Stick with it Decosta! Last year this time, I was physically in much the same place as you (6feet, 225lbs). Now I’m just hitting 180lbs and considering slowly gaining over the next year to see where I can take my weight training.
No worries on the pics - you’ll get nothing but support from the people in this group.
[quote]hel320 wrote:
Belated welcome. You do seem to have a handle on the diet. Some thoughts on your goals and routine. Your role models seem to have one thing in common. Total chest development. When Will Smith went through his transformation to play Ali this was the first thing I noticed. Don’t know what you’re starting with but to get the look I would definitely concentrate on the inclines for upper and some outer chest development as well as the flat bench. Probably the best total chest ever was Serge Nubret from back in the day. Good luck and stick with it.[/quote]
Thanks for the comments, while I’m not one that’s all bench press, bench press,etc like your average 16 noob, with the past gyno problems, I do want to get a better chest :)…If I really wanted to choose a best bodypart, it would have to be a really strong back and core (esp with the v taper thing - THat’s diet i know).
While I’m one for results quickly, I also know that it’s going to take a while.
On a related note, I was looking for a new job and in the benefits, it mentioned a gym. I was like yeap, don’t mind going to this place. So far I’ve been luckly to have free gyms at the places I work.
Saturday was a boring day while sunday, went to see journey to the centre of the earth 3d. Let me say the 3d has moved on since Jaws 3d. Good effects and you get to keep the glasses 
Pigged out on popcorn and other carbie delights, but again, it’s all good
Onto Monday 4th August, diet wise:
7:00 - Salmon, boiled egg and a protein shake
Throughout the morning it was cup of tea, water and some celery, raisins.
11:30 - PS
12:00 - Salmon and brocolli along with some more celery and raisins.
15:00 - Green Tea, chicken skewer and some nuts, plus cod liver oil and gloucosamine.
16:45 - 17:45 - Gym followed by scoop of protein shake.
18:00 -Sunday dinner (beef, green beans, cabbage and califlower) with a piece of omelette (eggs, courgettes, onions).
General tidiness but I think that was down to the low carbs, have to put in more.
4 minute warmup with high stepping skipping.
Bench Press - 2x10 @ 154lbs, 1x10 @ 132lbs
Incline Press - 3x10 @ 110lbs
Decline 3x10 @ 88lbs
Tricep Extension (You sit down with the straps behind your hand and pull the straps forward isolating your tri’s) - 3x10 @ 40lbs
Tricep Pulldown - 3x10 @ 40lbs
Dips 3x10 @ bw
Wasn’t really feeling it today but I managed to get through it. In a wierd mood, but I’m slowly working towards my goal of losing the weight and then bulking up.
Attached are pics that will enable me to have a decent starting point, it’s weird, I seem to have no definite shape. It seems my love handles and stomach are a problem. Need to sort out chest, but the look is more to do with the recent gyno surgery I had (wanted to take it out and see if the skin would shrink back).
Anyway pics are attached in my profile
Brought a new bike, so just have to wait for it to be delivered. So that’ll be something I’ll be doing in the morning and afternoon to help shift the fat. It’s a hybrid so I’ll be able to use trails and go on the roads. Got myself a nice pink helmet joke 
Was reading Muscle and fitness and was having a look at there Rock Hard Challenge. Might give it a go and see what’s what. Might be interesting.
Still have my target of reaching my target of 210-215 pounds by sept 23.
No gym yesterday as I had to sort out some stuff, but I did go to town which is about a mile each way, so i did get some exercise.
Gym tonight though.
You’ve got a great frame for deadlifting and you already have some sizeable arms there.
Your diet so far looks great. Keep eating like that and the pounds will come off, I’m sure. Add in some HIIT stuff and your gonna look great.
Really looking forward to seeing your progress.
Anyone who can eat fish for breakfast is OK in my book.
Did my workout from the Rock Hard Challenge. I’ve also done a vlog, I’ve just got to get the video from my phone to the computer. Stupid drivers.
Diet for today
Breakfast - 2 eggs, protein shake and sardines
When I got into work - Tea + gloucosmine + cod liver oil
Mid morning snack - Small slice of omlette (had courgettes, mushrooms and onions)
Lunch - Rest of mid morning snack
Around 15:00 - Tuna with tomato salsa and satsuma
16:45 - Gym
After gym - Protein shake
Dinner - Plate of Mosaka. (just the meat and aubergines) and a couple of rye ryvitas.
