The most impressive changes!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Troy...nice second picture too! You were definately built in that picture too. I'd go for the more ripped look though...that's what I aim for...but I like to eat too much...DOH! I used to be a competitive swimmer and competed in Martial Arts...so I was much more lean and fit. At best, I weighed 165 and max benched 335....I was so happy I lifted twice my body weight. I was able to do sets of 20 with 225. Now I'd be lucky if I can do 15 with 225...but it's all a matter of willpower to workout hard. As for me...I've been doing more light weights, nothing REALLY heavy since I'm only 1 month post op. I plan on starting the martial arts classes again in about 2 weeks...but nothing contact for awhile.

 

Just a side note: As long as we are friendly competing, it's all good. I like a healthy competition...but I wouldn't want to offend anyone and get them all huffy and puffy. I'm not trying to show anyone up...just share yet another accomplishment...just as Dhuge67 and Troy is. All good stuff!

 

Bill

[troy]

stumper , stop hating, your just jealous, lol! Actually I am 6'2 and now 194- but your right I am very little for my height but i make the most of it.

[dhuge67]

No no no....

 

I USED to weigh 220 lbs and was all fat. Now I weigh (I checked last night) 158 and am mostly muscle.

 

I have a near perfect diet/eating schedule and run and lift intensely. That's all there is to it, for me.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Dhuge,

 

158 makes more sense! That's awesome buddy. Keep up the hard work!

 

Bill

[the B spot]

Ok, I am 5'11 and 220 right now. (34' waist)

 

By Christmas I will be 5'11 and 200 (32' waist)

 

I am kind of lucky that I got the big shoulders little waist thing.

 

I come from a heavy Italian family, so I am a bit of an oddball!!!!!

 

BTW--- you guys are looking great and we don't have to be gay to comment on these things.

Just really secure in who we are.

 

See you guys later!

[stumper]

just a little rippen,I dont want to piss off anyone no offence at all dhuge and troy have a good thanksgiving to all

[the B spot]

Oh, I wasn't pointing that at you Stumper!!!!!

 

I agree those guys are gay!!!!!!!!! LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!(J/K you guys!!!)

 

Have a GREAT Holiday everyone!!!!!!

 

Much Love!!!!!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Ok LOL B-spot! Ha!

 

Straight guy here! But happy Thanksgiving to the rest of you gay guys!!!! J/K.

 

Bill

[hairbank]

Ditto Bill's post.........fun to share this stuff since it's unlikely any of us will ever meet!

 

I may get brave enough to post pics "full monty" one of these days.........I dunno.

 

Personal stats: I'm 6'4" and around 210 lbs.....not much body fat but it gets tougher as you age, eh? I've kept a 34 waist since college which I'm grateful to have done.

 

Bill- 335 is pretty good weight! When I stopped working out 8 months ago that's around the neighborhood I was in though I really don't max-out much...........I hope to start up again soon. I don't have much trouble getting definition so I usually lift heavier weights for bulk. I find I get more mass with less reps/more weight and usually do 4 sets w/ 7-8 reps on bench press and usually follow suit with other exercises. Don't do much with legs anymore.........some extensions and curls for tone. My lower back hates squats even with perfect form!

 

The older I get the more I realize diet is important to achieve the most from any exercise regimen. For bodybuilding.......I believe a large protein intake to be essential.....it is in my case anyhow!

 

Fun thread..........thanks djhuge!

[Hairfree]

Interesting post to spice up the forums. I am a gym freak myself too. I enjoy dieting, hitting the weights and watching my body change. I got upset with myself after I let my weight reach 206. I am close to 6 ft. In the past year I dropped my weight from 206 to 168! It was all done on heavy lifting, split cardio routine, almonds, oatmeal, fruits, and protein shakes

 

Now I am focusing on my hair!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Hairfree,

 

Good for you buddy! Glad that you found the motivation to get to the gym and diet to get where you want to be. I'm working on shedding the winter weight right now myself

 

Bill

[YoungGuy]

I actually work out for a different reason: to gain weight. I'm one of those unfortunates who can sit behind a desk all day eating steaks & burgers for breakfast, lunch & dinner and still lose weight. I've been 145 since high school, and the only way I found to gain weight was by lifting weights.

