So far my cut is rolling pretty well. I'm guesstimating I am at ~10% body fat. Currently experimenting with carb cycling.

Today I trained:

DL 365 5x2
Reverse Band flys 5 x 10
Reverse Deficit Lunges w/ 2x12

Fat Loss conditioning:
20 Minutes AMRAP
-KB Swings x 20
-Prowler push x 40 yards
-Battle ropes to failure
-Reverse crunces x 15

5/13/2014 8:45:48 PM

[Edited on May 13, 2014 at 9:37 PM. Reason : ]

5/13/2014 9:31:56 PM

I am not a complete believer in kinesiotaping. But from my personal experience in taping my own back ( just with regular athletic tape from Walgreens), I sense a shift that I cannot explain.

My symptoms included tightness and achey feeling off the side of my left side of my lumbar. Stretching and rolling helped me move a little better, but temporary. This morning I taped the area and pulled the tape against my skin before I stuck it on tightly.

It does change/shift the fascia, I don't feel ache or tightness as much. So whatever kind of adhesion is going on in there, it's relieved it.

[Edited on May 17, 2014 at 11:27 AM. Reason : ,]

5/17/2014 11:27:16 AM

So I just signed up for this because why not.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bpi-best-self-challenge.html

6 week transformation challenge.

my bodyspace username is dropdeadkate if anyone is interested.

5/17/2014 1:09:34 PM

^^i have an ongoing rotator cuff issue, and did a free "consultation" with the guys at the Airrosti booth at the CF regionals today. Made an appt for next week; we'll see how this goes. Apparently tape will be involved

5/18/2014 1:32:26 AM

Want to lose those last few pounds before labor day?? Pick up a double at your old beach bar at the beginning of beach season. I can barely walk...but I've hit my target weight!

5/18/2014 9:31:03 AM

We've got friends in family for Labor Day weekend and will be beaching it Saturday and Sunday. Stepped up the "Beach Body" goal the past two weeks...getting in extra running and skipping breakfast most days. Back to my peak shape...hovering around 145 lbs. Just in time to gorge myself on alcohol and cookouts!

5/22/2014 11:07:22 AM

^ congrats! Enjoy!

I decided to buy Strong Curves since is only $10 on kindle. I've built up some decent strength using Strong Lifts. However, now that I have more time for the gym, I want to do some more exercises. I'm still confused on my diet and what I want to do there. I don't think I'm going to do Keto because it's really hard to maintain when I'm working out for an hour or more 5-6 days a week. For some reason I don't think I eat enough food while on it and will end up losing muscle. :/ I did lose 30 pounds on it though and have been off of it for a month without gaining it back. However, I still would like to loose about 10-15 pounds of fat. I think I'm just going to eat moderately with a small deficit and cut out sugar. Finding the correct diet is so confusing and draining for me. I just get to the point that I'm just going to eat as healthy as I can and live my life. I created a workout plan on excel using Strong Curves and I'm excited to get started.

5/22/2014 12:10:42 PM

^^ it's memorial day man...

5/22/2014 5:42:16 PM

What I meant.....

5/22/2014 6:49:48 PM

Been giving the Wendler 5/3/1 a try for the past few weeks (this week is the 3rd week of my first cycle) in order to increase my strength and I'd have to say not pushing myself to the max each workout helps a lot! I like the warmup & gradual buildup to your last set. Anyway, I chose the Triumvirate for assistance:

Monday:
Deadlift 5/3/1
Good mornings 5 sets x 10
Hanging Leg raises

Tuesday:
Shoulder Press 5/3/1
Chin ups 5 x 10
Dips 5 x 10

Thursday:
Squats 5/3/1
Leg Press 5 x 10
Leg Curls 5 x 10

Friday:
Bench 5/3/1
Dumbell Incline 5 x 10
Dumbell Rows 5 x 10

Any recommendations on changing up and/or adding any additional assistance work? What about some abs workouts or any other HIIT exercises? In addition, I have started doing hill sprint work on leg days (keeping it easy so far), some long walks (anywhere between 4-7 miles) 1-2 times a week generally in the afternoons.

