Motivation for the gym

Here ya go. Dana Linn Bailey is smokin' hot too.

http://youtu.be/i45WpmWmCrI

LIGHT WEIGHT!

Way too much smith machine work outs for me. I can't believe how big she is, I would honestly say if she was same height as me she would have the same build as me, guess I need to train harder . I am really impressed though, you don't usually see girls pushing them selves to failure in the gym.

For those that decide they want to go to a gym after watching this, go to a school gym you are far more likely to see fit girls there, at least in my experience, then you are in a public gym.

At the Animal Cage she benched her body weight (130lbs at the time) 26 times in a row. Insane!

http://youtu.be/yBJVL-uPAXU

I would consider my self a bit picky when it comes to form and the fact that she keeps bringing her butt off the bench is definitely poor form, at least in power lifting, still very impressive though.

Bryan> She totally broke form, probably ended up hurting herself too.

Yeah too much strain on the shoulder that is for sure!

As for those guys, Squat was impressive! But I am never impressed when I watch guys in tight suites cause that helps a ton with the lift, dude has damn good grip though!

In the Crossfit world, you break form and you're done.

Also in the other videos the range of motion seems so limited when doing those shoulder presses on the machine.

Weird.

They're the pros though. :T

Is that what you do Michael, CrossFit?
I have heard a lot of good things, it would probably be better for me cause my endurance when it comes to lifting is not great. Also heard that it has a lot of compound lifts which are great!

Yeah I'm off and on. Gotta get back on the bandwagon.

I'm only 5'9" and I'm 200lbs. All legs and stomach.

It's not nice having a belly either, because I look normal except my beer belly, so it's rough buying clothes and having something to wear at the office and going out.

I was going strong in August, even quit smoking, but life got the best of me.

My gf's sister Crossfits, and her husband has a gym in San Diego.

She got us into it.

You should see the workouts or WODs (workout of the day) she does, holy smokes.

Outclasses me in weights when it comes to certain motions.

Lots of squats and core involved.

WODs last anywhere from 10mins to over an hour.

So some days are great nice short ones, others are grueling.

You should definitely look into Crossfit. My gf discovered a good Crossfit gym in Thornhill area.

It's purely about functional power, not body shaping/building.

If you're interested you should definitely check out some videos on Youtube and look up "Crossfit Sun", lots of videos and that's the gym that my gf's sister's husband runs.

The little Korean girl going buck is she.

I'm actually on a diet right now used to weight 55-60kg back in my martial arts days (I'm 5.7). University saw to that not staying there. I'm actually taking a shake in the morning that's working right now (lost 4kgs in the span of 5 days).

Never tried weight training though, I'm more cardio/sports. Does weight training only bring in muscle mass or can it be used to keep muscles lean? I like my degree of motion, big muscles screw that up.

Guillaume> Definitely look into Crossfit in your case for sports.

There is mobility training that goes hand in hand with Crossfit, so your range of motion will increase as well.

Straight weight training is great for guys who want to get huge and lift heavy, but Crossfitters lift heavy as well, but look lean, and stay nimble.

Thanks Micheal exactly what I want, need to get back in Judo and get my black belt (left before having a chance to), miss doing competitions. If that's what it does I'll definitely look into it!

You could also look into power lifting. I spend the last two and a half year and never really put on any huge muscle only in the past 6 months have i started going for failing at 6-8 reps and I have put on more muscle then I have in the past few years.

Crossfit would probably be better for training the endurance of your muscles and such.

Also as long as you do your stretches and keep up with your flexibility stuff you should still be able to maintain it even if you get big.

Micheal, I am 5'9" as well and I weigh in just under 160ish, I am lucky I did not listen to the guys in the gym or I probably would be where you are, a lot of them always told me to put on 40 pounds and then you can start lifting big, I was always told that mass lifted mass which is why I started training the way I am, just want to make sure I keep it lean.

Well I need a lot of mobility for throws and twisting out of them in the air. So I need to stay as light as possible with as much power and agility as I can. Mobility also helps me to get out of armbars without breaking my arm off lol I still need to get back in competition shape though (far from it right now). I'll probably look into crossfit before and then maybe do a bit of power lifting (more for my legs than anything, since they help tremendously for throws)

Good call, you definitely need to keep up with the endurance stuff. When I was doing my power lifting my endurance was terrible doing more than three reps would just destroy me. Now that I started doing high reps I find I don't tire as fast as I used to, much nicer now!

My thoughts are.. everyone has there own thought on how to work out. Your watching videos of them work out and seeing that they rep body building places,but yet your on a computer looking at eagle talons and we sure as sh!t arn't watching you lift?


Most the time people that do body building Hate it.

John raponso bakes cakes at loblaws in kingston ontario.

You can come watch me if you like Sven

I don't have mirrors and stuff in my home gym so haveing someone watch me, even when I did have mirrors at the gym, was always greatly appreciated because I could get comments on form and how to improve and such.

Im about 5' 10" and use to weight 195 in April 2010, went to 170 by June 2010 with weight training, a STRICT diet and cardio 40 min a day. Kept that same weight for about a year and went from 170 to 150 this summer with a proper diet and ONLY weight training, I did absolutely NO Cardio! Its all about proper eating and you can lose weight sitting on the couch all day. With weight training you burn even more calories and gain muscle mass.

That's how she benches heavy weight all the time. If you watch any of her videos, that's how she benches. She's also not like a guy, women bench heavy weight slightly different.

This is true but you are not aloud to have your ass off the bench.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5lLdJZnr1I

She's not in for competitions for anything more than her physique. Whatever she needs to do to get the weight up and get the results, I say go for it. She definitely didn't get as big as she is from bad form! haha

It is really difficult to watch her do incline. Why are you going to do incline bench if you are going to arch huge with your ass off the bench, she might as well just do a flat bench.

Fair enough I guess it doesn't matter then, I guess for me being a stickler it is a little frustrating to watch.

I think it might have something to do with her physique. Her waist and everything is tiny. A lot of other women body builders are huge and look like men, she still has a womans physique.

Also when doing bench you are supposed to drive with your legs while pushing up, any time you push down on your feet, your back is doing to arch a little. Most guys bench pressing are so thick that you don't notice, like I said, she's like 3 inches thick since she's so tight.

Also, taken from bodybuilding.com

"A barbell bench press starting position has the weight lifter lying on a bench, with the shoulder blades pinched together to create a stable, solid base for the press, also used in powerlifting to reduce the range of motion. The lifter keeps his feet flat on the ground or at end of the bench, with the buttocks always in contact with the bench. Powerlifters will arch their back to provide greater stability and to reduce their range of motion allowing them to move more weight. Different grip widths can be used to increase or decrease the range of motion and place more or less emphasis on particular muscles. The movement begins by lifting the bar off the uprights and lowering it until the bar is motionless on the chest before being pressed under control to the start position. After the desired number of repetitions, the weight lifter returns the bar to the uprights. Because the load on the bar above the chest can be heavy, a spotting partner increases the safety of the movement.[1]"

I have a good arch but I always make sure my buttocks is on the bench, she seems to struggle with this.

Its perfectly normal to arch. Its a known technique. Some people like it some don't. You can notice the guy is doing the same thing. There is right way to arch and there are wrong ways. And yeah I keep my ass on the bench. But I guess it works for her, and you can see the results.

I dunno, she's the one that benches 250lbs and is in national competitions, magazines, is asked to do guest appearances at competitions etc, and we are the ones watching her vids. She must be doing something right! I think she's hot and she can bench more than me, wtf!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHHGtQn0V5I

My arch used to be like the first guy that went, lately I have not had such an aggressive arch but I usually try to mix it up every month or so.

Just reading about an interview she did and she is definitely killing it! I am always impressed when people get to where she does beside doing her normal day job. And the whole 8-day cycle is pretty crazy, I have done 5 days and that was enough for me I don't think I have the orginization to do an 8 day plan, maybe going back to a five day for me would be good, currently on a three day.

What are your guys work outs like.

I do Mon- Bench day (tricept and chest), Wed- Deadlift (back and bicepts), Fri- Squat (legs)

Interview: http://www.cutandjacked.com/Interview/with-Dana-Linn-Bailey

I do:
Day 1 - Bicep and Back
Day 2 - Tricep and Shoulders
Day 3 - Chest
Day 4 - Legs

If I do a 5 day, my 5th day is usually a heavy weight, but only 2 sets of everything except legs, I don't do legs that day.

gotta like how she says "muscles do not need supplements, they need food and weight to grow"

I definitely agree

This is my workout schedule.

Monday - Chest and Triceps
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Arms

I try to get a p90x ab workout over the weekend. Good thing we have this thread now, a little extra motivation.

My day yesterday got kinda messed up, didn't get to the gym late, so this will be a 5 day cycle as I only got in my biceps yesterday, so today will be only back.

45 minute bicep work out destroyed them though. Gotta love when you try and lift a water bottle to your mouth and you are shaking trying to do that!

Yeah that is always killer, I did legs today and standing between sets was extremely difficult, going downstairs after a legs day is always fun too

^^ I just finished legs right now, walking up the stairs was definitely a fun adventure afterwards lol (1.5 hours on legs, not squats though, I use my old training). I miss being my old Ninja self! I think getting back to perfect shape might take me a while .

Deep, what kind of STRICT diet (I'm on a shake in the morn, some other type of shake at noon with vegetables/fruit and a very light diner)? As for the Cardio, I need it, not for weight loss though, need to be able to fight for 5-6 min rounds x 12 times or more (my categories are usually big) full out for competition so trying to get it back sooner rather than later. That and the training at my club is hardcore, so, I need to be in top normal shape to be mediocre in the training.

Yeah for sure, you basically want to eat every 3 hours, Eat smaller meals, with high protein content. You want to keep your metabolism going. You don't need any supplements besides protein shake.

This was my schedule when I was eating strict.

8Am Breakfast - 3 white + 1 whole eggs, 1 wholegrain toast, protein shake. You want to make sure you get the shake 30 min withing waking up, it will get your metabolism jumping.

11-12am Lunch - Grilled chicken breast with brown rice and veggies

3PM Snack - Hand full of almonds with fat free yogurt

6-7pm Dinner - Grilled chicken breast with brown rice and veggies

8PM - Gym

930pm Post workout meal(within 30 min after working out) Protein Shake and banana.

This for 2 and a half months straight with weight training and 40 minutes of cardio got me down to about 165-170.

You can replace each meals with anything that is healthy, low sodium content. If you want to maintain or gain weight you add more food. I use to make wraps, pasta, sandwiches ect. and just got into a healthy living lifestyle after I lost that weight. A year later I just wanted to get ride of all my fat and I stuck to a clean but not as strict diet, no cardio at all and just weight training and dropped another 15.


Basically you can workout till your face turns blue, you're results will not be satisfying unless your eating right.

LOL, I love the comment on You tube how her vag would rip your dick off ha ha.

Chicks with muscles dont turn me on at all. I like a big ass and curves. Just sayin.

But if you broke down she could just bench one side of the car up at a time for you to look? Big ass and curves just put strain on the jack.

I said big, not fat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIwa-PMEz_Y&feature=related

Check out the dude's legs.

My diet is much like Deep's.

Instead of almonds I eat broccoli right off the stock. Broccoli is great because it's an antioxidant for your blood, but also a filler, really has nothing bad in it at all, no salt, no fat, no carbs, keeps your body full, without really introducing anything bad into it. Keeps you with energy, so it's great stuff.

I usually eat 4 chicken breasts a day, sometimes more depending on what I have for dinner.

I also eat a decent amount of rice with my chicken, usually basmati or a nice whole grain healthy rice that doesn't bloat you.

Here's a tip some people might not know, for each piece of whole wheat bread you eat, there is 6 grams of protein in it!

Also, do not intake more than 30g of whey protein at a time. Your body cannot absorb more than 30g of whey protein in one sitting. You have to wait over an hour before your body can even think about using any more whey!

Right after a work out, you can sometimes up it to 50g or 60g, but you are still risking not absorbing all of it. I usually have 2 or 3 shakes a day, that are 30g of protein each. I also don't use any mass gainer protein mix, it's all sh!t, all it is is high calorie mass gainer. If you want to dirty bulk go for it, if you want to bulk clean and lean, then avoid that mass gainer sh!t.

Will tune your car in trade for some Nage-waza help! I am a BJJ competitor, and can always spend some more time working on takedowns/throws. Do you happen to know Dainis Ng? He is a friend of mine that has had great success competing in Judo. I believe he's 2nd dan now.

How are things going with BJJ Kevin?

Thanks Deep/Brandon I know my main thing is that I didn't eat right (never had issues with it before because I'd just burn it off because of the amount of workout I did). Now it's definitely showing so I'll try to keep to a diet similar to you guys, helps a lot

@Kevin, Yeah most definitely, nage waza: throws were my best attribute, always won by Ippon! My favorites were: tomoe nage, Ippon seio nage, Tai Otoshi and my evil version of harai Goshi Being small I had the chance of doing drops of each one, but it's easy to learn. I've served as a Sensei at my club for 4 years (shhh...I wasn't suppose to being only a brown belt, but they liked my competition twist to throws mouhaha) I stopped for 3 years so I'll have to get back into it but I still remember most of it, just lost my flexibility and speed in executing them, and I have a great book (in french though but has TONS of pics on how to do things) for anything Judo related. Was using it to remember my Japanese names for throws when I was training for my black belt (My Kata examination) never ended up doing it though. The place where I trained was in Brampton, we also had a Sensei that did Jiu Jitsu (mixed with Judo it's killer, I think he's still there). They have an adult class where it's all technique on Thursdays which you might like. We can talk about it PM wise if you want more detail. Not sure I remember your buddy, but I'm incredibly bad at remembering names.

If you have a gym/mats maybe I could even pop by and show you a couple. I was big on air flips as well either with the person to make sure my points counted or in the air to make sure theirs didn't but I don't think you'll want to learn that for your style of fighting, no points awarded for being on your back rather than your stomach lol Would motivate me in getting back into it as well WIN WIN!

For every 30g of protein in chicken breast there is like 1g of fat!

Thanks for the tip on broccoli, I never even thought of it. definitely going to start eating it off the stock from now on, plus it is really easy. Also because I don't enjoy almonds I do peanuts so this will definitely be better for me.

For diet go here, www.marksdailyapple.com.

Great Paleo info.

I went rock climbing for the first time the other day at downsview, True North, and got my ass kicked.

I'm so out of shape.

Could barely grip my tooth brush and take a shower.

Oh god.

Motivation is fairly easy to get as long as you have clear goals. On days where I can't find it I take a pre-workout shake called razor 8, it works great.

Crossfit is great, I do it about 3 times a week, I also do a 5 days a week workout developed by the British SAS which damn near destroys me day after day. It's good not to neglect your cardio so I try to go running at least 3 times a week for about 10km per session. Intervals and hills are my thing

It's been said before that diet is a massive factor to developing whichever body type your after and it's 100% true, the general rule of thumb I follow or try to is buying my groceries from the OUTSiDE edge of the supermarket, it allows you to cut back massively on the amount of preservatives you ingest. It is also true that eating healthy is more expensive but you can't win them all.

Something alot of people overlook when lifting weights or working out in general is form. Form is key, you can do 100 squats with 150lbs with bad form and get a back injury OR do 50 squats with the same weight and not only see close to the same gains and yields, but not hurt yourself.
For anyone looking for a real challenge and that is familliar with crossfit search up "fight gone wrong", that'll put some hair on your eyeballs.

Nice link.

I lift heavy weights and I get bigger.

Being big and being fit are completely different

Usually guys that lift heavy weight aren't even really in good shape, or fit. Can deadlift the front of your car, but couldn't run to the store and back

Tell me about it! I'm getting big, but definitely not fit Although that's slowly changing.

I'm not big on being huge (muscles) either, I like being nimble, helps when you have tight spots to crawl under on a DSM .

So summer is fast approaching and I figured I would resurect this and see what people do for cutting. I try to always keep myself lean so I have not put on that much weight while bulking but I am wondering what everyone does to cut as I don't even remember the last time I had a defined six back (I can see it but there is still a bit of fat there).

I have been doing some reading and have decided to cut out all starchy carbs and simple carb(try to avoid them all the time). Also going to see if I can get my ass in gear and do some cardio. The one thing I was listening to today was that drinking distilled water helps for loosing that last bit of fat, has anyone heard anything similar?

Here is the video that mentions it, I would also say from amount of body fat perspective I am around where the guy is in the video. Last bit of fat

P.S. These guys are funny and have lots of good advise if you haven't seen them before.

I posted this once before on here, but here goes...www.marksdailyapple.com

You will get cut. That's for diet.

As for the workouts, there are so many different ways, I'm sure you're already aware of how to workout.

The rest is diet man.

Intense short exercises seem to be key, than the long ass cardio style.

I seriously think everyone on here should try crossfit at a crossfit gym for just one class to see how it is.

I recently joined a Muay Thai gym called Krudar, and holy smokes they kick your ass.

Each class is slightly different in terms of workouts, but they change it up and add stuff at the end of the class for the cool down workouts.

This past Sunday it was like Crossfit-Muay Thai. Amazing!

I wouldn't focus so much on the bits of fat, just focus on eating right and training hard and it will just come.

I was actually going to add this to my comment I made but you brought it up so I will add this here.

Michael, I assume you are currently fallowing a Paleo diet. How do you find it? I have basically cut out all simple carbs and just stick to complex carbs, but I haven't loss much belly fat, but I do feel better daily, more energy and such.

Nice! Well I'm not 100% strict Paleo, I still eat bread, some carbs, very little.

Back in August, I was doing a Paleo challenge for a month, and I felt great!

Mind you I'm out of shape and have tonnes of fat on me, so I was seeing results quickly.

The key is to experiment with portions.

If you feel weak one day try adding more fats to your diet. Good fats of course like avocados, almonds (in small quantities), etc.

You'd be surprised the kinds of food I was eating. Steak and eggs with tonnes of spinach, chicken breast/thigh with greens, bacon wrapped dates, sweet potato/yams, and that's basically it, with lots and lots of water.

If you eat a lot of red meat and fatty meats then you better be working out 5-6 times a week high intensity or you won't lose the fat with that kind of diet.

Berries are awesome, and tonnes of greens.

If you find you're sore a lot while working out 5-6 times a week, try buying some Omega 3 pills (seal oil/fish oil) and take 3-4 a day to help you recover and heal.

As for right now I'm seeing quicker results than in August, probably because the training I'm doing is more intense or I'm just trying harder.

Edit: Bryan, I'm no expert, just going by what I was introduced to back in August, and by seeing the results of those who swear by a Paleo diet and intense training without much rest.

Drinking distilled water is something people do when they are preparing for a contest/show as part of a water drop, as you want to avoid all minerals/salts/etc. in your intake to get rid of as much retained water as possible. You would also be eating no carbs for the duration of the water drop and then a 'carb up' on the day of the event. This is to make the skin tightest and the muscles look fullest.

If you want to cut, a ketogenic diet is probably the best bet. It'll take a bit to get used to, but it definitely works wonders, mind you diet is only half the battle - you need to be exercising as well.

If you can fit it into your schedule, a workout earlier in the day followed by some cardio later in the day (don't do them in one big session) is ideal.

I've got a pretty decent knowledge base on this stuff, especially since I've done a lot of it recently (the cutting, water drop, show, etc.), so feel free to ask.

