The ChillOut Log

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You're definitely more of a role model/inspiration for me now more than before. It's just so admirable to see somebody be able to help another person(s) out in such the way you are, especially with what you have going on with your life, not just your routine, but life in general with your grandparents and everything.

Dedication, perseverance, and a big heart....Really, really, really admirable.

It isn't that difficult, my friend.

I am just one member (within the family) that participates in lending a hand to help grandma with her recovery; it has been a family effort.

As far as the little shiaaaaat goes, well, my biological-fatherly genes got fired up, and I keep getting this evil eye from my wife, when I look at her in a certain way, and nonverbal communication (that just years of being with each other creates).........

"Don't even go there, buddy!" :eek::violent:........

Uh......what does she know, anyway? She acts like she carried the last two, little Chillen's or something. :)

What's one more? He, he. :)

She says, she can only handle 3 Chillen's.....:(

What about a little Chillen-ette?

That could ROCK!...........;)


.........No, seriously, helping another respectable family is just cool, and they need it right now, and its only for one more weekend. Its simply not a problem.

Thank you for your kind words, OICDN.


Best regards,

Chillen
 
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December 3rd, 2008: Thoughts for the Day (1)

How Dieters Fail Diets

(By Lyle McDonald)

Note: The following is the entirety of Chapter 5 from A Guide to Flexible Dieting.

In this chapter, I want to discuss some two of the primary ways that dieters tend to sabotage their own efforts on a diet, that is the way that dieters fail diets. These two ways are being too absolute and expecting perfection and by thinking only in the short-term.

And before you complain about how bad it is form wise to write a short introductory paragraph instead of just going straight into the text, I’ll defend my style choice by explaining that I don’t like starting a chapter with a bold-faced sub-category. So there.

Too Absolute/Expecting Perfection

Perhaps the single biggest reason I have found for dieters failing in their diet effects is that many dieters try to be far too absolute in their approach to the diet something I alluded to in the foreword. When these people are on their diet they are ON THE DIET(!!!). Which is altogether fine as long as they stay on the diet. The problem is that any slip, no matter how small, is taken as complete and utter failure. The diet is abandoned and the post-diet food binge begins. As I’ve said repatedly, this tends to puts the fat (and frequently a little extra) back on faster than before.

We have all either known (or been) the following person: one cookie eaten in a moment of weakness or distraction, the guilt sets in, and the rest of the bag is GONE (perhaps inhaled is the proper word). Anything worth doing is worth overdoing, right? Psychologists refer to such individuals as rigid dieters, they see the world in a rather extreme right or wrong approach, either they are on their diet, and 100% perfection is expected, or they are off their diet, shovelling crap in as fast as it will go. I’m quite sure this type of attitude is not limited to dieting, probably any behavior you care to name finds people at one extreme or the other.

As a side note, you can oftentimes see the same attitude with people starting an exercise program. The first few weeks go great, workouts are going well, then a single workout is missed. The person figures that any benefits are lost because of missing that one workout and they never go back to the gym.

Now, I could probably go on for pages about this one topic but I’ll spare you the verbiage. My main point out that there are times (most of them) when obsessive dedication or the expectation of perfection becomes a very real source of failure. Sure, if it drives you towards better and better results, such an attitude will work. But only until you finally slip. Note that I said ‘until you slip’ not ‘if you slip’. In most cases, it’s a matter of when, not if you’re going to break your diet. There are exceptions, some of which I’ll mention below, but for the majority of dieters, I would say that expecting perfection is pretty much expecting failure.

If you take the attitude that anything less than absolute perfection is a failure, you’re pretty much doomed from the start. Now, there are some exceptions, places where results have to obtained in a very short time frame and you can’t really accept mistakes. Athletes who have a short time to get to a certain level of bodyfat or muscle mass, for whom victory or defeat may hinge on their ability to suffer for long enough are one. I mentioned some others in my last booklet, individuals who have to accomplish some drastic goal in a very short period of time; even there I included some deliberate breaks for both psychological and physiological reasons. But in the grand majority of cases, this type of obsessive, no-exceptions attitude tends to cause more problems that it solves.

