Here’s a shoot the shit kind of thread.
I was thinking about this today during the 30 sec rests between tri-sets of 12 weeks to super strength. I’m wondering what have been the T-brood’s achievements during the time they’ve been using this magazine as a guide.
So here’s what I’m thinking to include.
Goals:
How long you’ve been reading T-mag:
Programs/Diets followed:
Accomplishments (of any kind):
Whatever else you’d like to add:
I’ll add my own accomplishments as soon as I can.
Goals: a lean, powerful, yet still feminine physique, a la Patricia
How long you’ve been reading T-Mag: Since September 2002
Programs/Diets followed: 5x5, EDT, OVT
Diet, for medical reasons, is very basic low carb stuff (100g or less a day)
Accomplishments (of any kind):
Losing 115 lbs of fat, gaining 45 lbs of muscle
Going from 58% B.F. to 24% and still falling
From having trouble benching a bar to 175lbs for 5 reps
Never having deadlifted to pulling 165 for 5
Learning to survive workouts which include “the bear”
Best of all, getting my honey into the gym with me!!!
Whatever else you’d like to add: All my life I’ve been an active, sporty person. Then I had a fairly serious mountain biking accident, avoided the gym throughout therapy and surgery and more therapy, and married a non-lifter, so I never went back. Worst of all, my husband is an amazing cook who also introduced me to the pleasures of good red wine. A year and a half ago I was 270 lbs, suffering from severe P.C.O.S., borderline Type II diabetic, blobby, shapeless and devoid of energy. I was putting on weight so quickly that I didn’t just have stretch marks - at times I had actual tears in my skin. When I went to my doctor he figured out a half dozen of the things that were wrong with me, told me to adopt a very low carb diet and to go to the gym and lift weights. Lucky me to have a doctor who actually knows what he’s talking about!!
At first I was too embarrassed to go to the gym, so I ate low carb and lost some weight that way, which made me smaller, but just as soft. When the thought of wearing shorts in public didn?t cause fits anymore, I joined a gym. My gym changed owners shortly afterwards, and when the new owner ordered in some Biotest product, a ton of paper T-Mag issues came too. I read the magazine, then went online, started reading and researching, and, overwhelmed as I was by the information overload, was hooked. Willpower and dedication can only take you so far. I credit T-Mag for much of what I’ve accomplished in the last year.
Man I love this place!!
You gained 45lbs of muscle in 9 months? And you’re a woman?
Goals: Had 2 goals originally: 1. to get in shape for the FBI running test, and 2. to be healthy again by losing weight and getting in shape. My current goal is to run the Chicago Marathon in under 4 hours, and to be able to do 5 pullups.
How long you’ve been reading T-mag: 1 year
Programs/Diets followed: originally, BFL, then Don’t Diet and Meltdown Training. Now still on Don’t Diet. Still not sure what I should be lifting since I am training for the marathon, am doing a 5x5 basic Deadlift/Bench/Squat split.
Accomplishments (of any kind): Went from 247 lbs with 160 lbm, to 180 lbs and 151 lbm. (But I’m sure some of that lbm was visceral fat which you can’t measure with callipers, at least I hope!) Blood pressure is way down too (from 130/90 to 90/55).
Whatever else you’d like to add: I am working on getting an old picture of me to post. I am not huge or buff, obviously, but I am healthier and thanks to TMag not going to spend the 2nd half of my life with painful diabetes or heart disease or cancer if I can help it.
Goals: When I stopped bike racing, I figured I’d need as much muscle mass as I could get to help kep fat down and make getting back in racing shape easier once I got back to it.
How long you’ve been reading T-mag: I don’t even know, it’s been that long. I guess I stumbled onto the site in 2000.
Programs/Diets followed: I’ll probably have people giving me the T-sign to ward off such sacriledge, but I don’t follow any of them. When I was racing, I was pretty much on a see-food diet (see food, eat it). Never gained any weight, and in fact had some problems keeping weight ON. But I also knew that if I kept on doing that, I’d balloon up fast. I still don’t really pay a whole lot of attention to what I’m eating, but the volume is down.
Accomplishments (of any kind): Let’s see – several state hill-climb TT championships, 40K TT titles… Rode the national 40K TT twice (when it came to Seattle – I’m not exactly mational caliber), have finished one marathon, several half marathons, was near pro-level triathlete (but had NO aspirations to do the big dance in Kona).
