Fitness & Martial Arts Thread

[Fatal Exception]

It might actually cease to be a problem. I feel my routine has stalled so I need to switch it up to lift heavier rather than going for reps.

I could do Stronglifts 5X5, but isn't that for beginners? I just want a routine to copy

[Dual]

You sound like a beginner from your posts in here tbh

[<]:^D]

if your grip is failing on the 12th then do 2 sets of 6...

[Rocsteady]

Still kelei's routine? No offence but there's no way you're maxing that out its an intermediate/ advanced routine - if you're struggling eat more, sleep more and hit the additional exercises harder.

Back in the gym Monday at long last. Gonna get some comparison photos up beforehand to see clearly how far I've fallen. Then get on getting that gooseberry fool back like a mummy strawberry floater.

[gamerforever]

Finally back in the gym aftee hurting my back and going on holiday. Looking to improve my overall physique by the end of july if i can by doing 3-4 sessions a week of resistance/ strength based training and eating healthily.

[Hawky]

FE if you are doing 12 reps of deadlift and are complaining about a weak grip surely the problem is described in the question. I wouldn't do 12 reps of anything (excluding bodyweight exercises) in 1 set if the main goal is to increase strength. The way I worked up to my deadlift max was to start with a warmup of 1x5 on 40,60,80kg and then do 3 work sets of 5 reps increasing the weight building up to the heaviest set last. So when that last set was 145kg I'd do 110, 125, 145. Obviously you can tailor it to whatever numbers you're lifting but something along those lines is good enough to get you deadlifting 1rm to around 1.9x your bodyweight. Alternatively you could try 5/3/1, have a read about it and ask in here if you have any questions.

Started leangains on monday. Going pretty well so far, not getting too hungry before 1pm like I was last time I tried it. If anything it's having a positive impact by making me go to the gym more often so I can eat more instead of having to eat less on a rest day

[Rocsteady]

Cheers brer.

So, today's the day. So hyped to get back into the room that was my second home for a long time, not stepped foot into it since last October - feels like it's been forever!

Still got strawberry floated blood levels so will get tired even walking down the hill to the gym, strawberry floated calves and shins from the steroids that make it painful to even walk and wrists that still hurt - even when doing nothing with them. Got some tight ass straps for them. So no excuses from the rest of you mummy strawberry floaters for missing sessions.

Comparison shots, more for myself than anything else:

Before ever working out:

July last year. Not quite my best as it had been over a month since I had torn the tendons in my wrist at that point (was working through the pain) but have no recent photos from before then. Weird lips are a pisstake of CP's photo at the time.

Taken today, 10 months on from doing in my wrists. Worked through the pain until December but from the start of October to December my lifts were really struggling and my diet was going off slightly as I was backpacking round countries. Haven't picked up a weight in four months. Lost substantial arm size but did think I would be looking much worse - particularly as I've been on a lot of catabolic steroids for 2 months. Still had a reasonable diet so have managed to retain a little muscle.

None of these images seem to be working very well, don't get why. Anyway, this is gonna be painful.

[Corazon de Leon]

None of those images are working mate, try just posting the photobucket links?

[Rocsteady]

Any idea why? I don't tend to post images on forums. k will try

They don't even seem to be hyperlinking, dunno what's going on.

Got it now! Yeahh. Think the main difference other than size is that before when I never tensed I was still rock hard (oi oi) whereas now I'm all squidgy in a lot of places.

[Fatal Exception]

Images work here.

Anyway, strawberry floating legs are getting too big my slim fit trousers now My suit trousers are a bit on the tight side as are a few of my jeans. Dem quads.

Still I wish I could shift this last belly fat. My abs above it look pretty awesome but the paunch ruins the look for me.

[Corazon de Leon]

Odd, they work here as well now. Anyway, can see pretty clearly the decline from the peak pictures you posted, although you still aren't anywhere near what I'm gonna define as the "Trainspotting look" from the top picture.

I haven't done any weights for nearly four weeks for various different reasons - decided to concentrate on cardio for a bit as I was missing too many cardio sessions, and then couldn't get a reasonable gym membership for being down here in London. I actually really miss it and I can feel the gains - particularly in my arms and shoulders - disappearing by the day, which is really annoying.

Weight-wise I'm the same as FE at the moment, seen some serious and significant weight loss over the last three months of exercise and reduced food intake, but getting rid of the belly is just strawberry floating unbelievably difficult. I'm within 1kg of sitting in the healthy BMI range for the first time in my life(providing I haven't put any weight on since last Sunday week), which would be a cracking achievement, but as long as I have this ridiculous paunch it's all largely meaningless.

