Meal on 28/12/08:
Breakfast (7.30am): 4 tablespoon of oats + 1 tablespoon of pure honey, 1/2 scoop of whey, 1 banana, one mug of green tea
Brunch (10am): 2 egg white
Lunch (1.30pm): 6 chinese dumplings (in soup, not fried), roasted chicken and a bit of coleslaw
Afternoon Snack (5.30pm): Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad and a little bit of thousand island dressing
Dinner (9pm): Chicken breast cooked with pineapple and carrot + stir fried sweet potato leaves
Supper (12am): 1 whole egg, 1 egg white, 1 cheddar cheese
Sleep (2am)

Exercise on 28/12/08:
Rest day!

Meal on 29/12/08:
Breakfast (8am): 4 tablespoon of oats + 1 tablespoon of pure honey, 1/2 scoop of whey, 1 banana, one mug of green tea
Brunch (11am): 2 boiled egg white
Lunch (2.30pm): 2 servings of coleslaw, 1 grilled chicken chop with little bit of gravy
Afternoon Snack (5.15pm): Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad with a little bit of thousand island dressing
Pre-workout (6.00pm): 1 banana + 1/2 scoop of whey
Workout @ (6.30pm - 7.30pm)
Post workout (7.30pm): 1 scoop of whey (approx 24g of protein)
Dinner (8pm): Scrambled egg with onion, Chicken breast cooked with black pepper sauce and stir fried cabbage
Supper (11pm): 2 egg whites + 1 cheddar cheese

Exercise on 29/12/08:
Squats 5x5 - 155lbs. I did 5/5/5/5/5
Overhead Press 5x5 - 55lbs. Managed to do all 5 sets successfully this time. Can move on to heavier weight liao
Deadlift 1x5 - 115lbs. I did 5
Pull-up - machine assisted using 47lbs counter weight (was using 54 counter weight last time). I am still not strong enough to do it without assistance. Managed to do 10/10/6
Prone Bridges - 3x35secs

eh guys....am I doing well so far?

This post has been edited by Nokia convert: Dec 30 2008, 09:29 PM

Wow.. If u could maintain the lifting progress and diet plan for 6 months.. U will see very good results bro ~!!!

Ur Diet ~!! Doing very well with it. Damn discipline ~!!

you are doing damn well imo, great process, how old are you? working? you seem like have plenty time to prepare your meal, i just lazy to do so...lol


waistline reduce from 41 to 38 is very impressive! did your friend when they see you?

Very disciplined in terms of food intake...

...I personally find it hard to monitor so strictly what ever i eat.
(Not that i over-eat) what i mean is that I usually just eat whatever is available at the moment (and making sure i dun overeat of course).

This post has been edited by lionheart8888: Dec 30 2008, 04:36 PM

I am kinda surprise with my results after just a month. I can lift much heavier than before and can see some body shape difference liao. However, I still have to make sure I don't get carried away by my progress so far.

I am 23 this year. Just graduated and working liao.
I have maids at home to prepare my meal. . Sometimes I cook my meals the night before and re-heat again in the morning. I believe just because I am on a diet doesn't mean I need to eat crappy stuffs. I will search for cooking recipes online when I got bored with what I eat.
Man...I like cooking!

You're right about my friends. Most of them noticed the change after 1 month of not seeing them. I am gonna try to make sure they will be in a greater
shock when I see them in another month time.

Too bad I forgot to take a photo of my body when I started the program. I can only post a photo dated end of december and january for comparison next time.

I find it hard too. If you look closer at my meals, I do slip away from my normal routine sometimes (end up eating what I shouldn't have). However, I try to stick to my plan lo. If there is no choice, I will settle for the next best option. It is really impossible to adhere to your plan 100% in practice.

Personally I feel there is a need to incorporate cheat meals in the diet plan because I really think it is hard for a person to completely give up junk food...especially he has been eating junks frequently prior to the diet program. I cheat 1 meal every 2 weeks (that's 1 meal out of 84 meals).

Meal on 30/12/08:
Breakfast (7.30am): 4 tablespoon of oats + 1 tablespoon of pure honey, 1/2 scoop of whey, 1 banana, one mug of green tea
Brunch (10.30am): 2 boiled egg white
Lunch (12.30pm): Diced chicken cooked in kam heong sauce, minced pork tofu and stir fried xiu bak choy and carrot without rice
Afternoon snack (4.30pm): Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad with a little bit of thousand island dressing
Pre-workout (6.00pm): 1 banana + 1/2 scoop of whey
Workout @ (6.30pm - 7.30pm)
Post workout (7.30pm): 1 scoop of whey (approx 24g of protein)
Dinner (8pm): Chicken breast cooked with soy sauce and stir fried cabbage
Supper (10.30pm): Scrambled egg cooked using olive oil and butter with 2 whole egg
Sleep @ 12am

Exercise on 30/12/08:
HIIT on stationary bikes for 7 reps.

