Fitness Challenge for 2011

Mojo_666

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Here you go. In the "before" I had already lost close to 10 lbs by giving up sugary drinks. Had not officially started any diet. The after is about 2 months ago, so I have lost a few more lbs since then. You can see more definition in my stomach, chest and shoulders now. I was about 285 in the before. You can't see my legs, but my hipps were nearly as wide as my shoulders! I'm down from a 46 to a 34 in pants.

Photoshop ftw

[FONT=&quot]Seriously that is an amazing change, you look quite literally half the man you used to be and a buff one at that, what is the reaction like from people who knew that chubby you? Have you had anyone walk right past you or anything like that?
[/FONT]

Excellent1

RobertKaucher wrote: »

We have posted on and off about this for a little while now. It normally comes up around the New Year. So I figured I'd get it going again.

My fitness goal for 2011 is to shed about 15 lbs of fat putting me in the 7% body fat range before Spring 2011. Since 2008 I have lost over 110 lbs of fat, and this is the last phase of my overall plan. I've had a few set backs this year (work, deaths in the family, etc), so I am hoping to really push this to the end and achieve my final goal.

It's so much harder once you get to the low percentage of body fat ("excellent" zone) for your age group to really push beyond it into the so-called "athlete" zone unless you really have the time to dedicate to it.

As some of you already know I follow the Paleo Diet, which means except for controlled cheats (i.e. a special occassion like Thanksgiving where I have to eat some of my Wife's chocolate pie) all of my food is veggies/fruits, followed by lean meats and then by seeds/nuts. So my main challenge is really to find a way to cut calories in my meals without sending myself into a starvation binge because my main source of calories is also my protien...

My exercise plan is three days of structured weight lifting, two days cardio (sprints one, walking the second) and then a 6th day of Olympic Lifting (lighter weight, higher intenisty). Sat - Mon (weight training), Tues (sprints), Wed (Olympic Lifts), Thurs (walking), Fri (off).

And I have been having great success with that since about July of this year, so I will be sticking with it.

So what are your fitness goals for the New Year? And how are you going about accomplishing them?

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all.

With regards to this post, this is an interesting topic to me. I guess I'll start by saying: I'm the fat guy. Well, rather, I was the fat guy. I weighed 230 when I was 13 years old and started playing football, haha. I spent the next 20 years living in total neglect of my body, physically. By the time I was 24 I was already over 300 pounds. I spent most of the last decade around 330-345 pounds, and topped out at 347 around 16 months ago.

I weigh 204 now.

A lot of people ask me what I did to lose all that weight. The truth is that I think most of us know how to lose the weight: you eat right and exercise. There is no great mystery in how to do it. The better question is: how do you stay motivated to be disciplined, day in and day out? It's easy to hit that first workout, or eat that first healthy meal. Then you start considering the coming days/weeks/months/years of those workouts and healthy meals and that's when it's easy to give in. The answer I found for that discipline was my faith. You will have to find something that anchors you, that allows you to hit that workout after a tiring day and not fall back into your previous love affair with Little Debbie.

I want to thank Robert for starting this thread and congratulate him on his journey. I also want to encourage everyone reading this that if you're out of shape, you CAN lose weight. If I can lose 142.6 pounds, ANYONE can. (I'm not done yet, either.) Not to go into my life story, but I was on 3 different blood sugar medications, 2 different blood pressure medications, and my legs were in such bad shape from the diabetes and poor circulation that I had been counseled by my doctor to understand that amputation was a real potential in my future. I was also so big that when I was having chest pain a few years ago I couldn't do a normal stress test like most people by riding the exercise bike or the treadmill at the doctor's office. I was too fat for the equipment (if you're over 300 pounds, they make you take a chemical to speed up and "stress" your heart for the test).

I'm now off of all medication, my blood pressure and sugar are better than normal, and my resting heart rate is in the low 50's. I've gone from a 50 inch waist to a 34, and the 34's are starting to get a little baggy. I still have a lot of body fat to lose, and I still have a long way to go, but again, if I can do it, anyone can. I'm not on any fancy diet, I didn't take potions, pills, powders, P90X, or any other fad exercise video. I'm not knocking any of these things, but the truth is that losing weight is a simple equation: expend more than you take in. There are variables, and you definitely don't want to starve yourself into losing weight, as that only works against you by dropping your metabolism through the floor and creating malnutrition.

