Weight Loss and Muscle Build, HELP needed

[CharlieHere]

Hello everyone,

My name is Charlie and I’m 28. I work on board cargo vessels from where I’m writing right now as well. Might seem like an irrelevant private info but it will be relevant due to some factors like limited diet possibilities, free time etc.

To start with a brief ‘history’, I was a coach-potato for almost the last decade and this year I hit 100kg for the first time (102kg [225lb] to be precise) which made me change my lifestyle, as much as I could considering the circumstances. I’m 185cm which would be like 6’ or 6’ 1’’. I guess 100kg would be acceptable for some but in my case we’re not talking about muscles, we’re talking about fat. I do feel like an intruder here since I have absolutely nothing to do with body-building but since I’m considering some steroids and need some help I figured out I’ll stop-by here even it means getting bashed by the whole community. I can handle it.

So in January (about 4 months ago) I stopped eating junk which was part of my daily ‘diet’ together with most carbs. Not a strict diet but definitely a big change in food intake, especially on the calorie-intake side. I also started training, mostly cardio, running (around the vessel and ‘in-one-place’), some push-ups, sit-ups and other exercises which are a combination of the mentioned or similar ones. Later on I added some (light) weight lifting (about 15-20kg) with 5-6 sets of 20-30 reps. So nothing intensive but I have been sweating for the last few months, almost every day with 1-day break a week, on average. The ‘training sessions’ are normally 45min up to an hour.

In the last 3 months I came from 102kg [225lb] to 91kg [200lb] which was a very good result for me. I could feel and see the weight loss but honestly my main problem was belly fat and I feel like that’s the one place where I lost least weight. I did lose some and I know I reduced the waist by few cm but still... far from the results I was going for.

In the last month the weight reduction was significantly lower and I lost like 2-3kg in a whole month, with basically the same training schedule and food/calorie intake. I feel like it’s getting more and more difficult to go even lower even though I’m not too worried about the weight anymore as I am about the belly fat, especially the so-called ‘love handles’.

I never took any supplements, especially not steroids but browsing the never-ending internet I am tempted to consider trying them out, for a cycle or two, not more. I’m not interested in any dramatic results, not interested in becoming a ripped body-builder or whatever (hope this doesn’t come out too strong) but if I could use some supplements/steroids in order to speed up my progress and get me the results I want, I’m willing to consider them.

I am doing my own research for the last few weeks gathering information from different websites, medical articles, lab studies etc. including a lot of useful information from this forum itself. However, I decided to ‘say hello’ and see if a ‘direct approach’ with yield some more specific information for me and save me some time which is, again, quite limited.

The first ‘thing’ I came across was CLEN. I know personally some people who used to take it (usually for the same purpose as me) and they were quite satisfied. I felt, however, that they run into it without too much information or understanding at all. Seems like it ended up just fine for them but I’m not willing to go that road without knowing what I’m doing and why. As far as I’ve read, CLEAN is the most effective steroid for weight-loss and together with my current life-style I believe it would get me at least some of the results I’m after. I’d probably go with the 2 weeks on / 2 weeks off cycle for 6 weeks (2on / 2off / 2on) starting with a lower dosage (about 60-80 µg) the first week (to see how my organism reacts to it) and then build it up to the 120-140µg per day in the last 2 weeks after the 2-week break).

That was my original plan but you know how internet is. Only CLEN is not enough, should be used stack with this and that and that’s when I ‘lost track’ a bit. Seems like TEST is almost a ‘must’ for any similar stack but I’ll go a step ahead and say that I would not prick myself at this stage (and probably any stage) so that’s not an option. Orally intake only. Then I saw a lot of stack including CLEN and WILLY (willy would prevent excessive muscle loss, not that I have much) but again mostly with TEST or even a lot of other substances I didn’t even have time to research yet. T3 is one of them, again... stacked with CLEN or even CLEN+WILLY+T3 (all orally). So at this stage I’m a bit lost and I need your help. At least getting the pieces of information together and then I’ll decide IF I will go that road and how.

So one of the options I’m considering right now is CLEN and WILLY in which case I’d start taking WHEY protein as well and would add more resistance and strength training (especially with weights) on my current ‘plan’. I’d also take some guarana extract / taurine in case I have some muscle cramps (wouldn’t take them unless I do have problems). In some places I’ve read that CLEN+WILLY is a good combo, on other places that it’s terrible idea. Quite difficult to see a precise ‘picture’ so I’m hoping that you will help me out here.