*Note: Post #1 is updated with my old nasty eating habits. Post it just for fun.

This post has been edited by Nokia convert: Dec 30 2008, 10:47 PM

Meal on 31/12/08:
Breakfast (7.30am): 4 tablespoon of oats + 1 tablespoon of pure honey, 1/2 scoop of whey, 1 banana, one mug of green tea
Brunch (10.30am): 2 egg white
Lunch (1.00pm): 2 piece of fried prawns, 1 cup of minced pork tofu, Chicken cooked with carrot and soy sauce, 1 cup of stir fried bok choy without rice
Afternoon Snack (4.00pm): Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad and a little bit of thousand island dressing
Pre-workout (6.15pm): 1 banana + 1/2 scoop of whey
Workout @ (7pm - 8.10pm)
Post workout (8.10pm): 1 scoop of whey (approx 24g of protein)
Dinner (8.30pm): Chicken breast cooked with chilli and some sweet sauce (I tried removing the gravy and eat the meat only), Braised tofu and 1 braised egg, 1 cup of stir fried bak choy.
Supper (11pm): 2 egg white + 1 slice of cheddar cheese
Sleep (12am)

Had 2 small fried prawns for chap fan during lunch time. Couldn't stand it coz I like prawns.

Exercise on 31/12/08:
Squats 5x5 - 160lbs
Bench Press 5x5 - 85lbs
Inverted Rows - 11/7/7
Push-ups - I did 8/7/6
Reverse Crunch 3x12 - I used 20lbs as counter-weight. I did 12/12/12.

Inverted rows performance suffered a bit today. But I guess I was just a bit tired out doing sales today.

As for push ups, I noticed a major improvement! I was really close to do an actual push up. My reps has increased as well. I will try real push-ups next week.

This post has been edited by Nokia convert: Jan 1 2009, 09:36 PM

Yo Nokia,
Your diet seems pretty great. Keep it up! In terms of your workout, did you work on your Shoulders and Arms? Coz I see most of your exercises exclude these 2 body parts. Correct me if I am wrong.

Btw. you can vary your exercises once awhile instead of sticking to the same type, i.e Dumbbell Flyes instead of Bench Press. You also can incorporate Dropsets and Supersets into your routine, too. This will excite your muscles and you won't get "bored" easily.

Meal on 1/1/09:
Breakfast (9.30am): 4 tablespoon of oats + 1 tablespoon of pure honey, 1/2 scoop of whey, 1 banana, one mug of green tea
Brunch (12.00pm): 2 boiled egg white
Lunch (1.45pm): 5 piece of soup sui kao, 1/4 roast chicken and some coleslaw
Afternoon Snack (4.00pm): Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad and a little bit of thousand island dressing
Pre-workout (5.45pm): 1 banana + 1/2 scoop of whey
Workout @ (6.30pm - 7.30pm)
Post workout (7.30pm): 1 scoop of whey (approx 24g of protein)
Dinner (8.30pm): Chicken breast cooked with mushroom and black pepper sauce, stir fried lettuce, pork with mixed veggies without rice
Supper (11pm): 1 boiled egg white + 1 boiled whole egg + 1 slice of cheddar cheese
Sleep (12am)


Exercise on 1/1/09:
HIIT on stationary bikes for 7 reps.

The HIIT routine is getting easier already. I am expecting to increase the intensity of this work out by early February.

This post has been edited by Nokia convert: Jan 1 2009, 10:47 PM

The reason I chose Stronglifts 5x5 was because it consists mostly of compound exercises. Since my strength was weak when I first started going to gym, I felt it was important to improve my overall body strength first before I focus more on isolated muscle exercises later on. By doing so, I will build a pretty good base for me to pick up more advanced exercise routine later on. Moreover, I am only 6 weeks into the Stronglifts 5x5 program. So, I think it is still too early to move on to a different routine at this stage. Do correct me if I am wrong.

I will not stick with Stronglifts 5x5 forever though. Once I feel that I have build up sufficient muscle to start toning, I will move on to more advanced routine which may include more muscle isolation exercises, dropsets and supersets.

However, as suggested by you, I will vary my exercises later on to keep it interesting. Still haven't got bored with stronglifts yet.

Thanks for your feedback! I really appreciate it.

p.s. You have a really informative blog! I will put it in my bookmark.

This post has been edited by Nokia convert: Jan 1 2009, 10:01 PM

Bench press works triceps

Military works shoulder

row works bicep

why there is no arm and shoulder work leh?

