Summer Growth Challenge

[The Magus]

Hey folks,

I've seen this done one other weight-lifting/fitness forums, so why not here? Anyone up for a muscle growth challenge over the summer? A contest to see who can make the most gains, or at least a "friendly" competition to see who can meet their own personal goals?

Perhaps people could post their present stats, their goals, and post a photo (if they have 'em...I, alas, do not) before summer officially begins (June 21st?). Then, we'd keep everyone updated on our progress over the summer, discuss our strategies and then in September we can all post our results.

I think it'd be fun, and it would be a great chance for weight-lifting newbies to get inspired to start. Who's in?

[grywlf]

sounds like a great idea nothing like a challange to motivate ya not sure what to set for goals i have always gone for more strength for long time it was hard for me to gain weight , 6ft5 now that i filled out more i should try to slim or cut a bit ,but then i end up trying to get bigger stronger again i took some time off 3 months after that i really threw myself back into my workouts i've done better in the last couple months then i have in years my weight is still high but it not in my adominal area anymore in fact i think
i'm up about 8 lbs since 2 months ago and by the way at first when your shirts
get tight its cool but now it annoying i couldn't wait to change my shirt yesterday
when i got out of work i thought it was one of my 1x turned out it was a 2x tall
some of my sets are low i think and others are higher then normal it would be cool
to talk to some other tall guys and get an idea of what there doing and what there problem areas are for me i can't bench much but i can military press and row very heavy my curls have in the past been a problem but there fast becoming my best exersice

[jcnutt]

I think that would be a great idea... I was lucky to just get started back in the gym after a 6 week layoff due to mutiple issues, and having a bit of a challenge would definately motivate me even more. All you young guys get in here, your instant growth always pushes me, along with the jealousyt of wishing I had started sooner....

[brent]

I'm in for the challenge.

Here's an idea: Team challenge.
We join teams of a specific size, maybe 2 or 3, those people exchange phone numbers, and push their teammates to gain. Which ever team gains the most muscle wins.

[slaphappystanly]

yeah, i think that'd be great. i'm in.

[The Magus]

I dunno about the team idea, mainly because I'm antisocial and don't like making new friends ( :P ).

Anyway, here are my stats and my personal goals...

Current:

Height: 6' Weight: 217lbs Waist: 36" Chest: 48" arms: 15 3/4" Body Fat %: app. 19-20% (this number is highly suspect, since it comes from plugging in my height, weight, and waist size into a calculation. That method of determind BF% is highly unreliable)

Goals:

I'd to get myself solidly into the 34"-waist range without losing any muscle. I think I can get there in a month or two if I eat right. Other goals are to put on at least 5 more pounds of muscle and to get my biceps over the 16" mark.

Strategy:

Diet: I'm on a low-ish carb diet where I get most of my carbs from veggies, and where I get lots of protein and some fats, eat six-seven times a day. I allow myself one cheat day a week where I can have anything I want. This plan has worked well for me, so I'm going to continue.

Suppliments: I'm taking multivitamins, ZMA Complex, protein shakes, flax oil, Tribex (a testosterone enhancer), and I found some leftover creatine that I'm going to toss in there, for fun.

Workout: I'm sticking to big, basic, compound movements (like deadlifts, squats, etc) as the base of my workout, with more isolating movements if I think I need 'em. I'm actually on week 6 of a 12 week regime, so I'll finish that off and either start it over again or move on to something slightly different.

Only a few more days until summer starts! By August, I'll have no qualms about going shirtless!

[brent]

My team idea was just that, an idea. After posting that, I got to thinking that it wasn't even very practical with people all over the world.

[glammaman2000]

...in my apartment either(just a studio)

[ottomun6]

So instead of teams, what about individuals? The basic idea would still be to get bigger than other guys. That can light a small fire under everyone during their workouts. Picture you are just finishing that last rep, and you are thinking in the back of your mind that Brent probably did two more reps than you did. Consequently, Brent pushed himself farther and is getting bigger than you are.
So now, instead of stopping, you force out an extra rep or two (in your mind you yell "Can't let Brent beat me!!") If you happen to have a workout partner or spotter, you can probably say "I'm going for two more, watch me close!"