As for the dosage, I mentioned about the CLEN and then plan above. As for WILLY, I’d probably take it for the straight 6 weeks (no break like with CLEN), starting with a lower dosage (around 30mg per day) seeing how my body reacts and then building it up to 50mg, probably from week 3, when a break from CLEN starts. Whey protein would be there because I don’t have an option to get enough proteins otherwise (refer to the first paragraph) and I’m considering taking about 20g, 2 times a day (40g per day). Again, taurine would be only in case of problems with muscle cramps.

T3 also seems to be part of the similar stacks most of the time but I haven’t research it enough yet.

As far as impotence goes, I don’t care at all as long as it’s temporary. Again, refer to the first paragraph and why is that. That’s why I guess I could go without TEST.

I’m sure some (if not most) of you will say that I should just continue with exercise and diet which is fair but I’d still like to hear some opinions about the mentioned stack, some suggestions and possible changes either on other supplements/steroids or on the dosage itself. I will continue my routine no matter what but if I can get better results quicker with one cycle or two then I’m willing to consider trying it.

Sorry for the long post and for not including some ‘basic info’ which I’ve seen most do like bf % etc. but I just don’t have the means to find out that and similar information.

Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

- Charlie

[Revelations]

Welcome brother. Okay wow quite the first post you got here bud. I am going to say what you dont wanna hear. Dont take the sauce if you really only wanna try it once or twice. I remember reading an old joke where a guy said the number of brothers that he knows that ran one cycle=0. Here's how its properly done:
1.You eat and train right until you are either at or damn near your genetic potential.
2. You start to cycle AAS to go above your genetic potential while accepting the risk that down the road you will likely need to be on hrt.
AAS in my opinion should not be used by people having a "one and done" mentality.
However, lemme give you some straight advice brother. First off, I know you can't measure your body fat, but rough estimate how lean you are. Do you have any visible abs? If the answer is no I would suggest you keep working at the diet and exercise (I know you dont wanna hear that shit). The key to anabolics and any extra supplements in my opinion is like an old buddy of mine said it to me: Use it as your "ace in the hole" meaning hold out until shit really gets rough. And trust me man, shit will get rough the leaner you get. So explain your situation more. Can you cook food and get a variety of food where you are at? Do you have any weights or equipment?
-Rev

[VallieFlag]

Clen is stressful to the heart. Your heart is already under excess stress due to being overweight. Please don't use clen. It is for people trying to shed the last few lbs of weight.
Your results thus far are great by the way, congrats on making such a big change. Steroids aren't fat burners though.

If I had to choose between clen and t3, I would choose t3. Although tbh you shouldn't choose either of those. I have no idea what willy is. Although I can assure you taking test will not make you lose weight or lose fat. It can help you keep muscle while you are actively doing cardio to lose fat, although your diet and training has to be spot on. I like your attitude and that you're researching and trying to better yourself, I just think you've taken a wayward turn to be honest. Maybe you'll shed more fat, start a bulk, get really impressive results and get buff without ever having to touch steroids. Maybe that won't happen, who knows, but at least give yourself the chance to try it.

[Revelations]

Clen is stressful to the heart. Your heart is already under excess stress due to being overweight. Please don't use clen. It is for people trying to shed the last few lbs of weight.
Your results thus far are great by the way, congrats on making such a big change. Steroids aren't fat burners though.

If I had to choose between clen and t3, I would choose t3. Although tbh you shouldn't choose either of those. I have no idea what willy is. Although I can assure you taking test will not make you lose weight or lose fat. It can help you keep muscle while you are actively doing cardio to lose fat, although your diet and training has to be spot on. I like your attitude and that you're researching and trying to better yourself, I just think you've taken a wayward turn to be honest. Maybe you'll shed more fat, start a bulk, get really impressive results and get buff without ever having to touch steroids. Maybe that won't happen, who knows, but at least give yourself the chance to try it.

