Best products from r/progresspics

Here are a couple products that look good and have good reviews. I have had friends use these when they go out of town for business. The deal is, you can combine the bands to get more resistance. So you would hold a red AND yellow at the same time and its much more difficult to lift. You can literally do just about every excersize with these. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, curl, back exercises, just about anything. Of course, nothing beats old fashioned iron, but this will get you going.

Other than these, try to get in cardio in some way. The best way to get in cardio in a short amount of time. HIIT is great. 20-25 minutes is the equivalent of 60 minutes of regular training.

Here is an excerpt from bodybuilding.com (which I posted the link to the article below as well...


> BEGINNER'S LAYOUT
Minutes 1-4 (Warm-Up)
Jog at about 50% effort
Minute 5 (Workout Interval 1)
Sprint 30 seconds at maximum effort Jog/Walk 30 seconds
Minute 6 (Workout Interval 2)
Sprint 30 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 30 seconds
Minute 7 (Workout Interval 3)
Sprint 30 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 30 seconds
Minute 8 (Workout Interval 4)
Sprint 30 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 30 seconds
Minutes 9-12 (Cool-Down)
Jog at about 50% effort
After every two workout sessions, one can increase the number of "workout" intervals they do each time up until about 10 total "workout" intervals. This will allow for a steady progression of fitness levels, and help one realize the full potential and results of interval training.

> While it's definitely possible to perform this training using a variety of methods like with a Stairmaster, bike, or treadmill, it's more beneficial to apply a simple unassisted running technique. Because sprinting causes a greater peak in oxygen consumption, it is most ideal for HIIT workouts.

> It's been shown that the closer one gets to their maximum oxygen intake (or VO2max) while exercising dictates how much fat will be used for energy afterward. So the use of sprints conforms best to our goal of losing adipose tissue.

> However, the option of sprinting is not always convenient for those who want to reduce the stress on their joints. For such individuals, a bike or elliptical machine may be the perfect solution. These types of machines might also want to be used once in a while just to provide a different stimulus for the body, and to prevent adaptation and plateaus. But for the most part, it's highly recommended to stick with the alternation of sprinting and jogging for HIIT.

> For those who have progressed through the previous workout that was outlined and are still seeking new challenges, the following HIIT workout might do the trick. It's certainly not easy and might be the closest to being "the best" one can do for a HIIT workout in terms of intensity.

> ADVANCED HIIT LAYOUT
Minutes 1-4 (Warm-Up)
Jog at about 50% effort
Minute 5 First-Half (Workout Interval 1)
Sprint 20 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 10 seconds
Minute 5 Last-Half (Workout Interval 2)
Sprint 20 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 10 seconds
Minute 6 First-Half (Workout Interval 3)
Sprint 20 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 10 seconds
Minute 6 Last-Half (Workout Interval 4)
Sprint 20 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 10 seconds
Minute 7 First-Half (Workout Interval 5)
Sprint 20 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 10 seconds
Minute 7 Last-Half (Workout Interval 6)
Sprint 20 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 10 seconds
Minute 8 First-Half (Workout Interval 7)
Sprint 20 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 10 seconds
Minute 8 Last-Half (Workout Interval 8)
Sprint 20 seconds at maximum effort
Jog/Walk 10 seconds
Minutes 9-12 (Cool-Down)
Jog at about 50% effort
Using these 12 minutes as planned, for 3 times a week, will no doubt have anyone reaping the benefits of new leanness and more within 8 weeks. To help stay on track for the duration of the program it is be best to monitor heart rate during exercise in order to ensure that the desired intensity levels are reached.*

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw40.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Resistance-Performance-Bands-Great-Therapy-Fitness-Stretch-Elastic/dp/B00HMJ4ODG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458752622&sr=8-3&keywords=work+out+bands

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Mountain-Products-Resistance-Exercise/dp/7245456313/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458752622&sr=8-1&keywords=work+out+bands

thanks so much! 12 years between photos and i'm actually up 20 pounds from my lowest weight so, as you can imagine, it's been quite a journey! counting calories has definitely been crucial to my fat loss, maintenance, and muscle gain and i'm a myfitnesspal fanatic with 2296 consecutive days logged as of today! i answered your question about activities in a previous comment but i'll quote it below for you to read!

