Opinions on a little over a year of hard work.

[realworksuks]

These are my progress shots from about 14 months work of work. I have had 2 cutting sessions and 1 bulking session in this time period. These pictures are at the end of my 2nd cutting session, just starting my 2nd bulk.

I stand 5 feet and 8.5 inches tall and weigh about 153 pounds.

I will also show my starting pic from 14 months ago.

The one with the high light is my starting pic. I have two relaxed, unflexed pictures from today, and the rest are flexing.

I just want to know what you think when you see my body, what are the flaws, strengths, do you think i'm scrawny? Muscular? Skinny? Fat? Areas for improvement? etc.. I see one thing, but other people may see another... I think a lot of this is in the mind.

Oh, and please be honest, don't say good things if you don't mean them. Thanks!

 

[Phate89]

You've made some good progress, i see alot of good changes.

My advice is just to keep going and get bigger, good job.
Only thing I think you should concentrate more on is some ab workouts or something

 

[Chillen]

You are Smoken' it!

YOUR FLAT: SMOKEN' IT!​

Great progress DUDE!

This deserves a hand clap of congratulations!

KEEP ROCKEN ON!

More progress coming, BABY!

YEP..........its your future!



Best wishes



Chillen

 

[SmithMachine]

Hectic progress dude back and chest looking sick. do you know how much you gained ? and have you made strength gains ? but yeah your abs need work since you have just cut and you can hardly see them.

 

[flyinfree]

interesting poses

are they in the order of time or something? I'm not good at telling which on is when.. or a group of befores and ten after? i shoudl just stop.

 

[Phate89]

What kind of routine were you following, what type of exercises as well?

 

[flyinfree]

like the third one in the top row looks like a different skinny lil kid person than the others.

 

[realworksuks]

like the third one in the top row looks like a different skinny lil kid person than the others.

LOL, that is my starting pic from 14 months ago! That was a good compliment even if it wasn't intended to be! LOL

The rest of the pictures were just taken today.

What kind of routine were you following, what type of exercises as well?

I was doing full body workouts three times a week. I was doing a lot of compounds and a lot of isolation. Basically everything in the weight room I was doing. Eventually I got some help on this website and realized that compounds are king.

Hectic progress dude back and chest looking sick. do you know how much you gained ?

Thanks man, yeah my chest is the leanest part of my body for sure.

I actually started to try to lose weight when I was 175 pounds. This was about two years ago. I was going out to eat with my girlfriend all of the time and then I saw myself in the mirror one night and couldn't believe that I had gained so much weight. I had been 155-160 most of my life.. So I decided to cut fat. The beginning picture that you are seeing up there is the result from my first ever cutting session. 175 down to 143.

So In the beginning pic above I started at 143 pounds with 14.4 pounds of fat, or 10.1%, 128.6 pounds of lean body mass.

I just got my body fat tested again today. I weighed in at 149 pounds 13.5 pounds of fat weight, or 9.0%, 135.5 pounds of lean body mass.

So I guess I gained 6.9 pounds of lean body mass, and lost about a pound of fat... Keep in mind there was also a bulking session in there where I gained some fat (bulking session was about 4 months long).

and have you made strength gains ?

Honestly I was much stronger back in high school. It's too bad.. but I guess the 2 year break from lifting really took it's toll. I have had slight strength gains from when I restarted, though.

but yeah your abs need work since you have just cut and you can hardly see them.

Yeah, my abs and thighs are the areas of my body that are holding the most fat. My abs do look really bad in that picture... I am going to blame it partly on being full from just getting back from eating at the olive garden

When I pull down that layer of fat on my abs there is a six pack under there though! Hopefully someday it will always be showing..

But yeah, they definitely need some work. On my next cut I guess... predicting that will start at the end of January or February.

 

[Phate89]

How many compounds and iso's are you doing per session?

 

[tonymcclellan]

I think you should lift for pure strength for your next training phase. If you havent, then you should be able to get some serious mass from it.

 

[realworksuks]

How many compounds and iso's are you doing per session?

This is the workout that I have been doing for my bulk the last week:

Bench 3X10
Squats 3X8
Deadlift 3X8
Rowing 3X10
Tricep Dips 3X12
Pullups 2X7
lat pulldown 1X10
shoulder press 2X10
crunches 2X20
bicycle kick ab exercise 2X20

I am going to do some looking around so I can vary it.

I think you should lift for pure strength for your next training phase. If you havent, then you should be able to get some serious mass from it.

Would this still include eating for bulk though? Or are you recommending a maintance diet?

By lifting for pure strength do you just mean lifting very heavy with fewer reps and more sets? Or could you elaborate a little more?

 

[Chillen]

I think something special is due for you as a Reward for your GREAT PROGESS!

Passion and Will:

Are essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress.

You have proven to have both of these qualities, young man: Keep Rocken It!

