The Amazing 12 - My experience

Nervous Wreck

RockSalto wrote: »

Did you bring your own lunch to work each day? I'd imagine it's difficult to keep that up everyday for 3 months?? Or had you always done it?

I usually bring mine in but Only 3 or 4 times a week.

I did. I generally bring my lunch most of the time but 12 straight weeks was tough enough. It was just one of those things that felt like a drain. But I only had to cook once a day. In the evenings, I'd cook my dinner and the following day's breakfast and lunch. Food prep was about an hour a day, which isn't so bad. Usually just stuck my headphones on and listened to a podcast so I learned some cool stuff while I cooked!

RockSalto

Good man.

It's tough sometimes after work to be motivated to cook.

conzy

Well done great results!

This is not a loaded question.

Do you think you learned anything you didnt already know? e.g train like a svage and eat your vegetables.

Do you think the buy in, training as a group and knowing you had to take a topless photo after 12 weeks helped.

Do you think you could have had similar results alone if you somehow found the motivation

Zillah

Lunch doesn't have to be cooked food, though, keep in mind. I frequently just throw a bunch of raw ingredients into tupperware and call it lunch. Bread, cheese, chopped veg, fruit, nuts; easy.

Nervous Wreck

conzy wrote: »

Well done great results!

This is not a loaded question.

Do you think you learned anything you didnt already know? e.g train like a svage and eat your vegetables.

Do you think the buy in, training as a group and knowing you had to take a topless photo after 12 weeks helped.

Do you think you could have had similar results alone if you somehow found the motivation

I don't think I'd have known how, nutritionally, to structure my eating to get these results, particularly without starving myself. I also don't think, even knowing what I knew about training, I could have done it myself. My focus would be too changeable etc and I'd have been trying a million different things to get abs etc (incidentally, there wasn't a single ab-isolated workout in the whole thing).

Tbh, I've a loose enough relationship with money so the €cost didn't mean much to me. I'm by no means rolling in it but I'm able to pay my rent every month so anything after that, I figure whatever.

The group training was HUGE to me. I hit every rep cos I wanted to be the one who hit every rep. Ditto for going to every session. I didn't want to just get the best results for myself, I wanted to get the best results out of anyone on the program (no idea if I did or didn't btw, but aiming for it was the important part). So yeah for me, the competitive thing pushed me farther than I otherwise would have gone; that'll differ person to person.

Every day, I wrote down exactly what I did at that mornings session (and my weight that morning) so I have the program now. If I want to run it again in my own time, I can do that. But I'll probably be more likely to pay to do it again. Accountability is the motivator for me!

Nervous Wreck

Zillah wrote: »

Lunch doesn't have to be cooked food, though, keep in mind. I frequently just throw a bunch of raw ingredients into tupperware and call it lunch. Bread, cheese, chopped veg, fruit, nuts; easy.

When you're not allowed eat half those things on a given day, it's not quite that easy.

Zillah

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

When you're not allowed eat half those things on a given day, it's not quite that easy.

Stuff a bag with lettuce if you need to! The point being: there are plenty of foods that are healthy and delicious raw.

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

I'd have been trying a million different things to get abs etc (incidentally, there wasn't a single ab-isolated workout in the whole thing).

Fascinating. So all the ab development was from, say, squats and deadlifts? You didn't do any crunches, leg raises, etc?

Nervous Wreck

None of that. Essentially everything we did came with the command "squeeze your abs ", whether it was squats or inverted rows, curls or incline Bench. After a while, using abs for *everything* became the norm, but there was nothing that was *just* for abs.

RockSalto

They need to update their website and FB page.

Mellor

I'm not surprised there was no ab work. The results are down to getting lean. I'd imagine all big liftsburn a lot more energy than ab work.

Ab work is for strong ab. I don't think there's as much scope for putting mass on them though.

Alf Veedersane

I can get you a gig modelling jocks on O'Moore St, NW.

Naturally, I'll be getting 20% and the bag of bananas but you know what they say, out of little acorns...

So to speak.

Zillah

Mellor wrote: »

I'm not surprised there was no ab work. The results are down to getting lean. I'd imagine all big liftsburn a lot more energy than ab work.

