Anybody else in awe of your own changes?

[Zero]

All of these stories are amazing. This is why I love weight lifting/strength training: life changing progress.

I started squatting 3x/week about six months ago. Now, when I look in the mirror, I don't see the same person I did six months ago, let alone the same person I saw 2 years ago when I didn't know what a calorie did, what a proper squat looked like, and had never heard of a deadlift.

In fact, sometimes it scares me to be making this much progress. I ask myself: Shouldn't this be harder? Could it really be this easy to become healthier, better looking, and feel so freaking great all the time? The answer is yes, as long as you have a little bit of work ethic, discipline, and persistence.

And yes, I know that feeling when your jeans suddenly feel too tight around the thighs, and when there seems to be a little less room in your t-shirt, especially in the general area of the lats/deltoids/triceps/trapezius. Actually, now that you mention it, all of my clothes have been feeling small on me lately. Friggin love SL 5x5 Advanced.

[gargoyle]

Zero, I know what you mean (well, I guess so since I started the thread ). This is out of my training log.

And just to ramble in my own space here, I am wearing a button up shirt today that I have not wore in probably two months. I can feel it stretching against my lats - odd feeling. The sleeves that had four fingers room in (about 3" loose basically) now only take 1 finger without being tight, and there isn't any way the top button in buttoning. Misses by like 1/2" where it was loose before. I kind of knew the other stuff, but I didn't know my neck would grow.

I think a large part of it is that it is a straight forward program, well explained, and not complicated.

The only think I have not had happen is any outside commentary. Not a bit. But I am doing this for myself, no one else, so I can live with that.

[Gvonf]

This morning when getting dressed I caught my wife smiling and looking at me strangely. I asked: "What's with the look?". She replied: "Your ass. It's changed", and kept smiling. :)

I try my best to not get strung out on how I look, but instead concentrate on how I feel, but to say that the outside wouldn't matter would be a huge lie. The best thing is, that SL being the case, aesthetic changes mean that you're getting stronger. That I truly don't mind. What I look like wasn't a slightest issue at first, but it's been mindblowing to notice that to train for strength actually molds you into something new. Today at the gym I had shorts on for the first time, and when doing leg swings before squatting, I couldn't believe what I was seeing in the mirror: instead of one big muscle in my calves I could see two plus some smaller ones. Epic!

[dylanamus]

The fact that I've had to move from satin to cotton underwear and that my jeans have gone from the "skater" to the "emo" look is testimony to the program haha

[grecowrestler14]

Ever since starting stronglifts in October my weight has gone up from 135lbs to 147lbs. I'm maintaining my BF% between 3-5%. All my max lifts have gone up 50+lbs and rising since starting. I've gotten so much more bigger and muscular. Alot of people comment on how fast I'm growing and how big and strong im getting in short periods of time. I love stronglifts!

[Spooky]

Yeah, I'm the same way... I was scratching my chest one morning and my finger got caught on a hint of a pectral. It was awesome!

But, since I have never done any of this fitness stuff before, I don't know if it is fast or slow gains. I just know it is a gain, period.

Good work, keep it up.

[TeenLift]

Yeah, I've noticed my jeans getting tighter 'round my jeans, and it's only been two weeks, though I started off with higher weight since I'd already been lifting for a while.

On a different note, I've looked everywhere; is there a table for SL5x5 Advanced like there is for SL5x5 Beginner?

[Zero]

Here's the original article:
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-advanced-strength-training-for-intermediates/

And here's a direct link to the spreadsheet, taken from the article:
http://stronglifts.com/files/stronglifts-5x5-advanced.zip

I love the advanced program. A little more variety. Just starting week 5 this week, moving in to high intensity

[robertcochran]

I started the Rippletoe beginner routine 6 weeks ago now and the progress has been staggering. I am somewhere between 5'11" and 6'0" depending on what doctor's office I am in, weighed 180 and was at around 11% BF.

In six short weeks I am up to 190, same BF%, same waist size (32"), but everything else is just staggering. I have upped my squat from 185 to 245, bench 160 to 195, deadlift 160 to 220, OHP 80 to 95. The only diet change was adding a quart of whole milk to everyday.

