Need advice

dorianblach
dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building

Hi everyone,

I hope all is well. I’ve been working pretty hard for the last 1.5 years to transform my body. Here’s how I used to look.

hu9n5555q142.jpeg

It’s been quite a journey. I started at 245lbs and a high BMI. I’ve been trying different approaches like Intermittent fasting and working out with decent weight and high reps. About 4 months ago I switched things up and started lifting a bit heavier and progressing the weight. I am no longer intermittent fasting, but I am watching my caloric intake. I typically work out twice a day for 1 to 1.5 hours at a time and 4-5 times a week. I do HIIT 4-5 times a week for 45 mins to an hour, and occasionally take walks in the evening 2-3 times a week for a 1/2 hour. I also do 200 crunches every other day. My body fat is still at 13.5% and I can’t seem to get it lower.

Here are some photos of how I currently look.

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6c1zkpe8ed78.jpeg

I’m trying to get a good definition on my abs and increase the muscle on my upper body. I can’t take any protein supplements, because the last time I took some, I got a kidney stone. So I am trying to get my protein from fish and chicken. Any tips on how to get my body fat down or increase muscle volume upstairs would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Replies

  • 91jlennon7527
    91jlennon7527 Posts: 1 Member
    Hey brother! Amazing progress! So I bet we can figure out why you can’t seem to lose anymore fat and break through this plateau you’ve hit.

    Couple questions-
    How are you tracking your caloric intake? E.g. Total Calories or tracking Macros and trying to hit those? What number are you aiming for in terms of calories?

    What’s your height, weight, and age?

    Give me an example of your weight training routine. It doesn’t need to include weights used just name of lift and number of sets and reps.

    Ok lol the interrogation is over...for now! I’m quite confident we can get you to whatever your goal is! Just need some more info first.
  • dorianblach
    dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
    91jlennon7527 wrote: »
    Hey brother! Amazing progress! So I bet we can figure out why you can’t seem to lose anymore fat and break through this plateau you’ve hit.

    Couple questions-
    How are you tracking your caloric intake? E.g. Total Calories or tracking Macros and trying to hit those? What number are you aiming for in terms of calories?

    What’s your height, weight, and age?

    Give me an example of your weight training routine. It doesn’t need to include weights used just name of lift and number of sets and reps.

    Ok lol the interrogation is over...for now! I’m quite confident we can get you to whatever your goal is! Just need some more info first.

    Thanks for the reply. I appreciate you taking the time to write. I track my calories and try to stay under 1200 a day. I am 6’2, 192lbs, and 42 years old. These are the exercises I do at the gym...

    Bench press
    Incline bench press
    Shoulder shrug
    Concentration curls
    Preacher curls
    Dumbbell fly
    Chest press in
    Cable crossover
    Standing calf
    Dips (4 sets of 20 with no assist)
    Triceps pull down
    Incline dumbbells
    Laying cable cross
    Shoulder press
    Ab press (3 sets of 25 with 100lbs)
    Curl bar
    Seated cable row
    Lat pull down
    Dumbbell fly rear delt
    250 crunches every other day
    HIIT 1 hour a day for 3-4 days

    I typically try to lift as heavy as I can and do 4 reps with sets of 5-7.

    I am embarrassed to say this, but I usually skip leg day.

    Thanks again for all the info!

  • dorianblach
    dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
    KHMcG wrote: »
    Crunches won't do it. My suggestion is pushups and stability ball pullovers as well as hollow body holds. Also BF will need to come down a bit more. The actual number is irrelevant. You likely need to drop 2-3% more. But it's the muscle def that makes them pop.

    Thanks for the reply. Sometimes I do push-ups, but I have never tried stability ball pullovers or hollow body holds. I’m going to look into incorporating those exercises into my training. I agree that I need to get the BF percentage down. No trouble in the beginning, but once you plateau, it’s more challenging to get to the finish line.

    Thanks again! Be well.
  • dorianblach
    dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
    Amnongoull wrote: »
    You need to keep your macros and calorie balance in check. Most people do very good with a split of 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fats (as little as possible sugary carbs and saturated fats). If you want more definition you should get on a calorie deficit ranging from 250 to 500 max per day. If you need more info feel free to message, good luck!

    Thank you for taking the time to read my post and reply. I try to hit the marks you mentioned in your post. I do flexible dieting, but for the most part, I stick to my routine of 1200 calories per day. Which is typically a 600 calorie deficit for my body type. I consume protein before and after workouts. I recently started reading bigger, leaner, stronger and it is opening my eyes to a lot of misconceptions.