Just pretend someone or even a bunch of guys you know on the other side of the country (or planet) is making gains and you DON"T want to be left behind.

[brent]

I'm so happy, people are talking about me on the internet:

Originally Posted by ottomun6

So instead of teams, what about individuals? The basic idea would still be to get bigger than other guys. That can light a small fire under everyone during their workouts. Picture you are just finishing that last rep, and you are thinking in the back of your mind that Brent probably did two more reps than you did. Consequently, Brent pushed himself farther and is getting bigger than you are.
So now, instead of stopping, you force out an extra rep or two (in your mind you yell "Can't let Brent beat me!!") If you happen to have a workout partner or spotter, you can probably say "I'm going for two more, watch me close!"

Oh but I will beat you Otto!

Originally Posted by ottomun6

Just pretend someone or even a bunch of guys you know on the other side of the country (or planet) is making gains and you DON"T want to be left behind.

hello, where did we veer off from talking about Brent?

[The Magus]

That sounds exactly what I had imagined...I'm thinking more along the lines of "friendly" than "competitive", but there's definitely a middle ground in there I can work with.

And summer officially starts real soon....if anyone else wants to join in, they should post their current stats, their goal stats, and whatever strategy they plan on using to reach their goals...I love hearing how other guys are making progress.

Also, because I haven't yet in this post, I want to briefly mention Brent, just to keep the thread on topic.

[brent]

OK, the last bit of fluff, how about "cooperative" instead of "competitive"?

Now on topic:
? Which stats exactly would be best to post?
? When should these be posted by?
? What are the start/stop dates?

Thank you for your ideas.

[The Magus]

Gosh, I hadn't thought that far ahead...I was just thinking people could post what they wanted to, though probably the more info, the better. As for start and end dates, I'm suggisting from the start of the summer (now) to the end of the summer (September 21st-ish), but I see no reason why someone couldn't start late. *shrug*

On the topic of my personal goals, though, I've already found success! I guess I already am a 34" waist...or I was this weekend when I went shopping for some clothes to wear for my birthday/Pride weekend. I haven't been 34" since high school (I considered myself chubby back then, too...but I look at pictures of myself from back then and can see that I was flabby, but not really fat...makes me wonder what negative images I have for myself now that aren't completely accurate).

I hesitate to list 32" as a goal waist now, since I'd always considered that "too thin"...but I still have an inch or two of loose flesh/fat that suggests that my ideal waist probably is 32". I'm gonna have to think on some new goals...

[ottomun6]

Yeah guys, that sounds good to me. As far as competitive, co-operative and friendly, I was just thinking that we are just a bunch of guys working out. The goal is to push more than you would normally and get results, just like jocks do.
In the end, everyone wins, even the guy that only lost a half inch off his waistline.
The only problem is that I have already started a goal for the summer, and I can't measure or weigh myself til the later part of August.

Maybe what I can do is put up my stats from the other month and push my measurement/ weight day into September? So maybe I can be sort of unofficial, but still running parallel with the challenge?

[Notbigenuff]

I think this challenge is a great idea. I have my current stats posted with my profile--seems to be as good as place as any to keep them--and also had a good leg workout today--growing already! Anyone else starting?

[brent]

I agree with the first/last day of Summer idea, so here are my stats:
Upper Arms: Right 17.75"/45 cm, Left 17.25"/44 cm
Forearms: Right 14.25"/36 cm, Left 14"/35.5 cm
Thighs: Right 26.25"/67 cm, Left 26.25"/67 cm
Calfs: Right 17.25"/43.5 cm, Left 17"/43 cm
Chest/Back: 47.5"/121 cm
Waist: 37"/94 cm
Stomach (stomach out, largest part): 40"/101.5 cm
Weight: 224 lbs./224 kg.
Pants: 36" waist
All measurements are approximations.

My goal for the end of Summer is to gain muscle, and fit into 34" waist pants again.

[brent]

I just had my husband take some pictures for the "before" shots. I will post them in the next day or so.

