Mr. Kisses
New Member
I'm 33. I have been weight training consistently now for a year, following a 531 for beginners routine. Current routine looks like
- 3 days a week in the gym
- 2 days 25km round trip cycle in to work average 23km/h
- approx 10k steps most days
I'd love to do more but this amount is sustainable given my work and family commitments. I'm seeing slow and steady progress with the 531 routine and really enjoying it.
Current max lifts on the program (these represent 95% of my theoretical max on those lifts)
- Squat 125kg
- DL 135kg
- Bench 85kg
- Press 60kg
I was pretty experienced with cardio before I started lifting (3hr 55m marathon, plenty of running and cycling) but never had the body I wanted. I've been very fit at times but I was never "strong". I've always had a "heavy" frame - read: never been skinny, never struggled to gain weight.
I never really knew anything about nutrition and more often than not I carried more weight than I was happy about. I have had "love handles" as long as I remembered.
Started tracking what I was eating in the middle of August with Macrofactor and realised I was pretty significantly overeating on fats - olive oil and butter in particular. As well as giving in to my sweet tooth more than I should, and some less than ideal drinking to top it off (drinking once or twice a week, bingeing when I drink socially).
I've lost around 7kg since August (87kg to just under 80kg), with the help of Macrofactor, without any real noticeable impact on energy levels, and without impacting progression on the lifts. Cutting out excessive fats, cutting out chocolate and sweets pretty much entirely (sugar free jelly or a protein bar when I want to satisfy a craving) and really cutting back on booze. According to my tracking I'm pretty consistently eating at about a 500kcal deficit since I started tracking.
I'm amazed at my progress in the last 3 months. My expenditure hasn't changed that much but I've really dialled in my nutrition and it's been a pretty dramatic effect. Losing some fat I can see there is some muscle under there (not enough!), which I've never seen before at times when I had less weight on.
I'm going to my GP to get bloods done in the next week to see where I'm at with natural hormone levels. The only PED I've ever experimented with in the past is Ephedrine. This recent weightloss has been helped only by coffee and lots of protein.
I'm very seriously considering running a test only cycle sometime in the new year. I'm in no rush though, I'd like to work towards getting into optimal shape for a cycle.
As well as that, I don't know how to figure out my optimal weight? How much more weight should I aim to lose before switching to maintenance, or even trying to gain? I really want to get rid of my love handles/wide hip vibes. A combination of losing more fat and putting on upper body muscle I guess, but how to find the balance?
I have no idea what I would do beyond a first cycle!
I would love some frank opinions and advice on where to go from where I'm at. Will listen to any and all that take the time to contribute. Thanks
- 3 days a week in the gym
- 2 days 25km round trip cycle in to work average 23km/h
- approx 10k steps most days
I'd love to do more but this amount is sustainable given my work and family commitments. I'm seeing slow and steady progress with the 531 routine and really enjoying it.
Current max lifts on the program (these represent 95% of my theoretical max on those lifts)
- Squat 125kg
- DL 135kg
- Bench 85kg
- Press 60kg
I was pretty experienced with cardio before I started lifting (3hr 55m marathon, plenty of running and cycling) but never had the body I wanted. I've been very fit at times but I was never "strong". I've always had a "heavy" frame - read: never been skinny, never struggled to gain weight.
I never really knew anything about nutrition and more often than not I carried more weight than I was happy about. I have had "love handles" as long as I remembered.
Started tracking what I was eating in the middle of August with Macrofactor and realised I was pretty significantly overeating on fats - olive oil and butter in particular. As well as giving in to my sweet tooth more than I should, and some less than ideal drinking to top it off (drinking once or twice a week, bingeing when I drink socially).
I've lost around 7kg since August (87kg to just under 80kg), with the help of Macrofactor, without any real noticeable impact on energy levels, and without impacting progression on the lifts. Cutting out excessive fats, cutting out chocolate and sweets pretty much entirely (sugar free jelly or a protein bar when I want to satisfy a craving) and really cutting back on booze. According to my tracking I'm pretty consistently eating at about a 500kcal deficit since I started tracking.
I'm amazed at my progress in the last 3 months. My expenditure hasn't changed that much but I've really dialled in my nutrition and it's been a pretty dramatic effect. Losing some fat I can see there is some muscle under there (not enough!), which I've never seen before at times when I had less weight on.
I'm going to my GP to get bloods done in the next week to see where I'm at with natural hormone levels. The only PED I've ever experimented with in the past is Ephedrine. This recent weightloss has been helped only by coffee and lots of protein.
I'm very seriously considering running a test only cycle sometime in the new year. I'm in no rush though, I'd like to work towards getting into optimal shape for a cycle.
As well as that, I don't know how to figure out my optimal weight? How much more weight should I aim to lose before switching to maintenance, or even trying to gain? I really want to get rid of my love handles/wide hip vibes. A combination of losing more fat and putting on upper body muscle I guess, but how to find the balance?
I have no idea what I would do beyond a first cycle!
I would love some frank opinions and advice on where to go from where I'm at. Will listen to any and all that take the time to contribute. Thanks
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