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TNvet
01-14-15, 1:13 pm
Hey guys my name is Lucas , I have been lurking around the site for sometime now , following a few of the guys threads and always reading. I have recently had the worst series of "bad" training sessions in a very long time. I took some time off over the holidays to relax and eat everything in sight. I am back at it and having trouble getting back in the groove , I have decided between 2 programs 5x5 or 5/3/1 BBB , but cannot seem to decide on which one and have been trying both but need one to stick too. I plan on getting as strong as possible , gain some good weight and stay moderately lean. I am not sure why but the feeling of being under a heavy bar has always excited me and wouldn't call myself a powerlifter but more of someone who trains for strength. I don't really do bulks or cuts , I just try to eat healthy and mainly because I know little about nutrition and just eat but a friend helped me out with this plan.

Meals :
Breakfast - 3 eggs , 3 egg whites with a 1/2 cup cottage cheese , 1 cup of oats with honey, 3 uni-liver
Snack 1 - can of tuna with mixed nuts pack
Lunch - 3 chicken thighs with veggies or rice
Snack 2 - same as 1
Dinner - Red meat or chicken , veggies , 3 uni-liver
Before bed - casein shake with milk

Age:24
Weight:187
Height:5'10
Bench - 315 x 2
Squat - 385 x 1
Deadlift - 390 x 1
OHP - 170

I enjoy lifting heavy and do not enjoy cardio. I try to do sprints at least 2x a week weather permitting or jump ropes if its bad weather. Anyway advice before I start would be helpful also , would you guys help me with the program decision so I can start getting back into shape. Very open to advice and new ideas. Plus having guys who have been in the game longer will keep me humble and honest about my training.
Thanks fellas

TNvet
01-15-15, 8:21 am
I have decided to start and stick with Wendlers BBB for 3 months and then re-evaluate and go from there.

GunRock
01-16-15, 9:58 am
I have decided to start and stick with Wendlers BBB for 3 months and then re-evaluate and go from there.

My number one advice is to send a bro request to RandyMOlson. He lost over 200lbs training in his basement. You may not be using the same training program he did but he's the guy I think of when I need motivation to lose weight.

Randy's a cool guy who just joined the Forvm but whom I've known personally for years.

As far as anything else, my advice is to just stick to one program long enough to give it a chance to work. Train for performance and appearance will follow so since you don't like cardio, I'd suggest some strongman work like loaded carries on your off days to build work capacity and burn some calories.

Check out the stuff Higa Monster posts in his training. I lose weight just reading his stuff. He's got videos posted in their too and the stuff is sometimes brutal but frequently a lot of fun especially if the neighbors are outside heh!

Anyway, keep at it!

sgerwel1985
01-16-15, 11:36 am
I have decided to start and stick with Wendlers BBB for 3 months and then re-evaluate and go from there.


I plan on giving that a shot after my current program, let me know how you like it!

As for meals, regardless of losing fat, or packing on the pounds... meal prep is ideal. I now devote roughly 3hrs on sundays to just prepping meals for the week. Bland meals, but still it curbs any chances of me lookign for a "quick pick me up" meal. I found a website called http://www.mrtakeoutbags.com/ and am thankful i did. I got roughly 150 28oz containers for 50 bucks.

Basically now i just cook and assemble roughly 30 meals for the week and grab them as i leave the house for work, or when i get home i pop one in the microwave for dinner. Saves SOOOOOOO much time, and for me with a kid it's worth it.

Good luck and kick ass, in the gym and in the kitchen!

TNvet
01-17-15, 9:42 am
Woke up this morning sore as hell. Hit squats and some accessory movements last night. 215x5 , 245x5 , 280x5+ , did 9 on my 5+ set , then I moved into the BBB sets 5x10 @ 165 , moved to some leg curls and GHR along with calf work.

This is the first time for me to start a thread , I like following Brandon Lilly and Dan Green , those guys are awesome. If i am having a bad training session I try to watch a video or some motivation by one of them.
I plan on working shoulders today. Do some good trap and neck work as well. May take my buddies pitbull for a quick little run around the neighborhood. I do hate cardio but I am in the Marine Corps so it's kind of a must. I try to make it intense and short.

