How is my progress and any tips?

[Darklon]

Okay, so I started working out again after about 6 months of starvation and drug abuse and I went through a spiritual change which I am sure none of you want to hear about lol.

I would like to know what your opinions on my progress is and if you have any tips for helping my gain mass, my real main goal is to make my arms look much better from the front view and to improve my pecs. I am not so worried about abs right now as it is not hard to get those, I'm just not so concentrated on them but I did incorporate them in my most recent workout that I have posted a picture for.

My first picture of my super pale in black shorts is after my first workout (1/23/12) I didn't think about taking side photos at the time so I used a side photo from after my second workout (1/26/12). The other three "tanner" looking pictures are from one of my most recent workouts (3/16/12).

I have been using BSN N.O. Explode 2.0 for my pre-workout shake and ON Pro-Complex whey protein for my after-workout shake.

During my first workout I did either a 3-set or 4-set workout (3 exercises per set), since then I have been adding sets and for the past month I have been doing 8-set workouts (24 exercises and sometimes extra) and I always listen to some heavy metal whilst working out

I will now list a typical work-out of mine.

Set 1: Bench press, underhand pull-ups, and bicep curls
Set 2: Bench press, overhand pull-ups, and triceps extensions
Set 3: Bench press, another kind of pull-up I have no name for, and preacher curls
Set 4: Bench press, triceps extensions, and squats
Set 5: Bench press, bicep curls, and another exercise I have not a name for involving a bench press and dumbbells and me lifting them horizontally from the sides to above me chest
Set 6: Bench press, triceps extensions, and squats
Set 7: Bench press, triceps extensions, and preacher curls
Set 8: Bench press, triceps extensions, and bicep curls

I hope I hit it on the money for my goals but take note that I LOVE to mix-up my routine but this is a typical one I do and they usually involve all the exercises involved in the example routine above.

I would use a barbell for my squats but I have not a power rack in my bedroom so I can not do that so I just use a really heavy dumbbell and do somewhere over 100 squats purposely forgetting to count and going back to my last remembered number so I end up doing a lot more

I would love to hear what you all have to say.

Namaste, peace and love.

Edit: I forgot to mention my weight started around 140 Ib and I am 145 Ib now.

[Darklon]

Bump.

[SamMatla]

Spiritual Change, can you PM me? I'd like to hear about it I think

[Darklon]

Spiritual Change, can you PM me? I'd like to hear about it I think

Yeah man, I'll write a pm about the experience after I get back from school later.

[Darklon]

Actually, I'll just post it here, I have always been a loser for the most part (whether I went along and played that part is another story). I never understood why but I feel like it has been something that followed me from elementary since most of the kids in my area are HUGE gossipers and asswipes lmao, so any small thing I did wrong became my social downfall later in middle school for absolutely no reason I understand. It may be because I have been known not able to take embarrassment very easily at all, and from there all my major short-comings started to develop. Everyone at my school treated me like ****, even the teachers, I though maybe I'm some sort of demon child or something and I didn't know it. I take back the thing about the teachers hating, half the teachers hated me, maybe I was too smart for them, I don't know. (I forgot to mention I have always seemed to have been super pale and skinny)

At that point all my insecurities were now developed to the point where I trembled and hid inside myself if I thought for a second someone looked at me, sheltered inside an ugly, weak, pale body. I know it is not like I am a child in the middle of an Ugandan war or rebellion but I felt that my life was hell and all I wanted was for it to end, it is driving me to suicide. All I felt was sadness, anger, and hate. Every summer I was as lonely as one could be only having family; mom, dad, younger brother, and older sister about to graduate.

In 8th grade I tried to fit in again, I tried to become a skater. I was getting good at it too, actually practiced for hours every day, I was serious about it. I wasn't just doing it for some stupid fad, I really wanted to fit in. Still hated, maybe even worse I found no love there.

High school was supposed to be different and it really wasn't. I joined NJROTC and I rose through the ranks in there easily due to sheer determination and will. I stayed in for a year and a half and was a platoon commander looking at being commanding officer of the unit in my junior year due to dumbass upper-classmen. I never found the love I wanted still and yes I had a few girlfriends since highschool started but I always found jocks stealing my girlfriends just as easily as they stole everything else from me before. (During 9th grade I won a rap competition through competing against thousands of other students and one first place free styling too, no love there either though)

