Like Minded Lifters???
Fattonz
Posts: 60 Member
I just started weight training a few months back at 41 years of age, following 20 years of being very overweight.
During my initial weight loss phase I befriended some nice folks on MFP who are all about the weight loss. But now I am in a place where I am more focused on body re-composition, fat loss (or minimal fat gains), and lean muscle gains. I find I no longer relate as well to some of the folks still on the weight loss journey and often worry my 3000+ calorie per day diary may negatively influence some of them.
Anyway, I'm just looking for some body builder, endurance athlete type friends, if anyone would like to add me.
Here's a few pictures of my progress to date:
During my initial weight loss phase I befriended some nice folks on MFP who are all about the weight loss. But now I am in a place where I am more focused on body re-composition, fat loss (or minimal fat gains), and lean muscle gains. I find I no longer relate as well to some of the folks still on the weight loss journey and often worry my 3000+ calorie per day diary may negatively influence some of them.
Anyway, I'm just looking for some body builder, endurance athlete type friends, if anyone would like to add me.
Here's a few pictures of my progress to date:
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Replies
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I train more like a powerlifter but I am recomping and all that fun stuff0
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singingflutelady wrote: »I train more like a powerlifter but I am recomping and all that fun stuff
That's cool. I've been trying to train more like a powerlifter when doing some of the big compound movements like squats and deadlifts. However, I am still learning to do those exercises properly. Most of my training though is more like body building, but I probably do a lot more cardio (both HIIT and steady state) than an average body builder. My goal is to improve performance for motocross and mountain biking....and hopefully gain some aesthetics in the process.
Of course my ultimate goal is overall health and conditioning for life in general, as well as to be a positive role model for my three teenage kids.0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »I train more like a powerlifter but I am recomping and all that fun stuff
That's cool. I've been trying to train more like a powerlifter when doing some of the big compound movements like squats and deadlifts. However, I am still learning to do those exercises properly. Most of my training though is more like body building, but I probably do a lot more cardio (both HIIT and steady state) than an average body builder. My goal is to improve performance for motocross and mountain biking....and hopefully gain some aesthetics in the process.
Of course my ultimate goal is overall health and conditioning for life in general, as well as to be a positive role model for my three teenage kids.
One of the best reasons to train buddy, lead by example!0 -
Great job man!0
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Nice re-composition ;-)0
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Damn man good job!0
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Nice work. You've done well on making a change in your life.
Just to throw it out there, I wouldn't discount how you influence people on friend list by calories alone.
I have power lifters, cardio bunnies, cancer patients, people dealing with eating disorders, cross fitters, chronic pain sufferers. Many who have mentioned that me being on their friend list is a great positive. It is a beautiful experience to see people accomplish their goals and gain confidence.
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spacecadetz06 wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »I train more like a powerlifter but I am recomping and all that fun stuff
That's cool. I've been trying to train more like a powerlifter when doing some of the big compound movements like squats and deadlifts. However, I am still learning to do those exercises properly. Most of my training though is more like body building, but I probably do a lot more cardio (both HIIT and steady state) than an average body builder. My goal is to improve performance for motocross and mountain biking....and hopefully gain some aesthetics in the process.
Of course my ultimate goal is overall health and conditioning for life in general, as well as to be a positive role model for my three teenage kids.
One of the best reasons to train buddy, lead by example!IILikeToMoveItMoveIt wrote: »Great job man!883xlsportster wrote: »Nice re-composition ;-)Damn man good job!Nice work. You've done well on making a change in your life.
Just to throw it out there, I wouldn't discount how you influence people on friend list by calories alone.
I have power lifters, cardio bunnies, cancer patients, people dealing with eating disorders, cross fitters, chronic pain sufferers. Many who have mentioned that me being on their friend list is a great positive. It is a beautiful experience to see people accomplish their goals and gain confidence.
Thank you to everyone who posted for your encouraging words
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Great work. You have done well. I dropped from 110kg to 67kg. I am now back at 80kg and have been weight training for 4 months. The changes in body composition have been good and my target is 90kg at this point. I'm currently consuming 3500 calories a day and gain on average 100grams per day. Training is generally 5 days a week with very little cardio at this point until I reach my goal and strip 5kg off. Your achievements should be a motivational boost for your friends losing weight as it's all about what you want to achieve.0
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Awesome job0
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Good job so far mate!0
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Outstanding effort. That just proves you can do what you want when you put in hard work and dedication0
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Are you in maintenance mode with your diet now or still gaining? I was looking at your diary and the goal number looks like maintenance or even cutting?0
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chrismwpcs wrote: »Are you in maintenance mode with your diet now or still gaining? I was looking at your diary and the goal number looks like maintenance or even cutting?
I am working on gaining. That goal number in MFP is just a number. My daily target at the moment is 3000.