>i was a cardio bunny for years, often sinking an hour on the elliptical 5 or 6 days a week, and was really unsatisfied with my overall appearance. so i started strength training last fall, using dumbbells at home, and was both excited and encouraged by my results to get more serious about it!

>more specifically, i've been on bret contreras' r/strongcurves program for about 8 weeks. i highly recommend the book, which you can buy on amazon. the first 3 weeks i used the "best butt" at-home bodyweight program, then decided to switch to the "bootiful beginnings" program, which requires weights, once i felt i had a better understanding of movements, muscle activation, and incorporating more equipment. i am beyond thrilled with the results i'm seeing so far, which include growth in my glutes, hams, quads, and arms as well as an overall "tightening up" everywhere else, so i look much leaner.

>i mentioned this in another comment, but something i didn't understand at the beginning of my health journey is that our overall body shape and appearance of fitness has so much more to do with body composition than weight. my figure was much more soft and round the first time i hit 132 pounds because i had no underlying muscle and was "skinny fat" with high body fat percentage, but low overall weight. even though my weight is the same on the scale today, i have more lean, muscle mass than squishy, fat mass. if you want to learn more, you can find a wealth of wonderful information about body composition and recompositioning here on reddit in r/fitness and r/xxfitness, but i'm happy to answer any other questions you have and share any additional anecdotal experience!

p.s. i loved those boots too! i'd originally found them at a thrift shop and, since they were burgundy, spray painted them red to match so i was DEVASTATED to have discovered they'd moldered in storage over the years. if you're looking for something similar these Funtasma Engineer Hero boots on Amazon look almost identical!

p.p.s. i agree, catwoman does a better job of showcasing my current physique whereas supergirl is more modest with superfluous forgiving fabric that covers me up. i'm super proud of all the muscles i've grown in my glutes, quads, and hams, as well as tightening up my tummy and you can't hide those in a catsuit! also, no heels, i wore ankle boots with the same heel height as my supergirl boots.

Well I'm not going to nice guy or whatever but what are you looking to improve upon? Or in another way, what do you need motivation to accomplish?


Edit: I'll just post what I do for everyone -


Starting with Branch Chained Amino Acids (BCAAs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branched-chain_amino_acid - and here is the important take away: "BCAAs promote protein synthesis and turnover, signaling pathways, and metabolism of glucose." So what does that mean exactly? Well "promote protein synthesis and turnover" means you’re going to recover faster AND build muscle faster while also burning fat faster, why? In non science terms when we work out we are tearing our muscles apart and rebuilding them, we're pumping protiens into our body to repair the muscles and to make them prepared for the next time we do that particular exercise. The BCAA accelerates that healing process thus the "recovery" part of BCAAs, even better they allow the muscles to absorb new protein faster which makes the workout more useful. Not only that but BCAAs will also prevent muscle loss when you take breaks, or help maintain gains, I take it every day regardless of if I'm working out or not. I use a powder, Cellucor, https://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Supplement-Tropical-Punch-Servings/dp/B00CX98ULW/ref=sr_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1518185581&sr=8-8&keywords=bcaa%2Bcellucor&th=1 it doesn't have any BS in it like caffeine or sugar, it's just 10gs of BCAAs. It's not a hocus pocus stimulant or any other BS, it's the real deal. You can also get it at GNC.


I put one scoop of powder in with 20oz of water and drink while I'm working out, I do caution you, if you drink it fast it might make your skin tingle. I tend to work through 10oz and then refill my bottle trying to get 30oz of water in me while I'm working out.


I take creatine directly after my workout, I like the Cellucor brand, it’s no nonsense and works great: https://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Micronized-Monohydrate-COR-Performance-Unflavored/dp/B01BVRO7T0/ref=sr_1_9_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1518186558&sr=1-9&keywords=creatine&th=1 There are 10 bajillion people who will tell you take it before, during, after, whatever, it’s one of those thing.. Personally I take a scoop of flavorless creatine in another 20oz of water directly after working out. So within that time line I’m downing 50oz of water with both BCAAs and creatine to great effect. When I travel I keep Ziploc bags with this stuff in it and an empty water bottle so I can hit the gym in hotels. Creatine is also great for losing weight, it’s not just for bulking up, that’s more the job of protein. Here is a copypasta “Yes! Creatine helps you gain and retain metabolically-active lean muscle tissue, which makes it an indirect fat burner. Put simply, the more muscle you have on your body, the harder you can work in the weight room, and the more calories you can burn both during and after your training sessions.”