Keeping with this idea, psychologists frequently talk about something called the 80/20 principle which says that ‘If you’re doing what you’re supposed to do 80% of the time, the othe 20% doesn’t matter’. While there are certainly exceptions (try avoiding crack or heroin for 80% of the time), it certainly applies to dieting and exercise under the grand majority of conditions.

If the changes you’ve made to your diet and exercise program stay solid for 80% of the time, the other 20% is no big deal. Not unless you make it one. And that’s really the issue, that 20% problem only becomes one if the dieter decides (either consciously or unconciously) to make it a problem. Once again, the exception is for those folks under strict time frames, who don’t have the option to screw up. For everyone else, seeking perfection means seeking failure.

Focusing Only on the Short-Term

The second primary way that dieters fail diets is focusing only on the short-term and this applies in a couple of different ways. The first is a reality issue. Ignoring diets promising quick easy weight loss (my Rapid Fat Loss Handbook caused rapid weight loss, a great deal of which was water, but it sure isn’t an easy diet), about the best you can usually do with true fat loss is somewhere between 1.5-3 lbs/week (heavier individuals can lose more).

Sure you can drop a lot more total weight if you factor in water weight and other contributors but true fat loss typically peaks at about that rate (some lighter women may have trouble even losing one pound of fat per week)

For the sake of example, let’s say 2 lbs/week can be reasonably expected for a fatter individual. For someone with a large amount of fat to lose, 50 or 100 pounds, this may mean one-half to a full year of dieting. Possibly more since it’s rare to see perfectly linear fat loss without stalls or plateaus.

Consider the reality of that, you may have to alter eating and exercise habits for nearly a year just to reach your goal. Do you really expect to be hungry and deprived for that entire period? I thought not. If you have a lot of weight/fat to lose, you need to start thinking in thte long-term, you will need to make changes to diet or activity (or both) and maintain them in the long-term.

As a second issue: a lot of dieters seem to think that once they have lost the weight with one diet or another, they can revert to their old habits and keep the weight off. So they change their eating habits drastically, drop the weight and then go right back to the way of eating that made them fat. And, to their apparent surprise, they get fat again. “You can never go back again.” as the old saying goes. If you go back to the diet and exercise habits that made you fat in the first place, you’ll just get fat again.

This actually makes a profound argument for making small, livable changes to your eating and activity habits and avoiding the type of extreme approach that I described in my last booklet. The simple reason being that small changes seem to be easier to maintain in the long-term, even if they don’t generate results as rapidly. And that’s actually sort of the trade-off, the types of small changes that tends to be sustainable in the long-term tend to cause weight/fat loss that is so painfully slow (or minimal) as to be almost irrelevant; and the types of extreme approaches that generate rapid results tend to be nearly impossible to stick to in the long-term. In my last booklet, my compromise was to use the Rapid Weight Loss approach as a short-term approach and then use it to move into a maintenance approach. But I digress.

At the end of the day, here’s the painful reality that all dieters must come to terms with: the only way to both lose fat AND maintain that loss in the long-term is to maintain at least some of the diet and exercise habits you changed in the long-term. Forever, basically even though that’s a little too depressing to consider. Maybe we should just think long-term instead. Hopefully we’ll get genetic engineering soon enough to make it a not-forever kind of deal.

Dieters (or anyone seeking to change a long-standing behavior) must stop thinking of diets as a short-term behavior change, you’ll have to maintain at least some of those changes in the long-term. Now, I’ll point out here that the strategies used for weight/fat loss and maintenance aren’t necessarily going to be the same (nor should they be). As I talked about in the Rapid Fat Loss Handbook, there are situations where an extreme diet can be used initially and used to move into a proper maintenance phase. A lot of diet researchers and diet book authors miss this point, thinking that the diet that you followed to lose the weight/fat must or should be the same as the one you use to maintain that loss.

