1-Pack's Log - Back to Square One

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1 
Wow...

Not been here for so long. Feels strange. You ever been one of those people who never really say anything but listens to everything everyone else says? That’s me on this site. I feel I know everyone here, although probably only Zeb remembers me (Hiya ya big crazy nutcase, I’ve missed arguing with you until I punched my screen!).

Last time I was a semi-regular poster here I never really contributed to anything exercise-wise, because I felt so many other people were far better placed to offer good advice.

Anyhow, lots has happened since then and I’m back with the only people I trust to be cruel to be kind, and to have the knowledge to help me achieve what I want. I have to get the ball rolling for my own good and so… I have decided to hold myself accountable in my new workout endeavours by keeping a log here - predominantly for myself but hopefully at some point people will chime in to tell me that everything I am doing is wrong and point me towards the newest all cake/beer diet instead.

As a former massively fat bastard of many years, then fat bastard, then just bastard, then quite healthy and getting stronger every day bastard - I now find myself in a fairly sorry state physically.

Here is the ultra quick summary of the last 10 years. (works better with a fat version of the Wonder Years theme playing as you read it)

From the womb till age 16 - No activities whatsoever. Raised in an all female household where no-one gave a shit about sports. I was subsequently terrible at anything requiring co-ordination and/or fitness and so shunned it, preferring pies.

17-24 Did tons of Kung Fu (Southern Praying Mantis for anyone that cares) to a high standard but was also a heavy drinker/smoker/stoner/acid casualty (stopped acid at age 22). Could fight but looked like shit.

Mid 20s - Earned tons of money as a TV Director/Producer in my mid-late 20s. Spent every penny on booze/food/drugs/guitars… Was frickin huge. Had a beautiful custom Strat though.

29-30 - Job went tits-up. Tons of debt. Impossible to find work because the workplace had changed. Massive depression etc… V unhealthy. Sold Strat :frowning:

30-31 - New job - doing some good - saving dolphins (in a round about way) - new beginnings - real discipline and determination to become healthy. Armed with newfound T-knowledge and 3-days weights and 3 days Hiit per week. Became the closest to buff I’ve ever been. The best physique I’ve ever had, and it was at the age of 31 :).

Would never say I was a stunner and my physique would have been prob rated on this site as a ‘-1’ but it’s all relative and for the first time in many many years girls were approaching me instead of me having to rely on my charm/personality (ie ability to talk shit for Queen and country).

31.5 - Job finished. Massive depression trying to get another in my field. Started smoking and drinking again. And eating such colossal amounts of shit it was untrue. But because I was too poor/depressed to go out my atrophy wasn’t a pressing concern. To be honest I’d stayed ok looking for quite a while until…

Was 32 in March.

Now to present days - I weighed myself last week and discovered that in just (approx) 6 months of falling off the wagon I have not only (from the look of me and my current ‘numbers’) lost most of the muscle I gained, but in addition I had also put on 40lbs of pure lard.

Enough is enough. I am shocked and disgusted that I ever allowed myself to fall back so far. I’m 32 now. Time to put up or shut up. Now is the last chance I will get to decide the type of person I want to be and make it happen. Yadda yadda yadda…Cue Training montage >>>

I have a tough initial goal and deadline. I’ve arranged to have a short 1-week holiday with some friends in 8 weeks. My initial mission (which will then be replaced with a less superficial one) which I shall called GOAL 1, is to lose the 40lbs of lard I put on and to do it healthily. Tough job I know but considering I have not lifted a pinky in exercise in 6 months or eaten anything that wasn’t sugar-coated in that time, I reckon it’s possible.

At my fattest, around 2000-2002 - I weighed a 100% blubber 275lbs.

I’m 6’3" and when I looked/felt/was my most healthy last year I got down to 200lbs and was slowly making my way back up with proper muscle.

Last Thursday I weighed 239lbs.

Today I weigh 233.

Funnily enough just as I have started my mission it looks like some great work is on the very near horizon so that is very cool - power of positive thinking and all that. The mental side is very important but to be honest even if there is no work on the horizon, I think I have a handle on my prior predisposition towards depression so this gig would be like the icing on the cake of incentives.