Protein. I use a vegan powder, no nonsense, no BS, no added crap, here is another copypasta saying it better than I could say it: “As you are losing weight, your body loses both muscle and fat. During this process it is especially important that you continue to eat enough protein in your diet. Having adequate protein coming in from your food fuels fat burning while preserving calorie-burning lean muscle. I use: https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Organic-Protein/dp/B075KGR37C/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1518186788&sr=1-5&keywords=vegetable%2Bprotein%2Bpowder&th=1


How much protein should you have? Copypasta! “Protein intake around 30% of calories may be optimal for weight loss. This amounts to 150 grams per day for someone on a 2000 calorie diet. You can calculate it by multiplying your calorie intake by 0.075.” For me, I try to take in about 175 grams of protein a day which frankly is a challenge. For reference I’m 5’11” and bulked weigh 170, when maintaining I’m around 162, with 24g from the powder in the morning, about 25g from a salmon sandwich for lunch, 50g combined from vegan sourced powerbars, then I try to squeeze in another 75 through dinner or other methods. If you’re trying to lose weight it will fly off – those BCAAs – now you’re using them right, packing protein into your system, burning fat, and packing muscles full of what they live on.


This is starter information and I caution you on cheap supplements. The reason I go with Cellucor is because look at the reviews and ratings. It’s no BS, and I do vegan for protein because it’s planted based. Cheap or dodgy looking supplements that promise crap won’t deliver and can even cause health problems. You can start researching this stuff and get into a good rabbit hole to find out even more information.. what else.. As you go further down the path and want a 12 pack or whatever you’ll need to learn about cutting and bulking. I’m cutting right now and almost down to 155, over the course of the next 6-9 months I’ll add 15 pounds of pure muscle. That’s 2 pounds a month which is about as high as it gets.


Ok! Let’s workout. Weight is based entirely on you and what you can do. You’re not working to failure you’re working to almost failure this is called “volitional fatigue” and what the means is that by the end of 3 sets the last 2-3 motions should be quite hard and the last should be almost impossible. During the first set you should feel quite tired and the last motion should be hard. So if you’re slinging around a 10 pound weight and it’s easy, it’s pointless, jack it up to 15, try again. This is a learning process for you. I keep a printed piece of paper with me every time I work out and keep track of my weight class as I bulk up so I’m going from 20s to 25s to 30s to 35s throughout months of training.


We do a set and we rest for 90 seconds, keep a watch or clock around, if you ever wondered why there are clocks in gyms and people are staring at them, this is why. So I’ll say 1 set of 8, rest 90, means do 8 repetitions of this exercise then rest 90 seconds, then do set 2, rest 90, then do set 3, now rest 2 minutes. Now start the next exercise.


Day 1 – Phase 1 – 3 months. - I warm up by hitting the stupid elliptical or stair machine for 5 minutes, or row for 5km on the machine. It get's the body ready for what you're about to do to it.


Dumbell curls – Biceps : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av7-8igSXTs – 3 sets of 8


Goblett squat – thighs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIrcxSkwui8 - 3 sets of 8


Half getups – upper abs and back - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVP8ul6vRVM – 3 sets, complete entire cycle 20 times, yeah 20! Burn those abs baby!


Wide grip pull downs – back and lats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gL2XgHghLY – 3 sets of 8


Triceps kickback – triceps of course - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO81bExngMI – 3 sets of 12 – you should be burning by the time you’re done with this, use enough weight.


Dumbell press – chest, different part of tris, bis, back, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3YrlBmjWrY – 3 sets of 8.


