Start date: May 1

wh0areume vs Cziffra
Cziffra vs wh0areume

since we are both at around the same body fat percentage (i think we're both up in the low 20%s), these are the challenge rules:

First one with clear abdominal outlines wins. (this includes vertical AND horizontal - with at least 6 "packs". none of this 4-pack BS.)

Anything goes - lyposuction, steroids, ephedra, voodoo, starvation, you can even get a tatoo of abs on your stomach. anything that doesnt rub off with soap, and that can be verified by digital photo and approved by at least 3 other members as "true abs".

may the thinner man win. Before pic optional.

Challenge is up.

I'm gonna be a tough one to beat, I tell ya.

Also I think I'd give a go to the voodoo thing.

I'm giving you further advantage by eating shit for the whole week. I might start the challenge in the 30's%. I'm seriously injured after the marathon. Cannot lift nor run. First week of my cutting (next week) is gonna be no-cardio (rtestes method). Maybe the week after, too.

If you wanna feel more confident about beating me, I'll mention that my flatmate told me exactly 5 minutes ago:"Hey, man, your cheeks look fuller, you look more healthy!"
I had to say:"Stop the bullshit, you mean I look FAT"
"Well... " He replied looking at the floor "...Yeah, man. You look fat. What the hell did you do?"

I need this thread. I needed a challenge. If I can be back on wagon for a week, I'm gonna go sub 10% in no time.

Just to reveal my weapons, this is my plan.


Part I (http://magazine.mindandmuscle.net/magmain.php?issueID=15&pageID=159)
Part II (http://magazine.mindandmuscle.net/magmain.php?issueID=16&pageID=181)
Q&A (http://www.mindandmuscle.net/content/page-232.html)

wh0areume is very welcome to adopt the same program or any other. As stated, the only rule is to get a 6-pack.

An 8-pack would receive a special prize: a JSF gear of your choice shipped to your door by the defeated part.

is it your hip? oh wait, you said your foot? feet?

i havnt done ANY cardio this month, so when my foot is finally healed on may 1, that first run will be a slow jog, maybe only for 2 miles, or else ill have a heart attack. dumb-bell lunges have been leaving me winded. i feel like an old man.

also, if you got fat that fast, you can lose it that fast too. diet and lifting is really all you need.

My hip needs a week of rest to get well. It doesn't hurt if I don't run faster than 8 min/mile.

My left foot is a different story. It was pushing my whole bodyweight on its own for like 11 miles. It has been very funny to see me walking the last two days. Today I could walk like a normal person, though, swallowing my pain.

I don't think the fat is gonna come out quickly. Fat is very happy in my body. It comes quickly and sticks like hell. But I'm very stubborn. I'll defeat the fat.

You feel like an old man? I feel like a DISABLED OLD MAN.

I just told my girlfriend not to be scared next Friday when she will see me. Last time she saw me I was like 13%. Now it has to be 10% higher at least. Man, she almost killed me over the phone!!! Shame on you!!, she said. But here is the funny part: you know why she was so pissed off? BECAUSE SHE BOUGHT SOME CLOTHES FOR ME AND IS AFRAID THEY ARE NOT GONNA FIT ME
:D :D :D :D

Joder, of course they are not gonna fit me!! I've turned a fat bastard overnight!!

Anyways, the challenge is very, very challenging. If you don't mind I'll start my cutting next Monday rather than May 1st, because I cannot delay it any longer. Otherwise I'd be over 50% by the time the challenge starts. And maybe I'd have had a couple of hearts attacks from pure fat storage.

Go get em guys! Good luck!

I'll be watching to see how you do.

Cziffra, I didn't post in your journal yet, but good job on the marathon man! Proud of you for finishing that thing!!

wh0areume, I was starting to get worried because it's already Wednesday and you hadn't joined a new challenge yet this week. :lol: Seriously, good luck, I expect nothing less than 2 sets of abs you could grate cheese with.

...Seriously, good luck, I expect nothing less than 2 sets of abs you could grate cheese with.

If wh0areume manages to get two sets of abs, I will happily pay his JSF Life Platinum Supporter.


:D


:d_biggrin

just a little clerification on this challenge -

I for me, my real effort will begin once my stress fracture is fully healed, which usually takes 4-6 weeks, it was hurt march 25th, so i figure may 1 would be a good day to go on my first run. I've done almost no cardio this month, but i've been working with my diet as much as i can, and i've been doing HIT. HIT is a blessing from the heavens. i've seen gains in everything, and i look better too.

Since Cziffra got addicted to junk food after he ran his marathon, he can start at anytime.

i feel like i NEED to have a perfect body (non-fat wise) by this summer. I think the biggest gift will be being able to walk around outside in a tshirt, and not have to worry about the wind blowing the shirt into my fat. im serious. i've always been so bashfull about that. even a couple days ago i was, just because i have a small amount on my lower stomach/love handles.

wh0areume, I was starting to get worried because it's already Wednesday and you hadn't joined a new challenge yet this week.

:claplow: :lol:

Funny stuff, but at least he does remain faithful to his old flings - at least our challenge anyway... all this has got to help. :tu:

hey, right now i'll do almost ANYTHING to reach my goals. if that means being active in 4 separate challenges, so be it.

just a little worried cuz sometimes when i lift my big toe up, it still hurts. its already been like 4 weeks or more. i dunno. i miss running soo much i almost want to cry. is that strange? whenever i hear a love song on the radio, i dont think of a girl - i think of long jogs by the lake, or putting on long underwear and running in -12 degree windchills... sniff... those were the days...

Start date: May 1

wh0areume vs Cziffra
Cziffra vs wh0areume

since we are both at around the same body fat percentage (i think we're both up in the low 20%s),

So, Wh0, did you measure your body fat another way? I thought you were giving numbers like 12% before?

Goodluck with the challenge guys. I feel like I am right there too. I am at the point where I can almost see 4 abs in the morning, which go away by the end of the day. This summer, I wan't six striking abs visible after plowing down a big meal :D

haha, naw, that 20% number was just an exadgeration (i hope?)
i still use the taylor scale to measure, but i havnt done it in a while. i've been using the mirror for progress lately.
The lowest the taylor thing has ever said so far is 10%, but that was during the kenyanese atkin thingy.

i'm considering posting a pic, but my stretch marks are horrid, and i want to limit the number of topless slightly fat pictures of me on the internet while john is allowing google to hit "other forums"

To further reveal my weapons, here is my nutritional approach. I just finished designing it and it looks awesome to me. Most important thing, doesn't look difficult to stick to.

Notes: Fat amounts and Carb amounts on low carb days are the only strict quantities. Any day, any meal I could increase my protein if I feel hungry (i.e. eat an extra can of tuna, for instance). On high carb days I might increase the amount of oats, or shreddies, or fruit, with the carb meals if I crave it. I just had to write some amount, but I'll go by my feelings.

Yes, I'm ditching the dextrose. I wanna see what's the deal with it. I know some people advocates to use slow release carbs PWO, specially for endomorphs like me. If I'm not happy with my results after a month, will recover the dextrose.

Last, my schedule is intended to be

Mon- No Carb/ Abs
Tue- High Carb/ Back + Biceps
Wed-No Carb/ Abs
Thu-Low Carb/ Chest + Triceps
Fri-No Carb/ Abs
Sat-High Carb/ Legs
Sun-Low Carb/ Shoulders, Traps, Forearms

That's it.

wow... you go from 2600 calories, to 2000, to 1700... this should be interesting. that DEFINATLY keeps your body constantly guessing.

what im doing right now is pretty much 0 carbs with the exception of veggies, which is about 5 cups per day. I dont really count calories, i just try to have a good portion of meat, veggies, and nuts/peanutbutter with every meal.

tomorrow morning is weigh-in day for bodyfat%. i'm expecting the number to be between 11 and 15%. any lower or any higher i will shit my pants.

edit.... i think im only going to run on days where i dont lift. rtestes is very convincing.

Weight: 171.4
BF%: 12

well thats no good. very shitty numbers id say, but at least i lost exactly 2 lbs since i weighed myself last friday. 2lbs of what though? why is muscle so much easier to lose than fat? i dont think this scale of mine is accurate.

ill try eating 1 more spoonfull of peaunut butter per day.

i hate being fat.

Weight: 171.4
BF%: 12

well thats no good. very shitty numbers id say, but at least i lost exactly 2 lbs since i weighed myself last friday. 2lbs of what though? why is muscle so much easier to lose than fat? i dont think this scale of mine is accurate.

ill try eating 1 more spoonfull of peaunut butter per day.

i hate being fat.

Man, don't complain. You're still 8% ahead of me and still a tough weekend to go through.

I wonder, if ~1% bodyfat loss is the maximum safest weekly loss rate when you're around 15%, what is the safest maximum weekly fat gain?
For me, it has to be 8-10%. A weekend is one third of a week, roughly, so I whould increase my bodyfat by another 3% over this weekend.

I might be close to 25% when the challenge starts. Is like these stupid movies when the cool baseball team is loosing by 30 runs or something stupid before the last entry and they still manage to win the match before the credits appear. The coach uses to be a loser with a broken marriage.

dude, you're probably ... 15% at WORST. pigging out on everything you see? that was me this past thanksgiving through newyears. i was up to 190lbs, 16% bf.

plus you just ran a marathon!!! wouldnt that make you skinny? ;)

i'm in love with Sarah McLachlan. she seems like such a perfect girl to marry.

you have a slight advantage on me. you know how john mentions that piece of fat on his lower stomach that will never go away? i think i have that same peice of fat, except it happens to cover my bottom 2 or 4 abs. plus stretchmarks, plus loose skin. poor me right? :D

Weight: 171.4
BF%: 12

well thats no good. very shitty numbers id say, but at least i lost exactly 2 lbs since i weighed myself last friday. 2lbs of what though? why is muscle so much easier to lose than fat? i dont think this scale of mine is accurate.

