Who here bodybuilds?

[parkerscott]

Looking through these threads it seems tons of people are fitness inclined. So are most of you guys and girls into living a healthy lifestyle or are you trying to to work on your physique?

 

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[FutureWorldDominator]

haha bodybuilding...I started as D1 college athlete, but then it translated over to just fitness,weight and health..... but for me being in gym creates discipline and habit, helps me spread it over everything else in my life. How about yourself parker?

 

[parkerscott]

haha bodybuilding...I started as D1 college athlete, but then it translated over to just fitness,weight and health..... but for me being in gym creates discipline and habit, helps me spread it over everything else in my life. How about yourself parker?

Well i have been freestyle bmxing since about 6th grade and around 10th grade i took a weightlifting class and just mindlessly started lifting weights whenever it was convenient. Then in college i started going to the gym and started focusing on increasing my lifts. I went from like 120lbs like 6% up to around 170 at like 15% in a couple of years. Im working on a cut right now so i dont look so crappy. My lifts have really improved though, and my body is looking a lot better. My goals are to hit my natural limit if that counts.

 

[FutureWorldDominator]

thats a great goal... goood luck!

 

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[Daniel A]

I started habitually building my body upper body muscle near the end of 8th grade with dumbbells and a bowflex lol. Then I continued on with lifting weights until about a year ago.

I'm getting into calisthenics now though, I'm going to focus on that for all of 2014.

Sports/keeping myself active is a lifestyle habit for me so I've almost always been in good shape, until recently. I'd say right now I am in the worst shape of my life in terms of overall health and aesthetics (I care about health more though). During 2014 all that will change and for the better

 

[parkerscott]

I'm getting into solely body weight exercises (no free weights anymore, except maybe a barbell/weight) and a lot of cardiovascular exercises for December and in preparation for 2014.

I'm going to try to do that for all of 2014. I'll take pictures of before and after.

I've always been in sports or keeping myself active so I've always been in good shape, until recently. I'd say right now I am in the worst shape of my life in terms of overall health and aesthetics. 2014 will be a great year though...for business, health, etc. I'm already getting back in shape but when January 1, 2014 is here...I'll step up my game.

I feel ya. If i jump on a treadmill i would probably die. If you give me some compound lifts though im ready to rock. I think once i get my body into the realm of aesthetics that im looking for i will focus on cardiovascular strength etc.

 

[Daniel A]

I feel ya. If i jump on a treadmill i would probably die. If you give me some compound lifts though im ready to rock. I think once i get my body into the realm of aesthetics that I'm looking for I will focus on cardiovascular strength etc.

Haha, that's not good man. I wonder what a good balance really is, what do you think?

I value cardio a lot because the sports I played in the past were focused on that and I think it's better for my body type.

I almost finished the book that GSP (Georges St-Pierre) wrote and he got into gymnastics, haha. Those guys are really strong and have a more natural muscular look, that's what I want and will work on.

 

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[parkerscott]

Haha, that's not good man. I wonder what a good balance really is, what do you think?

I value cardio a lot because the sports I played in the past were focused on that and I think it's better for my body type.

I almost finished the book that GSP (Georges St-Pierre) wrote and he got into gymnastics, haha. Those guys are really strong and have a more natural muscular look, that's what I want and will work on.

I think as long as i can ride my bike over 10 miles easily, and can run a pretty good distance i think i might be fine. Im mainly working on my physique rather than endurance, and i know im probably better off than most people considering how many people smoke,drink,and do absolutely no exercise, and have tons of bodyfat. Im still young though, so i think i can probably put cardio on the backburner for a little longer, but then again im about to start cutting weight so i will be doing a little cardio.

 

[Daniel A]

Oh yeah man, you're good. WAY better than the average guy out there! Like you said most people just don't take care of themselves. Even MJ did a video on nutrition and exercise I believe.

 

[snowbank]

i know im probably better off than most people considering how many people smoke,drink,and do absolutely no exercise, and have tons of bodyfat

comparing yourself to average people will not give you very good results. better than average is a horrible benchmark(the average person is lazy), that can often trick you into thinking positively about a result.

i know that wasn't the point of your thread, but it's really limiting thinking that if you remove from your mind will help you a lot

 

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[snowbank]

I wouldn't call myself a bodybuilder, but I started getting serious about my body/health starting last year.

I hired a world champion bodybuilder to help me with my training/diet, and I can confidently say the results have been life changing for me in many ways.

Simple tweaks to your training/diet can make all the difference, and it's been well worth the money to have someone who knows exactly how to get the results there to give guidance.

 

[Silverhawk851]

'm getting into calisthenics now though,I'm going to try to focus on that for all of 2014.

Calisthetics is AMAZING. All I've been doing lately.

