7 Month Picture Critique

Bigger Stronger Leaner Beginners
#1


I have been weight training for just at 7 months now, and feel ready for a serious critique of my progress.

Over a year ago I weighed 275 lbs. I stand at 6’2". I started walking and tweaked my diet to initiate a weight loss routine that would eventually incorporate iron into the mix. I am aware that what I have accomplished can’t be considered extraordinary considering the ridiculous transformations I have seen on this site, but I am fairly proud of the results seeing as that I am 31, and a recent blood test confirmed lower than average T levels.

I have no pictures of my fat days. I had no urge to be in them for obvious reasons.

Before pictures first. The above is simply a pair of shorts that were once tight on me.

I now weigh 185 lbs with the last BF% test just below 10%.

#2

This was me about 7 months ago. Just started weight training.

[photo]20742[/photo]

#3

Another 6-7 months ago

[photo]20743[/photo]

#4

Before legs

[photo]20746[/photo]

#5

Current.

[photo]20744[/photo]

#6

Current Legs

[photo]20747[/photo]

#7

Current Back.

Sorry for the poor quality and angles. I suck at taking pictures. While my “v-taper” still sucks, it is better than shown in this picture. I just got tired of trying to take a back shot in the mirror.

#8

Self Critique:

Eat more fucking food. While I have enjoyed the opposite sex taking a liking to my cut up little abs, I know I am hindering real growth. Working on breaking the “fat-phobia” as Prof. X put it.

I need to start looking into supplementation further. Currently, it’s creatine. That’s it.

I need to take on more high volume programs. I just started the basic German Volume training 10x10 2 days ago. This and more kcals should trigger growth.

As for the low T-count. I was presented with the option of prescription “boosters”, but until I educate myself further on this, I am holding off.

The funny thing is I would be 100% satisfied with how I look right now. I’ve never felt better in my life. Due SINGLEHANDEDLY to this website, my expectations of what I can accomplish are extremely high, and drive is in no short supply.

Quick lift stats:

Bench 1RM
Before: 115lbs
After: 225lbs

Squat
Before: 165lbs
After: 275lbs

Deads
Before: 190lbs
After: 365lbs

Programs completed (12 weeks each)
Starting Strength
OVT
WS4SB- Abandoned after a week
Currently on 10x10 German Volume

Diet:
All clean, NO cheat days, no dirty foods. @3200 cal, @320g protein. Lots of jump rope, incline walking, and complex/tabata work to keep the metabolism soaring.

Activities:
Muay Thai, Boxing, Hiking…

Any comments are welcome. No pride to hurt, nothing to hide. Any and all advice is appreciated.

#9

#10

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#11

Congratulations on your progress, very impressive! Good luck with your eating and lifting!

#12

dude, from typical marshmellow american to ripped. awesome!

one easy eating strategy i’m following is to max peri-workout with carbs and protein.

i also was estimating enough daily pro intake but after doing the math realized that i was not making the 1g/LB. are you?

when you are working out seriously and eating enough protein i think it’s hard to end up fat since you aren’t likely to carb out. i bet food and dead lifts would be good to your body.

#13

Serious congratulations are in order for you. Great job.

When you say no cheat days u mean u haven’t even had one cheat meal? that is banannas.

#14

It might be beneficial to decrease the amount of activity you do outside of the weight room since you are trying to put on size (besides getting ass of course)

#15

[quote]Stone101 wrote:
It might be beneficial to decrease the amount of activity you do outside of the weight room since you are trying to put on size (besides getting ass of course)[/quote]

This is true, but I don’t recommend it TBPH. I’m a big fan of outdoors stuff, and I’d still be in martial arts if I could find a decent school round my parts. I don’t think it would have hindered my size gains in anyway, other than that I’d need more food. Besides, I LIKE martial arts and hiking and stuff. So I certainly wouldn’t recommend that you ditch things that are fun for you.

This lifestyle is supposed to be life-changing, AND fun. If you like doing that stuff, don’t cut it out, AT ALL. I couldn’t live without my hiking or rock climbing trips.

As far as calories go, you’ll have to increase them substantially to make up for the extra activities, but it’s definitely doable. Just concentrate on eating carbs at the times you’ll actually use them (peri-workout, breakfast, etc).

Good progress so far mate, keep it up.

#16

to put on size, you’ll probably end up going above 4000 cals a day. German volume training can put size on, but it is also a BIG caloric burner too. So think about that. I’d jump cals up to 3700 right now, and watch the scale–if it doesn’t go up, move to 4100 a day. As long as the scale’s moving up, you’ll be ok–you’ve got enough extra activity to keep you leaner while you add muscle, but you have to make sure you get into the kitchen enough to do it.

#17

[quote]RMorrison wrote:
Serious congratulations are in order for you. Great job.

When you say no cheat days u mean u haven’t even had one cheat meal? that is banannas.[/quote]

Thanks!

I can’t sit here and say I never eat ‘dirty’ foods, I just limit them to occasional situations. Maybe a slice or two of pizza while watching football with some friends. It’s just funny how I don’t really enjoy junk food at all anymore, when I used to eat Taco Bell by the pound for years. Eating sweets or greasy foods is limited to social situations only and even then, it is rare. (It’s also figured into my kcal count for the day. I’m the asshole who will whip out the iphone to look up calories on the fly.)

#18

[quote]Aragorn wrote:
Stone101 wrote:
It might be beneficial to decrease the amount of activity you do outside of the weight room since you are trying to put on size (besides getting ass of course)

This is true, but I don’t recommend it TBPH. I’m a big fan of outdoors stuff, and I’d still be in martial arts if I could find a decent school round my parts. I don’t think it would have hindered my size gains in anyway, other than that I’d need more food. Besides, I LIKE martial arts and hiking and stuff. So I certainly wouldn’t recommend that you ditch things that are fun for you.

This lifestyle is supposed to be life-changing, AND fun. If you like doing that stuff, don’t cut it out, AT ALL. I couldn’t live without my hiking or rock climbing trips.

As far as calories go, you’ll have to increase them substantially to make up for the extra activities, but it’s definitely doable. Just concentrate on eating carbs at the times you’ll actually use them (peri-workout, breakfast, etc).

Good progress so far mate, keep it up.[/quote]

Yeah, I have been afraid to address this, but I feel a lot of what you guys are saying is true. I can’t imagine giving up combat sports and/or hiking, but it does seem sometimes that those activities and bodybuilding are somewhat opposed to each other in regards to strength, agility, and size.

My Muay Thai trainer keeps telling me that functional strength and speed are all that is important, and constantly ribs me for my desire to get big.

I doubt I’ll be persuing fighting in a real ring, so… In the meantime, I’ll try to make both work with each other. I say it’s definately possible if I can find time to eat more.

#19

Very impressive progress mate, if your program on the way back up the weighing scale is anything like your way down, your set to have an awesome body 6 months from now. Just thought i’d give you a congrats, since everything is basically covered and you know your path already.

#20

Nice!

Just out of curiosity, may I ask you why you ditched WS4SB?