Motivation /Tracking Thread

[stangin4lyfe]

I'm still trying to get up to a fairly lean 260 but keep getting sick from respiratory issues and dropping 20-25lbs each time then back up a bit once I get healthy again. Having severe asthma sure doesn't help anything. I think I'm back up to around 255lbs but not as hard as I would like due to the sicknesses and being off my regiment. Once I hit 260lbs, I think I will finally have enough muscle mass to actually try to shred down a bit. This past year, I actually cut out all cardio so I think I'll have to relearn how to do cardio again lol.

[CWO]

so I am down to 180lbs. How does one start 'bulking up'?.... The good way.

Also, you guys need to check out a documentary called "That Sugar Film". I watched it on Amazon Video/Prime, but I'm sure it can be found elsewhere. It really opened my eyes to the actual problem for most people in America.

http://thatsugarfilm.com/

[GeorgeG.]

so I am down to 180lbs. How does one start 'bulking up'?.... The good way.

Also, you guys need to check out a documentary called "That Sugar Film". I watched it on Amazon Video/Prime, but I'm sure it can be found elsewhere. It really opened my eyes to the actual problem for most people in America.
http://thatsugarfilm.com/

"The good way".... you ain't got that kind of time, lol. Just kidding! Have you considered a pro-hormone cycle? It's legal... I don't recall the specifics but there was one that I did with DAA, Anabeta, and Erase with fairly good results.

Are you still on TRT? If so, what's your dosage? That alone might be good enough to be considered "the good way". Just increase your macro nutrients, lift heavy, and be patient.

[CWO]

"The good way".... you ain't got that kind of time, lol. Just kidding! Have you considered a pro-hormone cycle? It's legal... I don't recall the specifics but there was one that I did with DAA, Anabeta, and Erase with fairly good results.

Are you still on TRT? If so, what's your dosage? That alone might be good enough to be considered "the good way". Just increase your macro nutrients, lift heavy, and be patient.

Yes sir. I inject .75ml/weekly. I really haven't considered anything to this point. I've never in my life thought I'd ever have to gain weight, I've always been the opposite. I mean I know I'll have to get in the gym and start picking up heavy stuff and putting it back down and eating more but that's about the extend of my knowledge.

Whatever I end up doing it's got to be realistic to maintain it, and I'm not getting any younger, so it has to be reasonable.

[current situation]

supplements/meds:
.75ml/weekly of testosterone injections
high dose fish oil, twice daily
red yeast rice (high cholesterol), twice daily
Vitamin D, daily
10mg Anastrozle, daily

breakfast:
(3) egg whites
(2) whole eggs
(1) Syntha-6 protein shake in 10oz water

lunch:
1/4lb of Boars Head deli turkey
(1) handful of baby carrots
(1) apple with cashew butter

snacks:
popcorn
or Greek yogurt with blueberries and Stevia
or celery
or plain almonds

dinner:
salmon or chicken or shrimp or steak
broccoli or cauliflower or bell peppers or sweet potatoes or...
we have onions and garlic just about every night
I always cook with coconut oil

I stopped drinking anything but water and the occasional single malt. No beer, soda, juices, etc.

Essentially my wife and I are watching our sugar intake and trying to keep it as low as possible, particularly added sugar. Always fresh food and nothing from a box, with rare exceptions.


I'm hoping to get some direction on what to either add to my diet or what to increase in order to add ~15 lbs of muscle. I'd also like to find a basic list of exercises to do and a M-F workout schedule I can keep going.

[GeorgeG.]

10 mg Anastrozole DAILY??? You sure about that? I'm taking 1mg/wk.

As far as putting on muscle, you're going to get a different opinion from each person you ask so take mine with a grain of salt. As far as direction, you're going to need to eat. A good rule I've always heard was 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight. Then you'll definitely need more carbs that what you're currently taking. Expect to gain a little fat during this process, if you eat clean enough and dial in your intake vs. expenditures, it could be minimal though.

