Hey all,

This challenge is geared to all you undergrads out there. Classes start here at PSU on August 30th, and most college start around then (Unless you go to Drexel with their four trimesters :P) so what I am thinking is a challenge for people to reach their goals by then so they go into the Fall semester feeling confident about themselves!

If anyone is up for it, post your plan and a little bio information (if you feel comfortable with that.) I'll start out:

Age: 21
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 183.5 lbs
School: Penn State!
Major: Physics
Who I want to be built like: Charles Bronson (think Hard Times, not Death Wish)
Goals: 12% Body Fat (around the mid-twenties now), 6 minute mile, 100 pushups in 3 minutes

The Plan:
A clean 1900 cals each day, consisting of 50/40/10 carbs/protein/fats.
Foods will be primarily tuna, chicken, oatmeal, granola, whole-wheat bread, super skim milk, spinach, peppers, corn, and yams/sweet potatoes.

Running M/W/F with bodyweight exercises everyday (no gym access yet.)
Mainly pushups (various forms), situps, dips, and squat-thrusts.

So there you have it, I'll work on refining my plan a bit this weekend after experimenting a bit in the kitchen, and finding a set workout routine.

Welp, I promised I'd post details of my plan so here we go.

Food
2 medium grilled chicken breasts
1 can light chunk tuna
4 slices 12 grain bread with Omega 3 Fatty Acids
1/2 cup granola with 1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 medium Empire Apple

45% Carbs, 40% Protein, 15% Fat
1818kcal

This is roughly what I've been doing for the past three weeks, but I've refined it to where I am finally happy with it. The food consumed is very cheap and also very filling. The calories may vary by at most 100-150 due to any seasonings and condiments I choose, but that is a small price to pay for a little variety. My cheat (once every week or so) consists of dropping out whatever food I don't feel like eating that day and replacing it with a Wendy's Frosty or a Grasshopper Sundae (these are delicious.) I could get away without a cheat meal, but I'd rather just enjoy myself once in a while.

Workout
2xFailure Situps
2xFailure Normal Pushups
2xFailure Wide Pushups
2xFailure Incline Pushups
20 minutes jump-rope
30-40 minutes jogging or biking (interval training)

This will be done each day with one day for rest as I am more concerned with endurance than anything else at the moment. I will continue with this workout until roughly half-way through the summer when I will get gym access and I can start with weights.

This challenge is still open! Hell, lets just make it for anyone who wants to have August as the date for their goals.

Since we're in pretty similar scenarios i just went ahead and used your format

Age: 21
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 212 lbs
School: Purdue!
Major: Management
Who I want to be built like: Me as of about a year ago, before I got off track
Goals: 190 by August 13th, be able to run across campus, around the stadium, (not as challenging to lap as PSU's...i walked around that last october), up and down the stairs there twice, and back across campus, and shock the hell out of my friends when I show up to Drumline auditions on the 14th.

The Plan:
haven't narrowed down the food plan yet. Right now I'm eating a combination of a lot of egg beaters, veggie breakfast patties and burgers, shaved turkey sandwiches, balance energy bars, chicken breasts. Just cutting down and switching to healthier food plus the workouts has brought me down 4 pounds in 5 days.

Running 5 nights a week, slowly increasing distance. Weights 3-4 days a week, mainly focusing on higher reps instead of higher weights, plus the usual situps and pushups at home when I feel like it. My main objective right now is to gain endurance and lose weight. I definately won't lose any muscle on this routine, I plan to start focusing more on strength when I get under 200 pounds.

Overall, my plan is still in the works, but I've been dedicated so far, and will definately stick with it. (i bet a friend $100 that i'd be down to 195 by my goal date...the extra 5 pounds will just add insult to the injury of his wallet) Since I'm at school for the summer I have the means (the rec center), the time, and not as many distractions as usual, so I'm excited to be able to really focus on this for the next few months

I'll continue to post my results

Hi,

Looking good for the start of term sounds like the best kind of motivation to me. I'm taking acne pills at the moment so it would be good to get back to uni a new me.

I'll just use the same layout....

Age: 21
Height: 5'8''
Weight: 130 lbs
School: Bristol UWE, UK
Major: Computer Science
Who I want to be built like: Brad Pitt in Troy
Goals: To add mass, i'm not too concerned with adding lean mass as I find adding any sort of weight near impossible, and to improve cardio endurance. Once I'm as big as I want I'll work on a slow cut.

