FoxtrotOff

Thanks Malcontent, Ive read up on the greyskull LP and i am really interested, its what i exactly want from a program, i especially like the idea of doing the AMRAP sets too. Gonna give it a go for a few months and see how things go, thanks again

Thanks for the advice guys. Funnily enough as i was working around the 60kg mark on my squats, i did 80kg for a 1rm, after a few weeks work i was repping 80kg for 5x5. I have to agree with the going for five sets with a full working weight though, it is very tough at times. I set a new squat PR last night of 110 for 5 sets and i felt like fainting after each set haha! Ill deffinitely look into the greyskull one, however im considerig just adapting the stronglifts program i do really enjoy with the suggestions here and track my progress using Jefit

Hi all Quick intro about what i have been doing and then ill detail what im looking for. So i had major spinal surgery in December 2014 to remove a herniated disc, i am 100% fine now and have had the all clear from my doctor and physio since Feb 2015. I have been at the gym since Jan 2014, initially for recovery and rehab as before the surgery i couldn't walk due to severe pain. Once i received the all clear from the doc and physio, i went onto a strength training program called Stronglifts. I'm 90% sure that people here will know what stronglifts is, for those that don't heres a quick intro to it. 3 times per week, alternating workouts of squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press & barbell row. 5 sets of 5 reps for each. Workout A is Squat, overhead press, deadlift. Workout B is Squat, Bench, Barbell row. One week you run ABA, then the next week BAB, alternating like this. One small thing to note, when i began doing barbell rows, i could feel my back tweaking and it was painful, i have changed this to seated laterall pulldown. I have been running this program since Feb and have to say i have made huge gains since i started. My first week lifting saw me lifting just the bar for pretty much all the lifts, however 4 months in and here are my PRs: Squat, 107kg Deadlift: 100kg Lat pull: 80kg Bench: 65kg OHP: 40kg (i dont do this as much as i should) Anyway, Since i hit my 100kg pr on my DL and squat, i've found myself sort of platueing, this isnt because of the weight, more about my psychological side of not wanting an injury and with my back only being 6 months out of surgery, i am still trying to take it easy. At the moment i am 127kg, 6'3". My size and weight are NOT a concern for me, i am happy with my size, my primary goal is strength and strength alone, I KNOW this is the opposite of my current psychological state with my back, however i am working on that. Anyway, i am wondering what people think about the stronglifts program for long term lifting. I am very happy with my gains however with my back as it is, and my psychology around the back injury, i dont want to push much harder. I know its possible for me to lift more i guess i just have to work on that. Should i carry on working on the stronglift program? is there a program where i can continue only working out 3 days per week and not totally destroy my body? SL hits me pretty hard at times, following a recent holliday and deload, i went ham in the gym and have had doms in my legs for about a week. If there are any questions, Ill happily answer them Thanks

Thanks all for the suggestions, the shakes are something I am certainly going to pursue, I've already picked out some protein from myprotein and as suggested ill be mostly using fruit to sweeten up the shake then loading it up with veg. I agree with the boring meat thing, I generally change up every day between what I have stocked, ground beef burgers, chicken fillet, legs, legs+thighs, basa.. whatever I fancy and cook it how I like =-) Thanks again to ALL, this thread has given me the motivation to carry on.

SpecialSundae, I suggest you read disil's comments and maybe rein in your... (the best way I can put this) fury. I understand you don't like something but maybe you wanna be a bit more respectful to someone who's new here and really looking support and encouragement, rather than being called a child, frankly, it isn't helpful. Its a good thing im thick skinned otherwise id've left the internet 19 years ago Anyway, yea to everyone else thanks so much, I agree with you all that I need to find something I can eat in a way I like and have that going forward, that's mainly the reason I went with pea's as they are a known quantity for me and I do like them, they will serve as a mid point till I do find something else I like and can work on in regards to other veg. However, I love the idea of a shake, its easy, would fit into my lifestyle and would be perfect for dinner at my desk for work. In regards to my meat in take, I don't buy from supermarkets unless I am desperate, there are some really good local farms where I buy all my meat from, mainly ground beef, chicken breasts, legs, legs + thighs etc. I am working on expanding that as I've tried pork a few times but I need to get a sauce together I can use with the pork as it doesn't taste as good as i'd like, but I certainly will eat it with some sauce. Also, I am keeping a food diary, I use myfitnesspal and anything that goes in my mouth is put onto there. Yesterdays intake, for example: Breakfast: 4 scrambled eggs, whole Dinner: 2 pork chops, seasoned with sunflower oil (yes, now I know its not paleo, ill get some when I can ), salt, lemon juice with 100g peas and 100g mushrooms I wasn't overly hungry at all yesterday, mainly due to the fact that it was my first full day back at work and I was exhausted and my back was sore, so I made some dinner and went to lay down for the rest of the evening. Thanks as always for all the advice, it is VERY helpful!

