# 2008 Improvement Challenge



## nadirmg (Mar 22, 2008)

So, yeah. I know we're already almost a quarter of the way through 2008 but summer is coming up and there's a solid 3 months of prep-time remaining to get something done!

Yes, about 3 months until July,which is when I get my vacation, and I WILL be ready.  Oh yes.. I will be ready 

So... who else is with me?? Don't be pissed at yourself when summer is here and you're wearing a T-shirt over your swimsuit (or birthday suit) because you didn't join the challenge this year and set goals for yourself!

I'd like to start this no later than April 1st and that leaves about a week-ish to get your goals ready and your 'before' pictures taken. So... get crackin'!

Oh yeah, any ideas or suggestions are gladly welcomed!


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## Little Wing (Mar 22, 2008)

ok i'm in for a 3 month improvement. i'm taking my kids to Montreal in early July...


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## IceDragon (Mar 22, 2008)

I'm in for this. I've done one of these online challenges before (actually I've done three to date and am halfway through another), and they're SO motivational.

I should be taking update pics soon anyway, but it's up to you guys about the particulars.


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## nadirmg (Mar 22, 2008)

ladies!  nice to have you aboard!

so i probably did a crap job of explaining the 2008 improvement challenge in my latest post.  it's a contest.  people who want to participate set goals for what they want to achieve over the next 3 months.  goals can be anything from strength gains, weight loss, muscle gains, to speed and conditioning.

before and after pics will help in the decision making to see who improved the most.  update pictures would also be awesome and, i think, very motivating to everyone that's participating.

some of you like ice dragon and little wing are veterans and know what's up.  others that don't know feel free to ask questions here or IM me.

i'll be posting my goals and before pics over the next week


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## SamEaston (Mar 23, 2008)

Okkkkaaaaayyyy.....im in, but im a bit nervous about posting before pics.

I don't wannaaaaaaaa   ....    


Goddam you Nadir


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## nadirmg (Mar 23, 2008)

well, like you were suggesting, sam, maybe we could get the mods to be the judges.  and instead of posting your before pics you could just email them to 'em?

i certainly don't want this thing of before pics to prevent people from joining who otherwise would.


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## goob (Mar 23, 2008)

SamEaston said:


> Okkkkaaaaayyyy.....im in, but im a bit nervous about posting before pics.
> 
> I don't wannaaaaaaaa ....
> 
> ...


 
Yeah what the hell.  I'm in. Except I'm going to go for a 10 mile run in under 80 minutes as my challenge.  That should be pretty hard.

No pics, don't have a camera, plus i don't have the heart to take up a restraining order on Sam when she sees them.......


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## RasPlasch (Mar 23, 2008)

This sounds fun. Now I just have to figure out what I want to improve on .


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## Little Wing (Mar 23, 2008)

i want to lose the ten pounds i gained in the last year of sitting on my butt and another ten on top of that.


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## SamEaston (Mar 23, 2008)

goob said:


> No pics, don't have a camera, plus i don't have the heart to take up a restraining order on Sam when she sees them.......



Bleedin' eck - just the thought of you in anything remotely tight-fitting is enough to send me round the twist Goob.

If i saw pics. . . . well, i don't know what i'd do


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## IceDragon (Mar 23, 2008)

I want to get rid of this damn stubborn ten or fifteen pounds of fat, I've had enough of it. Other than that, I'm not really fussed, although managing to get my heart rate down to 50bpm would be great (I started almost four weeks ago at 67 and I'm currently at 58, so it's kind of acheivable I guess).

Other than that, just consistancy and sticking to a clean diet - something unfortunately I've failed to do today since it's Easter (eggy bread for one...haven't had that since I was a kid and I love the stuff lol).

Oh, and Sam - you're a size or two smaller than me and I'll still be posting pics hun. It's REALLY motivational to see the differences.


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## Little Wing (Mar 23, 2008)

i want to lose fat around my waist and firm up there.


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## fufu (Mar 23, 2008)

I want to do a set of 20 chin ups.


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## Little Wing (Mar 23, 2008)

if i could do _one_ chin up i'd be proud.


