Journey, Not A Destination

Visualize away, lol. It will be a while though till a house warming party. I'd rather have a big bash when it's nice out. I suppose I could just have two though :)

When we move in I have a feeling it's going to be cold this year.
 
hey steve... I needed your quick opinion on something. I've hit a "dont want to go to the gym" period in journey. So I've switched up my routine a bit into some uncharted territory for me.

Pull ups, varied grip - just pretty much to failure for at least 3 sets a day... sometimes i'll add some random sets in the evening after work. Failure is about 7 chins at full rest, 4 wide grip pull ups

Push ups. Varying width to failure (about 20) about 3 sets of these

bodyweight squats - 4 sets of 20

Clean and press 5x5 - just started adding this

Upright row 5x5 - just started adding this

im going to the gym about once maybe twice a week to do deads/dips/compound rows and id be lying if i said i was doing heavy squats lol

of course im still riding my bike everymorning for at least an hour at 65-80% Heart rate.

missing anything?

what if i do more chins and more pushups?
anything wrong with doing them everyday?

thanks for your help!
 
RJAZ520 said:
hey steve... I needed your quick opinion on something. I've hit a "dont want to go to the gym" period in journey. So I've switched up my routine a bit into some uncharted territory for me.

Pull ups, varied grip - just pretty much to failure for at least 3 sets a day... sometimes i'll add some random sets in the evening after work. Failure is about 7 chins at full rest, 4 wide grip pull ups

Push ups. Varying width to failure (about 20) about 3 sets of these

bodyweight squats - 4 sets of 20

Clean and press 5x5 - just started adding this

Upright row 5x5 - just started adding this

im going to the gym about once maybe twice a week to do deads/dips/compound rows and id be lying if i said i was doing heavy squats lol

of course im still riding my bike everymorning for at least an hour at 65-80% Heart rate.

missing anything?

what if i do more chins and more pushups?
anything wrong with doing them everyday?

thanks for your help!
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Well first I think it's important to indentify why you lost your hunger for the gym. Any thoughts?

Second, why go to failure every single day on a few exercises? What do you hope to get out of that?

Third, I'm not a fan of the upright row. It can really bugger up shoulders.
 
Afternoon Steve!

Yesterday I weight trained for the first time in a week or something, and I was fairly skipping into the weight room I was so happy. I've never been so thrilled to lift weights before--so I was pleased about being pleased, ya know? Thought I'd share. It went well. I did yoga at a new class after, and it turned out very enjoyable, which was icing on the cake.
 
That's why I like taking a little time off now and again. It replenishes the mental fuel. :)

Glad you had a good workout, Val.
 
Steve congrats on your house. I could really tell by your posts that you wanted that place. Good luck!!!

Reason for stopping by. I dont know if i will express this properly but try to follow me.

I feel like i am at an impass right now, mentally that is. Sure i have lost a lot of weight and feel great. I want to add muscle that i lost and look "in shape" and not skinny fat. But on the other hand i still weigh between 205-210 and for my height i am still "fat". I have loose skin and I'm sure that is adding to my fat look. That's another road I'm not ready to go down. So my probelm is add muscle and maybe some fat or should i still try to lose weight?

I know the normal response could be get to where you feel comforatble and i know i have to find that out but how do i know where that is? I have people telling me i am to skinny (god, i hate that) but then look into the mirrior and see i still have fat to get rid of. I did post a current pic on my weight loss thread. If it's not too much to comment on what you think i might need to do, like maybe add muscle or still try to lose a few more, i would greatly appriciate it.

Is the whole less weight more reps a myth? Should i be looking at heavier weight and less reps at this point? I am doing a full body workout three days a week and 2-3 days of HIIT.

Sorry for the long post and being all over the place but thanks for the time.
 
usedtobefatmatt said:
Steve congrats on your house. I could really tell by your posts that you wanted that place. Good luck!!!
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Thanks man.

And let me compliment you on your progress. I just checked out your B&A thread and that is a phenomenal change! You look amazing.

I feel like i am at an impass right now, mentally that is. Sure i have lost a lot of weight and feel great. I want to add muscle that i lost and look "in shape" and not skinny fat. But on the other hand i still weigh between 205-210 and for my height i am still "fat". I have loose skin and I'm sure that is adding to my fat look. That's another road I'm not ready to go down. So my probelm is add muscle and maybe some fat or should i still try to lose weight?

I know the normal response could be get to where you feel comforatble and i know i have to find that out but how do i know where that is?
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There's no real way to find out. It's a matter of personal 'feel.' I know based on how I look in the mirror and how I feel when I want to bulk up or cut down. And where my 'trigger levels' are may be completely different than yours.

You were a big guy previously.

It tough when this is the case simply b/c your mind, no doubt, is still seeing a fat guy in reflection. Know what I mean? Even if you were chiseled, you'd still 'feel' fat. The body changes much faster than the mind... takes a while for it to catch up.

