Fitness/weight/bodyshape goals

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

I just thought I would start a thread to see if anyone else had specific fitness or weight-loss goals for the next few months. Perhaps it might give some of us some inspiration, and it might also allow others help us and give us advice about it. I find an outside perspective always helps with these things. Just some topics/questions that I want to throw out are the below ones, but you can add more detail and points if you would like.

Also, each individual can keep editing their own post over the coming months to keep track of their progress/issues/additions to it. Hopefully it will help us get in shape together, and for those already in shape, you guys and girls can give us advice

Why this goal?

When do you hope to achieve it by?

What is your experience/is your goal realistic?

Do you think you will achieve it?

Any obstacles that you will have to overcome to stop you reaching these goals?

And if so, how are you planning to achieve these goals?

What will you diet be like?

What will your fitness regime be like?

Will you take supplement?

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

Okay, I may as well participate in my own discussion now.

Background: I am 30 years old, weigh 105kg, 6 foot 4. I am not "fat", I am very muscular but would like to be able to reveal more of that muscle under some layers of fat I have. The past few months I have concentrated on pure strength training, and have largely ignored cardio and my diet was a bit crap. I have been lifting weights/going to the gym for the past 10 years, and have been in better shape physically in the past but right now I am the strongest I have ever been, lifting wise.

Goal: I want to be able to put my strength up over the coming months, increase my benchpress max up to 120 kg by the end of the summer, and be squatting 160kg. However, these are not my primary concern, my main aim is to cut down some of the body-fat I have. I am currently 105kg, and I am guessing around 20% bodyfat (I need to get a calipers). Ideally, I would like to be down to between 95-100kg weight and around 10% bodyfat by the end of the summer (September).

Lifting stats: 105 kg bench-press for 3 reps, up to 140 kg squat for reps, 40 kg dumbbell shoulder press for 8 reps.

My routine: I strength train in the gym 5 days a week. In this 5 days I mostly do strength-training reps and sets (6 reps) or power-lifting (1-2 rep max on the bench), and rarely do reps above 8 reps on anything. However, on one of the days I do a very intense high-intensity weight/own body routine one of the days. I have been incorporating cardio into my weekly routine, trying to get in 3 small jogs a week (20-30 minutes each).

Monday
1. Bench-press: 70 kg x 8 reps warm-up, 3 sets of 105 kg (1-3 reps), 1 set of 90 kg (rep out).
2. Incline Bench-press: 3 sets x 70/80 kg (8 reps).
3. Pull-ups and push-ups supersets to failure x 3 sets.

Tuesday
HIIT Training (we call it "the 500" for short). This routine is performed as fast as we can with little to no rest breaks in-between exercises. I am gradually getting fitter and fitter with this routine and have been able to perform 3 sets of this routine so far. 1 set looks like:
10 pull-ups
20 goblet squats - 20kg
20 ballistic push-ups side-to-side on a small box
15 ballistic push-ups side-to-side on a small box
10 squat and press with 12 kg dumbbells
5 squat and press with 12 kg dumbbells
10 dumbbell rows with both arms - 30 kg dumbbells
10 squat jumps
10 dumbbell rows with both arms - 30 kg dumbbells
20 rapid ab crunches
*Faint afterwards

Wednesday
1. Dumbbell shoulder press - 30 kg warm-up (8-10), 36kg (8-10), 40 kg x 3 sets (6-8 reps), 30 kg (rep out)
2. Pull-ups and push-ups supersets to failure x 3 sets.

Thursday
1. SQUATS (all in the 6-8 rep range): 80 kg, 100 kg, 120 kg, 140 kg x 3 sets, 120 kg, 100 kg, 80 kg. (Pyramid sets).
2. Pull-ups and push-ups supersets to failure x 3 sets.

Friday
1. Bench-press: 70 kg x 8 reps warm-up, 3 sets of 105 kg (1-3 reps), 1 set of 90 kg (rep out).
2. Dumbbell incline press: 38 kg dumbbells x 3 sets (8-12 reps)
3. Decline dumbbell press: 34 kg dumbbells x 3 sets (8-12 reps)
4. Pull-ups and push-ups supersets to failure x 3 sets.