Ab work is for strong ab. I don't think there's as much scope for putting mass on them though.

I've gotten crazy lean before and my stomach is just flat, very little visible definition between the muscle sections. They definitely need some work. Maybe there is a genetic component in terms of how pronounced your abdominals can get, I don't know. I'll certainly try and focus on engaging my core more during big lifts.

Blacktie.

Zillah wrote:

I've gotten crazy lean before and my stomach is just flat, very little visible definition between the muscle sections. They definitely need some work. Maybe there is a genetic component in terms of how pronounced your abdominals can get, I don't know. I'll certainly try and focus on engaging my core more during big lifts.

Same. I don't think compounds do it enough at all. But I'm also too lazy for an work. Ah well.

LuckyLloyd

How could heavy Squats, presses and Deads not build out your core, particularly for people who have lifted for a while and presumably built up their capability on same.

Mellor

Zillah wrote: »

[
I've gotten crazy lean before and my stomach is just flat, very little visible definition between the muscle sections. They definitely need some work. Maybe there is a genetic component in terms of how pronounced your abdominals can get, I don't know. I'll certainly try and focus on engaging my core more during big lifts.

It's not that you can't add mass to abs. It's just that it's proportionally less than you can add to other muscle groups.
Plus when you take the max lean mass you can add in a year, the subset that you can add to abs isn't a lot.

How lean is crazy lean? 12%? 8%?
Different people will expose their abs at different levels of leanness.
I'd have thought that as long as they were there, you could expose them if you were lean enough.

Brian?

Mellor wrote: »

Zillah wrote: »

[
I've gotten crazy lean before and my stomach is just flat, very little visible definition between the muscle sections. They definitely need some work. Maybe there is a genetic component in terms of how pronounced your abdominals can get, I don't know. I'll certainly try and focus on engaging my core more during big lifts.

It's not that you can't add mass to abs. It's just that it's proportionally less than you can add to other muscle groups.
Plus when you take the max lean mass you can add in a year, the subset that you can add to abs isn't a lot.

How lean is crazy lean? 12%? 8%?
Different people will expose their abs at different levels of leanness.
I'd have thought that as long as they were there, you could expose them if you were lean enough.

Agreed. I spend a lot of time at a gymnastics club, not in a creepy way, and I've seen plenty of super lean kids with prominent six packs. They haven't exactly piled on the muscle, but the leanness means the muscle there is very well defined.

My own 6 year old son has a quality 6 pack on the go.

Conversely I have a very very strong core, and I assume well built in muscle mass, but it's hidden under my jolliness.

Blacktie.

LuckyLloyd wrote:

How could heavy Squats, presses and Deads not build out your core, particularly for people who have lifted for a while and presumably built up their capability on same.

Beats me man but I got pretty lean with what I'd consider alright lift numbers and just had the outline happening. No clear six pack at all. This was 9.5% bodyfat by calipers.

Zillah

Mellor wrote: »

It's not that you can't add mass to abs. It's just that it's proportionally less than you can add to other muscle groups.
Plus when you take the max lean mass you can add in a year, the subset that you can add to abs isn't a lot.

How lean is crazy lean? 12%? 8%?
Different people will expose their abs at different levels of leanness.
I'd have thought that as long as they were there, you could expose them if you were lean enough.

Well, crazy lean might be a slight exaggeration, but I've been 9/10%. I've a very strong core, that's not the issue, and I can see that I've added mass to the area, but they just don't pop out individually; they seem to grow as a unit.

Alf Veedersane

Pull tight and see dem abs pop.

That's the only way I'm getting abs

Zillah

But...why would you want abs that you have to hide under clothes? Schrodinger's Six Pack.

PowerToWait

Zillah wrote: »

Well, crazy lean might be a slight exaggeration, but I've been 9/10%. I've a very strong core, that's not the issue, and I can see that I've added mass to the area, but they just don't pop out individually; they seem to grow as a unit.

If you're 9% you'll see abs clearly defined, no question. Probably fairly defined intercostal as well. Like, they're there, or else you couldn't stand or sit straight or do most things you take for granted.

