Shooting to get in shape for summer. (again!)

[macgyver]

Looking great! Keep up the good work!

Would you mind sharing your workout routines? You said you don't do cardio, what kind of a pace do you keep when you train?

@dan gable The straight up truth is my training these days is laughable. To many on the outside, they probably look at my training and think I am dedicated and work hard. By the metric of most gym goers, that is probably true. But for most of my close to 20 years training I really pushed myself in the gym. Never the 'make yourself puke' type push yourself, but rather the lift as heavy as you can,

Most of my training has all been strength based, Simple compound movements from 3-12 reps. Squats, deads, bench, bent rows, standing OHP, weighted pullups......that was pretty much the foundation of my training for many years with some finishing work thrown in. Maybe a few iso sets at the end of a workout.


My training now..... is a lot of machine stuff (which I always do very light and concentrate on getting at the muscle). I do LOTS of light TUT stuff. No organized structure, just go in and do what I feel like. By no means do I recommend my routine.

I pretty much got to a point where I realized there was almost no difference between me pushing as hard as I could on a programmed periodized program and just screwing off. So I have taken the approach of being easier on my body and just go have fun in the gym.

The weird thing, is I have been able to maintain my strength. I took 2 full years off squatting 'normal'. I would do no-handed squats just for fun. After that time off, I decided to see where my strength was and after 4 workouts to tighten back my form, I had no problems with a 535 squat (at aprox 200lbs). Same goes for deads. Took almost 3 years off and within 5 workouts training deads I pulled 585x3 and backed off since I did not want to pull too hard and hurt something.

Cliffs: I would not recommend to anyone my training I do now as I dont think it will do anything but essentially maintain. But at 46 I am not looking for PR's. I get a hair up my ass every now and again and will move some weight around, but I essentially control my training now with diet. It will totally determine the direction I take.

Gains are far, few and inbetween, so I just take a balanced long term approach to everything. Including AAS. I have only turned to the 'dark side' a few years back. I have never run enough to where I can tell any real difference. I never see any noticeable spikes in strength and never lose any after the cycle is over. BUT over time, I believe it has allowed me to push past where I could have gotten naturally (definitely while trying to keep lower bodyfat). Time and consistency can really accomplish a lot. Coming at is from this approach, I can maintain my build and strength on 'normal' test levels. Again at 46 I am not looking to be anything other than happy and feel good. I have been 230 with passable abs (@5'9") and it does not feel great to me. Although I feel like a monster in the gym, the other 95% of my life does not feel great. I feel best sitting about 200-205. Kind of like the bodybuilders back in the 70's. "Big" guys, but not crazy huge and looked fit as well a being big.

Sorry for the long drawn out answer. But we all have different goals. Mine is by no means the only one and I respect the mass monsters and know that route is tough as well. Just sharing my perspective. One that was helped tremendously from many of the good brothers on this forum. I knew absolutely nothing about AAS prior to coming over here and I am forever grateful for all the great advice I have been given.

 

[dan gable]

"Most of my training has all been strength based, Simple compound movements from 3-12 reps. Squats, deads, bench, bent rows, standing OHP, weighted pullups......that was pretty much the foundation of my training for many years with some finishing work thrown in. Maybe a few iso sets at the end of a workout."


^^^this is the way I believe anyone who is new to lifting, and wants to get bigger and stronger, should lift for the first 3-5 years. Back when I was bigger (bad shoulder so I don't train heavy anymore) and leaner (225ish, 9-10 % bf) and someone would come up to me in the gym and ask me for advice, I would tell them that over the next few years they should do the above (focus on basic compound lifts) using a 4 day split, eat 5 high protein lower carb meals a day, and get as much sleep as possible (no less than 7 hours) and they will be very happy with thier results in the end. I would say after a few years of training like that, then you can worry about doing isolation, non compound lifts. This I think is especially true for younger lifters in the 18-25 year old range. When you build a strong foundation by doing the above for a few years, then you can worry about fine tuning and trying fancy machines and isolation exercises...but build a string foundation first

 

[macgyver]

Couple more pics. Things really tightening up daily now. I was crazy defined at gym tonight. Drum tight and veins popping out everywhere. Felt great.

Came home tonight and had my normal Friday dinner. 2 Slices of Pizza and then I had a big bowl of natural vanilla icecream w/ choclate syrup and a few bomb pops.

Not sure why I looked so tight in the gym today. My lunch was a bunch of homemade fried chicken nuggets (my recipie ) I ate two plates of nuggest that size (10oz of raw chicken pre cooked) A chobani strawberry yogurt, a granola bar and a snack pack of choclate covered raisins.

