It has really made a huge difference. I went from 262 down to current 213 in about 3.5 months. The first week was rough. I thought I was going to pass out about 3 times the first time I mowed the lawn but since then I feel great. Just had my 3 month blood work done. Waiting on those results. But every physical measurement improved from resting metabolism to bmi to fat percentage. Lost a little muscle and bone density but that is expected.


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## Stellar P

TN Hawkeye said:


> Lost a little muscle and bone density but that is expected.


Introduce a little weight/resistance training. That'll reduce the done density loss. :thumbup: on the (-49.0) lb. progress. Keep up the good work! You can do it! Make progress every day and stay mentally hungry while you're physically hungry.



thegrassfactor said:


> In the vein of fitness, has anyone ever dealt with hip injuries? Moreso, physical therapy success stories relating to hip injuries?


I've recently had some hip problems because my increased sitting from my commute, years of lower body work and having tight glutes. My femur externally rotates anytime I sit down (man-spreading). I've had a lot of success with stretching out my glutes and doing myofascial release on my IT band. A lot less uncomfortable periods when sitting for a while. Had a hip flexor injury a few years ago that only time off would fix. No issues since taking a month off.

EDIT: combined posts.


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## LawnNeighborSam

I used to weight lift a lot. And by a lot I mean for at least 15 years. I just got burnt out on all that type of training and now just opt for an active lifestyle doing things to keep me moving most of the week. Things like manual yard work: shoveling, rigorous raking, projects, occasional running outdoors or on the treadmill in the basement and putting myself through 30-45 minute circuits with lighter weights/medicine balls/resistance bands


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## jayhawk

LawnNeighborSam said:


> I used to weight lift a lot. And by a lot I mean for at least 15 years. I just got burnt out on all that type of training and now just opt for an active lifestyle doing things to keep me moving most of the week. Things like manual yard work: shoveling, rigorous raking, projects, occasional running outdoors or on the treadmill in the basement and putting myself through 30-45 minute circuits with lighter weights/medicine balls/resistance bands


Ditto, it used to be big focus ....still lift but only every other day. When I read those doing 3 on, 1 off....you're gonna burn out (mentally) and probably not getting enough recovery time. You're not in your 20s and unless you claim "low -t" (and have a script) ....don't follow the pros routine


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## PHXCobra

I'm down to 220.6 this morning doing keto most of the time. I've fallen off the wagon a few times and given in to some of my cravings. Have noticed a slight drop in performance and missing that extra gear when going for intensity on my workouts but I'm pushing through it. Have a buddy getting married in early may and I'd like to be around 200lbs for that.

Also been doing the Layne Norton PHAT program and enjoying that a lot.


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## gijoe4500

I dropped 17 lbs in 3 weeks on keto. I'm in a bit of a stall. I've been stuck at 230-231 lbs for a week now. No big deal though. I'm sure things will improve. I need to do some more cycling. Either MTB or my road bike. But work and family has kept me from being able to do that lately. I have an el cheapo indoor trainer I can put my road bike on, and may end up doing that, just to get in some sort of pedaling.

Goal is sub 215 by Jan 31. Sub 200 by May 1.


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## OD on Grass

PHXCobra said:


> Anybody else enjoy picking up heavy things and setting them back down again?
> 
> Had never lifted weight until high school and didn't like it all that much then probably because it was required. (lawn care as a kid/teenager anyone?). Thoroughly enjoy the gym 5-6 days a week with a couple runs and Softball mixed in. I have 2 young children so I have to go before everyone is up.
> 
> Started this time as a 5'10" 272lb fat @ss. Currently sitting at 235lbs and have a decent amount of fat left to lose but I'm a lot stronger than I've ever been.