Wh0, you need to whip yourself out a tape measure and body fat calipers, so you can come up with a better way to track how you are doing. You seem to always be confused as to what is going on with your body. I have a fairly expensive scale that takes BF%. I bought it because I thought, that's great, I don't want to go through the trouble of having to measure things. It reads me as 21%, which I know is just wrong. I'm amazed that your scale reads such a low number, because they usually overestimate. Anyway, do you track any tape measurements?

wow... it really says that high for you???

yea, i know i need to do this. is there a bf caliper procedure that you dont need another person for? there has to be... bla.

i am kinda skin and bones though, so the 12% might be right based on what i see with other people on here. i hate the fact that i can see the ribs on my back. its very depressing, but is there supposed to be some muscle covering that up?

bla! ok, i;ll get a caliper this weekend somewhere. i think my roomate has the tape and the caliper. you're definatly right...

plus i never know how many calories im supposed to be eating a day, and i've been doing this for so long!! i eat about 1700, which is about 10x my body weight, and 12x my lean mass. urg. i feel so retarded.

now i'm babbleing. thank you cafien pills :tu:

i am kinda skin and bones though, so the 12% might be right based on what i see with other people on here. i hate the fact that i can see the ribs on my back. its very depressing, but is there supposed to be some muscle covering that up?

if you see them on the side of your back kind of below the armpit, that is where the lat muscle would normally cover it up, I think. try doing pullups or cable rows for that. This is a good back exercise with dumbells http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html
if you don't have pullup bar or access to machines.

I bought the Fat Tracker II (this is like when you here about those movies that are the third in the series and you're like, there was a first and second?) from all sports nutrition, it somes with a myotape measure, so you're all set if you get that. http://www.allsportsnutrition.com/productshow.php?productid=4096

I actually prefer using the tape measure over the calipers because I am so use to it. then you use this website http://www.healthcentral.com/cooltools/CT_Fitness/bodyfat1.cfm I need to have more practice with the calipers. I think the key is measureing the same spots on your body and holding the cailpers the same way everytime. Easier said than done. Oh and I just use the calipers to get the measurements but not to calculate the BF% value, I use this site: http://www.naturalphysiques.com/tools.php?itemid=31

thanks for the links homer. i'm going to make that a goal this weekend to start an acurate tracking spreadsheet. i've been going purely on guessing up until this point, but at least for bulking you NEED to keep accurate records of this stuff.

on another note... i've cheated for the first time in a long time, maybe just to make Cziffra feel better. i've constumed now 420 calories worth of dark chocolate, which is 18g of saturated fat, and 42g of sugar. does dark chocolate cause an insulin spike? we'll find out soon enough people. maybe i should make a new post.

Those are killer arms!!!!

:tucool:

Definitely, I'm at higher bf% than you.

I will measure on Monday morning. I'm quite good measuring bf. I take my Tanita reading, the two readings from this (http://www.linear-software.com/online.html) site and the healthcenter one and average them hoping that the error will be compensated.

that arm shot kinda made me look chubby because of the flash. i need to figure out this camera so i can take better photos. this mirror shit just isnt working.

I'm going to figure out this whole caliper thing too. the "15.5in arms" is a mental estimate :D i've never measured them, but they're bigger than all of my friends' arms.

You like those stretch marks? yea... try living with that. hell. pure hell. i wake up in tears everymorning. tears.

look at that loose skin. when i look at myself inthe mirror, i can clearly see my top two abs. but when i take a picture, i cant see it. maybe in my mind i'm just seeing brad pitt instead of the truth. skinz on me.

oh, and i've already mentioned this, but today 50% of my diet has consisted of chocolate. i'm really putting my metabolism to the test.

this should be a close race, since im fighting genetics, and you're fighting your soul.

should i get a belly button ring? i saw a really pretty butterfly at a jewelry store that would match my eyes.

two of my favorite peeps!

what a challenge you got! i'd join, but... well ;) just a little motivation.

keep up the great work, you can do it!

hmm... did i do any work today?

jtchen - is it normal that after all this time, when i lift up my big toe and cross it over my 2nd toe, the stressfracture place experiences some pain? its not like it HURTS, but i feel it, ya know? should i give it more time?? i really dont want to try running if im still broke as a joke.

yeah, a little tenderous should be expected. i don't know how well of a test that is, but i say, if it doesn't hurt TOO much, try that test of yours every other day, and see how the pain diminishes. when it's completely gone, give it another 2-3 days, then go!!!! but, i don't even think it's been a month yet. give it until at the very least, may 1st, and see how it goes from there.... it would suck to think you're healed, run for a week, then it breaks completely, instead of just a stress fracture.
remember to start slow! and work yourself back up to your old, fast and furious self.

cziffra, how'd the marathon go? you're doin' too much ab work ;) just shoot for 1-2x a week, weighted, and if you want to toss in a third day, do some crunches ;)


hmm... did i do any work today?

jtchen - is it normal that after all this time, when i lift up my big toe and cross it over my 2nd toe, the stressfracture place experiences some pain? its not like it HURTS, but i feel it, ya know? should i give it more time?? i really dont want to try running if im still broke as a joke.

cziffra, how'd the marathon go? you're doin' too much ab work ;) just shoot for 1-2x a week, weighted, and if you want to toss in a third day, do some crunches ;)

Hey, jtchen!! Didn't you read the report in my journal? I didn't meet my expectancies, but finished semi-happy.

I'm already thinking about the next one.

I reckon there is nothing wrong with 3 ab sessions/ week. ;)

as for abs, i do them with each lifting session just because rtestes suggests it, and since he is a wise man, i figure it's somfin'. plus personally, i like the way my abs feel the rest of the day after killing them in a workout.

once i start running, i'll make jtchen's abs seem flabby :D damn you semi-hardgainers...

April 22, 2005:

I definatly need more muscle mass.
But i definatly need to get rid of this stomach fat first while i still can. Not worried about losing too much muscle, because obviously, i have none.

I will do measurements today sometime hopefully. I need to take this shit more seriously considering how much time i spend thinking about it.

bf% guesses? my body is tough to guess i think. sholders look about 8%, stomach/lovehandles look 30%, chest looks... 10 or 11 id say. im really embarrassed by this pic, but since i know things will only get better, theres no reason to be.

http://people.msoe.edu/~picciond/april22.jpg

ok.. weighed 178 today, up 8 lbs from yesterday.

I also tryed using my roomates caliper. i quit right away because it seems like theres just too much room for human error in the measurements. i need to find a site that teaches how to use a caliper, and what a skin fold consists of.

ok.. weighed 178 today, up 8 lbs from yesterday.

I also tryed using my roomates caliper. i quit right away because it seems like theres just too much room for human error in the measurements. i need to find a site that teaches how to use a caliper, and what a skin fold consists of.


checkout the links on stecmans profile page. thats what I use. It tells you how to grab the skin and everything, and then he has another link to actually do the calculations

Calipers: 11.46% bf
Tape: 17.8 % bf. hehe... i dunno what happened.

ok.. weighed 178 today, up 8 lbs from yesterday.

I also tryed using my roomates caliper. i quit right away because it seems like theres just too much room for human error in the measurements. i need to find a site that teaches how to use a caliper, and what a skin fold consists of.
I hear ya on that. When I first tried, it seemed quite useless to try to make this consistent. I'm still not sure if I like it but I measure 8 times in a row and then average that for one body part. I try to hold my hands in the same way each time. Also, I think it is key to pinch the same area of skin from week to week. This I think is harder. Especially on the thigh as my measurement changed a lot in one week and I'm sure it was from measuring in the wrong spot. I need to draw a mole map.

You don't look bad at all Who. Many people would love to look like you (I know that doesn't really make you feel better though). but you need to keep in mind that you lost 90 pounds! That is a whole freakin person. I suggest you focus all your energy on lifting. However you want to break it up, make sure you are working your whole body out. Every pound of muscle that you add anywhere on your body goes to burning calories 24/7. And those arms do look huge. I've got puny 13 inchers.

The facts:

Weight: 168.4 lbs.

Tape measurements:

Waist: 35.3'
Hip: 38.1'
Thighs: 23.2'
Neck: 14.2'
Biceps: 13'
Forearms: 11'
Wrists: 6.5'
Chest: 37.4'

Skinfolds:

Suprailliac: 14 mm.
Abdominal: 20 mm.
Chest: 11 mm.
Thigh: 9 mm.

Body fat measured: 16.7%.

The challenge is officially up for me.

It is said that The truth will set you free.

After the truth above, I feel so free that I will refrain from making further comments.

Here's my theorys on my measuring standards:

They're not right. And you can't compare Who's standards with Cz's with mine. We all grab the fold differently, use the tape differently, etc.

The only thing I use them for really is to establish a TREND.

The only thing I use them for really is to establish a TREND.

Indeed. I dont care so much what my measurements are, as long as they are dropping

Good luck with the diet Cz!

Didn't weigh myself today, but i definatly felt fatter when i woke up. oh well.

Have nothing more to say really. I just hope my foot is healed within the next week.

Jesus... im in a LOT of challenges. this is getting tiring.

Nothing new today. body looks fat in mirror from this weekend's cheats. ate clean yesterday.

no cheating for an entire month for me. no matter what. i hope.

High carbs day today. This diet really rocks. The main benefit is that it's gonna allow me to stop counting calories and learn to listen to my body. Since my ultimate goal is to achieve a good balance regarding eating habits, this diet is gonna make me good.

It was an absolute pleasure to pour my oats without measuring them this morning. And I didn't feel like having a second serving, which is also good. I cannot wait to have my PWO meal (oats+shreddies+whey) :drool:

Every day I'm more convinced about ditching the dextrose. I think it's not necessary AT ALL for an endomorph like me when cutting. Sure, an ectomorph will benefit from it, but I will not have it until I'll be sub 9%.

Will do back&biceps today. I don't even remember last time I lifted. I think the previous Pope was still alive. Yesterday I did abs and today I have an extremely sore stomach. It feels goooooooooood.

