I was a passive participant in 2010 but I will actively chart my progress coming up in 2011. I've been doing p90x for a little while now and even though I was very happy with the results during my peak I wanted to build some mass here in the winter to have more to work with when I take up another round.

12/29/2010 12:21:47 AM

I so need to do this in 2011.

My wife and I bought P90X August of 2009.

The furthest I got was week three.

My schedule sucked, and I didn't make time.

12/29/2010 12:37:35 AM

My goal for this next year is to not have my dad tell me how much I gross him out everytime I walk into a room because I am so fat.

So if I can get to being not so vomit inducing fat I'll take it.

12/29/2010 12:41:04 AM

fuck, all i wanted to do was be on page 1 but i took to long to type.... SCREW BALLS. I feel like ive failed already

12/29/2010 12:53:28 AM

I really wanted to jump on this last year but didn't because I don't want everyone seeing photos of how fat I really am. A year later I've only managed to get bigger so despite how self conscious I feel of posting pics or measurements of my fatty ass I'm really glad there's a new thread I'll hold off on posting photos for now, the measurements are embarrassing enough.

Realistic Overall Goals: I feel the need to emphasize realistic. The goal can't be a size 4 or I'll get PO'd and quit. Once I reach this goal I can make a new one
a) fit back into my favorite joes jeans (size ~10/12)
b) exercise the dog as part of getting healthy
c) think of food choices as a lifestyle change rather then picking things because they would help loose weight
d) do some type of marathon, even if it is just a 5k

Measurements:
Weight: 174.4lbs
waist: 37
hip: 44.5
right thigh: 25.5
left arm: 12.5




I like to ignore the issues that have lead up to the weight gain so I think it will be helpful for me to have some of the problems written out, along with solutions that have worked in the past.

Biggest Problems:
1) Binge Eating and chronic overeating.
2) Perpetually eating out
3) Eating the wrong thing
4) Finding physical activities that I enjoy and afford
5) Don't do well with highly structured diet. I'm compulsive and the idea of "I can not XXX" gives me an all consuming obsession to eat whatever it is I told myself I absolutely couldn't eat.

Realist Ideas to Overcome said Problems:
1) When I eat leave food on the plate. If I'm going to binge eat, eat something better for me (seaweed, air-popped popcorn, veggies).
2) If I'm going to eat out then every other time I go I either need to get a salad or the lowest cal thing on the menu.
3) Replace one meal every other day with a salad and pre-make my lunch twice a week.
4) Anything is better then nothing. Even if I don't like spin class and slack off it's worth going, even though yoga isn't the best workout it's better then watching tv, and those 10min DVD's i make fun of my mom for using work they work so do those too.
5) If you really want it, order it. Don't eat it all (think of the cheese-fry incident) and negotiate with yourself (Grilled chx sandwich + chocolate)
6) Do not beat myself up when I fail or fall of the wagon. Think of angel (what is normal eating and how every meal is a new chance) and bre (takes a long time to take control of the binging and you get there by eating one less piece, the will power does not appear overnight)

[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 1:57 AM. Reason : hola!]

12/29/2010 1:30:40 AM

Quote :

"how do you find time for all that? it has to be like 4 hours out of your day..."

It is, however, since I don't have a fiancee anymore demanding 100% of my non-working time, I'm free to do this. Shit just got real.

typical morning
5:00 Wake up
5:10 Walk Dog
5:15 Feed Dog
5:20 Stretch & Warmup
5:30 P90X Workout
7:00 Run
8:00 Shower and Dress for the day
8:30 Eat Breakfast
8:40 Go to work or do the day's business

typical evening
5:00 Leave work
5:10 Arrive at gym
5:15 Elliptical
5:45 Workout
6:45 Go home, walk and feed dog
6:50 Stretch and Drink Muscle Milk Shake
7:00 Dinner
9:00 Go to bed and sleep

12/29/2010 7:23:26 AM

^ breakups can be great for physical fitness. Definitely gives a bit more time for fitness/gym.

Though looking at your list ... what kind of dog do you have? Would he want a longer walk? Can he/she go running with you? If it's a bigger dog, then he/she may enjoy spending some time with you. Just a suggestion.

Regardless, thanks for posting your planned fitness regimen.

12/29/2010 7:28:50 AM

My dog Jack is a 6 year old black lab and is such a good pup. When there's no ice on the ground, I'll take him running outside with me, with the current road conditions I've been doing my run at the gym on the treadmill. When he goes running with me, I slow it down some, though I'm not a speed demon at the moment.


