Goals/Progress Thread

[SomeGuy97]

5 weeks out from the next show. Decided to do the Ferrigno Legacy in Santa Barbara. Haven't been having enough time at all for real cardio and I've been sleeping like shit. I'm hoping the next 5 weeks go better for me. I'll definitely be the biggest I've ever been on stage...hopefully the leanest too.

 

[Entropy Prevails]

First time posting here so bear with me. I began working out and eating healthy in august and have lost 20kg (45lbs) since then and it feels fantastic. I have 10kg more to lose but with my estimations, it will only take me two more months max. After that I´ll start building muscle mass and try to keep the fat as low as possible.

Question: As soon as I´m done with the weight loss, I´ll have to reraise my calories intake in order to hold the weight and build muscle. I already know what I need to eat and at which time, but I don´t know how to get the transition right. How long does it need to last? What do I need to look out for?

 

[ThePhilosopher]

Finished my first half marathon yesterday and I absolutely crushed my goal of 2:30:00. My clock time was 2:19:39 and a chip time of 2:16:00. I'll do a few light runs this week and then ramp training back up for a full marathon in February.

 

[Scruffy1012]

Wanna try and hit some new goals before the year ends

Deadlift 180kg/185kg
Squat 160kg
Bench 115kg

Been doing a lot more cardio as well, running 5km either once a day or once in the morning and afternoon. Need to make some serious gains, lost way too much this year.

 

[UnderTheSign]

Uncreative, are you competing in bodybuilding or physique now? Looks like you've grown since your last contest posts on here.

 

[Winspear]

First time posting here so bear with me. I began working out and eating healthy in august and have lost 20kg (45lbs) since then and it feels fantastic. I have 10kg more to lose but with my estimations, it will only take me two more months max. After that I´ll start building muscle mass and try to keep the fat as low as possible.

Question: As soon as I´m done with the weight loss, I´ll have to reraise my calories intake in order to hold the weight and build muscle. I already know what I need to eat and at which time, but I don´t know how to get the transition right. How long does it need to last? What do I need to look out for?

Add ~250 calories once you're as lean as you want to be. If you're stimulating muscle growth well, then for a beginner you should be able to use all of those calories for muscle growth and stay lean. Don't keep increasing it constantly as you build - wait until the weight gain stalls and then bump it up again.

 

[SomeGuy97]

Uncreative, are you competing in bodybuilding or physique now? Looks like you've grown since your last contest posts on here.

Still doing physique. The judges back in July told me I needed to add about 5 lbs of mass and I'd be good, so that's what I've been trying to focus on. Honestly by the time I hit stage I'll probably only be 2-3 lbs bigger, but that's not bad for 4-5 months. I figured it would take about 12 serious months to get the 5 lbs on. I've changed the way I've been training- a lot of rest pause, drop sets, going for a total amount of reps rather than sets, etc.

Really worried about leaning out in time. It's been a struggle. I'm still probably the fattest I've been 4 1/2 weeks out from a show, so mentally it's a serious struggle.

 

[TRENCHLORD]

Still doing physique. The judges back in July told me I needed to add about 5 lbs of mass and I'd be good, so that's what I've been trying to focus on. Honestly by the time I hit stage I'll probably only be 2-3 lbs bigger, but that's not bad for 4-5 months. I figured it would take about 12 serious months to get the 5 lbs on. I've changed the way I've been training- a lot of rest pause, drop sets, going for a total amount of reps rather than sets, etc.

Really worried about leaning out in time. It's been a struggle. I'm still probably the fattest I've been 4 1/2 weeks out from a show, so mentally it's a serious struggle.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flat-out amazing results man. Your arms must be getting around the 19" area..?
It's really encouraging to hear that the constructive-torture training style(CTT) is working so well for you. In my novice opinion that's definitely the way to go for anyone wanting to build their physique.

 

[SomeGuy97]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flat-out amazing results man. Your arms must be getting around the 19" area..?
It's really encouraging to hear that the constructive-torture training style(CTT) is working so well for you. In my novice opinion that's definitely the way to go for anyone wanting to build their physique.

Haha, thank you. I don't think they're near 19, but I haven't measured them in probably over a year. That's one of the things I like about Men's Physique vs. other things like Bodybuilding and powerlifting- You don't have to worry about weight or measurements or anything like that or even hitting specific poses. Just about looking good, being relaxed. It's kind of whatever.
I'm two weeks out right now, little bigger, still holding a lot of water and have a lot of leaning out to do. I'll be better than I was in July but still not where I should be for competing. Part of me feels like I don't really care because I feel like having long hair will always work against me.
Again I haven't been having enough time for cardio- just moved into a new place with a HUGE empty basement so I've been doing fasted cardio down there now so I've made a lot of progress in the last week or two. A lot more to come as long as I can keep my diet on point. Here's where I'm at now two weeks out:

 

[MikeH]

Looking really good, man. Do you use any sort of diuretics to dry yourself out before a contest? I know a handful of people that do, and it seems to work well for them.

