West coast
Roger that
Feb 14, 2022
Bent bar pushdown - 10@70lbs, 10@110lbs, 8@110lbs, 7@110lbs, 6@120lbs
Rope pulldown - 8@40, 4@70, 5@50, 10@50, 7@50
Single arm pulldown - 8@25, 7@25, 9@20, 10@20
Nautilus overhead press - 8@90, 8@140, 6@150, 5@150
Nautilus incline press - 8@140, 8@150, 8@180, 5@200
DB press - 10@35, 8@45, 7@50, 5@50
Standing calf raise - 17@140, 14@120, 14@120
Was great lift. Fuck, feeling stronger everyday. Cant wait to see 6 months from January 1, too see where I’m at…
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Did you take any before pictures so you can see your progress? If you haven’t, there’s no time like the present
I have a couple I can do. It’s been exciting so far. Still a fat ass around the middle. I’ll find a couple and post em. Good idea, I haven’t even done a side by side at home. This should be fun. I’ll do it tonight. Hit a PR today though man. 600lbs on the Leg Press. Worked up to it 4 sets this morning and talked to one of the guys I know at the gym. Been doing 540lbs. Told him I’m thinking 600lbs, qoute, “if your thinking it, do it”. Did 2 sets of 8@600lbs. Felt good too.
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Awesome man!
You don’t have to post your pictures here if you’re uncomfortable - its just something you’re going to want on this journey. I’m still fat too, no shame
No all good, it is what it is, right? But I do need to do a side by side, it’s been a crazy start in the gym this year. Next month I am going to TRY and lean up some. Chicken, rice etc. I have cleaned up my diet quite a bit, now need to fine tune. So to give an idea, started at 263lbs January 1, 2022. Leaning out, everything is growing and weighed yesterday morning before lifting and I’m sitting at 262lbs. So in my mind I doing it, I think. Adding mass, losing ass.
You probably are doing a bit of recomp, but I’m going to recommend you switch it up soon so that you can lose some ass while saving some mass. The recomp works for a couple months when you first start (or first start up again after a layoff), but you get pretty slow results not long after.
I did ‘recomp’ for years and got some results but they were far slower than they should have been, and in reality i was still fatter than i wanted to be.
Food for thought
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No, great advice man, taken to heart. I do need to add some cardio in, havent done any since back. Maybe 15 min on bike, treadmill ect at a high intensity then lift maybe? Thoughts? Also, now that the shit is coming off I need to do some ab or mid section targeting. I don’t care if I have a six pack, just a flat gut, if that makes any sense at all.
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Also, I am noticing some slow forward momentum on weight increases in some areas. Instead of doing 8 - 10 reps, I’m not just starting to drop some reps and go heavier. Maybe give the muscles a little shock.
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I used this thread when I first started cutting and found a lot of good information on it, I hope it helps you as well: When Your Cut Stalls
The biggest part of leaning out is generating a deficit. every diet works so long as there’s a deficit, but when it comes to saving muscle mass while cutting - it’s a bit more nuanced.
For me,I found my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which basically gives you an estimate of what your maintenance calories are, given your current activity level. Mine was pretty accurate, but there’s always some margin of error.
I used this site: BMR Calculator
(If you want to be extra careful with what links you click on, just google “BMR Calculator” and you should find a few options.)
My abs have started seeing their shadow under the right lighting conditions, and I do very little direct ab work - but I’ve always put emphasis on bracing during exercises, particularly compound lifts… Some people say just doing heavy compounds will get your abs to develop, and some say you need direct ab work. Nothing wrong with either approach, you just need to know what works for you.
This is good. Slow, steady progress is best. It’s sustainable and rewarding in the long run. As for your rep-range, I would say to do the 8-12-8 method (The 8-12-8 Method - Bigger Stronger Leaner - COMMUNITY - T NATION) but to spare you the read, just find a weight you can do for 8 reps each set and keep using it until you can do it for 12 reps each set, then increase weight and drop back down to 8 reps. Example: Bench Press 100lbs for 3 sets of 8 reps, following week you’ll do 3 sets of 9 reps, then 10, until you reach 12 reps - then increase say 5-10lbs and bench 105lbs for 3 sets of 8 reps. Lather and repeat
This works well for hypertrophy specifically, but only works okay in terms of strength. Eventually, you will need to break out from the 8-12 rep range, but not until you reach a plateau.
