Had a conversation with a maintenance manager yesterday that I haven’t seen in a while. He lifts and is a pretty big and strong guy.
He commented on how I look like I’ve lost weight, most notably around the gut. Felt good to receive a compliment. I’m happy that I’ve been able to maintain/lose fat while adding muscle these past few months but I’ve been wondering if progress would be better if I was in a legitimate surplus.
I feel like I’m well on my way to being in a good spot bodyfat-wise, especially if I continue dropping it at the rate I have been. i sort of feel like I’m in limbo right now though. I’m not strong, not lean and not big. Not sure of the direction I want to go, or if I’m over analyzing and should just keep on the same path I have been.
Low and slow my friend. You are on the right track. Seems like you are in the perfect zone. You are getting stronger and losing fat. Hard to beat that. Maybe for the future put down some very specific goals you are wanting to shoot for and then when the time is right go for it.
Forget about surplus or bulks or cuts, just focus on progress. Eat your protein, work hard and consistent and keep on progressing. Most people get so caught up in details that really don’t matter.
Yeah man, I think I’m just getting impatient. Probably not the best attitude to have, but it has been lighting a fire under my ass. I think the goals I stated a week or two ago are pretty achievable within a decent time frame… hopefully
Thank you, I know I should just keep hammering away.
Again, yeah man, thank you. I think I needed a few slaps in the face to stay on track. I should be happy my body is responding the way it is.
Yeah dude, I’ve said it before… eating carbs seems goofy to me. They are just vehicles that transport the good stuff into my gut. A fork does the same thing.
Are those goals 2-3-4-5 or some other set of standards I missed?
I’ve been thinking about goals lately and while I could set a target at 1-2-3-4, it’s so arbitrary. I’m asking myself now, “how will a 4-plate DL make me better? What makes it worth working for?”
This forced deload is going to my head.
I seem to like having multiple sets of goals, one shorter term, one long term. The 2345 plate thing is (arbitrary) something that will take me quite a bit of time, and is just me saying that I have a lot more work to do.
The goals I just posted, I think, should be able to be achieved in a year or so… but I’m going to work my ass off to get through them in less time than that.
I partially agree and partially disagree with your thought process, personally. While it is kind of pointless to set a 1234 plate goal, it gives you something to aim for. Having a goal of “get stronger” to me is way too open ended. It’s not like I will hit 1234 plates and then stop trying to progress, because the goal will shift beyond that.
I’m sure the “how will hitting a 4 plate deadlift?” Question was rhetorical, but hitting a 4 plate deadlift will allow you to open the door to hitting a 5 plate deadlift
That is exactly why I would set such a goal too - need a target. The goal of pressing 135 was perfect for me, and once I truly focused on it, took 5 months.
My existential doubts were more about why do I train in the first place, what do I seek to achieve in those hours that’s better than what I could achieve if I used that time and energy differently. For example this week, I’ve done some reading, gotten involved with other things, and realized that between training cooking and eating a lot of time goes into this.
I am not dropping out, lol, I just need to rationalize a bit. If I do another longwinded introspection I’ll put it in my log and tag you.
Oh I definitely hear you there. Adding lifting on to what is already a small amount of free time does make me question it sometimes. I know I’m not going to be as focused on lifting as I am right now for the rest of my life, but I enjoy it. It gives me something to aspire to, and something I haven’t ever done before. Sure, work kept me skinny and “in shape” but I want to see just how far I can push this. I’ve always wanted to be strong and this gives me a path.
If I wasn’t lifting after work, I’d be mowing the lawn, doing more house projects, probably drinking more and having general fuckarounditis. I feel like lifting keeps me on track to be better than I was a week ago. I don’t know, I figure that after 3 years straight of busting my ass with lifting, if I didn’t care about it, I wouldn’t be doing it anymore.
And yeah man tag me if you end up putting up a post, I check your log regularly so I’ll see it no matter what
The thing with pressing 2 plates is its more technical than the rest. I never really understood it till recently. But once you do it starts to get easier.
Also if that strict press or 1/2 dip allowed or fully push press?
Also can you put tension in the shoulders?
If I were to take 100kg/220lb out of the rack at chin height I would struggle to press it with no dip.
If I take it out at eye level and lower it I can built tension in the shoulders and it would pop up.
Like a bench. You start with the bench at the top. Not the bottom.
Hah, any way I can get 225 overhead man, that’s what I’ll do. Right now I’m cleaning the bar from the floor, so it ends up right about at my collarbone. Not much if any drop in the bar before pressing it up. Maybe once the weight starts getting actually heavy I’ll bring it out of a rack, but for now the extra clean reps and keeping it strict is where I’m at
