Weight Lifting Success Story
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thedreamhazer
Posts: 1,156 Member
I'm about to start preaching to the choir here, so ignore as you see fit.
I've been strength training seriously for about 9 months now. I started with NROLFW and have since moved on to StrongLifts and now my own StrongLifts/Starting Strength mash-up. I've been training hard, but not 100% consistently. I injured a disc in my back due to a sloppy deadlift not long after I started and had to take the time to heal.
However, while I've not been 100% consistent I have been a believer. And I have the photographic evidence that you should be too. And that the scale is an evil biznatch that I really should just chuck out of the window of my 24th floor apartment already.
A little preface. The before photos I'm going to show you are from October 2011. I was doing some half-assed strength training with no real program at the time, but mostly I was running. I ran around a 5k 5 days a week. I ate an average of 1600-1700 calories per day, flat. The photos show me around my all time low -- I'm somewhere between 157-162 lbs based on my records.
SO SQUISHY. Good lawd, LOOK AT THE SQUISH.
Now, let me show you my recent photos. By the measure of many, I'm probably not a success story. I gained weight. I'm back up between 166-168 lbs. I teeter in and out of being overweight on the BMI chart. Take a look:
My body fat is in the low 20s (although the calipers tell me 18%, I don't believe them). I wear a size 6 in most brands. I can squat nearly body weight at 5x5 (I should hit body weight in my squat this week, if all goes as planned), and I can 1rm deadlift over 200 lbs.
Plus, I got here by eating a crap ton of food (2100 per day average flat) because my TDEE is through the roof (averging 2500+ calories, really high days around 3300, really low days around 2050).
Strength training: it for serious works, my friends. Now go pick up something heavy.
I've been strength training seriously for about 9 months now. I started with NROLFW and have since moved on to StrongLifts and now my own StrongLifts/Starting Strength mash-up. I've been training hard, but not 100% consistently. I injured a disc in my back due to a sloppy deadlift not long after I started and had to take the time to heal.
However, while I've not been 100% consistent I have been a believer. And I have the photographic evidence that you should be too. And that the scale is an evil biznatch that I really should just chuck out of the window of my 24th floor apartment already.
A little preface. The before photos I'm going to show you are from October 2011. I was doing some half-assed strength training with no real program at the time, but mostly I was running. I ran around a 5k 5 days a week. I ate an average of 1600-1700 calories per day, flat. The photos show me around my all time low -- I'm somewhere between 157-162 lbs based on my records.
SO SQUISHY. Good lawd, LOOK AT THE SQUISH.
Now, let me show you my recent photos. By the measure of many, I'm probably not a success story. I gained weight. I'm back up between 166-168 lbs. I teeter in and out of being overweight on the BMI chart. Take a look:
My body fat is in the low 20s (although the calipers tell me 18%, I don't believe them). I wear a size 6 in most brands. I can squat nearly body weight at 5x5 (I should hit body weight in my squat this week, if all goes as planned), and I can 1rm deadlift over 200 lbs.
Plus, I got here by eating a crap ton of food (2100 per day average flat) because my TDEE is through the roof (averging 2500+ calories, really high days around 3300, really low days around 2050).
Strength training: it for serious works, my friends. Now go pick up something heavy.
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Replies
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So awesome. Serious improvement in really a pretty short amount of time..0
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You have made such awesome progress with lifting! It's so great to see the pictures... very motivating for me! These are the stories that remind me to stop paying so much attention to the scale.0
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Amen to that!!!0
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OMG! You rock!0
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Yup, this is what I've been telling people to start lifting heavy for. Great progress!! I did NROL4W too and had nice results.0
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You look fantastic! I absolutely adore you0
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Thanks for posting and great job! I could show you some squish if I were brave enough to post pics, lol. Someday I will, but not until I have a decent after pic.0
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That is some great picture evidence!0
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You look amazing!!
What kind of diet are you following? Are you eating clean or are you only watching your calorie intake?0 -
Wow! Awesome results, you look fabulous!!0
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What a difference! You worked hard and it shows! You look amazing!0
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You look fit and fab!!!! This story came right on time. I was just having a conversation with a co-worker about NROLFW. I dont use it but I know so many that go to the gym who do. I showed her your pics and she is blown away by the amount you eat and how good you look. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:0
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nice work! definition is so much more important than just skinny.0
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Nice work! I can so relate. The scale is a menace weighing me in at 162 still but my strength and power are soaring. I was an adamant runner, sometimes 7 days a week, and only recently - within the last three months after finishing a 60 day run of Insanity -have I begun to really enter the world of weight lifting. I love feeling strong! I do still run though minimal - its to the gym at 5 a.m. for my workout and then home and is only a couple miles.
Thanks for sharing. I need to read these stories to remind me that it isn't about the scale... the unfortunate part of what society has done to my mindset.0 -
Amazing difference! I just bought NROLFW, been meaning to for some time now. Time to figure out this lifting stuff, I do mostly bodyweight and a few machines right now.0
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What an amazing transformation! I agree that lifting weights is the most effective tool for a lean, sculpted body & scales do lie.0
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:laugh:that the scale is an evil biznatch that I really should just chuck out of the window of my 24th floor apartment already.
:drinker: lookin strong...and awesome! great post!Strength training: it for serious works, my friends. Now go pick up something heavy.0 -
I am already sold but thank you for sharing your story.0
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Also already sold on weight lifting, but you're a great example of why!0
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Thanks for the motivation, I have just started lifting weights with my boyfriend (ouch by the way). Just following him around the gym and trying to lift reasonably heavy until I get into it more (I don't want to injure myself). I've always been in reasonable shape but feel like lifting heavy will be the thing to get me into the best shape of my life. I can't wait to be able to lift numbers like yours!0
