2018 Spring/summer Goals and progress thread

[induced_drag]

I wanted to post up a thread to smoke out those on here who are still training. I know you are out there Seen a few familiar faces in some threads and wanted to see if we could get some training talk going.

SO ....the purpose of this is to maybe lay out some of your personal goals (short or long term) and update now and again on how it is coming along. Post pics and vids if you like. Hoping that those goals are lifting or body-composition imporvement related. Who is still out there hitting it and what are you up to?

[induced_drag]

I'll start. 2017, my only goal was to stay in the gym and not miss. Work and family life were the toughest in a decade and I am proud that I stayed in the entire time. I made no real 'progress' in 2017. I probably increased density a little. I did mostly light workouts (no tracking or goals). A lot of TUT training. I did not squat or deadlift of bench all year (except for once or twice).


Goals for 2018:
Lean out
Start working strength again



Training:
So for 2018 I decided to start "lifting" again.....weight that is. I stated working deadlifts in Jan 1 and also squats. I worked back into deads slow as I know my back will get stronger quicker than my core and I dont want an injury. My first few workouts I stayed with 405. By last week I went up to 565. I am getting ready to go 6 plates again....but might just work 495 for reps for a few weeks to ensure core tightness.

Squats have come back in the form of no-handed close stance. I like it because I can focus quads and really work my core. Most of my work is done with 225 with only one or two sets at 315. Last week, I decided to go up to 365 and then I no-handed 405x3 max depth pause squats.

Bench....I could care less. Have not benched anything but reverse in 2 years and dont want to beat up my shoulder any more. My 420 PR will probably never get broken and I'm OK with that. In the end, the amount of weight I lift is really secondary and I never have another PR, I will be fine.

Really weird how my strength has stayed even though I have not pushed in almost 2 years.


Diet:; I got sloppy end of 17 and realized Jan I put on about 10 lbs. I was 213 and I like staying around 203.
This past week I started pulling back carbs. No formal tracking. Just systematic removal of things that I routinely eat to make up a deficit.

Diet mods:
Cut morning PB in 1/2
Take out breakfast cereal
Swap lunch carbs which could have been anything from a large fry, to chips and mexican rice at a mexican resturant. Now I eat a single apple or orange on workout days and salad or greens on non wo days.
Drop icecream to once a week and 60g single serving (was eating almost 4 days a week and 240g (4 servings per time)) Yea...I was overboard on that!
Cutting down my pasta in 1/2. 1 oz instead of 2 oz servings. (1 oz of pasta is 4.25oz cooked)
Cutting back and chocolate. (was going though a back of 60% Ghirardelli chips every 2 weeks) Yep...I let myself get a good sweet tooth
Cut back pizza on pizza night to 2 slices. (was eating half a pie)

That is the strategy forward.

Have not taken any progress pics in a while. This pic is 4 months old from early Dec.(yea....I need a tan! ) I was about 207 here getting chubbier. I added about 5lb more fat end of year and should be back to this point in a couple weeks and then will continue cutting slow while training heavy

[zeebanker]

Wow. Induced_drag, what are you talking about man? You are in awesome shape already.
Me. 45. Slow. Flabby. I say "slow" because I used to run marathons and never cracked 4 hours. Stats:

Weight:176
Height: 5'6"
Diet: Vegetarian, tend to be carb heavy. Less than 2000 calories/day.
Yeah, not good.

Goals for 2018: Get back into running. Run a half in under 2 hours. Lose and keep way 15lbs. Easy?

I workout 2x with a trainer for strength mostly. Had a lower back issue that's gone now.

Have been running 2-3x a week, but need to add the mileage and pick up the pace.

Biggest challenge - motivation.

