just finish a 14 week cutting cycle

Before



Afters




I've always lifted weights and my aim was to be strong, well people tend to be 'fat blind' and overbulked. I embarked on a fat loss journey, bought some lipo6 black from bata (GREAT SELLER!!!)

I used wendler's 5/3/1 for training and carb cycling for diet.

I was 215 lbs bout 15% BF ? (no idea with the BF seriously)before and 175lbs after. If you really want some cold hard truth, take some before pictures with your camera, I was never aware of how fat I was, I thought i was "in shape" so to speak and it perplexes me when I saw my initial BEFORE PICS !!

I think successful fat loss is all bout your diet, cardio and consistency (waking up at 5 am every morning to get on the hamster wheel , food prep ritual every sunday). I tend not to over-rely on supplements, the only stuff I used was nutrex lipo6-black but I used it very sparingly (only on times I felt enervated) and Xtend

and the best fat loss supplement was my DIET. Never missed a meal and only one cheat meal per week.

In conclusion, If u wanna get lean, START NOW! and worry less bout minutia stuffs like "will cardio in the morning on an empty stomach consume my muscle" , "will High reps tone my muscle and make me look leaner:x" ...

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Added on November 2, 2009, 12:12 pmWhat is there to shave may i ask lol ? I desperately need a tan ..

are you the author for shahzeeq's training blog ?

This post has been edited by ken86: Nov 2 2009, 12:14 PM

nah no offense taken, I've always been amazed by your squat, perhaps some tips please:) ! I m bout 185 cm with long limbs and that does make squat a slight impediment but NO EXCUSES !

I have a few queries bout my training and diet I will post it here

Typical Training Day

Warm Up - Foam Rolling - IT Band/Hamstring/Quad , Thoracic extension (upper back) *please don't foam roll your lower back !!*
Tennis ball soft tissue work - piriformis and calves
Dynamic Stretch & Static Stretches - a few - I used method I learnt from (Magnificent Mobility by Eric Cressey & Mike Robertson, Inside-Out by Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman & The Parisi Warm Up method)
Shoulder dislocation stretch with a dovel
Jumping Rope to Increase Mental awareness and Ignite CNS after a long day of work


I know it sounds like a long list, it actually takes bout 15 - 20 minutes and It feels good to warm up before smashing the weights.

Training - A) 5/3/1
B) Accessory Work

Post workout Cardio - Depending on progress of Fat loss

On days where I do not train and I feel the long ass steady state cardio (up to 70 minutes!!), I go to PUSHMORE for some metcon stuffs ! PUSHMORE advocates crossfit and great to facilitate fat loss.

I read many books during my long cardio sessions
Books I recommend :- Supertraining by Mel Siff, max effort method by Jim wendler, 3 days a week by Jim Wendler, All Dave Tate books, Maximum Strength by Eric Cressey, 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler!!, Ultimate diet 2.0 by Lyle Mcdonald, All Leigh Peele's Stuff , etc (sorry too many books)

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Added on November 2, 2009, 3:06 pmand yes I am a EliteFTS & T-nation whore

This post has been edited by ken86: Nov 2 2009, 03:07 PM

5/3/1 is easy to understand and implement. Honestly, with all the infos and training logs floating around the internet, it's not hard to figure what's inside the book.

I find soft tissue work ( foam rolling/tennis ball or lacrosse ball or golf balls ) help clear up knots and trigger points in muscle/fascia as well as adhesions in connective tissues. There's no need for any fancy foam roller, just get a 6 inch diameter pipe, apply some adhesive and wrap it with yoga mat(If you can tolerate pain, forget bout the yoga mat, just use the PVC pipe straight!)

I can see why static stretching gets a bad rap, however I find that simple stretches - hip flexor stretch, RF/TFL stretch, Sleeper stretch helps improve range of motion and improves structural imbalances.

" Several massage therapists I’ve talked to have noticed decreased adhesion formation and decreases in muscle tone after their clients started incorporating more static stretching into their programs as well." by Mike Robertson. However, that's no research to suppose his claim though.

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Added on November 2, 2009, 10:29 pmpizzaboy, I've been an avid follower of your olympic lifts (GREAT STUFFS !), do let me know when you are dropping by pushmore !!

shanecross, how's the diet going? i know it;s imperative to correct structural imbalances, but sometimes a good and sound nutrition does wonders to muscle gains btw what scapular stabilization work do you advocate ? I just finished my undergrad studies in melbourne, miss the powerlifting club there



This post has been edited by ken86: Nov 2 2009, 10:29 PM

PNF contractts the muscle isometrically and contrast in tension of the stretched muscle for a greater ROM.

I love PNF stretches. I think PNF & static stretches overrides the nervous system instead of lengthening the muscles. One of my favourite scapular open chain stretches is the PNF diagonals

cool, are u in kl now ? is the coaching session strictly for the trainers and coaches ?

thanks I never really measure my arms or any body part

I only measure my foods

Taking before picture is a tough pill to swallow, I always thought I was 'in' shape but it was far from truth when I saw the pics. I strained and flexed every bit of muscle I thought I had in the b4 pic. Like the old saying goes " U CAN"T FLEX FAT !!"