Performance goals are:
to be able to run at least 6 miles at a 7:00/mile or 7:30/mile pace
bench at least 200lbs 16 times
do about 30 pullups from a dead hang
do about 30 dips
finish a half marathon at an 8:00/mile pace
complete a full marathon

*general note for this morning's deviation from the plan, I'm not working out this morning, I have to combine it with my pm routine because I have a physical this morning and can't eat or anything. I need to be able to eat and & drink my shake within 1 hour after working out, and with my physical this am, I'm unable to do that.*

[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 7:39 AM. Reason : note for this morning]

12/29/2010 7:37:30 AM

^ Good luck with your goals. Do you have any particular marathons or half-marathons in mind? Have you run any before?

If you're looking for a good race, I definitely recommend anything from the Rock n Roll Marathon series. They have bands every mile or so and the crowd support is pretty strong for most of their races.

12/29/2010 7:47:04 AM

Are you anywhere close to those goals now? Not that you can't achieve those, but they are fairly lofty for most people, and you may do yourself a favor by setting lower goals to begin with. Setting super high goals makes you much more likely to give up on them.

12/29/2010 7:48:51 AM

yeah those are some pretty beast goals

12/29/2010 8:10:03 AM

yeah I'm not far from my goals, its just going to require discipline to achieve them.

I've ran a half before, I did the City of Oaks half, and I run the Medoc Mountain 10-miler (in Hollister, NC) each year.

I currently do not have any races in mind, more of just training to get the endurance back to do them. Once I get further in to the training, I'll pick a half and a full.

The biggest thing is to get rid of some of the flab, and gain some more muscle.

[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 8:19 AM. Reason : holler]

12/29/2010 8:18:45 AM

Carry on then. I just try to keep the average tww user in mind when reading this stuff.

12/29/2010 8:22:19 AM

This past year was pretty slow for me working out. I was still playing several sports and getting to the gym a few days a week, but it was more maintenance and not much improvement.

My goals by spring right now:

-20 dead hang pullups
-Run 3 miles in under 20 mins (I've always hated running but I know I need to get back into it)
-Get back to 210lbs x4+ on the flat bench. Not amazingly lofty but I weigh 135lbs atm for reference. I was here last year and really dropped back a lot this past year as my workouts slacked.

I've had a lot less drive to be in super awesome shape anymore though. It seems like now I'm doing it for more of a health thing and less of an athletic purpose which I guess isn't bad considering I get exercise a good 4+ days a week during the warmer months. But I just don't have the drive to get in there and really kill it on the dead lifts, and squats, and stuff. As far as actual weights go, I seem to be content to get to the gym for an hour a few times a week and just get a decent round of medium intensity circuit training in.

[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 8:34 AM. Reason : .]

12/29/2010 8:33:04 AM

Quote :

"to be able to run at least 6 miles at a 7:00/mile or 7:30/mile pace"

That's a big difference. Are you going to shoot for 7:30 pace first and then trim it down once you get there?

12/29/2010 9:01:36 AM

Get back to my ideal weight of around 145lbs. Currently around 152. So lose about 5-7 lbs. And just get in better running shape. I use to be able to run 5Ks in right around 18 min. So I want to get back down to that. Thinking about picking up yoga as well. That's about it. Basically just need to eat a little better and run a little more. I want to get back to running 5ks again...possibly 10k...but I don't do more than that.

12/29/2010 9:36:01 AM

^^yes

12/29/2010 9:44:15 AM

The first 8 months of 2010 was probably the most physically active period I've had in my life since high school. I was pretty dedicated to the gym (3-5 times a week for 90 minutes on average) and I definitely saw some good results. Unfortunately my September surgery was a big set back and physically I've regressed. Even now I'm not cleared for most strength building upper body exercises.

Goals for 2011 are:
- get back to where I was physically pre-surgery and surpass that (strength-wise)
- increase my endurance and mix up my cardio routine more, such as:
a) go for a run at least twice a month at Lake Johnson (a big deal to me as [while I'm not bad at it] I abhor running)
b) mountain bike once a week (weather permitting)
c) take my dog for longer walks 2-3 times per week (he'll be taken on the runs at LJ as well)
d) play tennis 2-4 times a month
- eat healthier and cut back on my portion sizes a little bit (something that's proven difficult for me as I get hungry extremely easily)
- cut back on how much I drink (frequency not quantity)

The big obstacle with changing up the cardio activities after work is that a lot of them are things to do away from the gym, but when I go somewhere other than the gym after work I get stuck in traffic which kills my drive and wastes my time. (when I usually leave the gym traffic is gone).

