Growth.

[Go Away]

I figured what better way to join this community and introduce myself further than to start a journal exploiting my adventure to becoming a monster.

Having always been a big-framed guy I've also carried significant heft. Mostly from Oreo binges stemming back from ninja-trips to the cookie jar as a youngster.

Three years ago I started going hard in the gym, maximizing my efforts through new and better nutrition coupled with tons of research.

My wife got pregnant with our second kid and thus returned the laziness. No more calorie counting or cooking... Just Stromboli and brews.

I kept the food coming every three to four hours so I maintained much of my gains, but also threw on 50+ lbs of bullshit.

As I reached 300 lbs, avoiding the scale was inevitable and I got up to 303 before I started noticing symptoms of what I thought could be an emergence of diabetes. Numbing fingers, lethargy...

That was the breaking point. We were already wasting money on a gym membership and, along with my supporting wife, a change immediately happened.

Healthy diet, supplementation and calculated exercise routines started and since November 29th we have lost over 75 lbs combined.

This is month number 3 of being of being on the grind and things are lookin great. Everything looks great except the loss of strength I suffered.

Now, with support of like-minded individuals and a drive unmatched in previous personal efforts, it is time to pack as much muscle on these thick bones as possible.

Hope we all learn from each other.
Peace.

[Go Away]

Supplement list:
1MR
Glutamine
Creatine
Fish oil
Animal PM
Animal Pak
ECA

Heavy lifting, 30 min of cardio after, staying between 1400-2600 calories at a 20/40/40 split.

6'0" 258lbs 35%BF

Gonna be a long, long journey.

[Littleguy]

Congrats and keep up the good work

[PillarofBalance]

I'll check in often. Should be a great log.

[Halo]

Looking forward to following your progress good luck!

[Go Away]

Tonight is legs. Haven't hit the gym since Saturday... Sunday was home repair stuff, Monday my family got back in town and last night was quality time with Wifey.

I looked back at my training log and the last time I did legs was on the 4th, so this should be a hell of a workout.

Work was killer these last couple days too. Including all last week actually. I work on a gas service crew installing, replacing and abandonments. We hit 50-60 hours a week regularly. Hitting my two on, one off, one on, one off then repeat hasn't been continuous since I started this adventure, and I don't see any signs of change in the neat future...

So **** it, I get it in when I can. No excuses. Tonight is gonna be a late one - workout, eat, asleep by 11 hopefully.

Been rocking with some AM cardio ever since last Saturday, walking the dog at a fast pace, gradually working my way up to about 30 minutes. It's a crazy routine to get used to though...

It's time to change, and no better time than now.

Got to give baths, read stories and put the kids to sleep tonight. Good shit.

Looking forward to hobbling around tomorrow.

[Go Away]

Thanks for the follows too.

I won't disappoint.

[Father Time]

Best of Luck, and

Git Er Done....

[Go Away]

Wednesday: Legs

Stationary bike, 10 minutes, warm up

10 reps each set unless otherwise noted... Still getting back to my old self with this shit.

Hamstrings
Seated Leg Curls: 3 Sets x 150,155,170
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts: 3 Sets x 145,175,225
One-Leg Leg Curls: 3 Sets x 130

Quads: 9 Sets
Squats: 3 Sets x 135,225
Leg Presses: 3 Sets x 360,450,540 (6)
Leg Extensions: 3 Sets x 145,160,175

Drained.
Tired.
Ravenous.

Time to eat.

[Go Away]

Rained out at work so I hit the gym with wife and kids to do some ab work and light cardio to follow.

Woke up this morning and tried to coerce the dog into a walk in the neighborhood... Shook the leash, called her name... And her stupid ass ignored me, camping out all over folded laundry.

Making sure I get my calories in today since its a pretty good amount I'll have burned, especially after coming here later tonight to do heavy lifting with my boy.

On deck today is working out Back, so after a nap when the kids go down and two meals later it's back at it.

256 on the scales this morning. Even had an opportunity to clean out the closet earlier and tossed a bunch of size 46 jeans and some surf trunks that had tie strings...because I fit back into the Old Navy trunks I had from three summers ago.

