OcUK Health Seekers: Post your progress pics

[dun]

Took some pics now..

~5 11, 12.75 stone.
At the mo I do squats, dips, chin ups, pull ups, arnold presses, some ab/core stability stuff and have just started deadlifts.


edit:
last pics:


Main improvements I feel are my legs - proper annoying now since my inner thighs touch - it's kinda waxed a patch of hair on each leg, and I've had to buy new boxer shorts as some of my old ones didn't stretch and I couldn't actually get them around my thighs.. , also my chest is better imo and general improvements.
Think I've put on approx 0.75 stone and what looks like minimal fat, so no massive gains.


EDIT edit: lol just saw the difference between my backs/shoulders. HAPPY!

Good improvement there mate for only a couple of months. But why are you only doing 7 exercises? Do you train at a gym or at home?
Don't worry about the rubbing of your thighs until it starts crushing your nuts every time you try and walk somewhere in loose boxers

First post here but seems there is a lot of guys here who know there stuff so here goes.

Im 24 years old.
5,11"
Weigh just over 150lbs.


Iv always been able to eat whatever i wanted and not put on any weight. Iv been a bricklayer since i left school which was very psychical work at times which has maybe kept me slim but i was banned from driving last year which put me outa work. I dont live near a gym but as iv been outa work i feel i need to keep fit and build up. I take multi vitimins and cod liver oil daily and also creatine and protein daily.

I work out every other day at home by doing press ups, sit ups, pull ups and idk what there called but holding myself hanging above a stairwell and slowly lowering myself down and pushing back up.

Anyway i have noticed my stomach become more defind. I dont have hardly any fat on my body but struggle to bulk up and add more muscle. I wanna build up my upper body really but not really bulking up much.


Im putting this down to my diet as some days i dont eat a lot and when i do its often not healthy. I cannot afford to be having steaks that often but what would be key foods to eat often and key foods to avoid?


Also are there other exercises i should do and maybe go running? As i said i dont feel like i need to lose any fat.

You are right to put your lack of gains down to your diet. Its obvious if you aren't doing much and weight 150lbs and 5'11 you aren't eating enough. I know it seems like you are (I was the same) but compared to big people you really aren't.
Just eat as much natural (not processed crap like pies etc) food as you can, don't worry about over thinking it. IMO don't go running, I don't do any cardio at all and haven't for a fair while and I am quite lean.

 

[.:SAmSuNG:.]

no running then.
kinda weird to take creatine without going to a gym.

what you can eat and it's cheap:
lots of chicken
cottage cheese
pasta, rice, couscous, potatoes

Well i work out and i know the gym would be better but i just cannot get there or afford to really. I do my best at home using my own body weight as workouts.

Thanks for info on food.

You are right to put your lack of gains down to your diet. Its obvious if you aren't doing much and weight 150lbs and 5'11 you aren't eating enough. I know it seems like you are (I was the same) but compared to big people you really aren't.
Just eat as much natural (not processed crap like pies etc) food as you can, don't worry about over thinking it. IMO don't go running, I don't do any cardio at all and haven't for a fair while and I am quite lean.

K well gonna just start eating like a horse and working out as i have been to see where it takes me. Thanks!

 

[georges]

Good improvement there mate for only a couple of months. But why are you only doing 7 exercises? Do you train at a gym or at home?
Don't worry about the rubbing of your thighs until it starts crushing your nuts every time you try and walk somewhere in loose boxers

Cheers, I hadn't realised I'd changed very much except the weight until I saw the pictures. Quite happy now


Basically right shoulder is pretty bad from a rugby injury, meaning bench press hurts. I prefer bodyweight stuff. The gym is the uni of bath gym which bath rugby train at so it's about as good as it gets for weights, I just don't really do them
Forgot to say I also do DB shrugs.

I might try adding DB bench and row, since it's the barbell forcing my right shoulder to move a certain way that causes the pain. Never seemed to get much out of rows though before.

Was thinking about doing rope cable tricep extensions too.

