Self Inflicted Change

I’ll start this off by saying I need help. I’ve read many of the articles on this site and many others, but i’m spammed with so much information I keep changing my routines and never really get anywhere. I was doing a high rep routine, but decided that I need to work on my base exercises and go from there. So i’m giving Starting Strength a good go.

Back history: Started working out two years ago. Was at 240lbs and managed to get down to 170 from just cardio(wasn’t aware of lifting weights or anything.) Slowly started lifting and building muscle and got up to 190, but then I had a 7-10 month lay off and managed to blow back up to 210.

Stats
Age: 25
Weight: 204(as of a few minutes ago)pics will be at the bottom
Bodyfat: 18% as of a few weeks ago

My long term goal is to get to 225lbs at around 10% bodyfat, but right now I’m looking to put some more muscle on my frame.

I’m sure most know what Starting Strength looks like, but I’ll post it below anyways.

Workout A

* Squats: 3 x 5
* Bench Press: 3 x 5
* Deadlift: 1 x 5

Workout B

* Squats: 3 x 5
* Press: 3 x 5
* Power Clean: 3 x 5
* Chin-ups: 3 x 8

Working out MWF come rain or shine.

I’ll also use this to keep track of my diet to make sure I keep on track.

Well here are my starting pics(taken last week). I’ll get some pics of my legs up by tomorrow.

Todays Meals

Breakfast
Apple, 2 scoops of whey and a handful of almonds - Was running late and didnt get to make a better breakfast

Lunch
Wheat pasta spaghetti with 95% lean beef. Two slices of what bread

Snack
2 scoops of whey, handful of almonds and asparagus.

Postwork out shake

Dinner
Beef, pineapple, onion & mushroom kabobs.

Snack
2 scoops of whey. Thinking of adding half a pb&j sandwhich to that.

Todays workout

Squat
Warm ups - bar/5 95/3 145/3 165/2 175/1
Work Sets - 195/5 x 3

Bench
Warm ups - bar/10 95/5 145/3 165/3
Work Sets - 170/5 x 3

Deadlift
Warm ups - 145/5 195/3 215/2 (could of warmed up a bit better)
Work Sets - 230/5 x 1

Tomorrow is cardio in the morning and Wednesday will be Squat/Press/Power Clean.

Can’t figure out how to post pics. Maybe I don’t have enough posts? Will figure it out and get them up ASAP.

Pics are in my profile until I can get them into the log.

Supplementation is pretty basic. Whey, Surge Recovery, Superfood, Multi Vitamin and 16 fish oil caps a day.

Ha well my pics are kinda spread out cause i’m a noob! Here is the last one.

Todays Meals

8AM
Shake
1/2 cup Oats, Blueberry, 2 scoops Vanilla yogurt, 1 scoop whey, milk

9am
ANPB + Jelly sandwhich on flax bread

11:30am
2 nice size pieces of beef
4 pickle spears

2pm
Apple, 2 scoops whey, handful of almonds, medium coffee

4pm
2 scoops of whey(should of made another sandwhich or something I think since normally I have my postworkout drink before dinner)

6pm-7pm Dinner
8-10oz BBQ Chicken breast w/asaparagus

Before Bed
Another whey shake and either half a pb&j or almonds.

I’m not really counting calories or macros like I have done in the past. My goal with my meals now is to eat more whole food. Prior to this week I was eating like 2 protein high protein meals and the rest was all shakes. This was mainly do due feeling like I was always full and because I kept eating the same things over and over.

If I notice my BF shooting up too much I’ll look at cutting down on the pb&j & milk, but hopefully all the extra walking i’m doing will help out.

Comments/criticism always welcome!

Here is my meal plan for today. Everthing but dinner has been prepared already.

7:00am Breakfast
1 cup oats, 2 cups milk, berries, superfood, 3 scoops of whey(60g protein), 2/3 cup yogurt and ice. Gave about 10 ounces to my dad so I ended up with around 20 ounces.

9:30am snack
ANPB, Jelly, Flax Bread

11:30-noon
Apple, 2 scoops whey(Its before my workout so I don’t want to eat anything too heavy.)