TNvet
01-17-15, 7:08 pm
Had a really good shoulder workout. I think I may have started too light , I started light in all my lifts , like stated by Jim Wendler but OHP was tough but easily do able. Added a few accessory lifts. Some good shrugs and farmers walk. I have to say doing farmers walk , is one of my favorite exercises along with pushing sleds.
Decided to pick up some red potatoes to add to my diet to help keep me energized. I am starting to think I need higher carbs.

Jeppeehh
01-18-15, 7:22 am
I have to say doing farmers walk , is one of my favorite exercises along with pushing sleds.

Agree, local gym is small and poorly equipped (but... cheap + 2 min walk) and I used to do some farmers walk with the 20 kilo plates, too light but still a fun exercise that I would love to do "for real". Also back in the summer I made myself a sled at home by using a big rope, plastic sledge (yes, the ones you ride down the snowy hills with) and some big, but also thin, stone slabs as weight which is perfect and easily stackable. Not the best homemade sled but it works.

The sled isnt just useful for strength, conditioning, rehabing and what not but also very fun to use. For me it's a totally different feeling training in the gym compared to, in my case, outdoors with a sled or just something as simple as box jumps that I did last year after couple of leg-days by stacking my dad's car tires, lol. I will definitely try to build a better sled once the spring comes. A tractor tire is another a "goal" of mine to have, lol. Tire flipping are just as fun.

TNvet
01-19-15, 8:14 am
Agree, local gym is small and poorly equipped (but... cheap + 2 min walk) and I used to do some farmers walk with the 20 kilo plates, too light but still a fun exercise that I would love to do "for real". Also back in the summer I made myself a sled at home by using a big rope, plastic sledge (yes, the ones you ride down the snowy hills with) and some big, but also thin, stone slabs as weight which is perfect and easily stackable. Not the best homemade sled but it works.

The sled isnt just useful for strength, conditioning, rehabing and what not but also very fun to use. For me it's a totally different feeling training in the gym compared to, in my case, outdoors with a sled or just something as simple as box jumps that I did last year after couple of leg-days by stacking my dad's car tires, lol. I will definitely try to build a better sled once the spring comes. A tractor tire is another a "goal" of mine to have, lol. Tire flipping are just as fun.

Idk if I would call the sled "fun" but for it definitely helps me out. I have a few big tires at work I am going to start flipping once it warms up a bit. Helps me keep my cardio up and stay lean.

TNvet
01-28-15, 5:49 am
Had a really good workout yesterday doing chest , 5x5 @ 245. Really trying to focus on weekly weight progression and for accessory lifts just keeping 5-8 rep range with good weight.

TNvet
01-30-15, 12:33 pm
Had to add a few more carbs throughout the day to keep up with the 5/3/1 BBB , it was taking me 4 or more days to recover. Stretched several times a day and started foam rolling before and after training , I think it is starting to work. Since the weather with be getting better soon , I will be do more sprints and hill sprints.
Hopefully the added carbs will keep me going and growing..

TNvet
02-04-15, 9:49 am
Had a good back day. Made a clean pull @ 445 for a double at 184lbs. Back is killing me today.

GunRock
02-04-15, 10:16 am
Woke up this morning sore as hell. Hit squats and some accessory movements last night. 215x5 , 245x5 , 280x5+ , did 9 on my 5+ set , then I moved into the BBB sets 5x10 @ 165 , moved to some leg curls and GHR along with calf work.

This is the first time for me to start a thread , I like following Brandon Lilly and Dan Green , those guys are awesome. If i am having a bad training session I try to watch a video or some motivation by one of them.
I plan on working shoulders today. Do some good trap and neck work as well. May take my buddies pitbull for a quick little run around the neighborhood. I do hate cardio but I am in the Marine Corps so it's kind of a must. I try to make it intense and short.

