Is this like a better lit version of fight club? Are you brad Pitt or Edward Norton?
If I have to be Edward Norton, can I at least be ‘American History X’ Edward Norton? At least he was semi-jacked then. Or ‘Troy’ era Brad Pitt, he put on some decent muscle for that one.
That used to be what I always used as my example of “how I want to look”, minus the stupid long hair, obviously. Wasn’t a million miles away at one point, the joys of youth.
I was never going to look like that on my best day. Most I can pull off now is looking sort of like a shorter, older Jim Wendler.
4/10/19 5/3/1 full body giant sets cycle 3 day 7 Squat primary/Press secondary
Warmup: barbell complex x3 with chin-ups 1/2/3
Main giant set:
Squat:
10x45#
3x95#
3x135#
3x185#
Working sets:
3x215#
3x245#
3x275#
Joker:
2x315#
Press:
10x45#
3x65#
3x95#
working sets:
3x115#
3x135#
3x155#
3x155#
3x155#
45# weighted Chin-ups 1/3/4/5/6/6/6
Decided to get a quick workout in over lunch, main lifts only, skipped the accessories. I sort of rushed the sets to get done quickly, and on the second squat rep at 315# my right hamstring felt a little strained, so I shut it down there. No sense hurting myself more.
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I’d take that.
I was very lucky (/stupid) in that i found time to be doing several hours of exercise daily (gym/climbing/swimming mostly). No plan, no training knowledge, no nutrition knowledge. Just youth, limited stress and lots and lots of exercise.
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I did a lot of that in college, running, biking, rock climbing, swimming, and I took at least 1 P.E. class every semester (gymnastic, fencing, judo, racquetball are the most memorable). I was fit, and strong for my size, but ‘my size’ was 5’8" 125# starting out, 140# by the time I got out.
4/10/19 food for yesterday
Breakfast: Shake = 1 cup whole milk, 1 scoop quick oats, 1 1/2 scoop protein powder, 1 large egg.
Pre-workout: 1 can sardines in water. 1 banana.
Lunch: Large salad = spinach, snow peas, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, radishes, onion, olives, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. 1 can of tuna with Tabasco Sauce.
Snack: 1 oz. deluxe mixed nuts.
Dinner: 1 cup homemade chili with ground beef and beans, with cheddar cheese, sour cream, onions. 7 Ritz crackers.
Bedtime: 3/4 scoop protein powder with creatine.
Totals for today 2224 calories, 164g protein, 149g carbs, 79g fat. 184 calories below target, corrected for training.
4/11/19 morning weigh-in 184.8# Broke the 184.x barrier!
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4/11/19 food for yesterday
Breakfast: Shake = 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 scoop quick oats, 1 1/2 scoop protein powder.
Lunch: Large salad = spinach, snow peas, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, radishes, onion, olives, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. 1 can of tuna with Tabasco Sauce.
Dinner: Leftovers = 5 oz. deboned chicken, 5 oz. potatoes with carrots, 2 oz. skirt steak fajita meat, 2 oz. grilled peppers and onions, 1/2 cup lime cilantro rice with sausage.
Bedtime: 1 scoop protein powder with creatine.
Totals for today 1641 calories, 163g protein, 119g carbs, 53g fat. Light day all around, just the 3 meals, no snacks to raise the calories. I figured dinner was going to be higher, but tbh it was a lot of different things but not very much of any one thing.
4/12/19 morning weigh-in 183.4# This was unexpected. I figured I had already seen my big drop for the week when I broke into the 184’s. I checked the weight 3 times, I was doubting its accuracy so much, but here I am.
Edit for misspelling weigh
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Great job man! When you were at your high (204 I think) and I was at my low (155) we were 50 lbs apart. I was 177.6 this morning so now we’re 6 lbs apart haha!
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And you still look way leaner than I do!
Shit dude your down 21 lbs! That’s amazing
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At least I can take solace that I’m still stronger than you… Until you decide you want to compete in powerlifting or strongman and blow me away there, too! 
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I think part of it is the same sort of body dysmorphia thing @Frank_C was dealing with. I look at myself in the mirror and I don’t see myself getting leaner, just smaller…
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Me too. And fatter.
And everyone at work asks me if I am okay, “You’re so skinny.”
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I think anyone who is doing a daily check in working towards a goal is going to deal with this to an extent. The changes happen so slowly that we hardly notice them. I know I’ve put on a ton of mass since I started lifting but I still see myself as the skinny guy. We’re all our own worst critics.
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And then there’s some things that I check but haven’t posted on here. For example, my upper arms have shrunk from 17" to 16.5", and my neck has gone from 18" to 17.5". I didn’t think that would bother me, but apparently I’ve put a lot of my appearance self-image in being a ‘big guy’, and I’m feeling a little angst from that. Of course, if I’m looking at my actual current goals, my waist has also gone from a little over 34" down to 31", so I need to keep reminding myself to stay focused on one goal at a time, and that I’m actually making good progress toward that goal.
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At least the waste didn’t go 34-33.5 and the arms go 17-14
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It’s tough, Steve, but the reality is that we’ve been delusional. We have/had way more fat than we thought. It’s tough for me to accept that. There are times that I look in the mirror and think I look pretty good. I’m lean, I have some decent delt and pec development and I’m happy. And then I take a progress pic…
I’ll be damned if I don’t just look freakin skinny in those things. But I tried bulking, even slowly. If there isn’t any extra muscle after a 30 lb bulk, and I’ve cut all of it plus some, then it’s just not in the cards for me.
On the plus side, my new PT asked me if I did triathlons. I said no, and she said “Well, you must do something.” I guess I look pretty fit and hopefully athletic so I’ll take it.
The toughest thing is my face. It’s gotten so much thinner. I would not have minded if my face held a little fat and stayed a bit more round.
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Yeah, my colleagues have stopped asking me about my fitness routine. Now they just ask me if I am okay, lol.
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I hear you. 21# later and I though I’d be solidly into 6-pack territory, but not so much. Also very true about the thinner face thing, and I think that’s amplified given my age. I’m going to try to really bear down on the diet and get another 8# off by June 1st, and try to hit an even 175.
I still had a random dude we passed on the street comment on my muscles a couple weeks ago while we were up in Lawrence shopping and eating, though, and that did some good things to stroke my ego. I guess I still haven’t totally lost the power look. 
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That’ll change when you get back on 5/3/1 and the juice!