[Plateauplower]

2017 was pretty much a bust for me. I somehow hurt my left shoulder which made me lose ground on presses. It’s still a factor, but seems to be doing better if I don’t beat it to a pulp. I didn't get very lean, I pretty much never got below 200lbs last year. I hovered in the low 200s most of the year before fall where I “loosened things up” a little and managed to hit a high weight of 218 (that’s way too fat on me). Then started slowly dieting in December, being hungry and not looking forward to trying to get leaner for summer. At some point in December I ran out of 35 cal bread at work and was forced to go without for a day. I noticed that just leaving the 35 cal bread off of my burger, the satiation from the meal was WAY better and I wasn’t starving two hours later. I liked that so I didn’t buy more, and started experimenting with pulling the small amount of carbs I normally eat out, and did a little reading on keto.

Starting in January I decided to give a “keto like diet” a try and have been doing that ever since. I say keto like, because I run my protein higher than most sticking with around 190-220g/day. I keep my net carbs under 30g/day, I increased my fats from hemp hearts, avocados, flax seed, olive oil, etc and instantly felt better than I had in years. Running an aggressive deficit and haven’t even got crabby yet. I started the year at 213.6 and currently in the lower 190s (192.2 today). My summer plan is to get leaner than I had in 2016, maybe even single digits BF just to see what I look like if this continues to work as well as it has been. Fat has just been falling off of me, and it has been pretty comfortable so far. I have not even had a cheat meal, or even a desire to have one since starting this. If I want a cheat meal, I buy some bacon and have cheesy eggs, and bacon for a weekend breakfast and I’m pretty much set, and still manage to come in at a deficit. I get a little hungry occasionally between meals, because I wouldn’t feel like I was dieting if I didn’t, but I’m pretty confident that maintenance would be zero hunger even at a lean bodyweight. I’ve been eating more veg on keto like diet than I have in years, usually a big spinach & chkn salad everyday, lately also having steamed bro-collie with dinner, and enjoying it (butter and salt / pepper ).

Training, meh lifts are down a little. Probably 5-10% but seem to be holding there. Some accessories I’m actually stronger than I have ever been, but accessories....Overall I’m enjoying this experiment and when I like where I’m at in terms of leanness, I’m probably going to try TKD and eat my carbs at night because they make me sleep, and I’ll get the benefit of them the following morning at the gym. I haven’t taken many progress pics, I look pretty flat from the diet, and it’s just been going fast, but I’ll pic whore this site like crazy when I get to where I’m going .

Edit to add I’ve got 3 pairs of the Levi 541s now. Had to downsize my pants to 32 waist and they are pretty loose. Also had to drill a new hole in my lifting belt. This was around 196lbs, which my waist was never that small even at a lighter BW.

[grubman]

I already posted my plan in a pretty extensive self absorbed thread here:

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=175288461

So it would be redundant to say it all again.

But in the spirit of this thread I'll give a little update.

I'm currently starting the 3rd 4 week cycle of my volume periodization. I'm enjoying the program I've designed. Since I'm adding sets/excercises every week its always changing just enough to keep it interesting.

I've stayed on course with diet and gained about 6-8 pounds over the last two and a half months. Doesn't sound like a lot, but for a small lean guy, it's noticeable...and I can tell exactly where the "gains are". I've past the award stage between being "cut" and not...that initial period where water retention fills in all the cuts, but you haven't started putting on any size, and just look like NOTHING for a couple weeks. Unfortunately, I'm seeing a lot of REAL fat accumulation around the waist at a faster pace than I would like.

Some of my weights have been going up, but the program is focused on the volume periodization, so this is secondary...but at this point in my lifting, I'll take any strength increase I can get.

The only real interesting observation so far, is that my legs (especially quads). Seem fatigued and sore more often...but also seem to continue to get stronger at a much faster rate than my upper body.

Other than that...looking a bit more "bulky"..but at a higher fat/water ratio that doesn't mean much.

I'll know more in a couple more months.

[grubman]

ID,

So, what was it all like mentally? Was the switch away from heavy lifting fun? A mental reprieve? Something you knew would be temporary...or did it feel like the "beginning of the end"? Or was it just existing"?

