share your training and diet disasters

**ben 21** · 22-01-2012 02:47 AM

thought this could make a good subject, we all talk about when a regime goes right, what we did how we trained and so on. so i thought it would be interesting to talk about when a regime goes badly wrong. early last year i decided i was big enough and decided to shread up and go insanely low in bodyfat. so i refered to my book (which was american) and went on the advaced 3 month workout. the diet was a carb cycle and the only carbs on the menu where oatmeal and sweet potato. that was it. only fats aloud were olive oil and peanut butter. and the proteins were chicken, turkey and white fish. the workouts consisted of, monday, chest and back giant sets, 20 mins cardio, abs. tuesday, shoulders and arms giant sets, 20 mins cardio, abs. wendsday quads and hamstings giant sets, 20 mins cardio abs. then it repeated back to mondays workout on thursday and i trained right through till saturday, abs cardio everyday. then it got harder and harder till i was doing an hour of cardio, after a workout of squats, no rest strait to lunges, no rest strait to leg press, then end that set with stiff leg deadlift. 60 seconds rest then back to squats. at no point here am i exagerating, this is what i did. i tracked my progress with a formula i have to workout lean mass, and bodyfat. my body fat was down to 6% bear in mind this was within less than 8 weeks at this point. but. lean mass (muscle) was plumeting, though at the time i was deniying it saying ah! its just water weight! i deep down knew the truth i was losing muscle. and fast. my family very worried wonderd if i had some kind of illness, my face was very pale and i looked thin, my t shirts that usually cant contain my arms were slack around the arm. what made me do it? no reason other to see if it would work, an experiment if you will. i got to about spring and thought hmmmm id better listen to my body now. i went strait back to my regular 4 day split. my first day back i strugled benching 80kg witch i usualy happily bomb for reps and basicly diddnt have much in the tank. luckly the weight came back on fast and by late summer i was back to where i once was, and have now got even bigger since then. what did i learn? dont crash diet and dont overtrain. i diddnt realise i had a low body fat percentage in the first place! so thats my disaster story, care to share yours?

**Maximi11ion** · 22-01-2012 06:15 AM

three years of running turned me into golum with a gut

**stronglikewood** · 23-01-2012 11:19 AM

My first 6.5 years of lifting. To cut a long story short; overbulking, overcutting and then worrying about staying lean.

**tony4100** · 23-01-2012 03:23 PM

Dogmatically following Stronglifts 5x5 whilst on a calorie deficit. Constant stalling and deloading was really demoralising.

**fussyjim** · 23-01-2012 03:39 PM

My first year was pretty pointless to be honest, no set programme and no focus on diet. This really brought home the message, you can't out-train a bad diet!

**asoe209** · 24-01-2012 01:56 AM

As above 1st of over training as well as not having a good routine with poor diet and little will power. The pefeect storm really for wasting time and 1 years gym membership.

**ben 21** · 24-01-2012 02:17 AM

Quote

Originally Posted by asoe209

As above 1st of over training as well as not having a good routine with poor diet and little will power. The pefeect storm really for wasting time and 1 years gym membership.

i think most of us had a bad first year compaired to our more rescent years.

**SunTzu** · 24-01-2012 08:22 AM

Quote

Originally Posted by stronglikewood

My first 6.5 years of lifting. To cut a long story short; overbulking, overcutting and then worrying about staying lean.

That sums up my first 18 months.

**asoe209** · 24-01-2012 08:27 AM

Quote

Originally Posted by ben 21

i think most of us had a bad first year compaired to our more rescent years.

yeah, glad i found this forum, could of been 2 years lol.

**badly_dubbed** · 24-01-2012 08:55 AM

1000miles a week on a road bike, every day and every night after work for hours.

then not refuelling properly, lost sh*t loads of weight right enough....however it wasnt from fat.

then to curb the starvation onset, id have days of full out binges on sugar, it wasnt untill I came across Martin Berkhan that it sort of clicked, how can this dude stay lean, yet do little to no cardio?!?!

the key was heavy lifts. and bang - that was it. (didnt fast initially)

I still cycle, i was out yesterday, for an hour, i wasnt racing or interested in beating anyone or what my avg speed over distance was, and today cyclings much more fun for me this way.

sitting my ass down and reading a bit about nutrition has helped loads, I download Rob Wolfs audio blogs and listen to them on the nightshift - being paid to learn! win!