Michael, nobody is an expert.

I just like to hear other peoples experiences and such.

I think I will try out a Paleo diet though, my girlfriend has been trying to do it for the past while so if both of us are doing it, it should be easier!

Yes! Doing anything together with someone is great.

There are many websites with recipes and honestly when I was on the strict paleo diet, it wasn't bad at all!

Being able to eat bacon, steaks, pretty much all the time with a shitload of greens was awesome. I did not miss bread or pasta at all.

There are some tasty pasta alternatives as well. Some new super food my friend introduced me to, I forget the name, but they're almost like a grain, but not, and are grain sized, so it's like rice, but not.

LOL I'll try to find out for you.

LOL that last sentence was very confusing to follow

K let me know, I am curious. I am trying to find an alternative to peanuts too, and unfortunately I don't like almonds

If you don't like almonds, roast them in a toaster oven briefly, then try 'em. SO much better. I'm not a huge fan either, but after toasting them, MMmmmm. Pretty good.

If you don't like them try that all natural almond butter or peanut butter.

The kind that tastes like someone just chewed a bunch of peanuts for you, for over an hour then spit it out into a jar. lol

One spoonful maybe twice a day?

Maybe I will see if I can convince my family to do it for me as I don't have a toaster oven.

Funny about the chew thing, I usually throw a handful of peanuts in my mouth and chew it until its like peanut butter

Im in a rush so I wont type my cutting diet, But I know atleast 8 people who have used it with amazing results. I lost 40 Lbs with it and the last 20lbs I did absolutely no cardio. Have a handfull of almonds as a snack around 3pm with some fat free yogurt. Cut out carbs and limit them to brown rice and mabey a whole grain toast in the morning. 6 small meals throughout the day with loads of protien.

Sounds great Deep! Paleo proponents would say no grains or bread, but the high protein sounds great! Don't forget the greens, tonnes of greens!

See that is the thing, the only carbs I eat is brown rice, brown toast and pasta. I really don't think I have that much carbs through out the day. All of those being complex, there is only one time during the day that I have simple carbs and that is right after workout (an english muffin)

I think I will go for the Paleo, and see how it goes and as Michael says, lots of greens!!!

Yes

After reading about grains, and wheat, oh man I try to stay away.

I stick with White instead of Whole wheat or brown.

Why? Go read.

Okay, I remember when this thread was around a few months ago and I just sighed and kept my mouth shut, but now it's back... there is so much misinformation here it's staggering and I wouldn't even know where to start to correct it. I will say this though: for you bigger guys who are trying to lose weight, try not to get caught up in the minutae of diet... there are more basic, relevant things for you to focus on to jumpstart your weight loss... like cutting all calories out of liquids (so drinking only water & green tea), and eating a few hundred calories below maintenance instead of starving oneself (which would require you to understand how to find your maintenance), and adjusting macronutrient intake accordingly (protein/carb/fat) and understanding the benefit and relevance of each, to the point that you stop counting calories and start counting macros...

I train muay thai 5 days a week in addition to my supplemental training (distance running, high intensity intervals, resistance weight training) to maintain my fighting weight. I'm just under 11% body fat and still falling (I'm trying to get into a lighter weight class). I have a pretty strict nutrition plan and have tried almost every fad diet out there, so I think I have a pretty good understanding of what you guys are going through. But like I said, all that minutae is for guys like me who are already slim and trying to tweak out another bf% point, not for guys who are starting out heavy. You guys can lose a lotta weight by following the basics and sticking to them.

edit: oh yeah and Michael, it sounds like the grain you're thinking of is quinoa.

Mark my body fat % is probably around 13% I would guess, maybe 12.

Cutting carbs is where I am starting, Michael and my girlfriend have convinced me that Paleo is probably going to help me with that. I know where my maintenance is but I struggle with monitoring what my intake is.

I drink only water (like I said I have heard that to lose more weight I should switch to distilled) and green tea so no issues there.

I think you've summarized everything in this thread Mark.

Awesome! How long have you been training for? Which gym?

Edit: Oh, Paleo isn't a "diet", but more of a lifestyle change as well that coincides with Crossfit.
You don't really have to monitor how much you eat, just eat more if you feel weak, and lots of greens.

So simple, and tasty.

First, there is no such thing as a diet. Either you change your lifestyle or you'll gain all the weight right back.
I have been working out for more than 15 years, and I think I have it pretty well figured out by now. The following works for me:
Rule number one:
- follow a strict diet where you have a chance to establish a routine. What I mean is, for me I follow a strict diet during the work week. I get up and go to work and follow the same routine five days a week, therefore it's the easiest way to incorporate the same eating routine every day. I cheat on weekends, by not out of control. I still follow my principles.
Rule number two:
- stay away from sugar and simple carbs. For the most part I don't eat anything sweet, unless it's fruit. At the same time, I don't eat simple carbs. I only eat brown rice, whole wheat bread and pasta. If you can't control your cravings, than don't have the things that you have a weakness for at home. I rearly buy chips for example cause that's my weakness.
Rule number three:
- Portion control, eat small meals often to keep metabolism up. This is very important, in addition to making sure that every meal includes the same amount of protein as carbs. Keep in mind that vegetables are also carbs. I usually will eat more veggies then pasta or rice. Make sure you eat a good breakfast and lunch, which helps feel less hungry at night. Eating at night is a bad habit, that I always struggle with.
Rule number four:
- Hit the gym hard the day after cheating. I have my own routine that consists of a mix of weight training, high intensity training and cardio that I follow daily or every other day. I do have a rule that I must hit the gym the day after eating at night or beer drinking.
It's all about forming a habit, and not making excuses not to follow it. By now, if I miss a few days at the gym, I just don't feel right. It's sort of an addiction. I don't go to the gym to socialize, I work out hard, and leave when I am done.
Remember %70 of your success is your diet, the remaining %30 is exercise.

Thats bang on man. 70% is about eating and 30% is exercise. I went from 25% body fat to 12% in 4 months. and I have kept it in the 12-15% range for over 2 years now because of a healthier lifestyle. I can cut down more then that but then I will look Freakin scrawny as hell.

How tall are you and much you weigh Bryan ?

I am 5'8" and I weight 160ish.

Yeah same as me almost, Im 165 and 5'9-10"ish. What you trying to cut down to ? The most I cut too is 150-155, anything less I look like a fkin stick bro.

Whoa you guys are my size.

I'm trying to drop down to 170-175.

I'm at 200 right now...well 197-9 ish?

I've seen a bunch of guys at my gym around 155ish and I think they just look too thin with clothes on.

I mean they're strong as hell and in shape, but I'd like to keep some of this heft I've eaten myself to.

Yeah very true. Im just trying to cut down to 155 to lose some of the beer belly that came over winter and keep eating clean and try to put on some size.

Man, my beer belly is the worst!

Slowly losing it.

Can't wait to be able to put on a t-shirt or just shirts in general without hunching over to try and hide my belly.

Soon...

I am 5'1", around 185-190lb.
The best thing is to not get fat at all. Men tend to accumulate fat cells in their belly area, as opposed to women having thighs and arms more susceptible to growing fat cells. Once you have accumulated fat cells in the trouble area, you can never naturally get rid of them, only shrink them. Surgery will fix that, but that’s an extreme measure.
The point is that those areas will be the last to loose fat, and you can’t spot reduce fat by exercising. That’s the reason many women and men complain about being thin except for the trouble areas.
As a result, you would have to really clean up your diet and commit to exercising, in order to address the trouble areas.
I myself don’t think it’s worth the effort. I don’t want to be a prisoner of dieting. As long as I maintain my bf at %10-15, while keeping the weight at 185lbs I am happy.

I find that the best way to loose fat quick, aside from proper diet is high intensity training. It's a simple principle of keeping maximum heart rate, while performing strenuous exercising involving maximum amount of muscle groups, thus burning maximum amount of calories.
If you don't feel light headed at the end, than you are not trining hard enough

5'1" at 185-190 you fawkinn tank !! lol

Holy sh!t Jakub! You're a tank!

Sorry, I missed a digit, it's 5'11", lol

I was going to ask you that too lol. Yeah that sounds good though. My weight goal is around 175-180 Will take many years to build that.

sh!t, that makes a massive difference, I was thinking of napolean jokes while I was reading that.

I used to be 150ish but I had less muscle, my stomach was at the same place it is at now though

Check these guys out. They have videos on almost anything fitness.

http://www.youtube.com/user/twinmuscleworkout

the video I posted was from them, I really like them and find that the give good advice. I would also recommend this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/strengthcamp

Yes! Quinoa! How is it? Haven't tried it yet.

Quinoa is awesome! It has the highest protein of all the grains.

F*CK a diet! Eat clean, and train hard!!!

Said like a true warrior!

I think the "eat clean" part is what everyone is labelling as a "diet".

I've gotta try Quinoa now.

Hey Michael, there's not much to choose from here in Ptbo for muay thai... I train out of HookUp Muay Thai which is a satellite gym for HookUp MT in North York. It's alright.. the gym is beginning to trend towards a very traditional thai style which is what I really enjoy; less punching, more knees and elbows I've been training for a few years though I started out boxing, then kickboxing, and finally wound up in muay thai. Only regret is not pursuing muay thai sooner.

Tell me about it. I'm loving it. I really wish I started 5 years earlier. Damn, by the time I really start to develop some skills I'll be 35!

I'm downtown at Krudar. Absolutely sensational gym.

How about posting some pics, some results ?

I'll be first

I would love to people able to post up an old pic off me, I was extremely small in highschool and got picked on a lot. It stopped around grade 11 cause that is when we started taking weight lifting class and I started putting up bigger numbers then my fellow classmates.

I have a home gym so I picked up a new peace of equipment, 65lb weight vest, loaded for 25lbs right now. Also a pic of my back, this is the first time I have tried body building (started in January) I have been powerlifting for the past five years, I ended up getting toned a bit and a tad bigger but nothing huge.

Bryan you're jacked man!

I'd hate to have to hold pads for you!

Man I was wondering when someone was going to ask about pictures.

Bah.

Thanks Michael!

I really enjoy working out and love power lifting, this hypertrophy training is very new to me and I have learned a lot in the past few months. Probably going to switch back to powerlifting again in a few months, I really enjoy doing that more and it's sad when you can squat 300lbs on a rear squat and only do 135 on a front squat. Right now I have one power day with the program I am doing now and injured my shoulder on the second week of doing it, hopefully if I go back to full powerlifting I can prevent injury.

Ouch injuries suck.

I'm sick, have a pretty badly bruised left thigh, and my neck's still jacked.

Missed 1 day so far at Krudar and am missing it like nothing else before haha.

Going to miss today as well.

Yeah injuries are the most frustrating thing!

Last week I thought I was good to go, and turns out I was not, going to skip chest this week and just do an extra day of physio shoulder workout.

Being sick is the worst too, I turn into a huge suck when I am sick and if the girl is here I always want her to take care of me. Actually dumped my last girl because she just neglected me when I got sick (first time in the 1.5 years we were together), obviously more then that but that was a big part.

I hear you Bryan.

I think it's a big part of relationships. You have to "want" to take care of each other.

The whole, man up, take care of yourself thing is so bullshit.

But yeah this is the first time I'm on my own, and sick.

I'm a huge suck as well. Aren't we all? LOL

Fack.

Can't wait to get 100% and hit the pads and bags at the gym.

So far my belly doesn't protrude out like before, has shrunk, I can wear t-shirts now without it popping out like a mother, muscle mass gained in my shoulders and triceps.
Legs are getting big and toned, think 300.

All this from 17 classes, well 16, the 1st class doesn't count, because I only completed half of it before sitting from being dizzy.

Those 17 classes were consecutive, 6 days on 1 day rest, and so on.

Ya my legs have been a big project for me.

My calves had started out as skinny things and I have worked a lot to get them out of the "chicken leg" category.

That's impressive though, I do 4 or 5 days and then two days rest.

Oh man my back has been killing me for over a month now! Lower back pain is a b*tch.




What workouts did you do on your legs Bryan ? I hate my chicken legs lol

Calf raises are key, I usually try to do them slow and go low and also do more than 20, I do both seated and standing.

As for upper legs. Leg extension and Leg curls are good after exhausting with Squats. I also used to do drop sets on the seat leg press, maching looks like this. Would have a guy on each side, start at 5 plates and do ten reps, get them to take a plate off after ten and go till I did no plates ten times. I will warn you this workout is killer and I have come close to puking a few times, mid workout protein shake is key for keeping your energy up (at least for me it was)

I would recommend box jumps.

Proper box jumps. Flat footed jump, land and plant heels, extend hips forward to straighten out, then jump back down, land and plant heels, rinse and repeat.

If you've got back pains, you're doing something wrong or with too much weight.

I guess it's hard to judge the difference between soreness and pain from injury sometimes, but if your back is sore, rest it, and double check your form.

Yeah I do the same workouts for legs but I dont do a drop set on leg press. Because of my back problem, I stopped doing squats and went from that leg press to a horizontal seated leg press.




I had a pinched nerve in the summer. Right now its just a muscle. Its on and off. Worst part is I have to do some drawings on the computer for school and sitting here is just so fucked up.

Computer chair is a big thing for bag pains, my dad has this chair that after a day of work my back would be destroyed. I have two chairs in my office, one is a exercise ball that I use once in a while and the other is a basic char that only had lumbar support, both cheap and both work great.

Drop sets are amazing for putting on mass, I would give them a try if you can. Your break should only be the time it takes you to lower the weight.

Ouch, pinched nerve.

About 3yrs ago, 198lbs and 8% body fat



Haven't lifted weights in about 2 years


Not bad for a 36 year old! Hehe

8% body fat now that is impressive!!

I actually had an 8 pack in that top pic!

any idea what your body fat is at now?

I'd guess somewhere around 12%. I'll try to dig up my calipers lol

Kev! Looks like you stuck with the plan for ur gym routine... Great to hear man! I have been trying to get in touch with you for a couple Weeks brother, but the number isn't working any more :@ give me a shout wen you get a sec I need some advice.. Thanks again 647 975 7366

Didn't notice this until tonight.

Damn! it looks like you slid on concrete with your knees

Bruises from holding pads during a kicking drill.

I knew it wasn't just me pussying out, the kicks were hard!

I could feel it straight through the pad.

We used these kinds of pads when I was doing kick boxing, I never got any bruises, what pads are you guys using!?

Similar, but I think the one I grabbed had been worked in pretty good, because the foam didn't do jack sh!t, and I could feel his shin straight through the backing of the pad, which is what cardboard or whatever.

We were doing low kicks.

Bahahahahaha oh man Michael you're gonna have plenty of bruises like that for a few months... but it gets better. I've never used a pad to take low kicks, we block them or eat them, but I know the pad that you're describing.

A while back, I used to have one of the fighters kick my legs for a few minutes after class to condition them- inside, outside, inside, outside, increasing the intensity as they go until I couldn't take it anymore. No pads and no shinguard, just bone on thigh. I did this for maybe 2 months straight? Allowing time for healing when needed. Leg kicks do not phase me anymore.

Mother of god.

You don't bruise anymore!?

I rarely bruise on my legs, yes. But I'm not so much concerned with bruising as I am with being able to take the kick and keep fighting. So in other words, I condition not to avoid bruising, but to toughen my legs.

As I'm sure you'll find out, when you start sparring you're gonna have bruises and fractures everywhere (shins, feet, ribs, nose, etc). What makes the difference is being able to push through that burst of pain and finish the round (or fight), which is where pre-conditioning is helpful.

Damn you guys go hard. I got put down once when I was doing kickboxing but I have never had any fractures!

@Mark: yeah that's the ultimate goal, I don't care about the bruising or markings, but I would be concerned about fractures!

My DD will now be my Talon, so if anything happens to my left or right leg I'm screwed! Haha

@Bryan: not really! Well I'm speaking for myself. It hurt, but it wasn't anything crazy.
It's almost like going shot for shot playing knuckles as a kid. lol
I beat 2 guys in one go, but stupid me, didn't realize my right fist was the size of a small melon at the end of it. ***STUPID***



Edit: @Mark: I wonder what prevents the bruising? Tougher skin or muscles?

I haven't the slightest clue, to be honest. In the shin, I would say microfractures that eventually deaden the nerves and calcify the bone, but in the quad/thigh area I'm not sure... maybe it gets calloused? lol I don't know.

Bryan, we spar lightly (30-40%) with emphasis on technique most of the time; it's really the only way to learn and try out new things without having to worry about getting knocked out. However, when a member of the fight team is prepping for a fight, the cirriculum changes... we will rotate the other fight team members into the ring to spar hard (round 80-90% depending) with the person training in order to acclimate them to the reality of fighting someone who is trying to hurt you. At the beginning of this year, I was rotated in with our only 100kg+ fighter for a few days per week and came away from those sessions with a broken left foot, a fractured rib, and a litany of other bumps and bruises. He still got his ass handed to him come fight time. Go figure.

Right on man!
As for the shins, yes I've read into this and that's it exactly. Small microfractures that continually heal themselves and strengthen the bones, and I guess you could call it nerve damage, but you lose feeling.

As for the lack of bruising, I guess your muscles just toughen up.

Edit: I just Facebook stalked you Mark. You're friends with Peter Montrait eh? Jeez the Muay Thai circle is small. haha

Haha creeper
I have no idea who you found on facebook but it's not me - I don't have a facebook account

LOL!!!



Hrmm, there's another Mark Bondy who knows Peter then.

Do you know him though?

Nope, don't know him. I see him on the Krudar.com fight list for 2010 though. Are those guys pro's? They look pretty serious...

http://www.krudar.com/fighters.htm

Yeah, real deal.

Some fighters out of Krudar fighting world wide.

Great guys/gals there.

Niiiiiiccce. We only have one fighter that's international and it's a girl :S

I only wish I could train somewhere with credentials like Krudar - I'd be a frickin machine

!? Come on down buddy! It's not THAT far even for you. Hop onto the DVP, down the Gardiner and exit at Spadina.

Welcome to China Town lol

I train with UFC fighter Antonio Carvalho at Bruckmann Martial Arts in Oshawa. His next fight is in July, on the UFC card in Calgary.

Sick!

That Calgary event is going to be nuts.

How much do you pay at Bruckmann per month?

$90/month

It certainly will be! I know 2 ppl fighting on that card. Antonio, and Mitch Gagnon from Sudbury fighting out of Team Shredder.

Good sh!t man must be exciting to root someone on that you know!

$90 a month that's pretty good.

I could've had around that price, but was one month too late so I'm paying 130 ish a month locked in for a year.

Seeing your friends fighting is actually really stressful, lol. It sucked watching Sean Pierson get knocked out by Jake Ellenberger.

You're paying for location being downtown Toronto.

Peter Montrait is on Krudar's list he's a friend of mine. And he is a machine. He could kick my ass in one round if i lasted that long. We did roofing together for years before he took up security and Muay thai.

Small ass world man.

We're all connected somehow.

