*The gym* Goals for spring/summer?

[kyleb]

Everyone in the forum that is interested in losing some weight, adding some muscle, looking better, or anything health/fitness related probably has a few goals in the back of the mind. Maybe you want to lose 20 pounds by August, or maybe you want to run a 6 minute mile. Maybe it's sports related, and maybe it's just for show.

Over the winter I was on a heavy lifting and eating program to attempt to gain LBM and functional strength. I lost a bunch of photos early on unfortunately, but here are two pictures of my arms from mid-January to now.

Mid-January:
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6056/kylearm1qq2.jpg

Now:
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9278/kylearm2cl0.jpg

I think it's pretty good progress overall - remember, these are just results from my earlier thread that focuses on core strength.

You might be wondering where the full body pictures are. Ah, there's the reason for this thread! I did gain a good amount of weight (from 190 to now 207 or so), and a lot of it was LBM, but now I'm fat, yo.

So, it's time to get on that diet I mentioned in my other post in OOT. That means:

-2000 kcals/day
-Plenty of protein, low fat, moderate carbs
-Thermogenics, multivitamins, ZMA, Taurine, protein shakes, L-Glutamine

And I'll be modifying my workout schedule to include more running and more endurance reps for core and arm care (I'm a pitcher, remember). Wind sprints and plyometrics will be added in more frequently, I'll be in the batting cages more often, and there will be more liberal applications for stretching.

I don't really believe in scale weight, per se, but I'd like to get down to around 200 again with same functional strength and hopefully cut some BF% out. My goals are:

-Lose a good amount of BF%
-Retain as much LBM as possible
-Increase running endurance, arm care
-Ability to throw 80-100 pitch bullpens at 90%
-Increase agility
-Overall improvement for baseball-related skills

So, what are your goals now that spring is just around the corner?

[lippy]

I'm going to be studying abroad in July/August and want to be in good shape by then. But, in the meantime;

Goals
-190 now, 175 by mid-May.
-Look a hell of a lot less fat, more muscular than I do right now.

How?
-Cut calories, I won't count, but I'll be below or around 2000 on weekdays, below 2500 on weekends
-No fast food (if my buddies go to McD's or something, I will get a chicken sandwich w/ no mayo)
-Work out at least 4 times each week, at least 30 min of cardio and weight machines, slowly gaining muscle so I can do some real muscle building
-Quit drinking alcohol, made it through my first weekend.

[kazana]

@kyleb: To be honest, I can't really see any difference in the pics. The lighting is different, so that may make it more difficult to spot any improvements, though.

My goals:
- Go from ~190 - ~165 by May
- Look a bit thinner.
- Feel a lot better. (190 @ 5'11" doesn't look that bad, but I remember feeling so much better when I used to be around 160)

Means:
- An Atkins style diet, basically meaning that I'll try to stay away from 'unnatural' carbs as much as possible. I love veggies and fruit, so I should get in enough of them.
- Exercise a minimum of 3x per week in form of HIIT. I'm aiming for 4-5 times, but as long as I get the minimum of 3 I'll be content.
- Drink far less alcohol (thy name is beer). Cheating only allowed when I happen to eat out with my wife (which happens about once every two weeks).

[kyleb]

There's more definition in the second pic imo, but the change isn't drastic.

165 @ 5'11"? You must have a really slight build.

[kazana]

I used to be around 160 (+- 3) for about 6 years straight during my last years of high school and thereafter. I was involved in a lot of sport (mainly soccer & track) back then, and I'd be glad to get anywhere near that weight level.

I don't have much muscle to show for, except for my legs which have always been pretty strong. 165 may be a bit ambitious, but I'd be disappointed if couldn't get to 170.

[mik37]

I have no target weight or bulk. I just want to be slimmer and more fit. I hope to achieve my goals through www.crossfit.com (http://www.crossfit.com) and a zone diet.

[DrewDevil]

I went from 230 to 205 in the fall, but I've crept back up to about 220 now. Blech. My ECA stack ran out and I have a tough time staying motivated to work out or eat right if I'm not hopped up on ECA.

