Arkk's Weight Lifting / Fitness Thread

zombiewizardhawk · Jun 3, 2018

I guess I should clarify, I don't mean like an "omg i'm way overweight" diet and i'm fully aware you can't magically target one body part to lose fat, I meant like a food plan to help cut a little bit of body fat. I'm still super skinny as always. Honestly just putting in some effort on working my abs might be all I need, I can see the outlines when I flex, just not shredded like "oooh, look at those abs". Most of the meal plans i've seen around in the past, though, all seem like it'd be quite expensive buying the ingredients for.

My typical day at the moment is something like 3 hotdogs in the afternoon before work, 1lb of some kind of pasta most nights (working at an italian restaurant atm), sometimes some cereal and bread/peanut butter before bed. Usually throw in 2 muscle milks a couple days a week when I have to stop at the gas station on my way to work.

yamikazo · Jun 3, 2018

It sounds like you know exactly what you need to do.

1) Stop eating hot dogs
2) Stop eating "some kind of pasta"
3) Don't eat before bed
4) Stop with the muscle milk and plan your damn meals

Everything you mentioned is a poor lifestyle choice that is detrimental to what you say you want.

Sludig · Jun 3, 2018

Esp the muscle milk if worried about cost. 2 of those and you are like already halfway to a bulk bag of almonds. That's another go to, at work if I need a hunger break, then a big handful of almonds mixed with a few craisins. Fairly cheap if you are not making a meal out of them killing a 1/4 bag at a time.

If you can't get up early enough to prepare food, get something made ahead of time. I hate doing it to, bad with my health stuff. But usually from cooking something wife will eat we will have leftovers. One way to get the chicken down if you dont love it, is stir fry. Just big pan, little oil, bunch of random veggies and some chicken, (added at different times for their cook time) then drizzle whole thing w/ a little teriyaki. Ideal like that or if you have to, make a small amount of rice to put it over.

Another wierd one my wife likes is "Rice hamburger egg". Literally some burger seasoned and browned in a skillet, bunch of scrambled egg, mixed in with rice and drizzled with some soy sauce. Keep the rice content low and ideally brown and another very cheap not too bad option. Just don't overdo the soy sauce unless you like way too much sodium...

If you need to eat at work for cost savings that's fine. Cut out other carb elsewhere. Though you say 1lb of noodles... (cooked/uncooked weight? Worse than the noodles can be the sauces that would be on said noodles). If you really are that skinny with just a bit of a soft tiny beer gut. More than dieting down 5-15 lbs, is you just need conditioning like me. Have a school track nearby? Even without a gym membership, using school grounds can be nice for keeping track of distance and having a softer running surface. (Assuming you can be there after everyone gone) Fuck ton of body weight exercise that can be done at home with no equipment. It's just finding the personal motivation not to just start, but keep going at it. Always been my struggle with multiple starts but no long term follow thru.

Sterling · Jun 3, 2018

Green veggies. Or if you insist on eating the same trash instead of eating 3 hotdogs, maybe just eat 2. Exercise also.

Ossoi · Jun 3, 2018

zombiewizardhawk said:
Depending on how bad he means they're a weak point, going straight to weighted variants might not be the best of ideas.

On a side note, anyone know where I can find a decent diet plan (cheap, I can't be spending $150 a week on food) for losing a little belly fat? I want some nice abs and will probably have to burn a little belly fat to achieve that vs just working them.

Setting Up a Fat Loss Diet: Protein | RNT Fitness

Ossoi · Jun 3, 2018

Tuco said:
I'm switching to a cut now and took another progress pic. Below left is me right before I jumped off keto in Oct 2017 @ 192lbs. I started working out more seriously about two months ago. I was 217lbs at that point, but didn't take a progress pic. Below right is tonight @225lbs. I'm 6'2"

View attachment 167542

I also changed a light bulb

Up till now I've been strictly following a basic beginner lifting routine: http://i.stack.imgur.com/OUcEY.png and eating 3200calories, 200g protein. My calculated 1rm (left) and my 3x5 rep weights (right) for the big three lifts look like this:
View attachment 167543 View attachment 167549

I was kind of hoping to switch to a cut when my big three combined hit 1klbs, but I figure it's time to lose some weight anyway. I'm getting tired of eating so much.

Last month when I checked in I was having some problems squatting. It's still my weakest lift, but I've improved it a lot and it feels pretty good. The last two times I've felt light-headed when squatting. I don't know if that's because of the hotter weather, or the weight is high enough to tax my body in a different way. Or both.

The only lift I haven't made consistent progress on is my bent over row. I've failed to get 3x5 twice now, both times at 190lbs. With my program a failure to get 3x5 sets back the weight 20%. I'm almost back at 190lbs and I think I might fail it again. I'm not sure why I'm not progressing in it. It's just really hard to get the last inch of motion for me.

I'm up to 30lbs on my weighted belt for pullups which I'm proud of. I was barely able to do a pullup when I started working out.

I don't have many specific plans now. I'll work it out but right now it's loosely:
1. Target 2200kcal, 200g protein.
2. Intermittent fasting between noon and 8PM.
3. Keep doing the same workout, but deload the weights and try to reduce the duration of the workout. I don't know if I'll be able to make gains or not, but I don't really care.
4. I started a couch to 5k program tonight. I'd like to run a 5k sometime this summer, and a 10k this fall.
5. I might do HIIT sprints or something, not sure.

I don't know how long I'll stay on a diet. At least two months.