I've been having some back pain issues for quite some time. It gets especially aggravated when I play soccer. Usually it subsides after a few days. I decided to see a chiro, but that made is even worse. Last year I had an incident where I was pretty much incapacitated for 3 weeks after a game of soccer. It took months to recover from that incident. I slowly started working out again and got to the point where I could dead lift and squad moderate weight without issues. What really helps is stretching.
Anyway, all was well until I went to play soccer two weeks ago. I have a sensation in the back, although it’s not painful. I had an MRI done four days after the game and I just got the results on the weekend.
I have a mildly herniated disk between L5 and S1, which is impeding the nerve. I also have a mild degenerative disease of the lower lumbar spine.
This is something that 60 year olds have to deal with, not a 36 year old.
This is basically confirming something that I suspected for a long time. I’ve had lower back issues for many years.
Now I have a dilemma, soccer is basically out of question, but what do I do about working out?
I love to lift heavy…now I don’t know if I should quit all together.
Does anyone have any experience with such condition?

My old boss had something very similar it was on his L4 or L5. He decided not to listen and pushed it. He pushed it too much and he ended up having to get surgery. After a few weeks of break he could still feel it so when I went in he would basically tell me what to do and watch cause it would hurt him to bend over (we were doing hardwood flooring). I think the best thing to do is talk to a doctor and find out what your options are. If you really want to keep lifting, then get yourself a belt, that should take the pressure off of your back and put it more on your whole core.

I did go to see a doctor. In addition to a mild disk herniation, I was also diagnosed with a mild Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms.
I was told that my condition is not severe enough to warrant a surgery. Apparently, I have to listen to my body and avoid things that aggravate the pain, aside from that there is no treatment.
I know someone that had a severe disk herniation, they went to a chiro, and after a year of treatment (spinal adjustment, stretching, icing), while they completely stopped physical activity (soccer), they symptoms completely went away.
I also went to see a chiro, but that only made things worse.

Jakub, go check out Rosedale Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre.

http://www.toronto.com/listing/253951--rosedale-physiotherapy-sports-injury-centre

Many friends have been here and worked there.

Stephen is the owner and a genius.

Give him a try. He studied in China for many years then came back with the know how.

I have to get my sh!t checked out too. Im staying away from certain exercises. Believe it or not its actually better for the back to be working out. But stay away from dead lifts, squats, Military press, leg press and there are some other exercises. Just do your research and find whats right for you.

I am not sure how these are caused but I would think you would need to figure out what it is that caused it and try to avoid that exercise. I had a pinched nerve in my right hip. I had no idea what it was but I kept going with my biking and my leg workouts. One day I decided to change my seat on the bike and it seemed to fix everything, took a while till there was no pain but it has never come back.

As for back stuff I would definitely get a belt. If you are doing work around the house and such go for one of these http://images.allegrocentral.com/2B...ing-Belt-500307-PRODUCT-MEDIUM_IMAGE.jpg and if you are weight lifting then go with one of these http://www.physiquebodywareusa.com/Images/Large_Images/Weight%20Belt%20Lg.jpg.

I would also say, don't stop doing back stuff. I would go for body weight exercises, physio will give you a bunch of stuff you can do. One I can think of is do chest raises, you can either raise up all your limps or do alternating, left arm up with right leg then switch.

I actually have a bb belt that I got long time ago. I stopped wearing it cause I was afraid it would cause an imbalance in muscle development. My rationale is that by wearing it you are preventing certain back muscles from working thus creating an imbalance.
This is just my theory, I don't know if it holds any truth.

I understand the importance of having a balance of developed muscles; otherwise you will encounter issues over a long period of time.

I think that for now, I will take it easy, do my stretches, core strengthening exercises and wait for this to subside. This onset was brought by the fact that I went to play soccer. It's just too bad that I had the MRI a couple of days afterwards. I won't know now if this condition is a result of the soccer outing of it's been that bad all along.

The cause of this?
I've had back issues on and off since I has a young teenager, after I jumped off a considerable height and landed on my heels. I remember not being able sit or stand for more than 5-10 minutes at a time. It did go away after a while. Once I started working out and playing soccer regularly it came back. It took a few years, but I would have onsets here and there. Usually the pain would go away 2-3 days after a soccer game. During that time I stopped doing deadlifts and squats all together. A few years ago, I've decided I would not play soccer over the summer, to let my body have time to recover. I was mostly symptoms free, unless I did very strenuous physical activity. I remember the symptoms came back when I was finishing my basement.
You need to keep in mind that I have been working out regularly for over 15 years and playing soccer for 10. It’s a habit that is very hard for me to stop. In addition, I am the type of guy that does things all the way or not at all. This whole thing sucks.

I just thought of this this morning. It may be the way that you run. I assume that you run toe to heel like most of the world. I would honestly try teaching yourself to run toe to toe. When you run with those shoes that are supposed to be equivalent to running barefoot you are supposed to run toe to toe because there is no cushion on the heel. If you are really against this then maybe look into shoes with a bigger heel cushion, but I think the best route would be running toe to toe.

Agreed.
My ex's brother in law went to a "running seminar" and picked up several seconds on a track that they were timing themselves on.

Try to run on the balls of your feet and avoid major impact on your heels.

Also try to run as if you're falling forward and keep your hips forward and still.

It's so hard to explain. lol

Jakub> just a thought.

How many guys here leave their wallet in their ass pocket?

If you do, take it out. That can offset your back enough to cause back pain.

I have not had my wallet in my back pocket for a long time. Usually the only things in my back pocket are receipts. You can still do it just make sure you take it out before you sit, I know some guys that do that.

LOL oops, more details needed, I forgot to add that part, to take it out when sitting, otherwise of course it's fine in your back pocket.
Haha haven't had my coffee yet.

Alright back problem guys, Elliot just posted up this video, give this a watch.
How To Workout With Back Pain, Bulging Disk / Herniated Disk

Interesting.

Been training for Tough Mudder, and well just training, and my friend realized his back pain is bad.

Lower back. Cannot do leg lifts he just feels it in his back really badly.

He occasionally pulls his back, from time to time just from sleeping wrong.

I wonder what it is?

Otherwise he's in decent shape.

Me on the otherhand, I'm worried, because at my Muay Thai gym they encourage a lot of traditional situps, leg lifts and holding your legs in the air while on your back.

I've been shown to support my back with my hands cupped together, but after many leg lifts my lower back is sore. Not in pain, but sore.

Freakin' worrying me a bit, not like I can "opt out" of doing the prescribed workouts at the classes.

Hrmm.

Mark Bondy> thoughts on the traditional Muay Thai workouts?

Hey Michael... sorry, I'm clueless.

In thailand you run for miles on concrete and do endless situps, chinups, pushups, etc. so we end up doing a lot of the same here - it's primitive but it's proven. Some of the people in my club use gym mats beneath them to do situps and whatnot, they seem to prefer it. We try and stay real loose, foam rolling a lot, stretching, etc and that helps a bit too. But hey, if you feel something slipping in your back or whatever, find another way.

Have you started sparring yet? I have a feeling once you get going, the aches and pains from hard sparring will make these discomforts seem trivial; not that I'm minimizing them at all, it's just that you might see them differently. I don't wanna say too much, everyone is different and you know more than anyone else what your thresholds are and whether or not the things that are bothering you are just uncomfortable or potential injuries waiting to happen.

Yeah no, I'm doing okay so far, just a tiny complaint hehe.

I haven't started sparring just yet. I think I'm a long ways from it.

I started at the end of Feb.

Have yet to do my Yellow shorts test.

I'm getting stronger by the day, which is great, but I've switch to south paw.

Trying it out. I'm confused with my stance. An instructor Oliver from Siam No.1, is telling me to try south for a while.

Thing is my left foot/leg is so "sensitive" that it's bruised badly right now. Well it's tender as hell, the bruising hasn't shown its colours just yet, but from the top of my foot to the top of my shin it is SUPER tender.

I'm pushing through and kicking hard through it, but damn does it hurt.

My right leg is fine though, I can abuse the sh!t out of it.

Oh well, I'm still "fresh" so I'm quite pleased with my progress thus far.

Excited to get sparring.

Yeah I went to the this one place to learn kung fu, but it was more of a fighting type than forms (which is what I was looking for), but I decided to stick with it anyways. The thing was that they would only let you fight south paw there, so it took some getting used to, supposed to be better though because you catch your opponent off guard, at least from a non experienced attacker.

Only south? That's weird.

Woke up to find my left foot is bruised pretty badly. The colour is coming in. LOL

I'm loving this man!

When you say time for healing, how long? Because bruises take some time to heal man! Can't be sidelined just because of a bruise, but then again don't wanna bruise too bad and end up messing something up.

Is yellow shorts like a grading system? What's the next step up from that and what kind of allowances does it give you?

Are you lefthanded? If not, why are you trying out a southie stance, just because of your leg?

You'd better invest in some thai oil for that shin. Massage the heck out of it with the oil and ice it a lot, that should help it heal quicker.

Ooooh, thanks for the tip. I'll have to pick some up.

Grading system yup. Yellow shorts is the beginner test, then blue shorts which is the advanced I guess.

I'm right handed, but I've been hearing conflicting advice from multiple trainers.

BUT, the most experienced of them, and 1 world class fighter I was lucky to have met through my friend Joyce, Maximillion Chen, told me to try out south paw, whichever feels more comfortable.

1 senior trainer Oliver told me that my strong arm should be forward, and to give it a try since I feel somewhat more comfortable kicking with my left leg, more flexible.

But as I'm training and getting more limber and stronger, my right kick is much stronger at the moment.

We'll see what happens another month from now. I'm kinda just switching it up at the moment.

Best thing about all this wicked training is I'm having fun and my belly is shrinking fast!

Hey guys,

Does anyone know of a good trainer/school that teaches Krav Maga in peel area?

Also, Anyone have any experience with KajuKenbo?

After over 11yrs of Martial Arts(judo, karate, and bjj), the only styles I would do are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and/or Muay Thai. Due to the way we train in BJJ(we practice techniques against 100% resistance while rolling) a blue is pretty much the equivalent to a black belt in another art. Just yesterday I was making a 300lbs bouncer feel like he was a helpless little child.

But of course thats just my opinion based on my experiences

Yes! Hope you gave him a taste of feeling like a helpless little child. Muah ha ha. I believe a lot of bouncers need some humbling ass whooping occasionally to bring them down to earth.

Joe, I believe there's one near Yonge/Hwy7 that opened up with some kind of special, possibly a groupon, I can't recall exactly, but I can find out if that's somewhat close to you.

I think a couple of my friends took up the offer.

The place doubles as a fitness centre.

Thanks for the personal input. But im curious, looking at Krav Maga videos - it seems like most of their fundamentals are also based in BJJ/Judo. Lots of grappling, taking down opponent/attacker and use their weight, vulnerable points to subdue/stop the attack.

I might be wrong, but this is how i see it from a person that has little knowledge of the sport.

Michael,

Could you find that out for me? Since im off for the summer, i need something else to do (or i might go back to dragonboating again - who knows).

Hey Kevin, You know any good places down west? I’m seriously looking to get into this.

Michael, the place you pointed out is a bit far from Brampton.


Edit: This is the place I found in Brampton http://www.doggpoundmma.com/Home.aspx

Anyone have any experience with them ?

Deep, this place is just down the street from me, I will find out if they do a free class and report back if you like.

Theres a guy in pet who apparently runs ninjitsu classes. Although im skeptical it would be nice to be able to throw down like batman

One of the girls i used to hang out with, her husband trains (not sure if he still do) with these guys:

http://www.pound4poundmma.ca/

But its too far of a drive for me.

Bryan,

See if you could find out from these guys. I didnt see any info about intro classes on their website. Thanks!

K will do, I will let you know what I find and what the experience is like.

Sweet. They have a list of their classes up on the website. I'm looking to start somewere in about 3 weeks. Let us know Bryan. There are a couple of places in the northern side of Mississauga which aren't to far from us either.

Talk to them, guy says come on in and try it. I am going to go to monday class at 7 because I have done kickboxing but not muay thai and I figure all gyms are different, I will let you know how it goes on monday!

Here's the link to the place my friend mentioned.

http://www.revmma.com/

Add another person to the work out group.

I'm working away from home and all I've got are resistance bands but they are pretty good I must admit. My Quads, hamstrings and core are killing me but it feels soooooooooooo good.

Yes! Good sh!t man.

Resistance bands are awesome. Just don't hurt yourself.

Thanks Mike!
I should be doing it daily this week, my body has adapted to working out again.

Alright guys I just got back from dogpoundmma, overall I would say it was ok. It started off good with a nice warm up with master mignon who is very helpful, then they decided to split the class. People who had more than three classes stayed and people with less went with theo, this is where it gets boring. I have done kickboxing before and everything is pretty close, they just change the names. Theo is not a very good teacher, he doesn't understand that there are three different learning types and just using audio which is not helpful for me as I am a kinesthetic learner (doer) overall it was pretty boring, I had a good sweat during the warm up but I cooled down during the Theo stuff. If I went back I would not join Theo because I don't enjoy reviewing newb stuff over and over again. If you are new to kickboxing I would say it was great. I did get a chance to watch master mignon's teaching and it looks pretty good, I would like to give it a go and see what it was like but from my experience it was just ok. As for location, it is in an old car shop that has been redone for his purposes, it is at the back of the strip so you can't see it from the front. Any questions ask away and I will try to answer.

Their class hours are LATE!
It would be nice to check out another gym just to see what their training is like compared to mine.

Yeah well they have early stuff at like ten and then this class was 7-8

So what is everyones goals for the next while!? I don't care if it is weight loss or bigger lifts, share it!! They say when it is public knowledge you are more likely to push and succeed!

My goal is to stay lean and to get my bench to 255, front squat to 185, deadlift 355. I am hoping to have this by end of September.

Whats your bench at right now ?

235 I really struggle with strengthening my bench. Two years ago, before I came home, I was sitting around 225 for about a year. The most frustrating thing was that I would do it and then a few weeks later I couldn't do it. Now I am more consistent.

I was looking at this program called blast your bench, all you do for two weeks is bench press every day, not sure I want to disregard the rest of my muscles for that long. The thing is guys are talking about 30-50 lbs gains in their bench, which would be wonderful!

By next year, I'd like to be able to do this -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgFkvQm_IR0

Very cool! I have been working on that balance thing he was doing where he goes up to a hand stand. Balance and flexibility are two things I could definitely use some work on!

That's why I wonder why more fighters don't train as a gymnast, for strength/conditioning?

You guys have surely seen the Olympics on TV or gymnastics, they're so strong! Plus the balance would be a killer combo.

Think about a gymnast that knows how to punch and kick. DEADLY

Sounds stupid I know.

Haha, they are called Capoeira fighters

... BJ Penn? Probably has the best balance in the UFC. I wonder what he does differently.

Nah, gymnasts would rock Capoeira fighters.



He's naturally flexible.

THAT WORK OUT VID IS SICK! I cant believe the balance and stregth that guy has. Though not sure if its just choppy video or if its edited some

Does it count if my goals are being able to run enough to catch the ice-cream truck?

So Bryan you go back to DoggPound yet ? Anyone know a place with a weight lifting gym and training facility together?

No, probably won't. Although I don't mind MMA I much prefer to go through forms in Kung Fu. Plus like I said I don't want to go through another newb class and I think they would force me to for another few times.

How is everyone's goals coming along!?

Also curious if anyone would be interested in buying protein from me. It would save us both on shipping and the only thing I would ask is that you round your total up to the closest five so I don't have to deal with change. Also if it is a product I already order or something I would use then no deposit is required.

I'm actually doing great! Not doing exercise per say, but I'm now doing rebar construction...so it's immensly taxing on EVERY part of the body. So my work out is now my work I can eat anything and everything and still loose weight...and parts from my body lol

LOL That's good! Having a job that is physical is always nice. There are days I miss flooring, then quickly remember how much my back would hurt, but I still jump on the opportunity to do it.

Eventhough it's painful, I do like it better than a desk job so definitely see your attraction to it. I absolutely despise all the politics and bureaucratie involved in a desk job with people at positions they don't deserve, main reason to take a break from it. Can't fake-out on physical work, its either you do it, or you don't. Plus it's casual Friday everyday! Oh and my back does hurt at the moment oddly enough

There is a great sense of accomplishment when finishing a labour intensive task.

The results are tangible.

I miss working security, and have had thoughts about being a cop, but then I'd need a side job during the whole process, because I can't live off nothing.

Just passing thoughts.

Currently on a clean Bulk. Going to stay on the Calorie surplus for 3-5 months. well see how it goes. Thinking of joining MMA when Im in a cutting phase but still may do it now.

What’s your guys personal experience with cretin? I’ve tried it two times but screwed up the cycle both times, same thing with some of my friends. But has anyone done a legit cycle and noticed a good gains ?

I used to take mono and cycle it. I found it worked well, some people retain water.

You should probably look into kre-alkylin it doesn't need to be loaded.

As for mono I never really tested the difference it made, but with the kre-alkylin (Purple K) I am taking now I stopped for a few days and noticed a difference in my lifts.

How much of a surplus are you on? Good call on clean bulk. I am bulking now too and going the clean route as well. Not counting calories, just opening up my eating window (I was intermittent fasting during my cut)

Bryan is a beast! Going through protein containers like through bag of chips.
BTW can you keep your empty containers for me?, they are perfect to dump dirt oil in.

I know a couple people who swear by kre-alkylin. So I should give it a try. I have almost a full bottle here at home! lol. Around 2000-2200 calories a day I maintain my body weight. I bumped it up to 2800-3000 and its a bit to much, I put on some fat already. So Im aiming for 2500-2700 now.


Damn, Its so hard to eat this much lol. I feel full 24/7. Thinking about getting some gainer that Gnanesh told me about. You on any Gainer Bryan ?

LOL Alex! I will definitely hang onto them.

As Alex knows, I have pretty much tried everything out there. I will say that I have yet to try a gainer, personally I would rather just eat more, your surplus is pretty extreme, I am impressed you can do it cleanly. As for gainers, I have however got some for a buddy. He burns calories like a made man and has been skin and bones since school. It seems to work well for him, he is using Mutant Mass, I am currently using Mutant Whey and taste is good but it doesn't mix well at all.

What gainer were you looking at?

Same one you just talked about. Mutant Mass. I have used All max nutrition. I eat about 2000 and get the rest from that. Only thing is its not sitting well in my stomach.

DUDE that's crazy you say that. I have only had issues with one protein in my life and it was all max!
Mutant Mass should be good, he said it's really thick but other than that it's good. Plus it's been around a long time and bad products don't last long.

Yeah I used Mutant Mass for a while, it does the job and the price is pretty reasonable as well. Popeyes carries the 15lb bags for around $70-$80.

Unless you like throwing money away, your better off going to supplementscanada.com, they own popeyes and sell for less than them usually.

Also because 15lbs isn't that much when it comes to Gainers, probably best to go with this.
http://www.supplementscanada.com/mass_mutant_2_x_15_lb.html

150 there. 70-80 popeyes. Its the same thing lol.

I usually order from www.allstarhealth.com But Ill check this site out now.

WOW they really push that body strong stuff. Allmax is much cheaper everywhere else I have gone.

Or just buy from bodybuilding.com and call it a day. Significantly cheaper than Popeyes or any of those sites you guys mentioned. Place a big order and it's well worth it. Even better if you get in with a few friends. I'm putting in a big order this week with a few buddies from school.

They don't carry mutant mass and the thing with gainer is you need a good amount and since shipping goes by the weight, it's not too cheap by the time it gets to your door. It's good for everything else, just not gainer in my opinion.

Can't comment on gainers. Never used them, never will. I'm an endomorph so I have no trouble gaining weight far too easily. But, if/when I do need to up calories...I just eat. I can easily eat 10-15000 calories per day if I feel like it...not that I do under any normal circumstances, but you ain't never seen anyone eat like me.