I'd love to lose about 40 pounds and get my six-pack back but I do not seem to have the motivation to do so. I'd rather be at home playing with my wife /images/graemlins/smile.gif and my son than working out.

I love to eat tasty and fattening foods and I don't much like exercising. I like playing basketball and I like weightlifting okay, but not more than the extra 2 hours of sleep I've been getting lately.

Sigh.

[hotbacon]

right now i'm 190 lbs, 6' 3" , ~15% BF and have been bulking since fall.
when i'm back from my spring break i will start cutting. i'd like to get to 8% BF or so by the end of spring.
i really want to get more endurance for jiu jitsu. i'd like to be able to roll pretty hard for an hour and not be completely exausted.
i'm also trying to strengthen my lower body and core, so i'm really going to be focusing on squats and different kinds of dead lifts.
oh, also i need flexibility BADLY (esp for jiu jitsu). i keep telling myself that i'll start stretching hardcore every night before bed, but i never do.

[miajag]

I've dropped about 25 pounds in the last 6 months (183 to 159 as of this morning - I'm 5'9"). I still have a lot of work to do as far as getting in shape though, and it's been tough during the winter because I can't go running regularly and don't live near my gym (read: I'm a lazy bastard). My semi-serious goal is to drop another 10 pounds or so and have a defined 6-pack (something I haven't had since high school) by summer.

[Klompy]

It's starting to get warm enough that I can run again, so I think it's time that I drop the 20lbs that have crept up on me in the last 2 years. I plan on doing this by limiting my carbs to good ones such as oatmeal, sweet potatoes, etc and to only have them early in the day. I also plan on eating 1600 calories or less each day.

I'm hoping to go from 220 - 200 before it gets warm enough for swimming and such.

[SmileyEH]

Most of my goals are always around a month or two long at the most because I keep getting tired of one pursuit and focusing on other things. Right now it would be to clean and jerk 100kilos (240lbs), can clean 205 and jerk 185 now. Snatch 175 (bodyweight) and overhead squat bodyweight for reps. Right now at 135 for the snatch and can do single ohs at 155. During this time I also want to put on about 10 lbs, maybe half of which can be lbm.

[guids]

None really, spring and summer is the time where i maintain my ideal weight, the only goal I have is to take advantage of the free gold my cousin can score me by being in charge of the clubhouse.....every single day.

[1C5]

I am 6'2" skinny body type (ie, I don't workout and eat well, I lose a lot of weight.

5 weeks ago I was 174 lbs. Very skinny.

Now I am 190 lbs. I used to be almost 210 and strong so muscle memory has a lot to do with me gaining my weight back so fast.

Summer goals: 4000 calories/day everyday and weigh at least 200 lbs by the end of summer.

This will be tougher than it is right now for me as I play a lot of sports in the summer, and the sports that I play burn lots of calories (tennis, soccer and hockey).

[1C5]

[ QUOTE ]
None really, spring and summer is the time where i maintain my ideal weight, the only goal I have is to take advantage of the free gold my cousin can score me by being in charge of the clubhouse.....every single day.

[/ QUOTE ]


Free gold? That is even better than free golf!!!

[guids]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
None really, spring and summer is the time where i maintain my ideal weight, the only goal I have is to take advantage of the free gold my cousin can score me by being in charge of the clubhouse.....every single day.

[/ QUOTE ]


Free gold? That is even better than free golf!!!

[/ QUOTE ]


I beg to differ! Freudian slip I guess.

