From Fatass to Badass - A Journal of Change

[Guinness5.0]

I was nothing short of amazed at how quickly I regained muscle after a long layoff. I've run 3 AAS cycles, and none of them produced results on pace with what happened when I got back to the gym after about three years away. I was a skinny (for me, anyway) pothead, weighing maybe 180-185. I got back up to 225 in about 3 months thanks to gorging on dorm food 3x a day and supplementing with shakes and yogurt. My clothes fit noticably differently on a week-to-week basis. I specifically remember a girl commenting that I bought my new undershirts too small, when in fact they were the same ones that fit fine a month earlier

Muscle/strength is 1000x easier to regain than to gain in the first place

 

[Big_Turtle]

Muscle/strength is 1000x easier to regain than to gain in the first place

Thanks, G5.0. I sure hope you're right.

I've been thinking about it, and I'm much more disturbed about feeling so weak than I am about being overweight. Maybe it's because I've always been fat, even as a kid I was almost always the biggest one, but I've always considered myself to be strong as well as fat. That's a fat guy's one saving grace, I think. When I quit working out seriously I was benching with 110 dumbbells for 6 full motion reps, and squating 315 for 6 reps. Compared to a lot of the guys around this board, that's not much, but at the 24 Hour Fitness where I was working out, I was using some of the heaviest weight around. That's a pretty cool feeling, when everyone else is using 50's or 60's for the bench, and you walk over grab the 110's and have better form and everything. I never acted cocky or like an ass because of it, at least I don't think I did, but it's a cool feeling inside.

All that being said, I don't think I could let myself go through all of this again. Once I start working out this time, at the gym, I mean, rather than my living room floor, I don't think I could stand to have another long layoff like this. This feeling of being so weak, I can't stand it. I won't let this happen again. Ever.

 

[BiggT]

I'm subscribed.....you've got a ton of muscle mass and are gonna get jaw dropping results......I love the fact that you're looking to be big and strong with a better body comp, rather than just starving weight off or becoming a machine and treadmill jockey.

Your philosophy on diet is right on par with mine and is nice to see on a 'bodybuilding' board where a lot of people micromanage to death for absolutely no reason.

Good luck with this.

 

[al420]

Good luck to you bro. There are a lot of folks on EF that started w/ a high BF% and lowered it tremendously. I know I dropped from 25% to 16% in 90 days w/ just cardio, the 5x5, and 2500 cals a day.

 

[fortunatesun]

May be a silver lining to working out on the floor...
Bodyweight exercises are probably the best thing after a layoff. You re-acquire the dynamics of moving your own physical weight. Then , when you add resistance, you already have the skill base and necessary conditioning on which to build. Your progress will be faster with less chance of injury.

 

[Big_Turtle]

Okay, I feel a little better after tonights workout. I can feel myself making some progress, even if it's not much just yet. I may only be inching along the path, but damn it, I'm moving at least.

Pushups - 4 sets of 10

Still hell, but not as bad as yesterday. The first set I had my hands out a little too far forward and it felt like it beat the hell out of my delts instead of hitting my chest. I don't expect to add 4 pushups every day like that. I had planned on doing 3 sets of 8 actually, but on the first set 10 felt attainable so I did it. By the 3rd set I was wishing I had only done 8, but I did it and I feel a lot better for doing it. Hoping for 5 sets of 15 by Monday.

Squats - 3 sets of 20

I was thinking about it, and whenever I trained my legs before I always used low reps, never more than 8 if I remember correctly. I think that may be why my legs are tiring out so quickly. I know they're weak from non-use, but since I've never really worked them much for endurance this is probably a real shock for them. A good shock, I'm sure. By Monday I'd like to be getting 3 sets of 25.

Crunches - 3 sets of 30

Not bad. Painful, but roughly on par with yesterday which is good considering I add 10 more crunches per set.


Overall, not too bad a day. I was a little bummed because of how weak I felt after last night, but this really perks me up. I've still got a long way to go, but it feels like I'm slipping back into that sweet groove of lifting and growing. I can't wait until I can start hitting the gym and throw everything into high gear. On a small side note, I think my wife is also going to join the gym with me. I hope she does. It's one thing to be supportive, but if she is actually going up there as well, investing her time and sweat, I think we'll both see some significant changes.

 

[Big_Turtle]

I got in bed way to late last night. For whatever reason, I really need a solid 8 hours each night to feel very good the next day, and maybe an extra 30 to 45 minutes if I had a very physically demanding day. I only got about 7 hours last night and I could tell. I was just run down all day, very little energy. I really didn't feel like doing my little workout tonight, but I'm more tired of being so out of shape. I've just got to get to bed quicker.

By the way, I'm not just changing the way I list these for fun, I'm actually switching around the order that I do them just to see how they all feel. In case anyone was wondering.

Squats - 3 sets of 20

Nothing much to say about these. Still hoping to improve by next Monday but they are definitely my Achilles heel at the moment. I am trying to work on my form though. I feel a bit like a dumbass, but whenever I do them I hold a broomstick across my upper back and try to maintain solid form. I think the toughest thing for me to remember is to lower myself down slowly and explode up, rather than just dropping and then trying to pull myself back up slowly.

Crunches - 3 sets of 30

Same ole same ole. Crunches are crunches. Yippee

Pushups - 3 sets of 15

I really feel like I'm making good progress here. Obviously my reps are increasing pretty well as I get used to handling my weight again, but I'm also finally getting comfortable in the actual pushup stance. I'm learning how to position myself so that I actually feel it mostly in my chest, rather than my delts and my arms feeling sore and my chest feeling next to nothing.


I can't wait to get under some weights again! I'm so pumped, so ready. The place that I'm going to join is a real upper crust kind of place. It's not really my type of place, but it's literally about 100 yards from my front door. Plus, it's open 24 hours a day, so I've truly got no excuses not to go. I'm just hoping they have a decent assortment of free weights and hopefully at least two or three squat racks. I'm willing to bet that there won't be a place to deadlift though. Well, at least not until I get my membership. Once I start, one way or another, there's gonna be some damn deadliftin' goin' on.

Alright, I don't want a repeat of last night, so I'm off to bed.

 

[carlsuen]

great job dude!! u'll be exploding thru the roof when u hit the iron!!

 

[Big_Turtle]

great job dude!! u'll be exploding thru the roof when u hit the iron!!

Thanks, I sure hope so. I can't wait, I'm ready to start lifting! I'm going to have to be careful once I do get my membership going. I'm excited, but I need to go slow and not get hurt. I just want to lift so much right now. I know the stuff I do in my livingroom is helping me, but it's not as satisfying as true lifting is.

One more week. One more week. One more week.

And I've got to go to bed, damnit.

 

[ck2006]

Your doing AWESOME!

GO BIG TURTLE GO!!!!!!

just keep on going and it will become a routine and a great habit!