The Plan:
To generally eat as much as I can as clean as I can, I'm working up untill the start of University so during the day it will probably consist of chicken/egg/qourn sandwiches and in the evenings chicken and pasta or chicken and rice. I'll go to the gym after work alternating daily between weights and cardio. Is it worth adding starting pictures?[/QUOTE]

Adrian

Good luck to the both of you!

There is definitely no harm in adding any sort of pictures of your start or progress. I plan on it when I get back from home on Monday.

--

So I fell off the wagon yesterday. It was my roommates birthday so we went out to eat. I had a large bowl of chedder bacon potato soup, a full rack of ribs, and a box of Raisinettes at the theater (Ep. 3 rocks!)

Despite that, though, I am still at 181.5. I'm getting very close to breaking into the 170's. My push-ups are slowly increasing, too. When I started I could only get about 15 out and now I am up to 25. Situps are in the 40-50 range. Yay for progress.

Here is my starting pic 23 May 2005:

http://www.xtsystems.com/Ade/IMG_1472.jpg

I dont think i'll keep any paticular records of my weight or measurements as it just de-motivates me, i'll just go by the aesthetics.

Count me in. I'm ready to drop the saggy, sophmore twenty and get jacked for August 30th.

My measurements:
5' 10"
180
20-22%bf sorry, no calipers

I lift upperbody 3 days a week: pullups, dips, chinups w/ pushups two days

Abs: 30 minutes following upperbody

Cardio: four days running each morning prior to work (June 1st until July 1st-training for 10K on July 4th)

Swimming intervals 1 day/week with bike intervals (10 minutes HITT prior to each upper body workout).

Eating 5 meals/day w/o calorie counting but will healthy, low-GI foods, high nutrient foods.

Time to blow everyone away next year!!!

I'm so down for this, even though I am taking 13 hours this summer...

Age: 19
Height: 5'8''
Weight: 159 lbs
School: University of Louisville
Major: Electrical Engineering
Who I want to be built like: Hmm, well to be as cliche as possible, Brad Pitt in Snatch.
Goals: Sub 10% Body Fat or around 145 lbs before starting a Fall Bulk.

The Plan: Eating a clean 1600-1700 calories per day, mostly coming from whole wheat bread/tortillas, lunch meat, chicken, tuna...

I'm running M/W/F at around 7:30 AM doing a HIIT Program that I found online. Though I started out at week 3. I'll also be lifting Tues/Wed/Thurs however they can be adjusted depending on what time I work, cause man do I need that money.

--My work out plan is in much more detail in my Journal, Engineering a Six Pack.

I'm always working on refining things, and I figure this is as good a place for help as any right? Anyways good luck to ya mates.

Damn, it's been a while since I posted. Just figured I give a little update.

I'm hovering around 179 right now, haven't been eating as well as I should but I still stay at or under my calories for the day. I've also lost an inch and a half to two inches on my waist. I'll post pictures in the next couple of days... I actually shaved my chest so you can see more definition now.

Not by choice, of course. I'm a medical research subject and they needed a place to stick the EKG leads :P But hey, it is 275 bucks and alot of fitness tests I would otherwise have never been able to do.

I've got a new job too, which involves a lot of standing. Hurts my feet a bit, but it is actually doing wonders for my posture and abs. Good stuff.

Here's my progress:

Just over 3.5 weeks done, I've lost 10 pounds and am down to 205.
I've been doing great on my cardio, doing 45 minutes starved on the elliptical during the morning, and I'm almost up to running 80% of my nightly goal route, which I roughly estimated to be 2.6 miles, and my speed on the stairs in the middle of that has improved a lot.

I need to get better at doing weights, I keep telling myself I'll go back to the gym in the afternoon (if I did, i wouldn't do that route that night) but I get occupied then the gym closes...stupid summer hours.

As for diet, I know i'm not eating enough right now, and I received a large amount of free pork (sister's grad party was a pig roast) So I've been eating that when I should find a leaner option. Tomorrow I go grocery shopping and will stock up, and I just downloaded the excel workbook from the nutritional forum to keep track of everything.

So the "just wing it and see what happens" phase is over and was successful, now it's time to buckle down and be a little scientific, and start the more serious lifting. I'll also buy a measuring tape and take some pictures tomorrow so I can have a bf% and some measurements to keep track of.

