Goal Weight Reached But Now I Want to Get Ripped

shrinkingbrian

I was at 405 pounds in February 2012. I made a decision to lose weight. I'm 39 years old, male, 6-0 in height. I set my goal weight at 200 pounds which I have now reached. I have been lifting weights for about a year now. I also do lost of walking and do lap swim each weekday. I have been building more muscle but I still have a little bit of a belly (waist at 38 inches) and I want to get more muscles. I was lifting about 3 sets of 10-15 reps but now that I am around my goal weight, I want to build more muscle. I read about doing higher weights and lower reps to build more muscle with maybe 3-4 sets of around 8-10 reps. I lift six days a week (alternate muscle groups with rest days) and do lap swim and walking for cardio. I have some muscle definition now in my arms and I can do some more pec-popping but I really want to get more ripped.

For diet, I eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. I take a daily multi-vitamin and that's eat with no other supplements. I don't want to do any protein shakes or supplements.

Does anyone have advice on lifting to get more ripped and tighten up some loose skin? For my height at 6-0, I think 190-200 pounds is good. I would like to get a physique like Christian Bale in the Batman movies. He is around my age and height. I'm not looking to go into body building. I just want to have a more athletic build.

Here is a comparison pic of me at 247 pounds and at 205 pounds without my shirt. I know I need to lose more around my waist and build up my arms and chest.

mantium999

I am unqualified to give you the advice you are seeking, but I wanted to give you a high five on your progress to this point. Well done!

CardiacKev28

I have friends that lift weights and they all say low weights lots of reps and they are all ripped

harriethayes

I know im a girl so you may not take my advice that seriously but i've been steadily gaining muscle tone for the last few months purely from weights with the occasional spin class.

I do supersets daily so one day ill do shoulders and that will involve 6-8 exercises with each one having 4 sets of 12-15 reps and i use a weight where i can only just finish the fourth set. Then the next day ill do another body part etc. This way it gives that area time to recover and build up before you work it again.

If you're trying to get a good old six pack going then you need to get your body fat percentage down to below 15, you have obviously lost a lot of weight but at the moment you probably will need to incorporate some cardio into your workouts as well to strip the last bits of fat. Running, spinning, cycling, rowing... anything that will burn fat fast!

Id massively suggest going to the gym and asking them to build up a plan for you in terms of which exercises you want and how hard you're willing to train.

If you want it enough then you WILL get there!

CaptainWillard

First of all, congratulations on your progress, 200lb is amazing! As for the training, If I were you I would not buy too much into the idea that you need to either lift heavy with low reps, or lighter with higher reps. IMO, you should incorporate both approaches into your training, with the goal of progressively adding volume (weight*reps) over time. Higher reps with shorter rest intervals will definitely help you burn more fat and improve your overall conditioning. Heavier weight, especially on the big compound movements will stimulate growth throughout the body. Having this kind of flexibility in your training will also help you avoid and work around injuries, and allow you to stay productive in the gym even on days when you're just not feeling it. Everyone is likely to have a different opinion, but this is what works for me.

grimendale

Consider looking into the Stronglifts 5x5 program. It's a simple, free program involving some of the most effective compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bent row, overhead press and bench press). It's a good place to start if you are new to weight lifting since it's only two workout routines and only three workouts a week. I've been doing it for about a month, and I have already noticed some upper body muscle growth (I already have fairly massive legs from years of football). You can find the description on the forums (just search "Stronglifts 5x5") or through google since the program is free. The guy who runs the stronglifts website is a tool, but the program is good.

ndj1979

two words - compound lifts...

get familiar with squats, deadlifts, over head press, pull ups, chin ups, bench press...learn these moves and then incorporate them into a weekly routine. You could do an upper/lower split with some cardio on Wednesday and then Saturday off and make walk/swim on Sunday or something like that ...