Stats ATM:
weight - 205 lbs
bench press - no clue as i haven't been able to do it in 4 months, but pre-surgery i could do 225 4 times.
no leg benchmark to really go by as I've been conditioning them for ski season the last few months instead of strength.

12/29/2010 10:05:08 AM

Quote :

"5:20 Stretch & Warmup 5:30 P90X Workout 7:00 Run 8:00 Shower and Dress for the day"

I'm amazed you're going to run for an hour after doing P90X halfway through a workout I usually feel as tired as I've ever felt.

12/29/2010 10:29:36 AM

Not making it the entire hour just yet. Don't have that mileage built up, but soon hopefully it will be

12/29/2010 10:58:28 AM

I've done pretty well in the past year too. I started going back to the gym in Nov 2009 at 6'4" ~220 lbs.

Focused on trimming down/building endurance for the first 3-4 months or so. Got down to a weight of around 190 then hit the weights and got back up to my current weight of ~210.

My lifts were puny when I first started lifting regularly around March/April of 2010. Went from struggling to get 155 up more than a few times, to my current bench max of 240 and having to use 50+ pounds of assistance for pullup sets to now being able to do ~20 unassisted.

I've been lacking on cardio and leg lifts for the past few months though. During the first half of 2011 i'd like to:

-Get to the gym 5 times a week (up from my curent 3-4)
-Up my cardio endurance/intensity (i'd be happy with working up to a 5k in under 24 min...I'm not a runner )
-build overall lower body strength
-lose the last ~5lbs of stubborn fat and put on ~10 more lbs of muscle to put me at around 215

[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 11:01 AM. Reason : I need to cut back on the booze too, but not sure that it's gonna happen.]

12/29/2010 11:00:22 AM

I'm in again. In terms of lifting I'd ideally like to squat 175, deadlift 200, bench my body weight, and do 10 sequential pullups. Now I think I'm at 140x5 (been at a wall there for a long time), 155x5, 85x2, ~3 pullups depending on the day. I think my squat hangup is mental more than physical so need to figure out how to get past that.

Are http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html pretty accurate? If so my goals would put me at/a bit above the advanced level. I know it would take a lot of dedication for me to get there, but I think I can do it.

I also want to be able to run for an hour without trouble. And lose about 5 pounds of fat, but that isn't my top priority. I know I need to get much better about stretching and mobility work. That seems like my biggest challenge for some reason.

12/29/2010 11:13:32 AM

About October or so my progress and work ethic went to hell and I can tell that I'm a bit smaller than I was and more soft. This week marks the return to discipline hopefully now that I'm settled in to a new routine with work.

Key points to work on:

- Eating well. This is the hardest part to me because I'll never blow up and I have a perfect bill of health so I have no huge incentive to eat well. I'm trying to make myself do this so I can get rid of that pesky small layer of pudge, but it's hard when you don't gain anything more than that.

- Cut back on drinking during the week. I'm going to TRY and only have a glass of wine a night or so if at all. I'm going to try and not go out drinking during the week, even for 2-3 beers. That is probably the biggest killer of all right there. I think I can do this without much trouble.

- Run 6 days a week; lift 4 days a week. My run will be about 3-5 miles typically and I work 2 body parts a day (usually take Wednesday off but that can be flexible).

My ultimate goal is to probably put on about 5 pounds and like everyone else build endurance/burn a bit of pudge -- I realize this is almost totally dependent on my diet though.

12/29/2010 11:25:55 AM

Currently I'm 6' and 247lbs. I'm not sure of what I want to hit specifically, I mainly just want to make working-out a permanent lifestyle change. I don't want to just lose 20lbs (or whatever goal I decide to make at a later point) and then just stop like I did last time I did p90x. I want to be able to continue working out even after hitting my goals. But definitely need to trim down since I've got the dreaded 10yr reunion this coming Sept.
On another forum I frequent there is a guy giving away gift cards to people who have the best results after March. He has several different categories since everyone's goals are different. Should be fun.

But I'm not starting until Jan 3 so I've still got time to hitup the local fast food places

[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 11:29 AM. Reason : your momma]

12/29/2010 11:28:24 AM

i <3 this thread so much

12/29/2010 11:42:00 AM

Skwinkle

What's your current routine look like?

And yes, Rippetoe's standards are legit.

