Apologies for the long first post…
Whats goin on guys I’ve been reading up on this site for about a month now and am sold on it because of its breadth and depth of information, and I really respect many of the writers (Chris Shugart, Christian Thibaudeau to name two) for not just talking the talk but also walking the walk, transforming themselves from out of shape to jacked.
At the same time I have been feeling really intimidated to start posting because of all the incredibly strong (both physically and mentally) people I read about here, which I feel I am not currently. I have finally decided though to swallow my pride and start posting a journal of my progress. A little about myself before I begin:
I am 5-11, 170 pounds. I just recently graduated college and am working in a large city at a long-hour (90+ some weeks) desk job. I’m a ffb and I used to weigh close to 200 pounds at my max freshman year of college before dropping most of it over one summer. Because I dropped it fairly fast and unorthodox-ly, I am left with somewhat noticeable man boobs which are fairly embarrassing whenever I try to wear a white t-shirt. It is exactly a month before I turn 22. Last time I checked my body fat was a couple weeks ago using this site ( How to Measure Weight at Home: BMI, RFM, & More )
and it was around 13%.
We all have different reasons to work out. For me, it is about gaining confidence through improved physical appearance. In the service industry I work in (and any industry imo), I believe people will judge you based on how you look, and so you should try and look your best. Sure, brains and personality are no doubt the backbone of who you are, but as a 21-year-old single male in a big city, I find it difficult to have confidence in myself based on personality alone (my self esteem issues will be left to be discussed another day). My other side goal is this: when I was in college I played basketball almost every other day and it has always been a dream of mine to be able to dunk.
my short term goals (within the month):
-drop to under 165 while maintaining muscle, lose some fat around the chest area (I know spot reducing isn’t really possible, but you know what I mean)
my medium term goals (by summer):
-be under 10% body fat and look decent with my shirt off
my long term goal (by the end of the year):
-be able to look good in whatever clothes I wear (white tshirt, tank-top, short shorts, whatever)
-be able to dunk a basketball
some notes
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My job is priority #1. Because of the demands of my job, I can not consistently get home before 11pm, which leaves me little time to get to your run-of-the-mill gym before it closes. It also means I try to get between 6-7 hours of sleep a night in order to be functional during the day.
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Luckily, in my apt there is a gym which can be accessed at any time. I use it as frequently as I can, currently between 3 and 5 times a week. However, because it is a small "home gym, there is very limited equipment:
-one barbell with no weights
-dumbells going up to 50lbs
-two benches
-treadmills, an exercise bike, an elliptical, and a stairmaster
I just purchased a pull-up bar online which I plan to install in my apt. -
The constraints of my job are a blessing and a curse. Because I stay so late, my company comps me for dinner meals, so I am able to eat mon-fri dinner for free so long as it’s reasonable. Because of this, I have zero groceries and I usually eat junk on the weekends. Healthy food is easily accessible for lunch and breakfast.
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I currently take no supplements except one fish oil a day because I believe they are helpful but not necessary. After working out I have a cup of generic whey protein with 2 cups of water. During the day I drink between 2 and 3 liters of water.
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The summer that I lost most of my weight, my diet was calorie restricted between 500-1500 a day, and my evening routine was to first run 5-6 miles slowly or do ten 75m sprint intervals, then casually lift some weights (focusing on bench and curls), then play some basketball or go swimming for half an hour. I have basically never done any leg exercises, but my legs are fairly large (I would describe them more as plump) from my ffb days.
the questions that I pose to you guys are the following:
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Is it possible for me to achieve the goals I have laid out without the aid of a higher-weight gym? 50lbs is more than enough for curls and certain tricep extensions but I have been trying to figure out other ways to work my chest and shoulders since 50lbs is not much of a challenge to bench/military press.
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What are the best routines to achieve the goals that I have listed? One of the biggest priorities for me is to try and shape up my chest area, which will involve bigger shoulders, a stronger back, and obviously a stronger chest. As of right now I am going into the gym and doing circuit training (30s~60s rest), focusing on chest and arms, then running a mile or two in addition to 8 treadmill sprints (7mph for 90 seconds, 9.5~10mph for 30 seconds)
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My diet right now is pretty clean and I am going to pretty much give up alcohol…should I worry about supplements now or further down the line? My first instinct would be down the line, but perhaps taking supplements sooner would help accelerate my development?
I apologize for the long first post, and I know I have not provided any value to T-Nation in the past. However, any input on any of these subjects is greatly appreciated. the couple of pictures were taken last week, I will attempt to update as often as possible, hopefully daily.