Halfway through cycle, feedback?!

[Backtobasicks]

these were few weeks before cycle. At just under 200lb.

Next photos are from end of 4th week of 500/week test.

Sitting at 220lbs+

Just wondering any thoughts/opinions on whether this is good progress for halfway through a cycle.
Or what I need to improve (obviously lower back and inner definition etc)
Cheers for any thoughts guys

 

[Sherk]

In all honesty bro I think you should have waited longer to run a cycle. No offense but your before pics look like you don't workout at all, and your after pics look like you just started working out. To make the most out of a cycle and to keep yourself from waisting money you need a solid foundation to work with. You wouldn't build a house on a frail foundation right? You could have got yourself where you are now with a proper diet and strong routine in the same amount of time for half the price. I'm not bagging on you at all man, just tryin to help you. What are your stats btw? Sorry if that sounds harsh.

 

[Judo Tom]

you need to work on your diet that is a definite

most likely you also need to work on your routine and your intensity in the gym.

post up your diet and routine.

 

[freakshow85]

Listen to these guys. I mean, I kinda don't wanna say anything. If ya can't say nothing nice, then don't say nothing at all. But... first of all, I can't believe you are 220+lbs. Are you like 7'3"? I'm being serious. What has your calorie intake been for the last 6-12 months? How long have you been working out STEADY? I don't wanna say there is little to no difference. I just don't wanna say it.

 

[machine23]

220??? Damn!

 

[C.K.]

In all honesty bro I think you should have waited longer to run a cycle. No offense but your before pics look like you don't workout at all, and your after pics look like you just started working out. To make the most out of a cycle and to keep yourself from waisting money you need a solid foundation to work with. You wouldn't build a house on a frail foundation right? You could have got yourself where you are now with a proper diet and strong routine in the same amount of time for half the price. I'm not bagging on you at all man, just tryin to help you. What are your stats btw? Sorry if that sounds harsh.

+1 do you even lift brah?

 

[StevenM23]

Are u sure ur 220 bro?? how tall are u??

 

[Backtobasicks]

Was a nice 210 last year(better than 2nd pictures), steady for most of the year. Layed in hospital for 7 months this year and lost basically everything, re learnt walking and such, managed to get strength past what it used to be. My back/arms lag, I'm 6"4, and I have no need to lie about being heavier than I am..

but partially why I started.. Was to try help with increasing bone density, tendons etc(reason for looking at deca). Broken 10 bones and I'm 24.. All tests run and everything is "normal" but sorta sick of breaking a bone and restarting every year, don't even play sport.
I know I dont even lift, but. My shoulders have stopped subluxing(semi dropping out and back in sockets) regularly, and pain from most recent break is feeling better finally. So I'm pretty happy.
My diet, I was 220 in hospital with muscle wastage, heaps of fat. Cut that down to 180 and lost more muscle and now am trying to bounce back.

 

[freakshow85]

So, you actually don't lift? Or am I reading something wrong?

 

[StevenM23]

Yeah u R super tall , now it makes sense , but yeh do u lift bro? I didnt get that either??

 

[StevenM23]

And how do u break a bone every year ?u must snowboard or dirt bike or something

 

[Backtobasicks]

Was just agreeing with you instead of arguing.
I play no sport.. Since school. And have only Cracked sternum whilst skiing. Others are from low impact falls... Onto grass and such. Or walking and I've had a bone snap whilst walking.. Just on the ground, clean snap. Hence saying it's all been checked and is "normal" I don't like this "normal" of having to take months of then more months because it'll break again if I don't sit on my ass and get fat again.. I can't go for a jog because can't walk for a week from the pain in my foot where most recent break (march) is. I know I should've waited much longer, but my "normal" isn't fun. And it seems to be helping, the osteoporosis is clearing up from my foot according to xray.
But any advice would be appreciated too, I do criticize myself all day in my head,
I'll get a photo from front in next few days and it'll show where the weight is.

 

[Backtobasicks]

Also was 250lb with zero muscle through most of school until end of high school. So I basically never go on a calorie excess as I gain weight so fast and get paranoid about fat gain because of being so unfit for so long..
Hard to gain muscle on a maintenance.. Obviously.