What I found is that if you sit down, look at the calorie counters online, look at the foods you enjoy eating and their calorie costs and nutritional value, and simply put together a list of foods that you enjoy eating and that have relatively high nutritional value, you can make your own diet that will help you be successful. Yes, you will have to add foods that you probably don't enjoy right now. That's not a bad thing though. I have an egg white and spinach omelet with chicken for breakfast everyday, for example. I know this might sound hard to believe, but I had never eaten spinach before...now if I don't get my omelet, I am depressed--I love that thing, haha.

Anyway, this post is turning into a novel, so my apologies. I just really feel strongly about encouraging others that they can lose weight. I am not one of those guys that ballooned up to a high weight, then "got back in shape". I have never, in my entire life, been in shape. So if I can do it, pretty much anyone can. Just get started, it's worth it.

Good luck to all on their 2011 goals.

Mojo_666

Excellent1 wrote: »

What I found is that if you sit down, look at the calorie counters online, look at the foods you enjoy eating and their calorie costs and nutritional value, and simply put together a list of foods that you enjoy eating and that have relatively high nutritional value, you can make your own diet that will help you be successful.

This is so true I don't get people who follow regular diets they seem to hard to floow I ruled out some foods a ruled in others for me the main ones I got rid of were.

Fizzy Sugar Drinks (now diet drinks only and less of them, you get used to that tatse)
Beer (Weekends Only, mostly just friday or Saturday, not both)
Bread (This was tough, I just eat less of it)
Pasta (Was never a huge fan anyway)
Rice (See Pasta)
Mayo (I use half fat and less of it, lots less)
Deserts (I will have a desert maybe once a fortnight now and no cream on top)
Fast Food (Once a week and better fast food and without all the trimmings and toppings and sides)

My main meal which I love is Tuna mixed with cucumber, cherry tomatos sweet corn onions and maybe some peppers mixed in the some half fat mayo but just enough to coat it all lightly.

Having just cut that lot out as reduced my weight by 30lbs in 4 months. I started excercising just recently after I quit smoking (51 days now, and yes I do have an app for that), most weight loss is done by diet not excercise, exercise helps and it helps to keep your mind off food but the reality is, 1 can of coke will take a 25 minute run to work off, it is so much easier to just have a diet drink, then if you do manage the 20 min run that is a bonus loss, thats how I work it, I do not have to exercise but not having the preasure makes it so much easier

RobertKaucher

UnixGuy wrote: »

yes I tried some of these before and they have magical impact, but aren't you afraid of any potential side effects ? some people these things have serious side effects on the kindey..

So long as I am not exceeding the suggested dosage and I am also not overdoing the protein, I'm not too worried. I'm fairly sure that issues like that are seen very, very rarely in people who are following the guidelines and don't already have some sort of kidney problem.

phoeneous

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

I'm like 5'7. The max I have ever been able to bench was like 275. I'd like to get to the 350-400 range but mostly I just want to look hott in a speedo lol.

Seriously though. How long did it take you to get to 3 stacks?

Check your pm.

za3bour

My goal is pretty simple, I wanna lose 3-4 KG and come back to Gym, I've been off for around 6 months but I just wanna go back to my routine which was 4days a week and do some walking/bicycle over the weekend.

earweed

3 years ago I was at 345 (6'3") and went on a diet no fried foods..period, no bread, occasional pasta ( for carbs) and rarely ate red meat (always lean) and combined this with mostly low impact, light weights, stationary bike. Can't do running as the work I used to do combined with the weight destroyed my knees (no cartilige at all left) and it worked for me. I got down to 185 which was actually as small as I should be for my body type (tall with short legs, mostly torso so my ideal weight is actually higher for my height)
I had some bad personal problems over the last year and gained back a lot of my weight and just this week got back on the diet and exercise routine. I'm at 260 now (i eat more when I get depressed)
Seeing Roberts picture there inspired me to hit it harder. I was in that shape a year and a half ago (with head hair and minus the chest sweater..lol) and aim to get back.
My daughter seems to be following in my weight gain over the last year so I'm gonna get her involved in my trek so that we both get the benefits.