12/29/2010 12:35:36 PM

my biggest challenge is diet. I suck at eating healthy, however, logging everything I eat and having a plan of what to eat when has definitely made eating easier this week so far.

12/29/2010 1:19:29 PM

Goal :
Gain 10 lbs


See you in 10 weeks 171lbs

12/29/2010 1:26:36 PM

I'll race you to 171.

COMMENCE OPERATION FATTIE.

12/29/2010 1:31:18 PM

I took December off from lifting because 1) we moved and getting to LFF is a pain now (switching gyms in January) and 2) I was starting to get a lot of little achy kind of pains and felt like a break from lifting would be a good idea. That is also why I want to get a lot better about stretching etc. So in December we did month 1 of Insanity. (Yes, I know your feelings on that )

Normally I have two basic sets:
warm up with a 1/2-mile run then circuit of pullups/chinups, dips, back extensions. Then workout of squats, deadlifts, Arnold presses.
warm up with 1/2-mile run then lunges (either overhead or just regular walking), body rows and the Smith machine pullups from bent arm height. Then bench press (barbell if Fareako is with me, dumbell if he isn't), step-ups, lat raises and bent-over rows.
Normally those are always there and I'll do another couple things like Russian twists, kettlebell swings, seated rows, push-up twists, flys, etc. to keep from getting bored. And if I have time I like to end with ~4x500m rowing intervals.

12/29/2010 1:53:40 PM

Overall I would like to lose about 10 pounds. My weight hasn't really changed except for the swinging up and down but I can control it if I work out everyday and watch my sodium. I've pretty much stopped drinking alcohol because it makes me an insomniac. I have noticed with the eating healthy/working out, that while my weight hasn't changed, my clothes are super loose. I tried in some skirts and dresses and was shocked to see how big they were on me.

12/29/2010 1:57:25 PM

Also, I need major help getting over my running thing. My calf's get so sore before I ever get what I feel is a really good cardio workout. This happens on ANY hilly area, even with the slightest elevation change.

I loathe running inside but I can't push through any more than 2.5-3 miles running without the calf pain. I do all sorts of stretches and whatnot but can't seem to push through it. This has been recurring as far back as last summer.

It's not shin splints as I've had those before and it's not the same kind of pain. It's just tightness to the point where it feels like I'm about to burst.

Ideally I'd like to get to the point where I can do 2 laps at Lake Johnson daily painfree...

12/29/2010 2:07:04 PM

Quote :

"My calf's get so sore"

Your calf's what?

Quote :

"It's not shin splints"

There are two kinds of shin splints, the ones on the front and the ones in the back. You probably have the ones in the back. I've had both of them before and they feel entirely different from another. I had to rest from running for a few days and change my technique up a little.

[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 2:12 PM. Reason : -]

12/29/2010 2:12:11 PM

Quote :

"I took December off from lifting because 1) we moved and getting to LFF is a pain now (switching gyms in January) and 2) I was starting to get a lot of little achy kind of pains and felt like a break from lifting would be a good idea. That is also why I want to get a lot better about stretching etc. So in December we did month 1 of Insanity. (Yes, I know your feelings on that ) Normally I have two basic sets: warm up with a 1/2-mile run then circuit of pullups/chinups, dips, back extensions. Then workout of squats, deadlifts, Arnold presses. warm up with 1/2-mile run then lunges (either overhead or just regular walking), body rows and the Smith machine pullups from bent arm height. Then bench press (barbell if Fareako is with me, dumbell if he isn't), step-ups, lat raises and bent-over rows. Normally those are always there and I'll do another couple things like Russian twists, kettlebell swings, seated rows, push-up twists, flys, etc. to keep from getting bored. And if I have time I like to end with ~4x500m rowing intervals."

I would ditch the 1/2 mile run as your warm-up, even if it seems trivial. I would suggest looking into Starting Strength and just adding in Pullups/dips on a day that won't cause problems.

Try to do a few mobility drills as warm-up before squats. Refer to http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com/

Starting Strength:

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki

12/29/2010 2:28:55 PM

Bryan, I started to get tight calf pain when running out at LJ a while back so i purchased new shoes and it seems to have eliminated the pain. You might want to make sure your shoes aren't worn.

12/29/2010 2:47:56 PM

you could always not run


cuz seriously, who the fuck REALLY likes to run

12/29/2010 2:49:46 PM

twp pages, and no pics? i can;t pleasure myself to words only

12/29/2010 3:04:45 PM

I won't have pics til I get back to town, but here's my goal/aesthetic motivation:



Also, GGMon, per the previous thread, we have a no creepiness rule for posting in this thread. Try to keep creepy comments in your internal dialogue. Or the chatterbox.

