I went from morbidly obese to 6 pack abs! Ask me Anything

mgorham13

Quick question with ICF 5X5 do you add 5 lbs to compound movements just like SL until you need to deload? What about the accessory exercises how often to you increase the weight?

msno1978

Keep up the good work man.

Running_In_Circles

I am absolutely clueless about lifting weights. I find it intimidating. It hurts and I am worried about hurting myself.

How do I incorporate weight lifting or resistance training into my exercise routine? Do you have any advice? Running was so much easier. I just followed Hal Higdon's program and that was that.

vismal

mgorham13 wrote: »

Quick question with ICF 5X5 do you add 5 lbs to compound movements just like SL until you need to deload? What about the accessory exercises how often to you increase the weight?

Basically, yes. If you are doing this in a caloric deficit, after a while, gaining strength consistently will be impossible. When that happens, it's a good time to think about reducing volume and frequency and think more about maintaining strength rather then building. The amount of time it takes for this to happen varies greatly. I gained strength pretty consistently in a deficit for around a year. Some people can do it longer, others find stalls occur after 6 months.

vismal

Running_In_Circles wrote: »

I am absolutely clueless about lifting weights. I find it intimidating. It hurts and I am worried about hurting myself.

How do I incorporate weight lifting or resistance training into my exercise routine? Do you have any advice? Running was so much easier. I just followed Hal Higdon's program and that was that.

Unfortunately running, while beneficial, does not accomplish the same things that resistance training does. My best advice if you are completely clueless is to either find a friend who is experienced or seek out a trainer. This can also become an issue because there are so many people, many of them with decent physiques, who don't understand the fundamentals of weight lifting. I would recommend either buying or renting from the library, a copy of starting strength by Mark Rippetoe. It's a good primer on weight lifting. After reading it, you should be able to tell if a trainer is full of it or not.

RHPSgirl1984

You look amazing! Congratulations!

kananm

Hi,
Your transformation is really inspiring! Just wanted to know if alcohol can be included in the diet or does one completely need to refrain? Also, were you following mfp's recommendation for calories and carbs?

Breannamcknight6

Hi. I'm 5'6 and weigh 210. I'm supposed to be around 130 pounds for my height. I had a baby in December of 2013. So I have the annoying pouch. What were the ab workouts that worked best for you?

JazzFischer1989

If you had stretchmarks from being obese, did they fade significantly after you lost weight and got into better shape?

I know it's a weird question, but my boyfriend's stats are similar to yours pre-weightloss and this is something he's hoping will happen so I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

jyogit

ive just spent 2hrs reading this thread of yours and i must say .. what a transformation and what a great guy you are for replying to so many peoples questions. This is what i thought mfp would be about .. people helping others and taking the time out to alleviate confusion.
Unfortunately the real world dictates that some folk who have the knowledge dont want to part with it without money changing hands or making it "their way is the only way".
Congrats on breaking the mold, and inspiring so many of us members.

adiele55

You look great, I started at 315 too, and now at 300 in about 6 weeks. I work with a trainers, and do cardio twice at week. I run for 2 mins, and walk for 1 min on the treadmill. This combo is done for 15 min max, then I hit the weights. My question for you is on IF - Intermittent Fasting. I read up about it and want to try the lean gains. 18 hours fasted, and 6 hours eating window. Did you consider this when you were loosing weight? Thanks

skiextrm

Bumping to save all this great information. Thank You, Vismal!

vismal

kananm wrote: »

Hi,
Your transformation is really inspiring! Just wanted to know if alcohol can be included in the diet or does one completely need to refrain? Also, were you following mfp's recommendation for calories and carbs?

Alcohol is no different then anything else, track the calories it contains and consume in moderation. I did not follow MFP's guidelines. They go by the RDA which I feel has most people eating too little protein. They always assume you will eat back exercise calories which is something I don't like to do.

JazzFischer1989 wrote: »

If you had stretchmarks from being obese, did they fade significantly after you lost weight and got into better shape?