Glad to see other lawn lovers who like to get to the gym! I'm in the 5am crew. 2 little ones also. I love talking about all things weight lifting. Sorry if I'm a bit behind. I've rotated between bodybuilding and powerlifting splits with a sort of hybrid thing going on right now but nursing a bit of a back injury atm. Only powerlifting meet early 2018 totals were S407, B307, and D485. More recently squat up to 425, and bench to 325. 30years old 6'0" 205lb Tried 5/3/1, smolov and many others. As I'm getting older I'm starting to realize that the goal needs to be more about health and longevity even though the ego tells me I can still lift heavy if I really want to haha. Hope this discussion keeps rolling!


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## Pest and Lawn Ginja

I'm a bit of a gym equipment hoarder. I lift by osmosis. I may have a sickness hahahaha.


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## OD on Grass

Pest and Lawn Ginja said:


> I'm a bit of a gym equipment hoarder. I lift by osmosis. I may have a sickness hahahaha.


Wow! Awesome rig!


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## Pest and Lawn Ginja

Thanks! It's been the most used piece of furniture we've ever owned


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## iFisch3224

6'3, 270lbs. Thick frame, played sports and had college offers for football 🏈 before injuries took over.

Now 31, with 4 pinched nerves and 2 herniated discs.


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## NoslracNevok

I've tried Intermittent fasting (24 hour periods, only eating dinners), it works great. I'm currently doing the same routine as @PHXCobra Back/Bi, Chest/Tri, Legs, then fast on day 4. Of course it usually doesn't work out this neat, there's day long breaks each week with two little boys and a busy wife, but that's the goal none the less. 5'10" 175, my body fat hovers around 15%, would be better if I cut out my beer or two a night


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## iFisch3224

Merry Christmas y'all. Keep moving in the right direction! 😁

270lbs strong.


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## gijoe4500

iFisch3224 said:


> Merry Christmas y'all. Keep moving in the right direction! 😁


I need to get back on the wagon. I have been stalled at 230 lbs since before Thanksgiving. Life and work has made it hard to keep up with things, and my discipline sucks.

Planning on being a resolutionist and get started again with lifting and cutting after the first of the year. Need to get looking as sharp as I can for my wedding in May.


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## ericgautier

@gijoe4500 you can do it! Just do it a little at a time and it'll all add up come May. I find weight training + some form of cardio made me lose weight much quicker compared to just cardio. Also, reducing calorie intake little by little (ie: 200 cal less, then slowly increase as time goes by).


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## NoslracNevok

@ericgautier I agree. You will lose more fat and overall be more pleased with a lifting focused physic. Also, Myfitnesspal is a fantastic app to get a person on the right eating habits.

Something often overlooked; male testosterone levels are as much as 50% greater in the morning. Work out in the a.m.


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## iFisch3224

gijoe4500 said:


> iFisch3224 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Merry Christmas y'all. Keep moving in the right direction! 😁
> 
> 
> 
> Need to get looking as sharp as I can for my wedding in May.
Click to expand...

Congratulations! 

If that's not enough motivation, I don't think there will be anything to motivate you to stay in the gym for 5 months. :thumbup:


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## Hoosier

I've seen some mention of training splits and such, and figured I'd throw in my 2 cents on what's worked for me... I've been big into lifting since high school, and I'm 32 now. Up until about 3 months ago, I'd do Chest/Tri, Back/Bi, and tons of other combinations over the years. Life has gotten especially busy, and I wasn't able to keep as regular of a gym schedule. So, I switched to doing a full body workout every time I go to the gym (ideally 3 days a week now). Because of this, missing 1 day doesn't mean skipping that muscle group for 2 weeks, as I was doing when I did more of the traditional split and had to miss a day. I've actually seen some muscle gain/fat loss doing this, which I was surprised by, as I thought I'd just be "maintaining" with this method. I weighed 220 with about 18% body fat before switching to this, and am about 215 now, with a bit more muscle.

Dr Jim Stoppani is a big proponent of this - he has a handful of YouTube videos where he talks about the reasoning and science behind it - definitely worth looking into.