Great advice VF; couldnt agree more clen is not something you want to use early on!! If you are absolutely dead set on something I would suggest a low dose eca stack to suppress appetite a bit, but the problem again is that once you stop eca you have to learn to keep up the diet without it, and your going to be hungry. I want to also congratulate you on your progress so far man, you are on the right track! I would just suggest saving these ideas til you get a little leaner. Btw VF by "willy" I think he meant to say "winny" or winstrol which please OP dont use that either. Old school BBers used this precontest to harden up and as an icing on the cake if that makes sense. I love winny dont get me wrong, it just doesnt have its place until your around single digits bf% (or very visible abs). Again OP, I know you are excited to give it a go and you dont wanna hear about waiting, but man clen, t3, eca and anabolics are no joke and I really try to get brothers to use them as safely and smart as possible to get to their goals. If you follow any of my posts, you will see that I reccomend what I call "the least effective dosage" meaning you should only use what you absolutely need to get to the goals you want. If your trying to get shredded and your not quite close, all clen and t3 is going to do for you is shed a lil extra fat, and then pile it all back on when you stop them. That's why your way better off getting as close to your goal as possible without them first. Then bust out the ace in the hole and really get shredded.
-Rev

[bigeyed]

Increase muscle mass and you will burn more calories. That's how it works. It doesn't sound like this game is for you. Winny will shut you down by itself. I know you don't care about sex right now but you will feel like shit afterwards if you run Winny by itself. EAC stack is probably the best option for you in my opinion. Best one I took was called green stinger. You may also want to look into phen. The best advice is to keep going balls out and figure out how your body works. It take a lot of time to get to where you want. It's the small things and being consistent that add up to the big things with exercise. You will hit plateaus and have to work through them. Push through barriers; meaning, go till you can't go anymore and then go longer. Look into the creb cycle. It will help you understand how your body processes fats and gives you energy. Dial in that diet and nutrition is the absolute best thing you can do. Then exercise. Good luck with everything Bro.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[AvidFisherman]

T3 is extremely catabolic. Your muscles will waste away if you dont have test at the very least. T4 is catabolic as well but not as much as T3. You should not take T3, T4, ephedra, clen, albuterol, dmaa, dnp, etc. unless your diet is good otherwise you will yoyo your weight which is horrible for your health. Right now I suggest you track your macros and calories. You are probably insulin sensitive so keep the carbs to low gi carbs with fast gi carbs only right after you work out with some fast acting protein. Suppliment with creatine and vitamin d3.

Even if you are on a ship thats no excuse for a bad diet. Bring on tubs of protein powder, vegetables fresh and canned. Proteins from canned chicken, tuna, sardines, anchovies, pickled eggs, etc.

Can you bring a couple dumbbells onboard. Maybe some lf those adjustible ones that go from 5lbs to 55lbs? Also look into a ketogenic diet and high intensity interval training, sprint hard then walk and then repeat. That will turn you into a fat burning machine.

[CharlieHere]

WOW, what a bunch of thorough and good replies. Honestly, never expected anything similar. I was ready to be laughed which I wouldn't mind but would find it pointless. This is a surprise. A very positive one. Thanks a bunch.


Welcome brother. Okay wow quite the first post you got here bud. I am going to say what you dont wanna hear. Dont take the sauce if you really only wanna try it once or twice. I remember reading an old joke where a guy said the number of brothers that he knows that ran one cycle=0. Here's how its properly done:
1.You eat and train right until you are either at or damn near your genetic potential.
2. You start to cycle AAS to go above your genetic potential while accepting the risk that down the road you will likely need to be on hrt.
AAS in my opinion should not be used by people having a "one and done" mentality.
However, lemme give you some straight advice brother. First off, I know you can't measure your body fat, but rough estimate how lean you are. Do you have any visible abs? If the answer is no I would suggest you keep working at the diet and exercise (I know you dont wanna hear that shit). The key to anabolics and any extra supplements in my opinion is like an old buddy of mine said it to me: Use it as your "ace in the hole" meaning hold out until shit really gets rough. And trust me man, shit will get rough the leaner you get. So explain your situation more. Can you cook food and get a variety of food where you are at? Do you have any weights or equipment?
-Rev

I fully understand what you mean (by one-and-only cycle). Regarding body fat, if I'm not mistaken (I could be) when I was at 102kg, I believe my scale was giving me around 26-28% bf. Even tho I lost some weight now, I don't think I'm much lower in that 'department'. I'm definitely not lean and I definitely don't have visible abs. I'm not 'fat' anywhere except the tummy (belly fat) if you can say 'not fat' considering all. I actually look fine until I take my shirt off. Seems like most (if not all) the fat I have is stored in the belly. The one place I want obviously the get rid off.