I agree with you on bodybuilding.com, it's where I get all my stuff. I am a big numbers counter so bodybuilding.com is gold because it tells me how much I will be spending per serving. ON is a good company so maybe look at their gainer if you want to try bodybuilding.com

Yeah probably chicken wings and onion rings . It gets hard with clean food. You eat so much but your still under your caloric surplus. Thats were the gainer comes in for me.

Nope, never with chicken wings and/or onion rings, although that would be a quick way to do it...I've been called a bottomless pit most of my life; I could do it with any food, really.

In general, though, I don't really find it hard to eat a lot and eat clean...in fact, it's quite easy, really. It can just get REALLY expensive REALLY quickly. Produce, meat/poultry, fish, cheese/dairy, etc....that stuff is costly. Depending on your macro ratio, though, it's not so bad if you're trying to get in more carbs. Whole grain/wheat products are more expensive than their white counterparts, typically, but are still cheap for what you get (think a bag of pasta, box of couscous, bag of oats, etc.).

How's everyone's goals coming along?

I keep debating with myself on when I should stop bodybuilding and start power-lifting again. I now realize I can't get the advantage of both so I am currently fully committing myself to body building at least for the next little while. Also been watching a bunch of guys making a lot of progress through working the muscles more often and longer by not going to failure. I call it bodybuilding for princesses, I will probably stick to this for the next while (maybe 6 months) and see where it gets me. Not sure I will do longer workouts but going to do body parts multiple times.

Weekly will look like this:
Monday - Shoulders
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Chest
Thursday - Legs
Friday - Chest and Back (lots of super-sets between the two)

Are Saturday and Sunday "off" days or are you using one of those days to work your arms? Never seen a routine without biceps and triceps muscles being worked.

Saturday and Sunday are off.
As I will be going back to power lifting and more practical strength, having jacked biceps is not something I want to develop.
It's not like they don't get worked when I am working the major muscles so I am not too worried. I previously had my arms integrated with their major muscles (Chest and Tri/Back and Bi)
I may add some tri work to my chest routine to improve my presses.

I've been going pretty hard at the gym, but am definitely not eating right. Not junky, but not 100% healthy.

I'm getting a helluva lot stronger, and my flexibility for Muay Thai is getting much better in my right hip, which I need for my kicks.

Things are going well. I just got sick, so this could help me drop some body fat %, haha.

Since moving to NL I'd say I've lost at least 60lbs. It's such a big difference that even the mechanic I go to commented haha.

I caulk it up changing my eating habits, more cooking my own meals and less take out (only real take out here is fast food or pizza and that's boring LOL). Plus now being more active with my job helps.

I was going to the gym in the summer time but I've since slacked off and lately my eating habits have gotten crappy again (still rarely eat fast food but eating more 'junk' then I should).

So it's time to get back on the wagon and lose more weight. I'm about 260lbs now (give or take) and want to lose another 60-100lbs. Before I stopped with the gym I was doing Kris Gethin's 12 Week Hardcore Trainer (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kris-gethin-12-week-daily-trainer.html) and I felt great. I think it's about time I started again.

BodyBuilding.com has become a huge resource for me for all my workouts. Seeing pictures of you working on your car I would not have guessed you were 260lbs!

Good work on your progress so far, most people that are trying to loose as much weight as you have stop after the first 10lbs because they assume that the rest of the weight will drop as easy as the first 10, not realizing the first ten was mostly water weight.

Good stuff Michael! Supplements Canada posted something yesterday that surprised me, said 80% of your food should be good food. I have always stuck by the 90% rule. LOL, I hate getting sick, depending on how long you avoid the gym you may lose muscle too!

Thanks Bryan, I hide my fat arse well lol.
I do want to make some big changes though.

LOL, I started on the opposite side of the spectrum. Was tiny and consistently picked on.
If there is anything I can help you with let me know!!

I'm actually 248 now, who knew?!

Been hard at the trainer all week, my muscles are killing me!
Back/biceps today, should be fun.

That's my favorite day!! Back days are the best!

I'm more of a leg day fan haha.

WOW, I that's impressive, not many people are. Used to be though.

Now it just means there is a chance I could break myself because I come upstairs to work, and then when I go back down stairs to grab something I almost break myself because I have somehow forgotten that I just finished a leg workout.

Alright guys I just ordered some samples from Canadian Protein as I am planning on buying 25lbs of protein from them and want to test it out before I do so.
It will be a while until I order but I am wondering if anyone would be interested in jumping in, at 25lbs you will be paying $35 per 5lbs. If no one wants to commit to that I don't mind dividing up what I buy if you want to try before you buy a huge one.

What brand and type of protien ?

Edit: Im thinking about getting Hemp protien powder. You ever look into that ?

CanadianProtein has their own brand, so that what I am looking at. I have ordered Whey Concentrate and Whey Blend samples to test, as I have had issues with AllMAX and don't want to repeat.
I have never hear of the before, the only weird one I have heard of was new zealand, someone gave me 2 lbs they didn't want and it was the worst tasting ish ever, gave it to my cousin cause he's in highschool and he said it was terrible too but he finished it anyways.

Hemp protien is not a brand. It is made from the Hemp Cannabis plant. One of the purest forms of protien from plants.

I realize that, so is New Zealand, supposedly it is a higher quality because New Zealand has better quality Dairy or something like this.
Link me some, I have never seen it before!

Well Sandra and I dug the treadmill out of the basement yesterday.. and today we did 30 minutes of the "couch to 5k" on our phones! 30 minutes a day for 3 days a week.

Goal.. to look good for shoot out!

Great stuff Jay! Keep at it, but why the treadmill? You guys have the great outdoors to run!

I hate treadmills.

Yeah I am not a huge fan of the treadmill either.
It is weird going from one to the other too. I had been running on the tread mill for a while then decided to go outside, man my legs were killing me and I was beat at the end of my jog.

Yup, running outside on a real surface is much more difficult, because you're propelling yourself, but on a treadmill you're essentially hopping on the spot as the ground moves.

MUCH different.

the treadmill is for gettingus ready for the great out doors. we have people running past our house all the time. No need for them to see us dieing on the side of the road... We need to get in good enough shape to aleast make it around the block first.

I honestly thought that was the way it was but definitely not the case, your better off going for a speed walk or jogging around outside, it will help much more.

You always need a start! If you guys feel comfortable dong treadmill than keep doing it regardless what everyone say. There will always be some other better away. Not everyone is same. Keep on doing it

Alright boys, so this video just got posted and I wanted to share it with you guys.
If this doesn't motivate you then I don't know what will!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxAc97K2I5M

Impressive, but the bar barely moved. Let's see her do that with a flat-back. Not likely.

Although I agree with you, she is a powerlifter and by those standards it is acceptable.
Plus I would like to see someone twice her age at the same weight she is lift that much.

She is going to grow up to be quite the fierce young man.

I know...I just find it significantly less impressive (albeit still very impressive) because of the ridiculous power-lifting stance.



Bahahaha

Yeah I know, I was mainly impressed that it was done raw, most competitive power lifters these days are using shirts, which I think is just ridiculous.

So I am pretty sure I have been suffering from overtraining for the past few weeks, so wondering what you guys do.
My goal is to just stop for the week and see how monday goes, but I think I am going to go crazy if I don't do my morning workout.
Any ideas on something else I could do.
I was thinking about just doing a deload week, and stick to half my usual.

Hey Bryan,

I've been lifting now for about 22 years. I also do a lot of soccer and power walking.

If you're overtraining...you aren't doing yourself ANY favours. I hope that you're not going every day, but are mindful of the "Healing periods" for the body parts in question.

I usually work in a routine on a six week cycle.
On the seventh I rest fully. No "nothing". Complete healing.

Then I start with week one again.

I do go crazy that one week, and the first day back is a b!tch, but your body needs to heal. Use the week to stretch and meditate.

I also change my routine every season. As soon as June 21st hits, I'm on a new set of targets. I like to write down my targets for the cycle, and see how far I can push myself.

Thanks Steve.
Yeah, see I can't just do nothing so maybe doing some of my kung fu that I keep telling myself I am going to get back into would be a good thing to do, nice way to start the morning but not as physically punishing as my workout would be.
Cause I can't just do nothing in the morning, my workout basically sets the tone for the rest of my day.

Do you know all the movements to Tai Chi Bryan?

I've taken martial arts for 23 years. I practice in my basement, teach my kids, but can't remember all 109 movements..lol. That would be perfect for you.

I can't stress enough that you NEED to give it a rest. You'll grow old real fast if you don't. I've had tears and months of rehabilitation. I can't do squats with weights anymore due to overtraining (and then bad posture).

I even stop the isometrics during my rest period.

Do Tai Chi, stretch your body, have sex, etc. It's only a week!! And you'll be stronger and more focused after that rest period.

^^^ What he said.

Also, for you to be feeling the effects of overtraining you must really be pushing hard.

That or you're eating wrong, or just not taking any days off. You have to have a rest day here and there if you're pushing that hard.

The body can take a lot, but you shouldn't be killing yourself.

Steve> what have you been training in all these years?

Mike,

Been training in GoJu karate. Our style was more garnered towards street fighting, with a bit of tradition. My Sensei, the indomitable Sensei Dixon always believed that learning something practical would save lives. And we had a number of stories from the Dojo that would confirm his beliefs.

Through GoJu, I also did some WWF style wrestling. It was the greatest of FUN! I continued with that until a major back injury took me out. I had the luck to brush up on the wrestling skills a few years ago. Unfortunately, having three kids, the money wasn't there...although the yearning was!

For weight lifting I concentrate on power lifting. I've settled down a bit, attempting to get to my goals the smart way. Like you said above...eating is a big part as well as resting. But also technique. It's great to be able to bench 350lbs, but if you do it wrong...it's not going to last!

My overall goal is to be the 8/10 body at the old folks home so that I can have threesomes with the young 70 years olds. LOL.

That's great! Old coworker of mine took Goju, but made the switch to Muay Thai fairly recently, about a year ago.
Sweet stuff, I bet your body's a wreck from all that wrestling!

Hm, my old boss is taking Tai Chi and loves it, maybe I will give it a go.
I always enjoyed doing Hung Gar (The form of Kung Fu I do) or Tiger Crane, which ever you prefer to call it, cause that's how I meditate.
I was lucky enough to find a really old tape of a guy doing the same form and use that as reference when I forget the moves.
When I was practicing weekly when I was in school I pretty much had it all memorized but it's been so long since then.
Michael, I have been successfully bulking (I say that cause I never had much luck in the past) for a few months now. I have been pushing myself pretty hard lately and have upped the weight in a few of my exercises.
Today I was exhausted half way through my workout and yesterday I couldn't even do the same amount of sets after lowering the weight.

Might've just been an off day.

If this continues, then back it off for a while.

I think I am just going to relax for the rest of the week and see how it goes on monday.
I started taking Craze a few weeks back and that really helped with bringing my lifts up, but it seems it's caught up with me.

Bryan!

Take it from experience. You're body is telling you something. Imagine ignoring your wife for that long...and the repercussions. Same thing here. I can't stress it enough. Don't make me come over to your Goodlife and beat on you! LOL.

Seriously dude...you're demolishing all your gains. I take a rest every six weeks (it's actually the seventh week) and I actually feel better. You're going to get some engine cut soon!

What I would also recommend, Bryan, is to take a day and do some Massage Therapy. One hour to do legs, chest, arms, traps...it's the perfect companion to the recovery week.

Mike:
Yeah, I did most of my injuries during my wrestling mode. Almost did permanent damage to my lower back "showing off" curling 140lbs. Wrecked my ankle and right foot in a wrestling mishap. When I finally saw a chiropractor 15 years later, he almost cried to see what this wreck of a body was. Bent spine, neck. But it was tonnes of fun! And after five years at the chiro, I'm feeling like I was 20 again.

LOL my gym is in my basement which makes it even harder for me to stop

Ok will do, it has been a while since I have gone for a massage, maybe now would be a good time.

Also, all those energy providing drinks and shakes, aside from protein shakes, I'm not a fan of, because it gives you that extra boost, but if you're not feeding your body enough nutrients to keep up with the boost, you're doing damage to your body.

No gains there.

It's like a stimpack in Starcraft for marines. Yeah they attack faster, and move faster, but it takes their life away.

*nerd alert*

Haha Michael, "Ah! That's the stuff!"

Here is the issue, as soon as you start taking them you don't want to stop.
The amount of energy and the amount of pump you get from taking them is amazing, if you find the right one.

When I first started I took protein, over a year I did research on creatine cause at first all I heard was bad things about it then started taking that, then when I came home I decide to start taking preworkouts.

Seems like I am back, I am worried that the heat is not helping as when it's cold out I keep my house pretty cool.
As soon as the weather gets hot again I am hoping that it doesn't kill my stamina.

Other thing I never asked you Bryan...

Do you give your various body parts enough time to rest? The average healing time is 48 hours. But in my research, I've found (not that it's true) that certain parts have higher recovery than others. Some are 24 hours. Some are 72 hours.

I tend to shock my body in that six week cycle. One week where I almost overdo it. But then I stick to my plan for the other weeks, and rest on the 7th.

May be good to get a second opinion on your schedule from a few knowledgable people. Everybody is different!

Monday: Shoulders
Tuesday: Back and Biceps
Wednesday: Chest and Triceps
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Chest and Back

Some days I don't workout on Thursday so Legs gets moved to Friday and I do a weak version of Friday on top of that.

My routine:

Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Arms
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Shoulders

And, if time allows, I'll throw in core 2-3 times a week on any of Mon/Tues/Wed/Fri, just not 2 days in a row. (E.g. M/W/F or Tu/F, etc.)

Keep in mind, I also do other sports/activities as time allows.

I will be getting back into climbing again full-time soon, and also back on the bike (road and mountain) as well as swimming here and there. Hopefully a bit of running as well but I'd rather climb/bike than run. And random games of basketball/etc.

My goal is to road bike 3 mornings/week before work and mountain bike/climb on weekends. Strength training takes place after work/evenings. If the gym was closer I'd consider morning workouts, but I hate them with a passion.

Wow you keep busy, I am pretty lazy it seems. I do my workout and sometimes play dance central and go for walks. Other than that I don't do much physical activity. I will say that morning workouts are my fav!!

Wanted to see how everyone's PR are coming. I did my deadlift today and was pretty happy with that. Going to find my bench next week. I switched my stance for squat to wider so my PR is pretty low right now (I was having knee pain with narrow stance).

I think I take the cake for being the most lazy haha. Apart from work I do nothing physical lately.

Once the baby is born I'm gonna go hard at it again.

I think you mean once the kid is grown up and moved.

Yeah man, I have to agree with Sal.
Honestly it's one of the things I am most worried about for when I have kids. I don't care if I stop working on my talon, but am really worried that I won't have time for the gym, that I cannot live without!

No, I think he means going hard at it by chasing the kid around once able to walk, hehe

Haha maybe.

So I am still waiting to here how everyones goals are coming along. I broke another PR today so super pumped about that!

Steve man, I don't know how you do it. I had a week off and have been back for week two and it has been insane painful and difficult.
I am struggling to get back into it now and my lifts don't seem to be as strong as they were before

Really? I find after a week or two off every now and then I come back pushing as good or better than ever. Body is refreshed and healed and I'm pumped to be back at it.

Should be back into things this week...really fell off the train the past month, especially with the eating too.

Abs to flabs

Yeah, also DOMS is much worse in my first week back.
I am bulking so other than trying to eat as much as I can I haven't really been doing much.
When I was in Mexico I tried out paleo and that was nice, unfortunately I had a long hard look at what I eat at home and it would be a bitch to do it. Also Paleo isn't great for bulking.

I really need to get back on the horse.
I'm not evening eating 3 meals a day, I feel like crap and always hungry!!!

Time to make some serious changes!

I just stumbled across this thread and browsed through a few pages. Good stuff in here! Figured I'd ask a few questions seeing as I'd like to lose more body fat and gain definition and/or muscle while still dropping the excess weight.

So here's a bit of background info on my situation. I'm 6'3" and in October 2012, I weighed 240 pounds and was carrying a good deal of flab. I got fed up with myself and changed my eating habits, so I completely understand what people mean when they say that it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change. By simply modifying my consumption habits, I'm just under 200 pounds as of this morning with far less flab. I'm feeling better than I have in what seems like at least a decade. It's an awesome feeling and I'd like to build on that.

I'm feeling pretty motivated and I'd be interested in seeing what kind of results I could get from training. I can admit that I don't know the first thing about proper form, rest periods for muscle groups and all that jazz, so some guidance would be appreciated. I don't necessarily want to have to go to a gym or see a personal trainer since prices for those things around here are flat out ridiculous and I'd rather spend that money on the Talon anyway.

I'd also be interested to know what specific things I could do to target my stomach since that's my problem area. I have some free weights and an 80 pound punching bag which I plan on using now that the nice weather is here. That, mixed with some rollerblading and biking every now and then, should help me reach my goals. I set myself small ones so that I stay on track and meet them rather than losing motivation while struggling to reach a far-off goal.

I noticed that a few of you have your diet down like a science. Though I now eat "well", I don't know much about nutrition or the difference between simple and complex carbs nor how that can affect me. I checked that Daily Apple link and couldn't find any free stuff regarding healthy eating and honestly felt overwhelmed by the "buy, buy, BUY!" marketing there.

Do any of you have any good free weight workout plans, tips or resources for any of the above that you wouldn't mind sharing (or have already shared and I missed while skimming through)? Many thanks in advance!

Gates, do you have a gym membership of any sort and/or do you partake in any kind of sports (or vigorous activities) besides the occasional workout?

Also, if you can, write out what a sample day (or week, ideally) would look like for you in terms of your diet.

The first thing I tell people, before getting to exercise, etc. is to make a detailed diet log of EVERYTHING they eat and drink, ideally for a week. I mean everything down to a grain of rice or a half cup of water. If possible, weigh out all the portions, measure all the sauces (how many tablespoons, etc.), as that is really the only way to accurately assess and improve upon a diet that's already somewhat healthy. You'd be surprised how little of something can be sooooo many calories.

Salomon has you on the right track for diet. You can decide how much dedication you have and then I think that's the best way to choose what diet you like. I personally don't have the dedication for paleo, but I do have enough dedication for iifym (if it fits your macros) and intermitent fasting, so I stick to those two.

I personally only got into diet within the last year or so, which would probably explain why I haven't plateaued since.

I have been wanting to be a personal trainer for a while and would love to have you as my first non family client. As my first client it would all be free, and all I would ask that you give lots of feedback.
We can do skype calls too if you like and I can walk you through the tools I use.

You don't wanna be a calorie counter though.

And that's awesome stuff Gates!

I'm still struggling with my "flab" around the mid section, because of my poor eating habits. I just love food!

I've shrunk quite a bit, but more importantly, I'm MUCH stronger, and cardio is there.

That's what's most important to me. So I'll keep on with my occasional icecream waffle cone (Strawberry, mmmm), and keep training hard.

Oh, recently passed my intermediate test at my Muay Thai gym, and have been sparring, which is loads of fun.

Hrmm, I may have mentioned this already. Just wanted to share, cause it's awesomesauce!