I feel too dumb to take pics at my gym so I went in my gym tonight. I dont have good lighting that will really show good contrast. Anyway....I am a lot tighter than these pics look. I am also a little flattend out from dinner and pics taken totally 'cold'. Earlier today in stronger lighting I had some the most striations I have ever seen on myself, even all through my chest.

Just excited to share as I never thought I would ever see myself in a place like this...especially at 46 and this is the LEAST hard I have ever worked at it. I know there are the guys that like to talk about "clean" and "dirty" foods, and "good" and "bad" carbs. I just hope this gives some thought and consideration that you dont have to live like a monk nibbling on Ezikel bread to get lean. And you dont need to be a slave to cardio. (no cardio involved in my 'cut') Hate to sound like a broken record, just hoping to help others out!

 

[Grizzly911]

Couple more pics. Things really tightening up daily now. I was crazy defined at gym tonight. Drum tight and veins popping out everywhere. Felt great.

Came home tonight and had my normal Friday dinner. 2 Slices of Pizza and then I had a big bowl of natural vanilla icecream w/ choclate syrup and a few bomb pops.

Not sure why I looked so tight in the gym today. My lunch was a bunch of homemade fried chicken nuggets (my recipie ) I ate two plates of nuggest that size (10oz of raw chicken pre cooked) A chobani strawberry yogurt, a granola bar and a snack pack of choclate covered raisins.

I feel too dumb to take pics at my gym so I went in my gym tonight. I dont have good lighting that will really show good contrast. Anyway....I am a lot tighter than these pics look. I am also a little flattend out from dinner and pics taken totally 'cold'. Earlier today in stronger lighting I had some the most striations I have ever seen on myself, even all through my chest.

Just excited to share as I never thought I would ever see myself in a place like this...especially at 46 and this is the LEAST hard I have ever worked at it. I know there are the guys that like to talk about "clean" and "dirty" foods, and "good" and "bad" carbs. I just hope this gives some thought and consideration that you dont have to live like a monk nibbling on Ezikel bread to get lean. And you dont need to be a slave to cardio. (no cardio involved in my 'cut') Hate to sound like a broken record, just hoping to help others out!

You have killer wheels, too! What's your leg training routine been like in the last year? High Volume?

 

[macgyver]

You have killer wheels, too! What's your leg training routine been like in the last year? High Volume?

Thanks man. My training in the past year has been nothing to speak of. I got injured in a car accident 9 months ago. Ended up w/ spinal fracture, 2-bulging and 1 displaced disk pushing on my S1.

Prior to that, my training has always been based around primarily strength based. Really the last few years, I have lightened up on the weight and just tried to 'stay in shape'.

For me, building around strength was what I enjoyed. I dont identify as a 'body builder' but respect the process for sure. I just always like trying to compete with myself to lift something heavier.

My training now consists of a lot of TUT, and trying to 'get at' the muscle with as little weight as possible. I still have my strength, but I have found that it does not make much a difference squatting 500 or 225 if I target what I trying to hit. (I also will use machines to help me focus what I am trying to train).

I dont think I could recommend it as a method to progress, but I have seen I can indeed maintain putting much less strain on my body. If I want, the strength is still there. I just ramp up for a few weeks, and funny I am right where I was a few years back with almost no fall off.

Depending on goals, I dont think you can go wrong pursuing strength. Combine that with food intake suited to match your goals and I firmly believe it is the best way to grow. Add in accessory work to make a well rounded workout and you are good to go.

My experience is limited, but the only people that I have ever seen grow off higher volume, fatigue type work, did so with the heavy supplementation of AAS. (nothing wrong with that either if that is the goal. Obviously, it works well). You have to pick what you want out of training and where you see yourself going with it.

 

[Grizzly911]

Thanks man. My training in the past year has been nothing to speak of. I got injured in a car accident 9 months ago. Ended up w/ spinal fracture, 2-bulging and 1 displaced disk pushing on my S1.

Prior to that, my training has always been based around primarily strength based. Really the last few years, I have lightened up on the weight and just tried to 'stay in shape'.

For me, building around strength was what I enjoyed. I dont identify as a 'body builder' but respect the process for sure. I just always like trying to compete with myself to lift something heavier.

My training now consists of a lot of TUT, and trying to 'get at' the muscle with as little weight as possible. I still have my strength, but I have found that it does not make much a difference squatting 500 or 225 if I target what I trying to hit. (I also will use machines to help me focus what I am trying to train).

I dont think I could recommend it as a method to progress, but I have seen I can indeed maintain putting much less strain on my body. If I want, the strength is still there. I just ramp up for a few weeks, and funny I am right where I was a few years back with almost no fall off.

Depending on goals, I dont think you can go wrong pursuing strength. Combine that with food intake suited to match your goals and I firmly believe it is the best way to grow. Add in accessory work to make a well rounded workout and you are good to go.

