Getting back in shape Part 2

[Drifter 851]

First off I want to make clear this is not to brag or be egotistical because that is a trait I simply do not like and would never be that type of person. This is just to help myself keep track of progress mainly and to share it with others.

 

Calling this "part 2" because if you guys remember part1 was 2 yrs ago when I decided to lose weight and ended up losing about 145lbs. Now I consider this part 2 lol.

 

Since I lost all the weight I have been wanting to try to build back up some good muscle (that way Dave will not be able to resist me when he comes to clean my pool ) but with running my own business which takes up 8-12 hrs per day it's so hard to try to make time to get to the gym to workout. So having about 300lbs in free weights that use to be my Dad's which I got after he passed away, I decided to put them to use and incorporate lifting weights in between my daily rod work. So what I did was picked out three main exercises to focus on my upper body to start, Curls(for biceps) behind the head curls(for triceps) and standing rows(for traps/shoulders). I started out a few months ago with 20lbs doing 100 reps per day in between rod work. In other words work on rods for 30 mins then take a break and pound out some curls etc etc. I also took a measurement of my arms for a reference/starting point so I could gauge progress.

 

After almost 3 months now I went from 14.5" biceps and doing 100 reps per day with 20lbs (actual 300 reps 100 per 3 muscle groups bicep/tricep/traps) to where I currently am at which is 15.75" biceps doing 300 curls with 32.5lbs (actual 900 reps 300 per muscle group).

 

For only about 90 days into it I think that is a pretty good bit of progress for a workout routine that is basically in between business work. My goal is to try to reach 17" biceps, plus lose another 40 lbs both by the end of 2014.

[Plumbers Crack 4,068]

Nice Steve but I think I'm right in saying muscle is denser than fat so you may end up putting a little back on as you build up the muscles

[deterioration 443]

My goal is to try to reach 17" biceps, plus lose another 40 lbs both by the end of 2014.

 

Watcha gonna do? When the 17 inch pythons and Driftermania destroy you!

*puts hand to ear*

 

I like the low weight high rep idea.

[Jason 1,245]

Watcha gonna do? When the 17 inch pythons and Driftermania destroy you!

*puts hand to ear*

I like the low weight high rep idea.

Now "I am a real American" is playing in my head.

[deterioration 443]

Now "I am a real American" is playing in my head.

Nice! I'd post it but I don't want to derail the thread. It's been said Hulks measurements have always been over exaggerated. I trust Drifter will post accurate figures. I know from what he's posted he's a big man, in stature, but 17" arms are huge!

[BO7H B4RRELS 2,453]

Nice! I'd post it but I don't want to derail the thread. It's been said Hulks measurements have always been over exaggerated. I trust Drifter will post accurate figures. I know from what he's posted he's a big man, in stature, but 17" arms are huge!

 

 

You got this Steve.  I love how you set your mind to something and do it.  I wish I had that kind of motivation.  Something I've always enjoyed when working out is focusing on the negative portion of the rep as opposed to the positive.  Go down really slow and then fire back up.  It works! 

[techno 3,511]

Just out of curiosity, you've upped reps to build muscle wouldn't upping the weight leaving reps the same have similar or better results but cut down on the time needed.

That is if you have the weights available.

[Drifter 851]

I will up the weight over time, but for now I find doing more reps with moderate weight has the added benefit of a bit of cardio/aerobic effect to help keep the metabolism burning higher. I think 17" is a reachable goal if I keep motivated for the year. Truthfully though if I can hit 16" I'll be happy, but always good to set goals high.

 

And Tommy, just for you....

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[cyberninja2601 1,106]

Man you got me so pumped that I ripped my shirt off.

 

Which was a bit problematic cause i was at work at the time

 

Good  luck with your work out

[Drifter 851]

Bumped up to the next weight level today, went up to 40lbs on the curling bar. Plan on keeping that amount and same reps for the next 30 days then bump up to 50lbs and start lowering the reps and adding more weight till I find my weight that I can max out at with only 12 reps per set. Also started in on a protein shake addition to the diet as well as replaced some of the low calorie snacks (Special K chips) I have been eating on the diet for the past 2 yrs with something that will help with protein, sliced turkey. So now rather than grabbing a handful of Special K chips here and there during the day I grab a couple slices of thin turkey breasts.

