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Accountability pics. First 'progress' pics in over a year.

macgyver

macgyver

TID Board Of Directors
Nov 24, 2011
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Tommy Guns pics are a tough act to follow. But I always enjoy seeing some of the familiar guys around here and seeing the fruits of their labor. It is always great to see another brother who shares the toil and grind of the long term commitment to this pursuit.

I am just over 8 years into my comeback after 10 years out of the gym. Just turned 45. The last year and a half have been the least focused I have been since returning. I have not missed the gym, but it is not the singular focus it was when I was fired up and clawing to get back. I have all but shelved training for strength. I play around from time to time with heavier stuff, but just to see I still 'got' it. This was a few weeks ago doing 'no handed' squats.


Anyway...I play around but really dont push too hard the last few years. I brought back deadlifts for a few weeks and worked back up to reps with 585 and then just lost interest again. I am not a 'bodybuilder" nor can I call myself a "powerlifter"...so I guess I am just a guy mid 40's trying to stay in decent shape and feel good.

I have been having trouble focusing on diet. I no longer plan and track macros or eat up and down. I spent 4+ years never staying the same weight two weeks in a row. I gained and lost over probably 200lbs over the years in pursuit of adding quality mass over the past 8 years. Last time I tried a caloric surplus I ate up to 235 over 4 months and was the same size after I dieted back down over 12 weeks.

I am not a real 'big' guy, but would say my mass is quality mass. Having mostly trained for strength my whole life, I dont have those pretty aesthetics...but it does come with a certain density. So now I stay 205-210 year round. (@5'9) If I get down to 200, I am getting pretty lean even showing midsection veins. I am hanging out in aprox 205-ish now.

Figured I'd take some progress pics which I have not taken any 'real' ones in over a year.

What I noticed is that my hamstrings have really come along some the past few years which I can see in the side chest, and dare I say my calves are actually looking decent. Again in the side chest, I would almost call my calves a strong point. It has been 5 years of hammering them, and at least I think there is something to show for it.

Now if I could get my act together and tighten up my diet, I really think I would look quite a bit better if I dropped a tad more fat. Just been tough and the temptation of eating is one that has been beating me.



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MAYO

MAYO

Bad Mother
Sep 27, 2010
2,159
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I would say that "quality mass" is an understatement. Great work.
 
Superman

Superman

VIP Member
Aug 28, 2012
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Lookin good, veiny bastard. I'm jealous. Gonna have to step my game up! Good shit Mac!
 
FlyingDragon

FlyingDragon

VIP Member
Nov 4, 2010
4,049
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Appears the all u can eat donut diet is working....Great progress!
 
macgyver

macgyver

TID Board Of Directors
Nov 24, 2011
1,996
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I would say that "quality mass" is an understatement. Great work.

Thanks man! A few years back I started to drop bodyfat and was really surprised at how I looked underneath. It is funny, all the parts of my physique that I thought were 'weak' visually were just covered with too much fat to see. I have been happy to get a stay leaner. I have put aside my never satisfied goals of strength and will let others do that. That was the hardest part, but it has been nice to walk around the past few years without always fighting some kind of overuse injury.

Looking good as ever Mac!

Right on, looking good

Thanks guys!

Lookin good, veiny bastard. I'm jealous. Gonna have to step my game up! Good shit Mac!

Legs 'pop' more with some carbs and I ate pretty bad all week so my skin is on the thicker side. I have really been 'off the wagon' lately. Mexican lunch one day then wed I had some guys doing work at the house and I bought them 6 pizzas and 2 cases of Modelo. I could not help it and had a few beers and 5 slices of pizza ;), next day was chick-fil-a drive thru and a milk shake. I stress eat when I get run down and carbs make me feel better. That is what I struggle with now as I really would like to get to that 'next level' of conditioning, but I dont know that I am motivated enough. I have in the past had the dedication and focus, but I am distracted with life, kids...etc. The gym is just my little get away and not a primary focus. Bing at the 8 year point back in the game I guess there is ebb and flow to everything. I am in this for long term......so I recognize there will be ups and downs.

Looking good brother! Keep it up.

Thanks man. Not many people share our crazy pursuits. It is good to have the support of you guys!
 
tommyguns2

tommyguns2

Senior Moderators
Staff Member
Dec 25, 2010
6,311
4,997
Looking good Magyver! as always.

Hammies are looking good. A nice finishing exercise for hammies is reverse curls with your heels up on an exercise ball, and you lying down on the ground. I curl the ball back toward my butt, and then squeeze hold at the peak point of the contraction. That may not put on too much size, but I think it helps withe detail.

BTW, your quads always look great. You definately have that solid substrate from all the power lifting over the years. Mix that up with some high volume work, and that hardness, density and detail will continue to come out.