I was close to 195lb 6"1 with 14% BF, 275lb flat bench, until I took a nasty slide off my motorcycle while in a T-Shirt.
Hit 158LB on my low, mainly because I was confined to a bed for 2 months almost.

Started back from 0, which I'll tell you, is alot more demanding than starting off for the first time.

back to 183LB, 225lb Bench, and calisthetics is doing it for me man. Never been so shredded, or had the cuts in my back that I do now. Muscle ups, dips, abs, everything on the bar. I'm in love man.

 

[theag]

Wouldn't call myself a bodybuilder, but I started taking it serious when I moved back here 3 months ago. Was lifting before, but never had a really structured approach and was more like training 2 weeks, then slacking off for 2 months. I started getting more informed about everything in the beginning of 2013 but was stalled by an accident in february and had to pause for a few months. Now serious for the last 3 months.

My current goal is cutting to 8% bf while keeping muscle/strength. Right now at 195lbs with approx. 18%. I'm 6"1. 3 months ago I was at approx 25% and 210lbs. 1 year ago 240lbs and I dont even want to think about my bodyfat then.

Diet is very on point right now. I am doing a modified carb nite, basically 4,5 days ultra low carb with very close to 0g carbs and a big carb refeed on the evening of the 5th day. Everything is calculated to the gram. I eat the exact same meal 3x a day (approx. 1/2lbs lean beef, 1/2lbs broccoli and some butter) and do my 500-600g carb refeeds using pure maltodextrin powder.

I am losing close to 1% bf per week while my weight stays the same/only goes down very slighty. BF is measured with the navy measuring tape method. Should hit my goal BF% somewhere end of february / beginning of march, at which point I will change my diet a little bit by doing carb backloads every or every other day for muscle growth.

Training program is 5/3/1, was 5x5 starting strength before. Currently in the first cycle of the program and its hard to "check the ego at the door" like Wendler says, because the weights are kinda low right now. But my goal is longterm progress so I'm committing to the program. My maxes at the start of the 5/3/1 program were bench 180, squat 275 and deadlift 380, which I would consider not really strong but a good foundation for the strength program I'm doing now.

Weight training is 4x/week in the afternoon. I do a 30min HIIT session (either 5 cycles of 2min fullout sprint/4min rest on a spinning bike or 5 cycles of hill sprints outside) on the 2 mornings after my refeed to deplete glycogen stores for better fat loss, followed by 30min treadmill walk. Every other morning I'm on the treadmill doing incline walking for an hour while listening to audiobooks.

Basically I optimized my diet and training to a point where I just have to stick with it and will see great results soon.

Fitness goals beyond "looking good": signed up for 2 strongman runs in 2014 and want to finish a full length ironman in 2015.

 

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[FDJustin]

Recently, I started doing bodyweight exercises after getting up in the morning. The goals are very modest. Keep the parts in good working order, and have a worthwhile start to every day.

I know it's not much, but it's easy to stick to and once it's a proper habit, will make a good foundation if I decide to up the standards.

 

[Red]

Diet is very on point right now.

This is key.

You can't out-train a poor diet.

It's always good to see people taking active measures to improve -whether it be business or physical.

Simple tweaks to your training/diet can make all the difference

Do you happen to have a thread on this, B?

 

[hotshot]

I am a "bodybuilder".. feels weird saying that cuz I'm not jacked yet.

I used to be a runner but realized I wasn't going to get jacked if I'm burning all the calories running.

I lift about 4 times a week for 40 minutes. It feels like I'm getting results every time I go. Just doing compound lifts and eating like a mofo. I used to isolate muscles / mess around on the machines, but these compound lifts are amazing! Especially squats. I had avoided them for years...

 

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[parkerscott]

comparing yourself to average people will not give you very good results. better than average is a horrible benchmark(the average person is lazy), that can often trick you into thinking positively about a result.

i know that wasn't the point of your thread, but it's really limiting thinking that if you remove from your mind will help you a lot

yeah that wasnt really my intent lol. I was just trying to say that ive been to the doctor, and my blood pressure is fine, and i have a pretty good diet, and that i get cardio in through other means (freestyle bmx) So i was basically saying im in pretty good shape, and im focusing more on looks rather than extreme health considering im still young. And yes the average person is extremely lazy so that wasnt a very good benchmark lol.

 

[Hong King Kong]

I'm a bodybuilder. But to be honest, I think it gets in the way of building a fastlane business. It takes up so much time, atleast a couple hours out the day. getting to the gym, lifting for 45 - hour, cookin the right meals, and making sure you sleep enough for muscles to heal. Over the years the hours can add up...

Sometimes I just wanna quit for a while, but it makes me feel weird. Its like not letting a dog for a walk, makes me feel sad haha.

 

[hotshot]

I agree. The food can get expensive as well. Gotta start making bigger batches to save time.