I do think it’s helpful is the diet that caused the fat loss can be used to move into a maintenance approach (again, something I discussed in some detail in the last booklet and will make mention of in this one) but they needn’t be the same. If eliminating all of the carbohdyrates from your diet makes it easier to lose fat in the long run, and you are able to move back to a maintenance diet that contains some carbohydrates, I don’t see what the problem is. Once again, the diet you use to lose the fat doesn’t necessarily have to be thes same diet as you use to maintain that fat loss. If nothing else, you get to eat more when you move back to maintenance, the types of foods you allow yourself may change as well.

Summing up this section, it’s not that diets per se fail, it’s that diets that are only followed short-term fail. The body is really good at storing incoming calories as fat after a diet and if you return to old eating habits, you can just watch the pounds come flying back on.

To hopefully cement this point in your mind, studies of successful dieters (those who have lost weight and kept it off for some period of time, usually 2-5 years) have shown several very consistent behaviour patterns of which this is one: they maintain the dietary and exercise changes they have made in the long-term. If you’re not going to maintain at least some of your changed dietary and exercise habits in the long-term, you might as well not bother (with one major exception discussed below).

One Exception to the Comments Above

There is, however, one major exception to the above that I should probably mention (and that I discuss in greater detail in my Rapid Fat Loss Handbook). There are individuals who, for whatever reason, only have to be in shape for a very short period of time, a day or three at the most, who don’t necessarily care if the results are maintained long-term or not.

Usually it’s a bodybuilder preparing for a contest, or even a model who has a particularly important photo shoot. Or a woman who needs to drop 20 lbs for her wedding or a male who needs to impress people at his high school reunion. Even athletes who have to make a weight class sometimes have to do scary stuff to get where they need to be, usally involving fluid restriction and frequently severe dehydration. But the consequences of not making weight (whatever they may be) are greater than the extreme approaches that tend to be used.

In situations like that, whether it’s healthy or not, extremely restrictive and/or even slightly dangerous approaches are frequently used. We may not like them, we may not condone them but sometimes the ends justifies the means because a few pounds may mean the difference in getting a big paycheck/winning the contest/looking good in your wedding gown or not.

In these situations, long-term maintenance isn’t necessarily the goal. No sane bodybuilder expects to maintain contest shape year-round, and no weight class athlete expects to maintain a severe state of dehydration year round. They get in shape for their event, and relax to some degree for the rest of the time. So the above sections really are aimed at the person looking to lose fat and keep it off long-term.

In that case, where maintenance is just as important as the loss itself, absolute attitudes and focusing only on the short-term hurt far more than they help, and should be avoided as much as possible. In addition to the strategies I’m going to discuss in this booklet, this means taking a very different attitude towards dieting. First you have to let go of your absolutist attitudes, which can be hard. Second, you need to start taking the long-view to both your weight loss and dietary and exercise habits.

========================================================

I have this E-Book, and this is a good read.

Best wishes to all of you.



Chillen
 
Gooch and I have decided to team together and start our own fitness journal, beginning on Monday.

Two serious dudes.

Serious about their fitness goals.

And, we will get it done.


Best wishes to all of you.

Chillen
 
Cant wait to see what you're doing Chillen.

Good luck with it.

I plan to be very detailed with the diet and training.

One will learn quick: I train hard, rest just as hard, and repeat. There is a lot of volume, intensity, attention to detail, and I do things in my workout some do not.

For example: It isn't everyone that actually "times" the rest between body parts. And, dependent on which body part is going to be worked, this rest period can effect how well one does on the next body part set. If its longer (as an example), one could push out one more rep as compared to the last----but is this really progression? (dependent on the body part switch). So, if the time between them are the same (or less).....(for example), and one pushes out one more rep, then I call this....real progression (keeping things equal).

Yep......very detailed as you will see.


Chillen
 
You've progressed in your ability to repair. But total workload is still the same per set. I suppose it is a good way to judge your sleep/diet/supplement combination. Good to see you still going chillen, and thinking outside the box. I'd like to know what you're shooting to accomplish this time around.

