Thanks man. I've always been told I hold my weight well, people guess me to be around 200, shocked when I say 225-230ish. Slow progress lately, im at 224 for the first time ever today.

Bahahahahaha. I think I might have been havin too much fun in the sun lately...*cough*.

It puts the lotion on its skin.

Definitely making progress man. Keep up the hard work.

Alright guys in the past weekish I have really decided to crack down on my gym routine. I have cleaned it up alot, and I am now doing a true FBW. For an example heres what I did today (these numbers are the best I've pretty much ever put up for a full workout)
First let me just say that I enjoy supersetting things. Less time waiting, more time pushing myself.

Also, for my upper body I like to do a lower push/pull, horizontal push/pull, and an upper push/pull so thats what I based my exercises on.

So I started off with bodyweight dips, supersetted with bodyweight (Parallel Grip) pullups (never been able to even dream about doing these for reps like this before)
-(Vertical push down) Dips: 9 x 3
-{Vertical pull up)......Pullups: 8 x 3

After that I gave my upper body a few mins rest so I squatted.
-Squats: 155 x 8 x 3 (can go higher, just squatting is semi-new to me, so i'm keeping an eye on form and making sure I dont kill myself)

Then I went back for some more upper body
-(Horizontal push) Bench - 145 x 8 x 3
-Supersetted with-
-(Horizontal pull) Bent Over Row - squig. bar + 90 x 8 x 3

After that I did abs (machine)
It's a super crunch machine hard to explain. Anyways I found a weight that would push me to do 8 x 3 and did it = 100lbs.

Also did Military press on the machine.
-80lbs x 8 x 3

After that was 20 mins of cardio keepin my heart rate around 150.

Overall this is a HUGE difference in the way I work out compared to how I used to. I used to use almost solely machine oriented, now I'm weening myself of that, and getting into almost all freeweight/bodyweight stuff.

Hey dude,

You pics show some good progress so good work! You indeed do not look 230 pounds.

In regards to your routine, I would recommend that you start with your squats/leg exercises then move to the upper body. Try to get the most taxing exercises out of the way first.

If you goal is purely hypertrophy, then you may wish to consider an upper/lower split.

I would also refrain from using the machine for military press.

Lastly, I personally think you should start considering putting on some mass. I think you are at the stage where a good clean bulk will do wonders.

THanks for the compliments man. I have read people saying the samething about the squats to other people - most strenuous first so you can focus hardest to get it right so I will be doing that from now on. As of right now my goal is (and has been) cutting. Military press will be going freeweight soon - im still weening myself off the machines haha.

In the long run I will be doing a bulk; but I would like to cut another 5-10lbs off first. I want this to be the first summer I can remember that I will be proud of my body, at the very least not ashamed by it.

Just for personal records, I took some measurements so I can compare as I keep progressing. (I'm a lefty; measuring left body parts)
Bicep: 15.33"
Thigh: 26"
Calf: 16.33

Neck (resting): 17.5"
Chest (full breath): 44.75"
Wais (bellybutton)t: 39.33"
Hips (across butt): 43"

Alright I've got some picks to compare from hte beginning to now =D
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Doesn't seem like a huge difference to me, but i'm getting less squishy haha =P. In my journal in my last post I wrote about a predicament I'm in - keep doing what i'm doing (increasing strength w/o gaining weight) or cutting to what I want my final weight to be, then see if I can refind this balance of bulking and losing fat at the same rate. I think I've decided to cut but it's not final yet.

I'm playing the love handle-be-gone game right now, finally the weight seems to be coming off my stomach and love handles. If you haven't been reading my journal, I severely sprained my foot a week and a half ago, just getting weight back on it now. During this time ive been eating in a deficit (first time in a long while) and have lost some weight, down to 220 and still dropping. That means 25lbs down and well over half way to my goal! WHEW! Anyways, I think its time for some pics =D

So I've got my normal side front shot, and back shot (i see my love handles shrinking =D):





And i'm throwing in a new one, front flexed.

Bump from the depths of the forum =D. Well, I've kept at it slowly but surely over this whole time period, and I'm now bouncing around the 190's in weight! Average around 195! My neighbors picked up P90X about 4 months ago, and are on their second 90 days. In the first I joined in for about 10-15 workouts, man what an ass kicker! I absolutely love the program though, and now they are 2.5 weeks into the second 90 days, I've been keeping up with them 7 days a week and i've only missed about 3 workouts...not too shabby! Anyways I don't know where my old pics were, so heres one from somewhere around the beginning of this thread.



and heres nowadays! Well...closer to it...this was a few weeks ago I've made a little progress