Even after a high carb day I lost one more pound. I am so fat that anything I'd try this week would work except from eating pizza and cookies. After my workout I had a whey shake with shreddies and oats and some melon. I was starving. While I was downing the stuff I was thinking, hey, high carb day, I could have another shake with oats after that... But I did the following. After having my last gulp I started my stopwatch and waited for 20 min. After 20 min it's not that I was still hungry, it's that I was stuffed. So I didn't have that second serving which I didn't need, although I felt like it straight after my first shake.

I'm gonna adopt that trick for my high carb days. I don't wanna go overboard with them, plus it will help to teach myself some selfcontrol and moderation and to recognize my body's signal.

Only single thing I don't like about the diet is flax seed oil. It's without any kind of doubt the most disgusting thing has ever entered my mouth. But I bet is also one of the healthiest. After trying to mix it with cottage cheese, I gave up and adopted slusshy-puppy method: a tbsp in a glass of water, swallow it as quick as possible while picturing in your mind the crowd cheering up:"go, go, go". It's not amazing, but not as unpleasant.

But I don't know if I'm gonna keep using the flax seed oil after the two bottles I bought. Maybe I'll stick to the fish oil capsules. Yes, they give you this kind of "sardine burp" all throughout the day. But that's not as bad as the flax seed oil and also it keeps people away from me for most of the time, so I can stay alone and have some productive thoughts.

After a couple months of taking flaxseed oil, i can take a spoonfull with no chaser, and even lick the spoon! Maybe it depends on what flax oil you buy. Mine tastes like cookies :D

Update on my foot: feels great! no more pain at all when i lift my big toe up. I'm going to start my running May 2nd (this next monday)

it will only be a 1 mile run, then 2 miles the next time, then 2 miles again the next time, then 3 miles the next time, then 3 miles the next time, then 3 miles again the next time, ... just slowly getting back into it.

I'll be running every other day - on the even days of the month. I'll also be reading the entire BFFM book this weekend. im on chapter 4 right now.

weighed myself this morning. 173lbs, 12% bf (according to electronic scale). I'm going to try and master the art of the caliper this weekend. i'm going to be dog sitting back home for my parents.

Update on my foot: feels great! no more pain at all when i lift my big toe up. I'm going to start my running May 2nd (this next monday)

it will only be a 1 mile run, then 2 miles the next time, then 2 miles again the next time, then 3 miles the next time, then 3 miles the next time, then 3 miles again the next time, ... just slowly getting back into it.

I'll be running every other day - on the even days of the month. I'll also be reading the entire BFFM book this weekend. im on chapter 4 right now.

weighed myself this morning. 173lbs, 12% bf (according to electronic scale). I'm going to try and master the art of the caliper this weekend. i'm going to be dog sitting back home for my parents.

Congrats on your recovering. My foot felt great yesterday, but today is a bit painful. Not as bad as one week ago, sure. I think I still have to wait another couple of weeks until I'll start running again.

But, as rtestes says, you don't need cardio to lose fat. If it weren't for my addiction to running, I'd stop cardio altogether until sub10%. Then I'd do it ocassionally just for heart health.

The carb cycling rocks. Tomorrow is high carb day :drool:

My oats are already shaking from fear.

But, as rtestes says, you don't need cardio to lose fat. If it weren't for my addiction to running, I'd stop cardio altogether until sub10%. Then I'd do it ocassionally just for heart health.


While it may be possible to lose fat without cardio, I've yet to come across anyone who was able to achieve low body fat levels without doing some form of cardio. But then, you probably already know this--you seem like a bright guy. ;)

Good luck to both of you in this endeavor, by the way.

While it may be possible to lose fat without cardio, I've yet to come across anyone who was able to achieve low body fat levels without doing some form of cardio.

Of course you'd need some form of cardio. Resting between sets will be your cardio. :D :D :D

rtestes dixit.


But then, you probably already know this--you seem like a bright guy. ;)

:o :o :o

DAMN HE TOLD YOU!!!

ok, good news (for you) - i redid my caliper measurements (using the 3point system) and i really tried my best to pinch as much shit as i could.

13.32483859395444 % bf. (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)
172.8 lbs.
23.025 lbs of fat
149.7746 lbs of lean mass.

so that means... i have 5% left to lose, and 3% more (probably) until my abs are showing. and giving myself 1 full week of no progress this next week while getting used to the diet, here are the dates i will reach each fat% week by week...

Date Wt bf% Lean
5/7/2005 172 13.30 149.77
5/14/2005 171 12.42 149.77
5/21/2005 170 11.90 149.77
5/28/2005 169 11.38 149.77
6/4/2005 168 10.85 149.77
6/11/2005 167 10.32 149.77
6/18/2005 166 9.78 149.77
6/25/2005 165 9.23 149.77
7/2/2005 164 8.68 149.77

ok, so it appears that by June 18, i should have my abs showing minimally. now, what are the odds that everything will go as planned where i lose exactly 1 lb of fat per week? i dunno.

DAMN HE TOLD YOU!!!

?????

ok, so it appears that by June 18, i should have my abs showing minimally. now, what are the odds that everything will go as planned where i lose exactly 1 lb of fat per week? i dunno.

You are well ahead of me. I was 16% last time I measured (maybe 17%) last Monday. I calculated I'll have popping abs by my birthday: July 20th.

So, clearly, I'm only relying on your cashew addiction to win this challenge.

DAMN HE TOLD YOU!!!

That certainly wasn't my intention--sorry if it came across that way. I just don't think it's very realistic to believe it's possible to achieve sub 10% body fat without any cardio whatsoever--unless you're one of those fortunate few who have a natural tendency to stay at low body fat levels. Who knows, maybe Cziffra will prove me wrong?

That certainly wasn't my intention--sorry if it came across that way. I just don't think it's very realistic to believe it's possible to achieve sub 10% body fat without any cardio whatsoever--unless you're one of those fortunate few who have a natural tendency to stay at low body fat levels. Who knows, maybe Cziffra will prove me wrong?
well, it might be possible. cuz what is cardio anyway? its just a metabolism booster and a fat burner. so to achive (in theory) sub 10% bodyfat, all you would have to do is lose more fat after you reach 10%. am i right?

now, it HAS been proven that you can lose fat with the combination of strength training and proper dieting. so why couldnt you (in theory) just continue this after you hit 10%bf? is there some secret magical fat in our bodies that only cardio can kill?

i know you didnt mean it like that, i was kidding when i said "damn he told you", although i didnt come off like i was. personally, i think if you can lose any amount of fat without cardio, then its possible to achive sub 10% bf without cardio. chemically.

... maybe Cziffra will prove me wrong?


I would happily prove you wrong if I woultn't be addicted to running.

I just gave up pizza. Running is then my only remaining vice. In two weeks I'm killing back my sneakers!!

well, it might be possible. cuz what is cardio anyway? its just a metabolism booster and a fat burner. so to achive (in theory) sub 10% bodyfat, all you would have to do is lose more fat after you reach 10%. am i right?


True, but the problem is that the lower the amount of body fat one carries, the harder it becomes to lose more of it, particularly under the 10% range or thereabouts. The body's survival mechanism wants to save that fat in the event of a food shortage, while our egos want get rid of it. So, let's say you've reached a certain point without doing any cardio--you're gonna have to continue to decrease the amount of calories you consume to compensate for your lower weight/body fat. There will eventually come a point when it won't make any sense to lower the calories due to a risk of muscle loss, as well as excessive hunger, etc. Doing cardio at this point would allow the person to eat more, because of an increase in physical activity. So, I guess my point is that, yeah, there's nothing magical about cardio, but it seems like an integral part of the equation in getting ripped, at least from a practical standpoint since it's not taxing on the central nervous system the way weight lifting is, and you can't keep lowering calorie levels indefinitely. But to paraphrase Tom Venuto, "do as much as is required or as little cardio as you can get away with."

i see your point.

but i think it all depends on how much lean mass the person has when he begins his cut. for a person who has never bulked before with little muscle (like me), i will get to a point where my calories will have to drop to the point where they're below the threshhold for "losing muscle". but someone with 50lbs more muscle mass than me, will never reach said threshhold because all of his fat will be gone before he even gets near it. chemically.

so in summary - for someone with not too much muscle - cardio. for someone who has bulked - not nessesary, but definatly useful.

but then again it all depends on what said threshhold really is. Most experts will say you shouldnt go below 1800 calories per day (Tom Venuto has the same view). but darden says that its much lower - around 1100 or 1200. (this is assuming a 60c 20p 20f diet). who's right? i dunno, but this darden guy seems to have really done his research aparently.

this is all interesting stuff.. i wish i could have gone to school for it instead of software.

Today's legs day. I haven't worked my legs since last December, when I started my marathon training. So I guess tomorrow's soreness is gonna be almost unbearable. But I like soreness, for some reason. This week has been a sore week. I have changed all my exercises, so my body was struggling with every single set. I'm still sore from Tuesday's Back&Biceps. Hell, even my eyebrows are sore.

In a couple of months I will have so well defined abs that I'll lie down in the beach and will take back home a kg of sand trapped in my abdominal grid. I want a level of definition so high that I'll look fake.

If my left foot feels good after today's workout I'll start some cardio training next week. Just playing some soccer or something. And Monday May 9th is the official starting date for my running.

Stay cool and get some nice reading today.

well it looks like i'm going to ALSO be a carbohydrate cycler!

low low low HIGH
low low low HIGH

Altho - i dont really consider 30% low, but maybe. who knows, i'm just going to go by the book and do things right no matter what i think.

how nerdy is it that i'm going to put in outlook what each day is for 12 weeks? yes, im going to schedule meetings withmyself alerting me that the day is low or high day.

I also figured out why i've made no progress lately - no cardio, plus getting drunk + eating like shit on weekends. Makes sense, but i didnt think it would have THAT much affect on me. If you ever have a Mesomorph as a friend, your progress will suck too. you'll think "oh, he eats like shit and is iin great shape, let me try that"

... but i didnt think it would have THAT much affect on me. If you ever have a Mesomorph as a friend, your progress will suck too. you'll think "oh, he eats like shit and is iin great shape, let me try that"

Never underestimate the power of junk. The week after the marathon has set me back something like 6 weeks.