How about the switch back? Fueled out of being refreshed? Fear of getting small? Need for a return to "normal"?

Just curious.

[grubman]

PP,

Can't wait to see those pics. Your a monster...but I don't think I've ever seen a picture of you "ripped".

I'll also be interested to see what happens after. I know when I cut down I felt great, and liked the way I looked naked...but couldn't stand looking "scrawny" in clothes again. I'm curious to see how a bigger guy reacts (mentally and physically) to the change.

The attempt to climb back without getting too "fat", has been more challenging (for me) this time around for sure (I'm going to be a b*tch and blame it partially on age...but I actually think it's true and not an excuse, as I've been having a sudden noticeable increase in other things, like hair loss and deteriorating eyesight).

[drudixon]

I've switched from low bar to high bar and conventional to sumo, so simple goals are to match the lifts of the former. Will post video soon

[ajdahlheimer]

I'm still hitting it these days. Training a bit lighter and doing exercises that don't irritate problems areas/joints. I think my PR days are behind me as well, but I did hit a PR last year (300x1 Reverse-grip bench) which was largely due to that being a newer lift for me that I had just started doing. Haven't really done that one since. Doing more Swiss Bar benching and dumbbell stuff. Have laid off barbell OHP (my best lift IMO) for a quite a while and my shoulders really feel better. Just been doing some lighter overhead stuff with dumbbells. I have kept up with my cardio throughout the winter here in MN (cold as hell) by doing skip-rope workouts in my garage along with some treadmill stuff. Can't wait to be able to run outside again. Been dialing in my diet the past couple weeks. Sitting at 230 right now, but feel pretty good/not fat. Feel like I added some solid mass over the last year.

Journal here for anyone interested in my split: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...109201&page=47

Diet looks like this:

Morning: Half a lemon squeezed into room temperature water
Black Coffee

Lunch: Chicken or shrimp with brown rice
Half an avocado
Greek yogurt
Spinach
Peanuts or Cashews

Pre-workout: NutriBullet smoothie (frozen fruit, banana, PB Fit Powder, oats, almonds, almond milk)

Post-workout: Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein (1.5 scoops peanut butter chocolate flavor)

Dinner: Honestly not really hungry after the smoothie and protein shake. Might have a couple eggs or some oat meal if I am.

Other supps: Fish Oil/Omega-3's (1400mg), Turmeric (1000mg), Glucosamine (1500mg), Chondroitin (275mg), and a Multi-vitamin

Goal: I have an outdoor concert weekend/event in June which I liked to cut some decent body fat for.

-AJ

[ectoBgone]

Great thread, ID.

I've basically been treading water for the last 4 years with my training, with the exception of last year probably being the worst for compliance (going under, not even treading water). Overall this was just the hardest window with three kids at ages where I was constantly running from one place to another first thing in the morning until into the evening. Letting training lapse was a conscious decision of life prioritization and while I regret the consequences I don't regret the decision.

That said, I'm on the other side of that parenting hill now and have the time and motivation to reinvest myself in this. My goals will be:

1. Quick Re-comp (now until April/May)

Over-eating and under-training resulted in getting skinny-fat, unsurprisingly. I decided I would do about 4-5 weeks of training at maintenance to get the motor units firing again and then dive into an aggressive fat loss stage, relying on muscle memory and a volume based hypertrophy routine to stimulate as much growth as possible while leaning out. My diet is essentially four meals with 40-45g of protein and then a priority on good fats and just enough carbs to keep my workouts energetic.

My usual "cut" would consist of a 2100 calorie budget that would result in 1 pound per week drop and 1/4" reduction in waist measurement. I'm not tracking right now but I've done it enough to have an educated guess of being around 1500-1800 calories during this aggressive fat loss window. My weight has fluctuated but held pretty steady around 175 while dropping an inch from the waist. The first half inch was lost during the first 5 weeks of "maintenance" and the last half inch was dropped over the last 10 days of aggressive dieting with no weight change yet. So things are going quite well according to plan. I will diet aggressively for maybe three weeks and then go to a more moderate approach, to maybe around 1900 calories until I get to a spot where I can guarantee I won't need to go shopping for new clothes when I start lean bulking.