[cbloom]

I separated my shoulder in October 2006, so my goals are related to that. It's healed now but I have frozen shoulder from the immobilization, so my goals are :

stick to physical therapy 3 times a week
regain full mobility by early summer
start doing hard weights again

I've lost 5-10 pounds of muscle because of the immobilization from the injury so I want to put that back on, I'm 6'1" and eating around 3500 calories a day, this is my target breakdown :

3500 calories
200g protein = 800 calories
15% in fat = 525 calories = 58g fat
2175 calories in carbs = 544g carbs

Right now I'm mainly trying to get by squat back. I have no idea what I can do right now cuz I'm not pushing it (can't hold the bar right with my bad shoulder), but goal is to weigh about 185 and squat 2X body weight by May/June.

ps. physical therapy is 100X more painful and difficult than working out; I actually enjoy the pain of working out and the feeling and rewards of it, this is just boring and painful and so so hard to stick to.

[AZK]

Spring/Summer goals:

Complete a crossfit workout in it's entirety without throwing up or having to cut it down.
20 unassisted pull ups. I am at about 8 right now/set.
Cut body fat even more...I have no idea what I am at now but a long term goal of around 8% would be nice.

[EYEWHITES]

since december 15 i have gained 15lbs, i would like to gain another 10-15. i have been doing this slowly instead of trying to bilk because the idea of cutting is not very appealing.

My long term goal is no fast food, although i dont count jasons deli and quizzinos...that one ive kept so far this year

with this 15lbs i feel healthier and look better, with another 15 i dont know some im trying to gain 1lb a week.

[Thremp]

Eyeswhite,

LOL at a lbs per week non-bulk.

[theBruiser500]

[ QUOTE ]
None really, spring and summer is the time where i maintain my ideal weight, the only goal I have is to take advantage of the free gold my cousin can score me by being in charge of the clubhouse.....every single day.

[/ QUOTE ]

hey quids share some of you free gold with me please

[ac10]

Since last summer I went from 195lbs to 220, I'm 6'3". A couple of weeks ago I decided to start trying to get back in shape. For motivation I am going to train and hopefully attempt my first triathalon on June 3rd. The distances are 500m swim, 16k bike ride, and 5k run.

I swam in high school and recently joined my college's brand new water polo club team. I don't think that the swim will be a problem at all.

The last few summers I have taken my bike to and from the pool I work at which is probably 5-6 miles each way. I've never had to ride fast for any period of time but I think I will be able to by the time June comes around.

Running is a problem for me. I have never run over 2 miles. I HATE running. Ive gone a few times in the last couple weeks and its hard for me to breathe and my knees always kill me after I get done. Hopefully this will get easier soon as I think it will be the most challenging part to train for.

So basically I've been doing one of these three activities at least 40 minutes everyday. Doing circuts with pushups, sit ups, and pull ups every other day. Eating <2500 calories a day, usually close to 2000. It's been 2 weeks and I've lost 7 lbs. So I guess so far so good.

Ive never done anything like this before so if anybody has any advice or tips I want to hear them.

ac

[theblackkeys]

5'9" 215 lbs, 26 y.o. (yeah I'm short and stocky)

I currently can do the following:
Squats- 3x5 (3 sets of 5) @ 165 lbs. Still have to work on form.
Bench- 3x5 @ 160.
Deadlifts- 1x5 @ 160
Overhead Press- 3x5 @ 85 (Just started doing these)
Pendlay Rows- 3x5 @ ~95 (Just started doing these as well)

Couple questions:
-Is it normal to have such a low Overhead Press compared to my other lifts?
-How many pullups should I be able to do based on my numbers?
-Give me one midsection workout so I can be tighter during squats and deads.

By summer, I still hope to be adding weight to my lifts. I've improved the quality of food I eat regularly, but I still eat a lot. I don't see myself changing that anytime soon. I love food. If I look a little less flabby, great.

[EYEWHITES]

[ QUOTE ]
Eyeswhite,

LOL at a lbs per week non-bulk.

[/ QUOTE ]

im a little confused when laughed at, not sure why.
i figure i need about 37-3900 calories a day to add 1 lb a week. According to my wifes nursing books and the weblink that has been passed around. So thats my target. 1lb a week.
i do cardio 5x a week, and lift 5 times usually take wens and sunday off. This has helped me build alot of lean mass, but i also spend alot of time prepairing my diet instead of just gorging on pizza and doughnuts.
is 1 lb too little?
is 1lb too much?

i just know whats working for me. Im growing in size and my body fat is shrinking.

thoughts...
i wanna be about 225

[Thremp]

Its pretty clearly a bulk.