Blacktie.

Zillah wrote:

But...why would you want abs that you have to hide under clothes? Schrodinger's Six Pack.

You don't you wear it before popping your top off for 5 seconds while the imprint is still there

Alf Veedersane

Zillah wrote: »

But...why would you want abs that you have to hide under clothes? Schrodinger's Six Pack.

Put on shirt.
Jump into hot water.
Get into tumble dryer for maybe 20 minutes.

Et voila, shirt will have shrunk to show abs.

Blacktie.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Put on shirt.
Jump into hot water.
Get into tumble dryer for maybe 20 minutes.

Et voila, shirt will have shrunk to show abs.

Isn't this part of the intro session when you first join a gym?

Alf Veedersane

Blacktie. wrote: »

Isn't this part of the intro session when you first join a gym?

I was wearing the Batman suit Michael Keaton wore when I had my intro so they might have skipped that bit.

SB_Part2

Does anyone know of anywhere on the north side of Dublin that does this?

Zillah

SB_Part2 wrote: »

Does anyone know of anywhere on the north side of Dublin that does this?

Surely you can arrange hot water and a tumble dryer at home?

Mr. CooL ICE

By the end, what were your general energy levels like? Were you completely drained and fatigued or feeling fine?

SB_Part2

Zillah wrote: »

Surely you can arrange hot water and a tumble dryer at home?

The emersion is broken.

roosterman71

Is this programme just available in Dublin or where else can it be done?

Nervous Wreck

Nicolas Cage wrote: »

By the end, what were your general energy levels like? Were you completely drained and fatigued or feeling fine?

From about week 3, my energy levels were better than they've been in almost 10 years. Wrecked by about 9:30/10pm but that's cos I was up since 5:45am cos I chose the morning class.

roosterman71 wrote: »

Is this programme just available in Dublin or where else can it be done?

Other places too. Google.

Alf Veedersane

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

From about week 3, my energy levels were better than they've been in almost 10 years.

Do you think that was largely down to much cleaner eating?

How many days a week will you be training now?

Blacktie.

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

From about week 3, my energy levels were better than they've been in almost 10 years. Wrecked by about 9:30/10pm but that's cos I was up since 5:45am cos I chose the morning class.



Other places too. Google.

I'd like to know what your weight settles at now that the program is over and you won't be on such a strict diet regime. Considering once you bring back you're regularish eating habits there'll be more bloat foods.

Nervous Wreck

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Do you think that was largely down to much cleaner eating?

How many days a week will you be training now?

Cleaner eating, consistent training and taking vitamins were all big contributing factors I reckon. Also just seeing results was energising!

I'm currently in Florida on holidays so, when I get back in a few weeks, im gonna ride out May in Flyefit. My plan was to go back to ISP in June and go to 4 sessions a week but I think I'll just do 5 tbh. Mon-Tues and Wed-Sat probably. At the time, I was looking forward to scaling back a bit but now I'm really missing daily training!

Nervous Wreck

Blacktie. wrote: »

I'd like to know what your weight settles at now that the program is over and you won't be on such a strict diet regime. Considering once you bring back you're regularish eating habits there'll be more bloat foods.

Between 68.5 and 69.5. I was expecting to go back up to about 71 so I'm delighted with where it is.

That said, as above, I'm in Florida right now and I'm gonna eat ALL the pancakes so I'll have some course correcting to do when I get home...!

Alf Veedersane

Did you find your 'diet' restrictive in terms of the range of foods and going forward (I hate myself for using those two words together) would you be happy to keep it largely the same with maybe a change in quantities?

Nervous Wreck

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Did you find your 'diet' restrictive in terms of the range of foods and going forward (I hate myself for using those two words together) would you be happy to keep it largely the same with maybe a change in quantities?

I didn't but I'm a very plain eater so others probably would notice that more. Like I don't eat spices, herbs, sauces etc so plain chicken for example doesn't phase me.

I'll be keeping things mostly the same but possibly eating a little less tbh. I spent a FORTUNE on steak...