Amazing. Here is a good lesson to be learnt.

Well done on your carb cycling decision. Tom's carb cycle is slightly different to the one I'm using. I'm curious to see the outcome of both approaches.

Best of luck.

eh. i think just the whole carb cycling idea is a good one. both will probably work.
no more losing muscle mass for me!

im doing two high carb days to try and make up for all the low carbing i did the past month. :tu: i figure why not since im lifting later today.

The facts:

Weight: 162.2 lbs.

Tape measurements:

Waist: 34.2'
Hip: 37.6'
Thighs: 23'
Neck: 14.2'
Biceps: 13'
Forearms: 10.8'
Wrists: 6.5'
Chest: 36.4'

Skinfolds:

Suprailliac: 12 mm.
Abdominal: 21.5 mm.
Chest: 11 mm.
Thigh: 9 mm.

Body fat measured: 16.7%.

Same bodyfat measured as last week. But 6.2 lbs. lighter. That means I lost ~5 lbs lean mass (initial water drop) and ~ 1 lb fat.

I don't trust much these measurements, anyway. Some of them are tricky, like the abdominal skinfold. Once I take the skinfold with my thumb and middle finger, there is hardly any space left for the calliper to attack, and depending on the exact point, outcome varies widely.

Well, I think the progress overall is not too bad. Next week is gonna be more reliable, now that I have dropped all the water.

my thigh skinfold is 18mm and my chest is 8mm, ab is 17 i think.
172.8 lbs, 13.5%. next time i check is sunday.

low carb day today.
first day of running wednesday.

oh, and if you're curious (just so that we lay all our dirty tricks out on the table), i've attached my diet/ stats page.

its one excel file.

I might also start taking Ephedrine, but i dunno... i'm going to wait until i hit a snag first - i didnt like how i felt while taking 3 asrpin per day. (at 325mg each)

oh, and if you're curious (just so that we lay all our dirty tricks out on the table), i've attached my diet/ stats page.

its one excel file.

I might also start taking Ephedrine, but i dunno... i'm going to wait until i hit a snag first - i didnt like how i felt while taking 3 asrpin per day. (at 325mg each)

Your plan seems pretty solid.

Just a Q. You say your waist is 30.7' and your abs 33.69' ?

Is your abs measurement taken at the navel? Because that is the measurement I use for my waist. I read in online calculators you should measure your waist at the navel.

I was never sure what people mean by "waist", though.

yea, i was confused by that too. i think that's why it gave me such a high bf% (it gave me 17%)

abs i did around my navel, waist i did 1 inch below my rib cage i think.
also, i dont know what snug means. ya, i know it doesnt matter as long as you do it the same each time, but i dont think i did it right.

Day 3.......................
..............................................
+ Missed a couple meals last night due to bike-buying.
+ got 7 hrs of sleep last night. (11:30 - 6:30)
+ didnt do cardio today - too cold and ... i dunno. i felt like i was late for work
+ lifting day today. chest/triceps/forarms? is that a good combo? someone tell me a good combo. no more HIT for me.
+ i might go for a run after work if its still chilly out. just 1 mile.

oh!!! and at the bike shop, there was a guy there who has done IRON MAN COMPETITIONS!!! its where you ride for 100 miles, swim for 1/2 mile or something, and run a full marathon. that's insane, but im sure those people are in pretty good shape. probably not too many fat guys do those.

I do TRAPS/SHOULDERS/FOREARMS. I think that's a good combo.

I want to do an ironman one day. In about 10 years time. It's 3.8 km swimming, 180 km. biking and a full marathon. It sounds hard and it's hard, but by no means impossible. People without outstanding training can finish it in about 17 hours with one year of preparation or so.

I've read that the experiences of an ironman are not comparable to anything else in this world. There must be some true in that.

i will do at least 1 ironman competition before i die. i've decided that today. i'm great at deciding things.

i'm going to be so incredibily ripped in 2 years it wont even be funny.

ok, heres the schedule:
Tuesday: Weight Training (Upper Body: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps)
Thursday: Weight Training (Upper Body: Back/Biceps/Traps/Lats)
Saturday: Weight Training (Lower Body: Ass/Legs/Toes)

Yes, i am going to work my ass. they had a video camera set up on the bike trainer and i could watch myself on it, and i realized my pants look like shit on me because i have no ass. i think running causes this. and since it IS a significant muscle in the body, why not work to make it bigger?

... i think running causes this. and since it IS a significant muscle in the body, why not work to make it bigger?

I've run something like 2000 miles in the last 16 months and I can tell you I have the biggest (male) ass in the whole UK.

All fat, though. It's the part of my body I more dread. Maybe that's why I like to be seated that much. Or maybe it's the other way around, I grew a kickass ass because I spent my childhood seated at the piano for 6+ hours a day. Who knows.

I'd post a pic of my ass, but I think that would break the forums rules. :rolleyes:

Lets hope these look better every week.

Yesterday, checking numbers, I noticed with joy that in order to be at 8% with the lean mass I have now, I would only need to go down to 147 lbs. That was my weight back in November, when I was ~11% bodyfat. So all the Christmas and marathon treats have translated into 5 lbs of gained lean mass (not all of it muscle, true, but some of it for sure). On top of that, there are ~10 lbs of fat as well, obviously. If I manage to burn the fat preserving the lean tissue, 145-147 lbs should be near my goal.

I will be so ripped it will be scary.

I'm glad I wont need to go down to 140 lbs as I initially thought.

wh0, you look good. You are gonna be defined in no time. I think I should post a pic as well, but I feel so lazy to shave off my upper body...

thanks... looking at that pic today, it doesnt look THAT bad, ya know?
i am a bit curious on how stretchmarks look on a ripped set of abs, but i may never know.

Goals for today is stick to my meal plan - not missing any meals. the last two days i seemed to get busy after work, and then go 5 or 6 hrs without a meal. i dont think it will happen today, but who knows.

Tomorrow is high carb day!!

went running this morning. felt GREAT. love my new shoes. Asics really seem to fit me well. (i have wide feet)

Kept to my diet quite well yesterday.
Lifting today at noon.

thanks... looking at that pic today, it doesnt look THAT bad, ya know?
i am a bit curious on how stretchmarks look on a ripped set of abs, but i may never know.

Goals for today is stick to my meal plan - not missing any meals. the last two days i seemed to get busy after work, and then go 5 or 6 hrs without a meal. i dont think it will happen today, but who knows.

Tomorrow is high carb day!!

I have the same problem as you mang. Naggin lower ab fat/skin and corresponding stretch marks that I got when I ballooned my freshman/sophmore years of college

yes, its definatly a pain in the ass, MANG!
just imagine what we would look like now if we wouldnt have eaten all that shit and started fitness back then?
i kick myself thinking about it, but its all gravy. everyone else my age is fat now, so its no big deal.

Yup. My problem was gfs. Both of my gfs in HS and the beggining of college were those 105lb little girls with the metabolism of rabbits. So we would always go out to eat, they would stay the same, but I got fat :(

Before I got serious with my GF in HS, I was playing hockey and tennis and was 5'10 165ish.

So i really did balloon from 165ish to 225 in 3 or so years

Now im down to 176, 2inches taller, and much stronger

It helps that my new GF is a gym rat just like I am :tu:

just a sidenote to your training wh0, i experienced that chest / bizeps, back / trizeps is a better combo when you hit heavy weights, because if you have a great back training with like 6-9 sets you will have a really hard time to finish off your bizeps with the weights you could move. same goes along with chest / trizeps.

uRi - i noticed that yesterday. i did my lats before biceps, and the lat excersizes seemed to drain any bicep energy i had. but im going to do triceps on chest day because they seem to work together well for some reason.

so i'll do: chest/bicep/tricep one day, and back/lats/traps/sholders on another day.

scale last friday: 172.8lbs, 12% bf
scale this friday: 172.8lbs, 11% bf

couldnt ask for more looking at my topless picture, i know this number is a % or 2 too low, but that doesnt matter - it's a consistant number that's going down.

official measurements coming sunday so that i prevent any screwups from happening this weekend.

Cziffra - have you ever gone running while drunk?

...

Cziffra - have you ever gone running while drunk?

I've never been drunk.

I've never been drunk.
damn... no updates? just "i've never been drunk", and that's it? FINE, BE THAT WAY! :(

Ok, now I feel obligated.

Wednesday-Friday period is the fat burning period in my carb cycling program. It's the period between Tues and Saturday high carb days. By Friday evening I start to feel a bit ravenous about my starches, but so far I've handled it quite well.

Thinking that on Tuesdays and Saturdays I could have as much oats as I wish keeps me away from eating junk. That's quite an achievement for me. This morning I weighted myself just for fun and I'm 161 lbs. already. It feels hilarious that one month ago I was 152 and feeling fat and like 10 lbs away from my goal. I feel fat now as well, but I'm maybe only 15 lbs. away from my goal. I should get a nice set of abs at 147 if everything goes fine. If it doesn't happen, oh, well, keep cutting, I guess.

Yesterday I had the most awesome chest/tris workout of my (short) weightlifting life. Actually it was the most awesome workout overall. And why? Because in my way home from work I was focusing on lifting. I was recreating in my brain the feeling and thoughts of lifting and picturing myself doing it. And the thought was notoriously intense. Then I got home and set some pictures of Arnold lifting in my laptop screen. And just stared at them in between exercises. It gave me a good drive. Gotta repeat that.

That was the update, just because you requested. As you see, nothing very interesting happened. That's why I dosificate my updates. I guess when I'll get a 6pack I'll post a thousand pictures of me every day in all kind of shirtless states except from shirtless drunk.

I was 162 lbs this morning, same as last Monday. This is not very good, because the weekend is high in workouts+carbs. So I doubt this week is gonna produce any improvement at all. Perhaps I should track closer my calories. Because the program I follow doesn't put an upper limit in protein intake, sometimes I have an extra can of tuna or an extra whey shake and that could make some difference.