As for the last few questions... that gives me an immediate satisfaction that you read the whole post (I know it was goddamn long) and I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, the answer to cooking is negative. I'm eating what's being prepared and skipping when I see it's something too greasy, fatty or full of carbs (I skip pizzas, pastas and similar meals and eat mostly meat and some eggs). I'll have to wait to come back home to start with the 'cooking meal' option. With that being said, if you have some tips regarding that, feel free to throw them here. I'll make sure I use them when I get a chance. As for the equipment in our gym... we have some weights, various weights, no problem there. Also for bench press. We have a lat machine and some poles for possible pull ups and similar things. That's pretty much all. I know it's poor but definitely enough for starting out.


Clen is stressful to the heart. Your heart is already under excess stress due to being overweight. Please don't use clen. It is for people trying to shed the last few lbs of weight.
Your results thus far are great by the way, congrats on making such a big change. Steroids aren't fat burners though.

If I had to choose between clen and t3, I would choose t3. Although tbh you shouldn't choose either of those. I have no idea what willy is. Although I can assure you taking test will not make you lose weight or lose fat. It can help you keep muscle while you are actively doing cardio to lose fat, although your diet and training has to be spot on. I like your attitude and that you're researching and trying to better yourself, I just think you've taken a wayward turn to be honest. Maybe you'll shed more fat, start a bulk, get really impressive results and get buff without ever having to touch steroids. Maybe that won't happen, who knows, but at least give yourself the chance to try it.

I appreciate your time for reading and replying. By willy, I meant winny or winnie (winstrol).

I consider myself a very serious and responsible guy so I wouldn't go down the steroid road without spending A LOT of time researching and part of it is opening up a thread on the forum and having a direct approach to some of you. I haven't decided anything yet. But I'll be honest and say that I was considering trying it out once and was looking for some suggestions and advice regarding it. But I feel like I'm more satisfied with the replies I got here than I would be if I got just a stack suggestion from someone without any explanation whatsoever (something I expected tbh).


Great advice VF; couldnt agree more clen is not something you want to use early on!! If you are absolutely dead set on something I would suggest a low dose eca stack to suppress appetite a bit, but the problem again is that once you stop eca you have to learn to keep up the diet without it, and your going to be hungry. I want to also congratulate you on your progress so far man, you are on the right track! I would just suggest saving these ideas til you get a little leaner. Btw VF by "willy" I think he meant to say "winny" or winstrol which please OP dont use that either. Old school BBers used this precontest to harden up and as an icing on the cake if that makes sense. I love winny dont get me wrong, it just doesnt have its place until your around single digits bf% (or very visible abs). Again OP, I know you are excited to give it a go and you dont wanna hear about waiting, but man clen, t3, eca and anabolics are no joke and I really try to get brothers to use them as safely and smart as possible to get to their goals. If you follow any of my posts, you will see that I reccomend what I call "the least effective dosage" meaning you should only use what you absolutely need to get to the goals you want. If your trying to get shredded and your not quite close, all clen and t3 is going to do for you is shed a lil extra fat, and then pile it all back on when you stop them. That's why your way better off getting as close to your goal as possible without them first. Then bust out the ace in the hole and really get shredded.
-Rev

Yeah... willy = winny/winnie/winstrol. Not a type but an honest mistake. I believe I don't have many problems with appetite so I wouldn't take anything for that. People are always surprised but I can (used to) eat junk all day like a pig. No problem. Few years back I basically stopped eating. No problem. I mean no problem with the 'desire' itself but definitely messed up my immune system at the time. So if I set myself I can keep the calories wherever needed, I somehow don't have a problem with that.


