Great progress!! Good luck on the competition. Looking forward to see pictures of you dieted down 
[quote]mr popular wrote:
I think this thread would make a great addition to The Best of T-Nation sticky.
OP, do you mind if I add it?[/quote]
Not at all
Have you been working with Skip(I’m assuming Hill and not LaCour) in your growth phase or just in prep for contest?
Like everyone else has said, outstanding progress. I don’t see your chest as being a lagging body part and think once you lean down it will be in line with everything else.
[quote]Vinnie85 wrote:
do you have any current back shots?
I’ve been training off and on since my soph year of HS so about almost 9 years now but it wasn’t till recently (2 months ago) where i really started to concentrate on eating more (and cleaner) and lifting heavy (I, Bodybuilder hybrid workout routine). My lifts have increased exponentially over the last month. But i’m still having trouble with my upper back, traps, upper chest and creating definition in my lower chest. I’ve started to work on those areas, but i wanted to see what you’ve done to hit those areas.
current stats:
177 lbs
est bf: 14%+
I haven’t 1RM’d in a long time but i use the following poundages:
Incline Barbell: 245 lb
DB Flat bench: 90 lb dumbbells
squat: 275 lb
deadlift: 265 lb
Military press: 175 lb [/quote]
I’m going to hold off on posting my current pictures right now. I will post pictures up once I am fully dieted down.
IMO, as long as you are progressively putting on weight and using heavier weights with moderate form in a safe rep range, you will put on mass in the areas you are looking for. I’m not sure what the I, Bodybuilder program entails, but it seems to be working for you.
Creating definition will come after you’ve put on the size, held it for a while, and then diet down to lower body fat levels.
[quote]Scott M wrote:
Have you been working with Skip(I’m assuming Hill and not LaCour) in your growth phase or just in prep for contest?
Like everyone else has said, outstanding progress. I don’t see your chest as being a lagging body part and think once you lean down it will be in line with everything else. [/quote]
I’ve just been working with Skip for my contest prep. Yep, the Skip from IM. I am starting to consider a coach for the offseason, but I’m not sure yet. Thanks for the critique of my chest. I probably brought it up the past year and just haven’t really noticed yet…
Btw, I’ve read many of your posts over the years and have learned a lot from you.
This thread should be required viewing around here.
Kudos on nailing this all down at such a young age. You have loads of potential.
Eat food, lift progressively heavier weights, get big.
Again, great fuckin’ job!
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Posts like these need to fill up this forum.
Is anyone else here making progress like this?[/quote]
Two years and three months. 170 to 220. I’m about to take a month and drop some fat. I’ll post my next progress thread in this forum instead of the beginners. Pics are in my hub.
Great progress, Sloh. Keep up the great work.
Prof, I think there are a good amount of members here that make pretty decent progress, but don’t post as frequently as many of those who don’t.
OP, I look forward to seeing you dieted down. Skip knows his shit.
[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
Prof, I think there are a good amount of members here that make pretty decent progress, but don’t post as frequently as many of those who don’t.
.[/quote]
They should speak up more.
[quote]SkyNett wrote:
This thread should be required viewing around here.
Kudos on nailing this all down at such a young age. You have loads of potential.
Eat food, lift progressively heavier weights, get big.
Again, great fuckin’ job! [/quote]
Agree, great fuckin job man!
I wish more people would follow your example and not do stupid shit like have their pic’s rated two days after they join, or try and give veteran lifters “advice”. You’re a prime example of how this site should be used. Keep it up, I’m gonna go back to lurking and lifting.
I wasnt expecting the after pictures, thats for sure. Well done !
[quote]sloh wrote:
A little more about training. I sometimes go to World Gym in San Diego as I’m very close by. Everyone here is very friendly. Nasser used to train here. There are quite a few national level competitors here and some IFBB pros…and these guys do NOT train light at all. Pete Ciccone, who just recently placed 2nd behind Al Aguste at the USA’s also trains here.
Derik Farnsworth IFBB Pro…at a height of 5’2 squatting 6 plates a side for reps at the end of this video
140-150 lb dumbbells on the incline
heavy t-bar rows and 215 lb dumbbell rows in the middle of the video
[/quote]
Awesome job man way to put your nose to the grindstone and do it. I lift at World’s too, love it man great atmosphere. Derik and all the top guys there are super cool, and defiantly push the big weights often; never see them training SS.
I started in november 07 at a weight of 130 at 5’10". Weight went up and down over two years, last august i was back down to 155lbs. Now around 180-185. Aiming for 200+ by the end of the year, if i hit it i’ll make a progress thread.
[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Posts like these need to fill up this forum.
Is anyone else here making progress like this?[/quote]
Only you, bro.[/quote]
lol.
Good work OP - excellent work. EXCELLENT work! I need to re-assess what I’m doing after seeing this continual progress!
Amazing progress, keep it up!
Wow.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
Prof, I think there are a good amount of members here that make pretty decent progress, but don’t post as frequently as many of those who don’t.
.[/quote]
They should speak up more. [/quote]
I would post more… but too busy putting to practice what everyone suggests…
on a side note X, i think i read every page of your stickied thread on the top. Its people like you and Sloh that keep me coming back and keep me motivated…
Thanks!