Chest supported dumbell row - bis shoulders back, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl2MnK1i504 – 3 sets of 10


Reverse crunch - lower abs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyv14e2QDq0 – 3 sets of build up, I do 3 sets of 150, I don’t suggest doing that day one. Go until you can’t anymore. Rest 2 minutes, do it again until you can’t do anymore. You want a V? This is how you get the V! BURN!!!


Ok So I’ve giving you the youtube links for day 1, y’all can search for these. This is day 2.

dumbell upright row – 3 sets of 8


machine crunches – 3 sets to fatigue, I do 150 per set


dumbell double standing row – 3 sets of 8


cross-body hammer curl – 3 sets of 8


cross-bench dumbell pullover – 3 sets of 8


lying leg curls – 3 sets of 12


side jack knife – 3 sets to fatigue, I do 50


dumbell front raise – 3 sets of 10.


I do day 1 Monday, day 2 Tuesday, rest Wednesday, day 1 Thursday, day 2 Friday, Saturday I ride my bike about 20-30 miles depending. Rest Sunday. If you do this for 90 days send me the progress pic because it will be amazing, this is my “get ready for the beach!” workout routine. I start it in January, ending in March, then I start my phase 2 routine which is summer body! The concept is to work out different muscle groups, the body gets used to different motions, so swap out routines by the day and then by the quarter. Any questions send me a note.

Great progress! A few unsolicited thoughts on how to break through your road block. This advice comes from stuff you'd find in /r/fitness or /r/startingstrength.

1. As much as weight matters, tone and body composition are just as important. Bottom line, more muscle in the right places is a good thing. Strength is good. You need protein to get those muscles. The rule of thumb (especially if you go to the gym) is 1 gram per pound of body weight. For most, that means adding in a protein shake or two per day. If you can't do a regular protein powder because it comes from cows, it's possible to get a complete vegan protein. Just stay away from the raw stuff. It tastes absolutely awful. If you're willing to consider a protein powder from milk, you might consider this one. Grass-fed, hormone free, whey protein isolate.
   
2. Consider a strength program. I'm a fan of Starting Strength because it's easy to get started and it works fast. Plus Mark Rippetoe, the man behind the program, is like a real life Ron Swanson. My gf (who has also done Starting Strength) also got a lot of mileage out of Strong Curves.
   
3. If you take up a strength program, sleep is the single best thing you can do for yourself for body recomposition.
   
   The reason a strength training program (specifically a barbell program that uses compound movements - squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press) is so effective is because it gets your body to squirt out all of these good growth hormones. It's the hormones that trigger all of the changes. It drives this cycle: stress -> recover -> adapt.
   
   Essentially, if you lift 3 times a week and put just a little more weight on the bar each time your body will adjust and be able to do the load for several months without having to change your program.
   
   The gym is the stress part, the food and sleep is the recovery part, and doing both will result in your body adapting to being able to lift more weight.
   
   In so doing, everything gets stronger: your muscles, bones, ligaments, cardiovascular system... you name it. Even your VO2 max goes up, which means you'll be able to run further and faster without even doing cardio in the first place.
   
   As a companion to that whole idea, I'll leave you with this article: Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie.
   
   Congrats on the progress thus far! Best of luck crushing your goals!

Little late here... but the lack of stability you were experiencing is exactly why squats are considered such an important exercise. Free weight, compound exercises are just plain better at developing functional strength than machine exercises because they involve more muscles in stabilization and allow for a more natural range of motion. That's not to say that the leg press is bad, it certainly has its uses as an accessory exercise but you're doing yourself a bit of a disservice not trying to nail your squat form. Your knees and balance shouldn't be a problem once you've got the basics down (and, honestly, the leg press is probably marginally worse for overall knee health).

I'd make a go at learning to low bar squat, there's a lot of good resources out there for it. Anything Starting Strength related (like this video or especially the third edition) is a great place to start for technique even if you're not necessarily keen to do that particular program (most people would recommend something similar to it, though). The folks over on /r/startingstrength are usually happy to do form checks and are a very knowledgeable, respectful, and helpful bunch (granted, they'll also probably encourage you to do the program :P).

Thank's for the kind words man. The short answer is I've been following this book. A second book I recommend is Starting Strength which discusses in depth proper form for the key weightlifting workouts (bench press, standing military press, barbell squat, and deadlifts).