[ddollevoet]

I lost 25 lbs in the fall, but have managed to put about 8 of them back on over/since the holidays.

My goal is to lose 30 pounds by end of May and an additional 10 lbs. by the 4th of July. I weigh 220 lbs. today and want to be at 180 by July 4th.

4-5 meals a day. Weight training. Cardio. Water. Vitamins.

[daryn]

i want to lose 40 lbs to get in the next lowest weight division in order to compete in an amateur kickboxing competition in the fall. no reason to be in there with the super heavyweights, but if i can get down to 210 i am confident in my ability to destroy mofos.

i need to lose about 2 lbs a week to make it, not an unreasonable goal i think. i'm going to be shooting for 2k cal/day diet and will be lifting maybe 3 or 4 times a week and going to kickboxing classes 6 to 7 days a week.

i encourage people to mock me if i fail miserably.

[SmileyEH]

daryn do you really need to lose that much? Can't you just get down to like 220-225 and sweat the rest out before you're weighin? either way gl!

[nuggetz87]

[ QUOTE ]
There's more definition in the second pic imo, but the change isn't drastic.

165 @ 5'11"? You must have a really slight build.

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm 180-185 (haven't checked in a while) and 5'11" and a fatass. it's just really different for everyone. that's down from like 215 back in july/august.

i don't even own a scale, but i guess i would like to lose 20 pounds and i really need to start lifting and doing pushups and stuff instead of just running.

[Warik]

I currently weigh 192lbs @ ~11% bodyfat. Goal for end of summer is 195-200lbs at 8% or less.

I'd also like to squat 405 for 5 reps. I can do 360 for 5 reps now.

[Spellmen]

I've been lifting for a few months now, a ton of isolation stuff up until this point. I've put on a decent amount of muscle mass and added 7lbs, and currently at about 8.5% body fat.

For the rest of spring/summer I'm going to concentrate more on core exercises, my squat is especially pathetic. Will more or less be following this program and hopefully packing in more calories/day:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

Anyone see a problem with adding in an exercise or two? I will be doing the row it suggests instead of the clean until I find someone to teach me proper form. I also added in 3x5 flat dumbbell presses on Day A because I like them more than bench. Will probably throw in pullups on Day B as well

[theblackkeys]

[ QUOTE ]
I've been lifting for a few months now, a ton of isolation stuff up until this point. I've put on a decent amount of muscle mass and added 7lbs, and currently at about 8.5% body fat.

For the rest of spring/summer I'm going to concentrate more on core exercises, my squat is especially pathetic. Will more or less be following this program and hopefully packing in more calories/day:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

Anyone see a problem with adding in an exercise or two? I will be doing the row it suggests instead of the clean until I find someone to teach me proper form. I also added in 3x5 flat dumbbell presses on Day A because I like them more than bench. Will probably throw in pullups on Day B as well

[/ QUOTE ]
Mark Rippetoe strongly suggests waiting awhile to add any of the assistance exercises in. Figure out how you feel first before doing the dips or pullups.

I would say you want to be doing as much weight as possible for your main 5 exercises, and be able to add weight to the bar each EXERCISE, don't let assistance exercises get in the way.

Also, Rippetoe hints that dumbell bench press is probably better than barbell, so that's not a problem. I have a form question on dumbell bench, btw. When you go down, do your elbows flare straight out (perpendicular to the body), or are your elbows tucked in slightly?

[Spellmen]

I personally go all the way out, perpendicular, but I've noticed I go down alot further than most people. I bring the dumbells almost down parallel to my chest and then explode up. I have much longer arms than most as well, so I probably have more range of motion there.

As far as pullups go, I don't think it should be a problem. I can bust out 3 sets of 10 with little trouble and felt I wasn't really hitting on the upper back and shoulders enough with the Rippletoe stuff