RobertKaucher

It seems like there are a few people here who want to slim down. One thing I want to point out here: a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit. It does not matter how you get it (diet alone or diet/exercise) but the fact is we want to "look good" when we shed the fat so working out is important. The point being diet is literally 90% of the effort or more. You can squat and bench until you are dead and still not shed a single % of body fat. And it is the fat that hides your muscle.

earweed

Also it should be noted that exercise changes (increases) your metabolism and that leam muscle helps you to burn more fat.

I also have thyroid issues as I have Graves disease and had to do the radioactive iodine teatment to burn out my thyroid about 10 years back. I have to take synthetic thyroid hormone and when I change my eating/exercise habits I have to do extra labs and have dosages adjusted. I also found out that I have a digestive disorder where my digestive system doesn't process stuff right so I have to ensure I get enough calories from protein. I eat a lot of poultry/ fish/ nuts.

If you are seriously overweight you should see a doctor about the type of diet/exercise you are going to be doing and have a complete physical done.

eMeS

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Here you go. In the "before" I had already lost close to 10 lbs by giving up sugary drinks. Had not officially started any diet. The after is about 2 months ago, so I have lost a few more lbs since then. You can see more definition in my stomach, chest and shoulders now. I was about 285 in the before. You can't see my legs, but my hipps were nearly as wide as my shoulders! I'm down from a 46 to a 34 in pants.

That's amazing! You do look like a different person.

MS

qcomer

PhildoBaggins wrote: »

I spent half of 2010 recovering from power lifting injuries...compressed bones in my hand and wrist, pulled groin, tore a small amount of my left delt. I would love to do this, i have gone from fat-buff to just fat in the past 6 months.

In march 2010 my stats were...

6'4 322lbs 27years old
425lb bench press
1640lb leg press
720lb dead lift
365lb incline press for 4 reps
450lb squats for reps

now i'm wimpy again lol...Once I start a new job I will be on the fat loss trail and maybe start some lifting again

Pretty good man.

Here are my stats currently:
5'6" 194 lbs 22yrs old maybe about 10% bodyfat? Never been tested.
315lb Barbell bench press (5 reps) - 135 lb dumbell press x6
285lb barbell inline press (5 reps) - 125lb dumbell press x5
915lb Leg Press (didnt max - this was where i stopped when working up)
450lb dead lift
425lb squat for 5 reps.

My goal is to get to about 210lbs by march and then start cutting and possibly enter a local bodybuilding competition in May. If I dont get to it, its fine there is always others. If I decide to stay at the same weight and not enter, I might cut down a few pounds to about 188lbs and enter a local power lifting competition.

Galacticus

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertKaucher
What's your strategy? 5-10 lbs of lean mass is a lot. That will really be a big change in size and strength for you!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Priston
i'm 22 now, and about 3-4 years ago I was around 130-135 lbs, no change in height over those years. Yea, 10 lbs for 1 year is definitly unrealistic, but i'm sure if I ate more food I could do 5 lbs.

Maybe I should have originally said My fitness goal is to gain 5-10 pounds without increasing my body fat percentage.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertKaucher
I knew what you meant. 10 lbs isn't impossible.


Hey guys,

some great comments on here! First of all, to all the guys who have worked so hard to lose weight, good for you man!! Some amazing stuff!

I have a sort of a different dilemma though. And it's not a "rub it in" kind of thing, this actually causes people to say things to me about my weight! I have friends always telling me that I'm skinny and need to be fattened up. Like Priston, my challenge is to put ON weight. Maybe you guys will be able to shed some light on this for me?

Most of my buddies are bigger guys and eat well, but I usually don't have a problem keeping up with intake, my metabolism is fast and I'm in my 30's. I think some of it is genetics, but I don't want to give up on putting and keeping healthy weight on.