Bigger Leaner Stronger taught me everything from managing calories, what to eat, how to manage macros, good vs bad protein powder, supplements, vitamins, work out routines, etc. It is basically my gym bible. But, if you aren't interested in taking the time to read these books (which I HIGHLY recommend), then I'll give you a brief rundown of my workout routine.

Workouts "phases" are broken up into 9 weeks. A typical 9-week phase looks like this:

Weeks 1-3: Regular week lifting at 5 days per week (mon-fri)

Week 4: Strength Week. Only lift mon, wed, and fri, but focus on key workouts (Barbell squat, deadlift, bench press, military press)

Week 5-7: Same as week 1-3

Week 8: Strength week

Week 9: Deload or off week. I either don't work out this week or I do three days at 50% of my working weight (so essentially a light week)

A typical 5 day week looks likes this:

Monday: Chest and Abs. Incline bench press. Incline dumbell bench press. Flat barbell bench press. Face Pull. Three abdominal circuits where one circuit consists of Cable crunch (10 to 12 reps), captains chair leg raise to fail, bicycle crunch to fail

Tuesday: Back and Calves. Deadlift. Bent over barbell Rows. Pull ups. Standing calf raises. Seated calf raises.

Wednesday: Shoulder and Abs. Standing Military Press. Side lateral Raise. Bent over rear delt raise. 3 ab circuits.

Thursday: Legs. Barbell squat. Romanian deadlift. Leg press. Standing calf raise. Seated calf raise.

Friday: Upper body & Abs. Incline bench press. Barbell curl. Close-grip bench press. Alternating dumbell curl. Chest dips. 3 ab circuits.

A typical activity includes 4 warm up sets and three working sets like this:

12 x 50% of my working weight (rest 1 min);
10 x 50% of my working weight (rest 1 min);
4 x 70% of my working weight (rest 1 min);
1 x 90% of my working weight (rest 3 min)

After this warm up is complete, I do 3 working sets. 4-6 reps of my working weight (if i hit 6 reps, I add 10 lbs to a barbell or 5 lbs to a dumbell) Rest 3-4 min. Repeat this 2 more times. A huge key to building strength is progressive overload. If you hit those 6 reps, add more weight. If you hit 6 reps and add more weight but can only do 3 reps with the new weight, drop it back to where you were before. But next week, start with the higher weight.

As far as diet is concerned. Yes. This is the biggest thing. I eat clean. I eat very clean. I don't eat processed foods. I only drink milk and water. I eat vegetables and chicken. Good fats, good protein, and good carbs. I weigh everything I eat to make sure i'm hitting my calories and macros. I track everything in my fitness pal.

A typical meal day for me is protein bar before workout. Protein shake and banana after work out. 2 hardboiled eggs and 175 grams of plain nonfat greek yogurt for breakfast. 4 oz tuna and some triscuit crackers + a carrot for snack. Chicken breast and veges for lunch. Non-sorbate prunes and another banana for a late day snack. Protein shake for dinner. Maybe some more protein and veges.

TLDR

Read bigger leaner stronger. If you don't want to do that then the key items are eat clean and within your calorie limits (you can lose weight by eating in a caloric deficit without even needing to workout). The most important weightlifting exercises are barbell squats, deadlifts, standing military press, and bench press.

As my post title states, I only do cardio 0 to 1 times per week which is hardly anything. It's not necessary for fat loss, but it will help accelerate fat loss and increase cardiovascular health which is important and which is also why I'm going to start adding more cardio.

Best of luck man. That book changed my life. I highly recommend it.

Try taking up meditation! It can really help you stop, take a step back, realize when and why you're craving, and deal with those feelings instead of giving in. I highly recommend "The Mind Illuminated" as the best no bullshit, no religion, science based, practical meditation manual. https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Meditation-Integrating-Mindfulness/dp/1501156985/ref=sr_1_3?crid=VFY2JW8DLREG&keywords=the+mind+illuminated&qid=1570291925&sprefix=the+mind+Illuminated%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-3 edit: and the related subreddit /r/TheMindIlluminated

You could also try some supplements. I find that magnesium supplementation (get lysinate/glyciante chelated form, not oxide, that will just make you poop and do nothing) can help. Supposedly Kudzu can also help reduce your desire to drink. Some people have great luck with Kratom to quit drinking, it's very powerful, but be careful if you try it -- some people have dependence/withdrawal problems using it.