Definitely don't want to be a calorie counter - this is for sure, but if you're actively trying to cut, you DO need to calorie count (to a relatively accurate degree) and even if not, you should still do a precise diet log so you KNOW how much you're actually getting. People often think they're only using 1 serving of something when it's often many times more than that...sauces and dressings are the worst for it. Knowing what serving sizes actually look like will help be a smarter eater.

For salads I use a very simple unit of measurement called "douse"

No gym membership anymore. I had one and didn't find that the cost/results ratio was worth it. I'm not sure how much gym memberships cost over there, but around Ottawa the prices are insane. Plus it sucks to go there alone because I find it better to go with a partner for that kind of thing. The bright side is that I do have some free weights already and could invest in some things that I don't have so long as they don't take up much space. Other than the free weights, I do rollerblade and bike from time to time and I often find myself helping people do "hard" physical labour on weeknights and weekends. Once I find a stand for my 80 pound punching bag, I'll be beating the stuffing out of it for sure!

Regarding my intake, I already measure everything and have a good grasp on my portion sizes now. That was a huge part of my problem before. I try to stay away from any kind of sauce unless it's homemade and my drink of choice is either water, black coffee or green tea. I used to drink TONS of Pepsi and Coke, not anymore! I'm trying to wrap my head around eating less but more often so that would be a good start. I also think it might help to inform myself on the intricacies of nutrition so that I can make better decisions at the grocery store, restaurant, etc.


That would be awesome, Bryan! I'd be more than happy to provide feedback. I'm pretty good at communicating, too. The only difficulty would be arranging times that would work for both of us, and that's not too hard to do. Feel free to hit me up by PM and we can discuss further. Plus I'd like to know more about the IIFYM, never heard of that before.


I wouldn't bother counting calories. I've been doing great so far without having to and I don't like the idea of being a slave to the numbers. I hear you on loving food, Michael, I do too! I do cheat from time to time but I make up for it the following day. I also don't go overboard like I used to. Glad to hear you've been doing so well too, keep it up and congrats on passing the test! As for me, the biggest thing I've noticed is a drastic increase in my energy level and I don't feel like I'm crashing 3/4 through the work day anymore.

Woops! Salomon, I think I misunderstood. Did you mean that you want me to write here what I would ideally eat during a week?

If you don't plan on counting calories than IIFYM is not for you. It basically using an app called myfitnesspal and recording everything you eat, you seem to have a good idea and are getting results so you should be fine. If you start to struggle than I would probably look into it.

Also if you plan to keep it at home I would recommend a power rack, barbell and plates. You can go with basic barbell if you want to keep using the weights you already have.
This is pretty much my current setup and I have fit it into a 9x11 space on my bottom floor, and unfortunately for my girlfriend it's right at the entrance for everyone to see when they walk in

Forget traditional plates.

Check this site out.

http://www.roguefitness.com/

LOL, place looks like it's good for burning money. I doubt he will be doing crossfit in his house, no need for bumper plates.

Rubber plates are so great, you don't have to worry about breaking stuff from dropping/rolling metal plates or crushing fingers.

I dislike metal plates.

That's what I originally intended, but you seem to have a pretty good grasp of the diet aspect, so it's probably not necessary, but if you have any specific questions feel free to ask. I'm fairly familiar with the intricacies of diets and various foods.

Here is a link that lists a bunch of simple and complex carbs, avoid simple.
http://ezinearticles.com/?List-of-S...mplex-Carbohydrates-Foods&id=1107314

Thanks Bryan! I'll go read that now and assimilate the knowledge!

Salomon, I apologize for the misunderstanding and appreciate your help too! I actually do have questions regarding my diet. Portion size isn't too bad to figure out as it is but when eating more often but less quantity, how does that affect portion sizes? For example, if I am eating 6 times a day instead of 3, would I cut my 3-per-day portions in half and spread that out or do I need more/less? Also, are there any power foods, like bananas or almonds etc., that provide a huge benefit? Lastly, though I know what my portion sizes are these days, I have absolutely no idea what foods to combine/avoid eating together on any particular day/at all nor what an "ideal" week should be other than my scale telling me that things are working the next time I step on it. The easiest way to explain what I'm doing now is eating far less than before because I learned that my previous portions were way too big. Note that I do know my portions by cup sizes and that's about it.

What is everyone paying for gym memberships anyhow?
I pay $50 a month at Goodlife down here (I need to go, I'm wasting so much money not going). It's always packed to the gills though so I think I need to go earlier in the morning.

I don't really count calories but I do keep track of what I eat via Fitness Tracker.

This thread being on the go has me hyped up to get back at it. The big thing I lack is motivation.

I used to pay $70 per semester at Carleton, so when I came home I could justify the rediculous prices they had here.
When I was looking at gyms I think the cheap I found was $35 a month.
Honestly Anthony, at that rate I would cancel it and in 6 months you would have enough to buy the basics and after a year you could have everything you need.

The gym at the Community Centre here was $30, however there was almost no equipment!

I'd love to have my own gear Bryan but I've got no room for it. Maybe in the next house.

Do you have an office in your current house, if so that's all the space you need.

I do but it's a small little spot that will be turned into a bathroom next year.

Hopefully the town will get the new Community centre built soon as it will have a much bigger gym.

Back at it as of today!

Nice work Anthony!!

Keep it up Anthony. Take pics before and after

Here you go!
I COMMAND YOU TO GROW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHiKDa4ip_Q

Thanks!



I shall!



Whoa! Easy there sally.



That was highly annoying. Was he trying to set a record for how many times can you say muthafracker?

My main goal is to get my fat/weight down and tone right now. I was 245lbs up until this week when I weighed in at 256lbs. I've been off work and in school doing my next block so I've done little in the way of exercise.

I'm currently doing Kris Gethin's 12 Week Hardcore Trainer, found here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kris-gethin-12-week-daily-trainer.html
I've spoken with people who've done it and it seems to be an awesome program. Plus Kris is frackin beast!
I'm going to follow this up with 2 or maybe 3 months of his DTP trainer, found here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kris-gethin-dtp-4-weeks-to-maximum-muscle.html
Then end off with another of the 12 week to lean out again.

That was an insanely annoying video

All I learned is, doing arms for 1.5 years everyday gives you a huge ego and "22's"


If you just want to cut some fat and tone up just eat less fats, more healthy stuff, eat every couple hours.

crossfit and cardio are your friends but if you really want a challenge try sealfit, it sucks man, bad.


I start my day with a crossfit workout, light breakfast, work then around 5ish I eat a mini dinner, digest then go lift things and put them down in a repetitive cycle.
home and real dinner. rinse and repeat.

buncha babies!! He's all natural as well, no roids. He may say mother fracker a lot, but he's a bad ass who knows how to gain muscle mass and get sh!t done.

I was actually looking into doing that, but I am already struggling with my calorie intake during this bulk so that would make it much more difficult. When I go to cut I think I will give it a try. Kris Gethin has recently become my new role model because as you mentioned he is huge and I am trying to get thick like he is. Though I tend to avoid his videos cause I find him annoying to listen to.

Although I am sure he isn't taking Roids now I am sure he has taken them before. I have been in bodybuilding long enough and have seen enough builder, and you can generally tell. Follow him for a year though, if he never bulks I guarantee you 100% that he uses roids.

CT Fletcher is all natural, says he has never done roids. Genetics play a huge part in getting big. He was always, and I think still is, a world champion ez curl bar lifter. And used to be a world champion bench press, or he beat it, but it didn't count because it wasn't with official weights or something.

Kris is much less annoying then CT, LOL. I find a lot of his posts on FB to be pretty motivating. I also really enjoyed his book.



Genetics is bullshit. Work hard enough and you can achieve anything.
Making excuses such as genetics, too much work, no time, etc will set you up for failure.

Which book is that?

Genetics is actually not bullshit at all. Some people are genetically built to be really skinny, some will be fat, and some will be able to build muscle easily. There is a reason why steroids exist, because some people, genetically cannot get to the size they want so they need enhancement to get there.

It will be work regardless, but some people have the genetic advantage.

I don't know about that. I would add one thing to that statement.

Steroids are for people who want to get there faster than they would normally be able to.
It's also for people who want to get bigger and stay skinny all year round.

What Brandon said is true.

There is a certain peak one can get as all natural bodybuilder. I would know, I'm very good friends with a Canadian champ who's competed internally and am also good friends with many other competitors - all clean.

I don't normally condone steroid use, but if you want to compete at the Mr. Olympia level you best believe you're gonna need steroids to get there.

It's not like steroid do the work for you - you still have to work your goddamn ass off to get to that point.

And no, it doesn't make you stay big and skinny all year round. Not sure where you got that idea...

I am saying if you want to get bigger and stay at a body fat % lower than 8 I gaurantee that person is taking steroids.
I know people that have taken steroids and I know successful people that haven't. You can pretty much tell when someone has or has not.

Steroids can actually make you very fat if you don't put the work in. The guys who use steroids work out just as hard as the guys who don't, but they get bigger faster. I know dudes who use roids, and I know dudes who don't. I don't really care, it's not like you can just take roids and sit on the couch and get jacked as frack.

Staying lean is not something that steroids do, staying lean is mostly about diet. There are worlds strongest men who use roids and they are not cut, they are just big. A nice clean diet gets you cut.

Like Brandon and I said, steroids actually makes a lot of people fatter and have a 'roid belly'. It takes incredibly hard work to look GOOD on roids.

And no, you don't need roids to stay lean and gain...I can get bigger and stay lean or cut more. It's an advantage of my body type - big, strong, puts on muscle quickly and can make good gains even when cutting...BUT...I put on fat like it's nobody's business, so diet is incredibly crucial for me.

All I am saying is that without roids you won't get be getting any bigger when your sitting at something like 6% body fat.
That's why we do bulking.

Definitely agree with you there though, doesn't matter what you do, you will need to work hard. There was a guy on youtube that announced his steroid stack after a crazy one year transformation.

Sal you are a lucky guy, this bulk has been crazy difficult for me cause I was always much more of a skinny guy.

Ok well at least someone with my body type won't be putting on muscle while he is cutting

I am lucky in some ways, but you do not understand how incredibly difficult and disciplined I have to be to drop even an ounce of weight.

I'm so far buried in the endomorph category it's ridiculous.

It will take me months of the most disciplined diet and fitness regiment you've ever seen to have any kind of decent difference.

For someone who loves food as much as me and who can eat as much as me (no one), it is the worst thing imaginable. I would gladly trade away some of my ability to put on and maintain muscle for an increased metabolism and ability to shed fat/lose weight.

Haha, just like women with long straight hair wanting curls, and vice versa I guess eh Sal?

I for the longest time wanted to get "bigger", didn't care about getting cut or staying lean.

Then one day I exploded, not in a good way, I got fat from all the partying and bad eating.

Now I'm trying to lose the fat, slowly, not eating super healthy, but not eating complete junk either.

Oh and not cutting the beer.

SO, slowly but surely I'm gaining muscle and burning the fat away.

I'm going to be taking some protein fairly soon.

Touche, I think unless you're a mesomorph, then you will always have difficulties.

I am mostly ectomorph with a little mesomorph, makes putting on weight or muscle difficult.
I haven't even been over 13% in the past 10 years.

Guide to your best body.
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books...cs_requestid=0CNDT3-PL2rgCFYo65wodiGIAAA

Very interesting, I do frequent bodybuilding.com a lot so maybe I will check it out.
I have seen this book when I was at Chapters last time I will have to give it a read next time.

I thought it was good. The plan in it is different from the 12 Week and DTP.
It focuses on more of a life style change and how to make those changes. Kris is great at motivation.

So I am going to start DTP in a week or two, want to try something fresh out and I think this is a good change from my typical workout.

Good luck with it Bryan.

I haven't been a few days, I'm stressing out over my block exam. I'm still doing cardio though.

That's good you are keeping it up!

So I cried a little today in the gym.
After seeing a post my Kris himself stating that his shoulders were lagging until he started doing DTP I decided to give it a go.
First I will say that he was not thinking about home gym people, I was stuck using my olympic bar for the first super set and my weight never went up from there, it was extremely killer.
The second half was definitely much easier to deal with from a home gym perspective but that's only because I used 45lb plates to do my shrugs.
Overall it was a super intense workout, we shall see how I feel tomorrow and then I can decide if I will keep it up.
I am not start DTP just decided to work the shoulder workout in instead of my current one.

Anthony, when you first mentioned DTP I was skeptical because of how little exercise you perform per workout and how many sets you do.
Well I am convinced, I have been doing the DTP shoulder workout since the day I last posted and I am very impressed, the pump is amazing and I am impressed at the strength gains.
As someone who has very little endurance this workout has definitely pushed me!

I find that stretching ridiculous amounts is a great way to recover. Find a way to hang, pull, bend, reach, and twist. If you do a bunch of stretching and drink water it releases more lactic acid which is harmful to your muscles and by then pissing it out you have less soreness and quicker recovery due to removal of the harmful waste.
Eat all your food groups, and avoid fasting or binge eating. This causes your body to want to save and store the food as extra weight.
Start eating veggies you never thought of or would care or want to. All the colors. I frequently cook with garlic and onions. I try everyday to eat the more natural big carrots, red,yellow and orange peppers, I try to eat a few greens such as lettuce, broccoli, and cucumber. Sometimes some green type of bean or asparagus. Mushrooms are also full of good nutrients, and compliment vegetables nicely. Dont forget you nutrient and protien rich seeds, nuts, and beans.

Ginger root it one of the most amazing things for you. It is an antihistamine, anti inflammitory, and anti hypertensive. Thats just a quick list, I know there is more.

Just found this on ginger, assume to do with anti inflammitory properties:
"A study involving 74 volunteers carried out at the University of Georgia found that daily ginger supplementation reduced exercise-induced muscle pain by 25%."

I usually start my morning with ginger, and water.

Before Every meal I try and start with strictly vegetables and fruit to get all the nutrients and energy required to process, digest, and efficiently use nutrients that I will eat next.

I try and keep only 2 meals big, and the 3rd may only be a combo of fruit/veggies/nuts/a pb sandwitch.

Meals can be fish/eggs/veggies and rice
pasta/veggies/meat
meat/veggies
eggs/beans/toast
chicken/egg/veggies

I love my protien shakes with yogurt/chocolate whey/milk

I mix something called Qia into my cerial. Crazy energy, nutrient and protien boost. My cerial is gluten free and organic, I mix in granola also. Helps keep me full longer with Qia and granola and tastes better too. Sometimes some chocolate or a bit of protien powder is good in there.

Yogurt/nuts/dark chocolate mixed together rids my craving for harmful processed foods and refined sugars

I buy yogurt with no added sugar and eat it daily for the good flora. I rarely drink pop, have candy, or anything else with processed sugars. All my sugars I try and keep natural. Anything extra is being proven to cause many diseases as of lately. I dont touch processed instant food anymore and make anything but cerial bread or pasta from scratch. I almost never eat out.

I have been gluten free for the most of the past 4 months. Not always safe for everyone but it cleared up my skin and gave more clarity to my thoughts, and increased my digestive efficiency to the point I had too much energy. I could also attribute this to substituting more fruits and veggies instead of grains. Gluten free gets expensive quick, and I can live off of a bit over a 1000 a week in groceries quite comfortably.

I Prefer to bike that drive whenever possible in whatever weather imaginable: Rain, wind, and snow. Snow can be quite fun. I am a formula drift mountain bike champion in gravel and snow. Heck pavement works too. Lmao. Wheelies are a great back and arm workout. Biking works out basically everything though, heart, shoulders, forearms, biceps, chest, triceps, legs, abs. If I start hopping, wheeling, and going as fast as possible I feel it everywhere.

I try and do bulk lifting with 6-8 reps. I don't like going higher than 10 or 12. Always Freewight. Need to work the stabilizers too. For this reason sometimes starting at a lower weight to achieve full range of motion and proper form is more important. Mechanical advantages due to stabilizing mechanical equipment is cheating. I like doing full or half body workouts at a time. I do a circuit to get the heart pumping with 2 or more different muscle groups back to back that don't depend on each other. I do each set of reps back to back so I dont stop, and get a proper minute and a half rest on each muscle. Using full range of motion and altering positions to work differant angles. Ex. I bench 3 sets of flat bench, then take a few plates off do 3 sets decline bench, take a few pounds off and do incline 3 sets, then move to tricep extensions, and if im real enthusiastic some pushups both close arm and far arm widths. To fill in the gaps of arm and chest rest I work legs (calf raises, squats, lunges. I only need a day and a half or two to recover that. I don't do it as much anymore with biking though or I d never recover. My rides get pretty intense up and down hills. Going to try and start incorporating workouts around my biking again now that my job is not at all physically demanding.

Dont forget to exercise the heart. Or all of this becomes invaluable. Smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, and high colesteral and fat diets are the biggest factor for artierial disease. Blocked blood flow is like blocked oil. Block it and risk killing brain tissue through a stroke, coronary artery disease results from narrowed and blocked arteries in the heart causing heart attacks (MI) and or arrhythmia's (misfiring heart is also an inefficient pump just like our engines, and much can go wrong with its control and circuitry).

Lots of good info here Mike! Definitely learned some good stuff, mixed in with some old school thinking.
I have thought about going gluten free and may just look into it, I imagine the change is pretty difficult.
Also definitely going to pick up some ginger!!
I used to bike everywhere no matter the weather when I was living in Ottawa, but now that I live in Brampton and work from home I really don't have an opportunity to do that. Luckily the dog gets me out or I would probably just sit at home all day.
Can you share the name of the cereal that you are eating?

Usually get this stuff from fortinos, havent searched elsewere, think its around:

granola:
http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/granolas/
Qia (There are other ones I like this one):
http://ca-en.naturespath.com/product/qiatm-superfood-chia-buckwheat-hemp-cereal-cranberry-vanilla
Cerial (I chose this one due to value/nutrition they have others)
http://ca-en.naturespath.com/product/mesa-sunriser-flakes-raisins

I change it up to try and keep some variety but thats what Ive had most often lately. Usually I use one or the other granolas and alternate to make it taste differant, and sometimes add walnuts, chocolate, and/or honey. I always have at least the trio of granola/cerial/qia

6g of protien and lots of omegas in only 2 table spoons of that qia stuff! Also like it to boost the low calories of the cerial. Otherwise the cerial alone would be burned off with my metabolism in like an hour or so lol. the bag is small and almost 10 bucks, but it helps fill you up and I can make it last more than a week if I eat eggs instead of cerial some mornings. Hell tho if I do that and I am really hurtin for cash I ll have the cerial for an occasional dinner.

BTW was pretty damn tired typing that mother of a post above. Should read 100 a week for groceries not 1000 lmao!

Haha, yeah I was going to say!!

Cool thanks for the links!!

Groceries are going to be more expensive. Im attempting my new challenge of organic only. Call me crazy. Call me obsessed. I ll call my self a stronger, more powerful finely tuned machine.

Do some research, I do agree that in some cases organic is better but not in all.
My girlfriend did a paper on gsd foods and she said that some of it is in there to help us out with nutrients and such.
It is definitely going to be expensive though

We have been eating healthier these days, going for salads with protein and sticking to home cooked stuff a lot more.
Planning the meals for the week is probably the best decision we have made cause it makes night much easier.

I hear ya man! I m working on the research aspect of it still as I try and replace major things. I ve started at apples, bananas, milk, butter, yogurt, veggies, ect.

Next will be things like eggs, meat, cheese, nuts, beans.