Increase muscle mass and you will burn more calories. That's how it works. It doesn't sound like this game is for you. Winny will shut you down by itself. I know you don't care about sex right now but you will feel like shit afterwards if you run Winny by itself. EAC stack is probably the best option for you in my opinion. Best one I took was called green stinger. You may also want to look into phen. The best advice is to keep going balls out and figure out how your body works. It take a lot of time to get to where you want. It's the small things and being consistent that add up to the big things with exercise. You will hit plateaus and have to work through them. Push through barriers; meaning, go till you can't go anymore and then go longer. Look into the creb cycle. It will help you understand how your body processes fats and gives you energy. Dial in that diet and nutrition is the absolute best thing you can do. Then exercise. Good luck with everything Bro.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I will look up the things you mentioned. Again, for research purpose only. Thanks a lot.


T3 is extremely catabolic. Your muscles will waste away if you dont have test at the very least. T4 is catabolic as well but not as much as T3. You should not take T3, T4, ephedra, clen, albuterol, dmaa, dnp, etc. unless your diet is good otherwise you will yoyo your weight which is horrible for your health. Right now I suggest you track your macros and calories. You are probably insulin sensitive so keep the carbs to low gi carbs with fast gi carbs only right after you work out with some fast acting protein. Suppliment with creatine and vitamin d3.

Even if you are on a ship thats no excuse for a bad diet. Bring on tubs of protein powder, vegetables fresh and canned. Proteins from canned chicken, tuna, sardines, anchovies, pickled eggs, etc.

Can you bring a couple dumbbells onboard. Maybe some lf those adjustible ones that go from 5lbs to 55lbs? Also look into a ketogenic diet and high intensity interval training, sprint hard then walk and then repeat. That will turn you into a fat burning machine.

I don't think I have a bad diet, I just probably don't have the most appropriate one. But I'm not sure if going for so much powder is the right option. Not saying it's not, I'm just unsure about it. Whey protein will probably be on my shopping list and for the rest, I'll research a bit more. I eat as much vegetables and fruits as possible but truth to be told, that's very little on board. On average, that's like 2 fruits (usually apples/oranges) per day and some salad. Definitely not enough. Canned fruits? The ones I've seen are usually full of sugar, maybe you have better options in the supermarkets around you. As for the canned tuna/sardines etc. I believe they are fine but not sure if I should exclusively eat from the cans. Just doesn't seem too natural or good for me. And all this seafood (especially canned) is usually filled with mercury or at least the world made a big hype about it in the recent years. And don't get me wrong, I'm not against any of that, I just feel it's not the best option but I'm willing to hear you out.

As for dumbbells and other weights, we have them. Not as much as you would find in a gym but enough. For now I'm only 'working' with one set with 8kg (17lb) on each but I'm definitely planning to start with more weights next week.

Thanks a lot for the reply.



Since you were the most informative I will also share my daily routine with you. Maybe it will give few more tips...

I normally wake up around 11am. I have lunch (or breakfast since it's my first meal) at 11:30am which usually consists of 2-3 eggs and a piece of meat (chicken/fish/pork) of around 200g. After that I'm on duty til 4pm and I don't eat anything in the meantime. I start my training around 4pm. I'm not doing anything 'heavy' atm. I run, do around 100-150 push-ups, same number of sit-ups and then some combined exercises, trying to focus on the abs (or in my case belly fat). That usually lasts an hour, then I cool down, take a shower and around 6pm I take dinner which consists again of some of the mentioned meat, in similar amount (no eggs). Then I usually try not to eat anything or if I have to it's usually some pumpkin/sunflower seeds with a lot of water. Now that I mentioned water, I drink 2-3 liters a day. Around 8-9pm I take a rest til midnight when I start my second shift til 6am. Then I take my second rest till 11am when a new day starts.

When I'm at home, I have no obligations so I can focus better on the diet and go to a proper gym. But I still have another 4 months or so on board so I'd like to use the time as much as I can to get some results before coming back home.

Again, thanks a lot for the time and support. I really appreciate it.

Cheers!

Charlie

[Doctor Doping]

Have you considered a cycle based on propionate testosterone and boldenone?

[VallieFlag]

I appreciate your time for reading and replying. By willy, I meant winny or winnie (winstrol).

I consider myself a very serious and responsible guy so I wouldn't go down the steroid road without spending A LOT of time researching and part of it is opening up a thread on the forum and having a direct approach to some of you. I haven't decided anything yet. But I'll be honest and say that I was considering trying it out once and was looking for some suggestions and advice regarding it. But I feel like I'm more satisfied with the replies I got here than I would be if I got just a stack suggestion from someone without any explanation whatsoever (something I expected tbh).