 

Speaking of creatine - isn't that stuff potentially harmful? From what I've read it basically fills your muscles with water, and the results go away once you stop taking the supplement. Also, I heard it can damage your liver (this from a few doctors). I tried it for a month and happened to have a liver function test, it came back real funky, doctor ordered me to drop creatine NOW brought it back to normal.

 

If all of the above is false, can one of you guys post a link to a reputable source? I've been working out without any supplements for 1.5 years or so and got some decent results (went from 145lbs to 161lbs) but would like to be able to reach 170+ some day. Maybe some creatine can help...

[Guest youngguy24]

Youngguy,

 

Sorry I kinda used your name. I have a degree in exercise physiology and have researched creatine in the past. Creatine is a fuel the body uses when performing high intensity exercise (like weight training). The bottle says to load the creatine and then take 5g each day. Well these direction are used to sell more creatine. You can get away with only 2 or 3 grams a day and there is no need to go through a loading stage. I have to say though I think creatine can speed hair loss. I first noticed my MPB begin when I first started using creatine. Honestly I dont think its worth using and I just suggest eating a lot on the days you lift.

[YoungGuy]

No worries with the name Thanks for your comments, any bit of info helps.

 

As far as creatine, I've done some research myself and have found, so far, that there is no harm in using the stuff. I was actually planning on trying it this week.

 

I am a little worried about it speeding up hair loss though, so back to the research for me to see whether there's something to it. Are you sure it wasn't just bad timing? Also, did your hair loss slow again after you stopped taking creatine?

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Ok, if we're going to show muscles on this forum then this heavy weight in the industry must make a showing. I think we know who he is, right?

 

As for me, I've been slumped over this computer being a hair geek for far too long to be willing to show any thing below my neck :-)

 

Lols, Pat

 

[Bushy]

Well, I'm compelled to add my two cents. After my HT I started working out big time. It has changed my life.

 

[rafael]

MAN IM DAMN JELOUSE OF ALL YOU YOUNGENS, i will be 47 yrs old this saturday and i am 5'11 and 216 lbs, but shit, no muscule, give me some pointers what can a guy like me do to get a cool body, damn,, i remember when rocky got all ripped and i told my wife ok im motivated im going to look like rocky when im his age, well here i am close to his age now, and my wife says i finally got the rocky body i wanted, old and saggy,, oh man, hell he still looked pretty good in the movie rocky balboa, please guys what can i do, im mexican and its hard not to eat all that greasy food, LOL,, well actually i started watching what i eat and started walking 2 miles, should i jog instead? HELP,, LOL,

[YoungGuy]

rafael,

 

It looks like what you're really after is getting leaner, am I right? If that's the case then what you're looking for is cardio workouts.

 

The best for this, IMO, is swimming. Swim a mile/day if you're close to a swimming pool. It's not as bad as it sounds, I used to do it on my lunch break every day for a year or so but then changed jobs and am no longer near a pool Of course, you'd want to start with a shorted distance - say, 600 yards - and work up to longer ones.

 

If you don't like to swim or don't have facilities within easy reach, run in the gym. Walking is a good start for a week or so if you're out of shape, but you'd really want to get moving quickly ASAP.

 

A good starter workout for you would be to run for 15-20 minutes, then work on the machines for another 20 minutes. In between, you're going to want to fit in 30-45 crunches - do them in sets of 10-15, they'll become easy soon enough. Be sure to get a personal trainer and tell him/her you need them to teach you about proper technique and to put together a good exercise program, though, since most of these folks think they need to get you motivated and will tire you out just as soon as teach you. You can tire yourself out, from them you need the knowhow so you don't hurt yourself

 

Do the cardio/weights for about a month or two. Start with high repetitions/low weights and increase them after about a few weeks. Also try to vary the exercise every 4 to 6 weeks as your muscles will "get used" to the same motions and your gains will plateau.

 

Once you're at the 2 month mark, congratulate yourself. You've just managed to do what 80% of people who work out never manage, which is sticking with it! By now you should begin to enjoy it and you won't *want* to stop Now get yourself a trainer session again and ask him/her to take you through some free weight routines, including barbells, bench, etc. And don't stop running!

 

Don't get discouraged - I see guys in their 50s and 60s regularly working out at my gym and looking the way I *wish* I could. It's there, you just need to push for it!

[rafael]

thanks my friend i have printed out your advise, and am looking forward to it, i do not have the swimming thing close by, well i have the ocean but after jaws back in the 70s you won't get me in the water lol,, anyway thanks very much for the info, and will start right away, and hope i can make it the 2 months

[dhuge67]

That advice is bullshit.