Also, I think I need start running by all means.

I'm kinda depressed today... I've been so stupid letting myself go after the marathon. I cannot believe I'm still 10 lbs heavier than I was at the beginning of April. And burning 10 lbs takes forever.

:mad: :mad: :mad:


EDIT: I just thought that if next week has the same lack of results I might go back to the strategy that worked half a year ago: my old 1800 cal 40/40/20, at least until hitting 10%. Then try a more sensible carb cycle.

Measurement day. Welcome to another update.

These are THE FACTS:

Weight: 163.0 lbs.

Tape measurements:

Waist: 33.3'
Hip: 37.4'
Thighs: 23.1'
Neck: 14.2'
Biceps: 13.1'
Forearms: 11.1'
Wrists: 6.5'
Chest: 37.4'

Skinfolds:

Suprailliac: 11 mm.
Abdominal: 18.5 mm.
Chest: 9 mm.
Thigh: 10 mm.

Body fat measured: 15.6%

This has been, no doubt, the most amazing cutting week of my entire life, maybe as good as it's ever gonna be. Check the numbers: I've lost 1.5 lbs. of fat and I've put 2.4 lbs. of lean mass, surely some of it muscle. Either I messed up last week's measurements or I did it today. It's too optimistic. Sure, after a week bingeing and a month lifting like Sissy my body was ready to make outstanding gains. But, man... adding more than 2 lbs on top of 1.5 fat loss... I'm not gonna complain, but i'm not gonna believe it, either. I had a ton of carbs on Saturday. And I mean A TON. Mainly oats and shreddies. I throw them in my protein shake and that's my new "cheat meal". That keeps me away from other evils. After my oats loading I lifted really big, legs day. Maybe (surely) some of the lean mass measured today is water retention from the carb loading. I don't know.

I have two choices from this point on: I could keep doing the same or I could change things. The old moto goes "don't change what is working". But I haven't still developed the mind set necessary to feel comfortable with the scale going up. I'm gonna cut a bit the calories. Still will have some 'carb fun' on Saturdays, before and after working my legs. But the rest of the week it's gonna be Low- or No-carbs. And ~100 cal less per day.

On top of that I'm gonna start running. Actually I already did it this morning: 3 miles, easy pace. Was thinking about doing 6, but better not to force it.

You, who are reading this nonsense:
Have a unique Monday, the Monday a unique person like you deserves to have. You are a champion.

Have a unique Monday, the Monday a unique person like you deserves to have. You are a champion.
what dude?

is ham bad for you?

Got nothing much to say today. i had a highcarb day yesterday, and i feel a little fat today. didnt run today due to thunderstorms.

Of course ham is bad for you!!! What did you think?

You are what you eat, so don't be surprised if you start to develop a piggy tail in a couple of days. Your fingers will be reduced to three per hand and your ears will grow like palm leaves. You'll never be able to kiss again due to the elongation of your nose-lips. Your vocabulary will be limited to "Oink, oink"... And you'll taste delicious. Of course, stay away from turkey, chicken, salmon and gammon.

Stick with chocolate and you'll get a six-pack resembling the shape of a chocolate tablet on your stomach.

I did the 3-site caliper measurement yesterday, and it keeps going down. even though the bf% i get may be a little on the low side, it doesnt matter - as long as i grab the same spot and as much flesh as i can each time.

I've been running full-blast lately. at first when i did this, my HR would get up to 175, 180bpm and i'd keep it there for about 35-40 minutes. now when i'm running the same speed, it gets up to 160 tops. I figure this way i can keep stepping it up until i'm the fastest man alive.

Another low carb day today.

End of Week 1 skinfold measurements:

Pectorial:
10, 8, 7

Abs:
16,16,16

Thigh:
14.5, 16, 15

Age:
23.5

Calculated BF%
11.249089557194736

ok, i think the scale has gotten to my head. last night i went out for a big dinner, kinda stuffed myself with chicken + meatsauce

weighed myself after breakfast + 4 muffins, and it came out to 179 lbs. so apparently i put on 6 lbs. oh shut up wh0areume, you know what goes on with waterweight.

today is accidental highcarb day due to a number of factors. only 1 day early, no biggie. i went home for weight training to make things better. EXCELENT arm workout.

edit: i dont think these challenges really work. i know what kills me, and its diet. i know that the only thing that will make my diet go bad is socializing, and it will happen almost every time. it has nothing to do with will power, its more of "well, im getting in shape so i can look better in these situations, but i already look better than everyone else here, so why not have a drink and enjoy myself?" sociallizing is no reason for me to eat as many blueberry muffins as i did today.

Update:

i'm gaining weight, and the bf% is dropping. i contribute this to using my leg muscles again with running and biking.

178.4 lbs, (+5 lbs from last week)
11.12% bf (caliper - 3 site method) (down almost a full % from last week)
11% (electronic scale)

I'm going to do biking as my cardio for the next week or so. my knee has started to bother me, probably due to overdoing it on the running the past week. i also felt a similar pain in my foot (where i had my stress fracture that "healed")

May 11 Caliper test:
Calculated BF%: 11.1289357194

Weight: 175.2 (+ 2.4 lbs from last friday)

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

Friday's End of week 2 skinfold measurements:

Pectorial:
6, 6, 6 mm

Abs:
15, 16, 14 mm

Thigh:
16, 16, 16 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
10.493559788251104 (down 1% from last week)

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)... i do it the same each time, so whether im 10% bf or 12% (i look more 12% or 13% in the mirror) it doesnt matter. its a number that's going down.

Hope your presentation preparation is going well cziffra. you eating clean still? im sure you are. im not going to run for a while. my right knee hurts, and i'm going to make use of my new bike. my HR gets up just fine on hills.

...Hope your presentation preparation is going well cziffra. you eating clean still? im sure you are...

Good point you made. Just popping in to confess:

1-. I had a pizza today. And not a small one.

2-. I missed my legs workout.

3-. I compared some shots from last December and some from 2005. I'm SO MUCH FATTER NOW :eek: I mean, just my face says it all.

I've done very well for three weeks. Then I've screwed up one day. Which means another week without progress. I need to loose 15 lbs. I know how to do that. But, for some reason, I'm proving myself unable to do it.

I'm tired. I've been already three years away from my country-family-sweetheart. Some days suck.

After Wednesday's presentation I'll make a massive update in my journal.

I dont think last week was very successful. those blueberry muffins really added up, causing weightgain.

do they have "weeks" in london? or do you guys go by "moons"? i always feel that people from other countries cant relate to anything i say. shit, i dont even think americans do.

i've noticed that I can see the definition in my arms alot better. like i can see where my sholders meet my tricepts, etc.. never could before.

cziffra - u should start biking. its alot less strain on your body than running due to less impact (duh), and it works your quads. i do both, so my hams and quads have been feeling solid latly.
have you ever lived in the US? do you speak both english and spanish fluently? you seem to have taken the path in life that i wanted to in highschool; with all the higher learning. instead, i got lazy and stopped caring for some reason. god, i was so into 'knowledge' back then. amazing what a breakup can do to someone's life.

cziffra - u should start biking. its alot less strain on your body than running due to less impact (duh), and it works your quads. i do both, so my hams and quads have been feeling solid latly.
have you ever lived in the US? do you speak both english and spanish fluently? you seem to have taken the path in life that i wanted to in highschool; with all the higher learning. instead, i got lazy and stopped caring for some reason. god, i was so into 'knowledge' back then. amazing what a breakup can do to someone's life.

I like running. If I would get a bike I would be thinking "hell, I could be running now" while biking. So no point in biking. I hit my quads with the weights.

I've never lived in the US. I've been there for 10 days 2 years ago in New Mexico and will again this year in Orlando for a couple of weeks. Business trip. I left Spain three years ago, after getting my physics degree. Went to Scotland. Worked in a hotel to learn english. Looked for a Ph. D. position in London. Found it. Moved. Spanish is my mother tongue. My english still sucks after three years. That's why my posts here are the product of an online automatic translator :D

For tomorrow's talk I wanted to hire Stephen Hawking's amazing robot, but it was too expensive, even for a day. I might deliver the talk in spanglish.

wow!! so everything i say you have to translate??? i never knew! i feel so different now, almost like you were born an alien with a human body like in "Men In Black", and i just found out the truth.

i should learn spanish.

wow!! so everything i say you have to translate??? i never knew! i feel so different now, almost like you were born an alien with a human body like in "Men In Black", and i just found out the truth.

i should learn spanish.

The online translator was a joke. :D

You still should learn spanish, es un idioma precioso.

weighed in at 172 lbs today, scale said 10% bf. looking in the mirror, i'm going to have to cut until the scale says 5% before i see abs. i'm so fat.

Man, its all a bit lowbeat in this thread ! With positive thinking comes positive results.

:nod:

im getting positive results with negative thinking right now - why risk progress switching to positive thinking? :nod:

Fair enough. Whatever works for ya. :)

Stepped on the scale again this morning: 169.8 lbs. how sad is that? i'm 6'2! at least today is highcarb day, and i'm going to try and eat as much oatmeal as i can.

i lift today too. i started doing db squats recently. i probably max out at 70 lbs (two 35lb dbs). i have no quads. my legs look like they belong to a skinny woman. but thats just how i pick up the girls.

it's raining here. when i woke up today i felt my heart beating faster than normal, so i decided not to run. i love highcarb day.

Weight: 172.0 (- 0.8 lbs from week 1)

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

Friday's End of week 3 skinfold measurements:

Pectorial:
5.5, 6.0, 5.0 mm

Abs:
15, 15, 15 mm

Thigh:
15, 15, 15 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
10.037324361583103 (down almost 1% from last week)

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)...
Little concerned about the weight not dropping, but as long as my measurements keep telling me i'm losing 1 to 2 lbs of fat per week, i guess theres no point in worrying that the "weight" isnt going down. it would be silly to, but yet...

i was looking in the mirror last night, wondering if i'll ever see abs. i cant see my skin ever being tight around my stomach area. i was just toooo fat a year ago. but i'm going to find out. which means i might cut down passed 8% bf. i look like john did when he was skinny. i mean, its great not being fat, but damn..

then people like reno, who are my age and look like THAT. damn, i wish i would have been into fitness 2 or 3 years ago. or i wish i would have lifted in highschool. nothing i can do about that, but it seems like it's people like reno at bars picking up girls.

negative thinking = possitive results. remember that kids.

negative thinking = possitive results. remember that kids.