Recap - 5 sessions in the gym and 3 jogging sessions a week.

Is my goal Realistic?: I damn well hope so!!! The lowest body-fat I have been down to before was around 13%, however I have been between 90-95kg for a long time and I want to get back down to those levels a bit more. I think that if I lose 1 kg every second week, this would have me down to around 97-98 kg by my target date. The next few weeks will be my easiest weeks to lose weight because of the excess fat, but around July-August is where it will get increasingly more difficult.

Obstacles: I have given up drink nearly 5 weeks ago and hope to stay off it. This is one of my major downfalls usually with getting in shape, not only the calories I consume with alcohol but also the amount of crap I eat during and after drinking. This is one massive obstacle I will overcome. Another issue is the temptation to eat bad food when my girlfriend is up for the weekend, she has a "sweet-tooth" so I will have to be dedicated and strong to my goals and diet.

Diet: Low-fat cottage cheese, asparagus, kale, broccoli, carrots, onion, garlic, chilli, steak mince, fish, veggie burgers, eggs, low fat cheese, slimline skimmed milk, zero fat natural yoghurt, olive oil, herbs, spices, turkey breast, chicken, steak (rarely), oats, brown rice, whey protein, and tonnes of water.

I will try to have a relatively low carb diet as much as is possible, minimising my carbs to breakfast usually. My main diet has/will be meat, veg, and cottage cheese.

Supplement: Pre-workout, creatine, whey protein, CLAs.

Progress so far: I started at 110 kg three weeks ago, so I have already lost 5 kg of fat, while my strength has gone up in this period.

[WIItard Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close WIItard]

Short reply here. I'm 6 ft tall and for most of my 20's and 30's I was around 195 lbs with 12% body fat give or take, I didn't really care about the exact number. Well after children being born and just a slow down in my physical activities I found myself at about 200 lbs fat and weak. Last spring I said okay time to get in shape, goal to get back to what I looked like in the past.

I didn't want to kill myself trying so this is what I did.

Feb. last year. I know I had lost muscle and strength simple fix there, back to the gym doing heavy compound weight lifting.

Diet nothing drastic. I simply got rid of excess carbs, no kids crap. No gummies, cake, cupcakes, soda, random beers at the neighbors etc. I didn't completely give up drinking by the way I just got rid of the random drinking. LOl.


June. Feeling stronger lost some pounds. Time for a real diet, goal just to hit 190 pounds. Changed my workout to more isolation exercises to work on weak spots. Constantly looking for where I might be weak.


July hit 190 and still have a belly, oh no. Lost more muscle then I thought end of diet, clean bulk time.


Oct. Still around 190 feel strong time to take off some fat again, dieted down to 185 over the next month.


Today. still around 185 and belly is almost gone strength is closing in on my hey day.


I just want 5 pounds of muscle and lose a little more around my middle. Not sure if I can manage that but I'm in no hurry, not like I'm going to become an underwear model.

[mcpecker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcpecker]

Hitting the gym 4 times a week, and running 2 times a week. Started this week. Over the winter I was skipping runs and gym dates a lot.

Goals are just to drop some winter BF. I probably got over 10%, and like to stay in the single digits.

Diet is simple, basically Primal. Local, organic, grass fed meats, eggs, lots of fresh veg and veg juice, ghee, fish. No grains or legumes. Lots of potatoes. Zero sugar. Zero processed foods. Been eating like this for over a year and have never felt better in my life.

So, basically a rededication to re-emerge from the Winter cocoon. Looking to pack on some muscle, as well.

[mcpecker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcpecker]

In case anyone is interested, I created a very simple routine based on years of training and my personal goals. I used to be an amateur bodybuilder, and let me tell you...there's so much dangerous information out there about health. So many extremes, especially from bro scientists. Similar in the PE world...

Anyway, I took the best of my knowledge to create something balanced, simple (I get in and out of the gym in about 30 minutes), challenging, and fun.

