Squat 225 lbs for 6 reps.

After going to the gym for 4 months I've been gaining muscles where there wasn't any before. I squatted today 225 lbs for 6 reps with perfect form, no quarter reps. I know it isn't a lot to most of you guys, but I'm happy with my progress.

Also my pull-ups are getting better. My max number I can do, with good form, is around 15. With my weight of 195 pounds, I think my pull-ups are decent for my size.

Anyone have any workout accomplishes as of late?

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12 ounces at a time, LOL.

You squat nearly double my weight.

Somehow I knew this was posted by DavePi! I have been working with a trainer for six months - a free benefit of my full-time job. Yesterday was fun. For the first time I lifted a barbell set up over my head, repeatedly, while combining with squats. Granted it was only 30#. But, I felt like a body builder watching myself in the mirror. For those of you that think 30# is nothing.....give it a try!

Shopping up and down the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range.

I've been following my macros for the 4 months that I've been at the gym. Eating complex carbs (cutting out processed foods), and eating enough protein for my weight. It all comes down to nutrition. When I worked out in the past, I didn't understand nutrition so I would barely get any gains. I knew I had to eat more so I would eat a ton of junk food; such as a cinnamon rolls and thought I would get bigger from this

But after watching some good fitness channels, they taught me a lot and came to a realization what I was missing.

@COMystery wrote:

Somehow I knew this was posted by DavePi! I have been working with a trainer for six months - a free benefit of my full-time job. Yesterday was fun. For the first time I lifted a barbell set up over my head, repeatedly, while combining with squats. Granted it was only 30#. But, I felt like a body builder watching myself in the mirror. For those of you that think 30# is nothing.....give it a try!

Not familiar with that exercise. Do you have any pictures or videos that you can find online?

Dave, that is awesome! Congratulations!

I work in Washington DC near Capitol Hill, the Verizon Center and the Smithsonian museums. I go for a walk every day at lunch. I also eat less (ie, spread my Chipotle bowls over four days).

Four days a week, I do body weight exercises: squats, abs, push ups, etc.

Between moving more and eating less, I am down a dress size.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

No pictures. You squat down and pick up the bar with weights. You then stand fully upright and lift your arms (and the weight) over your head and then back down into the squat position. I've gone down one size, almost two. The belly fat is the hardest. That takes cardio work as well!

Shopping up and down the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range.

Cardio > Lifting!

While I can certainly appreciate what lifting weights does for my body I much prefer running over lifting anytime. Although I'm not doing much of either right now!

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Cardio > Lifting if you do light weights and many reps. That's great for toning.

Running is not simple. You have to have the right equipment. You have to build up your stamina slowly.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

Cardio that I love to do is jump roping. You burn twice the amount of calories in half of the time when compared to running. I've been jump roping for 5 months now and it's a good way to get your calves toned and keep your body fat low.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Running is not simple. You have to have the right equipment.

I'm confused.
I've ran 2 marathons, half a dozen half marathons, a 15k, a few 10ks, an 8k, and more 5ks that I can remember.
Running is pretty simple. You put 1 foot in front of the other quickly. The only equipment you need is a pair of running shoes. Shorts would be helpful as would a shirt, but I guess technically for running you don't need those if you're not in public. Well honestly there's this whole crazy barefoot running thing to so I guess you could literally run with no equipment whatsoever.

Seriously running is easy.
And equipment?
Let's see, my gym probably has $10,000 worth of equipment.
I am a bit snobby on the running shoes, I only wear Saucony Kinvaras but I can almost always find them less than $100. So yeah, running requires 1% of the equipment lifting does.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Nothing like the rest of you, but i excersize 3 times a week,at Gold's gym, treadmill and light weights for upper body (arms), don't need to stay long, 20 minutes on treadmill and another 10 does it.....I also live in a tri-level, so run up and down stairs all day. Think of my age guys, and give me a thumbs up!!!!

Live consciously....

I disagree!

When I was running regularly, and I was nowhere near your level, I had to strengthen my body. At that time, I went to a gym. I didn't use all of the equipment the gym had.

Next, because I ran on asphalt (Saucony), trails (Timberlands) and a treadmill (Nike), I had to have the right shoes for the surfaces. We won't go into supination and pronation.

The clothing was another expense. I know it was optional, but I enjoyed it. I was big on socks and clothes that had key pockets. An iPod was also a must for me. When I hit the 4 or 5 mile mark, my brain would turn to mush. My iPod pushed me on.

As far as putting one foot in front of the other quickly, that describes walking. With running, you have to keep both feet off the ground, and continue to do so. Do you land on your heels or toes? When I was landing on my toes, that shock went to my knees, which were not strong. When I landed on my heels, the shock went to the big muscle groups which were strengthened from the squats and deadlifts.