A ketogenic diet can also do a lot for you. For me it decreases desire to drink, makes me sleep better, gives me more energy, keeps my head more clear, and eliminates energy "crashes" throughout the day. Check out /r/keto if you're interested. It also helps that beer is entirely incompatible with a keto diet so if you do drink on it you have to drink dry wine or liquor which helps remove the temptation of delicious beer.

Hope that helps!

Sure! I posted a reply about my diet up a little bit, so I'll just copy paste it. I honestly don't count calories at this point. When I was trying to shed the weight I watched what I ate pretty closely, around 2500 calories a day. I get around 3500 or so a day now, and that is with me staying lean. Usually that would be a bulking amount of calories, but as much as I work outside, workout and run. I need all the calories I can get to even maintain.

DISCLAMER: Fat Burning Products like Oxyelite, Fireball, Cellucor Super HD, Shred Matrix and Hydroxycut, DO NO WORK. I wanted to do everything i could when i first started, and wasted money on a product or 2 like those above. Good Ol' Exercise and good eating is all you need!

As far as supplements go I'm taking the following. These are all my favorites after taking dozens of things. I'm not too sure on the creatine though, it's my favorite brand and such, but honestly I personally couldnt tell much of a difference, i've since cycled off of it and am just taking protein and a PWO. But i'm going to give it another shot in a week or so. A PWO in my eyes is essential. And White flood is my favorite after trying about 10 different PWO's. I've also tried things like fish oil, multivitamins, BCAA's Omega 3-6-9, and amino's. And frankly not gotten a thing off of it. You might like a multi or fish oil, as that would be my second recommendation after this list. Because i've heard alot of people praise them. But my body resists alot of things, like pain medication , anti biotics and other things i found out the hard way.

ON Whey Protein http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1373801696&sr=1-1&keywords=on+whey

White Flood PWO http://www.amazon.com/Controlled-Labs-White-Raspberry-Servings/dp/B002OLAOJK/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1373801818&sr=1-1&keywords=White+Flood

Green MAGnitude Creatine http://www.amazon.com/Controlled-Labs-Magnitude-Volumizer-1-83-Pound/dp/B00104I5SE/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1373801837&sr=1-1&keywords=green+magnitude

7am - Protein shake

9:45am - Natural peanut butter wrap, almonds

12:00am - Chicken breast, brown rice, greek yogurt

3pm protein bar, almonds , peanut butter

5pm nada, cant eat pre workout

7pm more chicken breast and more brown rice with a protein shake and
greek yogurt

9pm cottage cheese / more greek yogurt.

Amazing work, OP! You look incredible!

I don't know if you're still encountering joint pain, but I've heard amazing things about Turmeric Curcumin with Ginger & Bioperine. I've had friends that have said it worked for them.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071YHWRNS?pf_rd_p=c2945051-950f-485c-b4df-15aac5223b10&pf_rd_r=T1JMDADBSD24HM8KQR1R


Keep up the great work! :)

• A redditor put together this site to use for visual body fat percentage estimates. It's not super well populated, but I think it's better than the other visual estimate site that normally gets referenced.
  
• There are a variety of websites that will estimate your body fat according to your measurements. I like IIFYM because they've got a great TDEE calculator, too.
  
• You can use a hand-held bioelectric impedance tool to estimate your body fat, or there are bathroom scales that use the same method.
  
• Josh-j mentioned calipers, but these can be tricky to use alone and consistently.
  
  That gets me to my last point: no matter what home method you use to estimate your body fat, be consistent. These are estimates and you might find that you get a different reading from your scale, your calipers, and the internet on the very same day. Body fat % a great way to track trends in your body composition, and you won't see those as effectively if you just back and forth between measurement methods. Unless you want to get a DEXA scan every week, the very precise number is less important than seeing trends.

