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So I started off about 9 years ago, however during that time I've had to take a few breaks from lifting due to life - those reasons include being injured, starting a family, moving city for different jobs and studies. I've probably had about 5 years of focused lifting, I'll be the first to admit that if I knew in the beginning what I know now about diet and training this would have only taken about 3-4 years.
Current weight: Just under 190lbs. Bodyfat: No idea, probably 17% or so.
- Bench 110kg x 5 (I just benched 120kg for a comfortable single, estimate 1rm about 125kg)
- Overhead press: 60kg x 5
- Pullup: bw+40kg x 2
- Squat: Pre injury I was doing 3x6 with 140kg, since injury I no longer squat regularly. Once in a while I do front squats, did a double with 100kg not too long ago but mostly just use machines for legs and do higher reps.
- Deadlift: See squats.
Full story:
So in the beginning I was a early/mid 20s guy living alone, always been skinny as hell but had no idea about lifting/diet and that I had the power to change this. One day I applied to do a some medical trials for a bit of extra cash, they rejected my application because they said I was underweight. Thing was, I lied about my weight on the application and added and extra half stone. At this point I was in my 20s, a fully grown adult and knew that if I just waited for nature to take its course I would be desperately skinny forever.
Around this time my younger brother showed me one of those websites about gaining muscle. I discovered bodybuilding.com and started reading articles about lifting and dieting to build muscle. There was a gym close by but it was quite intimidating at first, it was a proper muscle head type of gym, I used to call it a prison gym. Many lifters on juice, and there was me looking skinny as f*ck. Got a mate to come with me but he kept flaking on me, I decided if I was going to do this I shouldn't rely on anyone but myself. So I went, and the guys there were fine :) Nobody really cared, they were busy doing their own thing. My first goal was to simply reach 140lbs, a month or so goes by and I reached that goal easily. I was progressing in the weights I was lifting! I was hooked. I bulked for about a year straight, got to about 165lbs and was looking a bit soft. Decided to cut for a couple months and repeat. Of course on my first cut I cut cals way to low and did tons of cardio, lost a bunch of muscle. After 2 years I was about 175lbs. Another year I got to about 190lbs but bodyfat was a bit high, probably 20%. Also around this time I hurt my knees, probably from squatting heavy too frequently with subpar form.
Here's where I started becoming a bit unfocused. I still lifted and even ate decently, but wasn't really tracking progress or cals. I was very busy with life, I moved and started a young family. Another year goes by and I injured my shoulder. Also bodyfat was climbing to around 25%. I realised that I am fucking myself up by lifting heavy and disregarding form, and getting way out of shape. I started looking into ways to rehab my knees, decided to cut and started going to physio for my shoulder. He gave me some stretches and exercises. Over time my shoulder and knees improved a lot, but I have to say they are certainly not the same. For example if I go too long without doing any couch stretches my knees will start to ache. Also if I squat heavy frequently they hurt. Anyway I took time to concentrate on mobilty and cut. At the end of this period is when I took some of those pictures on the beach that I included in my progress link. I had lost some muscle but my joints were feeling good again. I decided I would start lifting heavy again and bulk but this time I would cycle my training intensity (periodise) and do cycles of lighter and heavier weights while eating at a surplus. And now here I am. Currently at my strongest, just comfortably benched 120kg, a weight which at one point in time I would have thought would have killed me! So happy to be making progress again. My plan is to begin a cut in a few weeks and then continue bulking. Only bad thing about benching 120kg is now I have to do 140, haha. The circle of lifting never ends.
Main things I would do differently:
- After first year, accept gains come much slower. Do not eat at a ridiculous surplus, but eat at enough of a surplus to gain muscle without getting too fat.
- Cut slowly. After fucking up a few cuts I discovered the leangains approach, it really is very good.
- Periodise training, do not lift heavy all the time. When going heavy ensure that form is very good.
- If you feel any pain during lifting, address the situation, do not just continue to lift through it. For example, you might want to reduce volume/intensity and work on mobility until the pain has gone.
- Mobility is important. Lifting frequently will make your muscles tight. You need to work on mobility so you don't become a resident at snap city.
- Don't compare yourself to others, just concentrate on your own progress and you will make it!
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