As a teen, I was steady 165lbs. At 16, I had a series of neck injuries that brought me to 127lbs. Over the years, I struggled to gain weight back. Then about 5 years ago, I spent a full year (and a lot of cash) on a personal trainer and gained about 15lbs. I went from 135 to hovering just above 150 with only 6% body fat (steady for months). Then, life happens, you get busy, fitness falls by the wayside, and people around you start to make comments.

Now, I want to say, I am pretty sensitive to not make comments about my buddies with extra weight, so it has really started to aggravate me lately that it seems to be okay for people to make the same kind of comments about me being so thin. Now, I just want to do something about it. My friends comment, their family comments, co-workers comment, my girlfriend comments, you get the picture.

I'm 5'9" sitting at around 135 right now and everybody seems keen on "fattening me up". Well, I'm eating more and much healthier now that I've begun to focus on it, but I don't just want to swing the pendulum the other way either.

Any helpful suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks guys!!

Curtis

RobertKaucher

Galacticus wrote: »

I'm 5'9" sitting at around 135 right now and everybody seems keen on "fattening me up". Well, I'm eating more and much healthier now that I've begun to focus on it, but I don't just want to swing the pendulum the other way either.

Any helpful suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks guys!!

Curtis

Talk to your Dr. It sounds like you are actually under weight, so putting on some decent muscle should not be a problem for you. I offer this advice for informational purposes only. Again, you shuold talk to your Dr. first.

You need to eat more. And I don't mean more calorie rich food like cakes or burgers, but more real food and more frequently. Many people who are skinny have a reputation for being big eaters but they actually eat less than most people during the day.

Check out these articles:
Bodybuilding.com - Mass Gain Diets Articles!

RobertKaucher

earweed wrote: »

Also it should be noted that exercise changes (increases) your metabolism and that leam muscle helps you to burn more fat.

This is very true. But these things are minimal when compared to the effects of cutting calories - but essential when it comes to the balllance you have to strike. Cut too many calories and you ruin your metabolic rate. Cut too few calories and your increased metabolism has almost no impact. Once a dieter gets some experience and knowledge you can find that spot where you are buring fat optimally. But if you are just working out without cutting calories and relying on an increased metabolic rate to drop pounds, you are going to plateau after just a few months and the first month will be almost all water due to the changes in you physical activity.

Galacticus

Robert, thanks for your advice man.

I have some homework to do, and I'll be seeing my doctor.

Happy thanksgiving weekend, all the best! God bless.

cains

@Robert. Are you sure you are the same person on those pictures ??
That is f******* awesome job you done to your self. Really impressive.

@ The rest of you.

Also some great things you done to your self. And for those of you that are not there yet.. You will defently get there. Just keep up the good work.

My story.
33years
184cm
87,5kg at the moment.
17,5% fat

In march i hit 97,6 (23% fat) and told my self that it had to end. Starting exercise 1 april. Spinning 2 x 1 hour a week. 1may i started exercise boxing as well. So since then till now its boxing 2x2 hours a week. Spinning 2x1 a week and 1,5 hour of body spinning as we call it. (its 0,5hour spinning and then 1hour of different body pump work. Triceps, biceps, sjipping, push ups, and then finish off with around 5min of sit ups, and some back practice and push ups again)

The goal i made 1april was 85kg by 31dec. So im getting close. But last 1,5month i only lost 1kg.

Im having problem getting the final step of my plan. I still have a lot off fat on my stomach. And just cant seem to get rid of it.
My plan is to be down to 82,5kg by 1april. (thats my next goal/dream)
And hopefully some abs will show by then.

Gl everyone with your goals.. Im sure we all can archieve it. Or at least get really close

RobertKaucher

Just wanted to say thanks to you guys for the kind words. I'll be checking back in this February to show the final results. With luck I'll be well into the single digits of % body fat.

I hope to see another post like this near Nov/Dec 2011 with all your results. GL!

ehnde

UnixGuy wrote: »

yes I tried some of these before and they have magical impact, but aren't you afraid of any potential side effects ? some people these things have serious side effects on the kindey..

Kidneys AND liver. Lots of fruits and veggies is the way to go. Also eat fish and nuts, drink milk....the human body is not a computer. You're not upgradeable or replaceable! I was using the recommended daily amounts of a creatine supplement and it was causing abnormal liver enzyme levels.