Hmm that's actually a neat idea, I have a blender at home that I use to make paleo mayo, so I could use that to blend up some shizzle. Ill deffo look into that one, thanks!

Got to say specialsundae, you have quite a way with words. I appreciate what you're saying but maybe lessen the tone as it seems to me like you're talking at me, especially the whole im a child for wanting tinned peas. Yes, my maintenance is 4300 calories per day, I am taking in 2500 give or take 200 or so, I walk around 3-4kms in 45 mins at 10mins per KM and I am also on core exercises to help my back recover since my surgery. When I came into this I knew what I was doing was going to be a challenge, just after reading everything on NF's website and doing research, I should have seen some weight loss by now. Anyway, thank you all for the advice, I will certainly look into other forms of veg and try to change.

Sadly im VERY picky when it comes to veg, however when you guys say im having a few peas im having around 2 100g tins of pea's, I didn't know sweetcorn was bad as the diet said veg, either way, ill knock that on the head. In regards to calories, I am having around 2500 per day, I don't take anything off for exercise im doing so that way I know I am specifically at a caloric deficit. Also liquid intake is 2-6L per day, with a high amount of that being water, I have a 2L bottle at work I usually drink in the mornings and afternoons. I have been careful to make sure I am taking in the correct amounts but the diet doesn't seem to be affecting me as much as I thought it would. I've been through the carb flu and I feel a lot better but I was sure I would see some sort of result other than mental by now. Either way ill carry on another 30 days and see how it goes, if im the same weight by then I think ill just go to IIFYM Thanks

Hey guys So I recently decided to switch to a paleo diet, in the beginning I was pretty much only going mostly paleo with some cheats like bread and beans etc. When I began around four weeks ago I was 19st10, the lightest I've ever weighed, in the first week I ballooned up to 20st3 and then started losing again till I was back down to 19st13 mid week last week. Last week I was very very constipated and as of this week (yesterday) I am now 20st5...????? I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I am currently rehabbing from surgery and I'm at the gym three to four times a week depending on my back and I thought I was doing really well... My general diet consists of the following: Breakfast: four eggs, scrambled. Lunch: sausage, bacon, eggs, peas, mushroom, sweet corn (if I'm hungry at all, which generally isn't often) Dinner: chicken breast skinless, chicken leg+thigh, pork spare ribs, pork steak, home made 20% mince burgers, sausage, basa fillets, peas, sweet corn, mushrooms. Liquids: water, cordial+water, some soda at home on an evening. I don't eat all of the above at once, generally for big meals I have 1-2 prices of protein and veg. For example last nights dinner consisted of 2 chicken legs and thighs, roasted in sunflower oil with lemon juice and salt to taste with mushy peas and mint sauce. I don't understand it really. And it's getting me down a bit. Subjectively I do feel better in myself, my energy levels, while my body is capable, are good, I'm sleeping better and waking up better in the mornings, I'm just concerned that I'm this far in now and I'm not seeing any weight loss fr this diet plus exercise. To give some perspective I had a slipped disc and was unable to walk for better part of a year and I still lost weight down to 19st10 so you can see why I am concerned being on a new diet and exercising and not Losing any weight. Thanks

So I've been to the gym twice since the last post, here's what I did: Treadmill, walking at 4.8 kph, uphill at 6.5% incline, first ten minutes was flat to warm up, following twenty was uphill and a constant heart rate of 160-175, then another ten or so minutes to cool down on a flat at around 3.5 kph. For now I'm going to refer to this exercise as the staple as its the main thing I can do really, I have an appointment with a personal trainer to show me some new core exercises and stretches for my legs and back. Ten single foot raises on the medi ball using a tensed core to stabilise myself, alternating feet. Ten outstretched leg raises on the medi all using a tensed core to stabilise myself, alternating feet. On all fours, 10 single arm and leg raises, moving onto opposite arm and leg raises using core to stabilise For now that's pretty much all I am capable of doing. The great news is I went back to work today for the first time in four months off sick. I am only doing mornings at the moment to ease myself back in, but boy does my back know I've been busy today. I'm settling into a good regime of gym day, rest day, and I think I'll keep it like that for now. Diet wise I've been pretty good, the odd Alice of bread or five per day here and there, however yesterday was cheat day at Pizza Hut with friends and oh my can I tell the difference with my body, every other day when I have gone to bed I'm asleep in fifteen minutes and wake up rested and feeling good, last night post pizza but was the worst sleep ever, and it took me two hours to fall asleep! One other thing I want to document is the following, my eliminations (poo's) are a nice colour and length, however they have started floating, I have never had floating ones before, if anyone has taken the time to read this, is this normal when moving onto the paleo diet and exercising moderately? Thanks if you read it

At the moment, due to only having surgery a month ago, my doctor has instructed me to ONLY do core exercises with no weights and walking, no high impact or lifting of weights, for now im happy to get through the rehab part of my life and move onto lifting further down the line. The doc said that would be about 4 months or so, this gives me plenty of time to work on my core and get my cardio fitness up. I've started a log in the log area of NF, you're welcome to take a peak http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/60181-steve-his-slipped-disc-rehab-onto-a-better-life/