Also, would the hammer strength machine be a good replacement for chin ups? I feel like chin ups/pull ups are a weakness of mine since they can gas me pretty quick (especially with having to lift up my big quads) and I'd like to keep perfecting the technique instead of trying to bust out like 3 reps on my 5th set.

5/28/2014 9:24:12 AM

Can someone give a layman's breakdown of 5/3/1? Most of the breakdowns I've seen of it aren't very helpful.

5/28/2014 10:24:55 AM

^http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/how_to_build_pure_strength

Quote :

"In 5/3/1, you're expected to train three or four days a week. Each workout is centered around one core lift — the parallel squat, bench press, deadlift, and standing shoulder press. Each training cycle lasts four weeks, with these set-rep goals for each major lift: Week 1: 3 x 5 Week 2: 3 x 3 Week 3: 3 x 5, 3, 1 Week 4: deloading Then you start the next cycle, using heavier weights on the core lifts. And that's where a seemingly simple system starts getting a little more complicated. You aren't just picking a weight to lift five times or three times or one time per set. You're using a specific percentage of your one-rep max. And not your full 1RM. The calculations are based on 90% of it. So if your 1RM in the bench press is 315 pounds, you use 285 (90%) as the base number for your training-weight calculations. Here's how it works: Week 1 65% for 5 reps 75% for 5 reps 85% for 5+ reps Week 2 70% for 3 reps 80% for 3 reps 90% for 3+ reps Week 3 75% for 5 reps 85% for 3 reps 95% for 1+ reps Week 4 (deload) 40% for 5 reps 50% for 5 reps 60% for 5 reps"

After the 4th week, then you should up your max on upper body 5 lbs & lower body 10 lbs and just recalculate your sets for the 4 weeks. There are different options for assistance work (Doing nothing, Big but boring, Triumvirate, Dave's Periodization Bible, etc.). I guess it depends on your goals, preference & time on what type of assistance work you wanna do, I'm still trying to feel out what's working best for my improvement.

5/28/2014 2:49:39 PM

with the 5/3/1 stuff, how long do you really think you'll be able to add max weights to your 1RM without ever training in the 90th percentile of your 1RM? without seriously hitting weights in your upper strength limits often, you will never see the kind of strength increases you will want to see. and if you are talking about getting "cut" or "bigger," who do you think will get bigger, the guy who uses sets of 12 at 405 or the guy who uses sets of 12 at 315?

there is a oft thrown around lie that body builders check their ego at the door. they do...now. mostly because they're strong enough to move enough weight to make their muscles bigger. no one on stage got to looking like that by doing seated cable rows with 90 lbs.

5/29/2014 8:30:30 AM

^I'm guessing you're responding to me? I don't see why I couldn't try for 1RM after my sets are done. The last sets aren't rigid (hence the "+") and you said so yourself on page 17 that

Quote :

"Sets to failure are maxes."

And if I'm increasing weight every 4 weeks, how is that not helping? My concern isn't to get "bigger", just increasing strength.

5/29/2014 10:43:42 AM

O..m...g

her body is perfection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG_jr8Efdxk

5/29/2014 9:09:02 PM

5/29/2014 10:34:11 PM

^ , ^^

Quote :

"skywalkr No one cares Mtan Man214 ^+1 This has always been a discussion thread on personal health and wellness, not a fitness-shit-i-found-on-the-internet thread"

(i actually like/appreciate such posts, but some users are intolerant)

5/30/2014 4:19:53 AM

Nah, you just suck. They can post things like that.

5/30/2014 8:37:30 AM

According to the OP, sparky, he is in the guidelines of this thread. Just don't go overboard with the fitness links.