2:30pm
Surge Recovery

3:30pm - Lunch
ANPB, Jelly, Flax Bread

6:00-7:00pm Dinner
Tilapia + Asparagus

9:30-10:30pm
8 ounces of beef and 2-4 ounces of left over chicken

2am-Have to work a late shift tonight(only happens once a month)
2 scoops of whey

I think I need to cut out the jelly even though its sugar free. Will post workout when I return from the gym later today.

Todays Workout

Cardio - 40 minute walk after I woke up and had a bottle of water

Back Squat
Warm ups - bar/5 95/3 145/3 165/2 175/1
Work Sets - 195/5 x 3

Overhead Press
Warm ups - bar/5 65/4 75/3 95/2 105/2
Working Sets - 115/5 x 3

Power Clean - Haven’t done these in a long time. They kicked my ass!
Warm ups - Bar/5 65/3 75/3 85/2 95/2
Working Sets - 115/5 x 3

Chin Ups
BW/8 x 3

12:30pm shake
1 cup oats, 2 scoops whey, Superfood, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 cup blackberries, 3/4 cup milk

2:30
ANPB Sandwhich on flax bread
Cup and 1/2 of asparagus

5:30

2 scoop shake + apple

7:00-7:30pm
8-10oz beef w/veggie possibly a beer

10:00pm
2 schoop shake before going to bed

Today i’ll only be awake for 10 hours so I definitely didn’t get to eat as much as I wanted too. Damn double shift(shake fist). I also did some jump roping today. 5 rounds of 1 minute on/1 minute off. Drank my BCAA during the jump roping and after. Can’t wait to hit the weights tomorrow!

8:30
Shake
1 cup oats, 2 scoops whey, Superfood, 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup blackberries, 3/4 cup milk

10:30
ANPB w/flax bread, Pumpkin seeds + apple(should of had a shake here I think)

1:30
6oz steak + 4 oz chicken+almonds. Had no veggies today =(.

Surge Recovery

Dinner
Unknown atm may be a cheat meal since its Friday.

9:30
two scoop shake and possibly some yogurt.

Workout to be posted when I return from the gym and start drinking my Surge Recovery!

Here are todays numbers!

Squat
Warm ups: Bar/5 Bar/5 95/5 135/3 155/2
Working sets: 190/5 x 3

Bench
Warm Ups: Bar/5 Bar/5 95/5 135/3 135/2
Working sets: 165/5 x 3

Deads
Warm ups: 95/5 135/5 195/3
Working Set: 225/5

Dips
BW/8 +25/8 +45/8

someone at the gym let me use their belt and I was amazed I could do +45. Definitely looking at buying a belt now!

Self,

Starting to get things organised, I see!
They key is in consistency - diet and training. You have a great training pattern with SS; getting the diet sorted will take you where you want to go.

You may have an issue with the carbs (i.e. highly sensitive) - if you are struggling getting the BF down, I would look at pulling the yoghurt and bread out and adding some green stuff.

Good luck buddy!

Well in comes the weekend and I failed miserably to keep on my diet. I have to push myself better not to eat all the junk I see my family eating. I’ll post my workout/diet for today after I complete my workout, but since its Monday I have to post my updated stats. Even though its just sad.

Weight: 206.5 thats like a 2.5lb increase with the same waist size.
Waist: 40inches …sigh

Not sure if anything else is important at the moment.

Couple interesting “two cent” observations from you first post

  1. You have a lot dedication when you are dedicated. Dropping that much weight is no easy feat. Kudos.
  2. As a corollary to this, if you aren’t dedicated you are absolutely a mess. Adding 40 Lbs in 9 months is not healthy.
  3. Picking the plan should be easy…you have made it complicated. I think start strength is good.

Again I commend you for posting, lifting, and trying to make yourself better. Here area couple things i would recommend.

  1. Find a sport or hobby that does not allow you to get lazy again. Something that even if you have to take some lifting time off you can still do, and want to do…ie surf, rock climb, socccer, rugby, bike, mntn bike, swim … whatever you get the idea. This should be considered NEPA…but its essential. You need to ensure you don’t go from unhealthy to healthy all the time. Stay consistently active, but reasonably. Everyone will need time off, but if you love mntn biking it keeps you active. Trust me on this, i swear by this principle.