Hi First off, to skip a lot of the explanation, please check http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/59904-hi-im-steve-thisll-be-a-long-one/ for my introduction to NF. Secondly, this is going to be a really slow take my time sort of ordeal, i have a lot going on in my life and i won't be posting every day, HOWEVER, i try to keep food logs on my phone so i will update when i get the chance. So, here we go. I am attempting to move over to the Paleo diet, my long term goal is to cut my body fat down to a healthy level, ideally i want to get into lifting but depending on my health and doctors advice that may take a while. While i am trying to move to the paleo diet, im still slipping a bit but it being my first week or so on the diet, im not punishing myself too hard. As time passes by and i learn what i like recipe wise, this should change. Exercise wise, for the past week and a half i have been attending the gym mostly every other day, at the moment, under doctors orders, i am only allowed to walk and do core exercises with no weights. My walking consisted of walking on a flat over 3 - 4 KM and durations lasting around 45 minutes. The last couple of visits i have increased the incline to get my heart rate up to about 160 - 170, first i started with 4 degrees and kept my heart rate above 160 for about 10 minutes, yesterday i used a 6.5 degree incline and kept my heart rate at 160 for around 20 minutes. The core exercises i am doing are using a medi ball, just sitting and lifting my feet around 2" off the ground and tensing my stomach to use my core to stabilize myself. Also i have been doing zero weight squats as i do a lot of bending and such at work and this is also a prelude to me getting back to doing weights in a few months. Overall, i am pretty happy with my progress considering i've never been a very active person. My weight at the moment has fluctuated from 19st13 last week to at the moment being 20st3, i dont know weather this is due to the change in diet or what but im going to keep an eye on this. Also im sorry for the terrible formatting here, i WILL find a format i like and keep this thread up to date as i've already mentioned. So anyway, cya! Steve

Hi Illucia Thanks for the post, i thought i'd generate more interest but i guess it is a long post heh, anyway good to be here. Steve

Hi there. My name is Stephen, I am 30 years old, live in the north of England, I work in the public sector as a senior IT tech at a high school, I an 6'4" and I weigh 20st. I was born in 1984 and was brought up by an alcoholic and abusive father with a mother who was very passive towards his actions, I struggle with bipolar depression daily ( I'll be on Prozac for the rest of my life) and up until recently, have been floating through life. Through school I was bullied, either being ugly, not fitting in, liking the right stuff, being s loner, or a geek were the things the popular kids didn't like, I didn't see them as problems but coupled with my awesome home life I didn't do so great at school. College is sort of where I finally found my feet, I met several friends who I still know to this day and despite all my short comings I am married to a woman i have been with for 11 years this year (3 years married in August). Throughout my life I have always been big, even when I was a kid my parents called me Stephen 5 bellies as I had several folds of fat (remember, awesome home life ) and with everything else I just never bothered to fix my weight, I gradually increased weight till early last year where I hit my heaviest of 21st10. In January of last year I had my first visit to hospital for kidney stones, of which I was the proud father of two stones, I manged to pass one that was causing me serious pain, the other arrives a few months down the line, but before that... In April I woke with some nasty back pain, being a typical bloke, and English (stiff upper lip chaps! Tally ho!) I went to work, in a few hours I was at home with agonising back pain. Two days later I collapsed and could only crawl around to move. After getting to the hospital and being miss diagnosed, and spending two days in hospital, I'm sent home with... Wait for it... Back pain... (Free healthcare ain't all it's cracked up to be folks ) Anyway, after months of intense pain, I'm finally told I've herniated my L4 disc and need a spinal op to fix it, this takes nine months from the original visit to the hospital in April. During that time the pain spiralled out of control and I ended up on about 60mg of morphine a day to even function with a pain rating of around 5/6 out of 10. Anyway, the op was on the 23rd of December and was 100% successful, I have no pain and have been pain med free for about two and a half weeks. Funnily enough, I decided just before April it's probably time to lose weight and I had lost half a stone by the time I had herniated my disc. In June the second stone came to visit, thankfully it was easy to pass thanks to being on strong Cocodamol at the time. So here I am, the other side of serious spinal surgery after a literal year from hell and I've decided it's time to make some serious changes to my life. Since my decision to lose weight I am down nearly two stone but I now want to get into exercising. Obviously due to the disc and health concerns I can't go crazy with weights or anything like that but I'm just looking for some help, ice known about NF for a while but due to my health I couldnt do anything about it, however now I can. I'm not going to join the academy at the moment as weights are probably out of my reach for a while (although is be happy if someone told me otherwise cause I used to love lifting), but I could really use some help even if just a nudge in the right direction. Congratulations if you reached this point, and got through my terrible skills of typing on an iPhones keyboard, I'll tidy it up tomorrow probably. So Hi and even if you don't reply, thanks for reading!