    Hoping it helps me turn the tide. Thank you again.
  • sal10851
    sal10851 Posts: 171 Member
    Amnongoull wrote: »
    You need to keep your macros and calorie balance in check. Most people do very good with a split of 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fats (as little as possible sugary carbs and saturated fats). If you want more definition you should get on a calorie deficit ranging from 250 to 500 max per day. If you need more info feel free to message, good luck!

    Solid advice bro!
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    Eat more! You have a great shape, build on it! Eating so little is not healthy for your body at all! Lift heavy, progress your calories to just under maintenance if you still want to lose and just above if you want to gain muscle mass. Take care, maybe do some research on what eating at way too low of a calorie deficit can do in the way of harm! We can tell you, but sometimes a list on a board seems regurgitated. Go find it!
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,501 Member
    Congrats on the progress.

    Why can't you take protein supplements? If it's a whey protein issue, were you drinking enough water, or are you lactose intolerant? If so, maybe a non-dairy source would work?
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
    dorianblach wrote: »
    Any tips on how to get my body fat down or increase muscle volume upstairs

    Patience. Stay the course...
  • AlexiaC47
    AlexiaC47 Posts: 65 Member
    edited October 2020
    Are you not doing any cardio? to me it goes hand in hand with strength training.

    By the way, I a woman, smaller boned, 5'3, currently 121 lbs trying to get to 115. I eat 1100-1300 a day and losing. How can you possibly be eating what I eat?
    You are larger, taller, male and younger. You look great though.

    When I hit a plateau I try to cut carbs more and do more cardio. I always do a lot of weights. I feel like the muscles are sometimes just hiding under a little layer of fat that the cardio helps melt off.

    To reiterate, you look great.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
    edited October 2020
    AlexiaC47 wrote: »
    Are you not doing any cardio? to me it goes hand in hand with strength training.

    He'salso doing 1 hr HIIT (of some kind) 3-4x's/wk which by itself is not too much but combined w/everything else is unnecessary if the goal is to lose wt and gain muscle & strength

    Cardio is NOT necessary for wt loss but is important for heart/respiratory and genersl fitness. However, most "experts" agree that only 30 mins/day of "moderate" exercise (as simoke as walking) is sufficient for this purpose.

    Any more than that is contraindicted because the excess cal burn if not offset by increased cal & protein consumption could result in a net loss of muscle and a muscle strength.
  • dorianblach
    dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
    youngmomtaz wrote: »
    Eat more! You have a great shape, build on it! Eating so little is not healthy for your body at all! Lift heavy, progress your calories to just under maintenance if you still want to lose and just above if you want to gain muscle mass. Take care, maybe do some research on what eating at way too low of a calorie deficit can do in the way of harm! We can tell you, but sometimes a list on a board seems regurgitated. Go find it!

    Thanks! I do tend to eat a bit more on some days, but it’s usually when I cheat. My main focus aside from sculpting my upper body is really getting my stomach flat. I feel that if I add too much food, it is going to cause me to gain weight in my stomach. I am going to adjust my intake to include foods that assist with muscle growth and keep my body properly balanced. Thanks for the advice. 🙂
  • dorianblach
    dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Congrats on the progress.

    Why can't you take protein supplements? If it's a whey protein issue, were you drinking enough water, or are you lactose intolerant? If so, maybe a non-dairy source would work?

    Thanks for the reply. I’m weary about taking supplements, because I don’t want to go through the pain of dropping another kidney stone. I do believe that improper or lack of water intake made the stone form. According to the labs I had done when they discovered the stone, there are two more lodged in my right kidney. I’m concerned about them dropping if I take protein powder and do not properly hydrate. Unfortunately, I have a habit of not drinking enough water. 😦

    Also have issues with lactose, so I don’t do much dairy.
  • dorianblach
    dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    dorianblach wrote: »
    91jlennon7527 wrote: »
    Hey brother! Amazing progress! So I bet we can figure out why you can’t seem to lose anymore fat and break through this plateau you’ve hit.

    Couple questions-
    How are you tracking your caloric intake? E.g. Total Calories or tracking Macros and trying to hit those? What number are you aiming for in terms of calories?

    What’s your height, weight, and age?

    Give me an example of your weight training routine. It doesn’t need to include weights used just name of lift and number of sets and reps.

    Ok lol the interrogation is over...for now! I’m quite confident we can get you to whatever your goal is! Just need some more info first.

    Thanks for the reply. I appreciate you taking the time to write. I track my calories and try to stay under 1200 a day. I am 6’2, 192lbs, and 42 years old. These are the exercises I do at the gym...

