Martinpanduh

Congrats on hitting your goals! Don't worry about the others you missed, that's what the next challenge is for! I'm sure you're almost there though. Let's go!

Last day of the challenge for us here in Asia! Workout B today plus I put in some 3x7 Chin Ups right before each exercise. It was deadly. Squat: 5x5 210lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) intense but still workable. Overhead Press 5x5 55lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) felt good. Deadlift 1x5 205lbs + bar (Total of 3 sets, varying weights) ramping up. Will recap my challenge soon. I think I need to re-evaluate my goals for next challenge, I'm sticking with the strength goals but I think I need to ramp up the weight loss part. Be it through diet or more cardio, I'm not sure yet. It's just I'm not seeing much progress in terms of my body fat, but the strength/muscle numbers won't lie. Recap in a bit! How'd you guys do?

Workout A today! I must say, coming into this workout I had some soreness in my legs. To be honest, the past couple of weeks I had nary a feeling in my legs coming in and out of each workout. But ever since I broke through the 200lbs + bar two days ago, I couldn't sit down or stand up without feeling something. Yikes, but thankfully it subsided enough today that I got to put a workout in. Also I'm implementing longer breaks to facilitate the workouts in between reps, from 1 minute to 2 minutes tops. Big help I should say. Squat: 5x5 205lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) thought I was going to falter but I pulled through as usual. Bench Press 5x5 120lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) Holy mother I thought I was going to stall here but I powered through (thanks in large part to the longer breaks), feels great. Means I got somewhat stronger. This is a PR in itself and going forward each time. Barbell Row 5x5 70lbs + bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) deloaded back to 70 to fix technique. Feels light but I think that's besides the point haha. Challenge is almost over! How are you guys doing?

Workout B today! In between exercises I busted out some 3x6 chin ups. Squat: 5x5 200lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) yowza really. Overhead Press 5x5 55lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) going okay. Deadlift 1x5 200lbs + bar (Total of 3 sets, varying weights) yowza again. Ch-ch-check it out! I hit both 200lbs + bar on squat and deadlift! Wuhoo. Everytime I go up 5lbs, I'm breaking PRs at this point! Feels great!

That Gordon Ramsey video is genius! I've always wondered what the right consistency is for scrambled egg.

Off day today but put in a 20 minute run (10kph~12kph on the last minute) and then some 3x11 Push ups. I was concentrating on my form, I could usually go 20+ on a set if I rush through them but I took Steve's article to heart and watched my form. Tough stuff. Workout B tomorrow!

Workout A today! Squat: 5x5 195lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) yowza. Bench Press 5x5 115lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) sensing a stall here. Barbell Row 5x5 115lbs + bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) YIKES! I've been doing this with wrong technique, I just saw some videos. Stupid, I just adopted the same movements I learned back in college. Maybe it's a different style but the ones I've seen online look more solid. I'm going to deload next set and practice the technique. Onward we go!

Great read indeed, even though it's catering to people who are looking to gain mass, I've refined some of his points for myself (generally speaking, someone's who's looking to lean out and lose some weight). Puts some things into perspective, for now I'll really concentrate on getting my lifts up there (300lb squat + bar goal for now) before I really fuss over losing the extra pounds. I seriously think I'm eating very clean but the scale just won't budge, ah well. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Thanks for sharing! EDIT: Oh, it's Ripptoe. All this time I was thinking his name was Coach Rippletoe hahahaha. Sorry for making it cuter.

Thanks for the encouragement! So Workout B today: Squat: 5x5 190lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) yowza. Overhead Press 5x5 50lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) so I deloaded again, this time incorporating the right technique. Thanks Knightwatch and everybody else who weighed in! Feels so much better, like I'm hitting all the right spots. My back is straight, trying to keep my elbows forward. On the right track! Deadlift 1x5 195lbs + bar (Total of 3 sets, varying weights) cripes, but I did it. Also in between exercises, I put in a 5x3 chin up routine. Definitely feels like I'm getting stronger there. Not going to lie, I'm finally starting to see my biceps take shape. I mean they're there (actually quite big) but super not ripped, I dunno, I'm kind of seeing them more now. Progress! It's the weekend for me! I know I'm not going to get any exercise in but here's to a cleaner diet. Cheers y'all!

Flawless victory! Hahaha great job Spezzy!

HAHAHA I hate it when the boss is so hard and you're like "WTF, okay we're meant to lose this one" and when you die you hit game over. Talk about being kicked when you're already down. Totally beside the point but yes, I admire the fact that you didn't give up when your knee conked out. Your pushups goal is just as challenging as the burpees I think, I don't think I'm going to attempt either anytime soon hahaha! Good luck with that, we'll be watching

Loving your enthusiasm, you seem to be killing this challenge! Let's go Hell--I mean Thundercats!

CRAZY but right here rootin' for you! Let's go!

Amazing how Mr. Rippletoe's videos answered all the questions I was just about to ask HAHAHA.I tried out KW's advice on keeping my elbows forward today and I couldn't quite get it. Will try again on Friday with the visual cues I found in the vids. Thanks everyone!