 

[StevenM23]

U must have a high bone density then , but doesn't make sense if they break so easy.. As long as ur feeling better and able to lift now, itll get better I'm sure

 

[Backtobasicks]

Thanks, that's all I'm hoping for now.. Constant lifting instead of annoying forced stops.
Any ideas on lower back apart from deads?

 

[StevenM23]

BarBell rows do ur lower as well if u go all the way to parallel , good mornings or back extensions as well would help, just eat tons of protein and keep at a routine and you'll grow

 

[Backtobasicks]

BarBell rows do ur lower as well if u go all the way to parallel , good mornings or back extensions as well would help, just eat tons of protein and keep at a routine and you'll grow

Yeah just started the bent over parallel bb. They're good .
I ate maintenance (+ some days above) for 4 weeks and gained 25lbs... I have trouble gaining stupid ammounts of fat at a "muscle growth" excess calorie. I'll just jack up my workouts and post another pic at the end to see if there's an improvement, the criticism helps for drive

 

[StevenM23]

Yeah exactly , I think if u gain fat that easy u should do intense workouts 5 days a week bro , what routine are u doing ?

 

[machine23]

Was just agreeing with you instead of arguing.
I play no sport.. Since school. And have only Cracked sternum whilst skiing. Others are from low impact falls... Onto grass and such. Or walking and I've had a bone snap whilst walking.. Just on the ground, clean snap. Hence saying it's all been checked and is "normal" I don't like this "normal" of having to take months of then more months because it'll break again if I don't sit on my ass and get fat again.. I can't go for a jog because can't walk for a week from the pain in my foot where most recent break (march) is. I know I should've waited much longer, but my "normal" isn't fun. And it seems to be helping, the osteoporosis is clearing up from my foot according to xray.
But any advice would be appreciated too, I do criticize myself all day in my head,
I'll get a photo from front in next few days and it'll show where the weight is.

Yea bro I call that the Mr glass syndrome... That sucks bro.. Breaking bones is not fun.

 

[Donnie Darko]

It would be nice to see your present workout routine each day and your diet. How old are you BTW? Do you have any labs you can feel comfortable with posting such as Thyroid levels, bone density scans, test levels, etc...? Did I read right that you mentioned you had osteo-arthritis?

 

[gymjunkie09]

Thanks, that's all I'm hoping for now.. Constant lifting instead of annoying forced stops.
Any ideas on lower back apart from deads?

squats, squats and more squats lol

 

[Backtobasicks]

squats, squats and more squats lol

Hips seized up bro, went from not squatting to 150 in the 4 weeks giving a week to stretch em out and doing light, then back to three squats 5x5 a week. Looking forward to getting a good number on squats

 

[gymjunkie09]

Hips seized up bro, went from not squatting to 150 in the 4 weeks giving a week to stretch em out and doing light, then back to three squats 5x5 a week. Looking forward to getting a good number on squats

you'll get there just keep working at it

 

[Backtobasicks]

It would be nice to see your present workout routine each day and your diet. How old are you BTW? Do you have any labs you can feel comfortable with posting such as Thyroid levels, bone density scans, test levels, etc...? Did I read right that you mentioned you had osteo-arthritis?

I have... Many xrays lol. Got my test done before cycle, number I remember was 12, I have it somewhere.
Didn't get thyroid I don't think.
After the surgeries on my foot my bone lost nearly all density. Didn't get the bone scans printed but on xrays the bones are fully washed out/porous. I'm 24,
Workout for last 4 weeks is SL 5x5. This week switched back to a 4x a week bb split for a rest. Then back to 5x5.
I've been eating clean with dirty meals sometimes on big workouts. Just over maintenance most days.. 3000~. But holding fat in stomach now.

 

[Donnie Darko]

I have... Many xrays lol. Got my test done before cycle, number I remember was 12, I have it somewhere.
Didn't get thyroid I don't think.
After the surgeries on my foot my bone lost nearly all density. Didn't get the bone scans printed but on xrays the bones are fully washed out/porous. I'm 24,
Workout for last 4 weeks is SL 5x5. This week switched back to a 4x a week bb split for a rest. Then back to 5x5.
I've been eating clean with dirty meals sometimes on big workouts. Just over maintenance most days.. 3000~. But holding fat in stomach now.