For whatever reason, that doesn't work for me. Negative thinking = binge spiral.

I should start considering taking measurements and updating this thread... I'm sure I haven't had any improvement in two weeks. I'm not screwing up the program, but a couple of tiny mistakes set me back three months worth of cutting.

Damn ultraendomorphy.

well at least you dont have friends that cant have fun without alcohol.
it's going to be a pain in the ass not drinking this weekend. it is every weekend.

damn this super-ultra-endomorphistic body of mine.
maybe we should cry to eachother over the phone. wet, sobby tears.

my number is 10-1-800-234-22332-23124-58888219er

my number is 10-1-800-234-22332-23124-58888219er

We still cannot dial letters in the uk :D

... Or can we?

it seems like it's people like reno at bars picking up girls.

Funny, it always seemed to me that it was the 6'2'' people who picked up girls in bars. Everyone has something they dislike about themselves. At least you have something you can change (unless TITAN make a Medievil torture rack).

Picking up chicks is confidence mate. Nothing more. :nod:

Funny, it always seemed to me that it was the 6'2'' people who picked up girls in bars. Everyone has something they dislike about themselves. At least you have something you can change (unless TITAN make a Medievil torture rack).

Picking up chicks is confidence mate. Nothing more. :nod:
John will be endorsing the torture rack when it becomes available.

I don't think thinking negative works for most people, but it seems to work for some to keep them aware of their habits. If you're thinking all day "don't cheat, you were fat and you can be fat again", while it's somewhat obsessive and possibly psychologically scarring, it will prevent you from blissfully and without awareness walking into a fast food restaurant and taking in 1,200 calories, which is something people who diet do all the time while supposedly 'thinking positively'.

negative thinking probably works for no one.
i do it once in a while as sort of... endurance training for my mind. so that eventually i'll be able to withstand anything mentally, and still be able to stay on track.

also, negative thinking every once in a while makes positive things look alot better.

as for binging - i think im to the point where nothing tempts me anymore. maybe it's a year's experience of cutting, who knows. all i have to do is look at the "partially hydronized oils" on the cookie label, and i can easily walk away.

Maybe negative isn't the right word, but people with very positive attitudes have to combat bad habits through focusing on negatives.

For instance, not everyday do I want to go to the gym. Ideally, I would think positively of the benefits but in reality the thought process is more like

" Don't skip again you lazy bastard. You will only fail if you give in to your urge to skip this workout. You are truly pathetic unless you do what you set out to do. Just f-ing do it or you're a loser.."

Now maybe this is extreme but it shows that you have to use negativity to prevent you from slacking off. At the same time, it's positive because you're telling yourself that you are capable of doing it and you should take the more difficult path while others around you are eating crap, drinking 10 beers, and sitting at a computer instead of working out.

The facts:

Weight: 162.8 lbs.

Tape measurements:

Waist: 33.3'
Hip: 36.9'
Thighs: 23'
Neck: 14.2'
Biceps: 13.1'
Forearms: 10.8'
Wrists: 6.5'
Chest: 36.8'

Skinfolds:

Suprailliac: 11 mm.
Abdominal: 21.5 mm.
Chest: 9 mm.
Thigh: 9 mm.

Body fat measured: 15.6%.

There we go: almost exactly the same numbers as two weeks ago. One week to cause the damage (pizza + 2 workouts missed) and another to fix it.

It's scary to state this with words, but in 28 days I've dropped 1% bodyfat. By 2010 I should be near 10%, maybe.

I'm back on track. I'm cutting more agressively than ever. I'll take an extra sip of motivation today.

I'm gonna make it.

Weight: 176.4 (i've gained 3.6 lbs since i started BFFM 4 weeks ago)

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

Beginning of Week 4 Skinfold Measurements:

Pectorial:
4.75, 5.00, 4.25 mm

Abs:
14, 14, 15 mm

Thigh:
14, 14, 14 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
9.272119565882974 (down like a clown with every measurment)

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)... this is what happens when a perfect diet is like breathing - something you do without thinking about it. I've noticed the less i think about fitness/diet/etc, the better i do.
i was over at a girl's house saturday night and i made her and another friend a pizza. cooked it, cut it up, and i realized something in that moment: i wasnt tempted. not at all. and i love pizza. My mom made brownies when i was home. didnt touch one of them, didnt even stress about it. my fear of trans fats removes all temptation from my mind. if i see that "hydrogenized" word in the ingredients list, i wont go near it. i'm very proud of myself.

Man, you're nearly there!!! You'll get your abs in less than a month. At least one of us will make it. I hope once I'll see your 6-pack picture my motivation (which is high at the time of writting) will skyrocket.

For it will be proven that a ultraendo can achieve a 6-pack.

Keep the good work!!! :tucool:

Cziffra - i got fat again. it was from sunday. i declared it an early highcarb day when i shouldnt have. i kept eating oatmeal and bagels like no tomorrow, and also these Atkin grenola bars. the ingredients looked fine, so i ate 2 boxes worth.

i didnt see the effects until yesterday at 4. then the fat piled on. its weird how that works. i need to strive for low calories today. i might start doing something like 1900, 1900, 1900, 2700, repeat... where 2700 is my highcarb. naw, 1900 is too low. its tempting though, seeing as my weight is HIGHER than when i started.

Why is 1900 too low? Have you tried in the past?

When I go down to 1400 for a couple of days, then 1800 for another couple and one day at 2600, the fat just melts away. I still couldn't get more than a week like that, though. This week is gonna be hopefully spotless.

ok, yea... i think i'll do 1900 then. i tried 1800 per day when i was trying to do a high fat/protien diet, but i wasnt going anywhere.

only problem is - i don't know how many calories are in 1 jumbo egg white.
i'll try to look it up maybe.

EDIT: k, found it...

1 Jumbo egg yolk: 59 cal, 5g fat, 2.8g pro
1 Jumbo egg white: 17 cal, 0g fat, 4.5g pro...

is that right? only 4.5 g pro? odd. thought it was more. i'm going to reconfigure my diet today. shit, i really need to get some work done though. oh well, diet is more important to me for some reason.

i mean, come on - i'm cutting, i'm supposed to be losing weight, not gaining.

so its going to go low, low, low, high...
low = 1793 calories
high = 2600 calories

Attached is my low diet... its an html file inside a zip.

-----------------------------------------------------
Weight: 174.2

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

Beginning of Week 4 Skinfold Measurements:

Pectorial:
6.25, 6.25, 6.25 mm

Abs:
15, 15, 15 mm

Thigh:
14, 14, 14 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
9.961073819547607

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)... Matches the reading i got from the Taylor® BF Scale. I'm a very very fat man. They need to change the obesity classification to 10% instead of 25% for males. it would make more sense.

it's all about muscles though. i've seen pictures of body builders at 20%, and they look better than i do at 10. i'll get there eventually though.

here's a question - who lives longer? natural bodybuilders, or triathletes? That may decide what i want to do with my life. if only you could be both...

ok, i've decided something.

i'm going to combine SGX with BFFM. basically all that will do is eliminate ALL carbs from my current lowcarb days, and replace them with more protien. the premise behind SGX is that you don't combine fats with carbs. i dont know what that means or why it's important chemically, but seeing SteveG's pic is enough to sell me on it.

and then on highcarb days, i'll double my carbs per meal, and remove the fat sources.

yep, that's what i'm going to do. hah.. i probably only have a couple more weeks before i hit 8% bf, but might as well make that come true.

ok, i've decided something.

i'm going to combine SGX with BFFM. basically all that will do is eliminate ALL carbs from my current lowcarb days, and replace them with more protien. the premise behind SGX is that you don't combine fats with carbs. i dont know what that means or why it's important chemically, but seeing SteveG's pic is enough to sell me on it.

and then on highcarb days, i'll double my carbs per meal, and remove the fat sources.

yep, that's what i'm going to do. hah.. i probably only have a couple more weeks before i hit 8% bf, but might as well make that come true.

I flipped when I saw SteveG's pics. That guy is absolutely ripped.

Yesterday I had a few cookies and I wonder why. That's the worst thing, when I wonder why. Just because I got one of those "the hell with it" moments and I screwed up the low carb day. Those moments are becoming more and more frequent.

I'm loosing momentum and motivation. I'm overwhelmed by the experiment, I have to get a conference ready, I have to write up, I want to drop body fat, there is a serious issue with girlfriend, the only thing I want is to lay down with a good book and read for a hundred years.

And there are some additional inner sad feelings coming from the past which are not very pleasant. Yesterday I went for a run at midnight, thinking that would improve my ability to sleep, since it has been almost impossible for the last week. And I let my mind fly and remembered some sad moments of my life and felt like crying. I need a rest. It's kinda I lost faith. I keep doing my fitness stuff more or less ok, but it's only because I know that is the only thing which potentially would work, not because I conciously believe it. It seems like I'd need to cut forever.

