Approximately two months ago I joined a gym. Since then, I've made it there about 5 out of 7 days a week and often played a sport on at least one of those other two days. So how's it going?
I am up to approximately 174 pounds (about six pounds from where I started) which I'm assuming is all muscle growth. That said, I haven't really noticed much muscle size increase except for in my quads nor have I gained much definition. But I do feel my muscles are "harder" than they were before. Unfortunately, these harder muscles are still covered with a sizable layer of fat. I don't think my usual post-workout meal of a Taco Bell Cheesy Double Beef Burrito (89¢) helps any. And most importantly, I do not believe I have lost any of my dangerous visceral fat, which means it's time to really step up my diet and consider adding a more regular cardiovascular routine in.
I have gotten noticeably stronger. When I started I had trouble benching 95 pounds ten times, but that's now my warm-up. I've crossed the rubicon and can now get a few reps of 135 (45 lbs plates on each side), something I've never been able to do before. With proper warm-up I can now do a chin-up (yes, singular), but I can pop off a few dips. My proudest accomplishment yet is that I was able to squat two five rep sets of 205 lbs, up from struggling with 135 when I started. A huge milestone for me would be to be able to squat 2x my weight, so roughly 350 lbs. That would put me at just under what Jake Locker was able to do in High School. When I get to that point, I plan on racking the barbell and then take a victory lap around the free weight area.
With baseball season coming up I'll probably be starting to replace some days of strength training with plyometric exercises. I've never been able to consistently go to the gym for this long of a time, but the fact that I've made gains is motivation enough to keep me going -- well, that and the monthly membership fee. Maybe in a few years you'll see me pulling a semi-trick on ESPN... let's see how far I can take this.
I am up to approximately 174 pounds (about six pounds from where I started) which I'm assuming is all muscle growth. That said, I haven't really noticed much muscle size increase except for in my quads nor have I gained much definition. But I do feel my muscles are "harder" than they were before. Unfortunately, these harder muscles are still covered with a sizable layer of fat. I don't think my usual post-workout meal of a Taco Bell Cheesy Double Beef Burrito (89¢) helps any. And most importantly, I do not believe I have lost any of my dangerous visceral fat, which means it's time to really step up my diet and consider adding a more regular cardiovascular routine in.
I have gotten noticeably stronger. When I started I had trouble benching 95 pounds ten times, but that's now my warm-up. I've crossed the rubicon and can now get a few reps of 135 (45 lbs plates on each side), something I've never been able to do before. With proper warm-up I can now do a chin-up (yes, singular), but I can pop off a few dips. My proudest accomplishment yet is that I was able to squat two five rep sets of 205 lbs, up from struggling with 135 when I started. A huge milestone for me would be to be able to squat 2x my weight, so roughly 350 lbs. That would put me at just under what Jake Locker was able to do in High School. When I get to that point, I plan on racking the barbell and then take a victory lap around the free weight area.
With baseball season coming up I'll probably be starting to replace some days of strength training with plyometric exercises. I've never been able to consistently go to the gym for this long of a time, but the fact that I've made gains is motivation enough to keep me going -- well, that and the monthly membership fee. Maybe in a few years you'll see me pulling a semi-trick on ESPN... let's see how far I can take this.
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