Still, I currently have absolutely no money and so all my training will either be in my tiny 1-bedroom flat/apartment using my crap bench Barbell/Tri Bar/EZ Bar/Dumbbells and assorted weights, or will involve running (ok mostly panting with my lungs on fire screaming for oxygen). I also have a cheap doorway chinning bar but I’m currently to heavy/weak to do one pull-up with perfect form so that will be another indicator of my progress.

I’m going back to my 3 days weights and 3 days on foot method but without concentrating on any particular bodypart too much at the moment. Just trying to burn fat and regain some strength to allow me to achieve GOAL 1, before going onto tackling GOAL 2, which is to be in better shape than I was last year.

The diet is radically altered from my Winter 2006/Spring 2007 ‘See it, Eat it’ plan, to one of fresh produce and home cooking, split into 6 meals a day 2-3 of which will be protein shakes. Got my multi-vits, fish oils and protein with the last of my cash until the next payday comes along.

Stopped drinking. Stopped smoking. Stopped smoking weed. Stopped fizzy diet drinks. Facing all of the joys of quadruple withdrawal with the agony of my aching body screaming at me for making it suddenly remember how to repeatedly pick up and put down heavy things 3 times a week. I hate this bit. In a few weeks it will be fine I’m sure but I’m not the best company at the moment :wink:

Asparagus, for all its charms, will NEVER taste as good as a can of diet coke. Or a Marlboro Light. But I figure I have drunk enough and smoked enough to last me a lifetime. If I’d given green foods a more equal billing on my plate I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now. And maybe some discipline and abstinence will make those treats taste all the sweeter on the day I allow myself some sort of cola or Jack Daniel’s-based reward.

Not gonna post numbers yet because for the first two weeks it is more a case of reacclimatising myself and discovering exactly how much of my strength is still there, before the REAL work begins.
However, the routine, with my limited equipment/space/money looks something like this.

Monday

Romanian Deadlift 1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 5 x 5
Bent over Row 1 x 12, 1 x 8, 5 x 5
Squat 1 x 20, 1 x 8, 5 x 5
Ham Extension 5x10
Leg Extension 5x5
1 Arm Rows 5x5
1 Arm Shrug 6x6 30 secs rest between
Weighted Side bend 6x6 30 secs rest between sets
Weighted Situp 3x12 30secs rest (extra rep each time I do them until eventually 3x20 then heavier)
Reverse Crunch 3x12 30secs rest (extra rep each time I do them until eventually 3x20 then weighted or change exercise)

Tuesday

5min warmup jog followed by
30secs sprint
60secs walk
Repeat 10 times

Get home

Still gasp for air trying to breath steadily 3 hours later

Wednesday

Bench Press - 1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 5 x 5
Incline Bench Press - 6x6
Shoulder press - 5x5
Front Delt Raise/Lateral Raise/Bent Over rear Delt Raise with Dumpbells - Triset 5x5
EZ Curl Bar Bicep curls 5x5 (doing these 'cos lack of bicep strength holding back the pull-ups)
Tri Bar Hammer Curls 5x5 (doing these 'cos lack of bicep strength holding back the pull-ups)
Tri Bar Seated Tricep extension 1 x 12, 5 x 5
Pull up - 1x10 - currently too weak to do even 1 so saving this for when I have strength back and have lost weight
Forearm curls/reverse forearm curls superset 5x5

Thursday
5min warmup jog followed by
Hill sprints (steep hill takes approx 30secs to run up plus 10secs to jog down)
60 secs rest
Repeat 10 times

Get home

Curse Allah, Jehovah, Buddha and Tom Cruise for my accursed lack of cardio ability

Friday

Romanian Deadlift - 1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 5 x 5
Bent over Row - 1 x 12, 1 x 8, 5 x 5
1 Arm DB Rows 5x5
Squat 1 x 20, 1 x 8, 5 x 5
DB Lunges 5x5
Calf Raises 5x5
Weighted Side Bends 6x6 30secs rest between sets
Reverse Crunch 3 x 12 30secs rest between them (extra rep each time I do them until eventually 3x20 then weighted or change exercise)
10kg plate Russian twists 3x12 30secs rest (extra rep each time I do them until eventually 3x20 then weighted or change exercise)

Saturday

Gentle recovery jog
Slowly building up again - I used to go around 40mins without slowing including a big steep hill run up from the bottom of Greenwich Park - currently at 10mins then alternating 60secs walking/90secs running for about 30mins in total.

