How I Lost 20kg Fat & Gained 10kg Muscles in 10 Months
Aug 5th, 2007 by Mehdi Tags: Build Muscle, Lose Fat, Nutrition
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Sperwer posted his success story in reply to StrongLifts.com 3 Months Later. I found it so inspiring, I decided to make a post about it. Here it is.
“I started strength training 10 months ago. At 1m92, I weighed 110kg / 245lbs with 27% body fat. My cholesterol was out of control & I had the aerobic endurance of a sloth.
One day I looked in the mirror while getting dressed. I realized I was sitting down because I could no longer put on my trousers standing up. I didn’t have the flexibility, strength & balance to do so. This was sobering. Until 5 years ago I always had been more athletic than the average bloke and still had imagined myself, Walter Mitty-like it turns out, to be relatively fit.
So at the age of 55+, I set a goal of “Abs @ 56″ using a routine similar to your beginner strength training program.
I work out every other day, alternating the Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Overhead Press & Bent-Over Barbell Row. I apply progressive loading, systematically increasing the weight. I do weighted back extensions & ab work because of pre-existing sciatic problems resulting from a weak lower back.
This was brutal & very difficult in the beginning. Not least because of the hit to my pride resulting from the low poundages to which I was reduced in order to get through the routines. In the beginning, any given workout also usually left me utterly knackered. I’d have enough residual pump to get home, where I would generally all but pass out for an hour.
But it’s paid off. I’m now squatting and deadlifting 130kg for 12 reps and benching 75kg. I’ve started doing dips and pull-ups. I’ve lost 20 kg fat and gained 10 kg muscle in 10 months. I knocked my body fat down from 27% to 11%. I’ve lost three inches from my waist and put three inches on my chest and arms.
Apropos my goal, I chuffed to say I have a discernible six pack. And I now leave the gym energized instead of exhausted. In fact, if I work out in the evening I have a hard time getting to sleep because of increased levels of testosterone and HGF that the blood work from a recent physical exam indicates my body is producing.
This is as close to the fountain of youth as it gets, I think.”
You Can Change If You Want To. Nobody but Sperwer can tell us what he felt the day he looked in the mirror, seeing himself putting his trousers on while sitting. But I imagine it must have been a feeling strong enough to push him towards action. Strong enough to get him these results in 10 months:
- 130kg squat & deadlift for 12 reps
- 20kg fat lost
- 10kg muscle gained
- 11% body fat
- Six pack
- Etc
All of this at the age of 55.
Don’t Make Excuses. You don’t like how you are now, do something about it. Nobody says it will be easy. It will probably be hard. But think at what you want. And especially at what you don’t want: your current situation.
If Sperwer can do it at 55 in 10 months, so can you. It’s all about attitude. About being fed up with how you are now. About being determined to change, to never be the same again.
Great story by Sperwer. If you got a similar story, post them in the comments or using the contact form. I want to know about it. And Sperwer: thanks again for sharing. You’re an inspiration to all of us.
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Very nice story and kudos to Sperwer.
I myself hope to lose the exess fat one day, already went 4 pants sizes down so where getting there.
Hey, Mehdi:
Thanks for the props.
I want to clarify one thing about my routine, which may have not been clear from my earlier account. I do 5×12 of each of the Big 5 compound exercises in a single training session, and I alternate those omnibus Big 5 days with days on which I do a 20-rep protocol for one of them. So on a Monday, I will do 5×5x12, and on Wednesday, e.g., I’ll do a 20-rep squat routine. Friday is back to 5×5x12, and Sunday will be 20 rep for deadlifts, and so on.
On each training day, I’ll also do 2-5 exercises for a particular body part, e.g., on Monday, I might do 2 additional chest exercises, and on Wednesday 4-5 additional leg exercises, changing the targeted body part each session.
I adhere to a progressive loading protocol for everything, systematically increasing poundages for each of the regular Big 5 sessions, each 20-rep session, and each other exercise. Every six weeks, I also do a 20-rep special: i.e., a 20-rep set of each of the Big Five, during which my target is 20 reps of whatever weight I’m currently doing during regular sessions for 12. Perhaps needless to say, on that day that’s all I do; hell, it’s all I can do - my neuro-muscular system is generally “toast” by the end, if not before
This is, I think, a real “take no prisoners” approach, which - along with a real revolution in my eating habits, involving the near elimination of carbs from my diet ( I haven’t used ANY gear) - is why I’ve been able to accomplish so much in such a relatively short time. But, hey, geezers like me can’t afford to take prisoners.