Im more concerned with the things grown with fertilizer/that eat fertilizer.

Id be interested what you guys are reffering to with GSD. I dont even know what that stands for. Im thinking of GMO...
shoot for it. convince me of what you refer to.

Yeah my bad, spending to much time with my half German Shepherd that I am mixing up my acronyms, GMO was what I was thinking.

It was a while ago but she basically said that they add extra vitamins to things.
For example, when I was in school they make the assumption that the students won't be getting enough sun so they would supplement vitamin D into the milk.
Any alteration good or bad is going to be removed from the product.

What's organic milk? is there no sugar?

I think fruits are a safe bet, i have tried with some and the taste was terrible so I gave up

Also after watching Food Inc, you can't even be guaranteed that you are actually getting organic food. They did a study on some Organic farms and because they were next to GMO farms the needs would blow over and then grow in their farm.

Being up north I am hoping local markets rid me of these problems.
store bought organic milk means something like properly raised cows, pasture fed, no hormones given, fed proper organic feed. Costs more cuz they arent pumped full of hormones to output tons of milk and their food costs more. Therefore more money to feed, less output. = more $$ for their milk.

I thought at one point the states was much worse for this but who can we trust anymore ?

I want to move away from pasteurized milk to raw milk from the sheep/cow. Pasteurizing makes sure there is no bacteria, but takes away much of the nutrient content. Proper raw milk isnt supposed to grow bacteria. From the right farmer it is safe and more nutrient rich. Google organic milk, raw milk, ect. U ll see more on what I am talking about.

For starters, I don't claim to have a vast knowledge on the subject of GMO/natural food diets, so take what I say worth a grain of salt. I did however have a few classes on the subjects in school. Research and come to your own conclusions and believe what you want.

Like you guys have mentioned, not all GMO foods are modified to change the shape and size/increase yields/whatever else that increases the bottom line of the producing companies. There are companies that do it to help people who are unable to get the required vitamins/nutrients, such as the "golden rice project."

GMO plants can also be blended with organic crops with out the farmer knowing or wanting. I can't remember the exact details but, there was/maybe still is a company in the states that was buying out farms to grow there patented corn, if a farmer refused they would grow it near by. Wait for the crops to cross contaminate, then sue the farmer for growing there patented corn. Then they would buy the farm when they couldn't pay. So if you want an actual 100% organic food you would need to get seeds from a seed bank and grow them in a sterile environment. I'm not saying eating organic is a waste of time/point less just adding content.

As far a labeling food organic the laws used to be (not sure if they have changed) so slack they were practically none existent. I believe that state have/had slightly better guide lines, but it was still along the lines of you only need to meet "x" amount of the "Y" requirements. So say it you got 12/30 you could label it as "organic".

Pesticides have also come along way as well. We not longer use arsenic and mercury to kill weeds. More developed counties usually have laws enforcing what pesticides can be used water soluble are require by most. If you want to research more of the topic and didn't learn about pesticide run off and fat soluble pesticides in high school great places to start.

As far as pasteurized milk versus raw milk, in Canada it was illegal (again not sure if the laws have changed) to buy/sell raw milk to individuals. The only "raw milk" that the government approves for the public is cheese that has been made from it, which needs to be aged for "X" amount of days under certain conditions.

Some people that have lactose intolerances, claim that they can drink raw milk with no side effects. They blame the pasteurization process on changing the milk sugars, that affects people with the intolerances. There are some videos on youtube about Michael Schmidt, a farmer from Ontario. Since he could not sell raw milk, he sold shares in his cows and would give people raw milk from their share of the cow.

Raw milk can contain many bacteria, such as e.coli, salmonella, listeria, etc. It all depends on the conditions the animal is around. If the farm has chickens with salmonella, the chicken could crap in the food the cow eats and now the cow could have it as well. Pasteurization eliminates/reduces these bacteria to an allowable level, it also increases the shelf life and storage of the milk (research UHT milk).

I had only read Michaels part last night and was going to say that my understanding was Raw Milk was illegal as well, but I see Lance mentioned that too.

I think for someone to be successful in eating organic you need to know the farmer personally, then you can get your raw milk and anything else you need.

I took milk out of diet completely and feel great! We are the only species on the planet that consumes milk after infancy :s. I'm 37 and train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at least 10 hours a week. You really see the need for a clean diet when you start getting up there in age. We just don't hear/repair as quickly as we did in our teens and our 20's.

Yeah I think that is the better option honestly, I think your better of to switch to almond milk or soy milk.
People have seen huge results when they cut out milk, I was in the process of cutting it out but when I started bulking everyone told me it was a great way to add extra calories and fat so back in it went.

I stay away from soy, but love my almond milk. If you want extra calories when bulking try an MTC oil like coconut oil. It's a great way to get in the extra cals and it's almost never stored as fat.

From the paleo diet book that I just read the one oil that can be used for cooking is olive oil, all the other ones become dangerous when cooked to a certain temperature.

I do add oils to salads and stuff like that to get some extra calories.

What kind of stuff do you make with coconut oil?

What! I read other way around that olive oil should not be used for cooking because once it reaches a certain burning point it turns into bad fat.

Here is a good reference:
http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/heating-olive-oil

I will see if I can dig up the paleo reference

Olive oil burns too quickly, can't cook a lot of things with it.

Coconut oil is used widely by paleo dieters.

Soy is the devil like KevinK said.

I've recently started liking milk again, because of chocolate milk, but yeah, apparently we shouldn't be drinking it.

Just because some food or substance has good nutrients in it doesn't necessarily mean we can break it down and absorb it.

Like with many other things, take it in moderation and consume in moderation.

Everyone, active or not, should be taking some sort of fish oil.

I'm one of those people who noticed a huge difference when I cut milk out of my diet, I substituted it with soy and almond milk, it took about 2 weeks to notice my energy and digestion (and get used to the taste difference in my coffee) were on the up-and-up. I still eat fruit on the bottom yogurt sweetened with honey and I think I might make the switch to greek yogurt soon.

(Real) Extra virgin Olive oil..all the time FTW!

Agreed fish oil should definitely be taken. That was one of the huge things they listed in the book, paloelithic people averaged 2:1 for omega 6:omega 3, most people today are close to 10:1.

I am tempted to switch to greek yogurt but am really struggling with the added cost.
I think I may still make the switch though as I do enjoy the taste and thickness more than that have traditional yogurt.

Extra virgin olive oil is what I was talking about and I use pretty much all the time.
The one that I just learned of recently that intrigues me is grape seed oil, has anyone had any experience with this?

This is the book and the article about oil. I will dig up the book itself and see what it says.
http://thepaleodiet.com/vegetable-oil-fatty-acid-composition/

My cousin has been a personal trainer for 10+ years now and he says Krill oil is leaps and bounds better then the traditional fish oils, apparently it contains (correction just 3 lol) and is super concentrated, the only issue is you will have to order it as I havn't been able to find it at any traditional store.

the wiki article states that it's hard to justify the price, also from what I can tell it only contains omega 3, which is better for you.
You should be able to find it at one of those health food stores like natural path
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krill_oil

Bulloks! Hahaha find some and try it for us...then get back to us with the results

Lots of good points being brought up here. I ve only really dug into the research the past few days. I ve been following the balance and moderation approach. I eat as diverse a selection of foods as possible every day. My main thinking behind organics is finding stuff I believe to be as close to pure as possible.

I see it everyday at the hospital. So much illness and disease that was totally avoidable. I don't have any interest in consuming unnatural things, chemicals, and hormones. All these things take such a huge toll on bodily systems. You only have to stress one or two for the rest to go down with them. I very much am passionate about boosting my pure nutrient consumption and diversity. I m already feeling more powerful. The hospital gym on lunch break proved this to me. There are so many hidden toxins in places people would never think. I just want to eliminate as many as I possibly can. You all have a choice. You ll get infinite amount more out of life if you make the right ones. From what I ve just read above everyone is doing much better than the general population that I deal with. It just boggles my mind how many people can go and ruin their life because they have no concept of what their bodies need, and how clueless they become to just buying anything from a store and considering it safe. sh!t adds up when you don't give your body a break from it.

Check out a guy named IceCreamFitness, he is a good example of some one who looks fit but is far from it.
I watched one of his youtube videos and the guy was huffing and puffing through the whole video!

I think the majority of ppl that 'workout' are still out of shape! Most work out for appearance rather than performance. Now if you grapple, you need to be in great shape! If your not you'll be going to sleep rather quickly.

Yep I have been lifting for 8 years and I used to be in shape when I was bikingeeverywhere but now I just go for walks and am not nearly as conditioned as I used to be.

When we get graded for belts in BJJ we have to fight for an hour straight, with a fresh guy getting thrown at us every 5 minutes. So you're rolling with 12 fresh guys non stop for an hour. Now that takes serious condition! If you get too tired to defend, you either get strangled or some rips your arm off lol.

How much more motivation do you need than this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HrnWC8zBcE



In all seriousness, I've been trying to get back into shape. Simple diet and exercise for this guy. Working on the road makes it too easy to eat like sh!t and not exercise, so I had to make a change. I was never a big fast food guy, but I've cut it out altogether. I'm going back to the gym and watching what I eat. I haven't dabbled in any supplements or anything like that.

Kevin - Are there any good gyms in Oshawa? I'll be there for 5 months effective January 6th.

LOL he is really ageing these days!

I took it really slow, I have researched ever supplement group I now take for at least a year.
I started with protein, then creatine, then bcaas and preworkouts

You guys have inspired me to start a personal performance build log. Trying to relate myself to a car again LOL. Im going to try and record everything I am eating every meal of every day, save it to word, along with how I am looking and feeling/perfoming and body mass. It have been cooler if I started out fat and out of shape. Idk If I can break 135-140 lbs as a lean 5'5" this winter I might be able to demonstrate something about my dietary changes.

Jay, if you're looking for a place to train bjj or MMA there is no other place than Bruckmann Martial Arts. We have more Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belts than any other clubs in Canada. We also have 3 UFC fighters. Antonio Carvalho actually teaches the MMA class.

If you're just looking for a place to lift weights, yeah we have those too. Now if your just looking to be in fantastic shape there's AreYouGame Conditioning Club Inc. It's run by our strength and conditioning coach, who's wife happens to be a pro body builder/fitness model.

Mike grab myfitnesspal and add me (blawren). It's the best way to log your food plus you will be able to see what your macros are like for the day.

I ll take a look!

holy sh!t! Read all of this page. I learned alot about how I am feeling related to my eating. I have done alot right, but have more work to do. http://www.bulletproofexec.com/the-complete-illustrated-one-page-bulletproof-diet/

plus one on the dont cook this stuff. Did crazy amounts of research last night. If you over heat it it looses nutritional value. Also like wine it looses nutrients/breaks down in light. Get dark bottles or possibly the tins. Assuming no lining in the tins and oil is pure extra virgin.
TONS to be learned still. I have the time for now. I am my winter project. It will become easier.

Haha, yeah the light thing is new to me.
I read the bottle we just bought and it said to keep in dark places so I moved it there immediately

Whoa man, I had no idea the belt tests were like a Kumite. Jeebus!

according to that site I posted trying this sh!t out for real. Bought 12 bricks of grass fed cow butter last night. sh!t is hard to find. Not sure I caught it in time to get me through winter while their grass is gone but hell I tried and better now then as their feed changes over for winter.
bullet proof diet. Yellow butter = beta carotene = body makes vitamin A without overdosing on it (same with carrots). Trying out this 60% calorie thing from butter and oils/fats thing with 20 % remaining each protien and veggies. 20% veggies by calories is still a sh!t ton of veggies! Still doing this on loose guestimation terms untill I have more time to really sort it out and more money for a stockpile oof all organics.
Work is still keeping me full time as a casual part time employee which is fantastic!

Its unreal bro! You have no idea how deep down you can dig until you have no other choice. I can honestly say I was a changed man after that experienced. If that isn't enough, we get whipped and thrown by everyone of a higher rank. Most outsiders think it's pretty brutal, which it is, but it's a right of passage. It's called walking the gauntlet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3gsalP33pE

That's from one of my clubs gradings. UFC fighter Antonio Carvalho is in the video too, just look for the beard lol

Kevin you ve definitely got some skill! I sometimes dabble with the idea. it d help improve my cognitive abilities and such for sure but I ve always been passive and get my aggression out by working out and going fast. Not sure how I would enjoy it if I applied myself. See what life brings in the future of my new found health craze.

I'll warn you now, bjj is known to change people's lives . You should check out PuraBJJ in Hamilton and give it a shot. Much more rewarding than lifting weights IMO. I love the mental aspect of it just as much as the physical. It really is human chess.

So I picked up Greek yogurt by skotidakis, so far I have tried the honey which was great but a PIA to stir. Also tried pom berry and that one is good but need to keep a cup of water beside me cause it's so thick.
I think I will stick to the greek though, it's not terribly expensive from costco and I do enjoy it, will probably try the other one next time though.

Some filtered water and/or olive oil might help. I try and find more things to use olive oil with and yogurt + olive oil aint bad.

I think I ve seen that place somewhere. Problem is I have not updated my profile and am working currently in Owen Sound.

that's interesting, I have become a huge fan of olive oil on my salad with balsamic vinegar.
I basically use those two to dress up any vegetables.

I will definitely try that out though, never heard of doing that before, plus it's a good way to add some fat and extra calories!

I know of Carvalho
BEAST.

BJJ is not for me, I'm too soft. lol

My cardio is not enough for BJJ just yet. I'll stick to hitting and getting hit for now.

I don't know how you guys do it, plus it's just too dangerous, in my opinion.

I can't have a broken arm or dislocated shoulder and keep coming to work.

I'll watch that video at lunch. W/popcorn

yea I tried it for fun in my quest for wide variety of daily intake. I figured it d thin your yogurt out
and what you said which is infact why I started in the first place!!

Yeah I am what you would call a hard gainer, it's been a difficult task for me to continue to eat health and gain weight so I have basically been adding as many calories as I can.
Some have been not healthy and some healthy, and have recently become successful on my quest to put on weight.

Good call mike!! The olive oil does make it taste a little different but I am definitely happier with it.
I have heard that grape seed oil is virtually tasteless so if I ever take some time to find some I will probably give that a go.

As you know training partners become like family, and nobody wants to hurt their training partners. To avoid injury you have to let go of ego, and learn to tap early. Being stubborn will only get you hurt. If your caught, tap and start over, it's the simple . If you leave your ego at the door, you'll do just fine

Sweet man! glad to help

Brace yourself, January 1st is coming!

LOL Home Gym for the WIN!!
Anthony did you do some DTP yet, I will probably do my second round this coming week.

Nah, been a slack ass lately.
Need to get back to It.

I ve got a whole new routine. Every other day, attempting full body, one to two very slow sets per muscle group of max 6-8 reps, usually using exercises involving multiple muscles and keeping under 40 mins total. Each flex lasts a slow 3 or more seconds through full range of motion, and so does each extension. Still cant get it all in so may do alternating routines every other day. My nutrition is working, I lost almost 10 lbs due to my nuts metabolism and lack of protein. Grass fed lamb and beef have been bomb and I am regaining quick, most progress is occurring mentally until I see what happens with time. I think this balance of ridiculous nutrition exercise and sleep will take me farther than I ever though I could go. Major skin health changes, healthier feelings I cannot describe everywhere gets better each day usually. My facial hair is even finally thickening, years of scars seem to be fading. Stil aiming to go from current 127.25 to about 138 by winters end. Full lean, no body fat, high fat diet.

So after my 2nd disk herniation which was about 4 months ago, I have been away from the gym and lost some muscle mass. I am back and ready to go in the gym. I'm at about 157lbs now and am going on a clean bulk for at least 5 months.

I'm aiming for about:

- 2600-2800 Calories
- 300-350g of Carbs
- 155-170 g of Protien
- 80-120g of fats


Now Its hard as F*ck to eat clean and reach that calorie goal. Anyone heard about olive oil shooters ? Basically a shot of olive oil which gives about 320 calories and 36g of fat. Have 2 shots and that's 640 clean calories!

I use olive oil for everything but never took shots of it.
I have always heard it's better to eat your calories than it is to drink them though.
I am doing Iffym, I am a hardgainer and have attempted gaining weight clean and only stayed where I was.

Olive oil, MCT oil, and grass fed butter are like my hot sauce, put that sh!t in and on everything. By the shot from time to time. I havent gotten any fat on me yet, pure energy sources. Look to increase clean fats, and eliminate almost all sugar, limit complex carbs, and eat a plants based diet. Thats basically where I have arrived.
I get through a day with no crashes (As sugar and carbs cause) when I am sleeping properly and not over exercising. Still limiting full body workouts to twice a week so I lied. I understand what I put myself through now and put forth more effort than ever in each workout, sometimes requiring excessive recovery until I adapt.
Literally as much sugar as I have is one fruit at night and whatever is in my dark chocolate. I plan to eliminate my organic dark chocolate below 80% cocoa, which is all only made up in sugar for the most part. I ll use the potent stuff more as a flavoring for nuts/brownies/macaroon type protein snacks. I may eat a few servings of rice a day, sometimes less or none. No grains or legumes. All plant/nuts, chocolate. Some whey, grass fed livestock. The past week my only dairy has been butter. Im on another whole extreme and not turning back. milk isnt necessary, but I ll have it more as an ocassional whey shake desert or yogurt/whey desert, ect. (all grass fed organic stuff).
Right now I mix my whey concentrate (organic new zealand grass fed)with butter/chocolate/nuts/fat **as it has cooled just before solidification** and it makes crazy health snacks. Dont heat that stuff :)or olive oil/MCT oil.

Wow New Zealand whey, your wallet must love your healthy eating

Mike I am honestly amazed at your commitment on this stuff. I am a very frugal guy so I don't think I could ever get to where you are.
Good work on the milk! I drink a ton of it knowing that it would be great for me to take out of my diet, i will say that you should switch to isolate if you are that keen on taking out dairy, or soy protein powder.

I watched that fat, sick and nearly dead and it's definitely inspiring, we tried to juice for a weekend and only make it through a day. I think we will try again as it's definitely a good idea for a cleanse.

Well I would like to say thank you to you Mike Lane!
We are now juicing every day after work and we try to keep most of our meal raw as one of those movies had mentioned.
I am definitely happy that we watched those movies.
I know have a better idea of what I should be eating when I am downtown for work, which was definitely the hardest part.
Do I feel a difference, hell yes I do! I use to be cranky if I didn't get my 8+ hours, now I get about 7 and a bit and generally wake up before my alarm even goes off. I don't feel sleepy through out the day and am not exhausted at the end of the day.
It's funny how ones idea of healthy evolves as you learn more things.
Also we have ginger in our juices and so far it seems to be helping with DOMS. I still get it but it's much less intense than it used to be.