That said, it's really a philosophical question if you ask me; does the mind dictate when you're ready to cut/bulk or the body? I'd wager that it's a combo of both.

But the mind is a powerful beast. If you still feel fat, chances are you aren't going to like bulking very much right now. If you are feeling small and skinny, however, give it a shot.

The thing to keep in mind is this: This is a never-ending process. Never have I reached the end of a cut or a bulk and said, "That's it. I nailed it. This is exactly how I wanted to be." I'll probably never reach that point. And I actually hope I don't.

There isn't a right or wrong here. You aren't going to go wrong with either direction you choose. So go with your gut. That's my half-assed advice, lol.

I have people telling me i am to skinny (god, i hate that)
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I'd either tell them to shut their mouths and focus on their own bodies or just ignore them.

The fact is people who know you are very used to seeing you large. Any deviation from that, especially to the extent you've accomplished, is going to be shocking, if not startling. When people are shocked, they tend to react stupidly. Hence these comments.

I saw your pictures and I would definitely not say you are 'too skinny.'

What would I do if I were in your shoes. It's hard to say without seeing you shirtless, but I'd probably keep cutting a bit. But again, that's me. It's completely a matter of personal preference.

but then look into the mirrior and see i still have fat to get rid of.
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If it means anything, I'm always carrying around fat that I could/should get rid of. I've been lean to the point of 6-8% only a handful of times. Beyond that, I'm comfortable, emotionally, carrying a bit of chub. So don't get stuck in that mindset where any fat = need to diet.

For instance, I'm very half-assed bulking right now and my belly is soft.

Is the whole less weight more reps a myth? Should i be looking at heavier weight and less reps at this point? I am doing a full body workout three days a week and 2-3 days of HIIT.
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Are you talking about the whole low weights high reps for toning bullshit? If so, yea, it's just that... bullshit.

A muscle either grows or it doesn't. What is toning? Toning is a function of losing body fat to reveal/expose the muscle residing below said fat. High reps, low weight doesn't magically burn fat in a specific area.

High reps, low weight has a place. One of them being with obese individuals working out. They're going more for a metabolic, calorie wasting effect from their training. They aren't concerned so much with building muscle or losing muscle while dieting. In many cases, it's better for them to put more emphasis on the energy utilization per workout than the strength aspect.

However, as you progress toward a more normal weight, whatever that actually is, you should also progress along a continuum from high rep, low weight stuff toward heavier training. The reason being: The closer you get to an ideal weight, the greater the chances of losing muscle.

Make sense?

How do you feel with all that training? Assuming you're going heavy, relative to your strength, in the gym... and keeping in mind you've been dieting... all that HIIT and weight training would be too much for me. Unless, are you doing your HIIT on days that you strength train? Some could get away with this since you are consolidating your intensity days allowing for more full recovery days throughout the week.
 
Steve said:
How do you feel with all that training? Assuming you're going heavy, relative to your strength, in the gym... and keeping in mind you've been dieting... all that HIIT and weight training would be too much for me. Unless, are you doing your HIIT on days that you strength train? Some could get away with this since you are consolidating your intensity days allowing for more full recovery days throughout the week.
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I feel good but like you said it's mantal and it has been with me since day 1. I dont think the mind has caught up yet. I have been doing my HIIT on off days.

I have been increasing my calories lately and have gone from 199 to 209 and i'm sure some is fat. I think i might put muscle on a little quicker since i lost so much while losing a lot of weight. But seeing that scale climb is just another mental game.

I have been uping my calories for about 8-12 weeks and that has been the time frame for that weight gain. I also went heavier with the weights while doing this. I think i need to take a few lbs off and i'm going to go back to a calorie deficit. Do this for the rest of the year and re-evaluate in Decemeber for the start of 09.

Thanks again

Matt
 
usedtobefatmatt said:
I feel good but like you said it's mantal and it has been with me since day 1. I dont think the mind has caught up yet. I have been doing my HIIT on off days.

I have been increasing my calories lately and have gone from 199 to 209 and i'm sure some is fat. I think i might put muscle on a little quicker since i lost so much while losing a lot of weight. But seeing that scale climb is just another mental game.

I have been uping my calories for about 8-12 weeks and that has been the time frame for that weight gain. I also went heavier with the weights while doing this. I think i need to take a few lbs off and i'm going to go back to a calorie deficit. Do this for the rest of the year and re-evaluate in Decemeber for the start of 09.

Thanks again

Matt
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A good bulk would put a lb per week on. But that's a good bulk. Some won't be able to gain that much per week, unless a lot of it is fat. Others will gain a lot more than that per week but the vast majority of the time this is primarily fat gain.

Sounds like a plan to me. Best to you and if you want to run anything by me, you know where to find me.
 
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