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Ah ok. I use MFP to log all my food. It has helped quantify what I actually eat. In my goals, if you look it is about 16000kj which in calories works out at 3827. My actual food intake fluctuates around 13000 to 16000kj per day. I have taken to watching macros more that the kJ's but still try to make sure I don't go over the target numbers. Sometimes I go over and most times under. I think my maintenance level is about 12500kj as I graph my weight daily and have done for a year. Your transformation looks to have been super effective so well done on that. What kind of weight training regime are you running? PS: I am 50 now and I find recovery from heavy weight training takes a lot longer than when I was 20 haha.0
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chrismwpcs wrote: »Ah ok. I use MFP to log all my food. It has helped quantify what I actually eat. In my goals, if you look it is about 16000kj which in calories works out at 3827. My actual food intake fluctuates around 13000 to 16000kj per day. I have taken to watching macros more that the kJ's but still try to make sure I don't go over the target numbers. Sometimes I go over and most times under. I think my maintenance level is about 12500kj as I graph my weight daily and have done for a year. Your transformation looks to have been super effective so well done on that. What kind of weight training regime are you running? PS: I am 50 now and I find recovery from heavy weight training takes a lot longer than when I was 20 haha.
Same thing here. I log every morsel and pay very close attention to macros (although I missed my macros by a bit today, but they'll average out at the end of the week). I just don't bother setting up MFP to reflect my goals....well macros yes, but calories no. I just adjust my intake based on my measurements and observations of my body.
For weight training I work on a 5 day split that goes as follows:
Day 1....legs/abs
Day 2...chest
Day 3...back/abs
Day 4...rest
Day 5...shoulders/abs
Day 6...arms
Day 7...rest
I do roughly 30 minutes of cardio at least 4 days/week
I work rotating shift work days/nights...12 hour shifts so I modify the workout program to accommodate my life as required. On any given day I'll select 3-5 exercises for a given muscle group. I'll do 4 sets of each exercise, sometimes supersetting two different exercises. Each set is to failure within 8-12 reps for upper body and 12-20 reps for legs. Although lately I have been going heavier with the big compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, and bench....and maybe only getting 4-5 reps. With some exercises I will do drop sets at the end of my final set until I can literally not even lift a very light weight....for example I might go all the way down to 15lb dumbbells on bicep curls until I literally can't even squeeze out another rep. I am big on focusing on quality over quantity and as such really focus on form. Every rep is slow and controlled with full stretch/extension and then a hard contraction. I try to be sure I am getting the full range of motion from each rep, even if it means I need to lift lighter.
Also, I really try to put a ton of intensity into my training. Oh yeah, I'm that guy with the constipated look as I squeeze out those last reps...lol. My split is such that it really allows for intensity, as the volume on any given day is quite low. I am not afraid to push through pain and burn to get an amazing pump. There are days where my arms get such a pump that it feels I can barely bend them, but I find this feeling incredibly addictive, and look forward to it like I used to look forward to food or booze.
Lol...and I hear ya on the getting older stuff. I hobble around like an 80 year old man for 3-4 days after leg day.0 -
Haha yea, I have golfers elbow on both elbows right now and that really sets you back. I constantly tell myself to back the weights down and get the form back in check. I think everyone does that where you go too heavy and lose form but I can recognise that and bring myself back to good form. I too am a shift worker, 14 hours door to work and home again. 2 days 2 nights 5 off / 2 days 3 nights 4 off / and 3 days 2 nights 5 off. I modify my routine for my shift work too. I generally work out at home on night shift before work, have the day shifts off as my rest and hit the gym on my last day between days and nights in the evening when work is done.
On days off I generally hit the gym every morning around 4am and run my routines. I have changed from single muscle group training which I was doing for 10 weeks now to upper and lower routines, upper one day lower the next and back to upper/lower and throw in one day of cardio. I will do this for about 10 weeks and reevaluate it. I was doing HIIT cardio daily but now only do that once a week as I am gaining weight. I use fitbit to record steps and try to get 10k steps on days off. It is hard when working as I work for a mining control room so sit down a fair bit during shift (I make up for that in the gym).
I generally do 4 sets to failure on the last set but have been upping that and increasing weight until I can only get 2 or 3 maybe 4 reps in the final set so some days I can pull 10 sets on an exercise. On those I typically will be drop setting the last 3 or 4 sets anyway and like you get to the point where the smallest weight in the gym feels like the heaviest haha.
Nutrition has been big on my agenda for about a year now and even more so now as I make sure macros are pretty close to what I have dialled up. I prefer to go under than over in that area and tweak my daily food intake accordingly.
It is good to talk to others that have come from similar scenarios being over weight to totally changing the lifestyle and looking at your diary has affirmed that I am doing the right things so thanks for that!