[brent]

As stated in the last post, these were all taken yesterday(6/21/2004):

[brent]

Here's Rob on 6/21/2004:

[jco2007]

Saw your pictures and I have to say they are impressive (you might not think so, as you see yourself daily), but hey you've got good all-round size and density. (your husband's no mouse either).

You want to get even bigger for summer (the mind boggles ). You'll need a wide-angle lens to fit into the picture. Now that is inspirational, to see this behemoth taking shape before our very eyes. (I enjoyed the post, like many others you've sent). Good luck mate.

I'm kind of puzzled how you will gain muscle yet loose fat, but I'm sure you will show the uninformed (ie people like me) how its done.

Thanks

Grow on dude.

[brent]

JCO,
Thank you for all your positive comments. As for my goals, I will increase cardio, and that may help. If I gain a little fat this summer, I won't be heartbroken. However, if my arms aren't over 18" I will be.

[ottomun6]

Brent!! is that what you look like? I somehow pictured a lanky dark haired guy with a bit of biceps thrown in.
You are huge!! In a NFL player type of way that upper body (and lower too) is beefy looking...like you know how to throw your weight around! YIKES!

Your hubby looks like he knows how to take care of himself too! But is it my imagination or did you snap that pic of him as he was about to say "No!, no pictures!" ?

[brent]

Otto,
He was actually saying, "No, no pictures until I am in better shape!" LOL Oh well. Then I posted it on the Internet. Oops. He has a lot of muscle (which he needs to be my workout partner ) but he is distracted by the bit of fat he has. I think it's all sexy, but that's just me.

The thing to remember is that I was a thin lanky guy a few years ago. We all start somewhere, so if anyone is feeling too intimidated to go to the gym, don't. Every big buff stud in the gym was once small and intimidated. Most of them are friendly because they remember how they first felt, or they won't take any notice of you, because they are preoccupied with their own bodies.

Also, why don't you post your stats from a month ago, and then delay your results for a month, or you can have a month head start if you prefer?

Thank you for all your nice compliments.

[ethernet_jock]

damn!! would you look at those guns!!!

Remind me not to piss off Brent again... mmm kay?

[ottomun6]

EJ,...shh!, he might hear you and get mad that we are talking about him! LOL
Yeah, I get swatted like a bug and you...well you're a big mother anyway.

Brent, I can't believe you were thin. WOW!!
There's no way anyone is going to call you skinny now. You and your hubby are tanks, probably need fairly large vehicle to fit you guys into. (I guess it's a safe assumption that you guys don't try squeezing into a Chevy Metro)
And if you get a chance, check out Roger Hazard on "Sell This House", I think he has bulk/muscled up so much that I'm in awe of his size.

[jcnutt]

Ok, well now that Brent has basically " thrown down the gauntlet " it is time for the rest of us to join in... I will follow up with pics... but the stats come first:

not quite as detailed as Brent though..

Height 5'11"
Weight 209
Chest 46"
Biceps 16.25" (ave)
Quads 26"
Waist 35"
Calves need to measure..

plan on making some big changes in these numbers by end of summer... it helps to have some friendly challenges from you guys...

[traveller]

Brent,

You look good. Your frame should carry extra muscle well. It looks like you have a good base to start your summer challenge.

I'm looking forward to your progress pictures.

Traveller

[brent]

Otto, Thank you for all your positive comments, but I don't think I'm nearly as big as anyone on the NFL (although I am working on it...) And yes, actuallly my husband has a Chevy Cavalier, and a Suzuki Swift (think Geo Metro), and I have a Dodge Raider (a retagged Mitsubishi Montero.) We need small cars in this city, because the streets were designed long before the car was invented, so there is no room for cars.

EJ, As far as I recall, you are a pretty big guy your self. I think you are a lot taller (I am about half an inch under 6 ft.) and a little heavier. You should post your stats too, and enter the competition. We homos need to work you over so that you get buffed up so that your kids introduced you as the strongest man in the world when they get to be school aged.

JCNut, I'm not sure what the colloquialism, "throwing down the gauntlet" means (I love the newer version of Gauntlet, the version made for Nintendo 64). However, if it encourages you to try harder in the gym, then I will gladly throw it down. As I recall, you were really skinny last year, and you you have a lot of size on you too.

