What is Your Training Level

[Obadiah!]

Okay, I tried to do a poll with my other post, but the server timed out. So here it is.

What level of training do you maintain?

[Like It Or Not]

Lift weights 3x/week, cardio 1-2x/week.

I would consider myself an intermediate.


I voted to maintain

Gotta love the cowbell! (classic, right up there with the Colonel Angus and "*ick in a box" skits)

[Minotaur]

I had to say Other/No opinion.

I am not, nor probably ever will be in contest shape; I am in this enough years to not be a noob; and I am not altogether happy with where I am, even though I have accomplished a lot (no body dysmorphia). Having a couple of endocrine and metabolic issues (yes, it's my glands ) makes it really hard to take off accumulated fat.

[Daretosoar]

I am overweight and working at getting rid of fat and building lean muscles. But one day in the near future, I will be fine and just have to maintain. At this point in time, I have no desire to compete. I just want to look good and be healthy.

[jtroster]

I also said Other. I'm no longer a noob but I am not yet at the goal I set for myself.

[Whiskeyjack]

Originally Posted by Minotaur

I had to say Other/No opinion.

I am not, nor probably ever will be in contest shape; I am in this enough years to not be a noob; and I am not altogether happy with where I am, even though I have accomplished a lot (no body dysmorphia). Having a couple of endocrine and metabolic issues (yes, it's my glands ) makes it really hard to take off accumulated fat.

You sound a lot like me, Minotaur (I'm also "glandularly challenged").

[lukamar]

Well.... I am happy with the growth and accomplishments I've made but I have a long way to go before I'll be satisfied.

[Minotaur]

Originally Posted by Whiskeyjack

You sound a lot like me, Minotaur (I'm also "glandularly challenged").

It sucks, doesn't it!?

[rudai123]

I chose No Opinion/Other. I don't consider myself a Noob, I'm never going to compete, but I want to grow not just maintain. I humbly suggest a new category:

"I train hard and have some goals I want to accomplish. I may never compete, but I want to improve"

[Odin1970]

Pedal to the metal.

While i cant maintain it 100% of the time for me I stick to as high intensity as possible. Failure with forced reps and a negative or two thrown in. So I train for growth. I am still 225 in weight but my BF is getting lower and lower.

The taxation is hard, and I havent been at it with high intensity for that long (2 years), but after having trained this way i find it hard to do a maintence workout, i just end up overtraining.

[Arlecchino]

Other.

Contest shape for me is not what it means for most people here. And I am perfectly willing to sacrifice it for an increase in strength (up to a point), as I can cut later.

I continue to train like a psycho, and am more than a little proud of that.

My goals are all strength related, however, at my next meet (whenever it is) I plan on competing at 220. I would have to have some hellastrong increases in my lifts to compete at 242.

[michaeljazz]

Definitely still a n00b here. I'm heading into my third month and the novelty hasn't worn off yet. I'm still excited about my progress and hit the iron hard & ugly LOL

3-4 times a week for about an hour and a half.. beating my body down and watching it build back up again.

[chrisbute]

This is a tough one! I'm always pedal to the metal, but do not consider myself in contest shape. I am making progress and would like to "look like" I could enter a contest, but I have no desire to actually do it. I have other cardio/fitness goals to accomplish.

I also voted "other".

[NoleMan]

i am in a new/getting back into it, phase. not where i want to be yet but i am a W.I.P. lol trying to get it done on a 3-day split routine. dont have the time for a 6-7 day a week program.

[WeebleNoMore]

Originally Posted by lukamar

Well.... I am happy with the growth and accomplishments I've made but I have a long way to go before I'll be satisfied.

X2

[GreenWave1]

Another other. I work hard, have goals that I haven't achieved, but am not in contest shape (and may never be).