I know it's a weird question, but my boyfriend's stats are similar to yours pre-weightloss and this is something he's hoping will happen so I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Stretch marks were horrible at first but are virtually invisible if I have any kind of a tan now. This is very much a case by case thing though. Some people who have lost far less than I have, have terrible stretch marks.

vismal

KLKimberlyLaila wrote: »

Congrats! Do you think good results can be achieved with up to a (total of) 30 pounds(dumbbells)? Gym membership isn't an option for me and currently 4 strength I only have like 3 barbie weights( one 2 pound and two 5 pound dumbbells). So I'd have to buy my weights, but 30 pound's the highest I can find at local stores. Buying online also isn't an option.

30 lb weights will get you started but you will quickly outgrow them. There are alternatives to barbell/dumbbell workouts and plenty of people achieve their goal physique without ever going to a gym. I personally believe the gym is the easiest way to go about things. If cost is your barrier, I'd look into a YMCA that offers discounts based on needs or simply find the cheapest gym possible in your area. I would give up something in order to cover the cost. In the long run, the gym might potentially add years to your life. You can't put a price on that.

vismal

adiele55 wrote: »

You look great, I started at 315 too, and now at 300 in about 6 weeks. I work with a trainers, and do cardio twice at week. I run for 2 mins, and walk for 1 min on the treadmill. This combo is done for 15 min max, then I hit the weights. My question for you is on IF - Intermittent Fasting. I read up about it and want to try the lean gains. 18 hours fasted, and 6 hours eating window. Did you consider this when you were loosing weight? Thanks

I used IF for the majority of my weight loss. Leangains is not the same as IF. It is a complete diet that utilizes IF. IF is simple an eating schedule. To do IF you simply eat all your food in a predetermined window of time. Leangains has specific ways you eat your carbs and fats, and has specific workouts. I'd recommend just doing IF and maybe trying the whole leangains program after you have lost some more weight.

rikerdog

vismal,
fastastic transformation and you are so helpful to many. I have successfully lost 40 lbs within the past year plus ran 1 marathon and 1 1/2 marathon. First ones ever... Now I would like to start adding some muscle, for the past few months I have been lifting and although I feel stronger I can't visually see any muscle gain. I had never heard of the 5X5 method until reading your story.
Can you explain the proper technique? Do I do 5 reps to fatigue each set? For 5 sets. How do I determine the amount of weight to use is not?
Thank you

vismal

rikerdog wrote: »

vismal,
fastastic transformation and you are so helpful to many. I have successfully lost 40 lbs within the past year plus ran 1 marathon and 1 1/2 marathon. First ones ever... Now I would like to start adding some muscle, for the past few months I have been lifting and although I feel stronger I can't visually see any muscle gain. I had never heard of the 5X5 method until reading your story.
Can you explain the proper technique? Do I do 5 reps to fatigue each set? For 5 sets. How do I determine the amount of weight to use is not?
Thank you

Muscle growth is painfully slow. You have to be sure you are eating enough to gain. Having a small caloric surplus is necessary to build muscle efficiently. You should be trying to gain about 2 lbs a months. The way a 5x5 works is that you pick a starting weight for the lift. Your starting weight should be something you can complete for 5 sets of 5 reps. The 5th set should be hard but completed without assistance. If you do complete all 5 reps for all 5 sets, increase the weight next time you go to the gym. Eventually you will not complete all 5 sets of 5. When this happens, stop at failure. Do not lift past failure. You may for instance get 2 sets of 5, 2 sets of 4, and 1 set of 3. The next week you should try and increase the number of reps completed. Even if you only do 1 more rep then the previous week, you are still progressing and it's okay. Once you eventually work up to doing all 5 sets for 5 reps, you again increase weight. If after a few sessions you are not increasing or you are decreasing, reduce your weight by 10%. This will work for most people for at least the first year of lifting.

VeryKatie

jofjltncb6 wrote: »

I hate to disagree with OP, but a sufficient home setup doesn't *have* to cost a lot of money. A decent cage can be had for $350ish (http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/92563.html) and a cheap bar and iron plates for a couple hundred. Add a flat bench for another hundred and you have a workable setup for $700 that will give you decades of use (or at least mine has...and yeah, that cage I linked is the one I bought ~20 years ago). Pick some of this up on craigslist, garage sales, or a secondhand store and it's even cheaper.

That IS a lot of money though...

Amica35

Vismal, you look amazing, man! Congratulations! Having a visual of your success is very motivational to me. Keep the good work and thank you for posting.

bugsplatt

Bumping so I can save the thread. Great info here. Thanks, vismal, for all the time you spend here answering questions!