I started lifting a year and a half ago on a Doctor's advice when I was weighing in at 150, 1% BF, and had major stress fractures in both legs and horrible IT problems due to the lack of nutrients. However, it took me a whole year to get up to 180. I got to say, taking it old school and simple is the best thing to ever happen to my workout, I've gone from skinny to friggin' jacked and just love it. I look like a football player where I once looked like an anorexic poster-child.

My ultimate goal is to get my BF to around 10%, squat 3x5 at 350, bench 3x5 at 250, deadlift 1x5 at 350, and OHP my bodyweight.

[wrenchhands]

The other day I busted out 30 pushups out of nowhere. I did the same thing for some wide arm pullups today. (Not 30, but nevertheless, I did some where I could previously do about a half pull up). Playing on the playground, I accidentally hurt a kid on a merry go round thing by pushing him harder than I thought I was.

I did some shirtless deadlifts today (part form check, part narcissism I guess) and noticed I looked much more muscular. I can't wait to head to the beach with girls I used to know.

I mean, I'm not that deep in the program, but I've had similar "gains" from when I started doing pushups and dumbell exercises when I was 18, to picking up the bench press at 20, to this. I hope I can noob gain it up to 170.

The hardest part is the nuitrition.

[DoNotDisconnect]

The past 2 weeks i've seen people i've not seen in a few months.
Everyone has mentioned how big i was looking.
on Friday night someone even asked if i had been taking steroids

The bizzarre thing is when i look at myself i think i look small or skinny almost - even though i'm almost 2 stone heavier than i was in January. I guess tha'ts cause i see myself all the time so don't notice the difference? All my clothes feel really tight though, going to have to go shopping for a whole new wardrobe soon i think!

A great feeling though i have to say - i still catch my reflection sometimes and think it's someone else

[thunderdownunder]

I have noticed my work shirts getting tighter around my mid to upper back just under armpit level. Weight has gone up a couple of kgs but I am thinking thats due to all the extra water intake etc. Waist size has not changed yet but am hoping it will shrink.

[mattyc]

I started out on SL 5 weeks ago. i was 81kg, fairly strong on most lifts, but wasnt happy with my physique - which can be described as unbalanced, puffy and a 'twice a week at the gym-looking'. pretty strong, but couldnt 'pull-up' my way out of a paper bag.

after 3 weeks on SL, ive gained 3kgs, my back has filled out, my shoulders and chest has plumped up, and my biceps are like stone.

after 5 weeks on SL, ive gained an additional 2kgs, my quads have beefed up in all directions and are rock solid, my glutes are solid and bigger, my calves are plump and ankels thicker, and i have very noticeable vascularity in my arms (which looks great!)

now into week 6 and ive put on an additional 1kg, abs are becoming quite prominant and muscluar looking (as opposed to just the bumps that they formerly used to be), and my chest is morphing into something out of 'transformers'.

i love this program so much that i sometimes cant sleep at night because im so excited about the future me! also, the mental boost that i gives me is astonishing. i have more confidence wherever i go, because of the extra physical powers that i now possess. for example - if i can put something on my back that is 1.5 x my BW and stand up with it, i can pretty much do anything! it hardens you up and makes you a real man.

and finally, there is a pool in my gym which i regualry use to cool down with some light cardio post workout. sometimes, i have the privacy to admire myself in the mirror for a few seconds. the last time i did this, i actually laughed to myself in amazement at what i saw in the mirror. like a secret chuckle. happy in the knowledge that i am not getting 'beach-buff' but am getting a new, functionally strong body which looks and feels f*cking fantastic!

[RobCosimo]

i've gained an ass, and traps. Traps are the definitely the most noticeable change for me. Which is cool, I like traps.

[BenH]

When I lifted back in college, I'd do tons of curls; standing, preacher, DB, hammer, you name it. Never really had any noticeable biceps. Last workout I went to the gym bathroom to wash my hands (this was after the workout with pullups), and the caught a look at myself in the mirror. Not to say I have bodybuilder biceps or anything, but just the motion of washing my hands was making muscles on my arms stick out that I've never seen before. I always used to think guys in the gym checking out their muscles in the mirror were just vain. Now I understand; it's awesome to see tangible results of the hours and sweat you put in to it.

Ben