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Hey everyone! My name is Derek, and im going to become a superhero. Ive been lifting every day for about 10 months now, and im looking to really dial in my physique. My current goal is to work on my aesthetics so i can have more confidence at the gym and in my life in general. Then after that its time to build up some more strength. Maybe even compete some day, who knows? Anyway I just wanted to start becoming a part of the community since ive been readng articles from NF for close to a year. Nice to meet you all! Edit: realized i should probably throw up some stats (not sure if thats okay to do here) Currently 6'1" 195 lbs Guessing im around 10-12% body fat 32 waist 46 chest 16 arms and calves 25 quads hoping to up chest to 51, arms amd calves to 17, quads to maybe 28 and my waist honestly cant change much. Any suggestions or tips are always appreciated!

Christmas is over, which means it's time to get back on track! Current statistics: Male: age 24 Height: 5'7" BW: 170 lbs. Goals- Bodybuilding and physique building. Need a visual? Look below. AND LOOK AT MY SIGNATURE FOR BEFORE/AFTER PICS From this To this. Basically. LOL. Current measurements during bulk cycle: Chest/Back- 45" Waist- 34" Thighs- 23 1/4" Calves- 15 1/4" Arms- 13 3/4" Forearms- 11 1/4" Shoulders- ? Need to remeasure when I get home tonight Neck-? Need to remeasure. Goals- statistically before cutting: Chest/Back- 46" Waist- 33" Thighs- 25" Calves- 16" Arms- 15" Forearms- 12 1/2" Shoulders- 53" Neck- ? Need to reevaluate I will post my workouts tonight as well as PR's and 1RM's. Ryan's Genetic Strengths: I have massive legs and calves if you didn't catch that. Once weighing at 286lbs, imagine carrying that excess weight for all my life! I also come from a soldier backline, making legs even more impressive. Enduring is a gift for me. Ryan's Weaknesses: Back stability and arm growth. I have Scoliosis and Kyphosis, so my spine is naturally deformed. However, it has been a goal of mine to fix it, which is why my back is so broad now and my current deadlift 1RM is at 285 lbs [As of 12/27/14 It is now 300 lbs!] after only weight-training for 8 months (started April 10th, 2014 with a deadlift of 95 lbs and crap form) It is also the reason why I will never be able to do certain powerlifting moves, but that is okay because I can deadlift, squat, and overhead press, which is all I need. Unlike the rest of me, my arms just WILL NOT GROW! Primarily my triceps and forearms. I will need help here. Long term goals/Lifetime goals: A quick history of me- ever since I was little, people have told me that "you can't do that". Not because it would get me in trouble, but because nobody ever had faith in me, which ultimately lead me to lack faith in myself from the age 7 til what it feels like some days right now. This adventure of mine has proven time and time again that not only CAN I, but so can others! I don't want anyone to experience what I went through, and that is my purpose for my journey here. Supplements used: Protein Powder (varies depending on what flavor I want ), Dark Matter post-workout recovery and growth supplement- helps drive nutrients to their designation quicker, Men's sports multivitamin, and varying pre-workouts. There are a few I switch between- ESP and Black Annis are awesome. The multivitamin is the staple. Everything else can be replaced through food in my opinion.

My girlfriend has a couple of friends** who have hired coaches and basically gone from being semi-out-of-shape* to competing on stage in a matter of months. Not being able to afford a coach or a specialised program i was wondering if anyone here could tell me how such a program might differ from regular programs we see here? *when i say semi-out-of-shape i mean in the way that say Staci was out of shape (eg, still pretty good imo) in her success story. **more like facebook acquaintances or i'm sure she would have asked them My best guesses are that they don't particularly differ, but the diet is probably ultra strict: 1 - On point diet, adequate protein 2 - Big heavy compound lifts 3 - Maybe some "pump up" close to competition week? More reps, higher volume? (She probably wouldn't be interested in this part, she more likes how they've shed the bodyfat and "toned" <sigh>) 4 - Other silly things she wouldn't be interested in like radically cutting down water weight etc. With the success her friends have got i really think she would go to trying something like what they do, not with the aim of competing though. Alas i'm just a shmuck and still out of shape myself so i don't fully get listened to The good news is that she is coming around to the idea of starting stronglifts after seeing how little time i spend doing it and the results so far compared to her silly steady-state cardio. On top of the tips, does anyone know any good resources i can tap into for free, preferably female-centric? So yeah, any solid info would be great. Thanks

