PH 2014 Goals, Progress & Transformations Thread

[pilchardthecat]

It's 2014, and it's not the summer, so the "2013 Summer Transformation" thread is looking a bit tired. And since Hoofy is too fat and lazy to create another one i thought i'd do it.

My goals for this year are much the same as last year, most of which i failed (i'm blaming the elbow injury i inflicted on myself in April, and which is still not 100%)
- 3x bodyweight deadlift (again... didn't quite manage it last year 2.96x)
- Planche pushups on bar (then on rings)
- Slow muscleup on rings
- 60 second front lever
- Get to 5% body fat (novelty value!)
- Put another half inch on my calves

[pilchardthecat]

The dive to 5% body fat has begun.

Part 1 is a short sharp shock (PSMF) to lose about 2-3lbs, most of which i laid on in November/December/xmas, that gets me from 9% to 7% in 2-3 weeks (easy bit, done that several times)

Below 7% it gets hard! Best i've managed is 6.5%

So 2-3 weeks from 9% to 7%
Probably 2 months from 7% to 5%

[pilchardthecat]

smiffy180 said:

I'd be interested to see how bodybuilder like I could get naturally. I know I'm not anywhere near peak muscle yet and without being big headed I'm huge
I like food too much to bother though
(Carries on eating curry and chips)

How much of it is fat though? i was a smidge over 200lbs not so long ago, i'm now 3 stone lighter, a good deal smaller but just as strong

People dont realise how much of their "mass" is actually fat- and its not just under the skin. Intra-muscular fat is significant- i can put an inch on my biceps by putting on 5-10 lbs

If you want to know how much muscle you really have, you need to get to 7-8% body fat

[pilchardthecat]

smiffy180 said:

pilchardthecat said:

How much of it is fat though? i was a smidge over 200lbs not so long ago, i'm now 3 stone lighter, a good deal smaller but just as strong

People dont realise how much of their "mass" is actually fat- and its not just under the skin. Intra-muscular fat is significant- i can put an inch on my biceps by putting on 5-10 lbs

If you want to know how much muscle you really have, you need to get to 7-8% body fat

25-30, was 30 last time I used calipers but leaned up a little. If I say 30 and work out my bw at 10% bf I would weigh 264lbs, a tad under 19 stone.

I think you should do it.

There are probably only a handful of people on earth that have that much lean mass without taking steroids. To the circus with you, you freak!

[pilchardthecat]

theshrew said:

I want to up my cardio a bit so have less time for the weights to fit in before work.

So thought stronglifts was a good program to try nice and simple and doesnt take a great deal of time.

Had my first crack at it this morning. I dont feel like ive really had a workout apart from the cardio side.

Anyone else done it ? Worth sticking with or try something else ?

It's a beginner's strength program - very good if you are in the first 18 months of weight training. 90% of the benefits will be neurological adaptations and muscle fibre activation. Dont get hung up on the absence of "pump" though.

If you've been doing strength training more than 18 months i would find a different one though

[pilchardthecat]

Halb said:

Losing the fat and keeping the muscle is a different story though.

I disagree - most people just arent aware that at say 20% body fat, a substantial part of their muscle "size" is actually intra-muscular fat. So when they lose fat they get smaller and moan about losing muscle. In reality all that's happening is they are going from a marbled steak to a fillet

Biceps at 20% body fat



Biceps at 7% body fat



The amount of muscle fibres lost is a very very small percentage

[pilchardthecat]

Deadlifts + high volume = injury waiting to happen IMO

[pilchardthecat]

HonestIago said:

pilchardthecat said:

Deadlifts + high volume = injury waiting to happen IMO

I only DL/SLDL every other lower session.

Lower 1:
Back Squat

Lower 2:
Paused Back Squat (only 3x3 usually)
DL
SL DL

Cool - the rules are definitely different for deads in my experience. They are weird lifts - i've even skipped them for 4 weeks and then come straight back and got a PB.... very odd

[pilchardthecat]

Digger said:

theshrew said:

After me saying yesterday that i didnt feel like id had a workout doing 5x5 i was shattered yesterday afternoon.

Woke up to late to go the gym this morning tbh im sort of glad my legs are a wee bit stiff after a few good runs and squats which i dont do often with weights.

Wish recovery time was quicker.