Anyway, enough complaining. wh0, why are you changing the BFFM thing? Weren't you getting results? I think you were... You were dropping bodyfat steadily. Don't change something which is working.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000AQJRD.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg

Taylor® Bodyfat Scale:
Weight: 172.6
Bodyfat: 10%

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

Middle of Week 4 Skinfold Measurements:

Pectorial:
6, 6, 7 mm

Abs:
14.5, 14, 15 mm

Thigh:
13.75, 13.75, 14.5 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
9.83385588642841

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)...
Started ECA Stack. Genetics has alot to do with things, and im usually not one to blame genetics. my metabolism is slow, and i get it from my mom. i gain fat wayyyy to easily, so im going to start taking breaks from work to walk around or stretch or something - just so im not sitting still for too long ya know?

yea, i was getting results... but this will only help things. i'll still eat healthy, im just going to lower the carbs significantly on lowcarb days. i'll still have the highcarb days every 4 days (today is highcarb day)... im just not going to combine fats and carbs.

oh - and i know how being down and being busy affects things... almost like you wish the world could just pause until everything is sorted out. just keep your head up, and do things because you need to, even though you dont feel like it. eating healthy and getting your work done both apply. if these things get behind, it's just going to be more reason to be down.

i will, from now on, DRED high carb days.
i've eaten 4 C U P S of oatmeal today so far.
do you know how much oatmeal this is?
i feel like vomiting.

i will, from now on, DRED high carb days.
i've eaten 4 C U P S of oatmeal today so far.
do you know how much oatmeal this is?
i feel like vomiting.


Hey W;

Can you substitute that for some whole wheat pasta? That stuff goes down pretty easy... at least it wasn't another box of granola bars. :D

Keep movin',

G

i'll give that pasta a try my next highcarb day. that sounsd pretty good. i hope none of the ingredients are bad,.

i was looking in the mirror today and i saw all 6 abs. but that was a side mirror. the front mirror i didnt see anything. it was very strange. either way, i hate working 13 hrs a day. im so drained right now, but i did this to myself for not getting any work done for the past 3 weeks.

but now that i dont enjoy these forums, i love working. except 13 hrs. 10 is fine, but the last 2 just wear me down.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000AQJRD.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg

Taylor® Bodyfat Scale:
Weight: 172.6
Bodyfat: 09%

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

End of Week 4 Skinfold Measurements:

Pectorial:
5.5, 6, 7 mm

Abs:
13.5, 12.5, 13 mm

Thigh:
14, 14, 13.5 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
9.272119565882974

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)...
yep... i knew when i woke up today i felt a little thinner in the stomach area. gettn' there - 2 or 3% left to go!

You dont enjoy the forums ? Why ?

You dont enjoy the forums ? Why ?
i dunno, can't really put my finger on it per-say.
it's like they're... mindnumbing? pointless kinda?
either way, it's a good thing - i need to get my career going (or more like "started").

Cziffra,

Dont be so hard up on yourself.

Dont let fitness and dieting become your life. Its all about balance. Make it a part of your life, even a major part of your life, but dont let it become your whole life. That never healthy, no matter what the subject matter. People let work become there whole life, let their other half become their whole life, let partying become their whole life. Its not good, balance my friend, everything is a balance.

Life sometimes feels like where juggling too many balls. You fear if you drop one ball, you will drop them all and have to start learning to juggle again. Thats not true. Once you can juggle 5 balls, you can juggle 5 balls. You drop one, you start again, but you dont forget how and you dont start with one. You go straight back to 5. If you need to ease up on something in order to sort something else out then do it. If this project is important, switch to a maintainance level for a week or two. If you need to sort out your GF issue, then take 5 from the project. Just because you swtich to maintainance or take a small breather from work, doesnt mean you will "forget how to juggle" and not be able to return to those things. What harm will it do, you got the rest of your life. Better that then burn out. The whole reason your getting healthy is to enjoy life more, right ? Look better, feel better etc. Doesnt sound like your enjoying life all that much. Thats kinda ironic dont you think ?

Live a healthy lifestyle and focus on your goals. Theres no race mate. Its all about getting from A-B. If you have to stop for a rest on the way to B, or pop in somewhere on the way, thats cool, so long as you keep B in your views and dont go backward. Theres no rush. No race.

:)

You are quite right, Reno. I make fitness/diet my whole life, but then it is a bit further than that, because I also make my g/f my whole life, I make physics my whole life, I make mathematical finance my whole life... How many lifes should I lead to be able to cope with that?

As you said, balance is the key word. I had yesterday a long talk with girlfriend and it's kind of sorted out. I tend to think about all the problems at the same time and that makes me unable to take any action.

"..you got the rest of your life". I liked that. I have to have that present. Sometimes I think I'm doing like a fly hitting the glass of the window over and over, seing the goal so close, but unaware that that is not the right path to it.

I'm gonna focus on the joy of life a bit more. It's all related, if I feel happy I'll make more progress in everything and it will be a seed for wellbeing.

If I fail, I'm not a failure. I learn from my mistakes and shouldn't make them twice. Damn! sometimes all it's needed is to sit down for five minutes and try to see the problem in the right light to appreciate how easy it is to solve.

Thanks, Reno.

No bother mate. Glad to help. :)

Stop carb cycling. It's not working. I mean, surely it works, but I cannot cope with it anymore. Lowcarb days make me miserable. High carb days are easily damaging (for several reasons).

So yesterday I decided I'm back to old school cutting 1800 cal 40/40/20. I went down to ~11% with that and sure I can do it again. Then, at 11%, I might keep trying that approach OR then carb cycling for a month. We'll see. I feel released now that I stablised a plan which I know works for me.

I might try to stop being lazy and update my journal later in the day.

Have a nice (long in the UK) weekend.

carb cycling is definatly working for me, or maybe its the extreme amount of excersize. who knows which, but i'm very close. i can see my ab outline pretty good, but it's not as defined yet. i'm pretty sure i'm sub 10% bf though.

today is another NOcarb day for me. another one tomorrow and then highcarb day monday.

i'm feeling good still while using the ECA stack, except for the nagging from my mother about how it's not normal.

i cant believe my willpower. or maybe its not even about that anymore. i don't cheat my diet A T A L L. there's these freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the counter, and even though i know i'd love to eat them all, theres also know way i could let myself actually do it. maybe its because after 1 full year of strict dieting i'm getting used to it.

another day. it seems as days go by, i think less and less about diet and fat loss, and i keep making more and more progress. amazing.

i'm doing a moderate carb day today. i really cant stand no-carbing it, i have no energy when im running or biking. and i dont enjoy the meals either. it's either egg whites, protien shakes, tuna, salmon, or chicken. im dredding all of em.

i think the biggest problem is the whole "dont combine fats and carbs" thing im trying to obey. its very inconvienient. i want to put peanutbutter on my whole wheat bagel, but i cant.

life is so difficult. i really want to learn to play the violin.
i bet Cziffra can. you amaze me - very smart man.

...

life is so difficult. i really want to learn to play the violin.
i bet Cziffra can. you amaze me - very smart man.


Wrong bet. I only put my hands on a violin once. It sounded like somebody was trying to skin a cat alive.

I'm a fairly good pianist,though. Wanna listen?

Go here (http://fisica.urbenalia.com/users/cziffra/?selact=about) and click where it says "Chopin: Vals Op. 42 grabación casera".

That's me. Bad sound quality, but you can get an idea.

I've been two days in 40/40/20 and love it. Gonna stick to it.

I've spent the whole weekend reading the Financial Times and designing different CVs to annoy the Headhunters.

Next week should be quite good for fitness progress.

i'm very impressed!
i should make a recording of me playing chopsticks.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000AQJRD.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg

Taylor® Bodyfat Scale:
Weight: 171.8
Bodyfat: 08%

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

Beginning of Week 5 Skinfold Measurements:

Pectorial:
5, 5, 5.5 mm

Abs:
12, 12, 12 mm (WHAT WHAT WHAT! send it.)

Thigh:
14, 14, 14 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
8.70

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)...
Skinzzz!

wh0areume

Have you got any pics ?

And who is the guy in your avatar??? He keeps changing.

pictures - yes i do, but i dont like them yet. i dont think the bodyfat measurements i'm doing are correct - i look more 10-12% in the mirror. i wont post any pictures until i like what i see (i.e. until i look almost as good as you). i have ab definition when i flex, but thats about it.

the avator is Larry David, creator of Seinfeld, and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm (http://www.hbo.com/larrydavid/?ntrack_para1=leftnav_category0_show12)

his work is the only comedy out there that can make me laugh. the rest all seems lame to me.

Weight: 171.6

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

Week 5 Skinfold Measurements:

Pectorial:
6, 6, 6 mm

Abs:
13, 13, 13 mm

Thigh:
14, 14, 14 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
9.27

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)...
Dunno what's going on. but at least this number is closer to what i look like. i'll keep working at it.

I should start thinking about updating my stats at some point.

But I'm soooooooooooo tired. 40/40/20 is working, though. Already below 160 lbs. 10 lbs. more and I'm below 10% bf, pretty sure.

I'm much more patient now, because I noticed that stress makes fat loss much harder. I'm not in a hurry. I'll make at a steady pace.

Reno, your sentence "... you have the rest of your life" really changed my vision of things. Thanks again, mate.

I think I'm gonna put it in my signature.

wh0, I read your 16 miles plan and felt envious. I'll probably run 12 miles next Sunday and 20 the Sunday after. Just to average out your 16...

And talking about running... Do you recognise me? (http://www.actionphoto.net/orderimage.aspx?pth=raceimages/L05/large/L054134433\DSC_0237.JPG&imageid=2198936&IDENTid=2439507&unid=false&pictnum=2&totalimg=6)

Cziff - me and you are running a marathon together within the next year.
pick one, and i'm in it.

either over there or over here, it doesnt matter.
how cool would that be?

good to see you're more relaxed.
hope things are going better with the girlfriend. fights are normal.
i wish i had a good girl i could fight with.

i think if i did, i'd have an agreement with her to have 1 fight every month, even if we had nothing to fight about. i think that would be good for a relationship - let out some steam every once in a while.
i need a girl i can run and bike with.

maybe if i got married i could afford a gym membership where i could start swimming. why does swimming have to be an event in a triathlon? why cant it be pingpong?

yes, i'm procrastinating work again.
i'm such a clown, but at least i type really really really fast.
my boss is amazed when he sees me type. it must be because of my lower bf %.

seriously people - i love emails.
click on my username, and go to "Send email to wh0areume"

very nice! where in the marathon was that? like what mile# ? i'd like to see your face at mile 25 :)

im in such a marathon mood right now.
is it legal to run shirtless?
like, why do people wear so many clothes during a marathon?

i cant believe theres that many chubby people in marathons too.
dont they train? look at the girl behind you in that pic.