Hi Sperwer,
and 20 reps with 12 rep max would definitely be a killer…
Congrats for your great progress and your story is so inspiring…but isn’t 12 reps a little too much
Hi Harsh:
12 rep protocol works for me! ;)) Others may find different variations work better for them. It’s a big tent.
Yeah 20 on 12 is a killer but, like I said, we geezers can’t afford to take any prisoners. P.S. And sometimes, I “die” before the prisoners do; it’s the (deliberately, a bridge too far) goal. ;))
P.S. the 20 on 12 at max weight is also only done once every six weeks.
Hi Sperwer,
I didn’t wanted to say that this type of training was not good ,my point was that if you use something like 5 reps then you could definitely lift higher weights..which is better I guess. It is just a general view and of course the 5 X 12 protocol worked great for you
Also Its better to change reps and sets range so as to bring changes and your body doesn’t adapt to a particular training.
It’s a start. Continue & you’ll get there. Good luck with your goals Pens.
Sperwer. Your routine works because your using core exercises: squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows,… several times a week. I agree with Harsh that doing reps of 12 is better for bodybuilding than strength training.
I suppose you weigh about 100kg right now. Your bench press/squats/deadlifts should definitely go up. You should be able to bench press 100kg for a single for example.
If you want that, strength is your tool. Meaning lower rep ranges. But that’s up to you. Maybe you’re happy with your current results, or maybe you want to find the next step. If you do, up your lifts & go for a lower rep range. It will give you a denser look.
From your story, I think you’re someone who’d want to find the next step.
Mehdi and Harsh:
Point taken; in fact I am feeling out the way to bigger strength gains. Right now I’m experimenting with doing a couple of sets of fewer reps with dramatically greater weight, and with longer rests, after doing a warm-up set and two sets of twelve at max 12 weight. Because of a greater preponderance of slow-twitch fibers, age, or psychological considerations, or some complex combination of all three, I find that I usually can lift significantly more weight for the same or greater reps, and dramatically more weight for a couple of reps, after I’ve worked my up through sets of 12 @ my 12 max. Today, for instance, I just got back from the gym where I benched 90kg for 2, which is 15kg better than my 12 rep max of 75, after following the protocol just described. I was feeling real strong, so I went on to do 5×5 of declines and flat dumbbell presses too.
Also, good guess Mehdi; I’ve been running at 100 for awhile. Actual morning weight today was ~ 97.5 - I’ve been doing some AM cardio - so I need to get back in for another body fat percentage test. My guess, looking in the mirror, is it’s all fat loss - I’ve still got some pockets on each side of the lower back, just above the hips and over the adductors to go, though - but I’d like to confirm, in order to adjust my diet if needed.
You can force muscle fibers to behave as fast twitch. Low reps, lots of weight, fast movements, olympic lifts is key.
Age or sex is irrelevant. While progress can take longer for older athletes/women, the rules are the same. Rep range have the same results, progressive loading should be applied, core exercises should be done.
90kg for 2 reps on the Bench Press is good. If you want to lift more, consider working more at a lower weight. Doing 2 sets of 12 before maxing, will exhaust you. Consider this. I suppose your 1RM would be higher if you didn’t do those 2 sets before maxing.
If you like what you’re doing, continue Harsh. If you want more strength, take a look at the beginner strength training program. Try it for 8weeks. And see if you like it & if you see a difference. I think you will.
Whatever you do, continue the good work Sperwer. You’re an inspiration to all of us. Me included. I sometimes wonder how I will do 30 years from now. Your story is another answer to the question.