Hi all I'm looking for a good iOS app for fitness and bodybuilding since I can't remember the process of my training. I wonder what is your fitness app. I really want to know about this

I went from tall, dark and (arguably)handsome to... tall, bloated and chubby-faced. A little about me. I'm Lee and I FINALLY got married at 36 years of age on June 22nd to the most beautiful woman I've ever known, inside and out. BUT, I've taken this honeymoon thing waaaaay too far and she won't stop cooking deliciously fattening foods. Lots of Presidente beer and rich Dominican dishes caused my temporary downfall. From the day we stepped into that hotel resort in Punta Cana(I live in the DR) to celebrate our marriage I've been slacking on my workouts and eating like there is no tomorrow. The worst part is that I've been weight training for over 15 years, teaching and training others to get in shape for 10+ years. Usually through intermittent fasting, which I am now back to doing after having TOTALLY abandoned it post-wedding the last 3 months. My Stats: 6'4" 255 lbs My Normal Size: 6'4" 240 lbs My New Goal: 6'4" 230 lbs (lean, ripped & muscular) I've done this before and I always get back to my shape, but trust me... I have fat guy genetics, if I don't stick to the script I blow up quickly. Here's a pic from when I REALLY got too big, I was about 270 lbs in this pic and went down to 240. And that wasn't my biggest, I've been 289 before but I didn't take many photos of that stage in life. I think I'll be back to where I was in 3 months, I'm not a naturally lean guy but I know how to get lean when I want to, and since I won't be having anymore honeymoons I will stay lean. I'll be doing 3 full-body weight-training workouts per week and atleast 120 minutes of cardio per week. Feel FREE to give your encouragements and helpful suggestions. Today's fasted workout....(I always workout fasted, regardless of my goals but it's REALLY great for fat-burning) Walk 1 mile to the gym with loaded backpack. I'm not pushing the weight you most of you guys are and I'm not trying, it's just not my goal. I hope that is respected. I've done a lot more weight in the past, but it's not MY thing. I'm all about aesthetics and athletic function. Squats: 3 sets of 10 squats - 205 lbs (going for lightweight - higher volume to burn fat)4 sets of 10 box squats - 225 lbs Barbell Clean & Press(fast-paced):3 sets of 12 - 70 lbs Bench Press:3 sets of 10 - 205 lbs Lat Pulldowns:3 sets of 12 - 100 lbs This workout ad me TOTALLY GASSED. By the time I got to the 2nd set of Barbell Clean & Press I was huffing & puffing like no tomorrow and you should know that I work out on an empty stomach ALWAYS. My last meal from yesterday was at 8:00 pm Sunday night and I just ate at about 1:30 pm today.. I must admit, I had to break up my bench press sets and ended up doing 6 sets of 6, I was gassed from the clean and presses. The Lat pulldowns went well and I felt a second wind coming, I threw in a couple extra reps in each set and will definitely up the weights the next time I do it. Afterwards, I walked back home one mile, the first few blocks are totally uphill(The Dominican Republic is full of hills and valleys). Anyway, I felt GREAT and Energized after the workout. I wanna see if I can hit my fitness goal in 3 months and if I can get my wife to cook healthier dishes without hurting her feelings... - Lee