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## fufu (Mar 23, 2008)

then maybe you have a new goal


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## Little Wing (Mar 23, 2008)

maybe


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## nadirmg (Mar 23, 2008)

*My Goals for 2008 Improvement Challenge
*

1.  Current Weight (135) up to 145 - 10lb gain

2.  Current Bench (135) up to 160 - 25lb increase

3.  Current Squat (155) up to 235 - 80lb increase

4.  Current Pull-ups (4 sets of 10 at 40lbs assisted weight) up to 4 sets of 10 at BW 

5.  Meet all of these goals w/o re-injuring my rotator cuff or I will be pissed 

6.  Build more muscle (bigger lats, delts, traps, tris, bis, and pecs)



 

 



I'm bulking right now, so hopefully my lower back doesn't get any chubbier back there than it already is...


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## countryboy (Mar 24, 2008)

can a newbie join in?


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## nadirmg (Mar 24, 2008)

sure thing 

just post what your goals are and some 'before' pics if you can.


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## countryboy (Mar 25, 2008)

GOALS:

Get < 20% BF - Current is 26.75, looking for a loss of ~ 7% (.5% per week)
Get < 200 lbs. - Current is 226, would be a loss of 28 lbs (2 lbs per week)

I will start a personal journal to go along with this...  need to take some pictures.  I have started measurements for the last 2 weeks..  never took any in the beginning back in January.


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## nadirmg (Mar 25, 2008)

welcome aboard, country boy


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## countryboy (Mar 26, 2008)

*Against better judgement....*

A couple of pics...  don't laugh too hard, might hurt yourself..

-Dennis


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## IceDragon (Mar 26, 2008)

Should be posting pics for this soon. 

And countryboy, why the hel would we laugh? You're already on the right path by doing something for yourself, and I wouldn't laugh anyway - mid-2004, I was 236 pounds and 39.4% bf.

You can do it, and if you need any help, just holler and I'll help if I can, mate.


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## Pylon (Mar 26, 2008)

A little late to the party, but count me in.  I'm going to pull a Sammie and hold my pre pics until the end.


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## nadirmg (Mar 26, 2008)

IceDragon said:


> Should be posting pics for this soon.
> 
> And countryboy, why the hel would we laugh? You're already on the right path by doing something for yourself, and I wouldn't laugh anyway - mid-2004, I was 236 pounds and 39.4% bf.
> 
> You can do it, and if you need any help, just holler and I'll help if I can, mate.



wow, amazing change, ice.  how long did it take?


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## nadirmg (Mar 26, 2008)

Pylon said:


> A little late to the party, but count me in.  I'm going to pull a Sammie and hold my pre pics until the end.



late?  noooooo, we're actually starting it on April 1st - we're still doing early sign-up 

wha...?  pics at the end?  pylon, you're fine.  but i don't think sam's allowed to wait.  she may be.. disqualified


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## IceDragon (Mar 27, 2008)

nadirmg said:


> wow, amazing change, ice.  how long did it take?


Mid-2004 and I'm almost there now. I've had lapses and fell off the wagon a lot, but I've finally figured out what works for me and what doesn't.

I think it's mainly diet that's held me back, plus I only joined the gym for the first time in September last year.


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## SamEaston (Mar 27, 2008)

Pylon said:


> A little late to the party, but count me in.  I'm going to pull a Sammie and hold my pre pics until the end.



I think the impact factor will be higher, don't you Py?! 



nadirmg said:


> wha...?  pics at the end?  pylon, you're fine.  but i don't think sam's allowed to wait.  she may be.. disqualified



Why you little ...


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## countryboy (Mar 27, 2008)

Ice > thanks for the kind words...  Guess I am too hard on myself.  Just don't like where I was, and want it changed...  NOW!  

Patience, I know..  it sucks!

Glad to see everyone getting in..  should be fun!

-Dennis


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## Pylon (Mar 27, 2008)

SamEaston said:


> I think the impact factor will be higher, don't you Py?!



Indeed!


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## IceDragon (Mar 27, 2008)

Should be posting pics in the next couple of days, just keep getting side-tracked.


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## Little Wing (Mar 31, 2008)

Little Wing said:


> i want to lose the ten pounds i gained in the last year of sitting on my butt and another ten on top of that.




well i weighed myself the other day n i have lost that weight but i'm still puffier from not having worked out. i wasn't really dieting i just have been wanting a lot of fruit lately and i love the basics of a lean diet anyway brown rice, eggs, cottage cheese, chicken...

we walk a lot so maybe that's helped. i was surprised at what the scales said.