Meal on 2/1/09:
Breakfast (7.45am): 4 tablespoon of oats + 1 tablespoon of pure honey, 1/2 scoop of whey, 1 banana, one mug of green tea
Brunch (10.30am): 2 egg white
Lunch (12.10pm): Steam egg, Chicken cooked in Kong Po sauce, 1 cup of stir fried choy sum without rice
Afternoon Snack (4.00pm): Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad and a little bit of thousand island dressing
Pre-workout (6.00pm): 1 banana + 1/2 scoop of whey
Workout @ (6.30pm - 7.30pm)
Post workout (7.35pm): 1 scoop of whey (approx 24g of protein)
Cheat Meal (7.50pm): 1 McDeluxe + 4 pieces of Chicken Mcnuggets + 1 large Curly Fries + 1 vanilla Ice Cream Cone + 1 Mineral Water. No soft drinks.
Supper (11pm): 1 egg white + 1 whole egg + 1 slice of cheddar cheese
Sleep (12am)

*Next cheat meal is scheduled to be at least 17/1/09.

Exercise on 2/1/09:
Squats 5x5 - 165lbs. I did 5/5/5/5/5.
Overhead Press 5x5 - 60lbs. I did 5/5/5/5/5
Deadlift 1x5 - 120bs. I did 5
Chin-up 3x5 - machine assisted using 47lbs counter weight. I am still not strong enough to do it without assistance. Managed to do 10/10/6
Prone Bridges - 3x35secs

I extended my rest time between sets for squats from 60 seconds to 75 seconds.

Also, I nearly stall again in overhead press but still managed to perform it in good form. I find my tendency to stall often in overhead press a bit unusual, so I think I will need to review the technique again just to make sure I am doing it correctly .

This post has been edited by Nokia convert: Jan 2 2009, 09:56 PM

No worries bro.

With ur current body weight, U can reach it in no time... Take advantage of ur weight and lift hard.. ~!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR....

Meal on 3/1/09:
Breakfast (7.30am): 4 tablespoon of oats + 1 tablespoon of pure honey, 1/2 scoop of whey, 1 banana, one mug of green tea
Brunch (10.30pm): 2 egg white
Lunch (12.15pm): Chicken cooked in Kong Po sauce, steamed egg and stir fried choy sum without rice
Afternoon Snack (6.00pm): Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad and a little bit of thousand island dressing
Workout (7.15pm-7.45pm)
Dinner (9.00pm): Steamboat with 120g of chicken breast + tofu, 1 slice of chocolate cake
Supper (12.00am): 2 whole egg
Sleep (1.00am)

It was my mother's birthday so I had no choice but to eat the chocolate cake (to give face mah ). Diet is a bit messed up today coz I was busy working.

Exercise on 3/1/09:
HIIT on stationary bikes for 7 reps.


This post has been edited by Nokia convert: Jan 4 2009, 02:19 PM

Some progress pics:

14th of December 2008:


4th of January 2009:


Note: Post #1 updated again with progress pics.


This post has been edited by Nokia convert: Jan 4 2009, 08:04 PM

Meal on 4/1/09:
Breakfast (9.30am): 4 tablespoon of oats + 1 tablespoon of pure honey, 1/2 scoop of whey, 1 banana, one mug of green tea
Brunch (12.00pm): 2 egg whites
Lunch (1.30pm): Leftover steamboat from yesterday. I did not eat any noodles.
Afternoon Snack (4.15pm): Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad and a little bit of thousand island dressing
Dinner (7.45pm): Chicken breast cooked in soy sauce + onion, stir fried broccoli and cauliflower, stir fried choy sum and 1/2 scrambled egg
Supper (11.00pm): 2 whole egg
Sleep (12.00am)

Exercise on 4/1/09:
Rest day!

Good progress.

On the question of why you're stalling on the presses, it's kinda normal as it's the movement where you use the least amount of muscle [compared to deads and squats]

If you're like me, and don't bother that much about the whole "concentric eccentric, 4-0-2 tempo crap" I suggest push presses to overload the movement. You can adjust the amount of kip the legs and hips produce to assist the movement. Just get it past the sticking point and press fast with your arms. Another way is to rock the hip forward and give it a lil start off the shoulders.

Yet another method is the toe raise. Raise your toe upwards and time the upward movement followed with a quick press. Requires practice though.

got it. I will study more on push presses on youtube and decide whether I will incorporate it in my routine.

Thanks for your comment. It is very informative indeed.

Oh yeah, and if you want to overload your shoulders more than just the triceps, the toe raise method is the best. I'm not sure if there's any documentation on that on the internet, but I'll help put it in words. This is by far, the best way I've found to overload the shoulders a lil more than what the push press can give.

1. Stand straight with bar resting on your shoulders, like a common military press start position.

2. Assume position, and get ready.

3. Raise heels and hold.

4. While dropping heels, push the bar together REALLY FAST upwards.

If you get the timing right, by the time your heels land on the floor, your bar should be on your eye level and you can press it out all the way.

Practice it with a light bar if you wannalearn it.