And so I was tired of it all so I asked my stoner friend if I could try weed since he offered it before. first time was one of those I don't feel it moment considering how most people feel nothing first time. I wanted to go out with this stoner chick and so I was wanting to buy some dank and smoke her out. This kid I met in class was growing dank, I wanted to buy he said it would be ready in a week (I needed it within 2 weeks). As time went one it never was ready as it seems their plant turned out to be **** cause they didn't dry it right or something so I was like **** it man, bitch doesn't matter anyways, all she cares about is dumbass rap and blood **** anyways. I ended up hanging out with my new friend and his brother and I started buying regulary like an ounce or half-ounce a week or so of korn working my ass off like a mother****er trying to make the money off of chores and dealing (I was always an honest dealer btw ). I got hooked on tabs (extasy) and was addicted for a while and got off that **** by smoking weed 24/7 all day long every day non-stop, and sometimes my **** was laced too. It felt like I couldn't live without considering I couldn't sleep and couldn't eat without it and my friends wee always smoking and they were already mega tolerant to it at the time so it is like a forced addiction. I stopped for 2 months for a girl I really liked and when I was I going to try and go out with her she left me for some dumb jock AS ALWAYS, they are my curse, at least the jocks I knew were, alpha male *******s. I severely wanted to DIE, I wanted the pain to stop, I wanted to go lights out. I tried to ill myself 4 times and the last time hanging almost succeeded, I woke up with horrible brain damage (I think I've recovered from that mostly now) and I ran away from home end of school year and my friend convinced me to live with him instead of taking a bunch of morphine and getting wasted so I would drown in my own puke as I slept so I would have no chance of coming out alive this time. ame person who drove me to suicide bad mistake. Much of memory is so locst at this point. I know at the end of the week about a day or 2 before school ended my mom came to school and made me come home. I felt better because I knew I still had family even if I hated them at the time. We went to Florida for vactaion they stayed for a week and I stayed for a month and **** went downhill, my grandpa is a physcho and threatened to kill my and **** and I don't even understand saying something about me taking advantaqged of grandma (they are divorced) and that was never the case, in fact what he said was ****ing retarded and only a delusional psycho would think up the bull**** he came up with. My grandma hated me to now because while I was over there someone stole my money and just because I thought my cousin stole it which I am almost sure she did seeing as she was 17 or something and had easy access and more than enough reason to steal my money.

My dad took me home and the day after I came back me and my friends smoked in my room like usual except my parents called the cops and I was thrown in jail, not my friends, because it was my weed (please note I stopped smoking korn and moved to dank a long time ago because the **** wasn't strong enough). I was in jail for a week and my parents decided to bail me out which was kinda dumb in my opinion but it was their choice. Well life just sucked, I don't even want to talk about the next 4 months or so because I did **** I will always regret and never want to speak of I hope you understand.

I was tired of all this ****, recently around that time I had been experimenting with iso-chronic tones which is also known as brainwave entrainment which uses certain frequencies found in the brains of people on drugs are recreated in sound for to entrain the same frequencies into your brain and yes it does work although you might want to learn how to meditate first so you can learn how to accept the new frequencies.

I got into meditation after a while and changed one night on shrooms and decided to ditch my friend's ******* brother which forced me into things I'm not going to talk about. I've been dodging threats and stalkings and the such up until now, sometimes it still looks like a nightmare to me but I am seeing the light for once, I feel more connected to God, I am reaching a new level of consciousness. I am doing all this through self-spiritual development as I am not supportive of any Church or affiliation. Choose your own path, don't let someone else think for you, all I have to say on that.

Recently I have started working out again (btw I didn't mention it but I go to a new school now) and I want to become what I always wanted; confident, strong, courageous, bold, smart, clever, honorable, and righteous. I have definitely made A LOT of progress, BORN TO LOSE>>>BUILT TO WIN. I will not ****ing lose, this is my life and I am in control now, **** everyone who says otherwise, they can take it up to me. I am not going to let anything bring me down as I have been as far down as I will ever go, the only destination left is up.

[SamMatla]

I am not going to let anything bring me down as I have been as far down as I will ever go, the only destination left is up.

This.

[MAC250]

Congratulations on the spiritual awakening. Lifting will give you strength in more than just weight.

Good luck

[Shkimabobs]

Only looked at routine, you have no pulling movements.

[Darklon]

Thank you everyone for the replies, so my main goal is to improve the size and look of my arms from the front view other than gaining mass.

So if I worked more on the brachialis would that be a bigger step to my goal? I know preacher curls are already good for that but what about hammer curls and (lmao) hammer preacher curls?

@Shkimabobs - isn't a "pull-up" a pulling movement? lol

Edit: Also why can't I check up on my thread from the user control panel? lmao can someone tell how to find my own thread without having to search for it or go through my history?

[SamMatla]

Hammer curls will improve the outside of your biceps. If you want to check up on your thread just visit your own bodyspace and scroll down a lil' where it shows the threads you've started

[Darklon]

Hammer curls will improve the outside of your biceps. If you want to check up on your thread just visit your own bodyspace and scroll down a lil' where it shows the threads you've started

Thanks a TON man, I've been searching the forum for my own thread and checking history for it too, it was ridiculous lmao.

[WizMofo]

In my opinion, you don't have enough legs in your workouts. Your legs are 1/2 of your body, your upper body is the other 1/2. Most people spend one day a week doing legs, or only do a couple of exercises to work them (this can cause plateauing pretty quick). I've recently started doing legs twice in my 6 day cycle and have seen an increase in strength in all other lifts quite significantly. You can try this out if you want, but it only makes sense to work the other half of your body at least a proportional amount to what I work my upper body. I'm new to forums, sorry if I'm not making sense lol. And as far as progress, you've only been lifting for two months...don't be too hard on yourself if you don't see progress yet. Bodybuilding is a sport of inches, not yards..and with that said, noticeable progress can sometimes take some time to develop. So far though, you're doing good! Just keep lifting and all progress will follow right along.