That was mile 10 or so.

My face at the finish line is SCARY (http://www.actionphoto.net/orderimage.aspx?pth=raceimages/L05/large/L058141339\DSC_0844.JPG&imageid=2229355&IDENTid=2538578&unid=false&pictnum=3&totalimg=6)

People without training did probably better than me due to my overtraining which resulted in a serious injury. Never underestimate the power of chubbyness.

Weight: 173

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

Week 5 Skinfold Measurements:

Pectorial:
4, 4, 5 mm

Abs:
12, 11, 12 mm

Thigh:
12, 12, 12 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
7.931705555895746

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)...
buahahaha... that's such bullshit. theres no way im even NEAR that low. although, looking in the mirror i AM under 10 i think. my skin isnt tight to my muscle definition, so maybe i AM really this low? very depressing if so...
i'm going to keep cutting until something neat happens, or maybe until i die. :nod:

Weight: 173

http://rustyiron.net/accumeas.jpg

End of Week 5 Skinfold Measurements:

Pectorial:
5, 5, 5 mm

Abs:
12, 12, 12 mm

Thigh:
14.5, 14.5, 14.5 mm

Age:
23.5 yrs

Calculated BF%
8.96

used this method (http://rustyiron.net/formmale.htm)...
i need to get more excersize. i dont know what happened yesterday. i thought i ate clean (i did)... but one of my meals consisted of 2 protien bars (total of 320 cal)... and then there were never really any nutritional combinations. like, i would eat my protien intake for a meal, but wait another 1.5 hrs before eating the fat part - instead of taking the two macros together for a wellrounded meal. or maybe this is the fat from eating too much steak thurs night.

im a fat fat fat man. but i still look good in the mirror i think. ab definition is really showing good.

bulking now.
there's no reason to look like this.
i can see my abs, wopty-do. my arms look like twigs.

i'm guessing my ab muscles will grow too if i do this slowly, so that might actually make things look better.

Weight: 171.6 lbs
Bodyfat: 8%

Lean mass: 150 lbs....Goal: 170lbs

So you won the challenge?

We need pictures to declare it over!!

I'm like two months away from any clear ab definition, so if you still need a bit more improvement, you've got plenty of time.

Wish I was in single digits... How does it feel?
:tu:

honestly - i thought it would feel different. it feels the same as being 13% bf, cept i can see my veins/muscles more clearly. i thought it would feel like... almost like i had no skin? but i still have skin, cept i dont see as much "fat" in the mirror. it's very weird - good question though! the biggest feeling i'll stress is that its such a gradual change that it's almost no change? i was really expecting more.

i'll take a picture when i get around to it. my bottom two abs arent visible due to loose skin/fat, so i technically didnt win.

Weight: 172.8 lbs
Bodyfat: 8%

Lean mass: 159 lbs....Goal: 170lbs

Weight: 172.8 lbs
Bodyfat: 8%

Lean mass: 159 lbs....Goal: 170lbs

feeling a little sick, and my resting HR wont go below 53. not a good sign, so i'm going to take it reallllll easy today. i also have to work on getting 8 hrs of sleep per night.

Weight: 176.0 lbs
Bodyfat: 8.7%

ok, so last week i ordered the AXN700 (http://www.polarusa.com/Products/consumer/axn700.asp) for $430.00. it turns out that this has no biking features, and no running features. i think the main reason i bought it was vanity. so i finally kicked myself in the balls today, called the bikeshop, and tried to switch this for the S725 (http://www.polarusa.com/Products/Consumer/S725.asp) which is about 100$ cheaper, and has all the biking features that i'd need.

im waiting to hear back from the bikeshop after they try to call polar and cancel the order. i have a feeling that i can still cancel and get the S725 even if they cant cancel the order, but then i screw the bikeshop out of 435$.

i really hope they can cancel that, but it's been a week already.

What would that monitor do for you specifically beyond giving you your heartrate? It has a lot of features relating to altimotry, which would seem to only apply to skydivers and pilots :lol:

Cool looking watch though. :nod:

What would that monitor do for you specifically beyond giving you your heartrate? It has a lot of features relating to altimotry, which would seem to only apply to skydivers and pilots :lol:

Cool looking watch though. :nod:
as for the AXN700 - you're completly right. there was no reason for me to pick that one.
i simply looked at Polar's website, and wanted the most expensive one. i mean, shit, it displays graphs on it!

i wanted one where i can record my heartrate data, vs. my altitude, vs the speed of my bike, vs my power output, so then i could train accordingly and see my progress. (kind of like how when someone loses weight, its motivational for them to see the numbers going down each week).

i need to win the tour de france so i can date natalie portman, and i need to apply science to my bike training in order to win it at such an old starting age. (23 is old for starting biking. i'll be competing with people who'v been doing triathlons since they were 15)

this is lance's last year doing the tour - so it's time for someone to take his place.

everyone has goals for themselves, i just prefer to set impossible ones for myself to see if i can do it.

jesus... the bikeshop STILL hasnt called back. im starting to worry, because now i have my hopes up thinking im going to get the S725. skinz on me.

Weight: 173.8 lbs
Bodyfat: 8.24%

i dont know how much of that is waterweight, but as long as it's not fat - its fine with me.

Cziffra - you out there?
I'm going to sign up for the Chicago marathon October 9th, 2005. it's 90$.
you should join! it's in the Americas (the northern one)

I'm here but not measuring bf. I don't see the point until I hit 10% or so. After one year of measuring bf I KNOW I'm ~13% now.

Was 159 lbs. this morning.

I'd love to run a marathon with you. Just not this year. From now til Christmas it's gonna be the most busiest 6 months of my life. Plus I decided not to train for another marathon til I'm sub 10%.

We'll run together some time. We're young. Only thing, it'll have to happen before you win Le Tour, since once you'll be famous, you'll not approach dumb people like me. :D

i'm seriously going to win that thing.
i dont think i'll ever become famous though - doesnt seem possible.

Win Le Tour <======> Famous as hell.

I don't know how big is cycling in USA, but in Europe, specially in Spain, it's pretty big. Indurain was one of the best spanish sportmen ever. After him, everybody went nuts about cycling in Spain. Same happens in Belgium with Eddy Merx or Bernard Hinault.

It's also quite big in South America, specially in Colombia.

How many americans do you think know who Lance Armstrong is?

How many know who Jan Ullrich is? What about Richard Virenque?

i think most americans would say lance armstrong was the first man on the moon.

edit: do a google search for ["Lance Armstrong" "moon"] and you'll see what i mean :D

Ok, I'm going to take some shirtless pics this weekend and post them here. Everybody likes pics. They will be nice before pics. And all my housemates are away, so I can walk around the house half-naked without disturbing anyone.

I'll take a couple of hours aside this evening to shave my torso.

I'm still dropping weight while having pizza and ice cream. Before my reward meal yesterday I played soccer for two hours (really intensely!) and then run 3 miles. I think my body processed the foods before they reached the stomach.

cziff - my photos are updated on the muscletank site.
i put on alot of fat this week because of carb sensitivity.
the casual one still shows abs, but i think i'm around 14%bf right now.


do you want an invite to that site?

I'll take a couple of hours aside this evening to shave my torso.




A couple hrs.? That's a lot of hair - better get some Draino for your shower drain... (j'k) :D Good luck & try not to cut anything off that's supposed to be there...

G :nod:

Who,

Thats the first time i seen your pics. They are good bro. Your back especially is well defined and carries a lot of mass.

Can i ask, do you do a combined delts/pecs workout ?

i think most americans would say lance armstrong was the first man on the moon.

Didnt he write "What a wonderful world" ? I thought Apollo Creed was the first man on the moon ? ;)

see - there's the problem right there reno - i dont even know what delts are!
the only thing i do for pecs is bench press, and inclined db flies.

what you're seeing on my back is shoulderblades.
i sometimes think i was born without back muscles.
i havnt been weight-training it properly.

there are many weight excersizes i simply cannot do, due to a range-of-motion problem in my left arm/shoulder.
during childbirth, i was a heavy baby, and many nerves were damaged in the process.

if you have any suggestions, let me know - i could definatly use some help.

Delts = Deltoids. Shoulders. :)

Do you do pecs and shoulders in the same session ? Does your nerve damage restrict overhead presses ?

What im seeing on your back is good definition and a solid base. I wouldnt comment if i didnt think so. I would keep quite and pretend like i never saw your photos. :whistle:

no. i do them separately.

yes - the nerve damage PREVENTS overhead presses - unless it's machine guided.
which is why i'm going to start paying 20$ a month for a gym membership.

i havnt been working my shoulders until recently. (within the last month).
they are one of my main insecurities in life.
also i have no lats. i need to start doing lat pulldowns when i get that gym membership. right now i do a dumbell workout for them, i dont know what it's called.

god.. i wish i would put some time into weight training research.
but then when i go to try out new excersizes, my left arm makes it so that i can only do 5 lb dumbells MAX.

complain complain complain... :)

Who, most university gyms offer a trainer for a couple sessions at a fairly low price. They could take you through all sorts of exercises, and make sure you are doing it right. Also, they could think of exercises where the right muscles get worked but take into account your limited range of motion on the left side.

that might be an option, but i'll see how everything is with the machines.
if i have machine guided excersize, i can work it properly.

at home, all i have is dumbells - which are very hard to use with my left arm.

what's new Cziffra?

I'm going to take new pictures this coming saturday morning.
still weigh around 173... i'm going to check to see what the calipers say right now.

Hi, I have an awfully busy week schedule. Weight in the 158 ballpark.

Will take pictures before birthday as stated somewhere. Will not be very active for the next days.

Glad you're doing fine. Keep up!

EDIT: when I say will not be very active I mean will not be very active in these forums. Of course the workouts are a must. Will not skip a single one.