In general: Where are our more massive members like muscleD, MassingUp, Glamma, etc? I'd like to see the guys that dwarf me enter this thing too!

[ethernet_jock]

hahaha... alright, alright. I'm chicken shit about this but I'll do it. I'll get some measurements tonight and post them tomorrow. I've already got some "befores" from late April / early May and I don't think I've grown much/any since then so I'll stick with those.

I know I'm not going to win tho because I only work out 3x/week and only for like 1.5 hours during lunches (that's about all the time I can afford) and with probably having to get a new job in the next few weeks I'm not sure what's going to happen to my workout schedule. Plus the only kind of supplements I can afford is a little extra protein here and there. Assuming I get to keep it up consistantly, hopefully I'll have something to show in 4-6 months. How long is the term of the contest anyway?

And yeah - I'm large in terms of being tall and heavy... but damn... I want guns like those.

[The Magus]

Okay, so I guess I ought to pony up, since it was my challenge in the first place.

My photos: I don't have a digital camera or a scanner, and I don't have any recent pictures of myself anyway. I'm planning on getting a digital camera soon, though, and I'll be taking some "before" shots with a normal camera this weekend (it's my birthday this weekend, and it's our pride parade, so I think I'm legally required to take pics). So...eventually I'll have some before pics.

My stats: measured with a string and a ruler, 'cause I have no measuring tape.

Height: Just shy of 6'
Weight: Scale said 212lbs this morning (with gym shoes, shorts, and shirt on)
Waist: 35"
Gut (relaxed, just under belly button): 42"
Chest: (flexed):49"
Arms: 15.5" (I think with my pump this morning I was near 16" wee!)
Forearms: 14"
Thighs: 25"
Calves: 17"

All measurements are approximations, and I didn't take into account that different sides have different measurements. I was being lazy. Sigh.

Goals: In flux, but I want to have a noticeable increase in size, while keeping my body fat % from getting too high (I'm hoping to ride whatever's left of the "newbie gains" and maybe lose some more fat).

Strategy: I tend to tell everyone that you should keep a food log, having done so this winter and being amazed at what I found...so, starting yesterday I re-started the log and discovered that I'm not eating enough and, more importantly, I'm not even eating half the amount of protein that I need to to make the gains I want, so my biggest change will be to increase the amount of "clean" protein I get. More protein shakes, cans of tuna, and cottage cheese for me, I guess!

My motto for the next few months is "Eat Big, Lift Big, Get Big!"

That's all, I guess. By the end of July, I'm hoping to have maybe 5 pounds more of muscle...

Oh yeah...Brent, you're definitely a cutie. I'd love to be where you're at now, physique-wise.

And Ethernet jock, I think this sort of competition can have a lot of winners...because everybody's bodies and goals are different, it's probably impossible to choose a standard to compare us all. Just focus on your goals, man.

[brent]

Magnus, Don't worry about not having a digital camera, there are lots of practical solutions:

1. Use you old film camera, and order a picture CD with it.
2. Many developers (even cheap ones) now offer to post your pictures online too, and you can save them from there.
3. Most copy centers like Kinkos, and many larger grocery stores with photo/electronics departments have scanners.
4. Scanners are now cheap, easy to hook up, and easy to opperate. Watch the ads of your local computer super stores.
5. Didgital cameras are ow getting cheap, I saw an ad in Frey's for a 4 Megapixel camera for US $49. That's an extream example, but their are deals out there.
6. On a recent trip to Canada, I purchased a little crappy Digital camera for CDN $40. It wasn't much, but it takes digital pics.

EJ,
Old pics don't seem bad, as long as they are fairly recent.
I don't think we really agreed to what it takes to win. I'll think of this as a competition to push my workouts, but no matter what happens, I win. What do I win? More mass! You can too!
Also, don't worry if your guns aren't as big as mine yet. I'm sure they soon will be as big as mine, and at your height, they will be an impressive pair of guns indeed! Just keep going forward, and working-out.
I think the best supplement for you money is in Multivitamins & minerals. Trader Joe's is great if you have them in Denver.