I use that time to listen to podcasts usually. It's also good for your mood and health so maybe not so bad in the long run.

 

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[XOthermic]

Fitness goals beyond "looking good": signed up for 2 strongman runs in 2014 and want to finish a full length ironman in 2015.

Nice Goal on the ironman! I have my first marathon coming up here this weekend.

I swim 4 times a week and have worked myself up to a mile swim in a little over a month. I also do stationary biking at the gym and just recently added actual road biking to my program. I live in a nice location for training. The ocean is available for open swims and the surrounding area has nice hills for biking and running challenges. I'm looking to compete in my first Ironman in 2014.

 

[lifer]

I bodybuild... It's pretty much my life. A year ago I took the extra step and started using steroids.

 

[Hong King Kong]

I bodybuild... It's pretty much my life. A year ago I took the extra step and started using steroids.

Switched to the dark side eh? I've seen many people make the switch, seems like once you go down this path there is no coming back. Unless you're competing I don't really see why you would need to.

 

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[Tom.V]

I was never really a bodybuilder, but I was at a competitive level a bit more than a year ago (pre-fastlane) in powerlifting. Having worked construction my entire life, being super strong made my work days easier and it was something that just stuck with me from back in my brick mason days. In December of 2011 I pulled a 1RM deadlift of 535lbs at 155lbs. Now, since I haven't been to the gym in months, I'd be lucky to get up 405lb.

It is something I really miss doing, just because of the overall feeling of power and vitality, but as HKK said, it is VERY time consuming. Particularly if you are at a competitive level or plan to be. I'll get back into it when I get my current business streamlined a bit more and have some free time, mainly for health reasons.

 

[Michael Ten]

I go to a gym 2-4 times per week. I like it. I think that more individuals should do it.

 

[lifer]

Switched to the dark side eh? I've seen many people make the switch, seems like once you go down this path there is no coming back. Unless you're competing I don't really see why you would need to.

I don't ever see myself going back to training natural. I have to admit that I love steroids. Partly because I had low testosterone to begin with. The depression, insecurities etc were all gone. I'm not even sure if I like the mental effects more than the physical.

 

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[blancseing]

Not bodybuilding per se, but within the last few months I got into powerlifting and I love it. Right now I do it 3 times a week for a few hours each time. Squats, deadlifts, bench, overhead press, and powercleans.

I've never been very athletic prior to this, but I was never introduced to the surprising fun of picking up heavy things and putting them back down! I would like to compete sometime next year, and maybe get into the Olympic lifts. It is time consuming, but definitely worth it.

 

[snowbank]

Do you happen to have a thread on this, B?

No, may make a post on it at some point. Hit me up if you have questions on it— you know how to find me

 

[Daniel A]

I don't ever see myself going back to training natural. I have to admit that I love steroids. Partly because I had low testosterone to begin with.

Are you talking about TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy), is that considered a steroid? I heard about a lot of older guys taking it...not just to get big and buff but to have all the benefits of a bit more testosterone. Now that seems normal to me haha, but I wouldn't do something like that until about 30+ years from now I bet.

 

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[sethnejame]

I've always been pretty health conscious. Been lifting on and off my whole life, and recently just completed 12 months of the Stronglifts 5x5 program. I practiced Stronglifts and followed Berkhan's LeanGains diet on the side to trim down, but I like my beer so I didn't see the results I wanted. I did however get pretty lean and gained about 15lb of lean muscle.

I canceled my LA Fitness membership 2 months ago. I was tired of going to the gym and working out for the sake of working out, and being in Los Angeles, I didn't like the vibe I was getting from a lot of types of folks that go there. After I canceled, I joined a Muay Thai gym instead. Now, not only can I lift in a smaller, less busy gym, but I also have unlimited access to Muay Thai classes all week and I'm learning a fighting style (or relearning. . .I took up kickboxing years ago).

 

[T14]

comparing yourself to average people will not give you very good results. better than average is a horrible benchmark(the average person is lazy), that can often trick you into thinking positively about a result.

i know that wasn't the point of your thread, but it's really limiting thinking that if you remove from your mind will help you a lot

Bingo.

You said your goal is to reach your natural limits. How about a number? How much do you want to weigh? At what % BF? What about the weights you lift? Reps? Sets?

I will 1 rep max 5 plates for squat and deadlift by March 30, 2014. Bench 3 and a quarter. I'll maintain a bodyweight of 195 but lower my BF to 7%. THIS is how you should set your goals. Same goes for your macros.

HongKingKong is right in that BB does require a time commitment. Preparing meals, eating, commute to gym, exercising, sleeping, etc all add up. I've been living the lifestyle for a solid 5+ years and can certainly attest to his point. I love it though, so I don't mind one bit.

Let me know if I can help you with anything