This topic has been beaten to death…but throughout these years, I’ve noticed that making progress in bodybuilding or just progress in general requires you to be realistic and pay your dues.
You’ve been dealt your hand of cards in terms of genetics, and it’s your decision whether you want to play or sit back. I realized early on that whatever weight I wanted to be lean and shredded at, I needed to progressively eat my way up to 30 or even 40 lbs higher than that weight. It was hard for me to accept at first because…well…I was 18…I had just lost almost 80 lbs from a lard 200 lb to a very skinny 125 lb, and for the first time in my life…I had a girlfriend. The last thing I wanted to do was bulk back up to 200 lbs again.
But, as I lurked on several boards and saw the exceptional progress some individuals made, I knew that making progress was really important for me…even more important than pulling in as much ass as I could throughout my college career.
To be honest, getting completely wasted at parties and not giving a care in the world during college wasn’t something that fit into my goals of going to medical school. I also realized that I had pretty damn average genetics. So, I started to put in work in the kitchen and watching my gains in the gym consistently go up.
Being at 200 lbs was not comfortable at my height of 5’7-5’8. My face was bloated, I was pretty much stuffing myself throughout the day, and I was also sweating a lot more. These things make me respect people like Prof X who have taken their weight up to 280-300. Do you guys even know how much fortitude and determination it takes to do that? I was already feeling like crap at 200 lbs. But, this is life, and you need to pay your dues!
I had a goal of being pretty lean at 165-170 lbs and being able to compete as a lightweight without getting laughed off the stage. In my own fantasy ideal world, I would only have to take my weight from 125 to 165…and voila! I’m there! But this hobby doesn’t work that way FOR MANY PEOPLE. So, I guess what I have to say is this…
If you have average genetics and want to be shredded at a certain weight, you can take it to the bank that you will need to progressively lift and eat your way up at least 30 lbs heavier than that AT LEAST SOME TIME IN YOUR LIFE. If you are tall…like 6 foot, I believe you will probably need to put on more…probably in the range of 40 lbs.
Don’t do yourself a disservice and think that you have the genetics of Mad Titan when your genetics are more in line with Jack Black.
This pursuit of mine is akin to my other goal of being a doctor. I doubt any current medical student loved studying hours and hours throughout their undergrad. But, like anything else in life, you need to pay your dues. Unless your IQ level is way above average, which I obviously do not have, you can take it to the bank that you’ll be studying your ass off throughout college if professional school is your goal. I did this and graduated from UCSD with a science GPA of 3.9.
Want examples??? Here you go. I tend to read and exchange messages with a couple of the national lightweight/welterweight competitors.
Christopher San Juan…2010 Jr. Nationals Lightweight Champion…came in at 154 lbs. Taken straight from a private message from me and him. His height is 5’6…married, works, has 4 kids I believe
“This year i was 191 i though i was going to be a welter but i dropped to light weight since i will be the lightside of welters.”
Willes Ko…2nd in Middleweights at 2009 Jr. Nationals…cutoff for middleweights is 175. Taken straight from a private message from me and him. Height is 5’8…chiropractor, married, and just had a kid
“4-5 years ago I hit about 215 lbs.”
Victor Prisk…2nd in the Welters at 2009 Nationals. Cutoff for welters is about 165. If you’ve seen any of the MD videos featuring Prisk, his offseason weight regularly goes up to around 190. He’s also a surgeon…and he has a girlfriend. Height is around 5’5-5’6
Couple others guys you can google up…
Shawn Boutwell…Jr Nationals 2010…competed at 154 at a height of 5’5, offseason weight…taken from a PM
“I get up to 192 at about 14% fat, I still have abs but not sharp.”
Jason Theobald…Jr Nationals 2010…154 competition weight at a height of 5’6, offseason 190
There is a trend here, and it isn’t just by chance.
If there’s anything someone should be worried about when it relates to bodybuilding, it really shouldn’t be the number of seconds your eccentrics should be during a lift. Worry about what weight you need to hit, and maintain for a couple months to let the muscle become dense so you don’t lose it when dieting, and diet down smartly.
For those of you in your early 20’s, now’s the time! You are less prone to injuries and your metabolism is going to work in your favor! Don’t waste it if this is what you really want.
This stuff doesn’t have to be made into something complex and complicated unless you are dieting for a show. 45 minutes in the gym 5 or 6 times a week and eating 5-6 meals a day. Most normal people who don’t lift already eat 2-3 meals a day, adding on 2-3 more shouldn’t be a problem, especially when you can get it down in shakes nowadays.
I always refer back to Victor Prisk when people ask if this lifestyle is feasible in the future. This guy is an orthopedic surgeon, which is one of the most time consuming professions out there. He’s also on his way to getting married. If it’s possible for him, I believe with enough effort, it can be possible for many others.
Hey Sloh, long time no see… And now I see why. Killer progress over the last few years, you definitely accomplished what you said you wanted to do a few years ago. Keep it up and post the next set when you lean down .
Hey Sloh,
Just thought I’d post and congratulate you on your progress :). Very motivating to see another vertically challenged individual make gains like this (Also 5’5, currently 175ish). Don’t you worry, I’ll be joining you by the end of next year I’m sure.