 

Definitely staying motivated right now. I feel like I can start to see a bit of a difference in my arms finally myself. And a really odd thing too is that my shoulder issues I have had for the past 3-4 yrs are getting better which I thought they would get worse with lifting weights. I've had a really bad right shoulder for years now that I was 99% sure was a rotator cuff problem, it was so bad it would make sleeping at night hard for me because laying on it hurt so much. Now for the past few months since I have been working out it seems to be getting better and less painful all the time. Probably feels the best it has felt in a few years now lately. If it was a rotator cuff like I thought I doubt lifting weights would help, so I dunno what it was but all I know if so far it seems to be getting better with working out.

[Drifter 851]

Things are going very well lately. Since I have been trying to get back in shape I have also been trying to do other things to help my health which includes getting back to a "normal' sleep schedule. As you guys know I have mentioned before that I have had a really bad problem with insomnia and keeping really weird hours for the past 10 yrs or so. Usually staying up till 4 or 5am and then sleeping till 11am-noon. Stuff like that not only is a poor schedule but it also messes with your body chemistry and is simply not healthy.

 

Now that I am eating better, working out and getting good exercise I find myself completely amazed at the change in my sleeping habits. The past 10-14 days I have been getting to sleep by 12:30-1am at the very latest and now get up at 7:30am just bursting with energy. I honestly thought I would never be able to get back on a normal schedule again but after years and years of really bad insomnia I've finally got back to a good routine at last.

 

Also happy as hell that some warmer weather is finally starting to show up because I've been able to get back out and do my 1 mile morning walks again finally after being shut in all winter.

[spectre 633]

Congratulations on taking the leap. It looks like you are passed the hardest part which is getting it going.  If I could go back in time to when I first started, I'd do this program which is designed with the beginner in mind.

 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/beginner-to-advanced-bodybuilder-in-12-weeks.html

 

You want to go easy on the high reps, you could really mess things up with repeated use of the same movement too many times.

[Drifter 851]

Appreciate the vid bro, I've been tryin to watch a lot of workout vids lately. That was a good one.

[spectre 633]

He has a whole program designed with certain things you do in the first four weeks, then changes it up for next four weeks, then one more time. It's a great way to ease into weight lifting. You start out with tried and true mass building exercises like the bench press, squat, shoulder press, standing biceps curl, triceps pressdown and bent over row.  You want to aim for 12 reps on each set and rest 2-3 minutes in between.  Each exercise is done 3 sets in the first four weeks and you work out about every other day.  There are even workout tracking sheets so you can print them out and write down what you are doing. Always add more weight everytime you workout. Even if its just 5 lbs. But our bodies adapt quickly, and especially when you first start so you'll be adding 15 and 20 lbs no problem. As long as you are adding weight, you know you are adding muscle.

 

I love it, can't wait to hit the gym today.

[Drifter 851]

Still going very well. Weather is finally nicer so been getting in the mile walks every other morning. Also bumped up the weight again on the curling bar now to 45lbs and keeping the reps at 15. Been doing around 8-10 sets of 15 reps each day. Thinking about looking for a bench again soon so I can get back into doing some bench presses and preacher curls. Probably start looking at yard sales soon for one, you can always find weight benches at yard sales from people that lost interest and get them CHEAP

[Dr Diamond 407]

60kg overhead press 3x5 tonight, new personal best for that

squat is at 105kg for sets of 5. bench press still sucks, but did 80kg for reps tuesday. gunna have a deadlift session on saturday i think, then a week of cardio before i decide what program to do next

[spectre 633]

What's a kg? .................... Glad you're still making personal bests. I'm about to lift right now actually. I lifted all last year for 11 months, then winter hit and I fell of the wagon for 3 months. Now I've got 2 weeks under my belt going again. I lost freaking 15 lbs in that 3 months. Damn it man.