There's a weightlifing pun in that title, honest. I have a pretty sketchy record with challenges - completed my first, set myself up to fail by the way I structured my second and just flaked out on the third. So yeah, fourth time's the charm. For those who don't know me, let me aware you. I'm a 30 year old guy living in Scotland who has been strength training for about a year and a half and training in Olympic weightlifting for 9-10 months, the last 5-6 of those with a coach. I recently (like, yesterday) made my competitive debut, coming 6th in a flight of 8 in the 94kg weight class. I train 4 times a week doing the Olympic lifts, squats and accessory work for upper body, back and abs. I will be competing again in September and possibly once in the interim, depending on what meets are taking place. Starting Stats: For the sake of tracking progress, here's where I am as of 24 February 2014. Bodyweight: 90.5kg Bodyfat %: ??% Snatch: 82kg Clean & Jerk: 100kg Back Squat: 182kg Front Squat: 140kg I copied this format from my first challenge back in July/August last year and realised that I've put 17kg onto my Snatch and 23kg onto my C&J with vastly better form since then Main Quest Lift heavier things By the end of the 6 weeks, I want to have Snatched 85kg (+3kg on current), Clean & Jerked 105kg (+5kg) and Cleaned 110kg (+3kg). The jerk is traditionally my nemesis but I have been making big improvements with it lately so need to keep that up. Three specific things to work on, one for each lift Timing of second pull on clean; sometimes I pull too earlyThe bar coming forwards and my knees getting in the way off the ground in the snatchThe tempo of my dip and drive on the jerk (slow down, fast up)Mission #1 - The long slow cut to 85kg During this challenge, I want to lose at least 1kg of scale weight, taking me down to 89.5kg or below by the conclusion. I weighed in for competition at 90.56kg on 23rd February 2014. Despite weight coming down, lifts are going up. My medium term goal is to get down to compete in the 85kg class by the Scottish Eastern District Championships in September where I will be attempting to qualify for the national final in November. FYI my current diet is running a small calorie deficit (250-300) per day with macros 25% carbs, 35% protein, 40% fat. I'm essentially IIFYM except that I don't touch gluten as I have a horrible reaction to it. Saturday is a cheat day. Lately I have been tinkering with slightly higher carbs and lower fats and this seems to be working well so I may turn this into a permanent change. Mission #2 - Accessorise and Mobilise During this challenge, I want to keep up the accessory work I have incorporated into my training over the last two months and the daily stretching every morning. Towards the tail end of last year it was becoming clear that my lack of upper body strength and muscle mass was becoming a problem. I was also feeling pretty beaten up by squats and cleans. Since the turn of the year and picking up a back injury, I have had two upper body assistance exercises on an essentially bodybuilding rep scheme programmed into my training, plus ab and back work. This has made a big impact on my strength levels, size and body composition. Stretching every day has also helped my joints feel better and seems to help me recover from training faster, despite the fact that I am training more often. Mission #3 - Keep my squat form pretty As I recover post-injury, I want to ensure that my squat form stays as good as possible as I increase the weight back up, with a particular emphasis on maintaining a strong upper back and chest throughout the lift. My injury was originally caused when I returned to training after a couple of weeks off at Christmas and failed to keep a strong upper back, leading to muscles and joints that weren't prepared for it due to the time off to take the weight. As well as only increasing weight when I feel my form is good, I will also submit a form check video for the NF squat gods to critique. Current squat program is very heavily volume based - think Texas method only with lots of volume on Tuesday and... more volume on Saturday. Weight slowly increasing week on week as I am working at submaximal weights. Life Quest Get ready for moving house My other half and I are going to be moving house this year, but first we need to actually get our shit in order and do what needs to be done to this property to get it sold. By the end of the six weeks, I want to have accomplished at least 3 of the following: Move excess clutter into storageHad assorted electrical and light fittings tested and fixedBathroom re-skimmed with plaster for paintingNew wallpaper in living roomHave the gas fire in the living room fixed Make the room I currently use as an office/mancave presentable