Be really careful with your workouts. Only do what you can without hurting yourself and the moment that you feel you are having trouble with the soleus muscle (in raising your leg frontward) go and see your doctor. With osteo-arthritis one of the first signs of degenerative hip disease will come with a weakening of the soleus flexus (?). I worked my legs so hard that guys 3 times bigger than me would throw up half way through mu workouts with them. I then realized that I couldn't pull my left leg into my car without picking up my leg with my hands. I then found out that I had to have a total hip replacement with my left hip bone rotting away. I had a hip replacement a couple of months ago and while the doc was cutting away at the bone he said it was flaking apart at the sheath. That was my osteo-arthritis working on me bad.

I just want you to be careful. My doc is pretty cool though...he wants me back in the gym working my butt off hard.

 

[Backtobasicks]

Shit man sorry to hear that, hope your recovery is fast as possible.
I'll keep an eye on it, I get regular xrays as specialist requests it. Thanks for the info!

 

[Judo Tom]

do you or have you drank lots of caffeine or use/abuse stimulants?

you really need to see a specialist in a few areas IMO. 1st a sports nutritionalist who has put weight on tall skinny people. also they better know about maximizing calcium absorption. a lot of people do not absorb a lot of calcium from milk or dairy.

you should also see a mobility specialist. who knows what that means and it will depend on who is in your area. maybe yoga will work.. maybe some gymnast could help you, maybe a karate guy.. but you are gonna have to do some serious research and networking to see what is available to YOU so you can get mobility back.

 

[Backtobasicks]

do you or have you drank lots of caffeine or use/abuse stimulants?

you really need to see a specialist in a few areas IMO. 1st a sports nutritionalist who has put weight on tall skinny people. also they better know about maximizing calcium absorption. a lot of people do not absorb a lot of calcium from milk or dairy.

you should also see a mobility specialist. who knows what that means and it will depend on who is in your area. maybe yoga will work.. maybe some gymnast could help you, maybe a karate guy.. but you are gonna have to do some serious research and networking to see what is available to YOU so you can get mobility back.

Haven't had caffeine in a while, used to have every few days but never abused.. Been through half a bottle of oxy elite, one bottle of old school hydroxycut. Years ago.

When I was in hospital they went through many many tests.
Specialist and their teams multiple times a week, endocrinology full workups. Everything as I said.. Is "normal" on paper. But I had a plate put in my foot and that got rejected by my body, 1:1,000,000 reaction chance but managed to happen.

I have taken calcium and vitamin D for years to help with bone strength, but still keeps happening.

Im not "skinny" (i have 30-40lbs on all my friends similar height) 220lbs for me isn't my heaviest but if walking down the street at 170~ lbs my foot can shatter... Logically getting 250lbs or something is asking for trouble. I'm trying to keep a similar weight.. Cant get heavier or I'll be back in hospital and start again.
I'll post up a pic from front so you can see where most of my weight is, back is weak.. So that's why I'm trying to improve it.

 

[Judo Tom]

have you ever had a bone desnsity scan?

it could just be bad luck, bad karm, bad juju.. who knows.. or it could be something wrong.. dont stop looking into it.

if you cant squat or do any other basic movement you need to find someone who can help you rehab so you can do it.

 

[Backtobasicks]

have you ever had a bone desnsity scan?

it could just be bad luck, bad karm, bad juju.. who knows.. or it could be something wrong.. dont stop looking into it.

if you cant squat or do any other basic movement you need to find someone who can help you rehab so you can do it.

Yah had em all lol. Seriously specialists were stumped. I couldn't squat as fractured bones in feet were an issue. Am squatting now and osteo in foot is diminishing.

I was honestly just looking for some feedback because everyone here has more experience, to help build up certain sections of back.. Which I've gotten some insight into.
I've tried many things.. I got my barbell curls to 6~ reps for sets of 130lbs. And my arms didnt change from doing 80lbs. So now I'm building compounds...

Here our standards are different I think... We have a lot less "huge guys" lots of skinny ripped guys and bulky fat guys. But not a great number of good proportioned. Atleast not in my area.
Thanks for input Tom.

 

[StevenM23]

I know what u mean, the Hollywood look now is skinny and ripped lol, that only takes 3 months to achieve lol, then what u just maintain is what I always ask them, I would rather try and get bigger and bigger until I'm so huge I need special shirts lol, then I will cut