Alf Veedersane

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

I didn't but I'm a very plain eater so others probably would notice that more. Like I don't eat spices, herbs, sauces etc so plain chicken for example doesn't phase me.

I'll be keeping things mostly the same but possibly eating a little less tbh. I spent a FORTUNE on steak...

Nice! Plain enough eater myself though more so that a lack of variety has never bothered me.

And thanks for making me want steak now

Blacktie.

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

I didn't but I'm a very plain eater so others probably would notice that more. Like I don't eat spices, herbs, sauces etc so plain chicken for example doesn't phase me.

I'll be keeping things mostly the same but possibly eating a little less tbh. I spent a FORTUNE on steak...

Ah would not be for me. Have to have spices and herbs on nearly everything I eat. That's all the flavour! I think I'd fail massively on the traditional chicken and rice bodybuilder diet

Nervous Wreck

Blacktie. wrote: »

Ah would not be for me. Have to have spices and herbs on nearly everything I eat. That's all the flavour! I think I'd fail massively on the traditional chicken and rice bodybuilder diet

Sorry, I may have phrased that poorly. That was an example of how I eat to illustrate how a possibly restrictive diet wouldn't phase me. I've no idea if those things were allowed/off limits. I know a lot of people used herbs/spices cos I saw their meals (we posted pics of every meal on the private FB group for the first 3 weeks) but I didn't see any sauces from what I remember... but yeah, no idea if that stuff was or wasn't allowed!

I'd check for you but.... I don't have thyme right now.

Nervous Wreck

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Nice! Plain enough eater myself though more so that a lack of variety has never bothered me.

And thanks for making me want steak now

Have pancakes instead.

Nervous Wreck

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

I didn't but I'm a very plain eater so others probably would notice that more. Like I don't eat spices, herbs, sauces etc so plain chicken for example doesn't phase me.

I'll be keeping things mostly the same but possibly eating a little less tbh. I spent a FORTUNE on steak...

I'm sorry to be that person, but *faze

Nervous Wreck

bluewolf wrote: »

I'm sorry to be that person, but *faze

Were I paying closer attention, I'd be that person too, so I thank you!

cloudatlas

I was looking at some of the transformations and I don't really think the female transformations looked brilliant, far too skinny in some cases and stringy looking apart from one lady who was overweight and lost a lot

Nervous Wreck

cloudatlas wrote: »

I was looking at some of the transformations and I don't really think the female transformations looked brilliant, far too skinny in some cases and stringy looking apart from one lady who was overweight and lost a lot

In fairness, your idea of "too skinny" is likely to mean fcuk all to those women who, if they agreed to have their pics put up, are probably beyond delighted with their achievements.

cloudatlas

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

In fairness, your idea of "too skinny" is likely to mean fcuk all to those women who, if they agreed to have their pics put up, are probably beyond delighted with their achievements.

Fair enough, maybe that is a healthy weight and their bmi was taken into account, the naked eye is deceiving when it comes to a lot of pics. Just my opinion no doubt it means fcuk all but still going to exercise it no matter.

Dtp1979

cloudatlas wrote: »

Fair enough, maybe that is a healthy weight and their bmi was taken into account, the naked eye is deceiving when it comes to a lot of pics. Just my opinion no doubt it means fcuk all but still going to exercise it no matter.

Most of the women in those pics do look like an unhealthy weight and seriously low bodyfat to be fair. Some looked underweight before their transformation

cloudatlas

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Most of the women in those pics do look like an unhealthy weight and seriously low bodyfat to be fair. Some looked underweight before their transformation

Thanks, it's not my intention to body shame but after looking at the amazing pictures of the lads (albeit after they had done dumbell reps before the pics with the nice lighting it was still impressive), I wanted to see pictures of the ladies and their transformations and did not feel that the program had been tailored properly to them. If you are going to go for this kind of program you want to know that it's sustainable or at least some form of the training is sustainable in the long run especially if you are paying that amount. I wouldn't choose it myself but power to them if that's what their expectation was.

JJayoo

I hate these results pictures, stand at the right angle, use the right lighting,filter the **** out of it and make it black and white.

Shouldn't have to manipulate pictures