Us mods will try to keep your new thread clean if you desire, and you're welcome to have a "Talk about chillens thread, thread"
 
Gooch and I have decided to team together and start our own fitness journal, beginning on Monday.

Two serious dudes.

Serious about their fitness goals.

And, we will get it done.


Best wishes to all of you.

Chillen

Why do I feel like a lamb being led to slaughter?

...JK..:D I'ms gonna gets me some Chillen abs :jump1:
 
Why do I feel like a lamb being led to slaughter?

...JK..:D I'ms gonna gets me some Chillen abs :jump1:

If this is the case, then you have to accept some of the pros and cons on some diet approaches--mainly manipulation of the diet specifics. Some will agree and some will not. And, through trial and error, will find the one that works for you--in time. And, remember the "will find" in that sentence.

We will do well. :)

Best wishes,

Chillen
 
I'm willing to shake up my diet

That's cool, Gooch.

We all know there are pros and cons to dietary approaches, and one doesn't really know how their body is going to respond, but can have an idea with supported education. To get lean (along the lines we are speaking) is different than one just losing a bulk (or a lot of) body fat. Two well educated persons in nutrition (can disagree, and I referring to well-known individuals), but this doesn't mean that the one suggested shouldn't be implemented in the face of the disagreement. Heck one can argue (even in the short term) that limiting carbohydrates isn't healthy on the CNS (it requires glucose in a different way), and one shouldn't do these sorts of diet. And, then you can get another argument (rather convincingly) to the contrary. One thing is for certain, many have been successful, and remain healthy.To me (as a comparison), it can't be any more unhealthy (in the SHORT term), then the "ones" who eat junk food, or consume alcohol in excess (which is NOT healthy). We deal with issues in diet effectively through knowing what to expect, adapt, and then when completed, know what to do "then" to maintenance what was completed.

One thing is for certain Gooch.

There MUST be a tweak in the: Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat, and Calorie arena......to get lean. And there are many approaches in your current physical condition and history.


Have a great day.

Look forward to it.


Chillen
 
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December 4th, 2008: "Thoughts for the Day" (1)

(I posted this here in the COL to make a point, YOU MUST DEAL EFFECTIVELY with your BIOLOGICAL responses, people).


Need motivation!! usually good at eating healthy (low carb) and workouts, but the last days I havent been good with the nutrition, eventhough I have keept up with the workouts, earlier I ate healthy too, but just didnt cut as much on the carbs. I have been on low carb diet for two weeks now,and I feel like my body feels like its feed up of it. Is this normal? have any experiences? I feel like low carb is working good, but I find it difficult to continiue at the moment. Any good motivation tips? deff need them now. Looking forward to read.


=)

Yes, your body can provide you with a negative response when low-carbing, and is normal. I do not know specifically your previous two week history (calories, and macro nutrient ratios, etc, etc), so I am making an "assumptive" comment:

It is possible your glucose stores are very low or depleted. You are more than likely carrying less bodily water (water retention, and may be dehydrated), and your body (dependent on the aforementioned and macro nutrient ratios), are under going some abnormal biological processes (abnormal in the sense of your "recent history", but not in the sense of "what" the body is doing), such as converting various biological items into glucose, and other forms of fuel, which means you will experience some negative (feeling) side effects......


Now.......read on........

When I write this. This is assuming a healthy individual.

No, I am not going to write up a big, RAH! RAH!.......you can do this, and its all in the mind, sort of post, like have done many times before.

Though it STILL IS :))).

Most persons problems with diet are:

Between the mind (educated reaction, choices made) and one's human body biological response:


A huge part of motivation on a diet (and its close kin fitness activity), is taking the time to educate one's self on the human body from good and reputable source material, and learning how to "effectively" deal with some of your biological feed back the body gives, once a "sound diet plan is implemented".

Even reading material from well respected individuals, one can learn fairly quickly that even they can disagree (at times) on an approach on diet (even tailored specifically) to an individual.

However, there is a main theme between them, I want to convey.