Not sure what your current calorie deficit is, but you should probably set it at about 500 calorie deficit a week and go from there..

narya12

I know im a girl so you may not take my advice that seriously

What??

TavistockToad

I have friends that lift weights and they all say low weights lots of reps and they are all ripped

Really?!

vytamindi

I have friends that lift weights and they all say low weights lots of reps and they are all ripped

Is your friend Spongebob and does he have inflatable arms?

kishstl

Feel free to contact me if you like and I would be happy to help you put together a routine. there are certain things to take into consideration before recommending a routine. (medical limitations, type of facility you'll be using, nutrition, supplementation,etc.)

BeachIron

two words - compound lifts...

get familiar with squats, deadlifts, over head press, pull ups, chin ups, bench press...learn these moves and then incorporate them into a weekly routine. You could do an upper/lower split with some cardio on Wednesday and then Saturday off and make walk/swim on Sunday or something like that ...

Not sure what your current calorie deficit is, but you should probably set it at about 500 calorie deficit a week and go from there..

Good stuff here. Also, take a look at some books for programs: "Strong Lifts 5 x 5," "Starting Strength," "The New Rules of Lifting" and even Wendler's "5/3/1," though that last one is aimed more at experienced lifters.

michellekicks

I have friends that lift weights and they all say low weights lots of reps and they are all ripped

Not this.

tigersword

Getting ripped is all about body fat, not building muscle. To get ripped you need to get your body fat down around 10% (or less.)

The loose skin is the bigger problem, lifting weights can help with that, but depending on how much skin there is, you may need to look into surgery to get it removed.

As for lifting, go with big compound lifts. Heavy weight, lower reps. Based on your starting weight, you have a high degree of muscle mass already, so the focus should be more on retaining that while lowering body fat.

Hadabetter

I have friends that lift weights and they all say low weights lots of reps and they are all ripped

Not this.

Agreed. You want to overload the muscles, rather than fatigue them.

Hadabetter

Testosterone promotes muscle growth. Belly fat reduces testosterone.
Lose the belly fat, and lift heavy.

letmebangbro

I have friends that lift weights and they all say low weights lots of reps and they are all ripped

Not this.

Agreed. You want to overload the muscles, rather than fatigue them.

Isn't it low rep ranges of 5-6 to build mass, but 10-12 for muscle hypertrophy.

michellekicks

I have friends that lift weights and they all say low weights lots of reps and they are all ripped

Not this.

Agreed. You want to overload the muscles, rather than fatigue them.

Isn't it low rep ranges of 5-6 to build mass, but 10-12 for muscle hypertrophy.

Actually low rep ranges for strength... yes to the hypertrophy. But when people say lots of high reps people grab the little dumbbells and do sets of 20-30, which isn't going to build appreciable size. So I guess it's all relative. "Lots of reps" isn't clear. I was being facetious with my first comment.

No_Finish_Line

looks like you got the loose skin issue my friend, or will. if you find a way to deal with that without surgery, i'd like to know how.

letmebangbro

I have friends that lift weights and they all say low weights lots of reps and they are all ripped

Not this.

Agreed. You want to overload the muscles, rather than fatigue them.

Isn't it low rep ranges of 5-6 to build mass, but 10-12 for muscle hypertrophy.

Actually low rep ranges for strength... yes to the hypertrophy. But when people say lots of high reps people grab the little dumbbells and do sets of 20-30, which isn't going to build appreciable size. So I guess it's all relative. "Lots of reps" isn't clear. I was being facetious with my first comment.

I'm mirin your legs/ high kick

Snow3y

The reason for lifting heavy, low reps high sets, is due to trying to retain muscle and strength... Doing high reps forever to get cut, sure your muscles will be endured, but you will lose a @#$% ton of strength.

