The Workout Thread

[bishopshodan]

57 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

I've recently gotten back into going to the gym with a friend and have been going twice a week pretty consistently and have been noticing gains, which is exciting.

 

I've also been getting heavier, which is a bit worrying, only because my diet is average at best and as far as BMI (I know it's not perfect) goes, I'm starting to approach the higher end of healthy weight. For reference, I'm about 5'8" and was between 147 and 150 lbs for about two or three years, but I'm now seeing myself push into 153 -155 territory. Not huge, but I've never weighed this much and I'm unsure if I need to start managing my eating better or if I'm actually just seeing muscle gains. I also do very little exercise outside of my weightlifting gym days. 

 

Do I keep eating whenever I'm hungry or should I crack down on the calories?

A good diet and not drinking booze is absolutely massive. Everything got way better for me when I started to focus on those two things. I know it could seem hard but trust me, it will give you great results. 

 

As you get older your metabolism will change too, around age 25 it starts to slow down.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about weight but rather how you look and feel. , 

 

Keep at it!

[MeanSeanBean]

On 8/18/2023 at 9:02 AM, bishopshodan said:

Do you need to keep taking it for the rest of your life? How old are you?

What does it do to your natural levels?

I'd advise you to talk to your doctor have have your levels tested before ever doing anything to synthetically alter your natural hormone levels. 

[MeanSeanBean]

1 hour ago, -AJ- said:

I've recently gotten back into going to the gym with a friend and have been going twice a week pretty consistently and have been noticing gains, which is exciting.

 

I've also been getting heavier, which is a bit worrying, only because my diet is average at best and as far as BMI (I know it's not perfect) goes, I'm starting to approach the higher end of healthy weight. For reference, I'm about 5'8" and was between 147 and 150 lbs for about two or three years, but I'm now seeing myself push into 153 -155 territory. Not huge, but I've never weighed this much and I'm unsure if I need to start managing my eating better or if I'm actually just seeing muscle gains. I also do very little exercise outside of my weightlifting gym days. 

 

Do I keep eating whenever I'm hungry or should I crack down on the calories?

It's also really dependent on your build and body composition. Seeing weight gain when you start working out is actually a good thing. Muscle weights more then fat, so your early returns on the scale will actually be a weight gain, not loss. Weight loss tends to happen later on in most people as you continue your workout program. 

 

For reference, I started my program about a year and a half ago. I work in an extremely demanding field, and found myself 10 years in and starting to break down. I built myself a home gym, and started taking the advice I constantly give others. I'm 5'9 and when I started working out and cleaning up my diet I was about 190. I didn't look that heavy in the slightest, but I was pretty muscle dense when I started, just also had a layer of... comfort.  went up to about 200 about 6 months in since I was putting on lots of muscle and eating significantly more to keep up with my protein and calorie demands. 

 

I've settled at around 185 now, and I'm easily the strongest and biggest I've ever been. I was a pretty decent athlete in my teens and early 20s, and I competed at 130 and 135. Huge change in what my "comfortable weight" is over the last 15 or so years.

 

The numbers on the scale shouldn't be the first determining factor if what your currently doing is having its desired outcomes. It's all about how you feel, and if you're making progress.

 

The best advice I can probably give you though, is good health starts in the kitchen. If your eating low quality fuels, you're not going to run as well as high quality fuels.

[bishopshodan]

1 minute ago, MeanSeanBean said:

I'd advise you to talk to your doctor have have your levels tested before ever doing anything to synthetically alter your natural hormone levels. 

Oh, I dont think I would ever do it. I am very happy with my body and abilities. 

I was more so wondering if that poster has done exactly what you are suggesting. I have seen mma fighters looking like a shell of their former selves when the UFC banned TRT. I have heard that once you start, it tells your body to stop or slow down it's natural production. 

I understand that some dudes may need it, but for those that have healthy natural levels...why mess with your system and potentially have to take it forever?

 

I used to be around a lot of big guys ( nighclubs for 15years etc). I have seen some unfortunate results from juicing. 

A guy I used to spar with in martial arts went from 180 to 220lbs after gearing up. He had so many issues once he got big. His shoulders kept blowing out, he started to lose in competitions, mostly because he was slower, often injured, and in now bigger/heavier divisions. Nevermind he started to look ugly.

 

Anyway, not to diss anyones choices. I am just curious about health and like hearing from people that try different approaches. I have a personal trainer friend that was going on about chewing nicotine gum last week? I wont do that either but he was talking about it being a test booster...

[luckyjack]

I'm into sport too right now. I take different suplements additionally