Hey everyone! Been checking out this forum for a while and decided to make an account and become active on here! So Here is a little about me. I am 21 years old. I began weight lifting and going to the gym at age 19 when I realized how overweight I was. I lost 65 pounds, and began my bodybuilding journey! I finished my first real bulk in February and now I am about 6 weeks in to my first cut and it is going awesome. My real plans are to pursue a career in professional wrestling and work for the WWE. In May I will be moving to Canada for three months to train with former WWE and ECW superstar Lance Storm at his wrestling school. I have fallen in love with bodybuilding and fitness and want to learn as much about it as I can. Currently I have some big stuff going on in my life! As many of you know, the supplement brand Cellucor has been hosting a contest to name their new "mystery" flavor for their pre workout C4. My submission of "DYNAMELON" has made it to the top 32! The public now votes for their favorite. It will be narrowed down to 16, 8, 4, 2 and then a winner. The winner wins 25k. This is huge for me. I am up to my neck in student loan debt. This money would help more than anyone can imagine. I could pay off my student loans and really pursue my dream of wrestling and bodybuilding. If anyone reading this has the spare time, it only takes a second. Please go to cellucormystery.com and vote for my submission of "DYNAMELON". It only takes a second. You can vote once per round and the first round is ending soon! Thanks guys! I look forward to talking to all of you and learning from/with you all. Thank you or having me! Take care.

Herro! So basically I've lost 40 pounds right? I've kept it off for a year and recently over four months ago started weight lifting. I've hit a plateau on my weight loss, and I know the scale isn't supposed to be a guide but I'm definitely not where I want to be physically. YES I'm talking aesthetics, jesus. My starting weight was 193, I'm currently hovering around 150-153. I've never hit the 140s, and I'm becoming EXTREMELY frustrated. I keep buggering off and eating like, 4000cals in one day over the weekend. I started getting into the habit of counting everything on MFP so wicked fun awesome good times. I've been steady at 150 baby! First time ever. I'll be keeping track of my workouts on here because I'm actually terrible at documenting my weight lifting sessions. Also I'll post my food too just for kicks but here's the link for my MFP account, add me as a friend Goodluck to everyone on this cold frosty day (I'm in Canada, eh.) I'll post later with my totals once I'm done at the gym. x

I feel like I have an ok weightlifting/bodybuilding routine dialed in. I actually dedicate a whole day to working on shoulder mobility (numerous dislocation problems and joint damage) and my calves. These are my two major weak points that I don't want to neglect. For the life of me I can't seem to do anything where I actually feel a "pump" in my calves or even slight soreness the next day. I want them to grow like the rest of my legs are growing but they just don't seem to respond. I know it's genetics but I'm determined to get them to grow even just a little! The fact that I'm not even close to sore the day after calf training tells me I'm doing something wrong. I'm planning on working my calves once a week. My gym has a hammer-strength calf press machine and all sorts of other free weights. What can I do to shock these little calves into action?! I've been doing 4x25 on the calf press machine for a total of 100 reps. This clearly is not enough. Can someone tell me their calf-killing routine? I'm ready for some pain here! 500 reps? 1,000?! -Donnie Law (big legs, tiny calves)