There are several different ways to do it but most all require special gizmos. The usual cheap method is using calipers like these, but from what I've heard that can be pretty inaccurate and inconsistent unless you really know what you're doing. I use this little guy, it's pretty consistent though I'm not completely sure how accurate it is because I have nothing to verify it against other than the fact that it seems to be in the right ballpark. Then there's fancy water-dunking type tests you can get done but they are expensive.

I think I've heard other people on here say that some gyms will have the calipers or a digital thingamabob like mine that they can measure you with so you could ask at your gym if you're curious.

Do you have a body fat% scale? I have one (and granted they're all a little inaccurate) and it shows my body fat and muscle mass % which really motivates me. I know it's not 100% accurate but the percentages changing over time IS accurate. Mine was pretty cheap too and gets great reviews on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Capacity-Recognition-Technology/dp/B004L6NTHU/

There are different ones on there too.

I also just bought a garmin vivofit band to count my steps and I love it.

Yeah, a great place to start is the book Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews. As a physician myself, I always try to stick to evidence based approaches. And while the field of exercise physiology is comparatively young, Matthews does an excellent survey of the available literature and synthesizes it into a cogent story with practical advice. I don't necessarily agree with every last thing in the book, but it's the best I've ever seen.

If you don't want to buy a book, his blog is http://muscleforlife.com/ and it's a good place to start as well. But the book is totally worth it.

Nice progress man!

Make sure not to do ONLY targeted exercises like bicep curls. It looks like your deltoids haven't made as much progress as your biceps. Chin-ups would be great for working out both muscles as well as your lats and others in your back and core. I got one of those chin-up bars that you stick in the door without installing and love it! It literally just takes a second to put up or take down. http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Gym-Total-Upper-Workout/dp/B001EJMS6K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408406055&sr=8-1&keywords=chin+up+bar

And don't forget your chest! If nothing else, throw some push-ups into your routine.

Personally, I would recommend hitting up /r/bodyweightfitness (they have a loosely defined Beginner Routine in their Training Guide, but you would be good with the recommended Start Bodyweight routine), but you may prefer getting Starting Strength and working with weights instead. A hybrid of the two is most effective because after a certain point, there isn't a whole lot you can do to increase difficulty on your leg workouts without adding weights; to start off, though, you'll do fine with just bodyweight.

Of course, that's just my opinion. Others may have different and/or better advice.

For body weight exercises, like pull-up, chin-up, dip, push-up the best route is do negatives at first, and slowly increase number of reps. Basically all of these have the same program (with different numbers) that will lead you from not being able to do single rep, to doing more than enough.

Have a look at:

http://www.50pullups.com/ - for pull-ups

http://www.onefiftydips.com/ - for dips

http://hundredpushups.com/ for push-ups


For clean, jerk and other olympic lifts, you'd better to start with something like Starting Strength or Strong Lifts 5x5 and after finishing it, go from there.

I eat a minimum of 135Grams of Protein a day from lean meats, I do not take any protein powders since I am lactose intolerant, I also do not take any type of supplements I just eat clean 100% Paleo, I take in about 120-130Grams of fat from healthy sources like Grassfed Beef, pasture pork, free range chicken and coconut oil & Nuts, I eat around 2400-2600 Calories a day, here is a book I recommend pretty much what I follow plus I CrossFit http://www.amazon.com/It-Starts-Food-Discover-Unexpected/dp/1936608898

I recommend reading (or listening to) the whole thing and taking notes at the end of every chapter. There is a summary at the end of each one. There are simple and effective willpower challenges as you go along. It probably took me 3 months to read and complete most of the challenges. At some point I felt strong enough to jump back into Keto and I haven't looked back. I still listen to the book when im cleaning sometimes. :) http://www.amazon.com/The-Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Matters/dp/1583335080

Congrats!! I also could not afford weights, so I went with the alternative bands and they are AMAZING!

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Mountain-Products-Resistance-Exercise/dp/7245456313/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_1

Even better is that I can bring them anywhere, even when I'm traveling for business or vacation.

Thanks for the reply!!

Just curious is it this book?

http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I want to research it a bit more but I want to be sure I'm researching the right thing. Thanks!

