Motivation /Tracking Thread

[KBScobravert]

Keep it going Keith, congrats on your results. Stay focused and crush it.

My progress is still developing. Scale jumps all around, appearance has changed and I'm having random people at the gym tell me that I'm getting big and small at the same time. I tweaked my back something fierce so for the time being I am working around the new injury lol.

Thanks. I have to crush it. My wife has been killing it for nearly 2 years now. She's starting her second round of 22 Minute Hardcore by Beach Body. It's another Tony Horton routine designed around military workouts. He last time (August '16) she had fantastic body results. So I have to get in the gym and try and get at least on par with her. I'd post her start/finish pics from last time, but, this is still DFWMustangs.net.

Oh, I just landed on a camp that has a killer gym. Several treadmills and a gym for Special Forces meatheads. I should be here for a week and plan on spending 2 hours a day in there if I can keep at it. Also coming off of Creatine for a week while I am traveling super light. So I should see what dropping the water weight and the extra cardio will do for the mirror and scale.

[GeorgeG.]

Good job sticking with it and making progress.

I, on the other hand, have been struggling...BAD. I took about a 4 month break from test. During this time I cut back on the cardio and increased weights so that I didn't lose any gains while being on test. I've slowly gained 10 lbs. My eating habits suck. The size 34 jeans I got into are now too tight and my 36's are fucking snug. I'm also up 1.5% body fat . I'm furious at myself to say the least. I still have my strength and muscle gains but some fat has definitely returned.

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. I started packing my meals again and passing on the group lunches at work (those will kill you). I'm still hitting the weights and trying to fit more cardio on some days when I can sneak to the gym during lunch. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks and still haven't lost anything. Granted I still have plenty of room to dial everything in (meals, water, sleep) but I need some progress STAT before I start gorging on Krispy Kreme donuts.

I was a little nervous of starting this break before/during the holidays for this exact reason. But I needed it. Got tired of sticking myself and well holiday food was everywhere and it smells so f'n good.

[KBScobravert]

Good job sticking with it and making progress.

I, on the other hand, have been struggling...BAD. I took about a 4 month break from test. During this time I cut back on the cardio and increased weights so that I didn't lose any gains while being on test. I've slowly gained 10 lbs. My eating habits suck. The size 34 jeans I got into are now too tight and my 36's are fucking snug. I'm also up 1.5% body fat . I'm furious at myself to say the least. I still have my strength and muscle gains but some fat has definitely returned.

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. I started packing my meals again and passing on the group lunches at work (those will kill you). I'm still hitting the weights and trying to fit more cardio on some days when I can sneak to the gym during lunch. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks and still haven't lost anything. Granted I still have plenty of room to dial everything in (meals, water, sleep) but I need some progress STAT before I start gorging on Krispy Kreme donuts.

I was a little nervous of starting this break before/during the holidays for this exact reason. But I needed it. Got tired of sticking myself and well holiday food was everywhere and it smells so f'n good.

Are you going back on it though?

I totally get being tired of sticking. 1 in 5/6 times I do it I hit something and stop, change needles and try again in the other leg only to have the same damn results...pain immediately. So I get nervous and ditch the dose into the toilet. The next day, easy peasy. But I get it, not like its very comfortable. And for me it is worse because I have to hide it from everyone I work and live with. There is ZERO privacy unless I am in a portajohn. So that is where I go to inject like a

Get that diet back under control and you will be back into the swing in no time.

I got a little bit of cardio in today. It's nice being on a SF camp where they have every weight option and tons of it. Treadmills are top of the line too. I didn't go as long or as far as I had hoped. It wasn't cardio that failed me it was cramps in the muscle over my shins.

[GeorgeG.]

Yeah, I jumped back on it a couple of weeks ago and working on the diet.

What gauge needle are you using? I use 25ga. and rotate arms. I've never experienced anything like you're describing. Oh, and in the porta-john!?!?! That's an infection waiting to happen. Be careful man!

[KBScobravert]

Yeah, I jumped back on it a couple of weeks ago and working on the diet.

What gauge needle are you using? I use 25ga. and rotate arms. I've never experienced anything like you're describing. Oh, and in the porta-john!?!?! That's an infection waiting to happen. Be careful man!

I use a 23ga and go in the legs. Roughly where your pinky is if it is in your jean's pocket.

Actually our porta-johns are pretty clean. I know, because my crew cleans them twice a day while I escort them lol. They are sucked down 2 times a day, pressure washed once and wiped down twice a day. I wash my hands before going in and am very careful with the products that they don't touch anything and use alcohol wipes on my hands then my leg at the site.

[Strychnine]

I'm losing a steady 1.5 lbs/week right now, but that will likely increase soon.
I'm bringing back my cycling, and just signed up for my first big ride in a few years. We'll see how quick my legs come back, but I'm definitely doing the 65 mile route (with some 10%+ hills) at the Real Ale Ride in the Blanco in May (option for 80 miles if we choose).
Got some good motivation for this one too. We're staying at Pedernales Falls SP the weekend of the ride, so if I don't train for the ride then I don't get to camp.

I pulled out my old bike Garmin last night and the total odometer had many thousands of miles on it... made me nostalgic so I'll probably try to get in a century in June.

I totally get being tired of sticking. 1 in 5/6 times I do it I hit something and stop, change needles and try again in the other leg only to have the same damn results...pain immediately

Leg = pain for me nearly every time. Upper ass/hip area is trouble-free.

[GeorgeG.]

