Progress

[feardaram]

Stats
6'3, Male, 26 years old
June 2009: 225lbs, pic: http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...90_91267_n.jpg
November 2009: 200lbs, pic: http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._7594540_n.jpg

Goals
Primary: drop down to 185-190lbs
Secondary: maintain the little muscle I currently have, adding a little would be a bonus

Summary: I've always been a fat kid. I dropped roughly 100lbs (300 to 200) through help from this website about 5-6 years ago. Then I met a girl, graduated college (no more free/close gym), had to live in the real world with responsibilities, and got married. That lead to steadily decreasing physical activity and increased eating. Slowly went back up to 235lbs. Over the last 2 years I would drop a few pounds here and there, but nothing serious.

Late June I decided I was sick and tired of being fat. I began running (jogging) and watching what I eat a bit. Ive dropped a decent amount of fat but can tell I lost a bit of muscle as well (not that I had much to begin with). Also, I've hit a wall. I haven't lost any weight in over a month. A lot of this probably has to do with my diet being completely crap.

A week ago I joined a gym, began the SS routine, and will continue with some running. Figured this would be a good spot to log the weights I am using (getting hard to remember them all). Please do laugh it up, I am insanely weak. I am currently using ETS, Thermocin, Multi-Plus, and Nitrean. I am attempting to correct some of the numerous faults of my diet. Namely eating some sort of a breakfast, eating more continuously throughout the day, and being semi-focused on eating some protein. Trying to consume 2000cal/day.

I thought I would be skinnier at 6'3 200lbs, but I attribute that to some of my weight loss being muscle. I am certainly still holding a good amount of fat in my chest, stomach, and love handle areas.

Thursday 10/29
Squat: 135lbs, 5x3
DB Bench: 50lbs (per hand), 5x3
Deadlift: 185lbs, 5x1
Treadmill HIIT: messing around for approx 15 minutes trying to figure out speeds/inclines

Friday 10/30
Treadmill HIIT: 2% incline, 6 one minute intervals of 8mph/4mph, final 2min at 8mph

Saturday 10/31
Squat: 145lbs, 5x3
BB Shoulder Press: 85lbs, 5x3
BB Rows (subbed for Power Cleans): 95lbs, 5x3

Sunday 11/1
Outside slow 2 mile jog

Monday 11/2 Morning weigh in: 199lbs
Squat: 155lbs, 5x3
DB Bench: 55lbs, 5x3
Deadlift: 190lbs, 5x1
Treadmill HIIT: 2% incline, 4 one minute intervals of 8mph/4mph, final 1:30 at 8mph

Tuesday 11/3
Very slow 2 mile jog outside

Wednesday 11/4
Rest

Thursday 11/5
Squat: 165lbs, 5x3
BB Shoulder Press: 90lbs, 5x3
BB Rows: 100lbs, 5x3
Treadmill HIIT: 2% incline, 4 one minute intervals of 8mph/4mph, final 1:30 at 8mph

Today was by far the best day since I began SS. The squats absolutely murdered my legs the first week, especially my glutes/hams. The weight had been feeling heavy (and is obviously NOT heavy) and the overall motion had been feeling plain weird. Today the weight felt much lighter and I felt in the groove form-wise.

[Off Road]

Nothing to laugh at in here. It looks like you have a good plan and you are already making progress. Good job.

[feardaram]

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

[feardaram]

Friday 11/6
Moderate 2 mile jog outside

Saturday 11/7
Squat: 170lbs, 5x3
DB Bench: 60lbs, 5x3
Deadlift: 195lbs, 5x1
Treadmill HIIT: 2% incline, 5 alternating 1 minute intervals of 8mph/4mph,

[feardaram]

Sunday 11/8
Moderate 4 mile jog outside

Monday 11/9 Morning weigh in: 196lbs

[Off Road]

Upping the squats every workout...good job.

[feardaram]

thanks man. still going in the right direction today, but hitting all the shoulder presses was very difficult.

Monday 11/9
Squat: 175lbs, 5x3
BB Shoulder Press: 95lbs, 5x3
BB Rows: 105lbs, 5x3
Treadmill HIIT: 2% incline, 5 alternating 1 minute intervals of 8mph/4mph

[feardaram]

Tuesday/Wednesday 11/10 and 11/11
rest

Thursday 11/12
Squat: 180lbs, 5x3
DB Bench: 60lbs, 6x3 (stupid DBs are only in 10lbs increments at 60lbs and above, might switch to BB bench)
Deadlift: 200lbs, 5x1

[feardaram]

Friday 11/13
rest

Saturday/Sunday 11/14 and 11/15
light skiing

Monday 11/16 Morning weigh in: 197lbs, booo
Squat: 185lbs, 5x3
BB Shoulder Press: 100lbs, 5x3
BB Rows: 115lbs, 5x3
Treadmill HIIT: 2% incline, 4 alternating 1 minute intervals of 8.5mph/4mph, 2 alternating 1 minute intervals of 9.5mph/4mph, 1.5 minutes at 9.5mph

[feardaram]

Tuesday 11/17
rest

Wednesday 11/18
Squat: 190lbs, 5x3
DB Bench: 60lbs, 7x3
Deadlift: 205lbs, 5x1
Treadmill HIIT: 2% incline, 5 alternating 1 minute intervals of 9.5mph/4mph

Ran out of Thermocin about a week ago, started using Nitor and Creatine 500 today.