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## nadirmg (Mar 31, 2008)

Little Wing said:


> well i weighed myself the other day n i have lost that weight but i'm still puffier from not having worked out. i wasn't really dieting i just have been wanting a lot of fruit lately and i love the basics of a lean diet anyway brown rice, eggs, cottage cheese, chicken...
> 
> we walk a lot so maybe that's helped. i was surprised at what the scales said.



i've had an odd thing like that myself.  except the opposite.
i expected to weight more.  i've been bulking and lifting for over a month and i expected to gain a quick couple of pounds (if anything i thought i'd get some fat poundage going) but i only saw my weight creep up a few pounds  

it's one or both of two things
1.  i'm not eating enough
2.  not lifting heavy enough

it's probably 1.

however!!  i can already see a difference in the mirror to my first pictures i took a couple weeks back.  so i'm doing something right at least.


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## Little Wing (Mar 31, 2008)

nadirmg said:


> i've had an odd thing like that myself.  except the opposite.
> i expected to weight more.  i've been bulking and lifting for over a month and i expected to gain a quick couple of pounds (if anything i thought i'd get some fat poundage going) but i only saw my weight creep up a few pounds
> 
> it's one or both of two things
> ...



before and after pics rock. they're very motivational.


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## IceDragon (Apr 3, 2008)

Finally got me some concrete goals...end of this year so pressure is there but it's achievable for me.

* Run 5 miles without stopping (at the moment I can do about 1.2 but I only started recently)

* Complete OU courses (distance learning)

* Increase my lifts - bench is currently 95 (haven't done it for a while, though), squat is stuck at 111 and deads are the only one progressing nicely at 160. I'd like to see them increase to 110 for bench, 150 for squat and 230 for deads, which I definitely think is "doable". 

* Get rid of this last ten fifteen pounds of fat that hasn't shifted since I was in high school. It's going slowly, but by this time next year, I want it gone for good.

* Do an unassisted chin-up (I know I should aim for five, but if I get one, I'll be chuffed, whereas if I hit three and can't do any more, I'll be completely pissed off).

On top of that, I'm also now a volunteer for St John Ambulance, which means I'll be getting trained to first aider, and then all the way through to ambulance technician over the next couple of years, which is one step below paramedic. I'm also now a parent governor, which means plenty of long-ass meetings about how to run the school.

Talk about being spread thin... 

Piccys should be this week...  I'm a great prevaricator...


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## countryboy (Apr 4, 2008)

Awesome goals...  and a busy life!

I will get out the dictionary for a few of the words...


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## Little Wing (Apr 4, 2008)

IceDragon said:


> I'm also now a volunteer for St John Ambulance, which means I'll be getting trained to first aider, and then all the way through to ambulance technician over the next couple of years, which is one step below paramedic. I'm also now a parent governor, which means plenty of long-ass meetings about how to run the school.




great goals but these are very impressive too


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## IceDragon (Apr 4, 2008)

Thanks guys. 

Just took some update pics, I just wish you could see the difference - getting smaller doesn't show well to pictures unfortunately, but I'm actually another dress size down on the last set of progress pics I took. I also need better lighting.

Oh, and not for the squeamish, but I'm currently carrying about 2 to 3 pounds extra water weight for female reasons...  Btw - ignore the clothing, my sportsbra no longer fits me.

And even in spite of that, I SWEAR I can see some obliques and abs beginning to emerge... 















Looking forward to seeing the next set of piccys in a few months time, which is a first for me...


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## countryboy (Apr 7, 2008)

*Update for April 7*



countryboy said:


> GOALS:
> 
> Get < 20% BF - Current is 26.75, looking for a loss of ~ 7% (.5% per week)
> Get < 200 lbs. - Current is 226, would be a loss of 28 lbs (2 lbs per week)
> ...



Update:

Skinfold started 26mm
Current 24mm  26.32% BF

Weight start (improvement challenge) 226
Current 219


My personal "first" goal ends soon...  wanted to be 215 by April 15th (trip to Florida..)  so it will close  

When I come back from vacation I will be changing my workout from full body weights to a split routine.  Still planning it out..

Later,
-Dennis


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## countryboy (Apr 7, 2008)

IceDragon > Looking good!