Awesome man! Know that I'm dealing with my f'n truck biting the dust, I'm about to fall off the wagon.

[KBScobravert]

Slowly getting to where I want to be. Enjoying a big arm day pump.

Chest (flat bench, incline db), biceps (curl bar and incline seated db curls), triceps (overhead ext. pull down machine), upper back (bent over row and lots of pullups) and a big round of shrugs today.

yes I do legs, yes they are small, it is just they have no fat on them like the rest of my upper body. lol

[GeorgeG.]

Keep it up stud muffin!

[KBScobravert]

Keep it up stud muffin!

I'm trying.

I'm losing roughly 10-12 pounds between every R&R. So roughly every 3 months. Perfect considering I am trying to lose it through weight lifting workouts, minimal running/cardio, and cutting out on the shit foods.

On a progress report, I just got back to my main base yesterday after having been gone for 10 days. So that was 10 days off creatine and a totally different food selection. I just got out of the gym, showered and weighed myself. 189. Finally under 190. Goals are being achieved. I am going to go through this week's routines without getting on creatine and see where my weight stands. Then I am going to do my last 28 days before R&R back on it. So certainly I will put on a few (2ish) pounds of water and I am okay with that. But I can certainly feel the difference in my workouts without taking it before (and after) and I can feel it in my recovery. I tend to be a little more sore the following couple of days when I am not taking it. Makes sense though.

So if I can leave here on April 16th at 185, just 4 pounds away, I will be ecstatic.

[KBScobravert]

still hitting it hard. 25 days before R&R and I look at like "4 more workouts of each of my routine".

This week I am testing my gains from using my routine over the last 13 weeks against the program I was using on www.blackironbeast.com

Today was deadlift.
5 x 135
5 x 150
3 x 180
5 x 220
3 x 250
1 x 280
1 x 305
1 x 325
1 x 335 - the most I have ever pulled by 30 pounds. Felt great too. I feel like if i had done a few reps less leading up, I could have pulled up 350 just as easily. I have a 405 goal in mind. That 335 was a nice smooth up without feeling stuck anywhere through the rep.

Shit, 6 months ago, I could barely keep 215 in my hands for more than a couple reps. So I am happy with this.

[R1psycho]

Outstanding Keith. Keep it up. I tweaked my lower back about 5 weeks ago going for an extra rep on deads and yesterday was the first time I actually pulled up a decent amount of weight for a couple, 500. It came up easily, however my confidence is still in the shitter. Chest is getting more developed, 315 still kicks my ass, but it's coming along. Side delts are getting some size, rears are decent and traps still suck. Figure I'll go another month of pushing before I really go hardcore on diet and cardio to see what kind of % I can drop and further on the vasicularity.

[Big A]

Have fun with all that, after years of heavy deadlifts and squats, my lower back is permanently fucked to the point that even working in the yard for a few hours has me limping around in the evening. Getting old sucks.

[Probie]

This past week has been good as well as shitty. After getting dropped I got moved to a different bay. No pt here. My plan was to start crushing the gym every day. Well what I didn't realize was how beat up I actually was. So I throttled back a little. I've been swimming and rowing for cardio and focusing on body weight stuff. I'm finally starting to feel a bit better so I'm probably gonna hit a leg day today

[KBScobravert]

I've got 25 days before I leave Africa and head home. So that is 4 weeks of my 6 day routine cycle, 2 on 1 off 2 on 1 off, repeat. My off days are now light cardio and abs days. My goal still remains the same at 185 and I am at 190 right now but loaded up with creatine. Once I stop taking it, I'll drop a few pounds right off the bat of water weight. I think 185 is doable. I got a pair of shorts finally in the mail here and they are 34s. Tried them on today and they are as loose on me as the 36 pants I have where when I switched to 34s. With any luck, I can loose enough to wear the 34s and carry IWB comfortably enough back home. We can try to get into 33 or 32s later.

Outstanding Keith. Keep it up. I tweaked my lower back about 5 weeks ago going for an extra rep on deads and yesterday was the first time I actually pulled up a decent amount of weight for a couple, 500. It came up easily, however my confidence is still in the shitter. Chest is getting more developed, 315 still kicks my ass, but it's coming along. Side delts are getting some size, rears are decent and traps still suck. Figure I'll go another month of pushing before I really go hardcore on diet and cardio to see what kind of % I can drop and further on the vasicularity.

Damn. We hardly have 500 in plates. I can't imagine pulling that up...right now. I guess I need to adjust my goals. lol

I do a ton of lower back light weight stuff. In fact, I do lower back and core every 3 days. Since I started that my squats and deadlifts feel great and no soreness etc. Back in December, I couldn't even stand under 215 for squats without feeling like my lower back was compressing into my hip on my right side. Feels solid now.

Have fun with all that, after years of heavy deadlifts and squats, my lower back is permanently fucked to the point that even working in the yard for a few hours has me limping around in the evening. Getting old sucks.

I'll be 41 in a few months. I have no desire to lift to a point of hurting myself...anymore than I have already over the past year (pulled rib, tweaked both shoulders)

This past week has been good as well as shitty. After getting dropped I got moved to a different bay. No pt here. My plan was to start crushing the gym every day. Well what I didn't realize was how beat up I actually was. So I throttled back a little. I've been swimming and rowing for cardio and focusing on body weight stuff. I'm finally starting to feel a bit better so I'm probably gonna hit a leg day today

Keep at it. You need to heal but don't let yourself slide backwards.