My experience so far

[ExoduS]

After being lazy for so long I started working out 2 years ago, dreaming to get in best shape of my life in about 6 months. I failed because of lack of planning, lack of discipline, and lack of valid information.
I was overweight, on verge of obesity. I worked out for about 1 and a half years, and my weight dropped 10 lbs, my strength went up because I was beginner, but nothing major was going on. I looked almost the same.
Off course I bought creatine, whey protein, fish oil, flaxseed oil, no-xplode, some other pre-workout bullshit and guess what? Nothing really happened, except that probably my liver and my kidneys were crying and asking me what they done to me so I'm punishing them with all that junk every day. Got some muscle as well, but at what expense? I quit using creatine and preworkout stuff. Took awhile to get used to working out clean again, but I managed to do it. I was still wasting my time with some split routine workouts, with a lot of triceps extensions, biceps curls, leg extensions, hamstring curls, calves work, annoying long ab workouts... All this gave some results, but nothing major. I done squats when I was bored (with horrible form). I done deadlifts... Wait, I didn't do deadlifts. I thought deadlift is something that hurts your back and is useless.

I figured out I was doing something wrong. Well hello! So I started reading how to get big and lean! I finally learned squats are important! I learned good nutrition is number 1, without it, you can throw everything else away, I learned rest and sleep are more important than actual training, but all that was still not settling in, because information came from a lot of sources. Finally I got introduced to http://stronglifts.com/ by one of the people I met at the gym, who was always sqauting and deadlifting. He was squating and deadlifting with another guy who is absolute beast for his size. He was deadlifting 405 lbs and weighted probably at least 20 lbs less than me.

So I got home, went on http://stronglifts.com/, started reading ebook, then everything else on the website, then applying all I learned.

Now most important of everything: Results. I am stronger, faster, leaner, healthier, happier. My weight went from 220 lbs to 195 lbs, but that's not so important. What's important is that while my weight (FAT) was going away, I was getting stronger, and I am still getting stronger.

Here are some pics:
These are from January 2009:
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak- ... 81_492.jpg
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak- ... 8_7413.jpg

This one is taken summer 2009:
http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs155.snc ... 5317_n.jpg

After applying knowledge learned from StrongLifts.com:
Early stage: http://www.mycity.rs/imgs/3139_41969519_bla.jpeg (sometimes in November)
More recent: http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs200.snc ... 6555_n.jpg
From few minutes ago: http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/278/88542263.jpg

And this is what you have to eat time to time: http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/9641/75235055.jpg hehe

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To summarize:
You don't really need to ask me anything specific. I will be glad to answer any question, but all I'm going to answer is for sure written somewhere on this website.
Now I choose to look like that. If you want to look bigger and more muscular, keep getting stronger and stronger, and eat big and then start cutting. (and maybe switch to some other workout beside 5x5, whatever comes after). If you want to look skinnier, just keep cutting. Options are endless.

[rafaerusan]

Wow that's impressive. All in one year! Did you actually lost fat as you gained muscle, or did you bulk first and then cut? Or the other way around? Because I see you had some fat before you started SF, but it's all gone now!

[Tuplad]

Dude, you're RIPPED Congrats on the progress man! It's something you can take pride in.

[ExoduS]

Wow that's impressive. All in one year! Did you actually lost fat as you gained muscle, or did you bulk first and then cut? Or the other way around? Because I see you had some fat before you started SF, but it's all gone now!

I can't prove that I gained muscle while I was cutting fat, but I believe that I did gain some muscle. It is hard to support this answer. I was definitely gaining strength while I was cutting (and I am still cutting).

[ExoduS]

Dude, you're RIPPED Congrats on the progress man! It's something you can take pride in.

Thank you!

[ridethecliche]

Good job!

[JP1994]

Holy moly dude, I know you showed me that picture earlier, but nothing compares to that one you took a few hours back.

Damn man, this proves to me that it does work and I do need to start using it, did you just use the fat loss 101? or was it something else quite reliable?

God damn this is some good stuff you got here man, you must have gained size and lost fat at the same time, surely, look at you, your like an animal. ha.

[ExoduS]

Yeah fat loss 101 is good start. How much will something work is up to you. Up to your discipline, your motivation, concentration, determination etc...

[atypical1]

That is great stuff! Congrats on the change. Was this all with SL for a training program? Goes to show you just how important diet is.

james

[WhiteGorilla]

What are your before and after strength stats?

[ExoduS]

This will answer both questions:
need-some-suggestions-t21545.html

I was doing SL 5x5 for about 2 months, and I am doing it right now. In meanwhile I was doing what I posted in that thread above.
Right now I am doing SL 5x5 mon/wed/fri. Basketball tue/thu. I deloaded so I am right now at this:
Squat: 260 lbs 5x5
Bench press: 230 lbs 5x5
Overhead press: 140 lbs
Deadlift 275 lbs 1x5

I had 1 week vacation in Montreal around New Year, which involved a lot of unhealthy things, so I had to deload.
My next goal is to switch to Texas method when I stall again on SL 5x5.

And yeah. Diet is crucial!!! Can't stress how important is to eat healthy to maximize fat loss + recovery time + a lot of other health benefits.

[GeofT]

Great job, you're seriously lean in those newer pics.

Care to post a sample of your cutting diet. Any other cardio apart from the b-ball.

[kilo1]

Good going dude!

[ExoduS]

Great job, you're seriously lean in those newer pics.

Care to post a sample of your cutting diet. Any other cardio apart from the b-ball.

need-some-suggestions-t21545.html#p346875

Yeah. At least 30 minutes of cardio after every training session.

[drecar]

Good job on achieving your goal. i hope to do the same this summer although im weaker now and carry more fat than you.