 

[AmDaMan]

Good transformation Geroges, i'd definitely get more variations in your routine though.

 

[DanTheMan]

Inspirational post.

Hi mate, I'm a colitis sufferer and have to say that's one of the best posts I've read in a long time. I know how hard it is to maintain weight, never mind gain any with these sorts of illnesses.

Could you tell me your daily diet? I'm struggling myself to have any energy to work, let alone to work out.

 

[fluffmct]

Could you tell me your daily diet? I'm struggling myself to have any energy to work, let alone to work out.

Basically, I just follow the same rules as everyone else in terms of eating more than I do now and when the weight stops going up then eat more again. Just try to make sure that you are getting all the nutrients you need - plenty of meat and veg, good fats, bit of fruit and keep the frequency of meals to every 2 hours. Really try your best to avoid processed foods because of the damage it can cause - if you really want a sandwich then make it with brown bread instead of white etc.

I try not to rely on numbers too much because I'm not sure how much my body absorbs because of the damage done to my digestive organs so I just eat a variety and get a feel for the amount I need (though I guess most people get this after a bit of weight watching).

 

[DanTheMan]

Basically, I just follow the same rules as everyone else in terms of eating more than I do now and when the weight stops going up then eat more again. Just try to make sure that you are getting all the nutrients you need - plenty of meat and veg, good fats, bit of fruit and keep the frequency of meals to every 2 hours. Really try your best to avoid processed foods because of the damage it can cause - if you really want a sandwich then make it with brown bread instead of white etc.

I try not to rely on numbers too much because I'm not sure how much my body absorbs because of the damage done to my digestive organs so I just eat a variety and get a feel for the amount I need (though I guess most people get this after a bit of weight watching).

Cheers mate . I do eat far too much processed food and I've found it hard to change that whilst living with parents and not really having much say when it comes to shopping.

Me and the gf will be moving out early next year if things go to planned so I'll be in charge of my own food then which will help me change my lifestyle much easier.

 

[Shicky]

Transformation

Fantastic post mate, keep meaning to check out centaur at some stage since some of the powerlifting lads stroll into QUB PEC often enough. I thought it was meant to be fairly spit and sawdust? Doesn't look it in your pics/your brothers webby if its the same place im thinking of!

 

[fluffmct]

Fantastic post mate, keep meaning to check out centaur at some stage since some of the powerlifting lads stroll into QUB PEC often enough. I thought it was meant to be fairly spit and sawdust? Doesn't look it in your pics/your brothers webby if its the same place im thinking of!

Nah my brother works in fitness first. I was taking photos for him for the telegraph and got a few took of myself just to see progress.

Centaur is very hardcore.
One of the personal trainers there and now co-owner has a video of himself on youtube in Centaur although the place is being revamped at the minute - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG3JbPMzVKg They've just added some tyres, logs and a hammer. Great place to train!

 

[Alex_6n2]

Been putting off uploading pictures for ages but I think I'm at a point where other peoples opinions would be valued, so here goes.

Got to 20 stone a year ago last christmas and decided I was feeling a bit ****. Been hitting the gym since. Tackled A LOT of diet issues too (This was my main problem as I used to be extremely fussy, this meant I really just ate of a lot of sugary stuff!) which I think is my biggest improvement over the last 16 months or so.

Under taken running and biking averaging about 3x40min sessions a week (less at the mo' due to exams :/) and I'm on a 4 day split body routine with my mates from rugby in the weight room. I have fat pictures but lets not!

Height: 194cm
Original weight: 129KG
Current weight: 108KG in the morning
PL Current Total = 430KG

I don't really know what constitutes a "good" picture for showing my shape so I just took a couple on my phone
Pictures:

Ones of my back mainly showed the ceiling and my head so need to get someone else to take some.

Opinions welcome guys.

 

[Freefaller]

Tall bugger aren't you?! You're touching on 10cm taller than me, and weighing in at nearly 10kg more too - what are the odds?

