Fitness & Martial Arts Thread

[That's not a growth]

You look more than 5 years younger in the more recent pic.

[That's not a growth]

I don't have kitchen chairs or table, that's how small my place is.

[<]:^D]

home workouts you can do:

squats
lunges
split squats
various pressups
chins/rows (on trees or bars in parks etc.)

also get some resistance bands and you can even more stuff.

[That's not a growth]

I've got a chin up bar. The main things I'm trying to figure out are dips, and rows. I think if I hang some rope from my chin up bar I could do rows, but I'm stumped about dips.

[False]

Dude you look waaaay slimmer, awesome work

[<]:^D]

dips are pretty good but diamond pressups are an OK replacement - you are limited so you have to make it work.

[Fatal Exception]

Actually started hammering myself at the gym now. Didn't realise how much further I could push. Deadlifts went well and my grip held. Will up to 130 next time. I found letting the weights hit the ground just a bit harder lets my grip reset without upsetting my tempo.

[False]

Im doing a de-load this week. Max lifts etc are plateauing a bit now and Im feeling pretty tired, so going to go lighter and longer and come back for some stronger numbers next week.

[Rocsteady]

Do look so much better cora, like tnag said you look strawberry floating well younger too.

Was gonna hit the gym again tonight but my wrists are still slightly sore so think I'll try force myself to stay in and watch the Barca game instead.

Cheers gf, took 2 years and.. 8 months. In between that was me being hospitalised, twice, once for a serious blood clot that almost killed me and took me out the game for a few months. With the following few months also recovery based.

Plus throughout that time I drank like a fish and was still caining the drugs for a fair bit of it, particularly at the start. Would say it's easily doable in a year and a half if you really put the effort in at the gym and in the kitchen.

[gamerforever]

Wow thats fantastic. Not looking to get as defined as you are - just an overall decent build.

I lost 9 stone and had 4 rounds of plastic surgery and although i am slimmer, my overall body shape is not the best, but much better than before. I just want to feel and look more solid so my body looks 'normal' and i have an even distribution of fat/ muscle around my body.

[Rocsteady]

When I started off in my mind all I wanted was an average build - not to be so skinny basically. Turned into a bit of an obsession after a while when I saw what having muscles could get you.

Thing is I'm actually just as confident now that I've lost a lot of my size as I was before. Think I started lifting largely to get more lasses and it took having a fairly kick ass body to realise that actually confidence is much more important than how you look.

Still though, I want my muscles back.

[gamerforever]

Well you did pretty well. I've seen the weight come off my body, but never my body shape changing for the better in relation to doing strength training. How long did it take until you saw a difference in your body shape?

[CuriousOyster]

I know your question was at Ian but from my experience I've been properly going to the gym for about year and 2 months. Seeing decent results, dropped few inches off the guts unintentionally and got a lot more muscle than I started at 17'5 stone (im 6'4 and 17 ' 8 stone now) than I was when I started. Still continually trying to bulk so still do have excess fat but that could be better with a better diet which has less fat.

Slower progress last few months but seen biggest increases from Feb-Sep last year going at least 4 times a week doing split body routine and 15-20 mins cardio (not that much) at least 3 times a week.

Btw Ian, still looking great!still got awesome shape as in first pic just bit smaller in some bits. Hopefully you manage to get back into it since you do seem to love it.

[gamerforever]

So, i guess it will take a year to see decent results through a good diet (nothing too extreme) and exercise 4 times a week.

I try and do 10 mins running before and after using the machines. As a novice it was recommended i use the machines for a good few months to build my larger muscle groups. I guess its a case of continuing even if i don't see immediate results.

What kept me going with my weight loss was seeing my clothes go from xxxl to xl, then eventually to a medium and even a small.

One of my mates did 3 months of resistance training and saw decent results in 3 months.

I do have more fat around the love handle area largely due to liposuction being carried out on my lower belly - you tend to put on weight where the lip hasn't been carried out, so the front of my lower belly is relatively fat, but then the fat is more prominent around the sides and back.

Should i just do cardio and lose it all in a few months of do cardio and mainly resistance training, where i won't see as immediate results, but should get a better body shape overall?

I notice that whenever i try and lose weight through cardio my body gets slimmer, but my face tends to look thinner too, which i don't like so much! Its the whole skinny fat look i don't like.

I've never done weights for more than weeks at a time, so this is all new to me really.

I do tend to put a lot of pressure on myself saying stuff like 'i must have a greay body for the summer', but it maybe a little unrealistic?

Lastly, whats the best way of keeping my overall calorie intake low, but my energy levels high, especially before a workout after work?

[Rocsteady]

Thanks for the kind words CO still bulking at over 17 and a half stone, you must be a beast!

On my phone so cba with a long reply but I couldn't recommend starting with a good free weights programme right now gf, don't wait to begin it. I'm sure others on here will agree. Free weights > everything else for a good body.

If you put pressure on yourself like that does that not make you keep going? Don't mean it offensively but you've seemed a little flakey about continually working out before, maybe you need to be a bit more realistic about the length of time transformations take. That said, hit the free wights hard and you will begin to notice changes quickly.

Pre workout I have lots of calories so strawberry float knows. Bananas?

[CuriousOyster]

I would say a year is a realistic time frame to get decent bit of muscle. From reading your posts I would say doing weights as well as cardio would be better for your goals if you want to get a better overall body shape.

If you've never really done weights probably a good idea to do machines to begin with but I wouldn't do them for maybe a couple of months, increase weight every 2 weeks or so then go onto free weights even if they are light. Much better muscle development. I try to do all my cardio after weights sessions, apparently its better for fat loss, there's loads online for more info on sites such as muscle & fitness.

I wouldn't worry about a summer body in short term tbh, be good to aim for that as an ultimate goal down the line, as you say unrealistic pressure on yourself. For me, before I started doing weights I simply wouldn't take my top off in front of people (swimming, changing rooms etc) felt really embarrassed but now got good enough build I'm more than happy to although as I say still fat on pecs and stomach.

Tbh, all the common cited foods like chicken, salmon broccoli etc I would say eat. Nothing but goodness and great protein, keep you full too. Avoid stodgy carbs make you feel gooseberry fool and lots of cals.

[CuriousOyster]

Aye Ian always been a big laddy and that weight since I was about 18. Used to be 19 stone but that was with double chin, tits and belly

Would generally recommend free weights too, maybe some machine just to ease in.

Pre workout, I'm quite bad for tanning a can of Monster sugar free or banana works too. Usually had 4-5 eggs before then too though.

[Hawky]

Actually started hammering myself at the gym now. Didn't realise how much further I could push. Deadlifts went well and my grip held. Will up to 130 next time. I found letting the weights hit the ground just a bit harder lets my grip reset without upsetting my tempo.

I'm not sure if I dare ask but what tempo do you use for deadlifts? Also in terms of hit the ground harder how do you achieve this?

Squatted 100kg for reps again tonight for first time in 18 months (since I did my knee in), feels good mayne.

[gamerforever]

Cool, thanks guys for the advice.

I guess i am afraid that doing all of this won't get me results - i guess i need to push myself to really go for it. I know all about pushing myself to the limit, so can do it if i focus on my diet and getting to the gym 4 times a week at least.

As for free weights - i hear they are better for developing the smaller muscle groups and machines are best to start off with, especially if you are working out alone. I mean, i can't lift a parrallel bar without a partner can i?

I think my biggest fear is putting on weight with less cardio in my routine. Thanks again!

[<]:^D]

machines are OK to start out on, but free weights will give you a more balanced physique. free weights normally work the bigger muscle groups and machines are for isolating smaller muscles but there is some overlap.