    Bench press
    Incline bench press
    Shoulder shrug
    Concentration curls
    Preacher curls
    Dumbbell fly
    Chest press in
    Cable crossover
    Standing calf
    Dips (4 sets of 20 with no assist)
    Triceps pull down
    Incline dumbbells
    Laying cable cross
    Shoulder press
    Ab press (3 sets of 25 with 100lbs)
    Curl bar
    Seated cable row
    Lat pull down
    Dumbbell fly rear delt
    250 crunches every other day
    HIIT 1 hour a day for 3-4 days

    I typically try to lift as heavy as I can and do 4 reps with sets of 5-7.

    I am embarrassed to say this, but I usually skip leg day.

    Thanks again for all the info!

    I think that you are doing WAY too much, especially to many iso lifts.

    If you want to develop strength, I suggest sticking w/the basic compound barebell lifts - DL, SQT, BP and OHP. If you need a program, look up Starting Strength or Stronglifts.

    And forget about doing all those crunches.

    Just doing DLs & SQTs will strengthen your lower body and core, more than the crunches will but if you just have to do ab work, hanging or seated leg lifts (especially if weighted) will be more effective.

    Pushups and pullups likewise will be more effective for upper body/arm work the the curls, cables, flys and pushdowns.

    Also, at 6'2 & 192#, if you want to build more muscle, you'll really need more cal intake than just 1200 cals/day. Otherwise, you're just going to burn muscle as you continue to lose wt.

    Just seems like a really unfocused program that's unlikely to achieve any meaningful results to me.

    Thanks for the reply. My routine consists of things I have picked up as I progressed along the way. Perhaps it is not very focused, as you mentioned. I’m totally open to suggestions, which is why I posted here. I want you to know that I appreciate your advice. You mentioned a few exercises that may help me get on track, so I am going to look into a routine that may better serve my needs. I took up doing pull ups and pushups for the last couple of weeks, and it has really made an improvement. I’m going to cut my HIIT exercises to 1/2 hour instead as well, my body will appreciate it. 🙂

    Thanks again. 👍🏼
  • dorianblach
    dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
    KHMcG wrote: »
    Crunches won't do it. My suggestion is pushups and stability ball pullovers as well as hollow body holds. Also BF will need to come down a bit more. The actual number is irrelevant. You likely need to drop 2-3% more. But it's the muscle def that makes them pop.

    Thanks for the advice about the pushups. I’ve been doing them for the last couple of weeks and they have really made an improvement. Working on bringing down the BF as well, but I think that keeping my calories low, is not going to do it. That’s where I think I am stuck.
  • dorianblach
    dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    AlexiaC47 wrote: »
    Are you not doing any cardio? to me it goes hand in hand with strength training.

    He'salso doing 1 hr HIIT (of some kind) 3-4x's/wk which by itself is not too much but combined w/everything else is unnecessary if the goal is to lose wt and gain muscle & strength

    Cardio is NOT necessary for wt loss but is important for heart/respiratory and genersl fitness. However, most "experts" agree that only 30 mins/day of "moderate" exercise (as simoke as walking) is sufficient for this purpose.

    Any more than that is contraindicted because the excess cal burn if not offset by increased cal & protein consumption could result in a net loss of muscle and a muscle strength.

    Yeah, I agree about overdoing the cardio. Aside from trying to gain muscle upstairs, I am trying to carve out my stomach. Which basically means that I am trying to bulk and cut at the same time, which I know is probably not the best approach. I feel that if I eat more to bulk, I will gain stomach fat and that’s the reason I keep my caloric intake low. This is where I am stuck at because I feel like I need to decide on what’s more important... a chiseled stomach or bulk upstairs.

    Might sound silly, but after neglecting my body for over 20 years, I am trying to play catch up. I have always wanted to have a body similar to Ryan Reynolds in Blade Trinity. I know that goal is high, but I’m willing to put the effort to get there. That also means that I need to be patient. I’ve been working for 15 months to get to this point and I think that the progress has been great. I know that trying to undo 20 years of bad habits to get the body I want, will take more than 15 months to do so. It will also be a lifetime of maintenance.

    Thanks again for taking the time to write.
  • dorianblach
    dorianblach Posts: 15 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    dorianblach wrote: »
    Any tips on how to get my body fat down or increase muscle volume upstairs

    Patience. Stay the course...

    Thanks! It’s a challenge, but I’m willing to put the time to get the results. Best to you. 👍🏼
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    edited November 2020
    You look amazing! Glad I deleted the rest but yep drool worthy lol

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