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2005/10/17, 04:44 PM
I certainly understand that certain body parts (e.g legs) are going to be stronger than others (e.g shoulders), but is there a ratio or formula for how proportionate my strength gains should be? I am a 45-year-old male who dropped 105 pounds in one year, regained 40 of them after being chastised by my doctor and my trainer for losing "too much weight", and now find that I am making tremendous progress in some areas, almost none in others.
My leg power astounds me--I have gone from leg-pressing a few pounds to where I can now use six 45-lb plates per side (630 pounds including the machine itself)--it wasn't even difficult--I had to stop because of back pain. On the other hand, I can't even bench press 100 pounds. Because of time, injury and energy issues, I work out only a half hour (with a trainer)four days a week, then do cardio for a half hour, so 4 hours of "formal" activity a week. I eat 2000 calories a day (I'd say my diet is 90% 'clean', very little junk food. My trainer actually insisted that I eat a little junk food here and there--that's why 90%, not 100%). I tried the diet formula here, but the required calories for a man my age and virtually sedentary are WAY too high, even after punching in a "weight loss" formula. How can I cause my upper body to catch up to my lower body, at least a little? I'd be happy just to be able to do a couple of unassisted pullups and chinups, and bench press my bodyweight (someday).
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2005/10/17, 05:23 PM
whats your current weight? Because 2000 calories a day sounds low to me, especially for someone that weight lifts.
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Your two most important minerals: Iron and Chalk.
If you smoke or don’t wear your seatbelt, please don’t tell me the deadlift is dangerous.
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2005/10/18, 05:07 PM
everyone is different, dont' worry about weight.
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Friends don't let friends squat high...
People don't reach thier true potental, only those who seek it.
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2005/10/20, 12:23 PM
weight is just a number... you dont need to worry bout that. grade yourself based on your improvements and what you want yourself to ideally look like. other than that 2000 calories does seem low. and the only way to improve your lifting is to just keep working out. good luck and you will be happy with your results if you stick to it.
-nate
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2005/10/22, 10:27 AM
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Quoting from wrestler125:
whats your current weight? Because 2000 calories a day sounds low to me, especially for someone that weight lifts.
I now weigh 185. I need an accurate bodyfat test, though, since I'm aware that, despite the fact that 185 is almost obese for a man my size (5'6"), the "excess" weight might be muscle. My trainer agrees with you: 2000 is too low, but if I'm gaining so much weight at 2000, imagine how much worse it could get! I just checked my profile here--it suggested 2480 calories--until I realized that this was set up when I weighed 160! I reset it, now it wants me to eat 2840 calories--to LOSE weight! That can't possibly be right!!
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2005/10/22, 10:29 AM
Thank you. What I really want to lose is my "beer belly" (and I don't even drink!) I look 6 months pregnant, though my trainer says I look fine. I don't know, maybe I'm still mentally seeing the "old me" (when I weighed 244).
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Quoting from coolnatedawg:
weight is just a number... you dont need to worry bout that. grade yourself based on your improvements and what you want yourself to ideally look like. other than that 2000 calories does seem low. and the only way to improve your lifting is to just keep working out. good luck and you will be happy with your results if you stick to it.
-nate
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2005/10/22, 12:11 PM
So then you are GAINING weight on a 2000 calorie diet at 185 lbs? While working out and lifting? Ok, I would get your bodyfat tested BY A DOCTOR. While you are there, I would take a test for hypo-thyroidism. If you are gaining weight with that low a calorie intake, then there is a good chance that you may have a metabolic disorder.
Also, how are you getting these 2000 calories? What kind of foods are you eating.
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To have talent is to have limits. I have no talent therefor I have no limits.
Steve Prefontaine
If you smoke or don’t wear your seatbelt, please don’t tell me the deadlift is dangerous.
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2005/10/26, 03:54 AM
Msc715,
Man, I was in the same boat as you about 1 to 2 years ago, when I started posting here. I could legpress and squat with the best of them, but my bench was... embarasing.
I read a few of the posts on here, started a few of the Freetrainer exercise programs and just kept with it.
I used skull crushers (personal favorite). wide, standard, and narrow grip bench. incline, decline, and flat bench. I also used dumbells insted of the bar from time to time.
while on a body builder scale this is not a huge ammount, but I max out at 235lbs now, insted of 115 (when I started) and I use between 135 and 155lbs for three sets of ten reps, 175 to 185 if I am doing ten sets of three.
Keep with it, concentrate on your weak areas, lay off the leg press, do squats, you use more muscles, watch your back though, learn the proper way to do them (took me one month to get my form right, I just used the bar, then I gradualy made my way up in weight)
The odd thing about this, I have not lost very much weight, the odder part, I feel so much better, I don't really care lol. Eating right, I eat about 3,000 a day, and working out makes me feel so much better I also have more energy. With all that, I don't really care about my gut, it will make it's way out the door eventualy, right now I am just trying to lift a few more pounds and run a little faster.
Hope my experiances help ya,
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Sean "TBAR" Johnson -USAF-
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