:gl: to everyone else (and me)!

Alright, I got some pictures taken, and bought a tape measure so I could get a rough estimate of my bf%.

BF was about what I expected, roughly 22%

I've got all my food planned out and everything for tomorrow with the 40/40/20 and 6 meals and all, should be good for me, I think my body's definately gone into starvation mode

Here's my "beginning" pics taken at 205 lb...even though this is after losing 10 pounds. Oh well, I still have a long ways to go. I'll probably post again in a week or so to update on how the new diet's going.

removed

UPDATE:

Well, it's been almost a week on the planned out diet, and I'm still losing weight very quickly. I was worried that I was losing muscle weight, but according to the tape measure my lean mass went UP 3 pounds, I lost 9 pounds of fat, and my body fat is down to 18% I know this can't be right for 6 days, but it still shows I'm going in the right direction. My weight's down to 199. I'll probably cheat quite a bit this weekend, I'll have friends in town.

As for my diet, I'm taking in about 1700 calories a day. That might be on the low side, but until it starts to bother me or I feel like I'm losing significant muscle, I'm going to stick with it.

My menu includes:
-chicken breasts
-cottage cheese
-turkey sandwiches (fat free cheese, lite mayo)
-Egg Beaters, Boca Breakfast Patties, Low carb wrap
-Beef Jerky
-Oatmeal
-Kashi Go Lean cereal and Soy Milk
-Broccoli/Cauloflower mix
-Balance Nutrition Bars (For between classes)

Motivation is easy right now with the quick progress, but I know things will slow down soon, then I'll up the calories and workouts and hang in there. My mini-goal is now 195 by July 1, and I'm considering lowering my initial goal. I'll hold off on that till the 1st though.

Welcome to the challenge tensdanny, and I hope everyone else is still going strong.

I've been out of college for about 9 years now but I just wanted to make a comment-

College is a good time to bulk. Most people have a lot of leisure time and it's hard to truly cut because of the tempatations of alcohol, parties, munchies, etc.

I would lift 5 days a week without too much worry about cardio. I would highly recommend focusing on lifting and eating clean and at that age those of you who are carrying a bit of extra fat will lose it through the training.

Anyone who's waiting to get gym access, I would just get it right away and get started, even if you're inexperienced with weights. If you have any questions, you know you can ask on the board and people will help out.

:gl:

Well so far, in what, a months time almost? Well I was about 160 lbs when I started, and last time I weighed in (which was mid-day so who knows how close that was) it read 150. So I'm minus 10, with possibly 7 to 8 more lbs to go before I close in on around 8 or 9 %. On my journal I've set a deadline for the end of July, so I've got a month left. I've decided that I'm going to try and definetely get to around 8 or so percent before going on a bulk mid Fall Semester. Where are you guys at?

Nothing really new to report here, weight's at 197, lost two pounds this week, which was pretty good considering I did some partying last weekend, and thursday night. I'm starting to see some definition in my chest and arms, which is nice, and my waist is down from 41" to 39".

A word about Nico's comment....I agree completely, which is why I'm cutting for the summer. It'd be much more difficult to cut during the school year, I might keep cutting for a few weeks, but I plan on bulking for the majority of the semester.

I live off-campus in my own place, so cutting is pretty easy for me since I'm buying the food. As for gym access, I just can't afford it :P Hasn't stopped me yet, though. I'm down to about 175, and am much fitter overall. I can fit into my pants from high school now. My weight right now is great, although ideally I'd like to hit 160-170. With my frame that might be tough, and I'd rather be a little heavier but carry it well than be too skinny. My head is huge, so being skinny looks a little off ;)

Still need to add more muscle though.. and lose this fat.

Yeah i live on campus right now, but since everything is closed down I'm forced to buy my own food and manage to cook it with a microwave and a George Foreman. I'm doin just fine though. I've been at about a 2 lb/week pace, but lately i havent had a chance to go to the gym and really check. I was going to last Saturday, but since I decided I'd have my one month cheat meal before my perfect (hopefully) month begins, i didnt want to go weigh myself carrying all that extra water and everything. that would have killed my motivation.

Any of you guys got any good recipes? I'm starting to hit one of those periods where the food is getting boring and really need to switch it up.

Any of you guys got any good recipes? I'm starting to hit one of those periods where the food is getting boring and really need to switch it up.