Not ruling it out, but I’ve found that I have a LOT of trouble EVEN MOVING THE BAR with anything approaching a 1rm weight until after I’ve done some pretty serious lifting beforehand - so it’s sort of a moot point whether or not I could lift more on a 1rm attempt if I didn’t do the 12s first. Maybe this is purely psychological, but the fact that I eventually lift the bigger number sort of militates against that conclusion. I strongly feel - literally, physically feel - that my muscles, and joints (which is where the age factor does come in), just aren’t ready to do it until I’ve primed the pump and greased the bearings, as it were. It seems that’s what it takes to make the muscles act “as if” they’re fast twitch (i.e., recruiting more and more slow twitch bundles to do the work?) and get the joints to act like they’ve been sprayed with WD40. But comments like the last bit of speculation are all pretty meaningless coming from someone like me with next to no knowledge about neurophysiology apart from a little second-hand reading. I just have to do it by systematic empirical self-experimentation. My commitment to doing so - in the context of gaining strength as well as improving appearance - is what’s going to get me there - wherever that is. :))
Anyway, thanks indeed for the encouragement.
And I also want to acknowledge what Harsh said about mixing things up to avoid the adaptation response, i.e., plateauing. That’s what I try to achieve by mixing in a periodically changing battery of more body-part specific movements with the Big 5 compounds. For example, I might do lat pulldowns and lawnmowers for awhile on “back day”, then switch to cable rows and pull-ups.
hey Mehdi ,
I myself was thinking of doing “beginner strength training” program , but I have already started one routine (push/pull) so I will better stick with it for 8 weeks.
Followed by a high endurance work (crossfit WOD type) for 4 weeks…
After that I would definitely do this program..
P.S : I know last 4 weeks would probably lead to some muscle loss and also some decrease in strength, but its intentional …
I completly agree with Mehdi, when my freinds ask questions like for how long are you going to train, I wasnt sure till now but after reading this I am becoming confident that I can add weight training as a part of my lifestyle for a long time
The reason why you have problems with lifting weights close to your 1RM is because you don’t do this often enough. You get good at what you do the most. In your case: your training involves lots of high rep range work (12 & 20). So you get good at 12-20. This is endurance.
That’s why I wrote to lower your rep range. The difference is much smaller if you’re going for a rep range of 5. That’s why 5 is “the magic rep range”. It builds muscle & strength. Singles build strength but little muscle, +10reps build muscles but less strength.
I’ll post advanced versions of the beginner strength training program in the future Harsh for your info. Good luck with the crossfit program
Thanks Mehdi,
Will look forward toward the new program.
Don’t hold your breath, first the beginner strength training program needs to be finished.
Definitely…..
Doing Squats 3 times a week would be brutal but I am onto it. and as soon as my current program finishes I will take some rest and start with basic one only.
Ok. Looking forward to how you react to the program, Harsh.
OK, Mehdi, you’re on. ;)) Today was the end of a cycle. I’m now taking ten days off for a little motoring trip in-country with my family before my daughter goes back to school later next week. When I get back, I”ll start a cycle of lower reps/higher poundages. We’ll see what happens. I have very detailed records going back 10 months, so there will be enough data to compare the the pace of gains measured by increased pounds lifted.
The lower rep ranges solely will make the difference Sperwer. Take my word for it. Enjoy your ten days off with your family.
I don’t know how I happened on this website, but I see my friend Sperwer is bragging about his “Abs at 56″ workout plan. He’s generally completely full of crap on everything else, but on this topic I am chagrined to say it’s true — one day he and I were meeting at a coffeeshop and as I walked up on him I mistook Sperwer for a stranger 20 years younger. Honestly I thought he was some off-duty soldier in his mid 30s, and was fixing to walk on by. So for all you doubters — what Sperwer says is true.
Now, I myself am too lazy to hit the weights yet. But when the day comes I have to lie down on the bed to get my pants on, I will know who to ask for help.
Hey, “Lazy Friend”:
Glad to hear both that you’re not flopping around on the bet wrestling with your trousers yet but, to judge from your browsing, that you either are trying to profile me or starting to get serious about getting into shape before you console yourself with your plight as a “cigar store white man” by expanding your own gut further into a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation of your own. I’m currently enjoying my “sojourn” back in the world, where there is an appalling number of people hauling around their own “corporations”. See you in a couple of weeks.
So, what happened next?
The suspense is killing me.
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