This post has been edited by ken86: Nov 4 2009, 03:28 PM

i think u mean the PUMP feeling. Train for strength and follow the progression in stronglifts 5x5, then hypertrophy will follow. Don't over think ..

15% is really lean without showing vascularity is for ... woman. seriously 15% was just a ballpark figure. I say snap a before pic, diet until u see ur abs and work your back up eating well.

I think cutting/dieting requires a laser like focus , have a goal, plan it out, and TRUDGE TOWARDS IT. I faced many impediments during my fat loss journey, and many sacrifices I made (skipping friend's request for mamak session etc in order to stay on course with my diet, carrying three lunch boxes in my bag).

I am pursuing my Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering and working part time in a consultant firm. I dread it when people say they don't have the time to diet/exercise. Most are always looking for a miracle supplement for fat loss, I even read in posts of people here saying creatine is bad for the liver/, and even recommending ephedra/ephedrine (this is slightly irresponsible and have u even tried it before recommending it?).

I will post up my diet soon.

one of the best diet I followed

It's called the "Alpo Diet." Invite a dozen friends over to your house. Tell them that by the end of the month you're going to lose ten pounds. Tell them that if you don’t, you'll eat the can of Alpo in front of them.

Well, as long as it has gravy…
For the next week, every time you feel the urge to take a piece of chocolate from the cubicle next to you, reread the contents of the Alpo can. If someone offers you something smothered in goo, open the Alpo can and take a good deep sniff.

You see, this is the crux of goal setting: Rarely do people improve because of the pleasure of the goal; rather it's pain that sets them on a goal. credits to Dan John

I took lipo-6 black mainly as an energy booster, I can't stress that enough due to the fact that many thinks that fat burners are responsible for fat loss. I try to wean myself away from it and only used it when I really need it, but lipo-6 black works really well as an energy enhancer and boosting mental focus. Dieting, 2 hours of cardio x 7 days a week during the last 3 weeks, working plus studying, meals prepping isn't easy without some occasional energy boost.

I initially ordered two bottles of lipo 6-black from bata . I still have one more left and just ordered one more because I like to keep myself well stocked lol

I also used optimum 100% casein , optimum 100% Whey and Xtend.

I say stick to basics like creatine, BCAA, whey and GOOD NUTRITIONAL HABITS.

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Added on November 9, 2009, 9:09 amCarbs would be great postworkout instead of pre workout to replenish muscle glycogen storage , liver glycogen storage can be replenished via consuming fruits but that's a story for another day. Just a food for thought, Always do what works for u

Good complex carb source - yams, oats, sweet potato, brown rice (I like to microwave my yams and sweet potato)

keep up the good work lynX !

This post has been edited by ken86: Nov 9 2009, 09:09 AM

Well you have a strong tolerance for caffeine i guess. That's why I emphasize on the idea of using caffeine sparingly.The receptors tend to become less responsive to it when overused, and higher dosage is required to achieve the same effect.

The same thing can be observed with heavy coffee drinkers (at first it was 1 cup in the morning, then 1 in the morning & afternoon, etc.)

There are ways to overcome this neurotransmitter production -> norepinephrine & epinephrine -> adrenaline process to promote the effectiveness of caffeine but I am hesitant to state it here due to the fact that is the wealth of information over here and too many people here miss the bigger picture (exercise and nutrition), instead they choose to care bout the minutia, talk bout being punctilious.

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Added on November 9, 2009, 2:44 pmremarkable braindead-freak ! KEEP IT UP !


This post has been edited by ken86: Nov 9 2009, 02:44 PM

it's only been a month de.crystal. Patience is the name of the game. Braindead_freak took 4 years as well.

I am 185 cm and a paltry 80 kgs now. I don't take measurements, I use pictures, my SUPER HONEST training partner and mirror as a progress indicator. F*** measurements lol

I was powerlifting back in melbourne before coming back to Malaysia so I do have quite a bit of muscle on my frame with FATS covering that

c'mon 70-90kgs, my chest is not that small are they lol ?

yea keep striving to work hard, perseverance is key

John91 - wow correct john91 that's exactly what i bench lol, my bench is shit compared to pedro's .
Taller doesn't mean easier bench, most probably easier deadlift, definitely not bench as taller body = longer arms, the ROM is more than shorter people generally. Unless you are tall and SUPER THICK WITH T-REX ARMS then maybe that's another story.
I am definitely a clean 80 kgs (highest 81kgs), I m still on a ketogenic based diet (protein + fat + a lot of dietary fiber), I m sure my weight will shoot up upon reintroducing carbs

Dan- : I think U are referring to myofibrillar hyperthrophy vs sarcoplasmic hyperthrophy

Florian : Isometrics is pushing the weight (barbell) against an immovable object (the long metal thingy in the power rack) at wherever you are weak at . We are all different, some are naturally stronger than others. I just hit a 120 kgs front squat PR yesterday, not a lot but I m happy as long I m progressing, compete with yourself not others

Pedro : How long have u been cutting ?

