18 replies to this topic

[Not A Nice Person]

My health improvements are nowhere near as dramatic as Big Jake's, but since he inspired me, I figured I'd make this damn post.

Saw the doctor today. In the three months since my last visit, my "bad" cholesterol has dropped from 338 to 214, my "good" cholesterol has jumped back up to "ideal" and my triglycerides are down by a third. I've only lost about 8 pounds, but I've moved so many more of them around that the nurse started taking my weight with the bottom slider on the 200 . . . I laughed at her and she moved it up to 250 and I still laughed . . . when my poundage came in at 308, she said "Damn! You sure carry it good!"

40 minutes cardio and 1 1/2-2 hours serious weightlifting, three times a week. Moved up to 'double plates' on the bench press this week; started doing the South Beach Diet for the summer about a week ago. A lot of this is actually due to my doctor adjusting my Synthroid dosage three months ago; I'd been fatigued all the time up until that but starting feeling like my old self again almost immediately on the new dosage. Good stuff. My inner gym rat is BACK.

Three months ago, I thought it was going to be "sit and be fit" and dog walking and geezer exercises and being tired all the time from now on . . . that my iron pile days were gone for good. I was wrong.

~Boar

[kann]

Congratulations on the improvements and progress! Glad the new meds are doing their job.

As a former bodybuilder/powerlifter/meathead-in-general, I understand where you are coming from. I don't know if it was something Jake released in the air, or what, but I've been back in the gym seriously, too, the last few months. Though nowhere near the numbers I had in 2006, or so, I'm back up to two plates on flat bench and just shy of two on deadlift... though that's a little difficult to do asymmetrically. I do what I can, though. I've been using a modified 5x5 program, again (what I can remember of the Madcow program, since I can't find it online anymore and my old gym notebooks are in storage in the States). Do you have a specific or set program you use?

[Not A Nice Person]

I'm mostly a 3 X 10 traditionalist, although I'll go 4 X 8 when adding weight, or to 4 rep sets when really adding weight.

My full program is something I more or less developed on my own back when I was doing a split system bodybuilder style program---it's a bit like a cross between that and circuit training. I do a warmup cardio on treadmill, then do chest, shoulders, and triceps. Then I do my big full cardio on elliptical, followed by back and biceps, then another cardio on bike, followed by leg exercises. In general, I do big muscle groups and finish off with isolation exercises for the secondary groups---bench followed by triceps, lats followed by biceps.

It keeps my heartrate in the cardio zone, above 120, for pretty much the whole three hours I'm there, and allows for the heaviest possible weights on the "big muscles," while making the isolation work on triceps, biceps, delts, and traps shorter, since they've been worked already immediately beforehand.


I've alway liked to just listen to my body. I've been around the iron pile all my life, so I know a lot of different exercise movements and I'll change it up based on how I'm feeling and what I think I need more of that particular day.

~Boar

[gtadroptop]

Find another stripper. That will take care of the cardio.

Congrats on your progress.

[MoeCizlak]

I certainly hope you corrected the nurse, "You mean 'carry it well', don't you?"

Good for you Boar, that is awesome news. Our whole family has started eating better and exercising together to keep each accountable. I finished the first cycle of P90X a month ago and then I allowed our schedule to interfere, I'm going to get back on it and keep motivated this time.

[mjolnir01]

Great progress, Boar! Keep us posted.

[2K6TBSS]

Congrats Boar. Keep up posted on your progress.

[B.HOBS]

Good Job Boar! Keep it up brother, and keep us updated with your progress!

[thechenman]

Glad to hear your doing well on your progress. It's not always easy getting back in the saddle, but once you're up...it's a whole lot easier to stay on.

[StatHaldol]

Great progress!! You guys have motivated me too, I've been working out and counting calories with MyFitnessPal via IPhone for 4 months and I've lost 40 lbs. Went to the doc yesterday and my BP was 112/60, it's usually around 165/90! Keep up the good work!

[Joebunaga]

Congrats man! Looking forward to hearing more of your progress reports!