Sunday

Do two things. Jack and Shit.

No cheat meals but every once in a while I shall be forced out and I can’t not drink at all (networking for new job etc. require socialising)so I will make those drinking evenings (of serious moderation)the equivalent of my cheat days. The infrequency of this means I should still definitely be inside the 90% strict diet rule. Trying for max 50g carbs (not including green veg) and about 230g protein a day. As little bad fat as poss and a small amount of good ones. Will post diet stuff at a later date.

So there we. Way too chicken to post pics yet. Will do close to the GOAL1 deadline. Enough talking. Time to eat something green and finally turn the 1-Pack into 6-Pack. Wow, just one tubby cliche after another… :slight_smile:

2

Ok not posting body shots or anything yet but thought I’d do a quick posting of the fat fat me vs the last year ‘healthy’ me. Good to have them there as a reminder that I have accomplished something before with fitness and strength goals.

There is only one pic in existence of when I was very very fat and it was taken on a terrible old phone camera hence truly awful quality, but you’ll get the idea… You heard of beer bellys. Well I had beer shoulders, beer chins and beer man-boobs.

Photo is from Jan 1st 2000, so I had 2 more years of getting fatter and more unhealthy before doing anything about it.

3

And this is me in 2006. Sorry but I don’t have any physique shots, but to be honest it’s not like I need a critiquing just yet :slight_smile:

4

holy crap what a whacked out story

you certainly have an interesting life of ups and downs

you know what you have to do, now do it

stop smoking and eating shit and stop getting depressed

your workouts are very complex and probably do not need to be at all. but if you like them that is OK. they should be fun as well, you know.

I think diet coke is OK, there is just as much shit in most protein powders. you can mix vanilla protein with diet coke you know to make a protein spider.

I can’t remember if you mentioned any, but you should do some GPP work like running, sprints, sled drags, something like that.

good luck

5

[quote]Magarhe wrote:
holy crap what a whacked out story

you certainly have an interesting life of ups and downs

you know what you have to do, now do it

stop smoking and eating shit and stop getting depressed

your workouts are very complex and probably do not need to be at all. but if you like them that is OK. they should be fun as well, you know.

I think diet coke is OK, there is just as much shit in most protein powders. you can mix vanilla protein with diet coke you know to make a protein spider.

I can’t remember if you mentioned any, but you should do some GPP work like running, sprints, sled drags, something like that.

good luck
[/quote]

Hi Magarhe,

Yep, a couple of monumental perspective changes and I’ll never be the basketcase I have been in the past. Just accepting that it’s ok to make mistakes, but unacceptable to make the same one repeatedly played a big part of it. I think it was just a case of feeling I had wasted 15 years of my life etc, rather than seeing how with a couple of changes I was actually very well equipped to deal with the future and whilst I ‘had my chance’ earning big bucks - should that ever happen again I would most certainly of learned from my mistakes.

Re the workouts and cardio

Mon, Wed, Fri is weights.

Tues, Thurs, Sat is sprints/running. The only thing I like about running is the fact it is the only exercise I do where I can actually feel the benefits of not smoking. Each week that passes I can breath that bit easier, can go that bit farther or harder.

In terms of the complexity of the workouts, I was trying to keep is as simple as possible considering the cash/equipment/space limitations but if you can make any other suggestions to streamline I’d be very grateful.

Re: Diet Coke - I had the same attitude towards it as I used to about weed. It doesn’t matter how much you put in front of me, I will consume it until it’s gone. Could be a gram. Could be a kilo… Pretty much over 2litres a day since forever. Yep, my coke addiction was out of hand :wink:

But Protein Spider??? I am intrigued. Something to try on a treaty day methinks. Thanks for posting.