Thank you! Here’s the very best book on Intuitive Eating. Would also highly suggest checking out the Food Psyche podcast! It’s basically about learning to understand and respect your body’s natural hunger signals and cravings, and eat according to what you feel like without shame to get out of a diet culture mindset (which leads to a lot of yo—yo dieting and ultimately, failure and disappointment.)

Thanks! They're super comfy.

link to the amazing shorts

A couple people have asked about my routine. I started off doing Stronglifts 5x5 for a few months. After I felt comfortable with the basic compound lifts lifts, I started Michael Matthews's Bigger, Leaner, Stronger, which I fully endorse and would recommend to anyone. The book is excellent, and everyone should read it, but you can take a look at the routines here. I had to take about 3 months off last fall for surgery after developing a hernia, so I lost some progress there.

I bought a set of basic adjustable dumbbells like these: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-38-Pound-Adjustable-Weight-Case/dp/B071WSFSGC I plan to get a barbell and some larger weights soon, but ~40lbs per dumbbell has been good enough for the last six months.

​

Being able to exercise in my own home is awesome; much more convenient than going to the gym, and cheaper too.

You look amazing! Protect your hands when doing weight lifting, I could recommend a pair of gloves for you: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756CKZ7K

http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642

It's a workout program :) I highly suggest the book! It talks all about nutrition and stuff. It was recommended to me on /r/xxfitness :)

By all accounts Starting Strength is a great introduction to weight lifting. You should find http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki useful too if you don't want to buy the book.

I should add that I've only just started reading the book, so I can't give you a personal recommendation just yet.

I wanted to add on to the already helpful comments bro that motivation is short term most of the time. Become disciplined and you will not need motivation ever again.

Here is a book that helped me quite a bit. I highly recommend it if you're willing to read.
http://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Works-Matters/dp/1583335080/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425450322&sr=8-1&keywords=the+willpower+instinct

Oh, my bad. Guess I just assumed you were coming from the other direction. I was way underweight for most of my life until my early 20's, so I feel your pain.

I don't know enough to give diet advice, but here's my normal schedule (working 7p-7a):

8p: Chipotle bowl, double chicken and all the rice and pinto beans they'll give me. Sour cream, guac, and cheese.

3a: 1lb cottage cheese. It's not my favorite, but it's hard to argue with the nutrition facts and it keeps me full so I'm not snacking on break room cookies, cake, pizza, all that crap. I also usually have a couple of sugar free snack pack jello cups (10 calories and not much else) to stave off boredom eating.

7a: Pre-workout and lift. I use ANS Ritual, but there are plenty of other options.

~9:30a: 1-1.5 scoops protein powder immediately after workout. I used Optimum Nutrition Gold for most of this, but recently switched to Dymatize ISO 100. Though a weight gainer might be a better option for you (and taste like you're drinking a cake.)

Then rinse and repeat. First 4 days of my week are pretty much that. I relax a bit on the other days and eat more, but that basically keeps me where I am now. There's also /r/gainit, if you haven't checked them out already.

Great investment for when I was getting started. You can snag it for ~$25 on Amazon. Multiple grips and you can use it for pull ups, chin ups, crunches, dips, and push ups.

I would put it in the doorway for my room and every time I go in or out of the room I did pull-ups until failure. Now that I'm at the gym often I don't use it as much, but it will definitely last.

Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EJMS6K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_iAeuzb8C0MKY6

Starting Strength by Mark Rippitoe

In English:

"I started with a weightlifting routine I got form a popular book by Mark Rippetoe called 'Starting Strength' and sort of jumped around routines. I kept away from exercises that only work out a single muscle at a time (and instead decided to perform lifts like squats that work out groups of many muscles once, called compound exercises, as advocated in Rippetoe's book and elsewhere). However, I did keep doing bicep curls, an isolated lift."

This device: https://www.amazon.com/Omron-HBF-306CN-Fat-Loss-Monitor/dp/B000FYZMYK/ref=lp_3777181_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1520345177&sr=1-4

Which granted are known to be notoriously inaccurate.

Get a scale that measures body fat.


$50

I bought one of these electronic scales.