I think I can perceive that my recovery is now improving having started taking iBCAA (MyProtein) before and after workouts. Or it could be my body is adapting to getting cardio-fit again after a break for 6 months or so.

BCAAs are great for recovering from resistance training, but you should avoid them with cardio - it results in increased ammonia levels and wrecks your endurance.

[pilchardthecat]

Digger said:

Doing some resistance work (3-5 sets of 10-15 reps) before main cardio session every session. So resistance work twice a day, mon-thur, single cardio & weights sessions sat & sun. My endurance seems ok at the moment tbh.

Can you link to any articles re BCAA & ammonia and / or endurance levels? Ta.

Edited by Digger on Thursday 9th January 12:15

There are quite a few scientific studies, this blog is a good route into it all though

http://suppversity.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/chronic-...

If you want more info, skip to the bottom and look up the papers referenced

[pilchardthecat]

SpunkyGlory said:

Seems an appropriate place to ask as there are a few experts in - what's the best way to measure body fat? I believe you can get it done at the GPs, and I know you can buy scales and calipers that will do it but I would like to be as accurate as possible. I reckon mine is pretty low already but would like to be able to track it and work towards a figure when I know what it is.

Cheap calipers (eg "accumeasure 3000" from amazon, about 10 quid) are actually very accurate for most people.

The exception being people with very high levels of visceral fat (calipers only measure subcutaneous fat)

The electric scales are utter garbage - you can take a reading and get X, then drink a pint of water and get X times 2

[pilchardthecat]

deadmau5 said:

smiffy180 said:

Alternate grip, I'll do double overhand until my grip starts to fail then go to alternate grip. This still works your grip.

That's the best way in my opinion. Also alternate which hand is under/over each set as well. It can put a lot of strain on the bicep of the arm that's doing the underhand grip.

And chalk. Dont forget the chalk!!!

[pilchardthecat]

SpunkyGlory said:

And perhaps most importantly, really loud grunts!

Guilty

[pilchardthecat]

theshrew said:

How much more can you guys lift with deads compared to squats ? Ive got a funny feeling my squat is way behind what it should be.

Basic PL rule = 3/4/5 for bench/squat/deadlift

Mine is nothing like that, deadlift is miles ahead of everything else, it's not far of Smiffy's even though i'm exactly half the size of him

[pilchardthecat]

theshrew said:

goldblum said:

Forget the basic rule thing - it's an extremely broad based guide that deals with the the muscle groups/biomechanics of the lifts. Makes no allowances for genetics i.e. someone might have short arms and long legs hence press more than squat. It means nothing. 'Beginner's lifts' or 'beginner's gains' are myth - unless people mean the neural adaptation that occurs during the first few weeks of starting a new weight lifting regimen. Avoid Smith machine if possible it's a different lifting technique from all the free weight versions of the same lift.

Cheers for that.

Only use the smiths for squats as I don't have any other way of doing them. Very rare when I use it for anything else as I don't like it anyway.

I'm going to ask them to get a squat rack doubtful they will agree but worth a shot.

I agree with goldblum - its a rule of thumb and completely ignores biomechanical differences

Also squats in the smith - be careful because the forced vertical bar path can place unusual stresses on the spine, hips, etc. If it were me I would be doing Bulgarian split sqyats with dumbbells, maybe front squats at high volume using a weight I can clean into position

[pilchardthecat]

Re- belts and deadlifts- i have a big old PL belt which i never use, but also a thin/cheap neoprene belt that doesnt really add any support, and its a bit stretchy, but when its done up tight it gives a useful cue to lock the core and something to push against. Also its very easy to get on and off as its just velcro.

[pilchardthecat]

HonestIago said:

BlackST said:

Does anybody take glutamine?

Keep your money in your pocket.

+1

I take glutamine..... my food is full of it!

[pilchardthecat]

You just need some chalk

[pilchardthecat]

Back down to 73kg, 7% body fat.

4 months of over-eating, training, bulking..... added 2lbs/month consistently (so 8lbs total)

Muscle gained = 0

Bulking is such a big fking waste of time.

[pilchardthecat]

LordGrover said:

pilchardthecat said:

Back down to 73kg, 7% body fat.

4 months of over-eating, training, bulking..... added 2lbs/month consistently (so 8lbs total)

Muscle gained = 0

Bulking is such a big fking waste of time.

Down 2% in three weeks is some going though.

It's only 3 or 4 lbs... easy enough