I just finished an upper workout an hour ago and have night shift tonight. I was feeling a bit washed out before it bt now feel good. It is a good tonic!
Cheers
Chris0 -
chrismwpcs wrote: »Haha yea, I have golfers elbow on both elbows right now and that really sets you back. I constantly tell myself to back the weights down and get the form back in check. I think everyone does that where you go too heavy and lose form but I can recognise that and bring myself back to good form. I too am a shift worker, 14 hours door to work and home again. 2 days 2 nights 5 off / 2 days 3 nights 4 off / and 3 days 2 nights 5 off. I modify my routine for my shift work too. I generally work out at home on night shift before work, have the day shifts off as my rest and hit the gym on my last day between days and nights in the evening when work is done.
On days off I generally hit the gym every morning around 4am and run my routines. I have changed from single muscle group training which I was doing for 10 weeks now to upper and lower routines, upper one day lower the next and back to upper/lower and throw in one day of cardio. I will do this for about 10 weeks and reevaluate it. I was doing HIIT cardio daily but now only do that once a week as I am gaining weight. I use fitbit to record steps and try to get 10k steps on days off. It is hard when working as I work for a mining control room so sit down a fair bit during shift (I make up for that in the gym).
I generally do 4 sets to failure on the last set but have been upping that and increasing weight until I can only get 2 or 3 maybe 4 reps in the final set so some days I can pull 10 sets on an exercise. On those I typically will be drop setting the last 3 or 4 sets anyway and like you get to the point where the smallest weight in the gym feels like the heaviest haha.
Nutrition has been big on my agenda for about a year now and even more so now as I make sure macros are pretty close to what I have dialled up. I prefer to go under than over in that area and tweak my daily food intake accordingly.
It is good to talk to others that have come from similar scenarios being over weight to totally changing the lifestyle and looking at your diary has affirmed that I am doing the right things so thanks for that!
I just finished an upper workout an hour ago and have night shift tonight. I was feeling a bit washed out before it bt now feel good. It is a good tonic!
Cheers
Chris
Ha ha....that's uncanny! We not only have the same schedule, but essentially the same job. My shift is a 28 day rotating shift beginning on a Monday. 2 days/2 nights/5 off, 2 days/3 nights /4 off, 3 days/2 nights/5 off. So I work two weekends/month and have two off. So I gather you are just finishing up a set that went Fri/sat/sun days then Mon/tues nights?
My job is in a heavy oil hydrocracking facility involving work in the control room as well as the outside post...lol.
One thing I should mention regarding the nutrition, I feel it is a strong point of mine. My wife (of 20 years) never graduated, as we began having a family and I went off to work, but she attended university for Nutrition and Dietetics. Her plan was to be a dietician, but that didn't work out. However, it remained her passion. So I've been fortunate to gain some knowledge over the years. ......and finally got the ambition to apply it...lol.
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Great job man, that's an awesome transformation! Just about the recover, all of your super setting and sets to failure could be responsible for that. The average lifter really doesn't need to do tons of super setting nor go to failure while they're still novice/intermediate. It's more of an advanced set type for when your muscles have become resistant to stimuli. But still awesome work and dedication0
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Great job man, that's an awesome transformation! Just about the recover, all of your super setting and sets to failure could be responsible for that. The average lifter really doesn't need to do tons of super setting nor go to failure while they're still novice/intermediate. It's more of an advanced set type for when your muscles have become resistant to stimuli. But still awesome work and dedication
Hi Jesse and thanks for commenting. I should have specified regarding my super setting. I only do it with two different muscles and mainly as a means of making more efficient use of my time in the gym. For example on arm day I will do a set of biceps, then immediately do a set of triceps, then rest a minute and go again. On leg day, if the gym is not too crowded I'll do a set of quads and then maybe a set of calves....but most of my super setting happens with bi's and tri's. I definitely do go to failure though, feeling like I am trying to lift a house to get that last rep.
Do you think that I may be doing overkill? I only work each muscle group once out of every 7 days, but on that day I give 'er heck....lol.
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chrismwpcs wrote: »Haha yea, I have golfers elbow on both elbows right now and that really sets you back. I constantly tell myself to back the weights down and get the form back in check. I think everyone does that where you go too heavy and lose form but I can recognise that and bring myself back to good form. I too am a shift worker, 14 hours door to work and home again. 2 days 2 nights 5 off / 2 days 3 nights 4 off / and 3 days 2 nights 5 off. I modify my routine for my shift work too. I generally work out at home on night shift before work, have the day shifts off as my rest and hit the gym on my last day between days and nights in the evening when work is done.
On days off I generally hit the gym every morning around 4am and run my routines. I have changed from single muscle group training which I was doing for 10 weeks now to upper and lower routines, upper one day lower the next and back to upper/lower and throw in one day of cardio. I will do this for about 10 weeks and reevaluate it. I was doing HIIT cardio daily but now only do that once a week as I am gaining weight. I use fitbit to record steps and try to get 10k steps on days off. It is hard when working as I work for a mining control room so sit down a fair bit during shift (I make up for that in the gym).