That is very, very impressive that you have done TWO marathons! My hat goes off to you! What was that recovery like?

@bgriffin wrote:

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Running is not simple. You have to have the right equipment.

I'm confused.
I've ran 2 marathons, half a dozen half marathons, a 15k, a few 10ks, an 8k, and more 5ks that I can remember.
Running is pretty simple. You put 1 foot in front of the other quickly. The only equipment you need is a pair of running shoes. Shorts would be helpful as would a shirt, but I guess technically for running you don't need those if you're not in public. Well honestly there's this whole crazy barefoot running thing to so I guess you could literally run with no equipment whatsoever.

Seriously running is easy.
And equipment?
Let's see, my gym probably has $10,000 worth of equipment.
I am a bit snobby on the running shoes, I only wear Saucony Kinvaras but I can almost always find them less than $100. So yeah, running requires 1% of the equipment lifting does.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

Three pairs of shoes, cute clothes, and an ipod still doesn't add up to all the equipment for lifting. Plus all of those things are "required" for lifting as well.

Running for me is significantly easier than lifting weights. I pronated at first but easily corrected it. Treadmill running btw is horrible for your form. I know few serious runners who will touch one.

The first marathon I ran in 2011. I was not well prepared and it took me almost 6 hours. I was running again the next week.

The second one was 2013. I was very well prepared. So well that the first half would have been a pr had I been running a half. Then i decided to rip a hip flexor on mile 15. Still ran a 4:45 but would have shattered my 4:20 goal. That one took me over 3 months before I could run again.

Edited to add obviously that was due to the hip flexor not soreness. The rest of me was ready to run the next week.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2017 10:57AM by bgriffin.

I need to get back into exercising. The thing is that when you get in a routine, it's easy to keep up with it. Once I break the routine, I just can't seem to find time to get it into my schedule.

I spent the weekend out of town visiting family. Although I walked 12,000-14,000 steps a day it wasn't enough to counteract my bad diet choices (which for most people would be 'normal'). Stepped on the scale yesterday to discover I had gained 5 pounds! The good news is that 2 of them are gone today.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

To gain 5 lbs in fat you would have to eat 18,000 calories more than you used. To lose 2 lbs of it you would have had to use 7000 calories more than you consumed. That was probably just retained liquid.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

You're probably right, but it was still unsettling. I had more meat and cheese in those three days than I had in the past three months.

@bgriffin wrote:

To gain 5 lbs in fat you would have to eat 18,000 calories more than you used. To lose 2 lbs of it you would have had to use 7000 calories more than you consumed. That was probably just retained liquid.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

I love meat and cheese.

I am more concerned with inversion than I am with pronation. I have sprained my ankles several times over the years and I am very cautious about where I run. Interestingly, each time I sprained my ankles it was while walking.

You don't use every piece of equipment in the gym, no matter how fit or unfit you are. The $10,000 equipment value needs to be scaled back.

I traded the gym for the outdoors and body weight exercises. I am in much better shape now than when I was lifting heavy.

I agree with you about the treadmill! It helps you move, and it does nothing to strengthen your form.

bgriff, Iam IMPRESSED with 6 hours, so imagine what I think of 4:45 with a ripped flexor! My hat goes off to you!

That being said, now I see why running seems simple to you. You're good at it.

@bgriffin wrote:

Three pairs of shoes, cute clothes, and an ipod still doesn't add up to all the equipment for lifting. Plus all of those things are "required" for lifting as well.

Running for me is significantly easier than lifting weights. I pronated at first but easily corrected it. Treadmill running btw is horrible for your form. I know few serious runners who will touch one.

The first marathon I ran in 2011. I was not well prepared and it took me almost 6 hours. I was running again the next week.

The second one was 2013. I was very well prepared. So well that the first half would have been a pr had I been running a half. Then i decided to rip a hip flexor on mile 15. Still ran a 4:45 but would have shattered my 4:20 goal. That one took me over 3 months before I could run again.

Edited to add obviously that was due to the hip flexor not soreness. The rest of me was ready to run the next week.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

HA. Thanks. I'm not that good at running though.