[Drifter 851]

Off day for me today. I try to do about 2-3 days lifting then 1 day off then 2-3 days again. I'm still losing weight, but that's because I'm trying too still. Lost 3 more lbs in the past week. Staying on a 1200 calorie per day diet right now (not counting the 170 calories from the daily Whey protein shake).  I do allow myself one day of 3000 calories per week though which is tomorrow. I've found one day or higher calories per week helps to keep the metabolism from plateauing.

[spectre 633]

Good job man. Once you do this for awhile, you'll start to get a feel for what is working and what isn't. Make sure to take measurements of your body, arms, chest, waist, etc, so you can track your progress. If you plateau, you'll be able to see from the data you collected and make the appropriate adjustments in your training.

[McNasty 260]

Whats up Steve, long time no talk hope things are going your way

 

 

Something I've found to be very therapeutic is to focus on flexibility.  I work from home, and my office is essentially my basement where I always end up sitting on the floor with my laptop in front of the tv.  About 2 months ago I started stretching my legs and now I'm at the point where I can stand up and almost put my palms on the floor with my legs straight.  I used to barely be able to sit indian style comfortably because it hurt my joints.  Now I sit that way pretty much every day.  Sounds random but spending 20 minutes a day just stretching your muscles is a really awesome feeling.  It is very noticeable with everyday activities, like climbing stairs, getting out of the car, getting into bed, etc.  

 

I would highly recommend spending time focusing on stretching.your muscles.  

[spectre 633]

I agree. Yoga. It's awesome.

[Drifter 851]

 I've actually thought about some sort of yoga before but just never have got around to getting past the "thinking about it" stage. I'll have to do some looking into it and see if there's some that I could incorporate into my daily routine.

[spectre 633]

cool, I'd recommend trying out Power Yoga by Mark Gonzales. Just youtube search for it. Don't get discouraged if you quit after 15 minutes, just keep going. I do it twice per week.  Stretching is necessary because you're doing so much of the opposite when lifting weights (as in flexing).

 

Let me know how it goes.  Nice avatar by the way.

[Drifter 851]

I'll look into that. I do need something, especially for the lower body/legs because I have been having some issues with sciatic nerve pain the past year or so and I know they do suggest some sort of stretching as a way to relieve pain from it.

[Docwagon 856]

 I've actually thought about some sort of yoga before but just never have got around to getting past the "thinking about it" stage. I'll have to do some looking into it and see if there's some that I could incorporate into my daily routine.

 

I know this sounds super ghey, but the Wii fit works pretty well for getting into yoga.  I had the usual ' too much crap on your cop belt' back pain, and doing Yoga on the Wii fixed it.

 

Another thing that's helped me is Runkeeper, a free ap on your smartphone.  I've always hated to run, even when I was in the Army and they made me until I was pretty good at it.  I just never enjoyed it or felt any sense of accomplishment from it, unlike lifting.  Runkeeper changed that.  After a few months of using it and it getting my normal paces, distance, and time...it started sending me emails that I did better than average, ran further, etc.  That, combined with the odometer and the goal setting, has made me really enjoy running as I compete against myself.  Personally, I'll never be 'fast' again due to injuries, but as long as I stay within my range of motion I can do pretty good.  Last July, my average run was 2 to 2.5 miles and a long run was 3.5, a record run was in the low 4.0 miles.  This month my normal run is 4.25 miles, my record run is 5.5 miles, and I think I can do 6.0.  That's at a 10:40 minutes per mile pace, or just under 6mph.  At first that was depressing because I kept remember how I could run 2 miles in 13 minutes flat in the Army, but once I made myself accept that I'm no longer 20 years old with two fully functional knees and began only comparing myself to my recent self...I started to feel a real sense of accomplishment as I improved.

 

It sounds like we may be similarly motivated, impressed by watching numbers go up/down, as we improve...like something we can track...like to compete against ourselves, etc.  If you have a smartphone, give it a look.