[dmangiarelli]

I train balls to the wall all the time. At work they say i have two speeds, 120 mph and off! I train the same way. I am always messing with my diet/training to see if I can squeeze out a little more growth. For me, I can't see going to the gym if I am not going to put in 120% and leave totally drained. 2 days a week i ride my bike (30 minutes each way) to and from the gym. I do cardio 3 other days a week too (bike or run).

I am not in contest shape nor will i probably ever be, it's not my goal. Big and ripped though is where I want to be and will be soon!

Donn

[jcuiccio]

maintain right now. i have a few nagging injuries that are preventing me from doing some key power movements. maybe if and when they heal up, i'll shoot for a bulking phase.

[Hibiscus09]

I started out pedal to the metal for 10 years. Now, I go back and forth -- sometimes I'm pedal to the metal lifting and like to get lean -- other times I like to coast for a bit and enjoy dessert and wine and exercise a bit more sporadically. I'm having a pedal to the metal moment right now.

[Whiskeyjack]

Originally Posted by Minotaur

It sucks, doesn't it!?

Yeah, but if you're on meds you can manage it. My endo is the first MD who wholeheartedly endorses my plunging into BB ASAP and as much as possible.

[Moirae]

i voted as a n00b cause even with everything ive learned and progressed, i feel like i still have so far to go and can never stop learning...

[LongnHard]

noob - I will most likley never be in contest shape, but I give it my best shot and have learned a lot so far. Now I just have to apply it consistantly for maximum results. In any case I am better off then when I started 8 months ago and no complaints from me and it keeps me off the streets!

[invega]

I've been training for about 25 years (man, time flys!!!!) and i'm pretty sure i've hit my genetic limit for size and strength. I used to train till i either puked or fell to the floor thinking i was gonna die. (my girlfriend had to call 911 at 24hr fitness one time. LOL) Now I pretty much train to maintain but sometimes I think of the good ol times when my best buddy who i used to workout with in high school days (may he RIP) at Rocco's dungeon and I workout like I'm still 18. But with my PVC's now ( I thank Ripped fuel for that, back when it had ephedra) I have to be careful.

[Most Muscular]

I've accomplished more on stage then I ever thought I would and now I'm just training to train. It was really hard to be motivated after I retired from the stage last year because for the first time in many years I didn't have a bodybuilding show in mind to train for... I have since revitalized myself by trying to get and stay in decent shape. My life may be one long "off season" so I might as well try and look good in it. In the past I always knew that I would diet down and look okay so now it's my challenge to look better year around... sometimes a lot harder than the bulk and cut process.

nuff said....

[Capt. America]

Well, things are going well. I was 150 in mid July, now I'm 172. Changed my usual 10-15 reps X 3 sets to prepare my surgery prone body for a 5X5 next month. Hopefully I'll break 180 by October. For once I'm not anal about lifting, which takes the pressure off me. For 30+ years the gym used to rule my life, family, work and anything else took second. I always ate what I want, relatively clean though and got at least 8 hours of sleep each nite. Now I spend an hour max doing no more than 2 bodyparts each day. I'm done with cardio, last year I was running 6 minute miles....now cardio is lawn mowing(with a tractor) and riding the Harley! Winters coming and I don't want to freeze my ass off like last year!

[Obadiah!]

Wow, some really great responses from some of the vets. Good insight. After years of near pedal to the metal frame of mind in both diet and trainning I find myself leaning to Hibby's idea. I kind of go in spurts a bit. I always train, but sometimes I train simply to keep what I got.

There have been weeks when I pushed myself so hard that it literally took days to regain my stamina. The other day I was lying on the bench press kind of exhausted from the past week's workout schedule - with the hardship of family and work obligations bearing down on me - and I kind of wondered how others approach training. Do others go full tilt, as in "Train hard, Because You Can Sleep When You're Dead!" mentaility or do they do something a bit less? So when I speak of maintaining, I don't mean becoming a jelly roll or not being hard core, I simply mean not necessiarily doing squats 'til you puke kind of training.

[kyokushin1]

I voted for the first option. Pedal to the medal!