Diablokun : keep getting stronger Patience is virtue, I was really flat chested when I started. I think DB bench as accesory work really helped me a lot (got 100lbs DB x 4) the other day. I hate the bench press honestly. I prefer pullups mmm (BW+45kgs) , do drop by pushmore for some insane pullup reps and strengths

GOOD ! especially you are this young assuming john91 means you are born in 1991 (I AM AN OLD FART ) Way ahead of the game, wish I looked like you when I started!!

Keep up the good work

My latest back



been squatting low bar (notice the scars at the posterior deltoids ) will post up pics of wheels soon !!

I got shit forearms and high insertion on my calves sighs. I always thought heavy deadlift is the answer for building forearms, clearly it did not work for me. Any suggestions ?

I am not gonna sugar coat this, If you want your abdominal muscles, you need to starting working on it. It wouldn;t magically appear, I felt into the same trap of the thought I can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

Monday's food for thought - Concise version of rationalization from Chris Shugart
before you even begin any physique goal, learn to recognize and squash your use of rationalization

Rationalization is a type of ego-defense mechanism. Basically, rationalization involves creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior. Essentially, you're lying to yourself to make yourself feel better or to relieve guilt.

To relieve his guilt about stealing from the office, a person may tell himself, "Well, they underpay me anyway. It's only fair." Someone may try to relieve his guilt about cheating on his girlfriend by saying, "I'd had a few beers, so I wasn't in my right mind."

When I grasped the definition of rationalization, my ego-protecting, guilt-relieving wall of lies came crashing down. Hard. And once a person grasps the concept, it's almost impossible to un-grasp it.

I saw immediately what I was doing to myself by overeating and not working out. All my excuses became transparent. I became angry and disgusted with myself. It was a hard lesson, but from that day forward I learned to recognize rationalization and put a stop to it.

Here's the power of this recognition: once you're aware of rationalization, it's very hard to keep doing it. And once you stop doing it, it's amazing how quickly you start to achieve your goals.

As with many other aspects of life, rationalization is probably the single biggest roadblock in a person's way when he or she is trying to lose fat, add muscle, get healthy, or increase performance. We always seem to have a good reason to skip a workout or eat something we know is bad for us.

We're not lying to others about why we're doing these negative things; we're lying to ourselves.
Again, this made it very difficult to keep doing it. The act of recognition alone helped me to stop making these thin excuses and get on with changing my behaviors.

Here are some examples of rationalization related to body-transformation:

"I had a good workout today. I can have the Chinese buffet tonight."

"I've had a tough week. I deserve a big meal."

"Celery has, like, no calories, so it's okay to have on the V-Diet."

"I'll start the diet next week or next month."

And that brings us to destructive habit #2. The latter example is a special form of rationalization I call justified procrastination. To procrastinate means to put something off until another day. Justified procrastination is when you put something off -- like starting an exercise program or a diet -- but rationalize the delay. Examples include:

"I'll start the V-Diet after my birthday (or vacation or holiday, etc.)"

"Well, let me eat up all the food in my fridge first, then I'll start the V-Diet next week."

"Lemme wait until after the weekend. I'll start on Monday."

Sometimes, there may be a real reason not to start the diet (waiting for your supplement order to arrive for example.) But for the most part, the time to start any training program or diet is now.

There is great power in immediate action. Ninety-percent of delays are merely justified procrastination, and you must learn to recognize it and squash it, along with regular rationalization.

Really internalize this today and see if you catch yourself rationalizing about things that could be keeping you from reaching your goals.


powerful insights. We all know our fair share of mutants that eat crap and lift ways that some might not approved but still sport a muscular physique. If you are clearly not one, is time to relook into things.

Monday thoughts to ponder about, abit deep but yet powerful.

Cheeerrss

I like your persistence despite some hostility from certain members .

here goes

Cold Oatmeal
- Base
1.Blend up a scoop or two of protein powder with water and pour it over some Old Fashioned/Rolled Quaker Oats (or whatever brand, dun be so rigid !). Now, add some frozen berries (optional), 'I buy strawberries and freeze them'

2.Let it sit for 3-4 minutes in the fridge before chowing down

You can always tweak this recipe say if you use vanilla flavour protein, a hint of cinammon and some pan seared banana slices (use a lil butter to cook it).

or
1. In the base above, replace water with milk and put a little peanut butter as u blend it. Pour over your oats, sprinkle some toasted almond flakes(buy them from the supermarket and toast it in an over at 150C ) or sunflower seeds or toasted chopped walnuts
2. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes before consuming.

there you have it. no more microwaving oatmeal.