  2. Finding the right plan. You got the 3 main lifts. Great. Now work around them. Your only goal should be heavier, heavier, and heavier. Your focus short term should be smoking your next set of Deadlifts (DL) and long term adding weight to your DLs. So do SS now…then think “are my lifts going up?” if yes: continue, if no: modify. When you modify keep it simple, complexes plans generally fail. Complexes plans are like a 15 week Sheiko program. Where you are doing %'s, and all kinds of anticipated work. That’s not most peoples workout, and most peoples lives. Shit comes up. Let it work around it.

  3. Say for some reason you can hit the gym, don’t have time, whatever. Always be prepared to perform a body weight routine. If I get stuck here’s what i do…15 minutes max push ups, air squats. I have my all time best numbers (321 push ups, 456 air squats) I try and beat it every time i do the work out. Always have a back up plan.

  4. For your weights…my opinion is stay belt, strap less. But that is controversial. Some would agree some would not. I never use a belt…but that’s me…check out Alpha’s log for inspiration and also some tips (he doesn’t use a belt either and pulled 575 DL so…)

  5. Stay motivated. Surround yourself with real motivation. Not bullshit. Real shit. Slogans are a waste. Be jealous, be hungry, burn to lift more, burn to run faster, make small gains, strive for bigger gains. That’s real motivation.

Good luck

Dave

Thanks for your replying Dave_david!

  1. I am looking at playing more basketball and learning Muy Thai. Hopefully I can find somewhere local to take lessons.

  2. I don’t use straps or belts and probably never will. I have read Alphas log and it inspired to to start keeping my own!

  3. I agree and I have the burn to do it all physically. It’s the battle of the kitchen I am losing. As long as I cook I do fine. It’s the going out that throws me way off balance.

Again thanks for posting!

Todays work out - I didn’t record the #s for the warm ups because they are basically the same until the weight increases a bit more.

Squats - 195/5 x 3 - +5 from last time and the last set was actually easier than the first two
Press - 120/5 x 3 - +5 from last Wednesday
Power Clean - 120/5 x 3 - +5 from last Wednesday - may make a bigger jump next week.
Chins BW/7 BW/6 BW/4 - Dead hang and all the way down.

Meals so far have been

Meal 1
Shake
1 cup oats, 2 scoops whey, Superfood, 1 cup greek yogurt, 1 kiwi, 1 cup milk

Snack
Apple

Post workout
Surge Recovery

Meal 2
PB sandwhich

Meal 3
10 oz steak, mushrooms, green beans and onions

Havent planned out the rest of my meals, but probably another steak and some more veggies and a shake before bed.

If cooking is what does it for you. Get nice ingredients to you sink your money into them and have none left to go out. Save only enough so that you don’t have to become a monk! Go every once in while so that you don’t lose your mind…but do it after a crazy work out.

i have tons of cookbooks, love cooking. One I got recently that I like is Gordon Ramsey’s Healthy Appetite. It’s not as clean as others…but i need the variety once in a while. Plus the ingredients are so damn expensive that can’t go out to eat after! Be careful with dairy…its a double edge sword. Also just keep drinking the shit out of Metabolic Drive (leucine added)!

Good luck

I ordered Leucine just the other day.

I usually cook for the entire family and the only time we go out is if the family wants to go out and usually my mom covers the bill. I usually aim for 2 cheat meals a week to keep me sane, but on the weekends my schedule isnt as planned out as the week is so I cheat more then I want really.

I plan on working harder towards not eating out. Yesterday the family got chinese food, but I went ahead and cooked my steak, mushrooms and spinach.

I’m looking at doing Muay Thai or BJJ at the Gracie Academy that just opened up near me so hopefully this will help keep me focused on my goals.

Breakfast
Shake

Snack
Apple, Almonds, 2 scoops whey

Lunch
Steak(one piece is bigger than my palm and the other piece is half of that.) & spinach

2 scoops whey as i’m leaving work

Dinner
Steak + veggie as usual.

Before Bed
2 scoops of whey + 12 almonds + apple

6:30
Shake
1 cup oats, 2 scoops whey, Superfood, 5g creatine, 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup blackberries, 1 cup milk, 2 spoonfuls of flax seed

10:00
PB&J

11:30
2 Scoops Whey + Apple

1:30
Steak + a giant can of green beans

3pm
2 scoops of way + tangarine

Workout - 2 scoops of BCAA

5pm or so
Surge Recovery

7:00
Chicken + half a can of veggies

Will post training when I return from the gym later tonight.