Off to run up the hill 10 times :frowning:

6

Damn… only managed 8 times.

Stupidly only had 30secs rest after first three before hitting a wall (figuratively, not literally).

So next week I guess I’m gonna have to go 1st 4 runs with 30secs rest AND make it to 10. Grrr…

7

hey londoner wassup. im from london too. are you enjoying the gray clouds as much as i am?
anyway whow what a story. You know, when you have make great progress you seriously should writer a book about it. It will show that no matter how old or how much shit you have injested, you can get back on track.

anyway i suggest using bodyweight exercises too to get back on track. they will really help: pushups, dips, pullups, bodyweight skullcrushers, situps etc.

just eat healthy and dont give up. defiinitely don’t drink too much alcohol. i think there was a research done that said that alcohol is really bad for muscle gains etc…
anyway good luck and never give up

8

Hey fella,

Thanks for the support and yeah, London is the only place that can be completely overcast and stiflingly hot at the same time!

Re drinking - I am essentially completely dropping the booze out, except for those evenings when I 100% cannot avoid it, in which case I’ll have a single spirit and diet drink as opposed to a pint, and one to three instead of eight to ten. So maybe 2-300 cals instead of several thousand. And we are talking like once a month here.

Bodyweight exercises not a bad idea at all, seeing as how I have so much of it to exercise with at the moment :wink:

9

Good to have you back, 1-Pack; your fellow liberals need you. :wink:

Makkun

10

1-Pack, I remember you from the world cup footy thread, I think.

When you’re back in the swing of things, you should come down to Southwark Park in Surrey Quays, there’s a gym I go to there. It’s a nice place, and most of the guys are quite serious about lifting and there’s hardly any “main stream” lifters there.

Nothing like going to a gym where you can do your own thing and not worry about too many rules…

Anyway, good luck.

11

Ha cheers Makkun. Hope you’ve been fighting the fight :wink:

12

[quote]rsg wrote:
1-Pack, I remember you from the world cup footy thread, I think.

When you’re back in the swing of things, you should come down to Southwark Park in Surrey Quays, there’s a gym I go to there. It’s a nice place, and most of the guys are quite serious about lifting and there’s hardly any “main stream” lifters there.

Nothing like going to a gym where you can do your own thing and not worry about too many rules…

Anyway, good luck.

[/quote]

Hi rsg,

The thread that had to fend of the evil machinations of the anti-sawcar yanks. Oh happy days…

I’m not far from Surrey Quays as it goes so maybe when I have the first really wussy bit of getting back in the swing of things out of the way it might be an idea.

I’m still at that annoying point when you come back to training and lift just a little more than you really should and so each session you’re still in too much pain from the last one to do any good. Hopefully a little while and it will all be sorted. Thanks for the tip.

13

Quick question guys and girls…

You know how hitting the weights again after a long layoff, when Day1 after training hurts like a bitch and then Day2 after training hurts LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER to a point where you almost feel like you have restricted movement and might be crippled for life and the only way you can get around is by shuffling about like you were a cross between John Merrick and Smeagol etc?

Well if you’re due to train again on THAT day, do you go easy to not overdo until you’ve built up a base and natural resistence to it again, or do you train through the pain, knowing it’s something you will get used to, it’s ‘training’ pain as opposed to ‘injury’ pain and that it will pass eventually?

Just wondered what the consensus of opinion was on this, as I could seriously barely get out of bed today ,to a degree where I thought I needed the doc. sooo pathetic…

It’s loosened up a fair bit now but I don’t know whether to let it rest completely until fine, rest until it can handle my normal planned routine, or just plough through and do whatever lifts I can manage, at whatever weights I can manage, with no concerns about the amount of weight on bar other than whether I can lift it or not, as opposed to if it is a progression/regression from the last session.

I’m leaning towards the last of these. Well to be honest I am just leaning. Standing straight hurts too much :slight_smile:

Any suggestions welcome

14

If you are feeling really stiff to the pont where it’s restricting your movement, I would give it a rest.

Otherwise, if you feel you can manage a session, maybe do some lighter stuff or train other body parts which aren’t as sore.

Epsom salt baths help me a lot when I get sore after a good session at the gym.