I basically am working off of a push / pull , large / small mindset. That is, working muscle groups that pull on one day, and working muscle groups that push on another. I work large groups one day, and small groups another. So it looks like this:

Monday (small push group): Triceps, Shoulders
Tuesday (large pull group): Back
Wednesday: Trail running
Thursday (large push group): Chest
Friday (small pull group): Biceps, Traps
Saturday: Trail running
Sunday: Rest

I do basic compound exercises 5 sets of 5 in supersets. An example for Tuesday (back day) might be:

5 T-bar Rows immediately into 5 weighted, wide-grip, overhand pullups. Rest 2 minutes in between. Do 5 sets.

It goes by quickly, but it's challenging and intense. It's basically a simplification of Optimized Volume Training (OVT). I see great results from it, without having to spend hours in the gym.

I do abs every other workout, basically just tack on hanging, twisting knee-ups to my superset. 5 each side, for 5 sets.

My leg workout is trail running. I run with minimalist shoes and do lots of hills. It's also great for your core.

Also: FORM IS KEY. Don't be that guy that gets weight way too heavy for him and does 3 very sloppy reps before grunting and throwing the weight down and walking away with arms flared. Don't be that guy. Get weight that you can do all of your reps with perfect form. Who cares if it's 5 pounds right now. You won't get hurt, you'll get stronger, and soon you'll be doing perfect reps with 50 pounds.

[JohnnyJ Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JohnnyJ]

Okay, I may as well participate in my own discussion now.

Background: I am 30 years old, weigh 105kg, 6 foot 4. I am not "fat", I am very muscular but would like to be able to reveal more of that muscle under some layers of fat I have. The past few months I have concentrated on pure strength training, and have largely ignored cardio and my diet was a bit crap. I have been lifting weights/going to the gym for the past 10 years, and have been in better shape physically in the past but right now I am the strongest I have ever been, lifting wise.

Goal: I want to be able to put my strength up over the coming months, increase my benchpress max up to 120 kg by the end of the summer, and be squatting 160kg. However, these are not my primary concern, my main aim is to cut down some of the body-fat I have. I am currently 105kg, and I am guessing around 20% bodyfat (I need to get a calipers). Ideally, I would like to be down to between 95-100kg weight and around 10% bodyfat by the end of the summer (September).

Lifting stats: 105 kg bench-press for 3 reps, up to 140 kg squat for reps, 40 kg dumbbell shoulder press for 8 reps.

My routine: I strength train in the gym 5 days a week. In this 5 days I mostly do strength-training reps and sets (6 reps) or power-lifting (1-2 rep max on the bench), and rarely do reps above 8 reps on anything. However, on one of the days I do a very intense high-intensity weight/own body routine one of the days. I have been incorporating cardio into my weekly routine, trying to get in 3 small jogs a week (20-30 minutes each).

Recap - 5 sessions in the gym and 3 jogging sessions a week.

Is my goal Realistic?: I damn well hope so!!! The lowest body-fat I have been down to before was around 13%, however I have been between 90-95kg for a long time and I want to get back down to those levels a bit more. I think that if I lose 1 kg every second week, this would have me down to around 97-98 kg by my target date. The next few weeks will be my easiest weeks to lose weight because of the excess fat, but around July-August is where it will get increasingly more difficult.

Obstacles: I have given up drink nearly 5 weeks ago and hope to stay off it. This is one of my major downfalls usually with getting in shape, not only the calories I consume with alcohol but also the amount of crap I eat during and after drinking. This is one massive obstacle I will overcome. Another issue is the temptation to eat bad food when my girlfriend is up for the weekend, she has a "sweet-tooth" so I will have to be dedicated and strong to my goals and diet.

Diet: Low-fat cottage cheese, asparagus, kale, broccoli, carrots, onion, garlic, chilli, steak mince, fish, veggie burgers, eggs, low fat cheese, slimline skimmed milk, zero fat natural yoghurt, olive oil, herbs, spices, turkey breast, chicken, steak (rarely), oats, brown rice, whey protein, and tonnes of water.

I will try to have a relatively low carb diet as much as is possible, minimising my carbs to breakfast usually. My main diet has/will be meat, veg, and cottage cheese.

Supplement: Pre-workout, creatine, whey protein, CLAs.