2. Lean Bulk (May -> Late Summer)

As I look back on my sordid training history, I have never had a solid period of time where I used a hypertrophy focused routine while in a caloric surplus. My first bulk was an intermediate 5x5 where I ate far in excess of what I needed and resulted in a lengthy and painful cut. After the cut, I went into a 5/3/1 program with a caloric surplus and did reasonably well, had another cut, and then intended to bulk again with a PHAT approach but that's where the wheels fell of the bus and I never got consistent with my training.

I'll be doing a volume based upper/lower split, hitting each muscle group two times per week, and some of them three times towards the end of the mesocycle in order to achieve the target volume. So training starts at 4 days per week and then goes to 5 or 6. One or two of those days may be pretty "easy" in terms of just a handful of exercises for three sets.

3. Strength Phase (Early Fall)

Once summer ends I may want to do a short fat loss phase, but after that I will probably invest the next cycle into strength training. I really like the 5/3/1 program and will likely pick that back up again.


The things that have impeded my training in the past the most so far are inconsistency and and an overly strong aversion to carrying body fat. When you put those two together, it means that I have lapses where I soften up and then mentally I need to lean out. The consequence is that I have spent more time cutting or re-comping than growing. This is the year I plan to exorcise those demons and take some steps forward.

[MrNismo]

I'm keeping it simple this year. 315 squat without getting so fat that my current clothes won't fit.

Added in 2-3 days of Yoga per week last Fall and plan to keep getting better at that as it's been the best thing ever in terms of letting me progress finally without everything hurting.

[Plateauplower]

PP,

Can't wait to see those pics. Your a monster...but I don't think I've ever seen a picture of you "ripped".

I'll also be interested to see what happens after. I know when I cut down I felt great, and liked the way I looked naked...but couldn't stand looking "scrawny" in clothes again. I'm curious to see how a bigger guy reacts (mentally and physically) to the change.

The attempt to climb back without getting too "fat", has been more challenging (for me) this time around for sure (I'm going to be a b*tch and blame it partially on age...but I actually think it's true and not an excuse, as I've been having a sudden noticeable increase in other things, like hair loss and deteriorating eyesight).

Meh, I'm not big, at 5'9" and currently in the low 190s on keto, so probably upper mid 190s with carbs and I'm still carrying a good amount of fat. Yea I don't think I've ever seen a picture of me ripped either . I just uploaded some pics to my bodyspace from 2016 (date on pics might be wrong thing is acting goof) but the two I loaded were mid 190s with carbs, coming from a low about 188 depleted - that initial 6lb jump and filling back out. If what I am doing continues producing results, I intend to keep going until I am truly lean, which would probably put me in the 170s-180s. If I were to get "stage lean" I'm guessing Id need to see high 160s-170, maybe less IDK...

Yea, the brain games that go along with dieting are not much fun. I feel small when I get to a certain point, I feel smaller now but I'm fine with it because I am working towards a goal...I don't plan to let myself get too fat again. It could happen, but I have found a tool for dieting that seems to work well for me so far. Usually when I would diet I would be so miserable that When I tried to maintain it, weight would start creeping back up, then knowing I would need to start thinking about dieting again, I would just go full potato and eat whatever I wanted for awhile, many meals out just demolishing Mexican food, big breakfasts etc, eating all of my big food order, along with everything the kids don't eat.

[Hooverville]

Spent all of 2017 at or slightly above maintenance. Haven’t gone over 200lbs until this month. Been hovering around 201.
I haven’t been this muscular ever before, but it’s come with considerable body fat.