Good luck, and make sure the weight loss is slow so that your skin can adapt to the weight loss good luck

michellekicks

I'm mirin your legs/ high kick

Thank you

emc916

two words - compound lifts...

get familiar with squats, deadlifts, over head press, pull ups, chin ups, bench press...learn these moves and then incorporate them into a weekly routine. You could do an upper/lower split with some cardio on Wednesday and then Saturday off and make walk/swim on Sunday or something like that ...

Not sure what your current calorie deficit is, but you should probably set it at about 500 calorie deficit a week and go from there..

Pretty much this

mantium999

I know im a girl so you may not take my advice that seriously

What??

Yup. Some of the absolute best advice and success I have seen on these forums has been from women. Don't down play yourself.

alyhuggan

Getting ripped is all about body fat, not building muscle. To get ripped you need to get your body fat down around 10% (or less.)

The loose skin is the bigger problem, lifting weights can help with that, but depending on how much skin there is, you may need to look into surgery to get it removed.

As for lifting, go with big compound lifts. Heavy weight, lower reps. Based on your starting weight, you have a high degree of muscle mass already, so the focus should be more on retaining that while lowering body fat.

Exactly what I was gonna say, the skin will be so stretched out the OP will either have to build the muscle big enough to fill out that loose skin which I doubt will happen without the use of steroids, get the muscles as big as possible and wait for the skin to tighten or look at surgery.

rainbowbow

Getting ripped is all about body fat, not building muscle. To get ripped you need to get your body fat down around 10% (or less.)

The loose skin is the bigger problem, lifting weights can help with that, but depending on how much skin there is, you may need to look into surgery to get it removed.

As for lifting, go with big compound lifts. Heavy weight, lower reps. Based on your starting weight, you have a high degree of muscle mass already, so the focus should be more on retaining that while lowering body fat.

This is excellent advice.

Boogage

bump to read later

jerendeb

Congratulations on your victory. You've really worked hard and it shows. Your body fat must have dropped many % points. Besides the lifting I am wondering about another option.

I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN NOR QUALIFIED TO SUGGEST THIS,

Have you looked into or thought about surgery to take that extra skin off. I doubt it will ever fully tighten up. You may qualify. Of course I don't know what your medical finances are like in regard to insurance, etc.

You remind me of some of those picked on Extreme Weight Loss. I am inspired by their victories too.

If I have spoken out of turn or offended you I can assure you I only mean well.

Jere

rainbowbow

Congratulations on your victory. You've really worked hard and it shows. Your body fat must have dropped many % points. Besides the lifting I am wondering about another option.

I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN NOR QUALIFIED TO SUGGEST THIS,

Have you looked into or thought about surgery to take that extra skin off. I doubt it will ever fully tighten up. You may qualify. Of course I don't know what your medical finances are like in regard to insurance, etc.

You remind me of some of those picked on Extreme Weight Loss. I am inspired by their victories too.

If I have spoken out of turn or offended you I can assure you I only mean well.

Jere

You skin WILL tighten up some naturally over time so i would suggest maintaining this loss and strength training before considering having the skin removed. It may not end up being that big of a deal, however, it may not improve.

Just saying i would wait before i consider to see if it improves at all.

VorJoshigan

I suspect many are not realizing that you are only showing half the picture.

Resized:



Great job, and yeah - what everybody else said. I'm in a similar boat as you having started out at 382, so thanks for sharing.

Rayman79

I just had to say awesome progress man. Good on you for taking your life back - massive kudos!

To reiterate the previous posts that made sense:
Keep lifting heavy, the routine you chose is secondary to actually making steady progress, but a strength or hybrid program (eg 5x5) will be just fine.
Keep at a low to moderate caloric deficit to lose some more body fat. The lower your bf% the better your body will respond to building muscle (which is complicated but it has to do with insulin sensitivity and calorie partitioning when in caloric surplus).

I would also consider surgery at some point if you are not happy with the loose skin. It is a common issue and only you can decide if you want to go down that path. Check out Ed's story. http://www.gettingfit4life.com/author/admin/

Well done, and good luck for the next chapter!