A little off topic, but how is the house coming? All finished, or still a work in progress?
 
macgyver

macgyver

TID Board Of Directors
Nov 24, 2011
1,996
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@tommyguns2 Never done that exercise for hams. I always avoided yoga balls :D I'll have to try it....when no one is looking ;)

I have been doing high-er volume and LOTS of TUT training the past 1.5 years. I have noticed my legs come up a little which is weird. Part of me wonders what would happen if I upped cals to a 250-350 surplus (focusing heavy on carbs) , added in a conservative supp along side and just ran for a few months. I dont know if my different training now would respond differently. My last true "bulk" I ran for 16-18 weeks and ate up 30 lbs. I was on 500mg/week and really, after I dieted down, I was right back in the same place. That was the point where I decided I think I am tapped up as far as larger gains go unless (as some vets told me) I got rid of the 'training wheels' and did a "real" cycle. At my age.....I chose to stay conservative.

I can hold an maintain what I have on 120mg trt dose. (my script is 200 but I feel best at 120) I even think I still make progress in terms of quality and density. I throw a few bumps in here and there, but nothing crazy. Tracking "progress" is not even something I can say is worth it. My goals are to 'stay in shape' these days, and I am working to find that balance to where I can eat and enjoy life, AND get my gym time in. Might sound overly simplified...but I want my cake and eat it too. I have actually found a pretty decent balance, but like all of us, I want MOAR at times. Like anything, you have to want it bad enough, and lately I just have not been ready to dedicate that much.

Thanks for the support man! Cool to know there are other guys who have done this long term and found a good balance as well.
 
tommyguns2

tommyguns2

Senior Moderators
Staff Member
Dec 25, 2010
6,311
4,997
@tommyguns2 Never done that exercise for hams. I always avoided yoga balls :D I'll have to try it....when no one is looking ;)

I have been doing high-er volume and LOTS of TUT training the past 1.5 years. I have noticed my legs come up a little which is weird. Part of me wonders what would happen if I upped cals to a 250-350 surplus (focusing heavy on carbs) , added in a conservative supp along side and just ran for a few months. I dont know if my different training now would respond differently. My last true "bulk" I ran for 16-18 weeks and ate up 30 lbs. I was on 500mg/week and really, after I dieted down, I was right back in the same place. That was the point where I decided I think I am tapped up as far as larger gains go unless (as some vets told me) I got rid of the 'training wheels' and did a "real" cycle. At my age.....I chose to stay conservative.

I can hold an maintain what I have on 120mg trt dose. (my script is 200 but I feel best at 120) I even think I still make progress in terms of quality and density. I throw a few bumps in here and there, but nothing crazy. Tracking "progress" is not even something I can say is worth it. My goals are to 'stay in shape' these days, and I am working to find that balance to where I can eat and enjoy life, AND get my gym time in. Might sound overly simplified...but I want my cake and eat it too. I have actually found a pretty decent balance, but like all of us, I want MOAR at times. Like anything, you have to want it bad enough, and lately I just have not been ready to dedicate that much.

Thanks for the support man! Cool to know there are other guys who have done this long term and found a good balance as well.

Haven't used the yoga ball, but wear the yoga pants! I think the switch is overdue! LOL
I'm still working on incorporating the bourbon into my diet plan... aww screw it. Bourbon and DQ blizzards should be an integral part of all balanced diets!

I know we shouldn't compare ourselves to others, but next time you get a little frustrated, take a look at the other guys are age, and you'll see that about 80-90% percent of them have have 20-40 pounds hanging over their belt. Just know that you're in great shape, and allowing for some treats is completely OK, especially in the marathon that is life.

Do you run GH? If not, you should. It will give you a little more slop in your diet. I recommend 2-3IUs/day of a quality generic, such as the black top meditropes or the grey tops.
 
macgyver

macgyver

TID Board Of Directors
Nov 24, 2011
1,996
1,672
Do you run GH? If not, you should. It will give you a little more slop in your diet. I recommend 2-3IUs/day of a quality generic, such as the black top meditropes or the grey tops.

No GH. I dont really know enough about it. Not sure I am ready to make a commitment like that. From what I understand, it is something you have to run for a long time. If I am honest, I am a little paranoid of cancer since my brother had cancer at 34. (still dealing with it 15 years later). That might be an uninformed point of view....but like I said, I dont know enough about it.

From your experience, are the benifits really worth it? Funny thing is age really started to show on me the last few years. Dont know if it is stress or what. I have been under the most stress in a long time, so that may be it. Over the last few, my hair has really greyed out and become course and thinning up top. I had an italian mop now it is getting like dried up straw :D. If it were not for my hair, people think I am about mid 30's. Skin still good, no wrinkles to speak of...etc.

Part of me has just accepted this all as part of aging....but wondering what benefits one might really see out of GH at lower levels.
 
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