I’m guessing I’m closing in on 17-18% BF. I have been slowly pulling things back. Have transitioned to IF and lowering carbs.

Goal: to not look like a chunk, my 20th HS reunion is in July.

[induced_drag]

Got my diet under control since Jan 1. Been doin alotta cardio. Gonna use starting strength program.....

FWIW, it all depends on your goals. But if 'getting in shape' in the general, I would not focus on cardio. I would create my deficit with my intake and then weight train. 2-3 30 min sessions of LISS are great to maintain general health....but I would focus my energy on lifting.

Biggest challenge - motivation.

Thats a tough one. It has to come from within or you are bound to fail. It all depends on how bad you want something....

2017 was pretty much a bust for me. ......

Starting in January I decided to give a “keto like diet” a try .......
.....but I’ll pic whore this site like crazy when I get to where I’m going .
...

Sounds like my year. 2018 will be better! Cool on the KETo, I spent 2 years in my 20's doing CKD. It drove me nuts but was the most effective diet I ever ran. I dont want to do it now mainly because I have a 14yo daughter and dont want to seem like I am obsessing about food all the time. Things rub off quick and there is so much pressure on young girls today. I try to be as reasonable about my eating habits as possible. I do pull out the food scale for my proteins, but I no longer track. It can look a little obsessive from the outside....so I have eased up greatly.

ID,

So, what was it all like mentally? Was the switch away from heavy lifting fun? A mental reprieve? Something you knew would be temporary...or did it feel like the "beginning of the end"? Or was it just existing"?

How about the switch back? Fueled out of being refreshed? Fear of getting small? Need for a return to "normal"?

Just curious.

I dropped heavy lifting to because I had to force myself to develop a new outlook. I was pushing myself so hard before that I knew if I did not stop, a very large injury was looming around the corner. The only difference I feel between now and in my 20's is it takes me MUCH longer to recover if I hurt myself.

I decided that I have been so focused the last 8 years, that I wanted to live as lax a gym life as possible. I still never missed a workout, but I really did not care what I did, nor did I obsess how much I ate or what. It was really nice.

Now with that new perspective, I am ready to challenge myself a little more again. BUT I am not letting myself get out of hand. My biggest problem is I am ULTRA competitive with MYSELF. I could care less about others, but I dont give myself much slack. I have had to learn not to be so hard on myself.

I've switched from low bar to high bar and conventional to sumo, so simple goals are to match the lifts of the former. Will post video soon

Saw your dead vids and squat. Man you really have come along. AWESOME job over the last few years!!!

I'm still hitting it these days. Training a bit lighter and doing exercises that don't irritate problems areas/joints. ...

.

Goal: I have an outdoor concert weekend/event in June which I liked to cut some decent body fat for.

-AJ

Good to see you hitting it man! You have an awesome foundation. Cutting is easy once you decide it is what you want to do. The payoff is worth it....Just have to stay focused.

I've basically been treading water for the last 4 years with my training,
1. Quick Re-comp (now until April/May)




2. Lean Bulk (May -> Late Summer)



3. Strength Phase (Early Fall)

Sounds like a good plan man. Balancing life, kids, work and the gym can be tough. At this stage in the game, overnight changes are gone, so it is no big deal to stall out or get sidetracked. It is amazing what consistency and time will do. Just pull focus back in line!

I'm keeping it simple this year. 315 squat without getting so fat that my current clothes won't fit.

Added in 2-3 days of Yoga per week last .

Cant wait to see it! I actually talked about doing yoga with my wife at home. I could use the flexibility work for sure and I think it might be fun!

Spent all of 2017 at or slightly above maintenance. Haven’t gone over 200lbs until this month. Been hovering around 201.
I haven’t been this muscular ever before, but it’s come with considerable body fat.

I’m guessing I’m closing in on 17-18% BF. I have been slowly pulling things back. Have transitioned to IF and lowering carbs.