The BEAST in the HEAD must be Wiser than the BEAST WITHIN

(Because it can be a battle of the wills)​

(by Chillen)

Most reputable persons in diet and fitness would agree, that what one consumes in Protein, Carbohydrates, Fats, and Calories, regulates (up or down) powerful hormones, influences metabolic shifts (up or down), and the byproducts from these hormones, and metabolic shifts (etc), can affect how you feel psychologically, emotionally, and physically, etc, and can be as powerful as a consuming an external narcotic drug.

And, is "one" of the main reasons people fail so-called diets, have problems with motivation, energy, etc.

Your body is a walking pharmacy store. A pharmaceutical factory that can mix and match its natural drugs, attempting to obtain a balance, repair, rebuild; sometimes its efficient and sometimes its not. Sometimes its on par with your fitness goals, and sometimes it is not. It can effect your brain chemistry.

But, a piece of you is always unaffected, and must deliver---on time, like UPS Mail.

Yet, it is this powerful. You are literally are walking drug store, and these drugs can "vary in strength", "sometimes rather convincing", and "very influential", dependent on several personal factors.

But, sometimes the "prescription medications" the body writes itself isn't "necessarily" in its best interest. It can make you think resistance it is futile. You must write "counter prescription medications" through education with diet and fitness.

Let's take a look at this way. A person "assessed" their self as being overweight.

Implements a course of action (changes diet and activity). Let's say this person is extremely overweight (hypothetically). While you are in this change on diet and fitness and "assessing your progress", your body is "likewise assessing itself". The efficiency meter between your "assessment of progress" and the "body's unique assessment" (based on its design intention) can be at "odds" with one another, or in line with one another, based primarily on the body's prescription writing (based on its assessment) and ones dietary/fitness habits.

For example. The body assesses body fat is high (glucose stores, full). You assess body fat is high. You both are agreeable. You start a brand new diet trend to solicit weight loss. Lets assume, this is a traditional diet where it involves a traditional deficit of -500 calories, and macro nutrients are "normal" (so-to-speak).

Since the efficiency is high (again assuming healthy person) between you and the body, weight loss is going to be good (assuming deficit diet in place hypothetically). If the diet implemented contains a reasonable deficit, the bodies "feedback production" can be very low (high in positive low in negative), and for most tolerable. But, as time passes (assuming diet continues), body fat drops (as the body senses its house), the body will down regulate (up-regulate) certain hormones, down regulate its metabolic rate--and becomes more "efficient" in its burning of calories (an use of macro-nutrients), and it "seems" the leaner one gets the more powerful the body writes prescription medications to "compel" one to eat.

There are three elements at work here, working on the body prescription medication response: 1. Body weight is lowering (body's assessment trigger), 2. The body's adaptive element in response to lower calories (which some debate even exists, I believe it does, and it seems tougher on leaner persons than ones with higher body fat), 3. The biological responses to 1 and 2 (good and bad).

Additionally, if a persons is deficit dieting and associating a very low carbohydrate (macro nutrient) intake the "prescription medications" the body writes, and the hormones (and other feedback) released by the body "can" provide additional (and "sometimes" different) but powerful side effects. For example:

Loss of water (water retention can be reduced, and misunderstood as fat loss OR muscle gain by some fitness persons), nausea, light headed, dizziness, head aches, lethargy, lack of energy, depression, and lack of motivation, and so on. And the prescription medications written by the body, the hormones released (and lack thereof, etc, etc), are very powerful, and it can effect you physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

The degree of severity can vary per person (again assuming one is healthy), but in most cases (understanding exceptions), the feedback response to the lack of carbohydrates is short lived (but friggen powerful), and the length of these sort of symptoms can likewise vary in length.

If you are running a calorie deficit, and adjoining very low carbohydrates, it is imperative, that your proteins and fats are up to snuff.

Its important you drink water as well.

Additionally you do not "operate" in a MIND BLIND. In order to handle your biological feed back, you MUST (IMO) embark on a "personal quest" to combat this biological feed back.....that has very high odds in coming in order to "reduce the odds" of personal failure.