Quote :

"This is the thread for those looking for motivation to get in shape. Post meal plans, exercise routines, goals, questions, or anything else related to fitness in this thread."

5/30/2014 12:08:09 PM

I've been sick on and off for the past month so I haven't gone to the gym consistently (if at all). I was trying to suck it up, but last week I developed a fever and had to go to the doctor. Today is the first day I've felt good in a while.

On the plus side, I've lost 5lbs. On the down side, my body fat % has gone up.

5/30/2014 1:48:35 PM

Glad you're feeling better, hope it continues. What do you use to measure body fat?

5/30/2014 2:22:50 PM

she calls face over to her house, strips down naked, does a 360...then he gives her an accurate measurement.

5/30/2014 2:27:23 PM

I purchased a FitBit Aria scale for tracking weight and BF%, and I've been very happy with it. It's the most consistent scale for tracking BF% I've used, and it matches pretty closely to the nice one at the gym with both hand and feet pads.

The best part is having a scale that logs your progress automatically to a website for easy monitoring.

5/30/2014 4:20:00 PM

^^LOL

5/30/2014 5:44:47 PM

I have a vitagoods body fat scale.

5/31/2014 11:08:23 AM

Quote :

"she calls face over to her house, strips down naked, does a 360...then he gives her an accurate measurement."

is that not the standard?

5/31/2014 12:41:50 PM

typically I do use the face% scale, but last I heard he was injured in a double run-by motorboating accident

luckily I saw a groupon a few months back for a body fat scale, so I've been using that

6/1/2014 12:12:11 AM

My friend got the same groupon! Hers said I was 24%. I figure even if it's way off I'm still somewhere in the healthy range so that's pretty sweet. I do wanna keep monitoring it so I hope the scales are at least precise if not accurate.

6/1/2014 11:17:22 AM

yeah, I have a fancy scale that tells me my weight, fat %, muscle %, hydration %, and bone mass. I'm not sure how accurate it is and was thinking about getting calipers. I pretty much use it as a guide to tell me that I'm gaining muscle and losing fat. Wish I could get a dexa scan, those are pretty neat.

6/1/2014 9:22:55 PM

My scale with bf function built in is completely worthless, it says I am 36% bf at 200 lbs lol. At least double what I am.

6/1/2014 11:17:55 PM

for motivation:



[Edited on June 4, 2014 at 9:12 PM. Reason : ]

6/4/2014 9:12:33 PM

6/5/2014 9:47:46 AM

^ is this going to be painful to watch (injury wise)?

6/5/2014 10:00:10 AM

^ No actual injuries. No elbows bending backwards or anything like that. Just a lot of people falling over, dropping barbells (no visible injuries), ripping pull-up bars from the ceiling, etc.

6/6/2014 8:12:42 AM

Anyone got a suggestion for a good running program? I'm looking to for something to get my running fitness up for the Academy in late August.

This is what I'm looking at right now:

http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50933/5K-Novice-Training-Program


My fitness level is solidly above average, so something like Couch to 5k isn't going to cut it, but I know I need to building up my running fitness so I don't tear up my foot again.

[Edited on June 7, 2014 at 8:07 PM. Reason : ...]

6/7/2014 8:06:23 PM

Saw 199.6 on the scale this morning, first time I have been under 200 lbs since probably 2011. Big difference is now I have a lot more muscle mass. I am slowly increasing my calories, around 100-200 per week and will get to the point where I am adding around .5 lbs per week until I hit a max of 207 and then reverse course using the same methodology.

I am completely done ever trying to do a big bulk again, this cut was a pain in the ass because I just had way too much weight to lose and I really like walking around without those extra 45 lbs. It is amazing how much difference it makes.

6/13/2014 10:39:40 AM

I've recently done some max effort days in the gym to get a feel for my starting strength before switching to a strongman style training program. I hadn't deadlifted in almost 8 years, and it showed in that my 1RM for the deadlift was 80 pounds less than my max for the squat. Tonight I'll see what I can accomplish on the bench.