In all honesty, the right way is to start out by doing this with a badass diet and workout regimen. Once you've hit that limit, then you could consider a pro hormone. All in all, 15 lbs of muscle is probably a 2 year ordeal if done "the right way".

As far as a workout routine, you'll have to find what works for you. You could start out with an upper body/lower body/core routine for a while. At some point, you'll probably see that you're getting a great workout but not really pushing yourself as hard as you could be. This was where I started. I added cardio between days.

Or you could do a push/pull type workout so you can concentrate on specific muscle groups per day for a longer period. This is kinda what I'm doing. It works for me. There's another workout that is great for building muscle but I can remember the name of it. I'm sure someone here can name it, basically it's about 5 sets...you increase the weight as you decrease the reps, till the last set, then you reduce the weight and go to failure...I know that doesn't help much. Unfortunately I can't remember. It works, I did it for a while but I seem to default back to the push/pull method. Again, that is what works with the time I have avail.

*disclaimer: I'm not a pro by any means and I still have a long way to go.

[CWO]

sorry, 1mg daily haha

[GeorgeG.]

sorry, 1mg daily haha

Still...from the research I've done, even 5mg/wk is too much. I guess if you have the blood tests to support it, then carry on.

[CWO]

Still...from the research I've done, even 5mg/wk is too much. I guess if you have the blood tests to support it, then carry on.

I just got my labs back a few weeks ago, everything is finally where it should be. Been on this dose for well over a year now.

[Probie]

Down to 205/208. I'm not so much worried about weight loss now as I am with performance and prepping for selection. Need to drop a minute and a half off my 2 mile and 9 min off my five mile. Pushups and sit ups are good. Need to add a few more pull ups though.

[Strychnine]

Down to 205/208. I'm not so much worried about weight loss now as I am with performance and prepping for selection. Need to drop a minute and a half off my 2 mile and 9 min off my five mile. Pushups and sit ups are good. Need to add a few more pull ups though.

How far out are you from your test?

[Shorty]

I'm hoping to get some direction on what to either add to my diet or what to increase in order to add ~15 lbs of muscle. I'd also like to find a basic list of exercises to do and a M-F workout schedule I can keep going.

If you're already happy with my diet and macros just increase the amount you eat so your calories are slightly over maintenance/TDEE. "Naturally" your best bet of gaining muscle is with a caloric excess but it doesn't have to be extreme as you'll also be gaining fat.

As far as a basic strength program look into 5/3/1, ice cream fitness, starting strength, strong lifts, there are a million of them. Find something you like and stick with it.

[SS Junk]

I've gained 15lbs since moving last October. It all hasn't been bad. Clothes are a bit more snug, but since getting back to the gym strength has increased from where it was before moving. Seems the fatter I get the stronger I get. At 46 years old I'm about at the point where I've accepted I'll never look like I did at 26.

[R1psycho]

Well I'm no longer skinny fat, but now more like built fat lol. Sitting at 238 after going of the rails and being lazy food wise. Got tired of meal prep and did the fast food thing and enjoyed things I haven't had for a long time. Anywho, the scale started to creep up even though I was killing myself with an extreme amount of cardio. Now I got the diet back on track, scaled back the cardio and working on burning just fat instead of my gains from lifting. I seem to have found a balance that is working and still grinding. Lifts are sorta stagnant and working through a wrist injury that has destroyed all motivation for lifting heavy. So high reps and experimentation on different movements to keep myself from screaming is the daily agenda. I'll attempt to get some new pics before long to show the progress. Hope everyone is still killing it!

[Mysticcobrakilla]

Damn boy! Keep on doing what you're doing!

[AMJ]

I'm in the same boat Forest, having gained and maintained over the last 8 months or so, can't blame my back though. I read a book that said many expectant fathers gain weight, so that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.

I gained 25lbs when we were expecting my son, I've lost most of it. No girl no son started back lifting weight, working every moment I can. I don't eat sugar foods that much. My main issue is dr.pepper's. Last time on a scale I weighed 180.3