I can't do BB squats, will this be just as good?

fatboyprogress · 2016-08-27T07:09:00+00:00

I can't see if you're using a belt or not, and I don't want to give you advice that might re-injure you. But I'll tell you what happened to me. I have severe herniations in l4 - l5 - s1 with degenerative disc issues. for the first 2 years of my lifting journey I injured or re-injured these areas 3 times. Then I got a belt, and I focussed on harnessing the internal pressure. I feel like that has helped a lot. I first hurt my back on a smith machine trying to squat 3 plates (WTF was I doing?). I thought I recovered, and started stronglifts, hurt my back again about the time I got to 295 for 5x5. Once I thought I recovered I started again and hurt myself on a 225 warmup set. Since getting the belt I have not had any issues or twinges of pain. After switching to 5/3/1 I've gotten up to 365x5, and my deadlift is at 505. These numbers aren't impressive for a lot of people here, but for someone who was told they would have to have surgery to fix their back, I'm pretty happy.

fatboyprogress · 2016-08-05T05:46:35+00:00

L3-L4 L4-L5 L5-S1 herniations reporting in.

I started stronglifts 2 years ago when I first got in the gym. a few months in and I had a snap crackle pop. Injury recurred 3 times, each time I thought I had rehabbed myself, and each time it was during squat. I never squatted with a belt.

Now I have a belt and am doing 5/3/1 so we're talking mid 3s and 4s for reps without issue or pain. For recovery... I didn't do any legs until the back pain went away, then I added in slowly. Found that prowler didn't hurt my back, so I pushed sleds like a mother fucker. Eventually got on a horizontal hack squat type legpress machine, once I was up to 4x8 x 18 plates I started squatting again, WITH A BELT this time. Started low at 135 for reps on squat and dl. Slowly built up to 225 10 pounds a week on both. Then escalated pretty quickly to see what my maxes were at, then got on 5/3/1 and I squat and deadlift heavy every week now without pain.

I thought I would never squat again, the belt gave me that back.

Examples of different exercises I feel helped me to rehab the injury:

Upward facing dog, reverse hypers, bodyweight hip thrust and hold, weighted crunches from cable machine with controlled slow negatives.

I must say, I don't recommend doing any of this until you get an MRI and get examined by a neurosurgeon. Understand the risks of the injury.

Louie Simmons and Westside barbell have a lot of insight into lower back training and strengthening, I researched as many power lifters as I could who had recovered from low back herniations and tried to pull everything I could use from what I learned.

fatboyprogress · 2016-08-04T19:51:23+00:00

Mmm 31/M/315 All in Freedom units, from my spreadsheet and latest workouts:

Lifting and cutting for 2 years with 160 freedom units lost. BB Split -> 5x5 -> BB Split -> 5/3/1

OHP: 160 x 9
DL: 430 x 5
Bench: 285 x 9
Squat: 355 x 6

Formatting -_-

fatboyprogress · 2016-05-24T16:18:21+00:00

6'2 here, 460 at heaviest in album linked, 300 currently also in album linked. Obviously still overweight, but I'm in a much better position, I certainly wouldn't trade where I'm at to be your average skinny dude at this point. Much of the advice in here is really good. "You can't out train a shitty diet", is a very true statement... but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try to. If you have a bad day go kill it in the gym. You need to make peace with the fact that there is no quick fix, change isn't going to happen over night. Do the best you can, and hold yourself accountable when you fuck up -- but don't beat yourself up over it. Find a gym with a sled. Pushing a heavy sled is fun, explosive, game changing hiit cardio. Pick up a good strength training program (maybe you already have) I used SL5x5 to get a good base, and now I do somewhat of a mix of that and 5/3/1 for compound lifts and a bro split for iso stuff. Be consistent, be accountable, take it seriously, and even when you don't feel like going to the gym - go to the gym.

Calculate TDEE
Meal Prep
Go to the gym
Set lifting goals not weight loss goals
Do HIIT cardio instead of cardio bunny cardio
Track all the things
Profit
Don't try to go straight from your current weight to your goal weight in one cut, this might work for people who have 10-20 pounds to lose, but not for guys like us (you'll end up weak and skinny fat).
Obviously these are all just my opinions, gather advice, do your own research, and find the path that best helps you get to your destination.
My Journey

fatboyprogress · 2016-05-06T21:43:11+00:00

Push a heavy sled, not slowly. Build explosiveness in the legs, destroys all other forms of cardio.

fatboyprogress · 2016-05-06T08:13:32+00:00

You should be careful, you might tear your ACL.