Now as far as goals go - I'm shooting for a half marathon in March. Been training for months. I currently run ~16 miles/week.

UnixGuy

ehnde wrote: »

Kidneys AND liver. Lots of fruits and veggies is the way to go. Also eat fish and nuts, drink milk....the human body is not a computer. You're not upgradeable or replaceable! I was using the recommended daily amounts of a creatine supplement and it was causing abnormal liver enzyme levels.

Now as far as goals go - I'm shooting for a half marathon in March. Been training for months. I currently run ~16 miles/week.

that's what I do, I drink low fat milk, eggs whites, chicken, lots of tuna, and nuts.

but the problem is, losing fat is not easy if you don't cut on the food...and when I cut on food, lifting weight becomes unbearbly difficult but I'm trying to lose fat and build muscles at the same time, slowly though

earweed

Thanksgiving this year was a non-issue calorie-wise. Our feast was cut short by a family medical emergency. I did get a big wake up call as it was finally cold enough that I had to break out my winter coat. My wife bought it for me 3 years ago (leather Bama Coat) and by the time I got it that Christmas (while I was slimmed down) it looked about 2 sizes too big. I put it on yesterday and it fits just right, last year at this time it was WAY too big.
Spent some time today getting the stationary bike tuned up for duty and my weights out of the closet. Gonna check on gyms nearby (at least within 1/2 hour anyway) with a pool as swimming and low im,pact water aerobics are a good fit for me (knees shot so running or anything with impact on knees is out of question) and threw out the wifes favorite cooking tool (Deep fryer)
My brother works at Tyson so I get some good deals on Bulk skinless bonelesschicken breasts as that is a staple on the diet I used before along with fish and nuts. When time allows next week, if ground isn't froze, I'll be doing prep on my garden so next spring and summer that'll be another source of exercise as well as fresh veggies.

Hopefully this time next year I'll be looking like RK.

Excellent1

earweed wrote: »

Thanksgiving this year was a non-issue calorie-wise. Our feast was cut short by a family medical emergency. I did get a big wake up call as it was finally cold enough that I had to break out my winter coat. My wife bought it for me 3 years ago (leather Bama Coat) and by the time I got it that Christmas (while I was slimmed down) it looked about 2 sizes too big. I put it on yesterday and it fits just right, last year at this time it was WAY too big.
Spent some time today getting the stationary bike tuned up for duty and my weights out of the closet. Gonna check on gyms nearby (at least within 1/2 hour anyway) with a pool as swimming and low im,pact water aerobics are a good fit for me (knees shot so running or anything with impact on knees is out of question) and threw out the wifes favorite cooking tool (Deep fryer)
My brother works at Tyson so I get some good deals on Bulk skinless bonelesschicken breasts as that is a staple on the diet I used before along with fish and nuts. When time allows next week, if ground isn't froze, I'll be doing prep on my garden so next spring and summer that'll be another source of exercise as well as fresh veggies.

Hopefully this time next year I'll be looking like RK.

Sorry to hear you had an emergency over the holiday. I hope everyone is ok.

As for the exercise, I agree with tuning up the stationary bike. I have now lost 145.6 (lost another 1.2 this week) pounds, and I work out 6 days a week, 3 cardio, 3 strength training, alternated. For my cardio, I use a stationary bike. Some people dismiss it, but I'm telling you it will flat out work, if you use it to its fullest potential. I usually do 9-10 miles at 65% resistance for a decent workout. I'll do the first couple miles on a lower resistance (50%) at a moderate rate (18mph or so), then I do my version of HIIT for the last 7-8 miles, which is .30 miles at 21 mph, followed by .20 miles at a lower speed. I usually maintain a 147 heart rate during my intervals, so it works for me.

Anyway, I know a lot of people that scoff at bikes for cardio, but I'm living proof that they work. As with any exercise, though, the real payoff comes from eating correctly. I completely agree with your comments about stocking up on chicken. I love the stuff, and if you're a carnivore like I am, it's one of the best foods to eat.