Whatever else you’d like to add: After I stopped racing, I first went to Cyberpump (HIT site), and got HEAVILY into that mode os training. That took me from 145 to 180. It took the ATTITUDE of T-mag to take me to 200 (at a height of just under 5’11"). My training methods haven’t varied greatly, but the intensity and attitude that I got here have made all the difference in the world.
After reading this month’s issue about Thialand…ready to dump family and move thier…great article.
Ok here’s mine…
Goals: Until I read T-mag it was to be lean. Since I started reading T-mag, I want to hit 200 lbs around 7% bf (Christian Thibaudeau’s pictures are similar to what I’m looking for (though I’m not giving up my curly locks!)).
I’ve been reading since August 2002 (Thanks to the suggestion of another guy at the gym).
Programs: 12 weeks to super strength, Diamonds in the Rough, T-dawg Diet, Eating Massive, Just started 12 weeks of pain overlapped with 12 weeks of superstrength. Oooo Baby!
Accomplishments:
Prior to reading T-mag I had done a low carb diet From Jan-Aug 2002. I went from a sloppy 188 lbs, to a lean (3-4% bf) 162 lbs (I lost a lot of LBM as well). I was lifting at least 2 hrs/day, and doing 1/2 hr cardio/day (Stop yelling at me…I was stupid back then!) After reading T-mag, I stopped being stupid, and lifted properly (good time, proper splits, better variety). I’m went up to 180-182 lbs ~10% bf before plateauing. I then did T-dawg for a few weeks to get to 177 lbs ~7%. I’m now Eating Massive again trying to blow through the 182 barrier I hit before.
12 weeks to super strength–> I went from never ever doing a dip or pullup to doing multiple sets of 10 for both.
I went from having a rough time lifting 120lbs for 4 reps, to lifting 225 for 4 reps. Unfortunately I wasn’t taking measurements at this time, but I definitely gained a little in my chest, back, and arms during this time.
Diamonds in the Rough–>I love John’s program! I wasn’t eating enough during the time so gains were minimal, but I put on 1/4 to 1/2 inch. More importantly, I got more variety in my calves routine (Unfortunately I couldn’t get the T-vixen of choice to jump on my back for the donkey calve raises.)
I never measured myself prior to reading T-mag, so unfortunately I can’t give you differences in my stats. But I can say I’ve gained noticable size throughout.
My 1RM squat was 0 lbs (I never squatted, always did leg press, lounges and other stuff, including running, and stairclimber). In Jan I measured my 1RM squat (345 lbs)…About 3 weeks ago (415 lbs).
I also must say that I consider it an accomplishment to have been asked if I’m a professional athlete (though I think that guy should’ve put on his glasses), and to get dirty looks on a near daily basis by people I don’t know working out at the gym (you know the people who curl 3 lbs and think they’r getting huge or those that can make their head touch their toes leaning backwards curling 120 lbs). Being called crazy by my workout partners is a good feeling too. They push themselves hard, but they say it’s nothing compared to how hard I push myself. I also think it an accomplishment to have people ask me what I do to work various muscle groups (since either my workouts, or my phsyique give them the idea I know what I’m doing…must be the former!)
Anything else:
I think the main thing T-mag has given me is mental focus. I’ve lost the fear of eating massive, but now have the confidence and knowledge to do it properly. The detailed, no BS way the mag is put together allowed me to learn so much phsyiology, and psychology of the sport, and this has really improved my ability to reach my goals. Furthermore, I’ve been able to pass this info off to friends of mine that unfortunately don’t have time to sit down and do the research themselves (hey, I figure if they find out through me it’s better than not knowing at all.)
I’m sure there’s tons more I could add, but I need a nap (I both love and hate Ian King’s routines! That bastard’s gonna make me big whether I like it or not!) I hope after completing these next 12 weeks, I’ll have more to report in terms of accomplishments.
Goals: Get Bigger, and Stronger of course.
How Long been on T-MAg: I first found the site about three years ago, but became really hooked about a year and a half ago. I started posting within the last 6-9 months.
Programs Used: EDT, 5x5, Running man, Mag-10 Plan for Success, and OVT.
Progress: Have gained around 20 lbs of muscle, and have not focused on fat loss, yet. Will start cutting after I get a little more dense.
Goals: always looking for another 20 lbs of lean mass.
Accomplishments: Started lifting / eating seriously three years ago and was 158 at about 18%. I am now 205 at 8%.
Found T-mag about a year ago, and until recently was selfish and just read without posting.
Got my hands on the magazine last year from an online supplement store. I read it, and months later I picked it up again and found it very useful. I have gained 20lbs in a year. I’m 180 plan to be at least 205.