When I was in the Corps, I focused on improving my mile time with better and better technique. That's because I ran the PFT by treating it like a race. I'd pick somebody out who was ahead of me and catch him, then stay in step with him so I'd maintain a pace while I caught my breath. I repeated it until we were in sight of the finish line and then it was one last sprint to the finish. I always had a first class PFT that way because I also made sure that I always maxed out the pullups and crunches even when I went to Quantico for the Sgts. Course. I was above the height and weight standards because of lifting so I got taped every PFT but so what. First class is first class.
I suggest you check out Alex Viada's website, Complete Human Performance, he talks about improving your technique especially if you're a bigger guy so that running isn't so hard on your joints. You can probably get somebody from the local high school track team to help you out for free. That'll help you out even on the formation runs. You can also try to call cadence as often as possible, you don't have to run as fast believe it or not and it's good for your lungs cause of all the sounding off.

Good luck.

TNvet
02-21-15, 8:07 am
When I was in the Corps, I focused on improving my mile time with better and better technique. That's because I ran the PFT by treating it like a race. I'd pick somebody out who was ahead of me and catch him, then stay in step with him so I'd maintain a pace while I caught my breath. I repeated it until we were in sight of the finish line and then it was one last sprint to the finish. I always had a first class PFT that way because I also made sure that I always maxed out the pullups and crunches even when I went to Quantico for the Sgts. Course. I was above the height and weight standards because of lifting so I got taped every PFT but so what. First class is first class.
I suggest you check out Alex Viada's website, Complete Human Performance, he talks about improving your technique especially if you're a bigger guy so that running isn't so hard on your joints. You can probably get somebody from the local high school track team to help you out for free. That'll help you out even on the formation runs. You can also try to call cadence as often as possible, you don't have to run as fast believe it or not and it's good for your lungs cause of all the sounding off.

Good luck.

Semper Fi ,

Thanks for your service Gunrock. It's been cold as shit lately so I haven't been doing much cardio. Thanks for the info. Will definately give that site a look. I am not a bigger guy ( I wish ) mostly just a lazy guy when it comes to cardio.

TNvet
04-18-15, 8:00 am
I have been in the field a lot training and such. Really losing some weight and eating like shit.
Right now I am just focusing on a hard day for each lift - squat , bench , deads .... mainly just trying to maintain my strength.
Going to hit bench / squats today then deads tmrw..have to be in the field Mon-Fri of this week.

Buckfever
04-18-15, 5:27 pm
I have been in the field a lot training and such. Really losing some weight and eating like shit.
Right now I am just focusing on a hard day for each lift - squat , bench , deads .... mainly just trying to maintain my strength.
Going to hit bench / squats today then deads tmrw..have to be in the field Mon-Fri of this week.

Yeah sometimes I have to do back to back 10s so that's the only way, is to do an occasional double on days off. Breakfast then some carbs hit it early, then have a lunch, some carbs an hour before and hit it again late afternoon. I think you got it right a hard day for each lift hold on the the strength. And since you're not training that often ramp up the volume, recovery won't be an issue.

TNvet
04-18-15, 5:55 pm
Yeah I do what I can on the days I have..When I deploy i should be able to hit the gym as much as I need. Until then it's just a lot of hard training and not with weights , with full kit and all that jazz..

TNvet
07-18-15, 12:38 pm
Have been really busy training and preparing to deploy , finally left and have settled in. Going to run 531 BBB starting Monday while I am here. Lifting M/T/Th/F and will be doing some form of HITT , cardio or swimming in the mornings. Hoping I can add some good strength.

TNvet
07-21-15, 6:30 am
531 bbb with joker sets are no joke , doing that a conditioning in the a.m , have been sleeping really good lately

TNvet
07-28-15, 2:08 am
Had heavy ohp and bbb bench sets. Was feeling really good on the ohp and wanted to try my own bodyweight. Worked slowly up to 180 for 1. I was pretty excited about that most i've ever done. Starting to "feel" stronger not sure if I am getting any. Still doing hitt and sprints to keep my conditioning up.