Getting into shape

[MrCrowesGarden]

After ballooning to 325 at my largest, I can happily report that I weighed in under 200 for the first time this week. I’m 90 lbs. lighter since January ‘17.

Awesome!

[tlombard]

After ballooning to 325 at my largest, I can happily report that I weighed in under 200 for the first time this week. I’m 90 lbs. lighter since January ‘17.

Awesome!

Amazing work!

[IMADreamer]

After ballooning to 325 at my largest, I can happily report that I weighed in under 200 for the first time this week. I’m 90 lbs. lighter since January ‘17.

That's awesome.

[Gashouse]

After ballooning to 325 at my largest, I can happily report that I weighed in under 200 for the first time this week. I’m 90 lbs. lighter since January ‘17.

Woah. nice work!

[JCShutout]

Grats Geddy! (Sorry for the delay, but you know I don't log on much.)

So, I'm at the point where for the last 8 months or so, I'm trying to gain weight. (I'm not being a jerk, always had wimpy noodle arms) Been doing bodyweight strength straining and trying to eat gobs of protein. I was around 215 or so (not that 200 or 195 wouldn't be ideal) when I started hitting the strength training hard again in the last 8 months or so. I'm around 218/219 right now. I know I'm much stronger. (Dropped a pistol squat for the hell of it the other day, and arm work includes more reps)

I know there are a lot of long articles about macros and other nonsense, but I'm not going to calculate my calories and diet that closely. I eat paleo, so minimal sugar, only fruit and veggie carbs, high fat and protein.

So my question is, aside from doing basic pushups, pull ups and chin ups (negative reps, remember, noodle arms), dips(negative reps), squats, leg raises and prone cobras 3x/week, and on my off days either taking an hour+ long walk or training in taekwondo, and eating as much protein as I can handle, any tips or ideas?

[CardsofSTL]

Shadow boxing with some light weights are a good way to tone up and increase arm strength.

[BottenFieldofDreams]

Shadow boxing with some light weights are a good way to tone up and increase arm strength.

Plus, shadowboxing is a great time to listen to the radio and see if any of your rivals forgot that you were raw. Warning, however:
it may make you go insane, starting a hurricane.

[Freed Roger]

Grats Geddy! (Sorry for the delay, but you know I don't log on much.)

So, I'm at the point where for the last 8 months or so, I'm trying to gain weight. (I'm not being a jerk, always had wimpy noodle arms) Been doing bodyweight strength straining and trying to eat gobs of protein. I was around 215 or so (not that 200 or 195 wouldn't be ideal) when I started hitting the strength training hard again in the last 8 months or so. I'm around 218/219 right now. I know I'm much stronger. (Dropped a pistol squat for the hell of it the other day, and arm work includes more reps)

I know there are a lot of long articles about macros and other nonsense, but I'm not going to calculate my calories and diet that closely. I eat paleo, so minimal sugar, only fruit and veggie carbs, high fat and protein.

So my question is, aside from doing basic pushups, pull ups and chin ups (negative reps, remember, noodle arms), dips(negative reps), squats, leg raises and prone cobras 3x/week, and on my off days either taking an hour+ long walk or training in taekwondo, and eating as much protein as I can handle, any tips or ideas?

Sounds like you want to bulk up. If I recall -you are mainly body weight exercises. Which is great for fitness, but not for strength gains/bulk that sounds like you are after. some weights may be in order. My trainer friend is big advocate of kettle ball. But dumbbells almost the same.

[JCShutout]

Sounds like you want to bulk up. If I recall -you are mainly body weight exercises. Which is great for fitness, but not for strength gains/bulk that sounds like you are after. some weights may be in order. My trainer friend is big advocate of kettle ball. But dumbbells almost the same.

I want to gain functional strength, as well as maintain good fitness. I actually don't care about the size of my arms/bulk or whatnot, but I'd like to be able to do full pullups/chinups/dips/pushups, and perhaps one day, one armed. (Real pushups, arms parallel with the body, nose and chest to floor, done slowly, I started with zero of those, and am up to 5, 6 on a good day)

Also, I disagree with your notion that bodyweight work doesn't build strength. Your body is weight, and your muscles are designed to work together to move that weight. Lifting your body is lifting weight..

I do sometimes mix it up and climb trees, and carry around a 90lb rock I found this winter, occasionally go rucking, or carry sandbags around, (Carrying heavy things=useful/functional) but for the most part, if I can push, pull and squat with power and speed (and potentially just one limb) then I'm an ideal mix of strong and athletic.

My quest for advice was more about rest days or diet.

[Freed Roger]

Sounds like you want to bulk up. If I recall -you are mainly body weight exercises. Which is great for fitness, but not for strength gains/bulk that sounds like you are after. some weights may be in order. My trainer friend is big advocate of kettle ball. But dumbbells almost the same.

I want to gain functional strength, as well as maintain good fitness. I actually don't care about the size of my arms/bulk or whatnot, but I'd like to be able to do full pullups/chinups/dips/pushups, and perhaps one day, one armed. (Real pushups, arms parallel with the body, nose and chest to floor, done slowly, I started with zero of those, and am up to 5, 6 on a good day)

Also, I disagree with your notion that bodyweight work doesn't build strength. Your body is weight, and your muscles are designed to work together to move that weight. Lifting your body is lifting weight..

I do sometimes mix it up and climb trees, and carry around a 90lb rock I found this winter, occasionally go rucking, or carry sandbags around, (Carrying heavy things=useful/functional) but for the most part, if I can push, pull and squat with power and speed (and potentially just one limb) then I'm an ideal mix of strong and athletic.

My quest for advice was more about rest days or diet.

Ha, I have heard some podcasts advocating much of what you say for strength - rocks, trees etc. Though I am not sure what rucking is. My gym workout - it is a lot of body weight stuff as well, chinups, dips, roman chair, the heavy ball. Dumbbells can function as the rocks. I do a couple of machines for legs and weights for squats.

The diet, I have no idea what you could change or add.

I probably work on strength more than my trail running peers. For a while I got a way from it and tried to just run a whole lot more. can't really explain why, but strength component is a bigger factor to my feeling and running better. Might be something to do with age. Hard to put it all together though. If I am doing long-distance, I have to also put in multi-hour runs over the weekends to
develop the endurance, efficiencies, mental werewithal. Only so much time available.