Progress so far: I started at 110 kg three weeks ago, so I have already lost 5 kg of fat, while my strength has gone up in this period.

Very realistic, however I am 18 years old so I don't know what its like to do this a bit older..First and foremost find you caloric maintenance then cut that by 500! and I find as long as you're getting your proper protein intake, calorie deficit and meal timing. Make sure if you're cutting weight that you get enough carbs about an hour before you workout and after your workout get some carbs and protein in right away. Carbs help protein get sucked up so to speak... Cottage cheese is amazing save that as a pre bedtime snack as it has casein protein which should last through the night and then the next morning have a good amount of protein and whatever carbs you can get without sacrificing your pre and post workout carbs. If you eat at a 500 calorie deficit and do plently of cardio...I recommend HIIT training then you can easily burn roughly 2 pounds a week..a lot more in the beginning due to water weight. I also see you have strength goals in mind. Might I recommend a version of Mark Ripptoes Starting Strength? It is a beginner routine but it yields great results even with the advanced. You can also do the modified verson. Guide to Novice Barbell Training, aka the Official RIPPETOE-STARTING STRENGTH FAQ - Bodybuilding.com Forums .. although you won't see a ton of gains in regards to weight lifting until you go through a "bulk" phase... hope i helped somewhat Intermittent fasting diet for fat loss, muscle gain and health <-leangains might be good for you if you arent wanting to bulk and cut bulk and cut



ALSO a great way of improving cardio and weight loss is to use the treadmill after nearly every workout. Throw a big ass incline on that bitch..I use a 12 incline and a rate of 3mph and i burn like 300+ calories in 30 minutes. I recently went from 150 to 210 and am currently cutting back down to 175

[akaTrex Senior Member Member of the Month Jan 2016 Find all posts View Profile Close akaTrex]

Why this goal? I always set new goals. CANI = Constant And Never-ending Improvment


When do you hope to achieve it by? 4-6 months
What is your experience/is your goal realistic? 30+ Years of Training - Track (Sprints) - Weights - Inline Skating


Do you think you will achieve it? Hell Yes!


Any obstacles that you will have to overcome to stop you reaching these goals? Work Travel


And if so, how are you planning to achieve these goals? 24Hr Fitness Locations and Hotel fitness rooms


What will you diet be like? High Protein, Low Carb, Veggies, Fruits and No Gluten


What will your fitness regime be like? Weight train 4 days a week. Upper Body split over two days and Legs Split over two days. My leg day are too taxing to include Hamstrings and calves. So I concentrate on Big movements for Quads & Glutes on one day and Hams and Calves on the other. HITT Training and Inline Skating for Cardio. 100 Hanging Knee Ups and 100 Crunches 3 Days a week.


Will you take supplements? Yes, Whey Protein, Creatine, BCAA's

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

Some great replies so far guys, keep em' coming! I want you to keep track of what you type here and how you are progressing towards your goals in the next few weeks and months

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

akaTrex, what is your goal?

[akaTrex Senior Member Member of the Month Jan 2016 Find all posts View Profile Close akaTrex]

Renewed Leg Mass!


In the past my upper body lagged behind my leg development.
I have reversed my percieved body imbalance upper vs. lower, but my knees and hips are a concern.

The cuts and striations in my legs are still there but would like to add a bit more quad mass and thigh bicep development.

I have a PB of 405 Lb. Squat, 1200+ Lb. Leg Press but my hips have suffered.
At 5'8" I topped out at 205 lbs during that time and it was just too much and I felt slow.
Currently I'm 175 lbs. and think with renewed leg focus 185 would be perfect.


So I'm back to the Basics ie. Squats, Front Squats, Lunges, Straight Leg Deads etc.

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

405 lbs squat? Wow, well done, and I thought I was making progress haha.

I am actually the opposite, trying to not let my legs get any bigger than what they are, because I can't fit into most of my jeans' legs as it is. Ever have that problem? They don't design jeans for squatters!

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

What is your goal?

Why this goal?

When do you hope to achieve it by?

What is your experience/is your goal realistic?

Do you think you will achieve it?

Any obstacles that you will have to overcome to stop you reaching these goals?

