So, last weekend I had a moment of (over)confidence and hopped on the scale and boy was I the **** wrong??? I don't even want to say but my diet is has already become way more restrictive and I've ramped up the rowing distances. I still can't believe it based on how my clothes are fitting.... Dayum!
I gave that a go and it improves an overhand grip but is detrimental to an underhand grip near full contraction. With equivalent volume, muscle weighs many times that of fat. If your clothes still fit, it may not be time to panic yet. My new weight as of yesterday morning: 200 Ibs exactly. All the best, Andrew.
I use wrist wrap grips but only for a few exercises. These include lat pulldowns when moving more than my body weight, and oblique leans with >80 pound dumbbells. (I also use them with shrugs when I do dumbbells >80 pounds.) Otherwise I don't use them. I found (with the above exercises) that I was straining and focusing on my grip versus on the actual exercise. And I figure I am gripping enough (for example, I do pull-ups every day) that my grip strength, at almost 55 y/o, is good enough (especially for someone who once was a skinny weakling kid, then an overweight weak adult).
Thank you for the encouragement. Well, I played golf and went to a concert over the weekend so there was some drinking involved. Last night I did a 7.5K with some lifting afterwards (arms stuff). 7.5K is easy again now (avg splits are 2:06 - 2:12) so after another week I'll be comfortable enough to move back up to 10K for good. I try to reserve enough energy to finish my last 500M in the low 1:50's or high 1:40's. I can't even imagine the shape I'd be in if I could pull even a 5K at those rates of speed.
It's a small world... at yesterday's workout session, I ran into a guy I hired and trained years ago at Domino's and he's now a police officer. He said he was in there "trying" to bulk up for his new job. I say "trying" in quotes, because he was a very slim guy when I knew him at Domino's and he looks very strong now. I'd say he's succeeding. All the best, Andrew.
I'm sure I've told this a time or two before, but I've had something similar happen to me. In 2010, I ran into a guy I hadn't seen since high school (at the time about 10 years) and have known since 7th grade. I walked up to him at the gym, and he had a puzzled look and his face like he knew I looked familiar but didn't know why. I say my first name and he immediately spits out my last name and says holy **** man I didn't even recognize you, you look great man. When I graduated high school I weighed barley 115lbs. I had gone all the way up to 155lbs. Needless to say that's a big difference.
This morning I pulled a proper 10K and came out of it pretty fresh, and in similar time to the 2 5K's with a break in between, so that was encouraging. I could pull another 5K right now If I wanted to. Maybe after dinner.
I've been bad, fellas. Very very bad. I'll get back on board..... ....After tonight! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Parked on the couch watching the closing ceremony Made mashed cauliflower for the first time with the fish.
I've never had mashed cauliflower. Need to try it sometime, but I'll let someone else make it for me.
Things are going well! Weigh day today: 198 Ibs. Total weight loss from January 1st: 30 Ibs. The weekly weight drop is starting to plateau, but I'm still getting a lot fitter. The mass I'm retaining is actually newly built muscle, so fat drop is still progressing just as rapidly. I'm going to have to make some new holes in my belts as I'm presently on the tightest settings. I had my first personal training session the other day and after a gruelling circuit the PT said: "That's the third best time from one of my clients". I asked him if he meant amongst first-timers and he said, "No, ever." So I'm training hard now to take the top spot. New exercises incorporated into my existing exercise program include a cardio approximation of skiing, clean-jerks with a barbell, and work with medicine balls. The aforementioned grip strength problems are gradually decreasing as I improve the weakest muscles in the compound movements - the weight is going up and I'm starting to feel it in other muscles now. All the best, Andrew.
J! Wuddup man? Hope all is great and you've enjoyed the onslaught of rain we Texans have been experiencing. Will this madness ever end?? D - Awesome. Eating like a champ! A - Glad to see you hitting stride! Very impressive. Been smoking cigs and drinking off and on. Still hitting the gym but not really going anywhere with it. Basically just lifting to maintain. Really need to set a goal again. Will be chewing on it for a few days before I decide... Looking forward to having my accountability partners keep me in check once again.
Lukas! Thanks man! Likewise, brotha. Sitting at the nearest quality Mexican food resturant, picking up 30 tortillas and two quarts of refried. Gonna throw 8 lbs of skirt steak in the pit, and make me enough main course food for the next four or five days. Need to figure out some side dishes. And I still need to set a goal. But at least I'm getting consistent protein intake started back up again.
First goal is easy my friend: Skip the refried, replace with shrimp or peppers - and you're good to go bro!!!!
Thanks Lukas! We should make you the FChat Fitness Ambassador for being so encouraging. My wife says I missed a bit of a trick by not taking any shirtless "before" photos to compare later. Ah well, I'm not going backwards to get them - although I'm nowhere near done, it was hard enough getting to this point. All the best, Andrew.