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robsatx
New member
Do the following:
1. Take a lot of pictures of yourself NOW . Different angles in bright light. This will keep the shadows from making you look larger than you appear. Store the pics with the date and times. Put your weight, body fat and current goal (this will change trust me).
2. Create a log of your progress. Just once a week. Do not do it everyday. It will bust your bubble if you do. Check your BF regularly and plan your meals from day one.
3. Planning is very important. Plan everything!: your meals for the week (breakfast, lunch and dinner), supplements, training schedule. This is now a way of life. Stay strong to the course. If you know you have a vacation or some other interruptions plan around those to make up for your lost workouts. Plan your time off. Everyone needs time off if they are hitting hit hard.
4. Measure your body parts and log them only once do not measure them often. Once every 3 months in my opinion.
5. Keep your mouth shut about your workouts, diet and supplement cycles. You will get much more satisfaction and drive when someone notices that you have been working out. By the way, do not expect everyone to say anything. I have noticed that really out of shape people will never say anything to motivate you. I call them the crabs. They are always trying to pull people into their “fat little world.”
6. Be realistic. If this was easy everyone would look good at the beach, pool etc. Chances are you will be the only in shape at the pool. Every pool party we have been to, I notice I get people asking about my diet and exercise. I tell them is is simple. Bust your ass at the gym eat right and most people will see big results. Most are not disciplined enough. Are you?
7. Advice . . . Be careful about advice. Many people have no clue about what they are talking about. On this board, on the street and especially at the gym. I would listen to some of the guys with a ton of experience. If you hang around the board long enough, you will know the good, the bad and the ugly. Many of these guys rock. I do not want to pick some out only because I may leave out some really good ones. If you take “the time” to research (I don’t mean cliff notes either) before you start your supplements your rewards will be greatly enhanced.
Why am I saying to do all this unnecessary crap? Because I did not do a single thing listed above and regret it BIG TIME. I hear everyone saying that I look much bigger, I get people talking behind my back at the gym and my clothes don’t fit. But guess what YOU WILL NEVER NOTICE YOUR GAINS. You see yourself everyday. I had a real eye opener today. I was on the scale and noticed that I am nearing 180lbs. (I know that is not very big for many of the guys on this board. However, I am nearing a 28” waist and I am 5’ 8”). However, I was 162 lbs in February. I was feeling down because I did not see the results in the mirror. I then looked at one of my first posts where my “LIFETIME GOAL” was 174 lbs. I am now 6lbs over my wildest imagination and yet I still do not think I have gained an inch. In four months I gained nearly 18lbs of lean muscle. I found an old picture of me in a shirt that I still have and man what a major difference. I also found a picture with me in shorts that hardly make it over my thighs now. I am not huge by any means, but I see some major improvements. I had to have an eye opener to realize that I need to “slow down” for a little bit. I am now changing my goal to 185lb at 9% bf by the end of the year. I think I will stay there. But then again, that is what I said back at 162lbs. LOL!!! Hence my point - plan, track and set real goals.
I hope this helps someone out there. I wish I would have read and done this 14 months ago. Oh well, life is dance – you learn as you go! In the words of a famous Cajun “YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
P.S. Smart people learn from their own mistakes. Wise people learn from others mistakes.
1. Take a lot of pictures of yourself NOW . Different angles in bright light. This will keep the shadows from making you look larger than you appear. Store the pics with the date and times. Put your weight, body fat and current goal (this will change trust me).
2. Create a log of your progress. Just once a week. Do not do it everyday. It will bust your bubble if you do. Check your BF regularly and plan your meals from day one.
3. Planning is very important. Plan everything!: your meals for the week (breakfast, lunch and dinner), supplements, training schedule. This is now a way of life. Stay strong to the course. If you know you have a vacation or some other interruptions plan around those to make up for your lost workouts. Plan your time off. Everyone needs time off if they are hitting hit hard.
4. Measure your body parts and log them only once do not measure them often. Once every 3 months in my opinion.
5. Keep your mouth shut about your workouts, diet and supplement cycles. You will get much more satisfaction and drive when someone notices that you have been working out. By the way, do not expect everyone to say anything. I have noticed that really out of shape people will never say anything to motivate you. I call them the crabs. They are always trying to pull people into their “fat little world.”
6. Be realistic. If this was easy everyone would look good at the beach, pool etc. Chances are you will be the only in shape at the pool. Every pool party we have been to, I notice I get people asking about my diet and exercise. I tell them is is simple. Bust your ass at the gym eat right and most people will see big results. Most are not disciplined enough. Are you?
7. Advice . . . Be careful about advice. Many people have no clue about what they are talking about. On this board, on the street and especially at the gym. I would listen to some of the guys with a ton of experience. If you hang around the board long enough, you will know the good, the bad and the ugly. Many of these guys rock. I do not want to pick some out only because I may leave out some really good ones. If you take “the time” to research (I don’t mean cliff notes either) before you start your supplements your rewards will be greatly enhanced.
Why am I saying to do all this unnecessary crap? Because I did not do a single thing listed above and regret it BIG TIME. I hear everyone saying that I look much bigger, I get people talking behind my back at the gym and my clothes don’t fit. But guess what YOU WILL NEVER NOTICE YOUR GAINS. You see yourself everyday. I had a real eye opener today. I was on the scale and noticed that I am nearing 180lbs. (I know that is not very big for many of the guys on this board. However, I am nearing a 28” waist and I am 5’ 8”). However, I was 162 lbs in February. I was feeling down because I did not see the results in the mirror. I then looked at one of my first posts where my “LIFETIME GOAL” was 174 lbs. I am now 6lbs over my wildest imagination and yet I still do not think I have gained an inch. In four months I gained nearly 18lbs of lean muscle. I found an old picture of me in a shirt that I still have and man what a major difference. I also found a picture with me in shorts that hardly make it over my thighs now. I am not huge by any means, but I see some major improvements. I had to have an eye opener to realize that I need to “slow down” for a little bit. I am now changing my goal to 185lb at 9% bf by the end of the year. I think I will stay there. But then again, that is what I said back at 162lbs. LOL!!! Hence my point - plan, track and set real goals.
I hope this helps someone out there. I wish I would have read and done this 14 months ago. Oh well, life is dance – you learn as you go! In the words of a famous Cajun “YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
P.S. Smart people learn from their own mistakes. Wise people learn from others mistakes.