Thanks for the encouragement Prefect. As of the moment, I'm at 185lbs + bar at the squat so technically I think I'm already way past my BW. But that's a solid idea, I think it'll fool my body into gaining more muscle hahaha. At this point, I can objectively asses that I can go at least +20 more pounds (or more) doing 5x5. I think the program suggests that if it's getting really tough, just increase your rest time a bit. Currently I'm at a 60 second breather between reps among all the exercises, haven't had to resort to it yet. So today, workout A: Squat: 5x5 185lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) getting tougher and tougher. Bench Press 5x5 110lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) terrible, I think I need to check my form. I finished it but it was super hard. I think the BP is really not my lift. Barbell Row 5x5 110lbs + bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) Felt like I got stronger here! Really. Thanks for the input guys, you know another thing. Ever since I started lifting weights (maybe 2-3 years ago), I've never had much progress with the bench press. Maybe my form is off. I've seen guys so much smaller (height + mass) lift so much more than me. Right now I'm at 110lbs + bar and I'm dy-ing. Something to look into!

It's terrible really hahaha, eating breakfast can shoot me up from 206 to 208 easily. I'm sure there's room to improve in the diet section, but for now, let's just keep chugging on our strength gains!

DONUTS! Unfortunately, I'm not equipped right now to get you a video of my form. But anyway your pointers are resonating with me, I'm not sure if my elbows flare out but I think I do. Basically I bring the weight up and I put my elbows down parallel (bar across my forehead, not so far down into front squat position) and I bring it back up. The thing I'm sure I don't do is putting the bar back behind my neck, I didn't know this was supposed to be done to complete the rep. I'll start doing that now. The issue with me is that as the weight gets heavier, and as further I go into the reps, I feel like the weight is shifting towards my back. I'm starting to think this is because I don't lock it out behind my neck. Next session for Workout B is on Friday but I'll definitely let you guys know how it goes. Do you suggest I de-load to relearn the proper technique? Thanks a lot for the information KW! @Army, I'll look into that. My dream someday is to be able to do 1/4th of the stuff the Beast does hahaha. Handstands and all.

So check it (/gangsta), I'm currently doing the StrongLifts 5x5 workout and one of the exercises is the Overhead (front) press. I'm kind of having trouble because my squat and deadlift are nearing the 200lbs mark, progressively increasing each week, but my O.H Press feels stunted. I feel I'm getting stronger in both the squat and deadlift, but as for the latter, I feel like I'm not gaining any strength at all. I'm currently at 70lbs and I feel like I'm about to plateau on this particular exercise. I know there are de-loading methods prescribed in doing the 5x5 but I dunno. Should I be plateauing this early? Realistically AND generally speaking, how heavy should I look to lift on the O.H Press? Any insight would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Workout B Today! Back from a debaucherous weekend, well not really but I hardly did anything. Squat: 5x5 180lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) tough! Almost hitting my BW! Overhead Press 5x5 70lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) difficult! ARGH. Deadlift 1x5 190lbs + bar (Total of 3 sets, varying weights) almost there! Tough but could push through. Yikes I'm having trouble with my overhead press, it's getting more and more difficult without any strength gains. Will make a post about it. Good luck this week!

Word. Hahaha!

So workout A today! Squat: 5x5 175lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) is it me or is the last set always the easiest? Bench Press 5x5 105lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) I feel like I'm getting stronger here. Loves it. Barbell Row 5x5 105lbs + bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) As for this workout, I feel like it's an uphill battle from the onset. I dunno. All in all, I'm progressing in terms of strength gains. No doubt about that. But as for weight loss, that's another story. I feel like I'm plateauing. I'm eating as clean as I can (well maybe not) but I've completely eradicated 90% of carbs from my diet, I wonder what gives. Whatever. I like how my body looks now (I mean taking all the progress in) BUT I'm starting to doubt if my diet is correct. I'm not doubting Paleo and its benefits (I love it) but the whole calories in and out thing. As for my life goals, I made a super sick cropped jacket yesterday out of some houndstooth material I found. It's not finished yet (lol no sleeves) but it's shaping up super tailored. I'm so proud of it. Giving it to my cousin as a birthday gift! Huzzah. Goodluck this weekend, to all of us. I'm going to end up drinking again (CALORIES DEATH) but I want to get drunk. #WoesOfHumanity

I miss rowing, both on and off the water! Congrats on the weight loss! Rootin' for ya!

So it depends on the person? Cool I didn't know that!

Is it me or does cilantro kind of taste like dish-washing liquid? HAHAHAHA /ignorant. Or maybe that's just in the Philippines? I usually like my salsa better without.

Workout B today: Squat: 5x5 170lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) manageable but again, already tough. Overhead Press 5x5 65lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) difficult! Deadlift 1x5 185lbs + bar (Total of 3 sets, varying weights) damn I skipped 5lbs again! Oh well. All for now. P.S I realize I've been mindlessly eating chocolate, cheese and nuts throughout my days. All in trace amounts but blah, in retrospect I think this could be hampering my weight loss goals. Enough is enough.