Any thoughts / advice are welcome.

You should be keeping the weights/reps the same as much as possible.

You'll probably lose strength, this is normal, but don't start off immediately on less weight/reps

Bruuce · Jun 3, 2018

Built some platforms a few weeks ago.

Also added a little pulldown machine and bought a cheap set of adjustable dumbells. Gonna switch it up from 5/3/1 bbb program to kizens powerbuilding program.

Ossoi · Jun 3, 2018

I've been stuck at 178lbs for a couple of months now, struggling to eat enough to keep gaining weight and was ill a few weeks ago. So decided to cut for June and July, possibly August too

Starting macros:

190g protein
75g fat
250g carbs

10,000 steps a day and training 4-5x a week

Brahma · Jun 4, 2018

Soooo. I was hospitalized for a couple weeks with a blood sugar lvl of 900. (Ya...that's real. Took 2 weeks to get it below 200). This was like 8 months ago. Have not been to the gym since. Started up again 3-4 weeks ago. This is no lie what I am about to tell you.

I am doing body parts mostly twice a week. Here is how chest has been as an example.

1st chest day. 265 on bench for 2 reps.
2nd chest day. 285 for 5 reps.
3rd chest day. 315 for 2 reps.
4th chest day 405 for 2 reps. (this was iso machine). This jump to me was crazy!
5th chest day. 415 2 reps.
6th chest day. 455 2 reps.

My back and legs are similar gains. Only body part not showing these leaps is shoulders.

This REALLY should not be possible. So I ask...can insulin (I am on a daily and weekly) make you crazy strong? This is the ONLY reasonable explanation I have. I was expecting a 4 month return and we are talking little less than a month!!

I am taking creatine again, along with about 125g of protein a day. I also have a MUCH better gym. Has machines to hit same body parts at multiple angles, that I never hit before.

Gravel · Jun 4, 2018

Muscle memory.

It's a hell of a phenomena.

I had to take an extended break a few years ago due to a rotator cuff tear, and when I came back it was like I was juicing. It was pretty awesome.

Ossoi · Jun 4, 2018

Brahma said:
along with about 125g of protein a day. .

Where are the rest of your calories coming from? Presumably not carbs if you had blood sugar issues

Brahma · Jun 4, 2018

Ossoi said:
Where are the rest of your calories coming from? Presumably not carbs if you had blood sugar issues

I'm eating OK, now? I usually have oatmeal or a burrito for breakfast (McDonald's). Lunch is usually some sort of chicken or steak with whatever. Like a potato salad, brown rice, and beans...Dinner consists of a shake or two, plus a steak again with some rice.

My carb intake is waaaaay better than it used to be. I pretty much skip the box of Fruity Pebbles at night. Along with the sleeves of Oreo's or brownies.

My blood sugar this morning was 135. (2 meds and a nightly insulin).

I used to weigh 320. I am down to 275 as of yesterday.

Itlan · Jun 4, 2018

Take care of yourself Big Brah.

ZyyzYzzy · Jun 4, 2018

900 is insane. Would be surprised if you don't have neuronal or organ damage

Sludig · Jun 4, 2018

Mainly focusing on diet, but as a noob starter, would it be worthwhile to try some BCAA's during my work out, or more for down the road 6month to a year when I know wtf I'm doing better?

yamikazo · Jun 4, 2018

Brahma said:
This REALLY should not be possible. So I ask...can insulin (I am on a daily and weekly) make you crazy strong? This is the ONLY reasonable explanation I have. I was expecting a 4 month return and we are talking little less than a month!!

As stated above, "muscle memory" is great.

To go a little Matrix, lifting hard has as much to do with training your brain that you can lift something hard as it is increasing the actual strength of the muscle tissue.

Neurotransmitters don't atrophy as quickly as muscle fibers.

However, with a 6+ month layoff, it's easy to overdo things – if you experience any funny soreness, rest.

ZyyzYzzy · Jun 4, 2018

yamikazo said:
As stated above, "muscle memory" is great.

To go a little Matrix, lifting hard has as much to do with training your brain that you can lift something hard as it is increasing the actual strength of the muscle tissue.

Neurotransmitters don't atrophy as quickly as muscle fibers.

However, with a 6+ month layoff, it's easy to overdo things – if you experience any funny soreness, rest.

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Neurotransmitters have short half life's. You mean neurons...

yamikazo · Jun 4, 2018

ZyyzYzzy said:
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Neurotransmitters have short half life's. You mean neurons...

Yes.

ZyyzYzzy · Jun 4, 2018

Just finished my first deadlift day of my third cycle of 531. Used chalk and a belt for the first time in a while. Got 335 for 10 for my 5+ set. My 5x10 of 235 were absolutely brutal after that.

Ossoi · Jun 5, 2018

Sludig said:
Mainly focusing on diet, but as a noob starter, would it be worthwhile to try some BCAA's during my work out, or more for down the road 6month to a year when I know wtf I'm doing better?

Supplements probably contribute 1% to results and won't do anything if your diet and training isn't on point.

Spend the money on good food choices and worry about supplements once you've got your diet (food choices and adherence) nailed.

And Essential Amino Acids are better than BCAA's. BCAA's provide a short spike to muscle synthesis, EAA's provide a more prolonged boost. I have 20g EAA and 30g carbs during my workout. That was during my muscle gaining phase. Just started the cut so will probably phase out the 30g carbs after a while

Arkk's Weight Lifting / Fitness Thread

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