Goal: to not look like a chunk, my 20th HS reunion is in July.

Have to eat to grow. Just dont pull back too fast and be patient. No time like the present to set the course. Dont worry about reunion. 95% of the people will be so far gone anyway you will look great

[induced_drag]

Little workout update.

This was from tonights leg workout. Been bringing in heavier stuff to bring up my core since I took so much time off lifting heavy. I have been doing 'heavy' deads since Jan 1 and using no-handed squats to tax my core even more 2 days after I dead. I have gotten pretty comfortable with these.


315







365




405 (my PB so far without digging too deep is 405x3 but in the back of my head I knew I was recording and did not want to be tempted to push so I just did a single)




Warm-down. Playing with 225 a little repping and bouncing at bottom.

[Bando]

I'm competing in a PL Comp April 28. My Spring goal is to just PR all 3 lifts, current comp PR's are 370/325/430 @181. I'm currently dealing with some recurring elbow issues, but optimistic that when I start my peaking program next week I'll be fine.

For several years I've had a mentoring role for young aspiring Powerlifters and am bringing 1/2 dozen to this meet. I'm also working with a certified 'strength and conditioning specialist', so would like to utilize that relationship to bring my mentoring to a level approaching coaching.

One of my early trainers was a competitive Bodybuilder and in our first meeting he asked "do you want to train to be strong, or train for Hypertrophy?" I wouldn't give him an answer. That was in 2007. I think this is the year I will answer that question. After April 28nd

[ectoBgone]

One of my early trainers was a competitive Bodybuilder and in our first meeting he asked "do you want to train to be strong, or train for Hypertrophy?" I wouldn't give him an answer. That was in 2007. I think this is the year I will answer that question. After April 28nd

I remember us joining here around the same time and you've come a long way in BOTH areas. Good luck at the meet, kill it!

Little workout update.

[drkelly74]

I've been at this about 4 yrs now. I'm still lifting during my lunch hour every day. I work out at my company gym, and was off work and traveling for pleasure for almost two weeks this past Christmas break. At the end of the trip, my belt was out 2 notches due to not going to the gym, and eating too much! My first order of business was to get it back to the smallest hole where it was last fall. That happened within 3-4 weeks of returning to the gym and returning to my normal eating. Since then (end of January) I have been trying to VERY SLOOOOOWLY drop some weight to see if I can drill another hole in my belt (1" smaller). I will probably continue with the slow cut another 2 months.

In 2017, I began to ignore my cardio, and was hitting the weights all 4-5 days during my lunch hour. I started to feel like it was not good. This year I am lifting weights M, W, F, and trying to get the most bang for my buck time wise by really concentrating on the compound movements. I am doing my cardio Tu and Th.

I have a goal of trying to flat bench 225 for 5 reps by the end of the year. I can get it for 2 reps for 3 sets right now. I know that is not a lot of weight for some of you guys, but 4 yrs ago, I was reaching muscle failure at 10 reps with the 40 lb dumbells, and didn't touch the barbell until about 2.5 yrs ago. I was a noob, and had a fear of getting stuck under the barbell.

We have a gym/playroom in our house, but with a 7 yr old boy, it is mostly a playroom right now with lots of large toys. I would like to eventually get a power rack with high and low cables, dip bars, and pull bars, and also some Power Block dumbbells for the gym room to augment my lunch time workouts. There really isn't room in the gym/playroom right now though, so I am thinking about setting it up in the garage. There isn't room in the garage right now either though, LOL. I have been building a 14x24 shed/storage building for the past 1.5-2 yrs, and it is almost finished. Once it is done, I should have room in the garage for that power rack and some PB's. Hopefully that will happen by this summer.

I don't have any pictures, other than those of my shed, LOL. I mostly wish I had taken some of myself 4+ years ago before I started lifting.

