Cherry Lane and NICE!, I've got you added to the participant tracking post. Welcome to the gauntlet.
Thanks, jordanread! I didn't expect you to add "join S&F thread" to my actual goals, but it is nice to see it crossed off up there.'
Starting with a win is a good way to start. :D
My challenge for this year is to ride more days than not in 2017. Be nice to get back down to race weight too.
GT, I've got you added to the participant tracking post. That is a pretty awesome award. I didn't bother googling it, but is that based strictly on distance, or something else?
I'm in. My goals for 2017-
Headwinds, I've got you added to the participant tracking post. Welcome to the gauntlet.
Fatty powerlifter/strongman here.
Bodyweight: 265
Squat: 550
Bench: 405
Deadlift: 650
315 Overhead on an axle and a log
400 stone to a 52" platform
No injuries
Brute, I was hoping you'd jump in here. Fortuitous timing with this discussion. I think I've got your goals correctly added to the participant tracking post. You may want to double check, just to make sure that I got them down correctly.
Which is why you get so many people alternating a "dirty bulk" then a "clean lean". Personally, I think it's short-sighted on the long term health impact, but overall health isn't the goal for a lot of people. Performance is.
I do wonder if a there is such a thing as a "clean bulk". I know it would most certainly take longer, but I'm curious if that's a thing.
Looks good.
My thoughts on clean/dirty bulking:
I've been in this game a while now, and I've seen what people say they do, and what they actually do. The giants with abs and 900 pound deadlifts don't get that way eating very clean. You can't get in enough calories. They're also supplementing* in ways that aren't allowed in certain countries. With enough of the right stuff, you can be pretty stupid with your food and look ridiculously good. Downside, your heart will explode (ok, maybe not that bad every time, but I personally know people who have died from poor choices with food, supplements, and how much mass they were carrying)
A normal (aka non-supplemented) person doing a dirty bulk is a recipe for physique disaster unless that person has a VERY hard time gaining weight. I've only seen it work well once, and the kid I was training hadn't been able to get over 130 pounds for years. Throw in some peanut butter, ice cream, and an extra burrito at lunch and he hit 150 in 6 months. Guy just couldn't get in enough calories otherwise.
Clean bulks take forever. Story time. In 2008, I weighed 360 (maybe 380, the scale didn't go over 360). I dropped down to 215 in about 11 months. Then I found the gym. I added about 5 pounds of muscle in about 3 months. Sort of depressing. So I started a clean bulk. Over the next 2 year, I gained another 30 pounds of muscle and only a couple pounds of fat. Gains seemed slow, but were pretty quick all in all. So why am I so fat? I had been in a relationship with a girl for 7 years, then things fell apart when I lost my job. No money coming in, she checked out. I turned to food for comfort. I got strong as all hell, but fat again.
So rather than just drop weight again and lose strength, I tried recomping. Not an easy thing without supplementation. I've traded about 15 pounds of fat for muscle over the past 4 years. My bloodwork is legendary (did I mention I used to be type II diabetic?). Turns out with the kind of exercise I do, I can get away with eating like a moron. But now I'm tired of being fat. So, heading for 265 it is. That should put me around 12-15% bf. I may decide to keep going, but I like being strong too. Still, I can't lift anything if I'm dead, so time to drop the weight before it becomes a problem again. Low carb, high protein, high fat will be the approach. I love veggies of all kinds, so that helps. If I can curb the impulse to binge eat, I'm set. (That could be a solid 5 years in therapy there, but it's not as easy for me as it sounds).
*I think you know the
gear supplements I'm talking about.