Start Your New Year Declaring Yourself Stronger, Healthier, and Happier

Posted on January 1, 2020 by maxedoutmuscles

Did you make mistakes in 2019? If so, join the club. We meet on Thursdays. No, not really, but I’m willing to bet that all of us fell short of our expectations one way or another.

If you did, then good! At least you had expectations. Have goals for yourself this year, and plan to excel in 2020. You have the opportunity to make a whole decade your greatest. I’m spending my New Years in the gym. Earlier tonight, I made myself a healthy dinner. This year, you don’t have to get boozed up unless that’s honestly your goal. You don’t have to have addictions. Be stronger, healthier, and happier. Head to your local gym and work out. Don’t have a membership? Then get on the damn floor and do some push ups. Can’t do push ups? Jog in place. Just do something people!

Live your life being your best self and buy the hype this year. Sell yourself on being the best you possible.

Feel Better Instantly With This 1 Simple Trick

Posted on July 31, 2019 by maxedoutmuscles

Like the click bait title? Because you’ll love this 1 little trick – set a bed time. Have a routine.

I know this seems simple, but this is something that I am just now finding out. I started going to bed at the same time every day and waking up at the same time and I sleep much deeper than before. While sleep quantity is around the same, sleep quality has improved exponentially. I wake up every day feeling well rested.

A quick google and research seems to indicate that sleep has strong ties to you cardiac and metabolic health. Just give it a shot. Set a bedtime and an alarm to wake up and see how you feel. This may be a good step 1 on getting fit.

WordPress community – What is your opinion on popular weight loss apps?

Posted on July 23, 2019 by maxedoutmuscles

I’m specifically asking about healthy wage, sweat coin, and achievement. All promise to pay you for activity and weight loss.

Feel free to comment and discuss any fitness app you’ve had experience with in the past.

Getting Back At It

Posted on July 22, 2019 by maxedoutmuscles

Gotta keep this short, as I’m typing this from my iPhone before work. I appreciate anyone who decides to read, but please understand that I am typing this for me. This post is an affirmation of my goal, and I am stating the facts:

Fact 1- I started going hard at it 6 months ago. I was also going hard at it a year ago. I went hard at it 3 years ago. I did even better, than those other times, 5 years ago. My continual issue has been discipline and consistency. There are huge gaps, between each attempt at fitness, where I have gotten more out of shape, more gross, more overweight, unhealthier, more unfocused, lazier, and more depressed.

Fact 2- I am the heaviest I have ever been at this point in my life. I weighed myself in at 268 lbs.

Fact 3- I have a long ways to go and I can’t trust every number I see. My scale is basically telling me, “yeah, you’re overweight but look at your body fat %. Only 20%.” The problem is that my scale is wrong and I shouldn’t believe that number. I have since taken body measurements with tape and a caliper and my body fat % is typically close to 30% when I average between my 3 results. Even that may be a low ball number.

Let’s place these facts together, shall we?

I’ve gotten out of shape because I find myself wanting to believe I don’t have a problem. I have trusted obviously faulty numbers regarding my body fat %. I’ve believed “that Three Musketeers won’t be that bad”. I’ve been living day to day without a routine and have had little to no discipline. I’ve made a victim of myself and spiraled out of control.

Today, I tell myself…. I am taking control of my life back. I will develop more discipline. Over the past week, I’ve begun by developing a routine. I now have a bed time, and a time to wake up. When I wake up, I eat breakfast and work out. Then I get ready and often have time to relax before work since I work second shift.

This is going very well so far and I am feeling like I have a lot more energy. I will strive to do more, and I will succeed. I want to, no…. I will be the best version of myself.

Disgusted that I’ve let it get this far out of control, but again… I will take control. I can do it, and I will do it.

September 9th Update

Posted on September 9, 2018 by maxedoutmuscles

It’s week 3, and I might actually be showing some results this time around.

As I’ll share below, I’ve lost about a half a pound which is under my goal. I’m hoping to lose about 2 lbs a week. However, in the photos I am going to share with you, I feel I am looking considerably thinner this week than I was last week.

That being said, I can tell you I did a couple things different this week that may have contributed to my results for this week’s progress update. First of all, I had absolutely no alcohol. I didn’t drink beer, wine, or liquor and I did absolutely no partying. That cut off between 1,000 and 2,000 calories this weekend easily. Also, I worked out much more consistently. As opposed to going to the gym twice this week, I went five times and did a mixture of Athlean X inferno shred workouts and a 5×5 regimen for heavier lifts on my days off on the inferno program.

With all of that being said, I feel I really did put in the work this week and should be seeing some results. Now, with those results being less than my goal, there are a couple possible reasons for that.

First, I had Denny’s twice this week! That is an easy 1,000 calories extra per each day I went. I had Denny’s last week too, so I still have done better this week in net calories I’m sure. I also, maybe because the body doesn’t want to burn calories or maybe because I was stressed, ate some McDonald’s on my first break at work before lunch each day. That is a tremendous amount of money when you do it every day and it also isn’t good for the waist line.

Finally, there is an off chance that I have also built muscle as I have burned some fat. Athlean X YouTuber Jeff Cavalier seems to think it’s very possible to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. Despite some of my poor dietary choices this week, the pictures I am about to show you have me believing that might be what I’ve done.

I truly think I look slightly leaner in these photos than I did in my August 26th or September 2nd updates. I am noticing a small difference on my lower back where I was holding a lot of stubborn fat. While there is still fat there, it looks smaller to me. Also, my stomach doesn’t seem to protrude so much. I know I am holding the camera at a different angle for that one than the others but it seemed like I couldn’t even show my stomach doing the same angle this time because my arm was too much in the way.

