T Nation

Quest for Aesthetics

Training Logs
#1

Hi, I’m NewAdventure and I’m a skinny fat guy.

First let me get off on the right foot. I am new to all of this and I am here to learn and I hope you guys can teach me!

So where am I at right now? Well I just recently stopped playing Rugby, I guess for you guys over in the US that’s vaguely similar to NFL - but let’s not start that debate. I just couldn’t deal with always spending a Saturday night sat in a hospital waiting room.

I like to be active. So I’ve turned to weightlifting. I am not going to categorise myself as either a bodybuilder or powerlifter cause…well frankly I don’t deserve to be either, yet. I know in an ideal world I’d like to be as strong and lean as both Evan and Bug off this site, only with an infinitely more handsome face.

I am 6’6" and I started my new journey at 242lbs. I have lifted weights before for rugby, but never really consistantly because in season I always, without fail, fell off the path. A few of my current max lifts are (roughly): Bench - 264lbs, Front Squat: same as bench strangely and Deadlift: 396lbs.

On to the pictures - these will have to be uploaded when I have access to a computer, but suffice to say I am no Arnold. One thing I have noticed is I seem to store all my weight in my upper thighs, love handles and lower abs - thanks mum. Nicki Minaj’s ass has got competition!

Battle PlanH

Well I wasn’t really too sure which direction to head so if this was actually a battle plan I’d kinda be dead right now. But its not. So luckily for you guys I get to keep typing. After stepping on the scales whcih placed me at 242lbs, 23% BF I decided its best for me to cut - hey its nearly summer! I was sceptical about the body fat reading as ‘athlete mode’ (lol) puts me at like 12%.

So I’ve started a program from John Romaniello, Fat Loss Forever. I’ve been doing this for 2 weeks and lost 10lbs in the first week and just 2 lbs this past week putting me at 230lbs and I think I look better.

You still awake?!

#2

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232

#3

Today is cheat day for me, which means cereal and also a more hypertrophy geared workout to take advantage of the extra calories - best day ever.

Today I decided on a goal of 220lvs for my cut. This was decided on the fact that if I was 23% at 242lbs then I have avout 55lbs of fat on my body, therefore to be right around 12% I need to weigh around the 220 mark? I am not great with maths and tbh I don’t think the body works like this either so we shall see how this goes. But it atleast gives me something to aim for and when I get there I will reevaluate.

#4

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The food of champions

#5

Hi guys,

Just a quick update:

Yesterday on cheat day I did one of John Romaniello’s Density workouts as prescribed in Fat loss forever (FLF). There is an article on this site for any of you that are interested in these!! It was really tough work, much harder than I thought it would be and I like to think I have a good aerobic base.

Today: Well what goes up must come down and so today is a full fast. I am kinda use to a fast already and its really not that bad. Bad news is that I drove down to the gym only to find it shut, so been unable to workout today which is really annoying as got some frustrations I wanted to take out on the weights. Todays workout was meant to be a lactic acid workout. In these you basically do the opposite of a normal lift, lifting with a fast eccentric and a 4 second concentric, this is brutal.

Will post back tomorrow hopefully after a good workout!

#6

Today I got yesterdays Lactic Acid session done. This session took ‘feel the burn’ to a whole new level and starting with a widowmaker and finishing with a 25 rep set was just painful!!!

Have to admit, although I already feel way better about my body, I am starting to grow impatient. Not in terms of fat loss being to slow, it isn’t. But because ultimately I know I don’t have enough muscle to look good at a low body fat %. Anyway, I am going to stick with reaching the 220lbs goal - maintain this for a few weeks - and then commence a bulk but keeping things on the leaner side.

What do you more experienced guys think?

Will post a ‘Before’ and where I am now pic up on Tuesday/Weds morning!

#7

Last picture update for a while because I don’t want to post anything until I have something to show.

#8

Unexpectedly had to bring my cheat day forward to today as I was visiting home. That’s life I guess. Unfortunately means I will have to go 9 days till my next cheat…omg…oh and fasting tomorrow! Dammit!

Enjoying my ‘muscles’ feeling much harder though :slight_smile: … Can’t wait to start gaining! Hurry up weight loss!

#9

Will be keeping an eye on this.

How lean do you want to get on your current fat loss phase?

#10

[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
Will be keeping an eye on this.[/quote]

Great news, Please do! Your log is pretty awesome and I would really appreciate your input.

This is a tricky question for me. The current goal is 220lbs bodyweight, which will mean a total loss of 22lbs. I am sceptical about cutting much further because at 6ft6’ I dont want to look like a coathanger in clothes, you know?

I can’t really put a % on it or anything because I don’t really know (accurately) where I am at right now. That being said, I want to be lean enough so that I can no longer grab a handfull of fat in the lovehandle area and also would like to have visible definition in quads/abs/arms. I basically just want to be lean enough so I could go somewhere in public, take my shirt off (as you do), and not be totally selfconscious about it.