[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 3:20 PM. Reason : ,k]

12/29/2010 3:18:40 PM

It was a joke, love.

12/29/2010 3:20:56 PM

Working out too much is just as bad as working out too little, iheartkisses.


Moderation is the key.

12/29/2010 3:27:23 PM

Assuming I stay sucked into the blackhole that is TDub, I think I'm in this year.

My goals:
1 - Tobacco Road 1/2 Marathon (3/20): PR/sub 1:30 ideally
2 - Marine Corps Marathon (10/30): it'll be my first so I'm aiming around 3:30, but BQ would be ideal
3 - Run 1000 miles during the year: mostly to keep myself motivated to run when I don't feel like it
4 - And at some point while my running base is high but before I start the marathon training I want to do a full run-through of P90X

I don't really have any weight goals because I lucked into some good genes and a love of running, but I wouldn't mind dropping a little body fat and gaining ~10lbs of muscle. Pics to follow when I'm not at work...

12/29/2010 3:42:25 PM

I am starting the 4 Hour Body weight gain plan. Has anyone tried this?

My goals are to gain 10-15 pounds of muscle by the end of Feb. According to the book, I could gain 30 lbs within a month, but that sounds too ridiculous. I am not one for gimmicky diets and exercise routines, but my schedule is going to be extremely busy these next few months and the minimal amount of exercise required is what attracted me to it. What will take most of my time and effort will be eating healthy and eating often. Basically the plan calls for me to eat 240g protein and 320 g carbs, and workout for approx 30 minutes every 3-4 days. Some of the theory in this book completely flies in the face of current exercise practices, so it will be interesting to see how this turns out.

12/29/2010 4:16:02 PM

I'd be curious to see the plan, otherwise I call complete bullshit...even if their "science" seems legit


but what the fuck do I know

12/29/2010 4:18:02 PM

^ This chapter from the book gives a pretty good overview of how it works:
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/the-four-hour-body-from-geek-to-freak/

There are two subsequent chapters that goes into the details and theory behind it. Basically you have a minimal effective "dose" for exercise and you need to ensure that you are allowing your body to recover in the most efficient way possible.

Like I said, I don't have the time this semester to start another round of P90X, so i thought I will try this for a couple of months. If it doesn't work, I can just move onto cross-fit or go back to a normal weight lifting routine. I'll also be running a bit to ensure that I am ready for the rugged maniac race in February.

12/29/2010 4:32:13 PM

It seems like most of it is based on his own experience. The only reason I see that he gained as much as he did is because he was deconditioned and coming back into it. I don't doubt this would work for weight loss since you just need to hit it hard and heavy 2x a week with a sensible diet to lean down...but for mass gain...I just don't know (doesn't seem like you'd get enough volume).

12/29/2010 4:40:41 PM

i dont really have any set goals.

i've noticed when i set goals i tend to get to them slower or not even reach them at all, but when i have fun and don't take it too seriously, i tend to weigh less have less bodyfat and just feel better overall.

example: in the past 6 weeks or so i've gone from 154ish to 138-140ish
(i originally posted some pics here but i dont know if anyone else can notice it lol)

and luckily while i did lose some muscle i don't think it was a ton.
and i did not watch my diet (i ate when i was hungry stopped when i was full...) and i dropped the gym from 6 days/week to 3-4 days/week.
***note what i mean by did not watch did NOT entail eating fast food a lot or anything, i still ate (relatively) healthy, i just didn't count calories or anyhting....and if i felt like a burger-i got a burger, etc...


im gonna up my gym time and try to build a little bit more of the muscle up and thats about the only "goal" i have
we'll see how this pans out

[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 5:11 PM. Reason : ]

12/29/2010 5:06:23 PM

I might join in this year.

12/29/2010 5:12:17 PM

Quote :

"I'll race you to 171. COMMENCE OPERATION FATTIE."

hahahahahahaha

12/29/2010 5:17:03 PM

set a performance goal, Joie


not a weight goal

12/29/2010 5:19:58 PM

im not setting a weight goal nor a performance goal.



what im getting at is that when i make it a contest (even if im just challenging myself) working out loses its luster for me.
when i go to the gym b/c i enjoy it i tend to have MUCH MUCH better results than when i go in with an agenda.



[Edited on December 29, 2010 at 5:44 PM. Reason : its just me really ]

12/29/2010 5:22:28 PM