Someone also mentioned Dr Jason Fung, who I'm also a big fan of. I'm not a reader, but I've watched hours and hours of his YouTube videos and interviews. I came across him a couple years ago, and have since been doing a 3-4 day fast every few months. Tons of benefits to doing this, aside from a bit of fat loss, so definitely worth looking into as well...


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## PHXCobra

gijoe4500 said:


> iFisch3224 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Merry Christmas y'all. Keep moving in the right direction! 😁
> 
> 
> 
> I need to get back on the wagon. I have been stalled at 230 lbs since before Thanksgiving. Life and work has made it hard to keep up with things, and my discipline sucks.
> 
> Planning on being a resolutionist and get started again with lifting and cutting after the first of the year. Need to get looking as sharp as I can for my wedding in May.
Click to expand...

I've been stuck in the 223-225 range since my 220.6 weigh-in. Still fuming but been lazy on cardio and eating WAY too much garbage. Gotta get my diet dialed back in and I'll be down again. I've definitely felt the lack of energy and feeling bad from the food.

I've hit some decent PRs in squat and deadlift during this time so O gotta imagine it will keep getting better as i dial back in


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## NoslracNevok

@Hoosier 3-4 day fast? I thought my 24hr fasts were long!

@PHXCobra Not lifting for any more than 1 week I feel that lack of physical and mental energy. What are you 6'? Get that diet back on track man!


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## PHXCobra

I'm 5'10". It's getting back. Got rid of all of the cookies and candy in the house. Back to the vertical diet it is.


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## gijoe4500

Lifting and cardio will definitely be a part of my weight loss. Just have to buckle down and get it all going. I have a decent home gym setup. Power rack, rogue fitness barbell, flat bench, deadlifting platform, and about 600 lbs of weight. For cardio, I have a mountain bike and a road bike, with an indoor trainer for those gross wet days. Don't care much for the indoor trainer, though.

I know all the things I "should" be doing, its just the doing them part that is tough. lol


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## stepper

I've been lifting weights for 20 years and competitively powerlifting for 15 years. Lawn care is just another addiction to add to the list!


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## ericgautier

stepper said:


> I've been lifting weights for 20 years and competitively powerlifting for 15 years. Lawn care is just another addiction to add to the list!


That's awesome! Any tips on how to maintain strength while trying to lose fat?


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## stepper

ericgautier said:


> stepper said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've been lifting weights for 20 years and competitively powerlifting for 15 years. Lawn care is just another addiction to add to the list!
> 
> 
> 
> That's awesome! Any tips on how to maintain strength while trying to lose fat?
Click to expand...

I would focus on one or the other. Certain lifts are going to lose strength no matter what because of leverage changes as you lose weight. If fat loss is the promary goal, don't let the muscle loss deter you. It'll come back once you're done losing what you want and get used to your new leverages.


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## FRD135i

Best one I have seen in a while. 
https://youtu.be/QiieXOKS5Qs


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## Jimefam

3 years ago i was 300lbs and decided i would start losing weight. Kept eating whatever i wanted so long as i didnt pass my calories for the day. Started at 3500 then 3k then 2500 then 2k. Over 16 months i got down to 168. I wanted to lose the weight slowly as i have never met someone who lost a ton of weight quickly on xyz fad diet and kept it off long term. At the same time i started dieting i began weightlifting. I lift 1 hour in the morning 5 or 6 days a week. Dropped down to 168 then bulked up to 195. Dropped to 175 then recently hit 195 again and just started a new cut June 1st. Took body scan at 195 and was at 15% body fat i am hoping to eventually get to 10% bf @190lbs or so but that is likely years away.


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## dfw_pilot

Man, that's awesome @Jimefam.


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## Jimefam

dfw_pilot said:


> Man, that's awesome @Jimefam.


Thank you I cant believe how much my health has improved over the last few years.


