OcUK Health Seekers: Post your progress pics

shifty_uk · 24 May 2009 at 22:58

Paramount said:
Nice look shifty, kinda what I'm going for. Whats are your stats and what kinda weight do you lift, if you don't mind me asking?

Sorry dude, didn't catch your post. Stats? I have absolutely no idea to be honest. I'm 5'9 with a 30'' waist.....other than that, I don't take any measurements whatsoever - perhaps I should, actually!

Might be beneficial. I don't lift that heavy and I don't up my weights regularly. I just give different muscle groups a good bashing roughly 3 times weekly. I like supersets and pre/post muscle exhaustion.

Oh and I try and eat fairly healthily but it's difficult!

Due to my lack of training and bad diet as of late I feel quite muscle-less and skinny looking in the mirror. I don't feel pumped, there's no aching....it's rather depressing

Must..get..things..back..on..track!

fluffmct · 24 May 2009 at 23:57

Steedie - really nice progress. Just be careful not to slouch in your photos, I think that's whats making your shoulders look smaller than they actually are. I take photos of transformations for a personal trainer I know and his clients have a habit of slouching to show their chest and traps, not realising they are dwarfing their shoulders. Would be great to see photos of you puffing chest out and shoulders back. Just a minor thing really but thought it might help.

Gotta love this thread. Seeing everyone here come on in leaps and bounds really spurs me on to train hard

G-MAN2004 · 1 Jun 2009 at 16:51

Shifty, that is pretty much how I'd like to look. Shame I haven't been in the gym for about three weeks though.

Gaijin · 1 Jun 2009 at 17:12

Anyone got some suggestions for decent back exercises? I've neglected mine a bit lately and need to get back on it. My gym used to have a decent seated row machine but it got ousted during a refit.

dun · 1 Jun 2009 at 17:41

Pull downs, rows, deadlifts.

Mansize_tissue · 2 Jun 2009 at 03:16

Sorry for the horrendous quality! Don't know why I'm bending over in the shot which was supposed to be showing my legs, either.

I think my chest needs more work to be honest. I hit it hard with dumbbell presses, dips, dumbbell pullovers and flies but it doesn't seem to grow. :/

Hopefully I'll see some improvement when I eventually get a proper bench so I can make use of my barbell properly.

Freefaller · 2 Jun 2009 at 09:50

Looking lean and pretty good. I'd say your shoulders need a lot of work if I'm honest. Back is looking good, even and relatively symmetrical with some decent size, though the lower part of the traps could do with some development, and there's plenty of width to be had from the lats, but looking good, definitely an aesthetically pleasing physique. I'd agree that the chest seems a bit short but even, it's not as bad as you make out. Incline work, slow negatives, and some 5x5 routines would be good for you. Glad to see your legs are being worked on too - not looking chicken legged!

Arms are looking good, but again tris are a little lacking IMO.

Sorry, that sounded really negative

Honestly, you're looking well developed as I don't know what you're after and only basing it on my opinion about getting big you've got a fantastic low BF base and great vascularity that could develop into a very powerful and aesthetically pleasing physique. Ultimately if you're happy with it then that's all that counts!

Mansize_tissue · 2 Jun 2009 at 10:52

Cheers, Freefaller. Don't worry about sounding negative, that's exactly the sort of critique I was after.

I noticed my back looked a little... thin in certain areas, notably the lower traps like you said. What exercise(s) would would suggest to target this? I don't do shrugs at the moment, so I could add them into my routine for traps but I don't know whether it'll hit the lower part or not. What about bending over and doing scapular contractions with dumbbells in each hand? I guess that'd do the trick to some extent.

Interesting you mentioned a 5x5 routine. I haven't really considered this before but I might give it a go because I'm growing a little bored with my current routine which I don't think I change regularly enough. Would this be for my entire weight lifting routine, or just for the chest work?

Basically, I'd rather get big and soft than small and ripped, but I'm not really interested in bulking and cutting. I'd rather just get there gradually and maintain my diet accordingly.

Thank you very much for your input, really appreciate it and I'll try to put it to good use!

Paramount · 2 Jun 2009 at 14:52

You don't do shrugs? How have you got traps like that without focusing them?

Freefaller · 2 Jun 2009 at 15:01

I don't do shrugs, you should see mine!

nicho12 · 2 Jun 2009 at 18:27

mansize_tissue, do you do much lat work?

dun · 2 Jun 2009 at 18:32

I do shrugs, you should see mine!

Vegeta · 2 Jun 2009 at 18:39

Lat's are quite easy I think.

dun · 2 Jun 2009 at 19:04

Vegeta said:
Lat's are quite easy I think.

Quite easy to what grow or the actual exercises? Either way you aren't doing them right

Morba · 2 Jun 2009 at 19:16

Vegeta said:
Lat's are quite easy I think.

eh?
if something is easy then you arent doing it right or your arent going hard enough.

nicho12 · 2 Jun 2009 at 19:51

yeah, no pain, no gain!

Freefaller · 2 Jun 2009 at 20:05

Vegeta said:
Lat's are quite easy I think.

They are if you don't have any

Vegeta · 2 Jun 2009 at 20:51

Grow - I always find my Lats, Traps and Triceps much easier to grow than anything else, I find my Calves really hard.

Freefaller · 2 Jun 2009 at 21:21

Calves are used day in day out more so than the lats, you have to really push the calves a lot harder, as in REALLY punish them. Calves have a lot more resistance than most muscles.

Vegeta · 2 Jun 2009 at 21:25

My legs are pathetic - I can lift a fair deal on them but they are truly dreadful. I've always found my Chest/Biceps and Calves really hard to grow I don't know why just do, I guess it's just genetics I guess and compared to rest I find the other spots a lot easier and don't require half as much work.