Time to put in work.

[Go Away]

Thursday: Back

10 minute stationary bike warm-up

Light Weight Wide grip pull downs : 3 Sets, Warmup

Barbell Rows: 3 Sets X 135,225 10,6,6

Seated Rows: 3 Sets x 100,140,180

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows: 3 Sets
X 60,65,70

Deadlifts: 3 Sets x 135,225 10,6,6

Barbell Shrugs: 3 Sets x 135,225

15 minute light stationary bike cardio

Sad showing on the deads this go-around... Grip was horrid. This was the second time I've done dead lifts in two years. Went without for the first 8 weeks of this new journey, waiting with excitement for new growth once I incorporated them into my routines. Have a lot of room for improvement. And improve I will.

[PillarofBalance]

Interesting workouts. Lots of variety per workout. You ever try doing less exercises with more sets to simplify and really take it deep? Like say for legs, instead of doing 3 sets of squats, do 10 sets or brutally disgusting squats and then finish off with presses, curls etc... Same on back day. Do more sets of deads rather than just the 3?

Only reason I'm suggesting is because I think you'll burn more body fat off pushing your self to the breaking point on some heavy compound movements. How did you arrive at your currently workout routine?

[Go Away]

Interesting workouts. Lots of variety per workout. You ever try doing less exercises with more sets to simplify and really take it deep? Like say for legs, instead of doing 3 sets of squats, do 10 sets or brutally disgusting squats and then finish off with presses, curls etc... Same on back day. Do more sets of deads rather than just the 3?

Only reason I'm suggesting is because I think you'll burn more body fat off pushing your self to the breaking point on some heavy compound movements. How did you arrive at your currently workout routine?

I've never tried that approach before. I always try and hit the muscles from different angles to theoretically promote as much muscle fiber involvement as possible.

I took this routine and the one I recently finished off the Animal Pak website. The first 8 weeks being a beginner's program to re-introduce weight training since I had such a long absence of exercise.

This most recent choice has very similar movements, but in different order, and includes deads unlike the last routine.

I like the concept of compound movement focus though. Might increase more growth hormone production if, for example, leg day was mostly squats like you mentioned... Then back day mostly deads, chest day bench, shoulder day military press, and so on.

I plan on giving this routine at least 8 weeks to assess progress and effectiveness, but you've sparked some curiosity regarding the compound movement theory.

Luckily, my progression with weight loss isn't based around competition, so this is all an experiment to learn and understand my body better... Tons of room for trial and error.

Sore as a bitch this morning by the way. About to walk this dog and get ready for work.

255.4 this AM.

[Go Away]

254.5 is what the scale read today.
33.8% BF this morning as well.

Yesterday was my day off from the gym, today is shoulders and triceps, followed by cardio.

Back is extremely sore and legs ate getting back to normal. Word to deadlifts though - my traps haven't felt this ****ed up in ages... Its lovely.

[Go Away]

Saturday: Shoulders/Triceps

Shoulders:

Dumbbell Presses: 3 Sets x 20 Warmup - 20
Dumbbell Presses: 3 Sets x 55,60,65
Front Barbell Presses: 3 Sets x 135 - 10,6,6
Bent-Over Dumbbell Laterals: 3 Sets x 30

Triceps:

Cable Pushdowns ("V" Bar): 3 Sets x 175,190,200
Close-Grip Bench Presses: 3 Sets x 135,225,185 - 10,3,6,6
Cable Overhead Extensions: 3 Sets x 160,175,180 (6)


Didn't feel comfortable pushing that 225 on the close grips since my mans skipped the gym today... No spotter.

Other than that, sleeves stretched and I'm drenched in sweat. Good workout today. Next up is a trip to Lowe's to cop some new lamps and a fridge. Fridge was planned, but the lamps because a tickle war had my five year old kicking one over, shattering it all over the living room.

A good day of eating and some family time, then back to the grindstone tomorrow to bust out some chest and biceps.

Searching for progression, my eyes squinted, intent on becoming bigger.

One.