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Your a wealth of information man, definitely soaking it in. On diet, I can cut out the Fritos and some other stuf that I’ve been eating here and there. Its not frequent but I do need to tighten it more. I havr always done the tighten up when doing compound or any other lifts that I do where I can feel the mid section engage. I’m a firm believer it helps as well.
Reps - I think I will try 8-12-8, the reason is 1. Makes sense 2. Personally, if someone says they have a working weight of 300lbs bench but when you lift with them thats their max. Me, I push myself everytime to lift 6-8 reps for a last or 2nd to last set, then add weight next time. I feel if I can do that, I have full control of the lbs., and I’m absolutely ready to push onward. Does that even make sense?
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I just enjoy reading the literature and enjoy lifting weights - it helps here and there but I’m by no means the most educated on this forum.
I think what you’re saying is that when you hit a set of 6-8 reps with full control, you increase weight next set - am I interpreting that correctly?
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Yes, in my mind I feel it’s “legit” and not ego based. Weird way of thinking like that, but when I’m moving heavy weight for several reps and a couple sets, I’m “walking the walk”, in MY mind. I don’t feel like Im a poser, and that I’ve earned that weight.
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Looking back at what I just wrote, shit, it’s kinda scary in my head, hahahahahahaha…
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If you’re being honest with your reps and not using an excess of body english, there isn’t an issue… Form doesn’t actually matter all that much for most exercises - but it is still better to have form than not.
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Wholeheartedly agree. No, I’m old school maybe, I definitely watch my posture and don’t use the rest of my body to move weight. For example, if I’m doing tricep pushdowns, I keep my core and body tight. The only thing moving is at my elbowsup just a tad above parallel and then all the way down. I see alot of folks moving their entire body to push the weight down. It defeats the whole purpose of the exercise. Plus, your cheating yourself.
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Feb 15, 2022
Leg press ★★PR - 8@360lbs, 8@450lbs, 8@540lbs, 8@600lbs, 8@600lbs
Leg curls (seated) - 10@90, 8@130, 8@130, 8@130
Seated calf raise - 15@110, 12@140, 13@140 20@110
Standing calf raise - 10@90, 14@90, 13@90
Front raise - 8@20, 8@25, 7@30, 7@30, 7@30
Lateral raise - 10@20, 12@20, 7@25, 7@25
Cybex delt machine - 10@75, 10@100, 10@105, 10@105
Great workout today! Felt good doing 600lbs. Can go up, maybe being conservative, go 30lbs, see where I’m at. Lowered weught on standing calf to get a good stretch after heavy leg press. Feeling strong…
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Feb 16, 2022
Cable row ★★PR - 8@100lbs, 8@170lbs, 6@170lbs, 6@170lbs
Lat pulldown - 8@90, 7@135, 7@140, 6@140
Dumbell row ★★PR - 10@80, 8@95, 9@95, 9@95
Single arm preacher - 10@20, 8@25, 5@30, 4@30
Concentration curl - 7@20, 5@25, 5@25, 5@25
Hammer curl - 8@25, 8@30, 8@30, 8@30
Cybex bicep machine - 8@40, 7@70, 6@70, 6@70
Ready for 100lbs on dumbell row. Arm and back feel good. ★Note - using straps on dumbbell row again due to arthritis, oh well, what ever works to get big right?
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Feb 17, 2022
Bent bar pushdown - 10@70lbs, 10@110lbs, 10@110lbs, 8@110lbs, 88@110lbs
Rope pulldown - 10@40, 6@70, 7@70, 6@70
Single arm pulldown - 10@25, 7@25, 6@25, 10@20
Nautilus incline press - 8@140, 8@150, 8@170, 8@180
Nautilus overhead press - 8@90, 8@140, 6@150, 6@140
DB press - 8@35, 10@30, 10@30, 8@30
Tricep kickback - 8@20, 8@20, 8@25, 8@25
Standing calf raise - 14@100, 14@100, 14@100, 14@100
●PM - went with wife and daughter while they worked out I did this:
Deadlifts - 7@135, 7@225, 5@315, 5@315, 6@225, 6@135
Standing calf raise - 14@120, 12@140, 12@140, 12@140
On calf raises today, took a wide stance. I think every day I do them I’ll switch from wide, neutral and close stance. Mix it up a little, why not right?
First time doing deads in 3 years, felt good, full body pulls, love em’.
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