I am happy to be able to claim that I have overcome some fears in my life by taking them head-on. This is precisely what I am going to do between now and next spring. I want to conquer two of my biggest fears….. Main Quest - Stay on the Master Plan Nutritional Goals Hit my planned macros within +/-5g of each every day with exception of refeed days (CON: +1)Continue the reverse dieting into a lean gain cycle ( STA +1)I plan on doing this in a very smooth and methodical fashion.I am not suddenly going to start eating 4000 calories a day.Training Goals Continue the war on gravity and try to get stronger….but more importantly…bigger. Having finished my intensity cycle, I am going back to my strength routine until the end of the year. (STR: +1)Continue to strengthen and rehab my right knee and safely work around all of my nicks and dings: (DEX: +2)destroyed my right knee 2 years ago….multiple surgeries etc…old rotator cuff tearhot elbowbeing old…lolOptional: Not sure if I will be on enough of a caloric surplus to do so within the next 6 weeks, but I have made some significant strength gains this summer and I want to test some of my 1-RMs. Record Good Data (WIS: +2) This is a huge regret of mine. Six years ago, I was at all-time strength levels….and I have some memories of the more epic reps and misses…..but I have no record of how I was training or what I was eating. Sad. I want to record every rep in the gym, every calorie I eat, weekly weight and bodyfat, and full body measurements at least monthlyTake more pictures, put dates on the file names! Level Up My Life Goal #1 - Build My Personal Blog (WIS: +3 , CHA: +3) I am going to do this project for a multitude of reasons: I have always been a bit of an introvert and I think this project will help with that. The hope is to share a lot more about myself personally so that everyone can see….I am just a regular fella…and naturally, everyone can laugh at my eccentricities. I have friends and family who are wondering how I am doing. I have this love….total-rage-hate relationship with Facebook….and I am taking a break. Initially, I want to create a detailed chronicle of what I did this year to reconstruct my body from the ground up….physically and mentally. The hope is to inspire others in that there is not some triple-top-secret methodology….and there was anything but perfection along the way…lol…and most importantly: anybody can do it.Begin chronicling my path to the stage. I plan on competing in a natural bodybuilding competition next spring. I played footsie with this all through my early 30’s…..but always chickened out. Well, I destroyed my knee, got fat, depressed, got on the road back and started thinking about what its all about….it is something I need to do. I will go much further into these details in my blog. This, BTW, scares me to the core of my being. Stage....lights.....audience....banana hammock... A lot of folks are curious about what I do on a typical day. I will open up more about what I do on a daily basis and there will probably be a mountain of philosophical discussion…..as well as educational items.I need to learn basically every single detail that goes into this…from starting a domain to writing HTML, CSS and PHP….my knowledge is near zero on this stuff….and I am self-teaching myself everything. The brain is a muscle that needs exercise too! Level Up My Life Goal #2 - Be a good community member (WIS: +1, CHA: +1) Continued from last challenge: Not only am I looking forward to discussing all things blogging , it is an open letter to all and an invitation to use my thread as an open forum to ask questions about and discuss all things nutrition and supplements….and I am especially talking those lurkers who are shy and afraid to ask the "dumb question." There are no dumb questions in my thread. I have learned many things over the years through trial, error, success and failure. I feel like I have a lot to share with others….and especially the message: NOTHING can change your body and your well-being like nutrition can. You can do endless reps in the weight room…..you can run every marathon in your region…..but the true cornerstone in reaching your goals (whether it is to get bigger, stronger or faster) is going to be the execution of a good nutritional plan. Now, I am not saying that I can create custom nutritional plans for everyone…..there just isn't enough time…..but I really hope to give people the tools they need to make the right decisions in building a great plan. Additionally, I see it every day…..people throwing their hard-earned money away on useless supplements. Don't get me wrong…..there are absolute must have supplements that I use on a daily basis…..I am not trying to ram some homeopathic message down your throat. But I do want you to avoid spending $80 on a magic fat burning pill when you could have bought a weeks' worth the groceries with it instead.

The war on gravity ------------------------ I want to get stronger and will fight with everything I have to defeat the invincible opponent.....and until I can throw a barbell into the upper atmosphere....the war will continue. lol The war against genetics --------------------------------- I used to think I was an ectomorphic "hardgainer." That is until I truly began to understand and appreciate nutrition. I want to add muscle mass, reduce my body fat.....and test my limits in how much lean mass my skinny frame can carry. The war against myself ------------------------------- I love garbage. Double cheeseburgers. French fries. Movie popcorn. Candy. Ice cream. BBQ. Zebra cakes. Cereal. I could go on for days.... I also struggle with maintaining balance in my life. When I am kicking ass at work.....my health and my personal life struggle. When I am killing it on the fitness front.....work and personal life struggle. I have OCD tendencies and it is hard for me to not be "all or nothing" all the time.