 

To get leaner you want to do high intensity interval sprint workouts on a track, a bike, or a treadmill. Take 15 minutes and every 30 seconds go all out, then jog or walk for 30 seconds and repeat for 15 minutes.

 

As for lifting, you want to hit heavy weights and the major compound exercises. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, military press, pull ups, dips, rows, lunges, etc.

 

5 sets of 5 reps would be a good starting place for you.

 

Do 3 total body workouts per week and one day of cross training, and you'll lean out in a few months.

 

Example:

 

Day 1

Flat Dumbbell Bench: 5x5

Chest-Supported Rows: 5x5

Squats: 5x5

Weighted Pull Ups: 5x5

Weighted Dips: 5x5

 

Day 2

Deadlifts: 5x5

Military Press: 5x5

T-bar Rows to Neck: 5x5

Lunges: 3x12 steps

Some bicep/tricep variations

 

Day 3

Snatches: 5x5

Clean and Press: 5x5

Incline Bench: 5x5

Step Ups while holding weight above your head: 3x12

Shrugs: 3x12

Leg Curls/Leg Extentions: 3x12

Reverse Hyper Extensions: 3x10

 

Day 4

Do circuits of pull ups, push ups, run an 800, snatches, crunches. Repeat til you puke.

 

Eat a gram to 1.5 grams of protein PER BODY POUND. Limit carb intake to immediately before and after your workouts. High glycemic immediately after you workout, then have a normal meal an hour after that.

 

 

Enjoy your new body.

[Guest]

Nice workout dhuge, I think I will copy & print that! except the till you puke part.

[dhuge67]

Originally posted by folica:

Nice workout dhuge, I think I will copy & print that! except the till you puke part.

I'm glad you like it. The key is to switch up your rep/set ranges over time.

 

If you do 5x5 for 4-8 weeks, change over to 3 sets of 8-10 after that, then go to 12-15 for a while. Usually, I would limit higher rep ranges (8+) to 2 weeks and then go back to lower rep ranges. You would actually be really amazed at what 10 sets of 3 will do for your muscle growth.

 

The important thing here? Total reps performed at an intense weight. 10x3 gives you 30 reps at a significantly heavy weight. 5x5 gives 25, 4 sets of 8 yields 32. Most people won't perform more than 24-50 reps per body part. Once you go beyond that, you start to enter the realm of muscular endurance, which isn't good for building size or strength.

 

Just an FYI. Keep your reps in the 24-50 range, using heavy weight, and you'll be gold.

 

I find my favorite set/rep ranges to be: 5x5, 10x3, and 4x8. Sometimes I'll employ a 2x25 to tax the smaller muscles that seem to respond to high reps better (biceps/calves).

 

Another good scheme is tempo and pyramid & reverse sets. Basically, all of your reps come in succession, and in ascending then descending weight.

 

For pyramids & reverse: perform 5 reps with a given weight, increase by 10% and do 5 more reps, then increase the weight again and do 5 more reps immediately, then increase once more and do 5 more reps, then remove weight for 5 more reps, then remove weight again and perform a final 5 reps. This is hugely taxing but highly stimulating.

 

Tempo is the utilization of the rate at which you lift the weight. I like to do stuff like this on bicep work. Say you're curling some weight and you perform your first 2-3 reps at a fast speed. You contract the weight up as quickly as possible, then go back down and up as fast as possible. After 3 reps like that, perform 2 reps where you count that it takes 4 seconds to bring the weight up, pause at the top, then lower the weight over the period of 6 seconds. Doing stuff like this will vastly increase the effectiveness of your contractions.

 

The body swing and the inherent "bounce" that comes with rhythmic lifting is not necessarily good. Counteract it with tempo changes and reap the benefits.

 

That's all for today!

[Guest]

It's like having a personal trainer!

Thanks Dhuge!

[dhuge67]

Originally posted by folica:

It's like having a personal trainer!

Thanks Dhuge!

Oh yeah! Keep rest intervals to 60-90 seconds.

[YoungGuy]

Good advice. But, I would not have a beginner start with heavy exercise composed of dumbells & compound movements. They'd be likely to do the movements wrong and could hurt themselves. That's why you want to start out with machines, to develop good form for the compound exercises LATER.

 

It's why people skiing for the first time don't go on black diamond slopes