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## NoslracNevok

Amazing @Jimefam, that's incredible discipline! Post some before and after pics.💪


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## ericgautier

Jimefam said:


> 3 years ago i was 300lbs and decided i would start losing weight. *Kept eating whatever i wanted so long as i didnt pass my calories for the day. *


^ this is spot on. :thumbsup:

Figure out what your maintenance calories are and if you want to lose weight, stay below that.


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## Jimefam

NoslracNevok said:


> Amazing @Jimefam, that's incredible discipline! Post some before and after pics.💪


Lol almost cant post the before pic but what the hell





That was when i was about 175 about to begin my first bulk. Dont have a more recent picture. But i look pretty similar.


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## NoslracNevok

Damn man, you're crushing it!


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## dfw_pilot

Holy Cow.


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## The_iHenry

Way to go @Jimefam


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## FRD135i

A good read for stepping back and re-focusing

https://www.elitefts.com/education/you-might-be-a-serious-powerlifter-if/


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## NoslracNevok

What's your favorite work band right now? Amon Amarth for me.( Norse melodic metal)


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## dpainter68

I try and lift at least 4 days a week. What I've learned over the years is that nutrition is the most important part. The most success I've had was eating clean (i.e. Paleo). I was never hungry and the fat just fell off. I need to start back eating that way but sweet tea and mexican food are my favorites... along with anything sweet . One of the better programs I've done is Stronglifts (and/or Starting Strength by Rippetoe). I've tried P90X in the past but wasn't eating enough calories (or maybe I was, but most of it was junk).

In my opinion, if you're wanting to lose weight, building muscle is vital to it. Increasing muscle increases your metabolism. Some people think they need to go do a ton of cardio to lose weight. You will lose weight, but part of that will be muscle. Most people don't eat enough calories to support their muscle then do excessive cardio which leads to their muscle eating away at itself due to the nutrients that are needed aren't found in the fat or food they're eating. I still can't get my wife to understand this. She goes to the gym and does 45 min of cardio then 15 min of weight stuff and doesn't eat anything afterwards. I learned the hard way years ago. Found out I had high cholesterol and my doctor at that time put me on a diet for "heart health" (don't get me started on how screwed up the food pyramid is....) and I started doing more cardio, etc. I lost over 10 lbs and more than an inch in my waist. Had my body fat percentage checked again at my gym and it had went up. After that I started doing more research and trying to find out why. If you're going to do cardio, I recommend doing it after weight training and not before. Doing it before will use up your glycogen stores that your muscles will want for the weight training.



thegrassfactor said:


> In the vein of fitness, has anyone ever dealt with hip injuries? Moreso, physical therapy success stories relating to hip injuries?


I realize this is a very delayed response to your question haha. I've dealt with multiple injuries/pain over the years, primarily in my back/neck (have a few herniated and bulging discs and spinal stenosis in C4-T1). I've also dealt with some hip mobility and shoulder mobility issues. Early on I went to physical therapy for some of the issues and learned some of the primary causes for the issues and can manage most of them now on my own. For anyone who lifts, especially squats, deadlifts, any OH lifts, etc, I would highly recommend checking out PRI (postoral restoration institute) on youtube. Here's a very long video about it and yes, I know it sounds like voodoo (that's what I thought at first), but it's all about the mechanics of your body and it working like it's supposed to. I'm sure you can youtube PRI and find shorter videos.






An example of this is what someone else said in a separate post about hamstrings being tight and finding out it was due to their pelvis. Most people's pelvis is tilted forward, which stretches/lengthens their hamstrings. This represents itself as our hamstrings being tight when in reality if your pelvis was in the correct position it would 'shorten' the hamstring and release some of that tightness. Another good source (once the mechanics of your body is fixed) is SmashWerx on youtube. If you're hurting somewhere particularly just youtube SmashWerx and whatever part of your body that's hurting and there will be countless videos of things you can do. You'll need a lacrosse/massage ball, some bands, maybe a foam roller, etc. It's not comfortable... but it'll only hurt until the pain goes away


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