This challenge has some very awkward timing for my big picture plan. Those of you who popped into my thread on the last challenge know that I was still going strong on my recomposition. It was easily defined. Gain lean mass and drop body fat via resistance training and nutrition. Over the next month or two, I will be slowly transitioning from my recomp into a lean gain cycle. This is going to make my numbers look very stagnant for the most part…..but I want to get bigger and stronger while maintaining low bodyfat…..so this is going to be a slow and methodical process….and somewhat boring to observer…. On to the goals…. Main Quest - Stay on the Master Plan Nutritional Goals Hit my planned macros within +/-5g of each every day with exception of refeed days (CON: +2)Smoothly transition from my current recomposition into a lean gain cycle (WIS: +1 , STA +1)I plan on doing this in a very smooth and methodical fashion.I am not suddenly going to start eating 4000 calories a day. Training Goals Continue the war on gravity and try to get strongerThis will evolve from my current recomp-style training into something more exotic as I transition to my lean gain this fall (STR: +2)Continue to strengthen and rehab my right knee and safely work around all of my nicks and dings: (DEX: +3)destroyed my right knee 2 years ago….multiple surgeries etc…old rotator cuff tearhot elbowbeing old…lolOptional: Not sure if I will be on enough of a caloric surplus to do so within the next 6 weeks, but I have made some significant strength gains this summer and I want to test some of my 1-RMs. Record Good Data (WIS: +2) This is a huge regret of mine. Six years ago, I was at all-time strength levels….and I have some memories of the more epic reps and misses…..but I have no record of how I was training or what I was eating. Sad. I want to record every rep in the gym, every calorie I eat, weekly weight and bodyfat, and full body measurements at least monthlyTake more pictures, put dates on the file names! Level Up My Life Goal - Be a good nerd fitness community member and contributor (WIS: +2 , CHA: +2) This is an open letter to all and an invitation to use my thread as an open forum to ask questions about and discuss all things nutrition and supplements….and I am especially talking those lurkers who are shy and afraid to ask the "dumb question." There are no dumb questions in my thread. I have learned many things over the years through trial, error, success and failure. I feel like I have a lot to share with others….and especially the message: NOTHING can change your body and your well-being like nutrition can. You can do endless reps in the weight room…..you can run every marathon in your region…..but the true catalyst in reaching your goals (whether it is to get bigger, stronger or faster) is going to be the execution of a good nutritional plan. Now, I am not saying that I can create custom nutritional plans for everyone…..there just isn't enough time…..but I really hope to give people the tools they need to make the right decisions in building a great plan. How to find caloric targets, how to find good macro splits, what to eat and when depending upon the situation and the like……I want it to be wide open and public. That way, anyone who stumbles upon our conversation will stand to benefit. Additionally, I see it every day…..people throwing their hard-earned money away on useless supplements. Don't get me wrong…..there are absolute must have supplements that I use on a daily basis…..I am not trying to ram some homeopathic message down your throat. But I do want you to avoid spending $80 on a magic fat burning pill when you could have bought a weeks' worth the groceries with it instead. We are all in this together! Edit: we are doing a "suppleement of the week!" Stop in to discuss and debate on the most widely used/hated supplements! Week 1: Creatine Week 2: HMB Week 3: Whey & Casein Hydrolysate Protein Powder Some caveats: I am not terribly creative with food….I have my go-to things….but when it comes to turning ground beef into a delicacy, thankfully Ash, Kiwi and YellowJacket will be stopping in to join the fray….their acumen to making food more palatable dwarfs my own. I am not really a jack-of-all trades when it comes to programming weight training. I definitely know how to train to get bigger and change your body composition…..but if you want to add 75 lbs. to your squat, there are far more qualified warriors in our midst…they can get you on the right Smolov protocol or whatever is appropriate to your goals.When asking about nutrition, please try to include what your goals are. Your nutritional guidelines are going to be massively different based upon whether you want to get bigger, stronger, leaner, recomp, etc. Last Edit: supplement of the week