Total water consumption - 2/3 litres
I’ll enter the gym stuff when I get the piece of paper.
Thanks skidmark…Just need to focus and thanks for the compliments. I know I have a long way to go. Be interesting to see what 12 weeks can do.
Back
Bent-Over Row 6 x 6,6,6,10,12,12 @ 110lbs
Seated Row 6 x 6,6,6,10,12,12 @ 80lbs
Lat Pulldown 4 x 6,6,10,12 @ 90lbs
Biceps
Barbell Curl 5 x 6,6,10,12,12 @ 44lbs
Incline Dumbbell Curl 5 x 6,6,10,12,12 @ 10lbs
Dumbbell Preacher Curl 2x10 @ 10lbs
Then did cardio bike for 20 minutes
Thanks skidmark…Just need to focus and thanks for the compliments. I know I have a long way to go. Be interesting to see what 12 weeks can do.
Back
Bent-Over Row 6 x 6,6,6,10,12,12 @ 110lbs
Seated Row 6 x 6,6,6,10,12,12 @ 80lbs
Lat Pulldown 4 x 6,6,10,12 @ 90lbs
Biceps
Barbell Curl 5 x 6,6,10,12,12 @ 44lbs
Incline Dumbbell Curl 5 x 6,6,10,12,12 @ 10lbs
Dumbbell Preacher Curl 2x10 @ 10lbs
Then did cardio bike for 20 minutes
Part 2
Me trying to describe the hill I run up at. Basically its from my home, up this hill, up a bit more of an incline and then to the train station and back (1.2 miles - 12 minutes).
I decided to save time and superset my exercises. I wanted to do a quick workout and fit in 20 mins cardio. With the supersetting, it was literally 1 set of chest followed by 1 set of triceps, then back to 1 set of chest. Literally the only rest was moving from one station to another and/or changing weights.
It was Chest and tricep day
Bench Press
2�?6 @ 70kg, 1�?10 @ 60kg, 1�?10 @ 50kg, 1�?10 @ 40kg
superset with
Bench Dips(Bodyweight)
Reps of 6,6,6,10,12,12
followed by
Incline Bench Press
3�?6 @ 30kg, 2�?10 @ 30kg, 1�?6 @ 30kg
supersetted with
Close grip bench
3�?6 @ 20kg, 1�?10 @ 20kg, 2�?10 @ 20kg
followed by
Pec Deck
4�?12 @ 27kg
supersetted by
Tricep extensions
3�?6 @ 13.5kg
Then after all that was a 20 minute bike ride where I tried to use HIIT principles. By the end of the workout (which I did in 1 hr), I was sweating like mad. Tried to do some pushups but my arms couldn�??t support me 
Well I did a lunchtime session where I concentrated on shoulders.
Dumbell Military Raises for sets of 6,6,10,10,12,12 @ 10kg
In between the sets, I was doing crunches.
I managed to finish this when someone commented on why I did that, he then said that that you won�??t grow the muscle like that and that you need to concentrate on one exercise until it burns. If it isn�??t burning, then it isn�??t working. Does anyone agree with that.
He then showed me the exercises he did which was to do a mix of side laterals, front raises, alternative front raises and then more military pressing without stopping. It did burn, whether it worked for me, have to see.
Then we got talking about diet,etc. He then said that if I wanted to lose weight then I shouldn�??t eat after 18:00. Not to sure I agree, but hey, each to their own. Again, thoughts would be welcome.
Diet for Tuesday
7:00 - 2 bolied eggs, museli, protein shake
8:30 - Yerba Mate Tea
10:30 - Chicken (100g)
13:00 - Gym for an hour
14:30 - Chicken + vegatables (broccoli + green beans)
15:00 - Satsuma and Yerba Mate Tea
18:00 - Chicken and more veg.
Just before bed, a sports vitamin that contains all the minerals.
NEWSFLASH - WENT BELOW THE 16 stone mark (224lbs) today. Yeah me, weight loss is going good. Just shows what you can do if you really dial in your diet and figure out how many cardio/gym sessions you need.