Maybe I'm just being impatient. Trying to change a lifetime of bad habits and lose a lifetime of accumulated fat will presumably take longer than three months. Hopefully it'll stay consistent. The goal was to be down at about 85kg for an arbitrary date (May 17th, my cousin's kid's first communion), should still be on target for that at least, with an overall goal of 80kg by around July/August time.

When I get home and get access to my pictures I'll shove up a comparison shot of 2012, 2013 and now.

[Rubix]

Legs took two days to get over my leg session on Friday. So glad i'm ok today for footy!

[That's not a growth]

but as long as I have this ridiculous paunch it's all largely meaningless.

I think like this a lot, and it's bollocks. While yes, I would like a six pack, using my stomach as my main source of accomplishment is my greatest downfall, because when it comes back you can just suck it in a bit when you look in the mirror and lie to your self.

You're made great progress cora, and I hope to one day congratulate you one day when you post here full of joy saying you see definition for the first time, but don't dismiss what you've done so far just because you're not at the end. Like you said, you're almost in the healthy range for the first time in your life, that's massive and you should be strawberry floating proud.

Great job, lad. Really.

[Rocsteady]

Still looking damn good Ian, no homo. Wont take you long to get back to peak form id say.

Thanks man, good work with the prowler weight.

As long as my wrists don't play up again I should manage to pull most of it back fairly rapid I'd say, maybe not wholly for now as I'm having to avoid certain really good lifts to make sure I don't strawberry float them, but in time.

Went better than I expected although i lifted light. Wrist was a bit sore coming out but nothing too bad, is still hurting now though -more so than before - and it's a few hours on. Covered it in ibruprofen gel and gonna rest it the rest of the day and hope the pain's gone tomorrow. Felt real good to be back! So much more energy right now.

Belly fat is a real nightmare. Bulked hard by drinking a load of olive oil at one point and didn't quite realise how much effort stomach weight takes to shift.

[gamerforever]

I guess weight comes off in the order we put it on, so we can't specifically target an area to lose weight in can we?

I've had 3 sessions at the gym since coming back from holiday last week and it feels good to be doing something. I do feel like i have ages to go until i start seeing differences and feel my diet needs to change. I tend to love toast in the mornings, but don't eat so much at lunch time. I've noticed that if i don't eat decently i feel tired at the gym after work and never push myself too hard. I guess the next week is just about me getting used to going to the gym.

[Rocsteady]

Looking good, Ian.


Ps what weird lips?!?!

Cheers, IIRC you had some weird pout thing going on in one photo at the time - wasn't meaning anything offensive by it!

[gamerforever]

Just saw the pics ian, thats incredible, well done. How long did it take to get from the first to the second picture?

[Corazon de Leon]

My other post sounds harsh reading it back Ian, you still look like the kind of sexy man I one day dream of being.

but as long as I have this ridiculous paunch it's all largely meaningless.

I think like this a lot, and it's bollocks. While yes, I would like a six pack, using my stomach as my main source of accomplishment is my greatest downfall, because when it comes back you can just suck it in a bit when you look in the mirror and lie to your self.

You're made great progress cora, and I hope to one day congratulate you one day when you post here full of joy saying you see definition for the first time, but don't dismiss what you've done so far just because you're not at the end. Like you said, you're almost in the healthy range for the first time in your life, that's massive and you should be strawberry floating proud.

Great job, lad. Really.

Ah I know, I just need constant validation. It's not that I'm especially looking for definition, but I am really tired of having a beer belly and I definitely have unrealistic expectations of when it will go away.

[That's not a growth]

Yeah, I know that feeling. But you're still making progress, which means what you're doing is working. I haven't been to the gym in over a month since I cancelled my membership. I was thinking of doing some body weight stuff at home but I can't figure out anywhere to do dips, and my house is pretty small so awkward. Maybe I'll just concentrate on fat loss and flexibility until I can afford a membership again.

[Corazon de Leon]

Finding a place to do dips is surprisingly difficult I've found - the odds of me flipping a table are spectacularly high and like you, there's no damn space in my house. I guess just do cardio work and focus on weight loss just now until things pick up and you can get back to the gym.

Anyway, here's two pictures of my face to compare. First is from late 2011, when I was nearly 19 stone, that I found this morning. Second is from last Sunday night when I met my greatest hero, Big Ben. I think there's a noticeable difference, not least that I'm not wearing a strawberry floating horrible shirt. Certainly was good for reminding me that I look a hell of a lot better than I used to, which is the important thing!