 

[SomeGuy97]

Looking really good, man. Do you use any sort of diuretics to dry yourself out before a contest? I know a handful of people that do, and it seems to work well for them.

I did in June, but I didn't in July. I'm still on the fence about it this time around. I'm going to have to see how I'm doing 2-3 days out before I decide whether or not I will. Water and Sodium are far and away the hardest things to figure out as they are not only individual, but also vary each time. I've been urinating a lot more frequently right now so I know I can push water through pretty quick and therefor should be able to keep water normal. My rough plan right now is to keep water normal/fairly high and then just drop it the morning of the show.

On the plus side I was just told I don't need to drop my sodium so I am in such a great mood and I feel like nothing can stop me. That was the ONLY thing I was dreading. I can low-carb like a mother ....er and it doesn't even bother me. Right now I'm on day 2 of 4 days straight >54g/carbs, one re-feed day, 3 more low days, one more re-feed, then 2 1/2 VERY low >25g/carb days followed by loading up Friday evening and into Saturday. Depending on how i look Saturday after prejudging will determine what I eat before finals.
Everything has been meticulously laid out. I know pretty much exactly everything I'm eating and when I'm eating it for the next 11 days. I'm in the home stretch so I hope my optimism and spirits stay high. I always dread the day of the show and just want it to be over with and never actually enjoy it. Trying to enjoy it this time around.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

I did my first long run after my half marathon today, 15 miles in 2:49:37. It's not too bad considering I was battling wind for the last 4 miles and was in the hospital last Sunday-Tuesday for a GI issue (I've been cleared for any and all exercise).

 

[MikeH]

After smashing two squat PRs yesterday (405 and 420), I've decided I want to shoot for Master level in my weight class in my meet in February. I'm at a 1,050 total right now, and Master level is 1,190. This means I have to add roughly 47 lbs to each of my lifts. And while I don't see myself adding almost 50 lbs to my bench, I think I'll be able to make up the difference in my squat and deadlift.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

That's incredible stuff (for a guy who doesn't lift). I set a PR today in the 5K - 26:06, I'm slowly getting faster and having the endurance to keep up these paces is an awesome feeling considering I could barely run an entire 5K 7 months ago.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

I finished my first 20 mile run yesterday in 3:43:11. It feels good to know I can push through that far, it probably would have been faster if I hadn't run 7 miles the day before. I also wrapped up my goal of 100+ miles for the month of December.

 

[TurnTheAirBlue]

Just started the Stronglifts program on Friday. Looking to get my squat to 120kg / DL to 150kg / bench to 100kg. Currently squatting 70kg / DL 75kg / benching 70kg. Been out of the gym for a few months so looking forward to getting back into it.

 

[SD83]

Just so I have it written down somewhere, why not here? I used to be way too lazy and still sometimes suffering from the depression "I don't feel like doing anything, I'm not even in the mood for breathing, I just want this to be over" shit, I meant to train and gain strength and all that for about 10 years now and never managed to keep it up for more than a few weeks until this year. Gained 8 kg in the last 4 months or so (90 kg/198 lbs now at about 6'4'') which was exactly what I had in mind a year ago, so, for next year:
- keep up & increase the training
- start running again, right now I have a hard time getting 2 km done, goal is at least 10.
- bike more. I used to do 50-100 km a week, now 20 is a good week. That has to change. 100 km in less than 6 h would be great.

 

[MikeH]

I posted my year-end goals in another thread, but this is what I want before or on Dec 31, 2015:

315 bench
500 squat
545 deadlift

 

[MikeH]

Incoming self-gratifying post: Today is the first anniversary of many. Exactly one year ago today, I stepped foot into a gym for the first time since high school. It was the day I decided to make a change. A change from being a skinny-fat beta to becoming an iron-built alpha. Never did I imagine that I would make the progress that I have when first starting out. My physique, my strength, and my mentality have all drastically changed. I owe that to myself and to the weights. From a 138 pound slouchy weakling to a 170 pound powerlifter in 365 days is something for me to be proud of. I have a lifetime of progress ahead of me, but I vow to make every day better than the day before it. I will heed the call of the iron until I'm buried in my grave.

 

[TRENCHLORD]

^^^ Get'n those gnarled deadlift forearms .