My experience is limited, but the only people that I have ever seen grow off higher volume, fatigue type work, did so with the heavy supplementation of AAS. (nothing wrong with that either if that is the goal. Obviously, it works well). You have to pick what you want out of training and where you see yourself going with it.

No prob, sounds like you rebounded fast after that injury. I don't use very heavy weight in my leg training routine. First set of back squats is a 15 rep warm-up and the rest are in the 10-12 range then on to front squat for reps, lunges, BSS and then direct ham work, hitting legs once a week for now.

 

[Tuffoldman]

DAMN!!! Looking great.

 

[musto]

Good work bro!!

 

[RickHarley]

You have perfect body!

 

[macgyver]

Still at this. Had a hard time keeping cals down lately, but still headed in the right direction.

Still doing IF, and not restricting any particular foods. My intake was not what most would consider a 'cutting' diet, but hey....it works.

Took the pic below when I woke up this morning. I wonder what I would look like if I manipulated water a little. But not going to worry. I am going to keep leaning out slow till I get my midsection a bit tighter. I am into the area where I am staying consistently the leanest I have ever been in my life. Besides a few achy joints, this is not all that hard. No cardio.

My intake

200pm. 10oz of chicken breast cut into thin fillets breaded w/ Italian bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, and pan fried. Chobaini strawberry yogurt w/ Kashi peanut butter crunch granola cereal mixed in. Box of chocolate-covered raisins. A few squares of dark chocolate.

Snacks as the day went on. A few freeze pops, and some cherries. Made a grilled cheese. (Made one for my son and it looked so good I made one for me!

)

Dinner. Carne asada steak at a restaurant. Served with potatoes and onions pan fried in lime, cilantro and garlic. Diet coke w/ dinner.

Dessert. Went out with kids to Marble Slab icecream. Large waffle cone dipped in chocolate, rolled in nuts. Vanilla with m&m's and Reces PB cups mixed in. My son could not finish his vanilla with butter finger, so I ate the rest of his too!

Dessert II. Got home and still had a sweet tooth, so I ate some more cookies and cream with some cocoa pebbles cereal on top, with chocolate syrup.


Pre-bed. 1.5 scoops whey unflavored, 4g leucine, 1tsp psyllium fiber, orange flavoring.

 

[FlyingDragon]

what time is the last meal?

 

[macgyver]

what time is the last meal?

@FlyingDragon I am not all 'Nazi' about the IF protocol. Usually, my last intake is 1030 ish. It generally is just protein and some fiber. Being that I pretty much only eat 2 big meals a day, I feel taking the opportunity to get some more protein in is not a bad idea.

My first meal, I try to push off until about 2pm. That said, I drink coffee in the AM, usually 2-3 cups. I put a splash of milk in each or creamer from powdered MCT. I am not worried about small amount of cals.


As I have mentioned....I cant sign off on there being any magic about IF. What I CAN say, is it makes eating less sooooo much easier. I learned enough about nutrition that I could always easily construct a proper deficit and lose weight on command. The only thing that stopped me from getting to where I wanted, was I always wanted to eat more than I wanted to be lean. Following IF is the first time I have found that I am not dominated by my appetite. Whereas, on a conventional deficit, I would be at the fridge every night eating pickles or cucumbers...etc.

I take a very loose approach to this since I decided to get and stay lean. I started back in Jan to really push to here, and it has not been hard at all. I just decide to eat less.

Today was another example. After all the crap I ate yesterday, today I pushed off my first meal till 230 and I put 5 big chicken legs on the grill and basted in BBQ sauce. I sipped on some grape amino drinks while laying out at the pool and for dinner, I ate out mexican again. Despite eating like a pig at dinner, I know I am still under on cals. Only carbs I ate today were a touch from the BBQ sauce, and dinner. (which I ate about 2/3 basket of chips and ordered fajitas and ate 2 of the flour tortillas. I will have a protein shake tonight and thats it.

On my workout days M,T,Thu,Fri, I have carb bolus post-workout. Generally, Icecream after dinner is my choice. (I eat a lot of icecream!). I have found that the leaner I have gotten, the more that I can take advantage of carb timing and see the effect. I think at 12-15% bf or greater, carb timing is irrelevant. You are just never really depleted enough. Now I am lean enough that I can time carbs post wo and notice a different effect. Usually, I am good for 50-100g of extra carbs within the first 3-4 hours of training. This goes along with some of the stuff Lyle McDonald has written about nutrient timing. The key is, you have to be lean enough to take advantage of it.

I did some other experiments with carb timing using Smarties candies. (pure dextrose). I will save that for another day, but needless to say I was shocked by the effect exercise can have of how we process simple sugars.