One of my favorites is the breakfast wrap I make:
-half cup egg beaters southwest
-2 boca breakfast patties (cut up)
-1 lowfat/lowcarb tortilla

Also, try to find some healthier marinades for chicken breasts, Some garlic and herb marinade was a nice break from my usual chicken.

is it too late for me to join in? I am in summer now, and I have just been constantly been falling off, I have no reason to get up early except for cardio, and I have been getting lazy again, and I won't let that happen

is it too late for me to join in? I am in summer now, and I have just been constantly been falling off, I have no reason to get up early except for cardio, and I have been getting lazy again, and I won't let that happen

Of course not, feel free to join in. I need to get a little more motivation myself.

Yeah, I randomly decided to put some of my salad dressing on my chicken last week. And now thats increased to putting hot sauce, salsa, pretty much anything to try and kick it up. How awesome, that I have everything you said for that recipe sitting in my fridge.. :D

Age: 18
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 170 lbs
School: Community College
Major: Graphic Design
Who I want to be built like: Ryan Reynolds in Blade 3
Goals: Short term, to be 8%, long term, to maintain at 12%

The Plan:
2,157 calories a day, with a ratio of 30/45/25 carb/pro/fat
Chicken and oatmeal will be at the top, along with broccoli; also salmon and turkey, and occasionally lean beef. Whole grain bread and bagels for carbs, mainly PWO, with dextrose for the first PWO.

Moderate paced jog (75-80%HR) every day in the morning, with lifting on a 4-day split, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the afternoon.

Ryan Reynolds in Blade 3 eh? Yeah i'd have to agree thats what I'm striving towards too.

Hi, does anyone mind me joining this challenge? Summer holidays are such a bore without some challenge in the middle of it! I'll give stats later...

Yea, I'm gonna have to get in on this also! :D

Age: 21
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 174
School: Villanova University (goooood shit)
Major: Communication (emphasis on public relations)
Who I want to be built like: I'm gonna go with Ryan Reynolds in Blade Trinity as well, very lean but muscular
Goals: Drop some weight and stop looking (and feeling!) so soft. Far too much beer, and not enough exercise this past semester. At 174 lbs (I already lost about 10 lbs since mid-May), I would like to drop to the low 160s (or high 150s)... but just as long as I look lean and solid, I will be happy.

The Plan: I'm already on an effective, yet non-highly-restricted diet. Lot's of lean meats (chicken, tuna, turkey, etc), almonds, fruit, veggies, beef jerky, yogurt, milk, whole wheat bread/bagels. Mmmm MMMM! Also tons and tons of water... I currently consume 4-6 full Nalgene bottles of water a day... soooo, about 128-192 oz of wate a day. Whoaaa.

In addition to all that, I have taken up a 3-day split for weights and do cardio on 3 of my non-weight days. Here's a basic outline:

Mon- Chest/Back
Tues- Abs/Cardio
Wed- Arms (Bis & Tris) :flex:
Thurs- Abs/Cardio
Fri- Legs/Shoulders
Sat/Sun- Light run, tennis, golf, soccer, etc.

Glad to see a bunch of college-age kids getting together to get in shape. Definitely the kind of support I need! :tucool:

Well here's my 1 month progress pictures, Most of the difference can be seen on the side shot (see page 1 for the initial pics). My weight's at 191.5 today, and my bf% figures to 15.5% with the tape, down from 22% I still have a ways to go, but I'm pretty happy with the results so far.

Congrats, man! Keep up the good work! :tucool:

Ryan Reynolds in Blade 3 eh? Yeah i'd have to agree thats what I'm striving towards too.


to both of you -- that is a GOOOOOOOD choice :tu:

Well here's my 1 month progress pictures, Most of the difference can be seen on the side shot (see page 1 for the initial pics). My weight's at 191.5 today, and my bf% figures to 15.5% with the tape, down from 22% I still have a ways to go, but I'm pretty happy with the results so far.
Great work man!

Oh and I finally saw Trinity this past weekend, it was a pretty kick ass movie, though the ending wasnt near as cool as the past ones.

I am also starting at PSU this fall! (University Park)

Height: 5'4 1/2
Weight: 112.5
Body Fat: 16%
Major: Pre-Med
Goal: Increase muscle tone, mileage [running], healthier eating, avoiding the freshman 15!!

Coming down to the final week - and I just now find the challenge... What can I say? I don't peruse often the Challenges forum...

How's the progress coming along?