[Off Road]

Sneaking up on that 225 squat number...

[feardaram]

getting there!

Thursday 11/19
rest

Friday 11/20
Squat: 195lbs, 5x3
BB Shoulder Press: 105lbs, a set of 5, then 4, then 3
BB Rows: 120lbs, 5x3

this was my first SS workout where i couldn't increase the weight and do my sets of 5. i figured shoulder press would be my first stumble, the movement just seems so hard for me.

Saturday 11/21 and Sunday 11/22
light skiing

Monday 11/23
Morning weigh in: 199lbs... I am going the wrong way here. This, hopefully, is attributed to the creatine. My diet hasn't been way off or anything.
Squat: 200lbs, 5x3
DB Bench: 60lbs, 8x3
Deadlift: 210lbs, 5x1
Treadmill: jog, 2% incline, 1 mile in 9 minutes

[feardaram]

Tuesday 11/24
rest

Wednesday 11/25
the power rack was being used by a group of like 7 guys the entire time i was there. i did some work to sort of simulate SS (leg press, shoulder press, rows) but there is no need to record weights or reps. i just didn't want my trip to the gym to be an absolute waste.

Thursday 11/26 and Friday 11/27
rest

Saturday 11/28
Squat: 205lbs, 5x3
DB Bench: 70lbs, 5x3
Deadlift: 215lbs, 5x1
Treadmill: HIIT, 2% incline, 5 alternating 1 minute intervals of 9.5mph/4mph

i was pretty pumped that i moved up from 60lb DBs to 70lb DBs on the bench. i thought i might be able to get a single set of 5, or not even a set. to be fair, the reps weren't quite as deep as i'd like. don't get me wrong, they weren't half reps or anything, but i usually go really deep and simply couldn't today if i was going to get these done. that will be the goal for the next few chest work outs.

[Off Road]

Great job sticking with it. The improvements keep adding up.

[feardaram]

thanks! it's nice so far that i really am seeing gains on this routine. a few years ago i lifted for about a year, part of the time on a horrible routine, part of the time on a modified wbb routine. after that year i was probably about the same, strength-wise, as i am now with only about a month of work in. it's sad (my previous progress), really. i know this is all newbie gains, but i'll take what i can get.

Monday 11/30 Morning weight: 201lbs... i keep gaining weight when my goal is to lose. hmm.
Squat: 210lbs, 5x3
BB Shoulder Press: 105lbs, 5x3
BB Rows: 125lbs, 5x3

[platypus]

We've got the same goals; just started from different ends :P Keep up the good work!

[feardaram]

Tuesday 12/1
Treadmill: jog, 1% incline, 2 miles in 17:40

Wednesday 12/2
Squat: 215lbs, 3x5
DB Bench: 70lbs, 3x5, good reps
Deadlift: 220lbs, 1x5
Abs - leg raises: 15,15,8
Treadmill: HIIT, 2% incline, 2 alternating 1 minute intervals of 9.5mph/4mph

pretty weak on the hiit. after 2 intervals my heart felt like it was going to explode, so i called it a day.

[Off Road]

Squat: 215lbs, 3x5.

Just 10 more pounds...you got it

[feardaram]

soon!!

Thursday 12/3 and Friday 12/4
rest

Saturday 12/5
light skiing

Sunday 12/6
Squat: 220lbs, 3x5
BB Shoulder Press: 110lbs, 3x5
BB Rows: 130lbs, 3x5
Treadmill: jog, 1% incline, 1.25m in 12:30

[james_w8lifter]

Nice work in here bro. Keep at and you hit those goals in no time.

[feardaram]

thanks!

Monday 12/7 Morning weight: 200.5lbs
Treadmill: 1% incline, 2 miles in 19:20

[feardaram]

Tuesday 12/8
Squat: 225lbs, 3x5
DB Bench: 70lbs, 3x6
Deadlift: 225lbs, 1x5
Abs - leg raises: 3x11
Treadmill: jog, 1% incline, 1 mile in 9:50

feels great to hit 225 in both the squat and deadlift. the squat was much harder than i expected, compared to 220 (and i'm guessing things will be harder from here on out), but the deadlift was actually fairly easy (weight flew up).

[Off Road]

Whomp...there it is...excellent work on mastering that 225

[feardaram]

thanks, a milestone!!

Wednesday 12/9
rest

Thursday 12/10
Squat: 230lbs, 3x5
BB Shoulder Press: 115lbs, 5,5,3
BB Rows: 135lbs, 3x5
Abs - weighted sit ups, 25lbs, 3x12

moving up in overhead press was real tough. the first 2 sets of 5 totally sapped me, could only bang out 3 at the end. the rows were extremely hard as well, not sure i'll be able to complete the sets at a higher weight.

[Cmanuel]

Subbing to your journal. Gotta keep each other motivated right?