I’m just getting started with dedicated lifting. I’ve futzed around in the gym before today, switched from program to program and method to method, but now I’ve set myself a solid 12-week challenge to see what kind of change I can bring about with complete dedication and planning. I’d love some feedback from more experienced T-men, though, if this would be a good place to put it.
On the other hand, I’ve been browsing for a few weeks before posting to avoid making stupid newbie posts, and… well, Prof. X kinda scares me. I have my before pictures, and I am one skinny bastard. (When taken a little over a week ago, I was 184 lbs. at 6’3".) I’ve SERIOUSLY upped my caloric intake, but still wouldn’t mind some critiquing. As an aside, yesterday morning before breakfast I was at 191.5 and looking slightly more trim than I was when I took my pics.
So, before I start filling out page after page from my workout and diet log, is this a cool place to do that or should I keep it to myself?
[quote]ggypsy wrote:
I’m just getting started with dedicated lifting. I’ve futzed around in the gym today, switched from program to program and method to method, but I’ve set myself a solid 12-week challenge to see what kind of change I can bring about with complete dedication and planning. I’d love some feedback from more experienced T-men, though, if this would be a good place to put it.
On the other hand, I’ve been browsing for a few weeks before posting to avoid making stupid newbie posts, and… well, Prof. X kinda scares me. I have my before pictures, and I am one skinny bastard. (When taken a little over a week ago, I was 184 lbs. at 6’3".) I’ve SERIOUSLY upped my caloric intake, but still wouldn’t mind some critiquing. As an aside, yesterday morning before breakfast I was at 191.5 and looking slightly more trim than I was when I took my pics.
So, before I start filling out page after page from my workout and diet log, is this a cool place to do that or should I keep it to myself?[/quote]
Make sure your intensity level is high. I’ve see so many people become “dedicated” but 1/2 ass their way through workouts. Like stopping at 5 reps and calling it a set when they could have pumped out 12 reps. Shit like that will hinder your progress a great deal. They harder you go at it the better your results will be. Simple really but people fail to grasp it.
I know that my lower body is very much lagging right now, and I really have to push myself to put forth maximal effort when I do anything with squats. Because when I was futzing around… I hated squats… so I didn’t do them. I did leg press or lunges instead, if anything at all. I still hate them, with the burning intensity of a thousand suns, but I now know that I NEED them just as much as I loathe them. So while my bench is not-terrible (235 lbs.) and my deadlift is ok (300 lbs.) after a couple weeks of concentrated effort (I started below my body weight on each, with no real gauge or previous PR to work from) my squat is godawful. The most I’ve done is about 190, and while I feel rock-solid at the top of the movement, I stall out completely at the bottom no matter how much I try to grind it out. It just feels like the last six inches at the bottom of the movement is at least ten times harder than the rest of the movement combined.
Plus, I’m a lanky bastard, and I’m still getting the hang of making sure my ass is what’s sticking out and not my knees, so I’m worried to raise the weight any until my form improves. In the meantime, I’ve been doing Trib’s superhero workout to see how much mass I can pack on, and the squat workouts I’ve done so far have been fairly high rep (8 was the least in a single set) so I’m working with weights in that rep range.
I have my before pictures, and I am one skinny bastard. (When taken a little over a week ago, I was 184 lbs. at 6’3".) I’ve SERIOUSLY upped my caloric intake, but still wouldn’t mind some critiquing. As an aside, yesterday morning before breakfast I was at 191.5 and looking slightly more trim than I was when I took my pics.