Here I will also begin showing you a screen shot of my RENPHO scale, that is supposed to record my weight and body fat % measurements. I’m not entirely sure the body fat parts are accurate, so I may need to buy a tape measure soon so I can get reliable measurements and better recording to be sure about whether I’m losing fat despite what the scale says.

Weighing in at roughly a half a pound less, my results weren’t major but my pictures seem to show improvement.

How to Eat Healthy, Lose Weight, and Feel Awesome

Posted on September 7, 2018 by maxedoutmuscles

This video was posted by “The Health Nerd,” and he is not a normal fitness YouTuber. He supplies a lot of information and provides sources so, if his word isn’t good enough for you, you can check his source and see that he’s right.

The info he shares typically isn’t controversial either, just common sense.

Common sense…

Yeah, common sense… and I don’t mean that negatively toward him, but I feel most of us at this time know what is right for us and our bodies but we ultimately make the wrong decisions time and time again.

It’s by watching videos like The Health Nerd’s that you can remind yourself things you already knew and get a swift reality check halfway through your week. Starting to feel like you don’t know if you made the right choices? Watch videos like this, he outlines very clearly what you should and shouldn’t be doing if you want to get in the best shape of your life!

Joe Rogan – Why Are People Fat and Lazy

Posted on September 5, 2018 by maxedoutmuscles

Today’s video is just one I liked because Joe’s guest in this podcast was an advocate of the “carnivore” diet.

So, first and foremost, I’m kind of burnt out on the whole “diet” idea. I myself have done paleo before and it worked well, I know someone successful on keto, Joe is on keto, and my brother is a vegan. All that being said, I’m not arguing whether diets work or not. Clearly, at least in the short term, they work well and can also be very useful if you have health problems and have to eat a more restricted diet(as is the case for Mikhaila Peterson, the woman Joe is talking to).

I do, though, feel that for most of us a “diet” isn’t necessary. As I’ve said on other posts, perhaps just make one small change a week. You’d be surprised what you can do, and find an exercise you enjoy and do it consistently.

Here, Joe seems to have the same frame of mind and feels diet or exercise don’t really precede one another…he would say you just have to get out there and get the damn thing done… which, honestly, I feel is so true. Watch below:

9 Habits For Permanent Weight Loss

Posted on September 4, 2018 by maxedoutmuscles

The video I am sharing today was posted by Youtube channel “Gravity Transformations – Fat Loss Experts.”

I definitely got the vibe that the guy presenting information in this video knows what he’s talking about. I think all of his advice was good. What I want to add on to it is this..

Just make changes people. Any small change will do…. If just one small change a week, do it! You can. One small change a week in the right direction and in 12 weeks that will be 12 small changes. Just imagine how much healthier you’ll be if you follow that.

I don’t think you have to follow everything he said to a T but it definitely would help you achieve your goals. Just do your best and I want to leave you with a quote from his video that resonated with me:

“We make time for things that are most important to us.” Think that over if you’re struggling to find time to work out.

A Simple Man – Small Changes Can Make A Big Difference

Posted on September 3, 2018 by maxedoutmuscles

A Simple Man is an up and coming fitness YouTuber. On May 6, 2018 he posted the video below. What I find interesting is that May was about the time I started training again, but I have yet to lose so much as 10 lbs. I’ve had results, yes, that are strength related but I’m not much healthier.

But now I think I’ve learned the secret to long term change, and he outlines it below. Make small changes, don’t go on some crazy diet that you’re going to fail at. Consistency is key folks. One healthy change a week, and adding in a little bit of activity you enjoy as opposed to some sudden and crazy exercise choices. Watch up on how he’s doing it and be sure to check out my weekly progress updates to see me go through the same transitions.

September 2nd Update

Posted on September 2, 2018 by maxedoutmuscles

One week since my first update last Sunday. No progress whatsoever.

I started the week headstrong and motivated. I even cooked Sunday. Nothing EXTREMELY healthy, just some spaghetti with meat sauce…but it’s a step in the right direction. For once, I am eating the majority of my meals home cooked, and much less fast food. So!! WHY NO RESULTS?

Here is why I believe I had no results:

1) While I started the week strong, and I even switched my workout program to Athlean X inferno shred, I did not finish the week strong. I did two inferno shred workouts and then, after my rest day, did not work out the rest of the week. So life can happen, I can be tired, etc. but I have to master consistency.

2) My diet was MUCH better this week. I had that spaghetti for most of the week, and followed up with the cooking trend and made fish tacos on Thursday. However, Friday night I went out and got SMASHED. Ab-so-lute-ly shit faced. My friend was throwing a party and I really wanted to go, so I did and I drank 11 beers and 6 jell-o shots. Following that up, I wanted to soak up the alcohol so I had Denny’s. Then, yesterday, I wanted Pizza so I ordered a small Domino’s pizza to myself to nurse the hangover.

SUMMING IT UP, I could have lost some weight this week and looked better but I did not consistently train and I also ruined my caloric deficit by getting hammered Friday night and overeating this weekend. The key to progress for me will be to continue to start those Mondays off strong but I’ll need to begin to follow through to the end of each week.

Progress pic (or lack thereof) below:

Weighing in at the same 261 lbs as last week, I have succeeded at being mundane and average. No bonus points for me this week. On to week 3, where I MUST commit to doing this right! I apologize as I should have added a picture from the back to show those love handles that I need to work on. I’ll include the third set of pics in the next weekly collage.