Take all this with a grain of salt, though. I'm not one of those guys that claims to know everything about losing weight, but I do know what is working for me can work for anyone, because you would be hard pressed to find someone who was in worse shape than I was. You say you were at 345, well, I weighed 2 pounds more than you and I'm an inch shorter. Never thought I'd actually lose weight, but now that I've changed my lifestyle, it just keeps coming off. I have no plans to return to my previous love affair with Little Debbie, so I'm not anticipating any regression.

Good luck with your weight loss, in any case.

powerfool

Being that this is a certification website I thought that I would share a fitness certification that I thought I might pursue. There is some certification out there for Russian Kettlebell. Russian Kettlebell training has become a test used by the CIA for field agent evaluation, as I recall.

I am definitely nowhere near the kind of shape I would need to be in. In 2009, I broke my left wrist doing a shoulder press with a substantial weight; it was mostly due to not using proper form. I was on a roll that year and had put on about ten pounds and reduced my body fat substantially. I tried continuing my exercise while letting my wrist heal, but it became problematic. I could still actually bear weight, cleared by a doctor, so long as I didn't feel pain. The break was in one of the small bones in my wrist and it was actually ripped in half by a tendon snapping tense. In any event, I put on more weight in 2009 and my body fat went up. In 2010, I have been travelling and working a new job that requires more time in the morning to prepare, a longer drive, and quite a walk in the parking lot... which has ruined my moral and motivation to do the kind of exercise that I need to do, and has limited my time for such exercising.

I need to use the next fews weeks to get into a roll with my sleep, work moral, and nutrition. If I can do that, I will be ready to start doing P90X again, which is always a good way to get in shape for those that can handle it. If I run through two cycles of that in the first half of 2011, I could probably start preparing for the Russian Kettlebell certification. We'll see... I need one of those snap moments to occur where I truly decide to do something. It is never something I can predict, I just have to become totally committed to the idea and have the proper motivation. Ever big decision I have made has been one of the snap decisions, when it comes to actually doing something. Sure, I think about it for a long time... essentially analysis paralysis, but when it comes to committing, it is usually somewhere out of the blue.

RobertKaucher

What is the point in holding a new cert out infront of a bunch of cert junkies without giving us a link?

Turgon

PhildoBaggins wrote: »

I was maxing about 275 mid 2009. I was over benching, and generally lifting like I had been since high school.

I slowed down, worked on my techniques for all major compound lifts. 6 months later I had put on 30lbs of muscle and was nearly twice as strong, of course I have a massive base to start with (6'4 300+) but nothing feels better in the gym then bending bars.

As soon as I'm out of this "getting laid off and into a new role" period i'm going to start heavy training again...I would like to hit 500 on bench and over 800 on dead...I would be really happy with that.

All the information and advice I received when I lifted over the years tells me it is impossible to put on 30lbs of muscle in six months naturally.

Turgon

RobertKaucher wrote: »

We have posted on and off about this for a little while now. It normally comes up around the New Year. So I figured I'd get it going again.

My fitness goal for 2011 is to shed about 15 lbs of fat putting me in the 7% body fat range before Spring 2011. Since 2008 I have lost over 110 lbs of fat, and this is the last phase of my overall plan. I've had a few set backs this year (work, deaths in the family, etc), so I am hoping to really push this to the end and achieve my final goal.

It's so much harder once you get to the low percentage of body fat ("excellent" zone) for your age group to really push beyond it into the so-called "athlete" zone unless you really have the time to dedicate to it.

As some of you already know I follow the Paleo Diet, which means except for controlled cheats (i.e. a special occassion like Thanksgiving where I have to eat some of my Wife's chocolate pie) all of my food is veggies/fruits, followed by lean meats and then by seeds/nuts. So my main challenge is really to find a way to cut calories in my meals without sending myself into a starvation binge because my main source of calories is also my protien...

My exercise plan is three days of structured weight lifting, two days cardio (sprints one, walking the second) and then a 6th day of Olympic Lifting (lighter weight, higher intenisty). Sat - Mon (weight training), Tues (sprints), Wed (Olympic Lifts), Thurs (walking), Fri (off).

And I have been having great success with that since about July of this year, so I will be sticking with it.

So what are your fitness goals for the New Year? And how are you going about accomplishing them?

