Motivation /Tracking Thread

[TeeShock]

I didn't really get started until March 9th when I moved to Dallas. Living on a 16 mile bike trail has been a huge success.

-14 lb last night. I lift 4x per week and have been riding 20 paved miles on Saturdays. I prep what I eat (somewhat strict) Sunday-Friday and let myself cheat Friday night & Saturdays.

Moving forward I will be cutting out beer and drinking vodka. My strength isn't where it used to be but I'm focusing mainly on core and form.

One month later and I'm down to 215. Deadlifts are getting stronger and I'm still on track to get up 315 on the 4th of July. I have been doing a lot more cardio and core training this past month.

I started carb cycling also. If all goes well I should be where I want to be by the 4th of july. 210 here I come.

2/10 234
5/5 220
6/3 215

I've learned a lot from watching Alan Thrall and Scott Herman on YouTube.

[Big A]

Averaging 6lbs a month aint nothing to sneeze at, good job.

[Gasser64]

Well, I'll be building a rack for all the dumbells this weekend. Out of 2x4's and some flat stock. What do you guys think? For a home gym, how long should it be? And should there be two racks? 1 upper, 1 lower. The top rack would be for the lighter stuff, and the lower rack would be for the bigger ones, like 60-125 lbs. All dumbells.

Or should I just make one upper rack, and make it tall enough that all the heavy ones just sit on the ground underneath it?

[Big A]

What are you going to do with a 125lb dumbbell?

[GeorgeG.]

Mine have been on the floor so far... Picking up 55 lbs dumbbells from a squat position sucks. I plan on building something with two tiers when time permits.

[Strychnine]

What are you going to do with a 125lb dumbbell?

Dumbbell bench?

[Cooter]

I've sorta plateaued, but it's been somewhat welcome...

I've just been walking every day. Been doing different uphill stuff and a little hip flexor/ab stuff mixed in. My intercostal tears are healing slowly. After only 4wks, I can actually sleep in my bed! I'd been forced to sleep in a papasan chair because it hurt so much to lay down I've been able to knock out a few pushups, finally, but the main thing is just going out back in the 90 acre wilderness and covering ground. Still hurts to lay flat on my back, so no real ab work other than standing exercises.

Hovering at 240-242 for about the past month, but feeling lighter. I've probably traded a few lbs of fat for muscle. Nothing major, but I can see it in my legs. I've never really been proud of my calves, and they're nothing to brag about what-so-ever, but I'm getting definition that I've never even come close to. Just in the last month.

I guess walking around for years at 300+lbs gave them a decent base of mass to be expounded on! LOL

Diet has been really comfortable and pretty damn clean for the most part.

Enjoying this slow progress after 8+ months at 8-10lbs/month

[Big A]

Dumbbell bench?

Justin doesn't give me the impression that he's the type to be able to (truthfully) get under a 250lb dumbbell bench, which is why I ask.

I've sorta plateaued, but it's been somewhat welcome...

I've just been walking every day. Been doing different uphill stuff and a little hip flexor/ab stuff mixed in. My intercostal tears are healing slowly. After only 4wks, I can actually sleep in my bed! I'd been forced to sleep in a papasan chair because it hurt so much to lay down I've been able to knock out a few pushups, finally, but the main thing is just going out back in the 90 acre wilderness and covering ground. Still hurts to lay flat on my back, so no real ab work other than standing exercises.

Hovering at 240-242 for about the past month, but feeling lighter. I've probably traded a few lbs of fat for muscle. Nothing major, but I can see it in my legs. I've never really been proud of my calves, and they're nothing to brag about what-so-ever, but I'm getting definition that I've never even come close to. Just in the last month.

I guess walking around for years at 300+lbs gave them a decent base of mass to be expounded on! LOL

Diet has been really comfortable and pretty damn clean for the most part.

Enjoying this slow progress after 8+ months at 8-10lbs/month

Progress always slows as you get leaner, add injury, and you have the recipe for an extended plateau. Think of it like how deep-sea divers have to come up to a certain point to rest and adjust to the atmospheric changes. You've come a long way, so take your time settling in at 240 while you heal, and then you be ready to press on without any regression.

[Cooter]

yep. feeling good. and the plateau is allowing me to eat comfortably, build a little muscle, and heal

I usually do a big burger every Saturday and I skipped it last week, and I've been craving red meat. So last night I had me a big ol' filet, some sauteed portabella and onions, and some baby potatos.

Had my usual bowl of oatmeal (now with cumin, cardamom, banana, and black pepper ) three eggs, and a couple potatos for breakfast.

Went out back and did some walking and some ravine hopping for a solid hour, killed a few 16oz glasses of water, and hopped on the scale at 238

I would like to get leaner and leaner, but I've come to accept that it's just not going to happen at a bonzai pace, nor will I attempt to make it happen at a bonzai pace because I DO NOT want to get injured!!!

Hope everybody has a great one today!

[Big A]

Running that bonzai pace to the end ALWAYS ends up with a severe rebound, because nobody can adjust to dietary changes that fast, and expect them to become permanent. You'll always end up at the weight that you eat at comfortably, without that sense of deprivation.

Permanently change how you feel about food, and only then your waistline will permanently reflect it without much fuss, in my experience at least.

[Cooter]

food has been fairly easy for me

I will readily admit that being able to make my own schedule and being on a temporary permanent hiatus from work makes eating clean possible.

And I enjoy good food. I don't crave fried junk. Ok, not gonna lie, when I see a bag of Cheetos, I drool a little. But for the most part, I'm totally fine with a big burger on Saturday and a couple spoon fulls of frozen coconut milk (vs. ice cream) after dinner a few nights a week.

Thankfully there's a place in town where my buddy's shop is that has good clean food, so even when I'm out and about and am forced to eat lunch away from the house, I have good options. even out in the sticks!

Funny thing is, I was able to lose quickly because back when I was drinking, I really didn't eat THAT much in an average day. So when I cut the booze, I was able to gorge on what I thought was a ton of food and still lose rapidly.

[Gasser64]

Justin doesn't give me the impression that he's the type to be able to (truthfully) get under a 250lb dumbbell bench, which is why I ask.

Do you know very much about weight lifting?

Wide row. Bent over row. One arm row. Kneeling one arm row. (last one being the main one for me.

Skull crusher. I do 100 lb skull crusher now. Won't take much to increase that by 25 lbs at the rate that triceps increase. If it seems like too much, I'm a big bastard. No two ways about it.

[Big A]

Do you know very much about weight lifting?

Not a clue.


I know what can be done with a set of 125's, I asked you what you need them for. Perhaps this is the one thing that you're being honest about, but I doubt it.

[Gasser64]

Not a clue.

There we go.

What I need them for, is the same thing that anyone else needs them for. Have you ever been inside a gym? They all have 125+ for a reason. Think I've seen up to 175 at some of the big bodybuilder gyms, like metroflex in arlington. Just because you can't do something, doesn't somehow mean that no one else can.

[Big A]

There we go.

It's called sarcasm you dolt, I've been training for over 20 years.