Let the games begin! My primary goals are these: - follow specific nutritional plan and hit my macros every day - add lean mass and get stronger - drop body fat My level-up-my-life goal: I bought a house in March. I basically completely gutted it and ripped out every wall that wasn't load bearing....lol It has been a crazy project, and it is almost done. So my goal there is to finish it, move into it and get settled into some semblance of a normal life. Edit: My starting stats: 07.28.13 Height: 6' 5" Weight: 216.6 BF%: 14.7% Fat Mass: 31.9 Lean Mass: 184.7 Waist Flexed: 37.25" Waist Relaxed: 38.5" The means: - I have been executing to very nice success a diet that was built 7 weeks ago. It is working extremely well and I plan on sticking to it. - Workout (strength training, resistance training) at least 3 times per week (I am a huge believer in recovery) - I do absolutely zero cardio - Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night (This is the hardest....I am an insomniac) What I hope to achieve (my targets) - Drop approximately 5 pounds of scale weight - Drop approximately 9 pounds of bodyfat - Add approximately 4 pounds of lean mass (muscle) - Add either a rep or more weight to every exercise every week. (Example: I get x lbs for 6, 5, 5, 3 reps on bench....I better get at least 20 reps next week) I will update with more information later....this is all I could think of now.... Cheers! -Michael

Hello....looking for a place to chronicle my path and my struggles against gravity and genetics as I look to get back into shape again after a life-altering injury. I have always been a fairly athletic person and in decent shape. About two years ago, I totally destroyed my right knee playing basketball.... I tore the ACL. I tore the MCL. I tore my meniscus in two places. The first reconstructive surgery involved some hardware (screws and whatnot) and the removal of a hunk of my meniscus. I then rehabbed for two months so that I could have another surgery in order to clean out the scar tissue and try to get me closer to a "normal" range of motion. Over the next year, I went in for regular rehab......but I did nothing else.....and I got fat....(for me that is). At the start of 2012, I decided it was time to lose some weight...and boy did I....I lost over 50 pounds by July....yay right!?!? Welp, I didn't have the workout urge....so I just got skinny fat....lol Life got complicated and I gained it all back that fall and winter. Which brings us to 2013.....reboot. This year, I have been putting it all together. Weight training and have really gotten nutrition figured out in supporting my long-term goal: recomp. I have really been in the groove over the last 3 months and have shed a ton of fat and added some serious mass. I am looking forward to jumping into the fray in the challenges......I love having other to interact with, share knowledge....and most importantly....compete. Nothing steams my boiler like some good 'ol fashioned friendly competition. I am probably an old man by the standards of this site.....but I hope I can share what I have learned over the years in all of the things that worked for me.....and those that were horrible failures....lol....as you get to know me, you will see that I love doing experiments on myself.... In fact, a quick-reference for my personality type: - I love doing experiments......especially the kind that draw from multiple disciplines.....like how does my nutrition effect my strength and so forth - I am mildly obsessive about data.....I keep food spreadsheets, workout logs, etc.... - I like to help people. I have learned through trail and error many things over the years....and I like to share....namely help others. Anyhoo....sorry for the wall 'o text..... Hope to dialogue, share, learn....and of course.......fight the never ending war against gravity!!! Cheers, -Michael

Hey All, It's great to be apart of the community. My name is Will and I'm trying to become a Peace Officer. I reviewed a few of the articles, and decided that Warrior was my class. With that being said I have a few questions that if answered would help me out quite a bit. I already work out, and have three main weight lifting days chest, sholdres, and back. I'm at about 185 pounds and I basically have what is known as the "Snack pack" and I'm looking to get rid of that, but at the same time trim down on even more body fat located on my chest. 1.) What would be the best diet for me to get on? 2.) How should I structure my cardio days? I usually run a mile after lifting on my three days on and off. 3.) Does anyone know of a simple leg work out that I could get into the groove of? Thank you guys so much. And I think I'm going back to play Dragonage right now.......peace. -Will