[ilikefishes]

It is pretty cool that we all are inspired by each other. Great work brothers keep up the good work. The way I see it the healthier I stay the longer I get to smoke cigars.

[Breedy]

Great progress!! You guys have motivated me too, I've been working out and counting calories with MyFitnessPal via IPhone for 4 months and I've lost 40 lbs. Went to the doc yesterday and my BP was 112/60, it's usually around 165/90! Keep up the good work!

Damn that is a pretty significant drop, good for you!!!

Did your doctor have you on meds? Was the low reading with or with out? Either way it just goes to show what a let extra effort can get you

[StatHaldol]

Great progress!! You guys have motivated me too, I've been working out and counting calories with MyFitnessPal via IPhone for 4 months and I've lost 40 lbs. Went to the doc yesterday and my BP was 112/60, it's usually around 165/90! Keep up the good work!

Damn that is a pretty significant drop, good for you!!!

Did your doctor have you on meds? Was the low reading with or with out? Either way it just goes to show what a let extra effort can get you

Thanks! No meds, just a multi-vitamin and counting calories. I've got about 30 more lbs to go. It's gotten a little harder to lose now, so I've been increasing my workouts.

[Not A Nice Person]

That's excellent progress! I use to be able to do that before Synthroid, but it's harder now.

Still, I'm stronger every workout and feeling great. The weight loss is pretty gradual, but it's happening.

~Boar

[StatHaldol]

That's excellent progress! I use to be able to do that before Synthroid, but it's harder now.

Still, I'm stronger every workout and feeling great. The weight loss is pretty gradual, but it's happening.

~Boar

You're making good progress! Here's a website with some good calculators to give you an idea of how much energy you burn: http://www.fitnessfr...calculator.html

[Not A Nice Person]

Well, I'm apparently stuck at 304 but I sure do carry it differently . . . with summer break here (I'm a high school English teacher, for those that don't know) I'm doing 2-2 1/2 hours of iron every workout now, and a lot more free weight and Smith cage work.

It's the little things I notice, though, that tell me how much stronger and more fit I'm getting. Seriously, before getting back to the iron, if I dropped something on the floor . . . that was kind of a problem.

I'd have to crouch all the way down with a hand on the wall or counter, just to be sure I could get back up. Now I just bend over and pick shit up! My knees don't even hurt anymore when I have to go up stairs!

South Beach is a pretty easy diet to follow, but I'll have to actually get strict with it if I want to break that 300 barrier. It'll come.

The important thing is really just how much better and stronger I feel these days.

~Boar

[jfields]

Hey Boar,
Don't forget! Because muscle has a much greater density, it takes up less volume than an equal mass of fat. It's very possible to get visibly slimmer without a significant drop in weight. With all of that iron you're pumping you've most likely dropped quite a bit of the bad weight, but put on some good with building lean muscle mass.

In just two weeks I've gone from 237 to 222. I do thirty minutes of cardio on my elliptical every morning. For the most part I have cut out carbs and my diet is very simple. I have one of those Delmonte fresh Grapefruit cups in the morning with lots of water. I eat a sensible lunch at work like grilled chicken salads, or a wrap......... I'm amazed at how hard it is to find healthy food options on the road.

For dinner I usually eat just a meat and vegetable with the occasional pasta, or chicken and tuna sandwiches when I can feel my body really telling me I need some carbs. No beer for now, just Gin and Diet Tonic when I feel the need. Sugar is definitely an addiction for me. I felt the same withdrawals after recently giving up all sweets, that I did when I quit smoking cigarettes for about a week and a half, and I still struggle a bit daily not to cave.

My goal is to hit a solid 217 lbs and then start back on my bow-flex with light weight, and twenty reps of five for each target area to add lean muscle. I already feel amazing and don't get those burning, itching marks on my lower belly from my jeans being too tight.

[Not A Nice Person]

I've found that I need more carbs than South Beach recommends to maintain this much intensity in the gym, but I'm only eating a fraction of the carbs I used to---it really DOES make a difference.

Hear ya on the sweets. I love ice cream.

~Boar