Losing 20kg is a massive task and you need to be congratulated for that as that takes some effort. You currently lack a lot of definition, now whether that is because you're BF is still a little high or that your muscle mass is still less than what it should be. However I can't imagine what you looked like with your previous weight! Then again I know people at 5'8" who weigh what you used to and just look like brick outhouses!

What are your aims / goals? Lose more weight? Lose fat? Gain muscle? Strength?

 

[Shicky]

Nah my brother works in fitness first. I was taking photos for him for the telegraph and got a few took of myself just to see progress.

Centaur is very hardcore.
One of the personal trainers there and now co-owner has a video of himself on youtube in Centaur although the place is being revamped at the minute - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG3JbPMzVKg They've just added some tyres, logs and a hammer. Great place to train!

Ah makes sense, must get down there for a session some day, to throw some tyres about at the very least!

 

[Alex_6n2]

Tall bugger aren't you?! You're touching on 10cm taller than me, and weighing in at nearly 10kg more too - what are the odds?

Losing 20kg is a massive task and you need to be congratulated for that as that takes some effort. You currently lack a lot of definition, now whether that is because you're BF is still a little high or that your muscle mass is still less than what it should be. However I can't imagine what you looked like with your previous weight! Then again I know people at 5'8" who weigh what you used to and just look like brick outhouses!

What are your aims / goals? Lose more weight? Lose fat? Gain muscle? Strength?

All of the above.

Want to try and get my BF% down quite a bit but my weight loss has slowed as of late. Need to kick up my cardio a bit I think and this is exactly what I plan on doing over summer.

Eventually I'd also like to hit a 500KG total for the big 3 lifts but again my gains, especially bench, have slowed down. My mates have had the same though and they said just to keep going and push through it.

Hopefully by the end of summer (October time) I'd like to weigh either a little bit less or the same but with a hike in muscle mass. My frame is quite big so I think at 108kg I could look quite lean still.

 

[Freefaller]

it's a good weight for your height IMO. I want to stick to 100kg, but lean up a bit, which is a task and a half, but I'm only a mere 185cms tall!

I think you can lean out and stay at 108kg with some lean muscle mass increase you'd look very impressive. My target is 600kg, but it's getting those big weights up that are getting harder and harder.

 

[Alex_6n2]

600KG is a good target tbh. Not too many people hitting the bigger numbers like that. I'd like to reach 500 before the end of uni, which I think is reasonable for the time frame, and then continue on from there.

My DL is holding me back a bit as I'm still not 100% confident pushing past 160KG. Had loads of trouble with my lower back due to rugby when I was younger and its made me nervous with it. I guess the more lifting I do the better my form will get and the more my confidence will grow. At least I hope so anyway!

 

[Freefaller]

I play rugby too, but it's all about technique. Get the technique right and you'll get it. The DL is probably one of the best exercises ever. I love it love it love it.

As you say practice is key. And try increments of just 1 or 2kg rather than anything much bigger. Confidence is important too as is strength obviously. But strength is nothing without form and technique.

 

[BennyC]

I'd recommend 5x5, 5 sets of your 5 rep max for DL if you wish to increase it. I can vouch for this for my bench as I put on 15KG in about 5/6 weeks. Beginning to use it on my DL'ing too, hopefully will see some improvements!

 

[Cristian]

is it okay to use 5x5's for just a muscle group (thinking of chest as well) and classic pyramid for the rest?

 

[BennyC]

is it okay to use 5x5's for just a muscle group (thinking of chest as well) and classic pyramid for the rest?

No its illegal...

Don't see why not. You'll get more strength gains as opposed to more mass with the 5x5. Like I said I used it for my bench, but thats a compound. Did you mean using 5x5 for isolation exercises like flyes and tricep pushdowns/extensions?

 

[Cristian]

i was thinking for bench pressing and incline db press.
I know it's not illegal, but unfortunately neither is doing 50 reps with 5kg on that pulldown machine as I see many people.

I know that 5x5 is for strength but a bit more volume is needed for bodybuilding, I was just wondering if it's likely to get any results if only change my bench exercises and leave the rest as it is now.