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## IceDragon (Apr 7, 2008)

countryboy said:


> IceDragon > Looking good!


Not yet I'm not, but I'm getting there. 

I need to take pics with better lighting next time.


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## danny81 (Apr 7, 2008)

iigt. i want strenght gains. wat i need to post?


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## nadirmg (Apr 8, 2008)

countryboy said:


> Update:
> 
> Skinfold started 26mm
> Current 24mm  26.32% BF
> ...



i need to do an update too.  just a quick one, but need to do an accurate weight measurement first (get up early enough to clear the bowels before i eat breakfast and go to the gym).

i'm sooo stoked to take pictures again on the 23rd, a month after my first  pictures.  i can already feel a big difference, and i've been getting comments at work that my arms are getting bigger.

one thing that i wish would NOT get bigger is my ass   i guess that's the pitfall of squatting is the squatter's ass.


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## countryboy (Apr 10, 2008)

nadirmg said:


> ...
> 
> one thing that i wish would NOT get bigger is my ass   i guess that's the pitfall of squatting is the squatter's ass.



My ass is already big enough... I am going to stay away from squats!


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## goob (Apr 10, 2008)

Cut 4 run  mile time from 33 mins to 30.  In a month I'll be hitting 27 or under.  Then, I'll start 8 mile runs in sub 60 mins.  Before moving onto a 10 mile in under 80 mins...




...after that, I'll enslave the population of the earth to do my wicked bidding.   Hahahaha.....


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## fufu (Apr 10, 2008)

spare me from hell fire plz


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## nadirmg (Apr 10, 2008)

goob, when you take over the world... ... can i have just ONE of your women?


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## IceDragon (Apr 10, 2008)

230 for deads is my goal for the end of the year???

I'll need to up that, just went in there today and deadlifted 186! Woohoo!


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## Little Wing (Apr 11, 2008)

i lifted about a ton today... of maybe 2 years leaves the previous tenants never raked up. and have 2 more tons left to last the weekend. i was looking forward to spring yard work, would have been better if last nite included sleep but i'm sure as hell going to sleep tonite.


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## fufu (Apr 12, 2008)

Hit a PR on chin up reps today. 1 set of 17. That brings me one rep closer to my goal of 20.

I am also going to be cutting for the next 3-4 weeks. I can post some before and afters when it is done.


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## fufu (Apr 12, 2008)

Little Wing said:


> i lifted about a ton today... of maybe 2 years leaves the previous tenants never raked up. and have 2 more tons left to last the weekend. i was looking forward to spring yard work, would have been better if last nite included sleep but i'm sure as hell going to sleep tonite.



nice


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## Little Wing (Apr 12, 2008)

i slept almost 13 hours.


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## goob (Apr 13, 2008)

New goal - hit 300lb on deadlift.  Doing about 270 at the moment.


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## IceDragon (Apr 13, 2008)

Some good improvements here, peeps... Keep it up!


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## Gazhole (Apr 23, 2008)

Is it too late for me to get in on this?

Goals:

* A one-armed chinup.

* Get 240x4 Deadlifts. (Currently at ~200lbs). Yeah i know its surprisingly low, but im not gonna overshoot with a back injury. Bear in mind that i was doing 300ish before . My overall goal for the Deadlift is 400lbs. Baby steps, people.

* Bulk up as much as possible (Lean mass). This is a subjective goal, but screw it.

Will get pictures soon.


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## nadirmg (Apr 23, 2008)

welcome, gaz.  

btw, guys.  i'm taking my 1-month update pictures tomorrow after work.  once i resize 'em i'll upload them.


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## Gazhole (Apr 23, 2008)

nadirmg said:


> btw, guys.  i'm taking my 1-month update pictures tomorrow after work.  *once i resize 'em i'll upload them.*



Damn, you must have bulked up GOOD! Couldnt even fit in the lens


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## countryboy (Apr 26, 2008)

nadirmg said:


> welcome, gaz.
> 
> btw, guys.  i'm taking my 1-month update pictures tomorrow after work.  once i resize 'em i'll upload them.



Ok, must be getting HUGE..  as it is taking some time to resize the pics..



I did another set of pics but there wasn't really enough of a difference...

...  yet!


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## nadirmg (Apr 29, 2008)

countryboy said:


> Ok, must be getting HUGE..  as it is taking some time to resize the pics..