I generally do 4 sets to failure on the last set but have been upping that and increasing weight until I can only get 2 or 3 maybe 4 reps in the final set so some days I can pull 10 sets on an exercise. On those I typically will be drop setting the last 3 or 4 sets anyway and like you get to the point where the smallest weight in the gym feels like the heaviest haha.
Nutrition has been big on my agenda for about a year now and even more so now as I make sure macros are pretty close to what I have dialled up. I prefer to go under than over in that area and tweak my daily food intake accordingly.
It is good to talk to others that have come from similar scenarios being over weight to totally changing the lifestyle and looking at your diary has affirmed that I am doing the right things so thanks for that!
I just finished an upper workout an hour ago and have night shift tonight. I was feeling a bit washed out before it bt now feel good. It is a good tonic!
Cheers
Chris
Ha ha....that's uncanny! We not only have the same schedule, but essentially the same job. My shift is a 28 day rotating shift beginning on a Monday. 2 days/2 nights/5 off, 2 days/3 nights /4 off, 3 days/2 nights/5 off. So I work two weekends/month and have two off. So I gather you are just finishing up a set that went Fri/sat/sun days then Mon/tues nights?
My job is in a heavy oil hydrocracking facility involving work in the control room as well as the outside post...lol.
One thing I should mention regarding the nutrition, I feel it is a strong point of mine. My wife (of 20 years) never graduated, as we began having a family and I went off to work, but she attended university for Nutrition and Dietetics. Her plan was to be a dietician, but that didn't work out. However, it remained her passion. So I've been fortunate to gain some knowledge over the years. ......and finally got the ambition to apply it...lol.
Uncanny is the word for sure. You are right about the shift. I am on my first night and finish Wednesday. Next you will say you are employed by BHP Billiton in their Oil and Gas division. I work for them in their minerals, namely iron ore portfolio. Working shift makes gym life harder but I adapt by doing home work outs when on nights as I don't like to hit the gym before night shift as it is painful.
It must be good to have a wealth of knowledge on tap for your nutritional questions/needs. In the past year I have learnt so much about nutrition I feel pretty confident in how to manage it and talk about it. It has gotten to the point I can nearly accurately guess weights of food items just by looking at them. Once you have your nutritional side sorted out the hardest battle is won. I have one day in every 10 where I chose a meal that has been taken off my menu due to it being the lesser of the healthy choices. That choice is pizza and where once I would eat pizza 3 times a week now once every 10 days they taste sooo much better.0 -
chrismwpcs wrote: »Uncanny is the word for sure. You are right about the shift. I am on my first night and finish Wednesday. Next you will say you are employed by BHP Billiton in their Oil and Gas division. I work for them in their minerals, namely iron ore portfolio. Working shift makes gym life harder but I adapt by doing home work outs when on nights as I don't like to hit the gym before night shift as it is painful.
It must be good to have a wealth of knowledge on tap for your nutritional questions/needs. In the past year I have learnt so much about nutrition I feel pretty confident in how to manage it and talk about it. It has gotten to the point I can nearly accurately guess weights of food items just by looking at them. Once you have your nutritional side sorted out the hardest battle is won. I have one day in every 10 where I chose a meal that has been taken off my menu due to it being the lesser of the healthy choices. That choice is pizza and where once I would eat pizza 3 times a week now once every 10 days they taste sooo much better.
Ha ha...nope, don't work for them, but maybe one of their affiliates...lol. True that shift work makes working out hard, but believe me when I say that not working out, and being unfit makes shift work WAY harder than it needs to be.
I too have some home equipment for days when I don't want to drive to the gym. I have a chin up bar, resistance band, ab roller, a dip station, incline/decline bench, and dumbbells. I need to invest in some heavier dumbbells though, as I only currently have up to 35lbs.
Homemade pizza is my absolute favourite food, but you're right...things taste so much better when you only have them periodically as opposed to all the time.
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Nice setup you have there. I think working out before night shift puts adrenaline into the system so I personally have more stamina during the shift. I tend to get tired well after midnight now rather than before. When I was doing HIIT cardio I was actually wired when at work lol. I am now on days off, finished this morning and did an abs/cardio workout. That has set me up for the 5 day break now and I have a date with a good deadlift/lower workout. I am going to go the sumo deadlift this time for the first time. I look forward to seeing the results.
Oh yea pizza night tonight. This is my only cheat day. First day off each break is when I get to kick back with my favourite cheat meal, which happens to be pizza. Haha thankfully I am pushing 3800 calorie days as it would blow the budget out of the water if I was any less!0
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