Sometimes one has to be a "hard @ass" on oneself to bring results. No one ever said this was going to be easy.

That box of tissue doesn't WORK.

You must be the diet CLERK

So bring your goal PERK by going BESERK

Be a self @SS today! :)

It WORKS.

Education, soaks up the cries for help.

No matter how you shake and bake it, if you want to get lean (dependent on ones personal definition of what this lean is), there are side effects (and to a degree consequences) you are going to be required to accept when manipulating: Protein, Carbohydrates, Fats, and Calories. The degree of side effects can depend on the person........either accept them, or one will never get lean (or extremely lean--naturally).

With this in mind, and to save writing time, I would like you to PM me ( if you so choose), and I will send you a "ton" of information that will help you (and is close kin to your post topic). Just provide your E-mail address. And, they are yours.

Best wishes to you,


Chillen
 
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That's cool, Gooch.

We all know there are pros and cons to dietary approaches, and one doesn't really know how their body is going to respond, but can have an idea with supported education. To get lean (along the lines we are speaking) is different than one just losing a bulk (or a lot of) body fat. Two well educated persons in nutrition (can disagree, and I referring to well-known individuals), but this doesn't mean that the one suggested shouldn't be implemented in the face of the disagreement. Heck one can argue (even in the short term) that limiting carbohydrates isn't healthy on the CNS (it requires glucose in a different way), and one shouldn't do these sorts of diet. And, then you can get another argument (rather convincingly) to the contrary. One thing is for certain, many have been successful, and remain healthy.To me (as a comparison), it can't be any more unhealthy (in the SHORT term), then the "ones" who eat junk food, or consume alcohol in excess (which is NOT healthy). We deal with issues in diet effectively through knowing what to expect, adapt, and then when completed, know what to do "then" to maintenance what was completed.

One thing is for certain Gooch.

There MUST be a tweak in the: Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat, and Calorie arena......to get lean. And there are many approaches in your current physical condition and history.


Have a great day.

Look forward to it.


Chillen

I'll stock up on Metamucil:sport:
 
You've progressed in your ability to repair. But total workload is still the same per set. I suppose it is a good way to judge your sleep/diet/supplement combination. Good to see you still going chillen, and thinking outside the box. I'd like to know what you're shooting to accomplish this time around.

Us mods will try to keep your new thread clean if you desire, and you're welcome to have a "Talk about chillens thread, thread"

Yes, the journal will be all business. I do not want talking about peni$es, butts, and other BS, in it. And, this was one of the criteria I considered, before deciding to do the journal with a person I respect.

Thank you for your comment on that.

I selected Gooch (and thankfully he accepted) because I respect his dedication in respect to his consistency in diet and training.

And, that I know a little about him (his diet and training history), and he knows a some about mine. A lot of the blinds are removed to get down to some business.

And we share this in common: I WANT my goal and HE wants his (and we are able to do what it takes--and make some changes (some difficult and some not) to get it done. We do not allow recreational activities to interfere, and we share this in common as well, and we will not be at the same place when we are done.

By the way, Boss, what do you mean by my "work load" is the same. This will save me from assumption, if you define it.


Best regards,
Chillen
 
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Is it Monday yet???

Cant wait for you to start the journal so i can steal ideas from you. :p

I am not doing anything magical. Just plain and ordinary hard work, Wes. If you see something (in the "separate" journal) that you have a question on, feel free to ask any time, I am here to help.

Not everyone is going to agree in what I do. Especially when I am leaning down (some of these leaning down techniques--even by well known trainers such as LYLE MCDONALD, can be viewed as unhealthy methods), but it involves manipulating the "natural portions" of the almighty diet.

When our journal is made, and say I am at the point of leaning down, I want someone savvy....."who understands WHY I am doing what I am doing and in the correct "context" (give me tips on improvements,etc), not BLAH, BLAH, its unhealthy BS (if you understand the "context" I am putting that in).