[ectoBgone]

We have a gym/playroom in our house, but with a 7 yr old boy, it is mostly a playroom right now with lots of large toys. I would like to eventually get a power rack with high and low cables, dip bars, and pull bars, and also some Power Block dumbbells for the gym room to augment my lunch time workouts. There really isn't room in the gym/playroom right now though, so I am thinking about setting it up in the garage. There isn't room in the garage right now either though, LOL. I have been building a 14x24 shed/storage building for the past 1.5-2 yrs, and it is almost finished. Once it is done, I should have room in the garage for that power rack and some PB's. Hopefully that will happen by this summer.

I don't have any pictures, other than those of my shed, LOL. I mostly wish I had taken some of myself 4+ years ago before I started lifting.

Good luck with the home gym, it's one of the best investments I've made. Personally, I would recommend looking at the IronMaster dumbbells over the Power Blocks as they allow for a more traditional feel and better exercise selection. Only trade off is not changing weight as quickly and conveniently, but that's never a priority for me. I've owned both and prefer the Iron Masters by a wide margin.

[thebigzakbowski]

get a 405 raw bench and 450 with my slingshot and lose more body fat

[Cantplankwell]

Where I am at now

Been handling barbells for 3 years. First experience was crossfit, then some weightlifting, then I dabbled with starting strength, ran a fair number of cycles with 531…and now I am back to weightlifting again. Progress is slow for someone who discovered all of this at 48.

Currently 187lbs, 38.5” waist, 5’11”, athletic build.

During the winter in order to accommodate my hockey I had to cut out condition/cardio, and I had to cut out sets, and minimize accessories. I can’t do it all, even then I struggled with recovery…mostly sleep.

Last fall I picked up the weightlifting torch again. Considering I do not have a coach I am satisfied so far with my progress. However I don’t want to look like the typical masters age weightlifters that don’t appear to care much about their appearance, and apparently don’t do any cardio at all. I hung on to benching (531-BBB) and regularly incorporate arm, chest and shoulder work. Hopefully this helps modify my build in a bit more muscular fashion. I also only recently became aware of the concept of volume and how it affects muscle building gains, I am exploring how I can use volume.

Since hockey is coming to an end in a couple of weeks I plan to up the volume in my lifting, incorporating more complexes…with extra sets. I will also be upping the volume on the accessory work as well. Conditioning will also be coming back into the mix; sled work, C-2 rowing, hill sprints, wall balls, skipping rope, different types of weighted carries, HIIT and plain old walking…no more jogging. Lifting will probably go back to mornings when the temps in the garage get up above freezing. its only that way now by starting the heater when I come home from work...takes about an hour to make it comfortable out there.

Short term: adding complexes, ramping up conditioning, counting calories…maybe even a deficit. Drop the waist from 38.5” to say 35” by June?

Long term: (fall) Get those lifts up: Snatch to 60kg, CnJ to 80kg, Squat to 112kg or so, build work capacity, and start to look like someone who lifts.

[Plateauplower]

Good luck with the home gym, it's one of the best investments I've made. Personally, I would recommend looking at the IronMaster dumbbells over the Power Blocks as they allow for a more traditional feel and better exercise selection. Only trade off is not changing weight as quickly and conveniently, but that's never a priority for me. I've owned both and prefer the Iron Masters by a wide margin.

I’ve had both as well iron masters 130lb kit their entire package,and currently power blocks up to 90lbs each. I prefer the powerblocks due to faster weight changes. The iron masters are certainly more traditional feeling and more durable. Their bench although a little tall, is really high quality. I just didn’t like the slower change. Wouldn’t be much faster than cheap spin lock collars and standard plates really. I’d probably still have them if I didn’t get sick of looking at them in the garage after my daughter was born. Now half the garage is my wife’s gym

[blue9steel]

I have been doing 'heavy' deads since Jan 1 and using no-handed squats to tax my core even more 2 days after I dead. I have gotten pretty comfortable with these.

Now you're just showing off! Seriously, I didn't even realize "no hands" was workable, but you nailed it.