[RadRx]

EJ:

If you're eating well, a little extra protein is all you should need supplement-wise.

My roommate consumes more from plastic bottles than real food and is always trying to justify* it by saying "Those are supplements!" To which I think "What are you trying to supplement - drive thru?" He also joined a gym for a week and stopped because he got sick; he figured that the added stress of workouts didn't agree with his body.

They're designed to augment the diet rather than replace it like a lot of folks assume.



*[aside] His comments stem from my wanting to clean the kitchen and put the bottles in a cupboard; his statements are not from replies to any comments on my part.

[grywlf]

instead of just sharing stats and pics i like to compare workout notes i admit
i don't check my stats as much as i should i used to but i still keep track of all
my sets and how much weight and how many reps for each exersise i do
i been doing this since i started in 97 it really cool to see how much more i can
do then 3 or 5 years ago
so i think my goals would be more like add about 40-60lb per set depending
on what one i'm doing i had goals in the past and far past them now just never
made new ones just always trying to get one more rep or 10 more lbs then i did last workout
also would like to compare stats with others around my height everyone in
my family is overweight not only because of diet but inactivaty
my uncle is also 6ft5 he weighs 260 so he says who knows with a 44 waist
meanwhiile i am up to 250 at 6f5 with a 38inch waist although i like to get back to a 36 soon my weight has gone up slowly over the last 5 years but i'm still much thinner looking then my uncle if he really is only 260 then i have much more muscle mass then him
my goals would be to be stronger and leaner just need to figure out how much to
set as a goal too many times before i set a goal for 6 months do it in 3 and not set
new ones if goals aren't challanging there not worth making

[brent]

OK, then I will start keeping a journal, and I'll post online.

[Notbigenuff]

I'm not quite as adventurous as Brent--who's pics look pretty good to me, too--and so am not quite ready to post pictures here. But I did take some new measurements today and here's what I came up with:

Height - 5' 11"
Chest - 46"
Waist - 40" (up from when I posted on my profile--what have I been eating?)
Arms - 17" (just a little under when flexed)
Forearm - 13 1/4"
Calf - 17 1/2"
Thigh - 25"
Weight - 234 (this morning)

Been working out harder this week and kept up with my cardio--this challenge may be the motivation I needed, thanks guys!

[glammaman2000]

...but a word about journals.i'm sure that at some stage they can be helpful;but i'll never forget what one guy said when i was managing a gym.he saw someone with a pad&said "your body still looks like shit;but your handwriting has improved tremendously!"keep it in mind.

[brent]

NotBigEnuf,
Your stats sound very similar to mine. However people should only do what they are comfortable with. I think you'll be glad if you get a little more adventurous!

Glamma, I'm still not sure how I'm going to journal. I've never been good at journaling, but I'm willing to try.

[Notbigenuff]

Originally Posted by brent

NotBigEnuf,
Your stats sound very similar to mine...

And yet what a difference an inch or two here and there make! Of course we'll have to see how it goes this summer pictures may be in the making...

As far as journals and such go, I find that keeping accurate records over the years can actually help to motivate as well. Whenever I feel somewhat discouraged over progress I pull out some of my old notes to remind myself how far I've come. Helps to get me over the "humps" on occasion.

[brent]

Originally Posted by Notbigenuff

And yet what a difference an inch or two here and there make! Of course we'll have to see how it goes this summer pictures may be in the making...

I'm sure you look great, even with the inch or two here or there. I promise I can find lots of positive things to say. Also, nobody says that you have to give your name, address, and face on your pics. In fact, you probably won't see any of us outside of here, so who cares?

[ottomun6]

Ok, here are my stats.
They are pretty close, but I have missed my workouts for the last couple of weeks.
The pic is a couple of years old, but its still pretty close to what I look like now.
(I'm using these since I already have promised myself not to check until fall)

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 185 lbs
Chest: 45 1/2"
Biceps: 17 1/2"
Forearms: 12"
Waist: 32 1/4"
Quads: 25 3/4"
Calves: 16"