I guess my ideal would lie somewhere around 12%BF. I know that’s pretty vague, but hoping that gives you an idea of what I am after.

#11

Thought I would just give what an average week looks like for me as far as diet and training goes.

M - Warrior Diet - Complexes

T - 16/8 Style IF - HIIT

W - Cheat Day - Density Training

T - Full Fast - Lactic Acid Training <-- Fast eccentric, slow 4 second concentric - ouch.

F - Warrior Diet - Morning Cardio

S - 16/8 IF - Dynamic Training <-- Basically weights in a circuit style.

S - 16/8 IF - Rest Day

About to go smash these complexes. Will feedback later!

#12

Hmmmmm not sure why that hasn’t gone through. Annoying.

Took 10g BCAA, 5g creatine then went and did complexes. I did 3 rounds of a compound movement based complex before doing 2 rounds of a more isolation based complex. Felt pretty good.

I keep weighing myself, like obsessively, four times a day! Really need to stop doing that as my weight seems to be fluctuating a lot and I haven’t made it under 130lbs yet :(. Bit worried I may have dropped my calories too low to fast - the manual gives you less calories the higher BF% you are. So I am a bit worried the scales may have overestimated my BF% and so ive been taking in too little calories…What do you guys think? Any advice appreciated greatly!

Thinking 220 may take longer than I thought!

#13

Feel like things are against me at the moment.

Gym closed early again today, no idea as to why. Have to speak to someone about this as it’s getting annoying. Will do the same as last week and perform todays workout on Friday.

/rant

#14

Making a slight change based on my own feel for how i am doing - going to change cheat days to rather than being written in stone every week to when i think my body NEEDS them. I will always make sure I don’t have a cheat day sooner than a week, but say I feel I don’t need a cheat day - I won’t take it.

I know I shouldn’t play around with programs as John Romaniello obviously knows more than me. But i feel at my bf% i don’t need that cheat necessarily, every week.

Think i will be below 230 next weigh in. Feeling real good, enjoying my new lifestyle and having this log to air out any frustrations is awesome!!!

#15

[quote]NewAdventure wrote:
Last picture update for a while because I don’t want to post anything until I have something to show.[/quote]

That’s a hell of a change. Obviously you’re driven to push pretty hard, and I think your projected weight to re-evaluate at is a good one. Also, making use of Roman’s program is a sound choice. Guy knows his stuff.

S

#16

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]NewAdventure wrote:
Last picture update for a while because I don’t want to post anything until I have something to show.[/quote]

That’s a hell of a change. Obviously you’re driven to push pretty hard, and I think your projected weight to re-evaluate at is a good one. Also, making use of Roman’s program is a sound choice. Guy knows his stuff.

S[/quote]

Really appreciate the time you’ve taken to drop in Stu, so Thank You!

I saw a quote in your contest thread the other week: â??Always expect more of yourself than you would of anyone else.â?? - Its been ringing through my head this week and motivating me to push past my own expectations â?? just a few more reps.

It’s also very reassuring to hear from you that I am on the right path, takes away a bit of self doubt. I am excited to reach 220 and get a new pic up :slight_smile:

#17

Weight this morning is 227.8 - pleased with this! Another 7.8lbs till pics and re-evaluation.

Will post a better update later, just wanted to share the good news.

#18

[quote]NewAdventure wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]NewAdventure wrote:
Last picture update for a while because I don’t want to post anything until I have something to show.[/quote]

That’s a hell of a change. Obviously you’re driven to push pretty hard, and I think your projected weight to re-evaluate at is a good one. Also, making use of Roman’s program is a sound choice. Guy knows his stuff.

S[/quote]

Really appreciate the time you’ve taken to drop in Stu, so Thank You!

I saw a quote in your contest thread the other week: �?�¢??Always expect more of yourself than you would of anyone else.�?�¢?? - Its been ringing through my head this week and motivating me to push past my own expectations �?�¢?? just a few more reps.
[/quote]

I figure it’s the only way you’re going to achieve lofty goals. If you’re not willing to go all out, and that applies to training and diet, then why waste your time.

Keep pushing!

S

#19

Training and nutrition has dare I say been going perfectly. Not strayed from my meal plans once and I’ve made every training session. This whole process is really rewarding as I am feeling and looking better.

Kind of hoping to get my bottom set of abs visible during the cut, but not sure if that will be wise as could require me dropping substantially below 220, which at 6’6" would be pretty damn light. I am at 228 now and I don’t look or feel like i’ve lost any muscle size so yay!

Will be home over the next few days which means I likely won’t be able to stick to the IF type plan…call me crazy but my mums concerns about not eating till 1 or not at all during the day are not worth the hassle. So I plan on having 3 normal meals adding a protein shake if low on protein but still eating clean on sat/sun, then monday I will have a cheat day to fully take advantage of the fully stocked home fridge lol.

I don’t think this will hinder my progress and I will likely throw in some light cardio.

#20

Getting me through todays workout, probably won’t make sense to those not from uk, sorry guys!