6/24/2014 9:26:41 AM

i don't have time to go to the university gym, so i just want to buy something (small) for my apartment that i can use to maintain strength and muscle mass in as many muscle groups as possible. what are my options?

i was thinking of getting a small bench. is it better to get a bunch of kettlebells (never used them), or perhaps those adjustable dumbells? i want to optimize the mix of space occupied and usefulness for most muscle groups. or perhaps a mix of 2 different types of equipment?

any opinions by seasoned limited-space home lifters? thanks.

7/6/2014 7:00:43 PM

^ anybody?

7/9/2014 9:58:54 AM

Check out bodyweight fitness programs. I use "You Are Your Own Gym" as a reference to substitute bodyweight exercises when I can't use weights.
There's also a good forum on reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/
They've got a good beginner's plan that can be done pretty much anywhere.


Also, i realize I'm a little late on the summer gym crowd rant, but I had to take a hiatus from the lifting at the Cary Y at the beginning of the summer while we struggled with my sons sleep issues, then left for a family vacation.
Went back for the first time Monday evening, this has been my experience so far this week:


[Edited on July 9, 2014 at 10:25 AM. Reason : ]

7/9/2014 10:24:56 AM

why does that matter?

7/9/2014 10:55:44 AM

I keep straining my calf muscle....which has kept me from running for the past few weeks. Big pain in the ass.

Luckily I was in great shape before the injury...but I've really had to watch what I eat in order to stay in decent shape. I hate getting old. I never had little injuries like this when I was younger.

7/9/2014 12:21:54 PM

Quote :

" why does that matter?"

The population in the weight room has now doubled with mostly unexperienced and untrained kids. Its like a circus of shitty form pushing too much weight and poor gym etiquette.

I took advantage of the nursery today so I could work out in the morning. There were still a lot more teenagers than usual, but they seemed like well trained lifters. I assume most of them are student athletes that are trying to build up before the fall season.

7/9/2014 3:48:58 PM

0EPII1 - how about a TRX? https://www.trxtraining.com

7/9/2014 4:40:32 PM

How much would all the stuff I need to learn something like Muay Thai cost ?

7/9/2014 9:56:31 PM

^^ hey, that looks great from the few minutes i just spent looking at it. will have to look at it in detail later before i make a decision.

thanks.

7/9/2014 11:43:37 PM

I've lifted in an apartment off and on for several years. I started out with a 300lb barbell set with a really simple deadlift and OHP program (and a separate day of pull-ups on a nearby playground). Made gains in both lifts but especially deads. It was always a huge pain stacking weights in and out of the closet (or normally just scattered across my floor)

I moved on to kettlebells just because I was interested. They will take up much less room, and take way less setup time which encouraged me to skip fewer workouts. Buying a single bell is cheaper than a Olympic barbell set (unless you get a great deal), but it probably will only take you a few months before you'll need to buy a heavier one if you want to keep making strength gains, and by that point the costs are pretty similar.

I imagine a bunch of dumb bells would have been scattered across my closet and floor too.

Just because kettlebells are tidier I would recommend them for an apartment, with one exception: if you really want to make size and "max strength" gains then you might reconsider a barbell, I think it'll be more effective for those goals.

7/10/2014 12:07:06 PM

Lost all motivation for about 2 weeks...I've been traveling a lot back and forth so I semi-attribute it to that.

Anyone have any tips of what to do to get back in a solid routine? Gonna try a new cardio routine and see if that does it...maybe its my diet and I'm just slacking on it too.

tips?

7/17/2014 3:57:14 PM

Need a good hang clean tutorial for a friend. She is doing what most beginners are doing...swinging the arm too soon ( at low weigh), where the movement almost looks like a curl and press. Not activating the hips.

7/17/2014 7:12:44 PM