Gazhole said:


> Damn, you must have bulked up GOOD! Couldnt even fit in the lens



hardy har har, guys.  i meant the picture resolution is too big to post here and that i'd UL them once i sized the pictures down.


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## nadirmg (Apr 29, 2008)

ok they're a week late, but i'm making good on my promise.  
update pictures.  this is nine weeks into my bulk.











never done a bulk before so, not really sure if i'm making good progress or not.  i like the difference i'm seeing and i'm feeling a lot stronger.

here's the 'before' back picture:






and the 'now' picture with a little bit of lighting adjustments:






i can really see the before and now difference with the back picture, but not so much with the others for some reason...  

-too lazy to list what my lifts are these days.  just take my word for it:  i'm lifting more.  
-weight is finally staying at or above 140.  for a while i'd keep dipping down to 138 or 139.
-no problems with the shoulder either


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## Gazhole (Apr 30, 2008)

Commented in your journal already, but bears repeating that you're looking great


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## nadirmg (Apr 30, 2008)

Gazhole said:


> Commented in your journal already, but bears repeating that you're looking great



thanks, gaz.  that means a lot coming from you!


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## Gazhole (Apr 30, 2008)

nadirmg said:


> thanks, gaz.  that means a lot coming from you!



Credit where credit is due, man 

Keep it up and you'll be a force to be reckoned with!


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## IceDragon (May 13, 2008)

230 deads by the end of the year? Shit, son...

I'll have to revise that, I did 210 today (and I'm so going to regret it over the next few days LOL)


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## Little Wing (Jun 4, 2008)

how are people doing with this?


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## goob (Jun 8, 2008)

Hit my goal of 300 for DL.


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## Little Wing (Jun 9, 2008)

i have lost a few pounds but just started working out seriously again the other day. july 8th i'll take another picture in the same outfit. 



....





about 2 inches on the right of my dress is shadow..

this was taken last night. like i said i want to lose weight n tone up
smaller waist n boobs, toned arms.


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## Little Wing (Jun 9, 2008)

goob said:


> Hit my goal of 300 for DL.





it's sad how much strength i lost goofing off. not like i was a brute to begin with so it's back to sissy weights but i'm adding faster than before too.


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## goob (Jun 10, 2008)

Little Wing said:


> it's sad how much strength i lost goofing off. not like i was a brute to begin with so it's back to sissy weights but i'm adding faster than before too.


 
THanks LW, added 100lb's to DL in about 4 months without eating enough.

Looking good in the avi BTW.


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## Little Wing (Jun 10, 2008)

goob said:


> THanks LW, added 100lb's to DL in about 4 months without eating enough.
> 
> Looking good in the avi BTW.



thanks . adding 5 pounds makes me feel good, adding 100 i'd expect to turn green n bust out of my clothes.


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## The Monkey Man (Jun 13, 2008)

Can I still join?   Are we going till the end of July or beginning?


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## Little Wing (Jun 14, 2008)

The Monkey Man said:


> Can I still join?   Are we going till the end of July or beginning?




i don't see why not. end of July i hope.


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## nadirmg (Jun 16, 2008)

i think we should go to the end of july too.


back squats
met my goal here (235) and now i'm doing 4x5x235
weighted pull-ups
met my second goal for 5x5x25
hang cleans
bench is currently at 5x5x155 - lagging the most here.

here are some update pictures. i was too lazy to mess with the lighting this time around.  so you won't see as much contrast.  i think my shoulders have made most of the progress this time around.


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## Little Wing (Jun 16, 2008)

nice job.


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## no pin no gin (Jul 3, 2008)

...Thnks


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## no pin no gin (Jul 3, 2008)

> countryboy



But your body needs to be a good diet high


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## countryboy (Jul 7, 2008)

Hey there....  Going to the "end" of July..  Maybe I still have time.  

For the 1st, here are the #'s..  what to be expected as I "fell off" the wagon...

Weight - 208 (from 246)  [I was shooting for >200]
BF % - 15 mm or 20.02%  [Goal was > 20%, close but no cigar]

I know what the efforts brought as far as successes..  Just need to get back into it..  right now, just holding steady..

-Dennis


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## countryboy (Jul 7, 2008)

@ Nadirmg

Awesome!  Keep up the GREAT work!


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