Holly hell man! your turning into me! Glad to hear it. That all makes my time worth it knowing even one person alone is benefiting from my "mindless obsessive ramblings" as others seem to percieve it. As I make the preparations to come home next week due to cut hours I sure hope my diet can resemble what it is now and live on. The key to saving money it to eat lots of spinach and kale. the other stuff and colors of the rainbow can then be slacked on.
Instead of tupperwares of veggies I now blend a bunch with water and olive oil. That goes into a decent bottle and lasts through my day.
I ve been whey free for a week. Not sure I notice a huge differance but maybe need to eat more other things. I was only trying to save money by taking a break from it. I tolerate all dairy fine, which is awesome. I think therefore the concentrate is better than isolate (more natural and diverse nutrients maybe?). I ve only got rid of dairy for fun though, to save money and see if I miss it. I d be fine without it but it will be my desert making staple of choice
I accidentally ate the most miniscule amount of gluten and it sh!t kicked me. My body's inflammatory response to the stuff goes wack. I will never touch wheat/grains containing gluten, or any processed foods again. Rice (and pasta made from it) and oats that are certified gluten free are also my new amazing steady efficient burn fuel after the veggies and sugars are used up.
Heres to continuing on back home with the ones I love. ! Cheers! (but I may have to raise a glass of wine)

that blending the veggies with the olive oil and water is definitely the first time I have ever heard anything like that.
I can definitely imagine what your gluten issue was like, I decided I would have burrito boyz for lunch today without checking the nutritional information, assuming because all the veggies were fresh that it would be health, well that was a mistake. Huge migraine, which I have been happen to avoid for a long time. Come to find out there is was 1500mg of salt in that burrito I ate, looks like that will be the last time i go there.

Olive oil is the healthy energy source and the veggies fuel my body with vast nutrients, and the whole concoction hydrates me. Dry skin fighting combo for winter
Lots of fat and veggies are making my skin shine
Try doing that with carbs.

Fortunately I never got suckered into fast food or restaurants in general. If it is a big company it probably isnt healthy. Probably uses to much salt and unnatural unhealthy veg oils.
No healthy oils really come of veggies or grains.

I believe olive oil, avacado, and coconut oil are all considered fruits. I d like to dive into more nut oils and see what I find.

Learned from a documentary called Fat head last night how bad excess carbs and sugars stress out your body with inflammatory responses related to insulin spikes. This is seemingly the leading cause of heart disease, and other major disease, not saturated fat. My body loves saturated fat, and not the carbs so much anymore. Biggest thing I ve learned in the 2 months is that breakthrough in how I think about eating. Still adjusting 2 months later, but thats still a short term adaptationmy body is welcoming and getting used to.

It's extremely difficult to put on weight while cutting carbs so I doubt I will ever make that transition.

Just a quick kickback to what we created this thread for, Motivation.
I want you all to head over to BodyBuilding.com and check out bodies of work, if that doesn't motivate you I don't know what will.

Mr Petro I don't know if you are watching this thread anymore but I started 5/3/1 for legs yesterday. So far it's pretty killer.
I am just finishing up another program for the rest of my body and will decide afterwards if I will be doing more bodybuild for the rest or if I will be doing 5/3/1 for them too, the only problem I have is that I usually work downtown on thursday and they only want you to do two days in a row at most, so still trying to figure out what I will do there.

As for juicing, we are stopping now. It costs about 100 a week to do this stuff and I think I would much rather spend less and just eat more veggies than juicing them all. We will probably still juice once in a while but only the veggies that can't be blended.

Well I have been doing 5/3/1 for 2 month now and am loving it, I have been very happy with the strength gain.
One thing I have noticed is that my grip strength has suffered after spending so much time doing body building so it's now one of my main focuses.
5/3/1 has been great because it really has help me find my weaknesses and improve on them.

What up brahs!

No one going to the gym anymore?
It's about all I have to do up here at work. The gym is pretty crappy at camp so I'm doing a lot of compound exercises. My strength has gone up over the last bit so that makes me happy.

Finally got my diet in check so I'm excited to see what will happen as I continue. I'm following a Keto diet.

I need to get motivated again.

Having baseball twice a week, and volleyball once a week really made it tough for me to get into a proper routine / diet. Hate to use that as an excuse, but come mid Sept.. I'll be back at it

Nice work boys, I never stop!

Keto is some hardcore sh!t, you doing refeed days?

I've got nothing better to do with my time after work up here, too damn boring otherwise. I still can't bring myself to do tons of cardio though.

I've just start but I will be doing carb up days, fist one starts this Friday, I'm excited.

I have started cardio, just doing some basic jogging with the wife.

That's good, let me know how it goes and how well it works.

I've done keto for months at a time before - it works very well but it is incredibly hard for most people to truly stick to properly. I would do one carb-up day once every week or two, but no more. The thing I missed most is eating fruits and most vegetables, as they (fruits especially) will easily kick you over the limit for keto.

I ve got my ass back in gear after coming out of a slum in the winter/spring, feeling stronger and healthier than ever Still eating amazingly well. I order from plan B organic farms a family bin of produce and usually eat that and some meat and things each week. Being forced to try new veggies and not decide on my groceries at the store has been interesting! Not religious on a workout routine as I mountain bike a sh!t ton both recreationally and as transportation to work some of the week. Also means I do tons of stairs between working a multilevel patio and climbing the escarpment home.

Bench press seems to be increasing with no real excessive effort too.

Trying some new supplements on top of a ridiculously largely plant based diet. Moringa powder and Maca powder have been interesting. Still gluten and vegetable oil free and avoid alcohol for the most part.

Good work Mike, I have stepped it up a little. I know have hemp hearts on my yogurt and have that everyday I work from home.
Plain greek yogurt, berries, honey, hemp hearts. I really enjoy it.

Good to see this thread still ongoing.

I've started kicking it into overdrive. Four times a week, with emphasis on the growth.

Found a sweet time to hit the Gym at Dundas Square.

Sweet because there's some good eye candy for either sexual persuasion. And very few hoggers.

SH!T...I h8 the hogs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-bhwC3qz_Q

Good work Steve. I am looking at grabbing some focus mitts and tai pads, and the wife and I are looking to take a kickboxing class together so that will be cool.

Haha the hulk is actually a really nice guy and a bit of a nerd so he is easy to relate too.
Even though he is huge he is primarily been doing powerlifting so he can push some big weight.

Looking at maca and moringa, I am curious as to why you are taking the moringa. Plenty of benefits of maca that I can see but moringa seems to be more on helping health issues.

I have both maca and Moringa daily. Moringa is definitely an energy booster, and also helps strengthen the immune system. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, along with many other benefits

Cool, good to know! I will check them both out.

I ll second Kevin and also add that the vast spectrum and immense amount of potency of minerals, vitamins, and amino acids it contains just help boost my daily intake that much more. Trying to see if it helps build me lean muscle, and I think it is.
Look up some nutritional info on the stuff. It is quite astounding.

Maca seems to mix well with chocolate or coffee. Sorta peanutbuttery but rich.

Does Moringa come in pill/powder form or can you actually find the leaves?

Ok cool, going to see if I can find either next time we go to costco.

I have only ever seen pill and powder. I like the powder

I hardly get on the web anymore, so busy with work and teh gym life.
Keto for about a month now and training solid for almost 2 months.
I've found the diet really easy to stick with, I aim for 30g of total carbs a day and even if I go over a bit I still stay in Ketosis. I'm tracking my macros and counting calories, might seem excessive to some people but works perfect for me. I treat it kind of like a game lol.

My work out routine is a very basic beginners route that consists of 2 different work outs.
A consists of
Squats 3 sets 8-10 reps
Bench press 3 sets 8-10 reps
Bent over rows 3 sets 8-10 reps
Tricep press down 3 sets 10-12 reps
Calf raises 2 sets 10-12 reps

B consists of
Dead lifts 3 sets 8-10 reps
Lat pull down 3 sets 8-10 reps
Overhead barbell shoulder press 3 sets 8-10 reps
Bicep curls 3 sets 8-10 reps
Abs 2 sets 10-12 reps
Shoulder shrugs 3 sets 8-10 reps

This is done on a 2/1 split, I hate taking a day off though!

As you can see its nothing crazy but works great for me and the very limited gym I have at work. I've seen my big 3 shoot up. Bench started at 90lbs and is now 135lbs, Squats started at the same weight and is now 225, Dead lifts are at 185lbs. I'm happy with that progress in such a short amount of time.
I'm down to the low 240s now for my weight, I haven't weighed that in at least 10 years. My goal is to be around 200 by Christmas.

Keep in mind when I lived in Toronto I was around 320lbs. Moved back to NL, changed my diet and got to 255-260 and stayed there for years. Cannot wait for more progress!

Wow, nice work Anthony!!
You definitely have amazing motivation!!
I would agree the split is basic, but it seems to be working well.

If you want me to build you a routine send me a PM with the equipment you have and what your goals are.
Based on what you are doing now it's more of a body building type split, so we can set something up like that that isolates the muscles better and gives each of your muscles more time to recover.

Keep it up!

Thanks Bryan.

Honestly I'm going to stick with what I'm doing. It's working for me and if I took anytime off Id go stir crazy. The gym here at camp is very lacking but what I'm doing works.

No you would probably end up taking less time off, you can do 5 or 6 days on and one day off.
I have a rack and a bar, I am sure your gym has more than I have, you don't need much to make good progress.

Your routine looks a bit odd but as long as it's sustainable for you, it will likely work out in the short run.

Curious how your deadlift work weight is less than your squat weight... that's very unusual. Very. Are you pulling in sumo or conventional stance? Why are you doing so many reps of the big 3 also? Optimally, you'd want to be between 3-5 reps for those 3 (which would mean increasing the weight) depending on your goals... and deadlifts, heck, unless you're a complete beginner, you should either be aiming for ONE work set of 5 reps or just do singles up to your max.

Anyway, I'm probably coming across critical and that's not my intent, I'm just trying to understand; I don't want to knock your progress at all, keep up the good work!

Typically beginners will be like that Mark, it was only after 2 years that my deadlift surpassed my squat.

I would be curious to hear what stance you are using too and weather you think your core is stronger or your legs.

If you are doing conventional than you need to work more on your core.

I had great success following this routines. It's an 8 week program, and it includes a diet plan. I did a four week bulking program before I started this routine
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/take-the-2013-rock-hard-challenge

This is me in April this year @175lbs, one week left in the routine. Not bad for a 38 year old.


Sadly, a string of injuries followed afterwards. First I broke my toe playing soccer. Than I got this kink in my neck. I did not think much of it, but it spread to my lats. I have not been lifting for two months now, and the kink is still there.
Once it completely goes away,I'll go back to bulking and start this routine again in February next year. This time I'll give myself a 2-3 week break between each program. My old body can't handle it anymore.

You have some wicked arm development! Seems to be the thing I struggle with the most, although since doing strength training they haven't gotten as much attention as when I was body building.
How tall are you?
Any idea on bodyfat? based on the picture I would say 10
You shouldn't completely stop, I would pick up some 5s and just do stuff, it will take longer to recover if you avoid it fully.

I'm 5'11", no idea of body fat, but 10% in that picture sounds about right. I've been weight training on and off since I was 15. I've been training regularly for the past 12 years, excluding injuries, which I've had a lot of. BTW, that's my left arm, the right one is a little bigger
I've gained the most size when I went on a serious bulking cycle, probably 10 years ago. I've gone up to 220lbs. There is no secret, pick a routine with basic compound movements, and some isolation exercises for arms. You need to make sure you maintain proper form, and through full range of motion, with slow controlled movement. Quality over quantity! Throwing weight around for the sake of going the heaviest will yield the least results. And remember to give every rep 110%.
The next two things are nutrition, and rest. You need to take in enough calories and sleep enough to help repair the damage. I get in the best shape when I sleep at least 10 hour a day.
Regarding injuries, time and time again I make the same mistake. I feel something is not right, but I keep going until it gets bad and then I have to completely stop. It's my head though, I always go full out at the gym and it's very hard for me to hold back. This is how I got a torn quad,disk herniation, numerous strains..etc.
I just can't help it.

BTW, for most of my training days, I used my own routines. I always thought they were hardcore, especially since people I've trained with couldn't handle it.
I realized they weren't so hardcore, when I decide to change things up a bit and started researching other routines.
This is a seven day split for hyper growth. I've had good gains while shedding fat on this program.
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/hyper-growth-workout

The good thing about this website is that each program explains the reasons for each exercise and how it benefits you. It also explains nutrition and supplementing and reasons behind it.
I've since abandoned putting together my own routines. Why reinvent the wheel, when someone has already figured out the details.

As a bonus this is a good place with supplement reviews:
http://www.bestworkoutsupplementsblog.com/

Nice work!

Hoping I can get some people to share what their peri-workout setup is.

I was doing:
Pre-Workout I was taking my preworkout drink, that was extend up until recently
During workout I was taking BCAA
Post Workout which ended up being about 2ish hours later.

Now:
Pre-Workout I was taking my preworkout drink, that was extend up until recently
During workout I was taking BCAA(but updted my dosage)
Post Workout within a half hour after I finish.

When I finish my cut, I will be clean bulking.
So it will be:
Pre-Workout I was taking my preworkout drink, that was extend up until recently (If I need more calories, I will be doing protein and carb drink here too)
During workout I was taking BCAA(but updted my dosage)
Post Workout ASAP Carb drink and protein drink, with breakfast an hour later.

When I was cutting I was doing a pre workout drink, BCAA during workout and a protein shake immediately after workout. If the workout called for steady cardio (not high intensity interval), the shake would come before the cardio.
I don't take pre-workout or BCAA when I'm not cutting, protein shakes only followed by a meal with complex carbs/fats/protein.
I also try to take in carbs one hour before the workout.

I only started taking pre-workout drinks, cause on a low carb diet I couldn't last a whole workout.

I'm currently doing a 2/1 split so it works out to 5 days a week.
I've also changed my routine but don't have it with me since I'm not at home.



No worries Mark, it's all a learning process. I've changed my routine quite a bit since that post. I am doing the conventional deadlift though.

I'm now doing a warm up set of 15 reps, then 12-10-6 and 6 reps pyramiding the weight up. Routine is Chest, shoulders and Triceps one day, then Back and Biceps another and finally a leg and abs day.

I'm doing 255 on my squat, 250ish on my deadlift and 175 on bench (I've always had issues with the bench so I'm focusing on it). I'm now down to 226 (started at almost 270 4 months ago). I couldn't be happier with my results and should have done this years ago! I feel better, I look like a different person, I'm able to do my job better. My current goal is to hit 200lbs by Christmas and then bulk up.
Here's a shot before a 225 lbs standing calf press (no machine at my gym). I still hardly do any cardio, maybe as a warm up and cool down on leg days.
[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd....5223568_5ebf3a650e01225d8854ab23aa41f111[/img]

I'm actually changing my routine yet again next week. I'm a bit of a program whore now haha.



I'm giving up my Pre Workout once it's gone. I find it doesn't hit me as much as it use to. I think this is due to the fact that I'm on a Keto diet. The lack of carbs actually gives me less of a pump too. I've even gone off the pre workout for a couple weeks and when I take it again it's still meh.

I do take my BCAAs during my workout and then a protein shake with Creatine and Glutamine right after my workout.

I'm also cutting out some other supps because I've found them to do nothing for me. Going forward it's just protein, creatine, glutamine, multi vitamin and fish oil.



Cannot agree more. Basic compound movements, proper nutrition and rest are key. I've seen some people I know try and fail because they are missing those key things.
Great job by the way, hope I'm in good shape like that in 8 years!



Are you on a Keto diet? I've never had an issue with low energy. Some times I have a coffee before.

I find that's the biggest issue with pre workout, you will find something that works but by the time you are halfway through it it sucks.
Although I am currently taking The Curse and it's as good as it was when I first got it. Very happy with it so far and will probably grab more after.

Anthony man you are looking good, I remember a picture of you when you were working on your car you have definitely lost a lot. Nice work!

I think now you should start measuring your body fat, and personally as well as what I have been reading from research it's best that you bring your body fat down to around 10 and try to maintain that while bulking. The more fat you have on you when you are trying to bulk the more your body will store. It's also good to keep an eye on your body fat cause than you can see how much fat you are losing vs how much muscle you are losing. I lost a bunch of muscle on my last bulk and it was also the most fat I have ever but on so that's why I suggest maintaining 10%, my bad bulk was the first bulk that I went over 12%.

+1 i saw that pic too! Nice progress Anthony

Hey Anthony, why not just take a break on your cut for a couple of weeks after Christmas, do a maintenance cycle, and then cut some more? Personally I wouldn't start a bulk until body fat is sub 10% and it usually takes some time/diet manipulation for stubborn fat to fall off.

Brian actually does have a valid point re: clean bulking; however, most people just straight bulk (eat anything not nailed down) because it's really hard to eat the volume of clean food required for a clean bulk.

Yeah that's why when I start my bulk I will be cheating a little and using carb drinks, I really struggle to eat all I need to and keep it clean so I am hoping that the carb drinks will help me out there.

I think my lack of reaction to PWO is in relation to my diet. I don't get pumps like I use to and I know that's due to the lack of carbs in my diet.

I have been measuring my body fat Brian, I'm down to 25% now vs 30% when I started. My scale hasn't budged in a couple weeks but I don't usually pay attention to it lol. I usually take measurements of my body to track changes.



I will be taking a bit of a break just so my body can 'recover' for lack of a better word.
I'll be doing my damnedest to eat clean when bulking. I've already got a very hard time eating do to following a Keto diet. At home I'm fine but it I'm away at work, out for dinner or visiting family it's very hard.

Thanks for the kind words guys. I'm very pleased with where I'm at now.

You don't need to take pre-workout to keep energy levels up.
It's all in what you eat.
Of course, you would be restricted when cutting, that's where supplements help.
As long as I have complex carbs before and after my workout, I am able to maintain good energy level at the gym.
Right now, I still eat clean, but I've increased by carbs intake.
I don't mind gaining some fat before the next cut cycle, since I am on sort of bulking/strength program.

The diet I followed during my cat early this year was carb cycling, 4 days low carbs, and carb up every 5th day.
Low carb diet is designed to burn fat for energy, but your body is too smart to be fooled. If you are always on low carbs, your body will adapt and you'll loose the benefits. That's why you cycle carbs, to confuse your system.

I don't eat a ton of carbs due to my diet but that said I always have energy in the gym.

I'm actually thinking about adding a carb up day in now. I've been on a strict Keto diet for about 4 months now and I think it's time to give it a slight change.
I also changed my routine this week and it's awesome so far.

Where's all the gym bros at?!

Still doing my Keto diet, down over 100lbs total. Still lifting heavy sh!t too.

Day 86 of project mass, have had to restart the program 3 times because of what's going on in life so it's taken me a while to get this far. Very happy with progress, feeling stronger in most areas and feel like I have out on weight. Also cleaned up my diet but haven't checked weight in at least a few months and haven't checked body fat in the past month, will see if I can find the scale and check both soon.

Are you doing refeed days? Do you know what your body fat is? Nice work on the loss, that's a mad amount of weight to lose!

Awesome progress! Having done keto on a couple occasions for a not insignificant amount of time (3-6 months) I know how hard/tricky it can be to stick to it which makes it all the more impressive. Cheat/'refill' days were the best - makes you really appreciate fruit!

I just started going to the gym about a month ago, been going almost everyday so far.

Motivation is definitely the biggest obstacle for me, that and time. But I am trying my best, and going with a friend that's been going for years definitely helps! He won't cut me any slack, which is good

I don't do any refeed days; though this year I've had a bit of fuckarounditits and been a bit lazy on my diet at time.
Last time I checked my BF a couple months ago it was 20%, don't want to know what I was when I was over 330 lbs.
I'm now 216 lbs.

Picture from earlier this year, around 220 on the right.