I absolutely CANNOT do bodyweight exercises. When I was in my very best shape the summer before my second marathon I was 6'2" 190 and about 15% body fat. I was running 5 days a week and spending an hour in the gym 5 days a week (so yes doubling up a lot of days). I was in such good shape that I could hold a plank so long it was ineffective so the fitness director at my gym had me doing them in front of the cable machine and doing shoulder pulls from a plank. I still could not do a decent push up and I've never in my life been able to do a single pull up. Upper body strength has never been my strong suit though. It's always been legs and core.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

@KathyG...talking about weight gain, i can easily weigh 2pds. more if i go over 1200 calories a day, or eat the bad carbs like a Danish...that's all it takes. Fluid retention is weight gain in my world. My way of losing it is to eat my big meal for a late lunch (2ish), and a really light snack later....a girl's gotta stay in her size 8's and it's getting tougher. Carbs are the devil in disguise...

Live consciously....

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

@KathyG...talking about weight gain, i can easily weigh 2pds. more if i go over 1200 calories a day, or eat the bad carbs like a Danish...that's all it takes. Fluid retention is weight gain in my world. My way of losing it is to eat my big meal for a late lunch (2ish), and a really light snack later....a girl's gotta stay in her size 8's and it's getting tougher. Carbs are the devil in disguise...

Carbs is the body's main source of energy(glucose), too much and the excess will be stored as fat. However, the types of carbs are really important. Highly processed carbs, like donuts, is going to spike your insulin levels, which causes the carbs to turn into fat more easily.

However, carbs like fruit, old fashion oatmeal, and brown rice have a lot of fiber in them, which allows the body to digest the carbs more slowly and keep insulin levels at a normal level. These types of foods have a low glycemic index, which provides energy in a slow and sustained level, while keeping you fuller longer.

Rather than say carbs are the devil, Sugar is the devil. Sugar plays a large part in obesity in the US and around the world. Sugar hugely spikes insulin levels and all that sugar, in large amounts, is gonna end up as fat.

Exactly. The rate at which your body turns food to energy has more to do with fat storage than anything else. While it's true that all calories are equal in the amount of energy they contain, because that's what a calorie is, a measurement of energy, they are not equal in the amount of fat they cause to get stored. When your body processes foods with highly processed carbs (white bread, or that donut) it creates a lot of energy that your body needs to do something with NOW. It can either use it or store it. So it gets stored. As fat. Meanwhile when you eat something that takes much longer to process, your body can say hrmmm, I could store that, or I could boost my metabolism a bit and burn it at the rate my stomach is giving it to me. That's why there are foods that actually increase your metabolism. Almonds are one. So in that way, 100 calories from a slice of white bread and 100 calories from a pack of almonds are NOT the same.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Fat serves a lot of purposes in the body. It insulates our organs and serves as a back up source of energy. That is the basis of a low carb diet.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

You aren't that good at running, but you've done two marathons? And you've ran 5 days a week?

Again, my hat goes off to you! I hope your hooker appreciates you!

Push ups are hard. I have been trying to do one for almost two years! I can get maybe a half inch off the ground. My upper body is toned, though!

Do you remember how long you held your planks?

@bgriffin wrote:

HA. Thanks. I'm not that good at running though.

I absolutely CANNOT do bodyweight exercises. When I was in my very best shape the summer before my second marathon I was 6'2" 190 and about 15% body fat. I was running 5 days a week and spending an hour in the gym 5 days a week (so yes doubling up a lot of days). I was in such good shape that I could hold a plank so long it was ineffective so the fitness director at my gym had me doing them in front of the cable machine and doing shoulder pulls from a plank. I still could not do a decent push up and I've never in my life been able to do a single pull up. Upper body strength has never been my strong suit though. It's always been legs and core.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

I was doing 2 minute planks and wasn't tired at all. So I started doing single arm planks in front of the cable machine while doing cable pulls with my free arm. I would do 10 reps at an average speed. I was doing 7 sets of those. 1 face down, 1 side plank on the right side, 1 side plank on the left side, 1 face down, 1 right side, 1 left side, and 1 face down. So basically 3 sets of a standard plank and 2 sets of a side plank. But they weren't timed so yeah dunno.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Also I am in nowhere near that shape anymore. Just about the time I got over my hip flexor I got bit by a deer tick and got lyme disease. So by the time I got over that I was out of running for 6-7 months. It's REALLY hard to get back into it and I like to eat. So that 190 is now 235 and a 2 mile run is about all I can do anymore.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I prefer yardwork where I pull a muscle in my back that makes it excruciating to walk or drive. Cleaning the coop or digging up the garden is ultimately more satisfying than listening for canned responses.

When the pain subsides, I choose to hop in the car and do a 700 mile jaunt.

I'll be honest, my favorite workout is slinging 50lb bags of chicken feed. The reason I MS is so that will happen again. Right now. I want to mow. Sadly, everything is in the repair shop and I don't have the cash to fix my coop.

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!

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Squat 225 lbs for 6 reps.

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