First off…I have to express my awe towards Polar Princess!! VERY well done girl!! Good for you. Your story is actually very inspiring and a welcome slap in the face to all those people who use thier genetics as an excuse for not training.
Goals…to look good nekid of coarse! I have always had an “athletic” and lean look, but I have never been satisfied. My ultimate goal is to get up to 200lbs and still be around 6-8% BF…currently I stand at 185-190 lbs at 8-9%.
How Long have I used T-mag…stumbled across it around a year ago. I was actually on the Mens Health forum when I was told to come here, and I will NEVER leave.
Programs/Diets Followed: Lets see…I’ve used OVT, HST, Oscillating Wave Program, Canadian Cannons, Anti-BB Program,and Diamonds in the Rough to name a few. In terms of diet…I have read everything by JB and I have incorporated his strategies in terms of meal combos (P+C, P+F) and meal timing. I havnt necessarily followed a diet per say, but I have learned so much in terms of meal timing and food choices…I can just manipulate my food selections to help me achieve my goals.
Accomplishments: I cant even begin to explain how much more in tune I am about training and diet now that t-mag is a part of my life. Before t-mag, I thought I knew what I was doing, and for the most-part I was alright. But t-mag opened my eyes to many many things. I thought the foods I ate were the right choices, boy was I wrong. I had no idea the importance to post-workout nutrition and the importance of controlling insulin levels through food choices and meal timing. I find myself reading and re-reading articles over and over again. Shoot…I have four 3-ring binder full of articles now…haha. NOt to mention I have met so many wonderful people here on the forum! Even though I havnt met anyone in person, I consider many people here my friend. You all know who you are…;o)
Thanks Tony!!
And yes, I did add 45 lbs of muscle, but in 11 months, not 9. I had started going to the gym before I discovered T-Mag. Part of P.C.O.S. is having androgen-producing cysts growing on your ovaries. This means that my test levels are far higher than the avergage woman. Although this has lots of negative side effects, one good thing is lean mass gain. Don’t forget though, that I was previously doing nothing, was a stick person underneath my blubber, and that I went from that to both eating and training right. So my newbie gains were even greater than the average.
And if 45 lbs sounds like a whole lot of bulk for a woman, keep in mind that I’m BIG for a woman, both tall and wide - 5’10", hands big enough to palm a basketball, 6.5" wrist. Even when I lose the rest of my fat, I’ll still just be proportional, not huge.
I think I’m going to have to lose the fear and post some before pics as well as current ones. It’s just intimidating since although guys who are less than perfect post photos, the women we’ve seen are incredible. And me? I’m still very much in progress.
HEY NEW B’S!!!
I just wanted to clarify for any potential New Vixens out there; 3 years ago when I started to “Lift” I was a “Cardio Bunny”, and using fat burners- a stupid amount. I am talking 120min at LEAST a day plus lifting (like a sissy - full on) and say 6-8 fat burners a day.
I have only been lifting heavy, squatting, and dead lifting since September! Thanks to T-mag and Berardi.
As a side note I put on fat and muscle quite quickly, and have all my life.
Back in the late 80’s early 90’s when the WAVE hair do was in, and theses stupid tight stretchy jeans, with the equally fashionable tight roll at the bottom, you know the look!
Well I looked like an idiot!
I hated my body, I had legs back then from skating, and trust me it was not a good look for me.
I starved myself and was always uncomfortable.
3 years ago I saw picture of Shonna McCarver so I started to train like a bunny and you can guess after 8 months of training that way and not meeting my caloric intake I quickly burnt the shit out of my body. Immune problems, adrenal failure, and with all the stimulants I wasn’t sleeping.
GO figure? Depression, mood swings, oh yes I was allot of fun to be around.
My point is in the last 9 months I have followed John’s advice and increased my weights, and my caloric intake.
I am happy to say I’m getting smaller, tighter, and stronger with out all that time and torture.
If you looked at my picture and thought “ahh she looks ok-but too big for me!”
I beg you keep an open mind, and keep watching my posts. It has only been since September that I started to incorporate John’s ideas (training and diet) in to my program, and I was able to take a few months off (no cardio, just squats, dead lifts, & chins) and keep a good physique, plus eat well, and no stimulants.
The thing is to TRY!!! this type of training, you can always go back to 3 hours of cardio if you think you don’t like the results you’re getting.
Trust me, if you get “BIG LEGS” go back to the endless amounts of cardio and your LMM will go in no time!
What do you have to lose?
It has helped so much!