First the gym workout (performed at 16:45-18:00)
Deadlift - 1x6 @ 105kg, 1x10 @ 95kg, 1x12 @ 90kg, 1x15 @ 80kg
Shrug - 1x6 @ 70kg, 1x10 @ 65kg, 1x12 @ 60kg, 1x15 @ 60kg
Farmers Walk - 4x50 steps @ 15kg (each hand)
Seated Row - 3x10 @ 45kg
Lat Pulldown - 3x10 @ 45kg
Close-grip pull up - 2 sets of 1 (I really need to build up to doing more)
Good Morning - 1x12 @ 60kg, 1x15 @ 55, 1x20 @ 50kg
Back felt deliciously warm and good, love doing back although it�??s hard to know if I�??m working it correctly. Forearms got a really good workout. Love it.
Then I decided to do legs
Smith Squat - 1x6 @ 80kg, 1x10 @ 75kg, 1x12 @ 60kg, 1x15 @ 50kg
Calf Raises - 2x25 @ 80kg
Leg Extensions - 3x12 @ 36kg
Hamstring Curl - 3x12 @ 36kg
Did a yoga pose where you balance on one leg and then cross the other leg on top of your other leg and then go to sit down so you look like a 4. Held hands out and did 4 sets of 30secs.
Ran to the car (was agony, but good), and I haven�??t really stopped as I�??ve been moving stuff for the inlaws and running up flight of stairs.
Morning - Same as yesterday (bar the shake)
Mid morning snack - satsuma + cod liver oil, glocasimine
Lunch - Salad + small soup
Afternoon snack - Yerba Mate Tea + satsuma/banana + protein shake
After gym postwork shake
Dinner - 2 pitta bread (wholemeal) filled with scrambled egg/spoonful of beans)
I�??ll post progress pictures on monday, will be doing bi weekly pictures to chart progress.
[quote]Decosta wrote:
he then said that that you won�??t grow the muscle like that and that you need to concentrate on one exercise until it burns. If it isn�??t burning, then it isn�??t working. Does anyone agree with that.[/quote]
I don’t really agree that you have to feel a “burn” to grow muscle. The “burn” or the “pump” is usually associated with more traditional rep ranges (8-12 reps). A lot of powerlifters and strongmen have gotten some very impressive physiques by focusing on lower rep ranges and not working on the “burn”. There are many different ways to build muscle.
[quote]
Then we got talking about diet,etc. He then said that if I wanted to lose weight then I shouldn�??t eat after 18:00. Not to sure I agree, but hey, each to their own. Again, thoughts would be welcome. [/quote]
More than a specific time, I think it is important to eat the types of foods that your body needs at certain times of the day. There is a lot of good stuff on nutrient timing in the nutrition/diet section. Author John Berardi has a lot of good stuff on what types of foods to eat when. If you are getting ready to go to bed, it is not a good idea to eat a lot of carbs (especially quickly digesting carbs). However, it is important to eat a balance of healthy fats and proteins to give your body some fuel to build muscle while you sleep.
There are some people who are of the opinion that it is the “strain” that builds muscle, whether it comes at the end of a long or short set.
However, research seems to show that muscle can be built in the 80-85% of 1RM range with the trainee never having “strained” or “burned” the muscles.
Repeated triples and 5’s at these poundages trigger some a hormonal response that release the governors of muscle growth.
This would seem to indicate that there is some sort of baseline effort level the body keeps track of and can tell when it is exceeded and so determines when it will allow the building of more muscle.
Having a surplus of building material (food) in the system is certainly one necessary element.
Well since this post, he’s offered me “pearls” of wisdom as in when you lift in a bench press, you have to arch your back so that you can feel your pecs strain.
I just nodded and let him go on. He’s all about the burn.
Well, that last isn’t completely wrong. Arching the back puts you nearly in the same position as a decline bench, allowing you to move more weight, which puts more stress on the pectorals which makes them grow faster.
Maybe, but it wasn’t so much the info he was imparting, it was just his self assurance that he must be right,etc. It was more of a statement than a debate.
[quote]Decosta wrote:
Maybe, but it wasn’t so much the info he was imparting, it was just his self assurance that he must be right,etc. It was more of a statement than a debate.
[/quote]
I know the attitude well, having been guilty of it myself.