And if so, how are you planning to achieve these goals?

What will you diet be like?

What will your fitness regime be like?

Will you take supplement?

1. Well as I'm sure everyone already know, I have several fitness goals. My current ones are to be able to perform a 1-armed pull up, a 1-armed unsupported handstand pushup, a 1-armed hand balance, full directional splits, perform the pistol, stand-to-stand bridging. Once I get that down, I'll work on some backflips.

2. Because I think they're cool as all hell. I did the bodybuilder thing for a couple of years and it got boring. Creating intense focus at the gym became increasingly difficult when I reached the goal of "looking good naked." So, I upped the bar.
That, combined with how I'm able to do this any time, any where. All I need is food.

3. Who cares when I achieve it by? This is something I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life. I'm not really in any big rush.
That being said, by this time next year I should be able to have the full directional splits, 1-armed hand balance, 1-armed pull up and the pistol.

4. My experience? Well, I've been a gym rat for a number of years. I read a lot. I'm a week or two away from being a certified trainer. Is that enough? Yes my goals are realistic.

5. I haven't the slightest doubt I'll achieve these goals. Of course I will.

6. There are some obstacles: They're hard as hell to perform and I'm not 100% confident in my knowledge of if I'm progressing optimally. I mean, I'm not athlete, but I like to behave and talk like one. There are probably better ways of going about it all, but I'm just not sure what they are yet.
Another obstacle is the potential of injury. As I progress, the movements become that much harder, which means that my chances of injury are that much. That, plus I like to show off a little bit and one day that might bite me in the ass.

7. My plan to achieve these goals. hm. You know, if these were weights on a barbell, I'd be able to measure down to a single pound just how much I'm lifting. It becomes very difficult to do that with calisthenics.
I'll be employing what I've learned from Pavel. I'll be getting myself some other well known and recommended books on gymnastics. I'll eventually find myself with a gymnastics trainer. Why? Because I think this shit is cool as all hell.

8. I eat a lot. Lots and lots. I used to be on something called the Warrior Diet, but that became unsustainable once I got more active at work and in the gym. Now I'm doing 5-6 meals a day, the biggest meal before my training, and it's always as clean as I can make it. Tends to be on the vegetarian side of things.

9. I train probably too much. Sometimes I'm in the gym 7 days a week, an average of 2 hours each day. This is how it goes:
I begin with a warm up of mobility drills. Then I warm up my joints. Then I pick 2 or 3 movements to practice and do 2 light sets of those (ex: if I'm practicing the pistol, I'll do the full squat to warm up). Then I move onto some more mobility drills to prep for the stretching. Then I practice the splits.

10. I'm not entirely convinced I need supplements. I take protein but that's about it.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

Can you describe stand to stand bridging? I did a lot of this when I did Judo but the word stand was never used.

[lowpang Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close lowpang]

OK, I'm 5'8" 155 lbs, mostly muscle, I'm up to about 12-13% body fat from 9% about 6months ago.

My goal this time around is to hit the scales at 170-175 @ 9% body fat
I used to weigh 170 and I felt very strong at that weight.
Right now I'm getting back into my routine of deadlifting, sprinting, pull-ups, pushups, hanging leg raises, lunges, and hitting my arms and shoulders with free weights.

my eating has been somewhat sloppy lately, but all and all, not to bad.
I will eat more chicken salads, more leafy greens in general, more mangos, avocados, beets, fresh veggies, and more protein. I've been eating more milk keifer lately, and will continue to do so.
I will be adding L-Arginine & creatine soon

I jog or walk 6-7 days a week, with sprinting 2-3 days a week. this will probably stay the same.

3-4 days a week I will work out my core muscles.
This time around my focus will be compound movements, and my shoulder rehabilitation.

after reading Toadstool's last post, I have to say, now I'm motivated to do the splits as well. I have no idea how long this will take, but it's definitely worth adding to my list.
I'm back, and ready to become ultimate version of myself.

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

Can you describe stand to stand bridging? I did a lot of this when I did Judo but the word stand was never used.

Stand up
arch back
descend into bridge
hold for a couple of seconds
come back up into starting position