Constructive Advice

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Hey Guys,

I’m new to the page and pretty much everything. Let me start by saying, I’m 6’2 and 333lbs. I am what you guys hate and find disgusting. Im obese, but my height makes it tolerable. I’m lazy, in the sense of being Active. I’m recently divorced, bankrupt, and probably depressed. This has been a horrible year for me.

I have obviously made a lifetime of bad decisions. I come from a small town in Southern Georgia, where everyone is either morbidly obese or on some type of juice. Really not many “all natural” people around. After my divorce my friend ushered me into the gym with hopes of “getting ripped to get the bitches”.

Now my physique is not fat slob or any of that nature. I come from a family of big people and am just a big man. I was athletic in my youth but didn’t keep it up. I started the gym and diet this year at 350lbs and very weight weak. In the 8 months I have been going I have lost 25lbs. And increased my maxes substantially. However, I’m coming across a problem. I have hit a wall.

I cannot break 325lbs, and my body doesn’t seem to be changing. I know it’s only been a short time but everyone around me keeps telling me to get some gear. Now I have come to you guys because you know about both spectrums. Part of me feels I need a different diet/nutrition and training program… Part of me feels I could use some Test or something to get the ball rolling.

There’s really not much information out there for a guy my size. Everything is either geared for women or 250lbs guys and under. I have a hard time maintaining energy (prolly due to eating habits) and I work shift work at a chemical plant so my schedule is weird and it’s hard to keep a steady system. I am ready for a change in my life and know I could be a BEAST with the right education. Any advice or direction pointing is much appreciated. Thanks fellas and sorry for the long winded post.

2

Well, for starters, since it will be asked and needed to help, post your workout routine and, more importantly, your diet. Be specific.

Oh, and you don’t need steroids of any kind for your goals, just to shut down that discussion.

3

Hey there! Congrats on the 25lbs lost! That’s a big milestone for anyone in need of losing weight. I assure you nobody here hates you or finds you disgusting. This forum is all about self-improvement. As long as you’re making an effort that’s all that matters. Can you expand on what you mean by “hitting a wall”? Do you mean in losing fat, gaining strength, etc.? What are your goals?

What kind of training and diet are you running? I’d love to give you some advice and help you but I think I could provide more accurate information with some more info about you! What does your average day of eating consist of? Also what do you do at the gym? Full-body, bro-split, powerlifting, bodybuilding, cardio, bodyweight exercises, etc? Give us an outline of your average gym session and what it consists of.

Thanks!

4

If you truly are that adamant about changing… you don’t need gear to help you get there.

With that said, years of abuse (rather neglect) of your health has probably done a number on your hormones.

333lbs@ 6’2 is still rather large, obese I should say. You haven’t hit a true plateau, you just need a better program.

Start by informing us of your current diet and exercise program. The more detailed you are, the more some of us can offer some assistance or advice.

5

Well, I try to do a good breakfast, usually 3 fried eggs 4 strips of bacon banana and OJ. Then a serving of oatmeal at work. Lunch is usually a chicken breast and multi grain rice, or can of tuna and 4 to 5 spoon fulls of peanut butter or cod steak and wild rice. Usually a cup of diced peaches in there somewhere or activia yogurt. Dinner is not so much structured since I have kids, but we cut out fried food and out dinner are usually some kind of chicken or beef with 2 vegetables and a starch( macaroni or potatoes). If I’m running late breakfast is a bowl of honey nut cherrios and a banana.

Work out:
Monday (chest and back)
1wk incline 2wk decline 3 wk flat bench
Cable butterflies
Dumbbell bench
Seated rows
Dumbbell rows
Seated press
Dumbbell butterflies
Cable pull downs
1 mile on olyptical 10 incline 14 resistance
1 mile treadmill 45 second sprint 20 second slow pace

Tuesday: abs and cardio

Wednesday: Bi’s and Tri’s
Cable curl and pull down burn outs
Preacher curl/ nose breaker super sets
Dumbell curl/ overhead press super set
Bench bar curls burnout
Uneven dips

Thursday: abs and cardio

Friday: legs
Smith machine squats
Leg press
Seated calf raises
Leg curl machine/leg extension machine super set
Standing calf raises
Alt. dumbbell lunges

Saturday: abs and cardio
Sunday: rest from legs lol

Cardio and abs: treadmill/olyptical/punching bag
Assorted sit-ups/crunches/6 inches/back dips/hanging leg lifts

6

[quote]Zach Grace wrote:
Well, I try to do a good breakfast, usually 3 fried eggs 4 strips of bacon banana and OJ. Then a serving of oatmeal at work. Lunch is usually a chicken breast and multi grain rice, or can of tuna and 4 to 5 spoon fulls of peanut butter or cod steak and wild rice. Usually a cup of diced peaches in there somewhere or activia yogurt. Dinner is not so much structured since I have kids, but we cut out fried food and out dinner are usually some kind of chicken or beef with 2 vegetables and a starch( macaroni or potatoes). If I’m running late breakfast is a bowl of honey nut cherrios and a banana. [/quote]

It would be a better breakfast if you cut out the banana and OJ.
Eliminate the 4 - 5 tbp of peanut butter.
Replace peaches with raw almonds.
Eliminate the starches at dinner.
Throw out cereal of any kind.

You’re workout routine needs to be simplified.
You don’t need 18 different exercise selections.
And don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s likely you do every single exercise incorrectly.