[blue9steel]

Re-posted from Grubman's thread:

2017 had mixed results, overworked myself twice (I'm stubborn, once apparently wasn't enough) and got sick so I had to learn better fatigue management and cut back on cardio. Getting older can be annoying at times. My new(ish) job is awesome, but came with more corporate events that involve food which put a crimp in my cutting progress. Had to tweak my diet multiple times to get to something sustainable and low calories, but that's all settled now. Lifts went up, especially deadlifts, though probably not as much as they "should" have.

More updates:

Been cutting since the holidays were over, probably going to be down about 8.5lbs or so. (only 2 more days!) It would have been more but I switched from a PPL to a Pull/Push routine and while it's been a major success for fatigue management and strength gains apparently it burns less calories. (I generally shoot for 1.25lb/week on a 9 week cut and count anything 9+ as a success) I was able to adjust my diet to match at the 5 week mark and everything is back on track now.

My wife has actually just starting working out a little and has been cutting with me, that's a totally new development and something of a surprise. Definitely plan to do another cutting cycle after my three week refeed. I originally planned to switch to a slow bulk after that but if she keeps cutting I may too in order to support her.

Current top lifts:

Chinups 3x3x25.5
Bent Rows 3x3x180 (switched form recently and still building back up)
Deadlifts 3x3x425

OHP 3x3x147.5
ATG Squats 3x3x280
Flat Bench 3x3x221.5w

[MoldyGopher]

Looking to try some duathlons this summer, so I've ramped up the running and biking (well - spin classes since there's still a lot of snow on the ground.)

Six days a week training from Mar 1 through August, I'm looking forward to the lazy days of September ha ha.

[Bo_Flecks]

2018-

-Take a break from competitive bodybuilding
-Let my body and mind recover
-Try to allow my SI joint to heal. Tired of living with pain.

Right now 6', ~180ish. By the end of the year, I still hope to be 6'.

[ectoBgone]

2018-

-Take a break from competitive bodybuilding
-Let my body and mind recover
-Try to allow my SI joint to heal. Tired of living with pain.

Right now 6', ~180ish. By the end of the year, I still hope to be 6'.

Good luck, Bo. I miss your journal, it was one of the best.

[drudixon]

Little workout update.

This was from tonights leg workout. Been bringing in heavier stuff to bring up my core since I took so much time off lifting heavy. I have been doing 'heavy' deads since Jan 1 and using no-handed squats to tax my core even more 2 days after I dead. I have gotten pretty comfortable with these.


315







365




405 (my PB so far without digging too deep is 405x3 but in the back of my head I knew I was recording and did not want to be tempted to push so I just did a single)




Warm-down. Playing with 225 a little repping and bouncing at bottom.

No hands more than my 1rm, phuk you id!


Props

[drudixon]

2018-

-Take a break from competitive bodybuilding
-Let my body and mind recover
-Try to allow my SI joint to heal. Tired of living with pain.

Right now 6', ~180ish. By the end of the year, I still hope to be 6'.

Gl on your not shrinking in 2018 goals!

[gipper53]

My fitness journey just started this year. Starting at 5'10" and 235 lbs of flab. Goals are simple:

-Cut to 200 lbs by 4th of July
-Cut to 185 lbs by end of September
-Start a lean bulk October 1st, see where I'm at come March 1st

So far the goals are progressing well. I'm down 15 lbs, on track to possibly beat my set goals. Doing Fierce 5 novice routine and 3 sessions of cardio per week. Fat is coming off and my strength is still progressing on my lifts. I'm eating clean and watching portion size but not religiously counting macros. At some point soon I need to get more serious on the food tracking.

I hope to be lean enough by fall to start my first real bulk phase. Not sure what my bf% will be at 185lbs. I have not been that weight since high school. By next spring I should finally look somewhat decent. This year I'll settle for not being totally embarrassed to go shirtless at some point this summer.