Thanks man.
I try to avoid cheat/refeed days. I find going high on carbs makes me feel crappy and plugs me up for a couple days lol.
It can be a bugger to stay under 30 grams of carbs on the daily.
I eat meat and dark green veggies mostly.

Keep it up man, having a good work out partner really helps.
I wish I could find someone to go stupid early in the morning with me LOL.

Anthony you are doing it right!
I could text you in the morning, I am up at 5 for my workout, haha!
You would have been fine with refeed days up until a few BF%s ago but now that you are getting under 20 you will start losing muscle if you do refeed days.
Studies have shown that if you do weekly refeed days your body actually doesn't go into full ketosis.

This has a few studies referenced.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ketogenic-dieting-frequently-asked-questions.html

This isn't true at all, or not definitively anyways. I had weekly or biweekly (every other week, not twice a week) 'cheat' days and not only was I at significantly less than 20% BF (closer to 10%) I was still gaining muscle and losing weight without issue. Yes, I know this is at least somewhat dependent on body type but I actually found that I did much better and made better progress after a cheat/refeed day. Mind you, I only started the 'cheat' days after the first month or so to let my body get into ketosis properly and get used to it; once you're in ketosis it's quick to get back to it if you have the odd 'cheat' day.

Right but in that case you would have been at a surplus all the time, the study is referring to those that are at a deficit(pretty extreme on if you ask me). As for better after cheat/refeed that makes sense because your body can more easily use carbs.

That last part is good to know as I was not aware of that. My understanding was that your body take the same amount of time to get back in whether it's cheat after months or days.

Surplus as in calorie surplus? Cause if so I was at an extreme deficit (12-1500 calories per day, tops, on average and less regularly) and still gaining muscle/losing weight and I lift big/am not small. I did eventually get to a point where that slowed down but that's where those cheat days helped - got my body energized and feeling good again and I was probably also mentally recharged after such large calorie deficits over weeks at a time. Going hard on a large deficit was physically and mentally challenging; would definitely recommend a good workout buddy if you go this route.

As for the last part - it's my experience only. My body is weird in many ways but I did find that to be the case (for me). I've read other people mention similar but I also know people who it didn't apply to.

Pretty impressive that you were at a deficit like that and was still able to put on muscle. I have done one quick bulk in my life and when I cut back down (using IF not Keto) I lost everything I gained in both fat and muscle.

What was your sleep like then? I think if your diet and sleep is in check you can still go hard but my sleep hasn't been great though I have really stepped up my quality of food.

I should see where my calories are at these days, I doubt I am where you were but I am pretty sure I am under 2000.

My sleep schedule was pretty bad - I would get up at the same time everyday but when I would go to sleep would vary. I probably averaged 4-5 hours of sleep per night.

My body type is nice in that I can put on muscle easily (and keep most of it while cutting) but that means I also put on fat incredibly easily. I gain weight like it's nobody's business

That's alright.

I think you are doomed no matter what type you have. Everything for me is very slow and have had to try multiple different types of routines to get me to grow and get stronger

It would be alright if I didn't love to eat as much as I do...would be nice to be able to eat a lot and not have to worry about whether my pants are going to fit or not but I recognize the struggle that people like that have with gaining strength and putting on muscle so I can't complain too much.

Yeah one of my cousins is a lot like you. Hadn't seen him in just over a year and he put on a sh!t load of mass and fat all at once.

Now that I have figured out how to get past plateaus I really don't mind anymore but when I was younger and would sit at one for a year it was extremely frustrating.

I've done a lot of reading on the Ketogenic Diet/LCHF, especially a couple books by Drs. Phinney and Volek. Apparently carb ups can hinder fat adaption which allows you to perform as well or even better then when on a high carb diet.

For me, I feel like crap when I carb load, tired, digestion problems, poor performance in the gym, etc.
I just prefer to stick with and stay and Ketosis. I spent so long of my life on a crappy diet and I don't want to feel like that ever again.

Well boys I finally finished Project MASS!!
Pretty happy with the results, I certainly feel better and look leaner and larger but unfortunately have not been able to locate our scale so have no idea how much weight I have put on.

I have decided to go back to strength training now so I am back on 5/3/1, I had a goal of hitting a 300lb bench and would like to do it while staying around 10% body fat (which should be around 165-170ish, but am just guess until I weigh myslef) the way the program progresses it will take me about a year to get there, assuming I don't hit a plateau.

Also got some sweet new equipment for the gym!
I picked up some chains so I can do some progressive loading and also picked up stall mats so the floor is now covered in rubber, I thought I would be using bare feet after that but it's super heavy rubber so not the most comfortable to walking on but deadlifts and dropping weights aren't an issue anymore.

After doing a cycle of 5/3/1 (3 weeks) and doing a bunch of reading I have decided to jump on the sheiko train.
This is my first week and it's very punishing!! I have a good friend that came to workout with me and recommended it and who in one cycle put on 15lbs to each of his lifts. Frequency of workouts is less, 3 days, but frequency of the big lifts is much greater. I am doing squats or a variation 3 days a week as well as bench or a variation all the 3 days as well.

Here is a very detailed review if anyone is interested.
http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/sheiko/

There's such a thing as squatting less than 3 days per week!? Who knew

What kind of numbers are you working at on the big 3 lifts? PR's?

Haha, my buddy is doing squat everyday right now and he said first two weeks were brutal, is that what you are doing?

Bench 265, Squat 365, Dead 395 right now I am at 165ish. All the work in sheiko on normal weeks is above 80% of PR, I am in deload/rampup (sheiko 29) week so there is intensity is lower.

Respectable numbers! I am admittedly not that advanced. What are your targets?

I've been squatting 3x/week for years.. but I am somewhat injury-averse so my progression has been very slow, I'm about 1plate less than you on every lift.

Thank you very much! My plan is to stick with sheiko till I hit 300 on the bench and would like to keep my weight under 175. Also would like to get 405 on the squat and 455 on dead, I don't really concentrate on those two as I have never hit a plateau in either so any advancement I would be happy with.
Sheiko also has a classification system based on your big 3 total and weight. I would like to move up in that to candidate for master of sport, for that I have to stay under 180 and lift at least 1243. I have no plans to weigh more than 180 though as that's getting a little to big for me so will be staying in this weight class.

I messed my should a really long time ago and it comes back to haunt me once in a while which is why I think my bench has been so slow to progress.

Do you have any targets? What do you weigh in at?

My targets are basically your current PR's That's not a joke either
I tend to revolve between muay thai and lifting and have a hard time doing both with equal intensity - so often I stray from dedicated lifting. Accordingly, my weight varies from 160-180, depending on my focus; obviously lighter if I'm training muay thai and heavier when I lift. If I could ever have a 1000lb total I'd be satisfied with that!

A 265lb bench is nothing to be ashamed of. Squat and dead for your weight are quite good also. Are you high bar or low bar? Squatting below parallel? Sumo or conventional dead? Do you ever clean? It's taken me FOREVER to get decent clean form and I'm still sucking much more than I ought considering how much time I've put in

It's definitely doable! Yeah that's fair I have never really had anything that I have been as interested in as I have with lifting, my bag will be going up soon so will get to focus on some kickboxing. Yeah super pumped I hit 1000!! it's been a big goal for me.

Honestly I am just happy that my bench progresses now, I spend 3+ years stuck at 225 while both my dead and squat continued to rise and it was super frustrating. Thanks you appreciate it! I am high bar, ass to the grass and conventional. I have done cleans in the past but none recently, supposedly sheiko has some clean work in it but have gotten to it yet so we shall see, cleans are rough so I definitely hear you there when I was doing them I never got over 1 plate and got exhausted really fast!

I'll be starting a more dedicated exercise regiment/diet soon. Bought exercising equipment, membership to the local pool. Hopefully get back into martial arts when my joints feel up to it

Want to lose weight for the cars too, can't all be on them to take the heat!

Doubt I can reach my 50kg competing weight (for Judo tourneys) but I'm aiming for 55-60 currently 79.

Anyone have tricks to lean out muscles? Mine got too bulky from construction, can't wear a lot of the shirts/jackets I loved. Well not unless I want to rip them while moving lol

I heard yoga...but really don't want to go that route if I don't need to. My physio told me the pool would be good for sure.

Yeah your going to just have to do a sh!t load of cardio if you want to shed was and not keep on the muscle.

Yeah physio said pool/dancing/yoga/cycling. I'm all good for everything but the yoga.

Anything I should try to avoid eating not to help muscles over-develop?

As long as you are just eating natural foods you should be good. Try to stick with clean fats and veggies and keep your protein to 1g per lb of body weight.

It's the wintertime, bulk while you can. Start cutting in the spring.

Yoga is great for meeting women, don't knock it till ya try it!

So how's everyone's goals coming along~!?

I finished my first round of sheiko and am pretty happy with the results, unfortunately I ran out of time on wednesday so I had to move my deadlift test which I think messed me up for my results.

I am now at 265 bench, 385 squat and 395 dead, also these are actuals, I used to use calculated maxes which I have put a stop too as with weights like these I could end up hurting myself.
For this next circuit I would like to get my bench up another 20 if I can, would like to hit 405 with the squat and deadlift. If I am right I think my deadlift didn't move because I did it today instead of wednesday, if that's true then I may see an even bigger move than just 405 which I am obviously hoping for.

I'm coming along.

I had to take a month or so off after a surgery to fix my hearing, wasn't allowed to lift anything over 5 lbs.

I was down to 215 but I've put a bit back on - I'm 228 as of this AM. Weird thing is I look leaner in certain spots (expect my damned belly!).
Still doing the Keto diet, absolutely love it and have never felt better in my life - all the weird little issues I've dealt with over the years are gone now.

Was doing a 5x5 program for a couple months and now I'm starting into PHAT training (higher volume which my body responds to better).
Before Christmas I did a 320 lbs Deadlift so I was pleased with that.

That's good stuff, for pinch test all my fat is on my legs and my belly.

Nice work!! That's good progress!

So Ill jump in here now..
We have a fat burning contest at work.
6 weeks ago I weighed in at 224 and a body fat % of 26.5
Last week I weighed 205 and a body fat% of 21!

Me and Sandra are doing the 21day fix... its a px90sorta thing.

Remember this is sorta long over due recovery from blood clot and a sever damaged lung.

its not easy!

You're doing good Jay! We all start somewhere

Good to see this thread still going.

After taking six months off to recuperate from injuries and spend time with my kids, I have returned to the gym since beginning of March.

Was really sore for the first few times, but I'm starting to get back to my regular weight lifting.

I'd like to get to 350 for my bench and hit 70 for my single curls by end of the year...but we'll see where my spotting partners are.

I did a lot of isometrics in the off time...very interesting stuff.

And now it's hard core stretching for the summer football season.

I need to keep up with the 20 year olds! LOL

damn son 350!! How much you weigh, what's your current bench at?

Lol I will be 29 this year so want to keep the momentum up so I don't start slipping in my 30s

Hey hey...those of us in our 30s aren't that bad...

Bryan...
Let's just say I started lifting my first weight before you were born.

If you keep up with it, you can make lots of gains.
You just need more TLC afterwards (stretch, protein, proper foods, jump rope, isometrics etc).

I'm about 255lbs...wish I could eat better, but the kids are first priority (I have four).

Don't believe ANYONE who says you can't improve your physical condition past 40.

Haha wow good stuff that you keep it up. Ok maybe I will get into a habit like that now so I don't have issues in the future, I currently deal with light knee pain and random shots of pain in my back (this one is new, happened twice in the past few months)

Yeah we are on our first right now. The wife has been doing a fantastic job on dinner this past few weeks cause she wants to get healthier so it's been great, I have no problem keeping my meals in check when I am at work, it's when I am at home that I start having issues.

Good to know!! I always worry that once I get there progression will be very slow.

I wish I still had n00b gains like when I first started working out.

Hell even fat loss is crazy slow these days.

Haha, I still get noob gains sometimes when I change up my program, obviously not like I did back then but still some pretty good jumps.

What program are you doing these days?

I am on my second round of sheiko, will be testing again in 4 weeks.

What are you doing now?

I'm doing Layne Norton's PHAT right now.
Loving it, my body seems to respond well to training 5 times a week and varying load.

Interesting, if you like that program you should really check out project mass. Very similar concept except 3 days strength, rest, 3 days hypertrophy, rest and repeat. At first it was weird having my work out days change but you get into the rhythm

One of the reasons I can still do the weight is in large part due to my Chiropractor.

He's been able to change the way I do things so that I can continue to make gains and deal with my age.

Your pains worry me.
I crippled myself at age 23 in a plain era of stupidity. Took years to heal.
Get yourself checked out and ensure that when you're 50, the young ladies are still checking you out.

There's an interesting study going on that tracked families of weight lifters. They said it only takes a lazy generation to lose the benefits your genes have built up by being active.

They also point out that most of these people were highly active until a life changing incident. And the fact that they were active kept them alive. AND life expectancy is higher.

So keep on the health track...but know when to hit the pit stop!

Yeah and I also have a shoulder injury that seems to disappear and come back randomly. I should also add that I think this is an issue with rotary cuff in total as all my issues surround my should and are not just in one area, I have started physio on it and it seems to be getting better but it's a slow process, and I also have the bad habit of stopping the exercises as soon as everything feels great.

Yeah it's been a while since I have done a checkup like that so probably a good idea if I do.

I'm still working on cutting down (forever cut hahaha) so it'll be the fall/winter before I worry about bulking up/putting on mass.
I have noticed a nice recomp effect with my diet/training though.
I'll check that out though.



Gotta check your ego at the door!
I find this is hard regardless of age, I've got to tell myself sometimes to back down so I don't hurt myself (again).
I shagged up my knee last year (muscle imbalance and my patella slips out of place when bending my knee), dear god that was the worst pain I've ever had.
It's slowly getting better but no where near normal. Physio and stretching has helped a bit - I also get massages fairly often.
Thinking about trying yoga a couple times on my off week.

Oddest thing, my knee feels 100% when I've got 225lbs on my back doing ass to grass squats lol.

I leaned out during project mass, I think the best part is the diet he perscribes in that program is less strict than what you are doing so you will fit in well. The guy that created this program pushes keto a lot so you guys would get a long well, haha.

Ego used to be an issue for me, I always tried to push when I was failing, now I just drop it cause I would rather not injur myself.
sh!t that sounds painful!!

The say that the key to keeping your knees safe!

Hahaha, I love the keto diet - been such a god send for me. I should post up my blood test results (cholesterol), the change in only a year is unreal.

I've certainly changed my way of lifting over the past couple years.

My wife was concerned with my cholesterol now that I eat a low carb diet so I got it tested at the doctor and he said all good.

I am back to where I started, I took a break to try body building for a while but that's about it.

^ You have a problem with cholesterol? I must be off the charts then compared to someone who eats right and works out all the time. I eat unhealthy as a habit lol

On a good gymmy-note. My personal workout regime is working tops. Stopped drinking pop, work daily at 35+ heat with sun/humid-x hauling bars, climbing jungle gyms and come home to bike 40min-1hour with sit-ups and pushups after, the basics. Going back to my Martial art training regime because I want to go back fighting Next, jumping rope and flex training.

Lost 5kgs in 3 weeks It's not a regime for everyone, but my body is used to it from training before and the work I do now.

^What trade do you work at Guillaume?
I noticed a big drop in my weight when I first started working as an Electrician wiring houses.



Dietary cholesterol and fat do not raise your blood cholesterol.
I get my blood check yearly (almost do again) and my numbers are awesome. In fact my doctor wanted more info about my diet just because my numbers were so good hahaha.

I need to get back to the gym, working 12s (more like 15s with my drive factored in) is taking up any spare time I've got.

Nice work Gui, always exiting to see some progress.

Yes agree Anthony and that's what I told her, I never actually got the results just found out if I was good or not.

I do Rebar Construction Anthony; Union 721




Carry, place, tie, climb, crawl you name it we do it. Usually haul around 2-3 tons a day on my own if it's a simple project (less tying/measurements, more carrying). Pics are for example as many don't know what rebar is, at least all my friends anyway

I always ask for a copy of the number for my records so I've got something to compare to.



I see a lot of rebar being in construction myself. Is your local Iron Workers or just rebar?

I'm an IBEW Local 2330 Shop Steward actually.

Yeah, when I see him next I will get tested again and grab the numbers.

Iron Workers: Welders, rebar etc all the works.

Nice!

Finished testing this week.
Weight 168
Bench 275
Squat 385
Dead 385
Squat form is now where it should be and I am back to what my bad for max was before, a little wobbly but I am happy.
Tried 405 deadlift again and I actually got it off the ground, so was very happy about that.
Bench is same as before but felt really good so I am happy there, going to up my numbers and see what my progress is like this next round.
Hows everyone else going?

Hey Guys!!!
I have decided to start recording my progress on my lifting in the group I created a while back.
Here is the page if you would like to follow along.
https://www.facebook.com/HomeStrength/

TLDR
Bench 285
Squat 395
Dead 405

I completely dropped the ball on recording mainly because today isn't supposed to be a max testing day.

So I am a month out of my next round of testing.
But that's not what I am most excited about, I have a lot of new things going on in the home gym.
I have moved the water softner so that it's now on the furnace side of the room, I will be removing the RO filter so that wall will soon be clear. I will then frame in the last wall for that room and then trim some of the horse mat I got and completely cover all of the floor.
I also finally got the monolift cut so I am waiting to grab those parts and weld that together. Going to be using this for unracking because with the current weight I am at it's starting to bug my shoulders.
I will be buying a new bar as mine is one of the worst ones you can get.
I also have some more welding to do with my rack to make it more sturdier and going to make some new safeties with squar tube and new j hooks for squatting.

How's everyone else coming along? Any new goals for this year?
I am hoping to compete in the 163lb class so going to try and stay around what I am now (170ish) or bulk a little and then cut to compete. I am pretty competitive at 163lb class but not even close if I go up to the 185lb class.

Give 'er Bryan!

I'm trying to fix my knee still (muscle imbalance cause patella pain/bad tracking). I'm also rehabbing my squat - starting back at body weight working on depth and form plus paying more attention to mobility and warm up/cool down.
I gained about 20-30lbs over Nov-Dec and have since lost it again, I was eating all the things.

I'm slowly cutting down again, this year will be the year I finally get pretty lean.

Nice work, see food diet is still going strong for me, I haven't weighed myself recently so not sure where I am sitting but my gut looks about the same so I think it's going to the muscles! Olivia turned one last weekend and we had a ton of left over sandwiches so that's pretty much what I have been eating all week.

I did a pre run for max testing 4 weeks before actual testing last wednesday and squat felt like sh!t as I am working on it but the other two felt amazing!

What's your goal for lean? I should be sitting around 10% after I cut down, it's been more than a year since I have been that low.

Best thing for femural patella pain syndrome is a knee brace with a cap hole. They work wonders.

Well sh!t! Today I finished another round of testing. I haven't updated here because I have been putting everything on my Facebook page, link below.
https://www.facebook.com/HomeStrength/

I am almost done my bulk and I am sitting around 180lbs. Lifts have progress beautifully, and I am very happy with my Rogue Ohio Power Bar.

BW: 180
Bench: 295
Squat: 435
Deadlift: 425

Deadlift seems to be sticking a bit so need to keep working on that and squats felt great but my form is off a little so I want to work on that before pushing for bigger numbers. I need a new bench and then I will definitely be able to do 305, and will probably get 3 plates after the next round which would be amazing.

How's everyone else progressing?