7

[quote]cblakeborough wrote:
Congrats on the 25lbs lost! That’s a big milestone for anyone in need of losing weight.[/quote]
This. Definitely a good start.

[quote]Zach Grace wrote:
Part of me feels I could use some Test or something to get the ball rolling.[/quote]
No. Just, no. Unless you mean getting bloodwork from the doc to see if TRT is appropriate. You don’t use Test or AAS “to get the ball rolling”, especially at your size.

How so? Does your work schedule change each week? Like, different days and hours all the time?

I agree with Jarvan that your current training is all kinds of screwed up and your current diet needs some serious work too. I’m wondering though: Did you used to, like, eat twice as much or something? I’m wondering if you chopped your calories way down in a short period of time. That would be one reason why your fat loss might have stalled. If you haven’t though, nevermind then.

For training, consider this:

For nutrition, check either of these:

8

[quote]Jarvan wrote:
It would be a better breakfast if you cut out the banana and OJ.
[/quote]

Why no banana at breakfast? I eat my fruits (a medium sized apple and a banana) at breakfast; should I be eating them at a different time?

9

[quote]magick wrote:

[quote]Jarvan wrote:
It would be a better breakfast if you cut out the banana and OJ.
[/quote]

Why no banana at breakfast? I eat my fruits (a medium sized apple and a banana) at breakfast; should I be eating them at a different time?[/quote]

One of the worst ways to start the day is with a sugar spike. And although it is unlikely that OP is gonna keel over from a sugar induced coma from a banana, its probably best he begins adjusting from the very moment he wakes up.

Regardless of its form, sugar causes the pancreas to excrete insulin. This includes fruits veggies and any grains. (At different rates via polysacharrides and various diff fibers) having sugar in the morning (especially those containing gluten) also makes you more hungry throughout the day. A tip for those who want to gain weight, a nightmare for someone like OP.

One must understand that storing fat is quite the desirable trait for humans and virtually any other animal. With that said, OP’s adipose tissues won’t give up fat without a fight. He’s been stuffing them for years, along with stress…

Eliminating the sugar in the morning is not only going to help him stave off cravings in the future, but also retrain his mind to depend less and less on sugar for energy. Once he accomplishes that, his eating habits change, his cravings change, and he starts melting fat.

So he’s gotta have some kind of carbs right? Well, no. None of us needs carbs to live or even live a healthy life. Granted, OP includes organ meats in his diet. But really, very few us indulge in such delicacies… So the nutrients we miss out on in organ meats, we get from our fruits and veggies.

So when ‘should’ OP have fruit? If I were his personal coach, I’d ex communicate fruits and other sugars except veggies from his diet completely for a minimum of two weeks. I’d put him on a potassium (which ironically is found in bananas), bcomplex, magnesium, and zinc to straighten out his endocrine system. This is what a detox truly is. Rebalancing, and stabilizing the blood levels.

Once he accomplishes this, he’ll be ready to start incorporating fruit into his post workout shakes.

Note* avocados would be the exception to the no fruit rule, and potatoes for veggies.

10

Thanks everyone for the advice. As for my schedule, yes it changed frequently. I do 3 weeks of day shift 7am-5:30 pm then a week of evenings, 3pm- 1am, then a week of nights 9pm-7am. Then it starts over. As for my eating history. I think I am 50 percent genetics and 50 percent bad eating habits. I don’t eat a lot for a guy my size, but was eating the wrong things. Fried food, lots of bread and starches, junk food, and virtually no fruits or vegetables. I’m a big meat and potatoes country boy. My goal in the gym is not to get stronger but just leaner. I’d like to handle my body weight more i.e. Pull ups, chin ups. I don’t necessarily have a goal weight or anything. My only goal is to be healthier as a whole and look it. My kids are getting older(7 and 9) and I want to be able to keep up with them and still be the “strongest dad in the world”. And now that I’m back in the single world I want to look good and confident. But I’m just ignorant in what needs to change. I feel like I’ve hit a wall because for the past 6 weeks every time I get on the scale it says the same thing. And I’m still shoving nasty ass can tuna down my throat. I’m to broke to hire a personal coach, and can’t really trust anyone around here. So I turn to you guys. Any help with a meal plan, workout, supplements any of it, is much appreciated. Thanks again guys!

11

As everyone else said, forget the gear and pick a program commit to it and enjoy.

Being a big boy myself, I was never happy in the gym until I started big basic barbell lifting. You have a big frame, why not use it? Squad, bench, deadlift, and over head press are a hell of a lot more rewarding than leg extensions. I don’t know how long you have been using your current routine, but I bet its time. Start light, do it right. There is so much info on this site it will keep you busy for a long time.

I started the same as you, but 2inches shorter. I was a fat bastard. I did the machine routine to build a base. I spent a year getting goodish at the big three + overhead doing my best to not get hurt. This year I did my first strongman comp and have been pretty much drafted into a powerlifting comp for 2015. Frankly, I’m still fat, but I enjoy lifting so much all that matters is getting stronger. I am very slowly (becuase I have no diet discipline outside of hitting my protien needs) recomping and getting stronger.

Read everything, make a plan, execute and enjoy.

12

Try this…

No need for drugs just follow the tons of helpful info on this site and you can get in great shape surprisingly fast.

If you want to supplement egcg and HOT-ROX extreme taken preworkout are somethings to look into

13

Everything Jarvan said.

Picking a good program and improving your diet will be easier, healthier, cheaper and more productive than any PED right now.