15

[quote]rsg wrote:
If you are feeling really stiff to the pont where it’s restricting your movement, I would give it a rest.

Otherwise, if you feel you can manage a session, maybe do some lighter stuff or train other body parts which aren’t as sore.

Epsom salt baths help me a lot when I get sore after a good session at the gym.[/quote]

Yep think I’ll just do what I can but not go crazy - nice weekend off lifting so should be fine for next week. Common sense wins out.

Cheers :slight_smile:

Edit: Ok so did what I could. Everything fine once I got started until it was squats time. My first warmup set is 20 reps of just bodyweight and my left knee was cracking all over the place and did not feel good so I decided to not do the squats tonight.

Then only managed 2 sets of the lunges before the same prob set in. First ab exercises in 6 or so months! THE PAIN OF IT!! Anyhoo have a good weekend all.

16

Ok so rested over the weekend but still could not motivate myself to train today. Mentally trying to find excuses as to why I should put it off until tomorrow.

Eventually I made myself put on my training gear and slowly but surely (took another 2hrs) prepped myself to do something. Funnily enough it was only when I saw a post about a hot girl on T-Nation that I was inspired enough to start, at around 10pm when I’ve had all day to do it! So shallow, but it worked :slight_smile:

Anyways was able to do everything on my list with an average of 5-10kg more weight on each exercise than last week and without going too overboard. No aches, creaks, clicks or sudden shooting pains this time. Felt like a proper workout where I just went through my list of ‘stuff to do’.

The numbers are still embarrassing but I’m determined to push without injuring myself like I have done in the past. Probably number-wise at about 60% of what I could do at my best last year so a ways to go but travelling vaguely in the right direction.

Diet not perfect today. Under 2000cals and 225g protein but over 100g carbs cos I was stuck and JUST HAD to find some nice rolls for the awesome chinese-style turkey burgers I made. Used to be a chef and really enjoying making stuff in the kitchen again too.

In other news… Just inherited a fairly good exercise bike so might use that for the HiiT on one day, although it’s still nice to be out.

Laters all…

17

So tried HIIT on the bike today instead of pounding the pavement.

5min warmup then 30secs max level (8) followed by 1min at a lower one (3) repeated 10 times.

To be honest my lungs weren’t screaming for oxygen like they do after the sprints, but my legs were hurting a lot more, like I’d done an extra set of squats or something. Hmmm the bike use might well need some refining.

18

So felt really good today.

Got through everything fine. Totally motivated. Been 2 weeks now and it finally feels like a workout instead of the coughing spluttering mess you get after being away so long.

My bench press has become even more pathetic than I could ever have imagined though. A good 30Kg less than my previous max. None of my other lifts has anywhere near that discrepancy.

Putting distant dreams of a 6-pack to one side for a second, I’m feeling kinda extra weak in my core doing most compound exercises and so will prob add some of CT’s ab supersets on the morning Hiit days. Workout took 1.5hrs today which is way too long. Might rethink and streamline it. laters :slight_smile:

19

Man, I wish I could jazz this up somehow. But it’s just little ol’ me trundling along.

Right - might start posting nekkid chicks. That should do it.

20

Well it’s been two weeks. Just got weighed.

  1. Hmm… Was 239 on the day I started. Thought I would have lost more considering I weighed 233 (although now I think it must have been a fake reading) after about a week in, and that I have been very well behaved with both exercise AND diet.

I’ve obviously not built any muscle in 2 week so it’s actually just a sad record of fat loss. Ah well… 6lbs not to be sniffed at I suppose.

Man… Just met an incredibly hot girl (a model) too who seems to be really quite into me, and I’m gonna have to stall it for a bit until I can at least get rid of my almost pregnant-looking belly. Agh! She might not even care but nothing ruins your confidence like not being happy in your own skin.

Haha listen to me… Some model seems to be into me and I am complaining about it. It’s like a bigger pressure than a regular girl though eh, as she prob spends her time walking around perfection. Stil it’s a very good incentive to stay on target and stick to my goals.

Off to tackle the hill again soon. Must. Make. 10. Climbs.