That’s what T-mag, the staff, and all the other forum mates ( Vixens: PATRAICIA KICK SOME ASS IN YOUR COMP!!!) has done for me so thank you!!!
It made me dangerously hardcore!
Well, when muscle media turned to custard, I thought I’d lost the only decent source of bbing info around. Then I found this site. 'nuff said.
E~Pluribus: I’ve seen your pics, and if you became that hot in 9 months I’m really really impressed! Keep up the good work. I’m really looking forward to seeing your future posts if you say they’ll only be getting better.
Polar Princess: Very Inspirational! Thank you!
To the both of you and any other T-vixens of like mind: It is really nice to see you ladies train as hard as you do. The gains are overwhelmingly positive. And there’s nothing like seeing a woman at the gym lift hard and heavy, and smart. There’s a couple women I train with that will find your stories a great influence.
I have been reading T-Mag for about 2 years. But only really got into it after I retired from baseball last year. And within the last few months I have been using the forums and I think the knowledge in there along with the want to help other T-people is awesome.
Since that time I have used EDT, OVT, and I am currently using CW’s Bigger Chest in 6 weeks along with Ian King’s Limping seriers. As far as diet goes I have used Massive Eating. When I stopped playing ball I was 200(i’m 6’4) and through this website I am now 235. And with this mag I plan to hit my goal weight of 260 while staying at 10% bf.
Without this mag I would still be the skinny-fat guy and I might have gotten to the point I am at now but it would have been many years down the road.
Goals: Relative Strength, baby…
How long you’ve been reading T-mag: Winter '02
Programs/Diets followed: All of Ian King’s stuff, Canadian Cannons, 5x5, Lots of stuff CT posted in his forum, (drawing a blank on the lifting programs right now), Chanko, Fat Fast, T-Dawg, T-Dawg 2.0, Massive Eating/Don’t Diet, various Cheater permutations.
Accomplishments (of any kind):
Strength Stuff: Thanks to the miracle that is neural wave loading, I was able to pull of 4 deep Dip reps with 80 percent of bodyweight as an extra load added on. Same thing with chinups, +53% bodyweight for 3. Strict standing military with 30lbs over bodyweight. Cleaning 1.5xBW and Snatching 1.1xBW currently, thanks to CT. These lifts still suck though, and the others are even worse… must grow stronger!
Bodycomp Stuff: Thanks to T-Mag, I was able to figure out how to lower my bodyfat intelligently, instead of just taking a 10k running class and loosing 60lbs off my squat max.
I guess that’s all I can think of for now.
I’ve been around since pretty much the beginning (I think my first letter was posted in Reader Mail number 30 or something like that).
I’ve used more T-mag workouts and diets than I can count at this point. But some of the main highlights: Massive Eating has changed the way I look at food. CP’s routines gave a whole new meaning to the word “intensity”. Ian King’s ideas about physique balance and recovery were paradigm-shifting. Post-workout nutrition… tempo prescriptions… inter-set rest periods… EDT… leptin… Tribex…
I came into T-mag with a good two decades of lifting experience already, but obviously I’ve still learned a hell of a lot from this site. Probably the toughest thing - psychologically speaking, of course! - has been to admit that I was doing a lot of stuff wrong for a lot of that time. But hey, live and learn, right?
I’d say that the biggest single thing T-Mag has taught me has been not to be naive when it comes to advertising in the fitness industry. I like to think that I’m a pretty independent guy, but let’s face it: when an entire publishing empire is telling you something, you’re going to tend to believe it after a while. More than the programs, more than the diets, I think that T-mag has served the bodybuilding community best by exposing the myths and bullshit advertising that permeate it.
I found the site through Ellington Darden during its first year. At first I didn’t know what to think, but quickly became a believer in this site.
Berardi’s diet info has completely changed how I look at food, and I dumped about 25 pounds of fat easier then I ever had in my life. (Unfortunate events last summer caused me to eat crap, and not work out regularly, but I got back on track.)
Meltdown I was great last year, and earlier this year, and now I am starting II.
I haven’t been as successful with weight gain though. (Very surprised.) I was up to 6000 kcal a day Berardi style along with King workouts. I gained no lean body mass, but I gained about 2 pounds of fat. (Gone one week after simply relaxing calories.)
This year I tried HST with 100 reps and gained about 4 pounds LBM, though I didn’t eat like I could have.
When I take a break from my current diet, I plan on doing EDT with MAG-10, and squeezing whatever I can into my mouth.
My goal is to add about 30 lbs LBM and get to around 8% BF. Then just maintain. (This is just an estimate of where I want to be, I will use the mirror as my actual guide.)