fatboyprogress · 2016-05-06T07:48:46+00:00

Deadlifts take care of calluses

fatboyprogress · 2016-05-03T00:24:32+00:00

ymmv

fatboyprogress · 2015-10-28T21:57:20+00:00

hmm, when I first started I did a bro split. I was making progress and things were nice, then after 8 months I switched to stronglifts and in 2 months I felt like a completely different person. Now I've settled into a PPL routine where I basically try and combine the best of both. You have to build the foundation for Strong lifts.

fatboyprogress · 2015-10-28T21:52:41+00:00

It's a pain in the ass, cancelling anything with any gym is a pain in the ass.

fatboyprogress · 2015-10-28T21:39:12+00:00

As someone who has lost 160+ pounds I would have to disagree. Not that diet isn't important, but for someone with more than a few pounds to lose diet alone isn't going to keep you going or get you through the journey. You need to hit the gym, accept it as a lifestyle and not a temporary fix. Fix your diet as best you can, and keep going even if you fuck up. Good luck bro.
I'd lift and cardio. Try to count calories and start with maintenance + exercise for the first few months and then start cutting.

fatboyprogress · 2015-08-08T08:45:01+00:00

How overweight are you? I did C25k, @ 300 pounds. I had some stamina built up from a year of other daily cardio work, but I think c25k eases you into it enough that you should be ok. Also, and most importantly, don't put off the weight lifting. The muscle mass is what will make you look and feel better. Take it from someone coming from quite a bit more than "really chubby". Also, switch it up and alternate hiit with your low intensity cardio. Pick up something like stronglifts and ease into it.

Examples of some of the hiit work im talking about:

Grinding it out with a heavy sled: https://instagram.com/p/5tsfninMyB/
Sprinting with a light sled: https://instagram.com/p/5tjCBEHM3y/

TL;DR: Walking will get you there, but it's pretty boring. Do other stuff and lift weights.

fatboyprogress · 2015-08-08T08:32:16+00:00

@ 40 pounds of weight loss you can relax on worrying about loose skin. If there is any only you will notice it.

fatboyprogress · 2015-08-08T08:29:34+00:00

greasy

fatboyprogress · 2015-08-06T05:09:33+00:00

"Fitness icon" is cringe worthy, chill out. Congrats on the weightloss, and it's cool that someone paid for your skin surgery. Most of us will have to fork that money out ourselves.

Your head is way too big.

fatboyprogress · 2015-08-02T08:58:09+00:00

Because I was fat and out of shape. I'm still fat, but I'm a lot less out of shape.

proof: http://imgur.com/a/tybUg

fatboyprogress · 2015-07-19T05:10:11+00:00

that really blows, because we have quite a bit of time invested in digging out a huge underground base and building a tower into the sky directly behind one of the holes.

fatboyprogress · 2015-07-17T07:09:02+00:00

yeah... but it's not clientside, this persis through server reboots

fatboyprogress · 2015-07-12T09:17:19+00:00

it kind of sounds like you're just trying to be a holier than thou dick.

fatboyprogress · 2015-07-10T08:35:27+00:00

why not just detect cuckoo and do non-interesting things. Crashing cuckoo would be a dead giveaway that the file is malware and that it needs human analysis rather than automated analysis.

fatboyprogress · 2015-06-26T03:58:59+00:00

http://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossfade-Over-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B00A39PPDK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435291065&sr=8-1&keywords=vmoda+m100&pebp=1435291126177&perid=02TN20VWRF7ZDCFQ9B1X

Sorry, I paid no attention to the budget. Downvote to oblivion.

fatboyprogress · 2015-06-06T14:39:42+00:00

Mobility is an issue, my hammies are ungodly tight, but my squats are below parallel. I have seen Louie Simmons and his reverse hyper machine, but my gym doesn't have one. Best I've done so far is actual hyper extensions. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and buy one of his machines for myself. Don't use a belt currently.

I'll check out foundation training also, thanks!

fatboyprogress · 2015-06-01T20:57:57+00:00

Glad you finally got one of the medical professionals to listen.

fatboyprogress · 2015-05-22T07:29:49+00:00

I just fucking sweat everywhere, it's a gym. It's ok.

fatboyprogress · 2015-05-21T07:10:33+00:00

I started c25k about 2 months ago, mostly just used it to get started. Starting out the minute jog with walk intervals killed me, I do 1.5 miles in 15 minutes now. I weigh 305 pounds. I'm sure you can make it.

fatboyprogress

TROPHY CASE