[MirinMan]

u srs?

[Darklon]

In my opinion, you don't have enough legs in your workouts. Your legs are 1/2 of your body, your upper body is the other 1/2. Most people spend one day a week doing legs, or only do a couple of exercises to work them (this can cause plateauing pretty quick). I've recently started doing legs twice in my 6 day cycle and have seen an increase in strength in all other lifts quite significantly. You can try this out if you want, but it only makes sense to work the other half of your body at least a proportional amount to what I work my upper body. I'm new to forums, sorry if I'm not making sense lol. And as far as progress, you've only been lifting for two months...don't be too hard on yourself if you don't see progress yet. Bodybuilding is a sport of inches, not yards..and with that said, noticeable progress can sometimes take some time to develop. So far though, you're doing good! Just keep lifting and all progress will follow right along.

Thanks man, I've only started doing squats because someone at school suggested it would release more growth hormone considering it is the largest muscle in the body. So should I do legs half my workout or just do an all leg workout the next day or something?

[Darklon]

u srs?

Why do you say that?

[SeeOtter]

I will not ****ing lose, this is my life and I am in control now, **** everyone who says otherwise

Always remember you said this. Your mentality will take you far in life. you CANNOT lose.

[Darklon]

Always remember you said this. Your mentality will take you far in life. you CANNOT lose.

Always. Thank you, I have lost the function to "lose", it is funny because when I look at the word now it just doesn't sound like looz anymore to me, when I read it in my head I am literally reading it how it is spelled lmao of course I go back realizing that isn't the word hahaha

[JoshuaS2]

good work man. very inspirational. i would get a haircut though, you would look better with a buzzcut

[WizMofo]

Thanks man, I've only started doing squats because someone at school suggested it would release more growth hormone considering it is the largest muscle in the body. So should I do legs half my workout or just do an all leg workout the next day or something?

Whoever told you that working legs releases growth hormones is absolutely correct. Working legs allows your body to naturally produce more testosterone. Instead of working several body parts every day, I would recommend a 6 day split. Something like... 1st day- Legs (High weight, lower rep) 2nd- Chest and Biceps 3rd- Triceps and Back 4th-Shoulders and Core 5th- Legs (lower weight, higher rep) 6th- Cardio and Full body stretching

I just kinda made that up...but something like that will help you concentrate on working each body part to its potential and will ensure you will give that muscle group a good workout. You can look through other routine splits here on the website and find one that might fit your needs, but if you have questions...feel free to PM me and i'll try to answer them as best as I can!

[Darklon]

good work man. very inspirational. i would get a haircut though, you would look better with a buzzcut

Funny, I had a buzzcut when I was in NJROTC lmao who didn't there right?

I may consider as I am also trying to get a job and long hair probably doesn't help xD but my hair looks pretty cool when it's all back (before I work out hahaha) otherwise it can get pretty damn curly.

[Darklon]

Whoever told you that working legs releases growth hormones is absolutely correct. Working legs allows your body to naturally produce more testosterone. Instead of working several body parts every day, I would recommend a 6 day split. Something like... 1st day- Legs (High weight, lower rep) 2nd- Chest and Biceps 3rd- Triceps and Back 4th-Shoulders and Core 5th- Legs (lower weight, higher rep) 6th- Cardio and Full body stretching

I just kinda made that up...but something like that will help you concentrate on working each body part to its potential and will ensure you will give that muscle group a good workout. You can look through other routine splits here on the website and find one that might fit your needs, but if you have questions...feel free to PM me and i'll try to answer them as best as I can!

I'm actually doing research on what the best routines are and I actually forgot that is one of the reasons I made an account lmao, thanks for reminding me, now I'll start searching the forums tomorrow when I get on, for now though I'm going to hit the sack.

About the split routine I'll look into that tomorrow. Like I said, time to hit the sack lol. 2 AM here in Texas, at least I don't get up until 11 AM tomorrow >> charter school starts later

[MirinMan]

Why do you say that?

You don't get locked up for blazing and just numerous other parts of your story

[djsimonmlb]

In.

Way to bounce back on life... looking forward to seeing your progress. Keep us updated.

[DanBBz]

Get a better routine and start eating A LOT MORE.

[Darklon]

You don't get locked up for blazing and just numerous other parts of your story

Wow thanks man, it sounds like you didn't read... all of this is ****ing true, this is my life I've been going through and I ****ing know what happened. aside from that this is only half of what happened, I can't tell you everything.

[Darklon]

In.

Way to bounce back on life... looking forward to seeing your progress. Keep us updated.

Thanks man, I'll probably update once a month as it would be much easier to see the difference.

[420blazeit]

wat is happening in this thread