==========================================================

Change of Thought:

He who cannot change the very dimension of his thought will never be able to change his reality, and will never, therefore, make any progress

You have changed the way you think. You have adapted and overcome. You possess the necessary qualities to make progress young man: Keep Rocken It!

==========================================================

You have just produced one of the highest forms of living young man!​

Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.

==========================================================


You Keep ROCKEN.........Keep dreaming. Be your Dream......BE ALL YOU CAN BE and then some more!



Best wishes to you!



Chillen

 

[Typhon]

Nice progress, I was gonna ask if you do more chest work than anything else but looking at your routine I see that isn't the case, you must just grow faster in your pecs.

My only advice though would be to work on your legs more, they're lagging a bit. You could tie that in with Tony's suggestion of training more for strength; legs respond well to lower reps and higher weight.

And I think your posture is almost as bad as mine! Something I'm doing to try and correct the issue is to pull my head up while I walk like there's an imaginary peice of string attached to my head and someone's pulling on it. It might sound silly but you'll see what a huge difference it makes straight away

EDIT: And buy new boxers!!!

 

[tonymcclellan]

Would this still include eating for bulk though? Or are you recommending a maintance diet?

By lifting for pure strength do you just mean lifting very heavy with fewer reps and more sets? Or could you elaborate a little more?

If you want to bulk then you can eat for it. Thats exactly what I mean. I personally love wave loading, so you could give that a shot. Check out T-Nation's The Wave Loading Manifesto.

Lifting heavy weight is something that everyone should cycle in once in awhile. It allows you to see continuous improvement each session on amount of weight, and its damn fun.

 

[SmithMachine]

No ****ing way man...yo must of gained way more then 7 pounds EASY!!!! looks like 30-40 pounds

 

[realworksuks]

Thanks for your kind and inspirational words chillen I really appreciate it. Your an awesome guy!

Nice progress, I was gonna ask if you do more chest work than anything else but looking at your routine I see that isn't the case, you must just grow faster in your pecs.

My bench press has always been my most impressive lift, when I was 15 and in the 10th grade I was benching 220 pounds for my max. I think this might have to do with why my chest is so leaned out.

Unfortunately I can't even do that today at 21.5 years old... 205 was my max the last time I did it. I'll work on it though!

My only advice though would be to work on your legs more, they're lagging a bit. You could tie that in with Tony's suggestion of training more for strength; legs respond well to lower reps and higher weight.

And I think your posture is almost as bad as mine! Something I'm doing to try and correct the issue is to pull my head up while I walk like there's an imaginary peice of string attached to my head and someone's pulling on it. It might sound silly but you'll see what a huge difference it makes straight away

Thanks for the advice man! Yeah, i'll start to add some additional lifts for my legs, and lift more heavy. They are carrying the most fat on my body second to my abs... and they are quite weak..

EDIT: And buy new boxers!!!

Heh, I have some south park ones instead if you prefer those?

If you want to bulk then you can eat for it. Thats exactly what I mean. I personally love wave loading, so you could give that a shot. Check out T-Nation's The Wave Loading Manifesto.

Lifting heavy weight is something that everyone should cycle in once in awhile. It allows you to see continuous improvement each session on amount of weight, and its damn fun.

Thanks for that advice. When I had my body fat tested yesterday the trainer actually suggested the same thing. I am definitely going to try that! Thanks for the recommendation of the article too!

No ****ing way man...yo must of gained way more then 7 pounds EASY!!!! looks like 30-40 pounds

Thanks man

 

[Phate89]

You where doing:
Bench 3X10
Squats 3X8
Deadlift 3X8
Rowing 3X10
Tricep Dips 3X12
Pullups 2X7
lat pulldown 1X10
shoulder press 2X10
crunches 2X20
bicycle kick ab exercise 2X20

every session 3 times a week, seems like alot of exercises to do in one session

 

[realworksuks]

You where doing:
Bench 3X10
Squats 3X8
Deadlift 3X8
Rowing 3X10
Tricep Dips 3X12
Pullups 2X7
lat pulldown 1X10
shoulder press 2X10
crunches 2X20
bicycle kick ab exercise 2X20

every session 3 times a week, seems like alot of exercises to do in one session

That is what I am doing currently...

What I WAS doing was about the same as above during my first bulk session except I had even more exercises the additional ones were isolation... bicep curls, tricep pressdowns, innerthigh and outer thigh machine, and pec fly's.

During my cutting sessions I would only do a horizonal push/pull and deadlift for one day, then a vertical push/pull and squat for the next day. Besides those lifts I would do 15 minutes of HIIT. And I would just alternate those two days... worked out three times a week as usual.

 

[Chillen]

Your welcome! I have my Chill Strap Cocked and Locked........Just in case you fall down............


Keep On Trucken, My friend






Chillen

 

[Phate89]

I wonder whether if you just stuck to the compounds, and kept 2-3 iso's and got rid of doing the other isolationals all in one session, whether you would have made the same gains

thoughts?