I used to lift three times a week and do some swimming. With my busy work schedule and family life I will settle for getting out the house a bit more, quitting smoking and perhaps swimming twice a week. That will be fine for me. Once we move house I shall probably put some bars in a spare room for some stretching. Our diet is very balanced with all the transfats and rubbish out. All fresh home cooked food. I think if you have that and do something active a couple of times a week you are usually sorted out without gyms and fancy diet schedules.

phoeneous

A jump rope + hiit = your friend.

RobertKaucher

phoeneous wrote: »

A jump rope + hiit = your friend.

I use HIIT in my cardio as well. Sprinting, not jump rope. I'm a very firm believer in it. I also use the same princliples when I do Olympic Lifting (snatch, clean and jerk, dead lifts).

@Excellent1 - I know the static cardio works. But I am a firm believer that if you get off the bike and onto a track or do something that requires full body movement (even "spinning" classes) you will see a huge difference.

PhildoBaggins

Turgon wrote: »

All the information and advice I received when I lifted over the years tells me it is impossible to put on 30lbs of muscle in six months naturally.

Alot of that 30lbs is water in the muscle cells... When you stop lifting for a while that added 30lbs of LBM dies down to about 15lbs of added LBM.

Lift with a bunch of power lifters who are all 6'4-6'7 and 300+ lbs for a while, its possible. I lifted 2 hours a day and ate a 5000 calorie + diet. Its very possible and its very taxing on your body. 99% of the guys in the gym don't think a lot is possible, and most don't know what its like to push enough weight to snap bones, or how far you really have to go to get to a 500lb bench or 800lb squat.

Most people go in to hit cardio and some weights to improve their health and this is what everyone should be doing. Most of the power lifters I know in this area are stupid strong, but we all have creaks, aches, pains, torn muscle stories, broken bone stories etc... Its all how much you put into it.

Steroids by themselves don't make you any stronger, they just help a ton with recovery and growth. I have never taken steroids. I have taken a lot of legal over the counter (GNC and Vitamin Shoppe / bodybuilding.com) supplements and some do help. Super Pump 250, Novedex, Jack3d are more than enough to help anyone along with packing on muscle. The people I know who have taken steroids usually hit 315 on bench and then thats it, their lives are complete and they feel macho. All the guys I know who are in the 1500lb club or 2000lb club are drug free.

Don't tell me its not possible without injecting something or taking illegal pills....I lift until I crap my pants, bleed from my nose, pass out, and throw up. I don't watch the pretty girls, I don't high five the "bros" and I don't talk shop. I had to put 2 hours + a week on bench press alone for a year to get over the 400 mark, I had to relearn everything I knew about benching. I had to relearn dead lifts for my body style to safetly get over 600lbs. I had to eat 6 large meals a day until I was miserable.

I don't know where you got your information but it may take a 5'10 170lb guy using steroids to gain that much LBM but at 6'4 and 300+ its not that big a deal.

RobertKaucher

PhildoBaggins wrote: »

Alot of that 30lbs is water in the muscle cells... When you stop lifting for a while that added 30lbs of LBM dies down to about 15lbs of added LBM.

I knew this would be an issue of vocabulary when I saw your post and then Turgon's reply. Don't forget intermuscular fat. Powerlifters can gain so much because of a combo of muscle, intermuscular fat and H20. Most heavy lifters have a % BF around 15% or more.

You just can't lift heavy without the calories. If you do, over-training and then injury wait around the corner.

wheez

Thought I'd add my plan here as well. I've been gaining and losing weight for years now, starting and quiting exercising at pretty much the same times, so at least that makes sense..

I'm about 6'1 and quite muscular, but got really worrying a couple of month's ago when I got close to 100kg. Since then I've started running / jogging for approx. 30 mins. every other day. Everyone tells me it gets better after a while, but to be honest I still hate it! I have lost about 10 kg since starting though and plan to lose 8-10 more in the next three months. That's just by running, lifting weights and eating a bit more healthier.

I don't see too many roadblocks loosing that weight and think it'll be harder to keep in shape. It seems to easy to go too far, making every calory count, or to go back to how I was three months ago and I don't really want to go either way..