Patience

S

Sparky

New Member
I'm new here but certainly not new to bodybuilding being 46 and having started lifting at 13. Competed in my twenties.

I've been reading through the forums over the last few days and it would appear there are a lot of newcomers to the iron game on this site.

What has really struck me is so many guys hung up on weighing themselves and measuring themselves almost to an obsessive degree. I'm reading stuff like: "I gained a quarter inch on my thighs, but my waist increased 3 inches" or "Help...I've been doing HST for a week and I lost an eigth of an inch on my arms" or "I gained 20 pounds but now I can't see my abs".

I've just started HST and I'm in my second week of 15's. What I've read is exciting, and the science behind it appears sound. Perhaps it's just my years of experience but I'm not expecting miracles, and nobody should. I understand it will take a substantial period of time utilizing these training methods before I can fairly judge if they have been effective for me. Taking your physique potential to it's absolute limits takes years of dedicated, intelligent training.

My advice is to throw away your tape measures and scales, train consistantly and intelligently, and use the mirror as the guide to your progress. Don't set yourself up for frustration and dissapointment.

Enjoy the ride.......we'll all get there in the finish...

Good health to all...
 
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(Sparky @ Aug. 17 2007,16:41)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I'm new here but certainly not new to bodybuilding being 46 and having started lifting at 13. Competed in my twenties.

I've been reading through the forums over the last few days and it would appear there are a lot of newcomers to the iron game on this site.

What has really struck me is so many guys hung up on weighing themselves and measuring themselves almost to an obsessive degree. I'm reading stuff like: &quot;I gained a quarter inch on my thighs, but my waist increased 3 inches&quot; or &quot;Help...I've been doing HST for a week and I lost an eigth of an inch on my arms&quot; or &quot;I gained 20 pounds but now I can't see my abs&quot;.

I've just started HST and I'm in my second week of 15's. What I've read is exciting, and the science behind it appears sound. Perhaps it's just my years of experience but I'm not expecting miracles, and nobody should. I understand it will take a substantial period of time utilizing these training methods before I can fairly judge if they have been effective for me. Taking your physique potential to it's absolute limits takes years of dedicated, intelligent training.

My advice is to throw away your tape measures and scales, train consistantly and intelligently, and use the mirror as the guide to your progress. Don't set yourself up for frustration and dissapointment.

Enjoy the ride.......we'll all get there in the finish...

Good health to all...</div>
I get on the scale every now and then.  I never measure anything.  I did get bodyfat measurement about 2 years ago.

The mirror tells it all, the darn thing just doesn't lie.
 
i think people often like to get into the spirit of things, get themselves motivated which often manefests its self as obsessive behavior, weighing themselves everyday, checking there measurements and so on.

proberbly not that necessary but hey, what ever floats your boat and keeps you going.

i definitley agree that people need to look long term when it comes to seeing results.they just dont come over night without chemical assistance and even then diet and training need to be in order.
 
Mark

You are so right but as Icars puts it, whatver blows your hair...patience, as I often say, is the name of this game. Those whodo not have it will often expect too much and find too little for they go all out expecting miracles!

BBing can be an extremelly narcisistic experience unless you mature enough to just enjoy what you get with what you put in!
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I think that before we rely on patience, we must have some sort of proof that what we're doing is working. The proof must come soon or we then begin to doubt. For some, this proof can come in just a few days, for others it can be weeks or months. For me, it happened to be two weeks. I used the scale to determine that I had gained weight. Now that I have this proof, I am confident that what I'm doing is working. Without this proof, it serves me no purpose to rely on patience in the long run anyway.

So I think a short term goal and proof of its achievement is necessary before relying on patience later on. But I'll go with others here and say that whatever floats your boat to get you to where you want to go is just fine, too.
 
Personally, I use the scale. How else will you know whether you are gaining weight and whether you need to adjust your calorie intake?
 
I understand it is all a long road. I have been lifting for 8+ years now (I think). However, keeping track of measurements allows me to keep encouraged for the long haul.
 
Personally I go by the mirror...how my clothes fit...and the comments I receive from others...

Neither the tape measure, nor the scale always tell the true story. Only muscular bodyweight counts, gaining weight does not in and of itself mean progress. You may have lost fat and gained lean body mass and that would not register on the scale at all, so the scale is not always the best indicator. Similarly, as far as measurements are concerned, a 15 inch highly defined, muscular peaked bicep looks bigger (and better) than a 17 inch smooth flat bicep.

Not preaching, just my own approach to things. I used to weigh and measure myself more often when I was young but haven't done either in years.
 
Miror is not good enough. Somtimes on the miror you see what you wanna see or dont wanna see.
At least take a picture of yourself every few weeks, and compare the pictures to see your progres. Or take a picture of yourself near another lifter, to see how are you in compare to him.
 
Said it before many times and will again...the scale lies: unless you average your weight from the last 7 days or so; THAT'S what you weigh.
 
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(quadancer @ Aug. 18 2007,21:48)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Said it before many times and will again...the scale lies</div>
My scale not only lies, it cheats at cards...!
 
If you've just gotta get on the scales. Do it in the morning right after you get out of bed before you take any food or drink. This is most consistent way to weigh yourself, because you've been fasting all night.

The scale will still screw you up, because your weight can vary several pounds a day over a weeks time.
 
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(domineaux @ Aug. 18 2007,23:36)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">If you've just gotta get on the scales. Do it in the morning right after you get out of bed before you take any food or drink.  This is most consistent way to weigh yourself, because you've been fasting all night.

The scale will still screw you up, because your weight can vary several pounds a day over a weeks time.</div>
the trouble with weighing yourself in the morning is you could have lost a significant(relative) amount of water in the night(sweating etc)which everyone does no matter how imperceptable.

plus the food you ate the day before is more often than not still with you so i personally just weigh myself in the afternoon and take an average like quad said.
 
in addition, pictures are definitley the best way to monitor you progress long term.

at one time i would look in the mirror and ask myself &quot;what the hell am i training for &quot;after seeing no noticable gains, it wasnt until i looked at some older pictures of myself that i realised just how much id actually gained
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What I keep take progress pics every 4 weeks or so and date the back of them and put them face down against the mirror

And every time I take a new pic I compare the results.
Very up lifting feeling to see the differences.

And yes I will admit I am guilty or measuring and weighing as well.
blush.gif
 
Don't get me wrong....there is nothing wrong with weighing and measuring...but not on a daily or even weekly basis in my opinion. Perhaps after you have completed a cycle or every few months...
 
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