Believe me. "Natural Body Builders" who get to 4% body fat aren't playing games, and some of their methods is up to many interpretations. I just want to be left alone, in the context of receiving legitimate help in the correct context--where needed.

And, most training and dieting for a while, will understand what I mean.


Best wishes,


Chillen
 
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I know you're not doing anything magical..lol. Im just looking forward to seeing how your meals and workout days are set up.

It doesnt have to be anything special for me to learn from it. If anything im just looking for ways to tweak my training and diet to see if they improve my results. Sometimes its the small things that can make a huge difference.
 
I know you're not doing anything magical..lol. Im just looking forward to seeing how your meals and workout days are set up.

It doesnt have to be anything special for me to learn from it. If anything im just looking for ways to tweak my training and diet to see if they improve my results. Sometimes its the small things that can make a huge difference.

You are correct, young man.

Sometimes, small things (in diet and fitness) do make a huge difference.

Spot on.

Ohhhhhhhhhh..........why don't you put your weights up in your journal (INSERT, sarcasm,,,,,,here..........he, he.......ROTFL!!!!!!)

He, he........:)


Best wishes

Chille
 
When i started working out i was around 130-135 lbs so i dont exactly have the best genes for bodybuilding..lol. So ive always had to work very hard and study very hard to fing things that work for me. Ive listened to and taken advice from "huge" people in the past but most of the general "advice" didnt work for me. I did the all the workouts like the typical 5 days per week one body part per day thing with very little results. So i had to start to try things for myself and see what actually worked.

The stuff that always helped me was the small things like holding my hands a certain way while doing an exercise to really feel it working. For example i never really felt my lats working when doing rows until i started holding the bar with a palms up grip and really flexing at the contracted part of the exercise. In other words its all about form and the mind muscle connection for me. Without this i dont seem to make much progress.

This is a big part of the reason why i dont post the weights i use. Im not that strong and im afraid i will push myself to lift heavier at the sacrifice of form due to my ego.

I realize that improving my numbers is very important, and i push hard to do that on every set of every exercise. BUT not at the expense of form. There are times when i allow myself to cheat a little to get an extra rep, but its not sloppy cheating by and means.
 
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When i started working out (before my 2 years of being lazy) i was around 130-135 lbs so i dont exactly have the best genes for bodybuilding..lol. So ive always had to work very hard and study very hard to fing things that work for me. Ive listened to and taken advice from "huge" people in the past but most of the general "advice" didnt work for me. I did the all the workouts like the typical 5 days per week one body part per day thing with very little results. So i had to start to try things for myself and see what actually worked.

The stuff that always helped me was the small things like holding my hands a certain way while doing an exercise to really feel it working. For example i never really felt my lats working when doing rows until i started holding the bar with a palms up grip and really flexing at the contracted part of the exercise. In other words its all about form and the mind muscle connection for me. Without this i dont seem to make much progress.

This is a big part of the reason why i dont post the weights i use. Im not that strong and im afraid i will push myself to lift heavier at the sacrifice of form due to my ego.

I realize that improving my numbers is very important, and i push hard to do that on every set of every exercise. BUT not at the expense of form. There are times when i allow myself to cheat a little to get an extra rep, but its not sloppy cheating by and means.

Wes, I was just kidding with posting the weight used in your journal. I "rarely" post my own routine and weights used, and I am doing just fine.

Actually, posting the weights used is irrelevant (on the forum within your journal) if you are keeping a personal record, and understand the concepts of progression. Even if you do not, you can ask questions about this important element in your training and just simply take care of it behind the scenes.

A personal journal means many things to different persons, and plays an important purpose. However, the most "important" is what the diet and training journal means to you. The amount of weight "used" really isn't important as much---->as progressing with the amount of weight being used, and using good and solid training concepts--with the weight being used.

So, if you choose not post them. Its okay.

Some get to wrapped up in the amount of weight, when progression is the key really, and there is a difference, IMO. Some get curious as to what your lifting is all, which is normal.


Carry on, young man.


Best wishes


Chillen
 
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