Since you were the most informative I will also share my daily routine with you. Maybe it will give few more tips...

I normally wake up around 11am. I have lunch (or breakfast since it's my first meal) at 11:30am which usually consists of 2-3 eggs and a piece of meat (chicken/fish/pork) of around 200g. After that I'm on duty til 4pm and I don't eat anything in the meantime. I start my training around 4pm. I'm not doing anything 'heavy' atm. I run, do around 100-150 push-ups, same number of sit-ups and then some combined exercises, trying to focus on the abs (or in my case belly fat). That usually lasts an hour, then I cool down, take a shower and around 6pm I take dinner which consists again of some of the mentioned meat, in similar amount (no eggs). Then I usually try not to eat anything or if I have to it's usually some pumpkin/sunflower seeds with a lot of water. Now that I mentioned water, I drink 2-3 liters a day. Around 8-9pm I take a rest til midnight when I start my second shift til 6am. Then I take my second rest till 11am when a new day starts.

When I'm at home, I have no obligations so I can focus better on the diet and go to a proper gym. But I still have another 4 months or so on board so I'd like to use the time as much as I can to get some results before coming back home.

Again, thanks a lot for the time and support. I really appreciate it.

Cheers!

CharlieTo be honest, it sounds like you're doing all the right stuff man. Cardio and hundreds of pushups and situps and doing whatever exercises are available to you. Your calories sound low though. From what you said it seems like you're only on about 1000 max a day. Nothing wrong with upping it a bit and that will give you more energy to do your workouts, but of course you know your body better than anyone so do what feels right and what gives you enough energy while still getting results. I would say keep doing what you're doing, get back home, hit the nutrition and gym properly and build on what you've already done.

[VallieFlag]

Have you considered a cycle based on propionate testosterone and boldenone?
Why would anyone do one of the longest ester steroids combined with one of the shortest ester test?

[AvidFisherman]

You need a lot more vegetables. Do you like nuts? They have healthy fats and protein. If you have adipose tissue around your mid section I would not try to increase the size of your stomach muscles, it will just make the fat stick out more over the larger muscles. You cannot spot reduce so doing crunches or setups will not make your stomach fat go away. Try fasted cardi and HIIT training with a ketogenic diet. If you can stick to the diet I think you will be pleased. Also look into creatine, its cheap, safe and very effective.

[AvidFisherman]

Also, you need more water. Drink at least a gallon a day.

[bigeyed]

You may also want to look into a cleanse. Get your body more effective at absorption so what you do put into your body runs better. It will also take some of the bloat out of your belly and that will give you modivation. Be careful with it though. You don't want to take it too far. Shitting yourself on a boat during your shift would be quite the story.

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[NightHawkDC2]

Bodyweight exercises are a good place to start. Try to progress and use more weight. Pushups, pullups, squats, etc are a great basis for a program. You can look up things like "Jailhouse workout", etc and see what kinds of routines you can do. If you have access to a barbell and can do squats, presses, deadlifts, etc; you'll be that much better off.

Diet: The biggest thing you need to do is maintain a calorie deficit. Aim for trying to lose 1-3 lbs/wk. 3 is pretty aggressive. you need to eat as many veggies (as long as they're not loaded w/ butter & oils) as you can. Lots of vitamins, fiber, etc to keep your body running well. Keep hammering the meat & eggs. Bringing on tuna, protein powder, protein bars, etc to supplement what you can get in the galley is a good idea. Make friends w/ the cooks & see if they might set you aside a few eggs or something more conducive to your goals on those days they serve things you normally skip. Wouldn't take too much effort for them to toss on a few eggs to boil for you. What's the worst they can say? When people see others making real efforts, they're often likely to help. Shit...look at all the people taking time to chime in on this thread.

Anabolics shouldn't even be a consideration right now. I'm in a SIMILAR situation, bodyfat-wise, but I also am considerably older than you, had been training for a while, and my Testosterone levels were low. I highly doubt this would've been a consideration if I were 28. AAS shouldn't even be something you consider for quite a few years, actually, considering you just started training.

[CharlieHere]

Sorry, I've been at sea for the last week with no internet... Giving an update now...

Last week... I lost another kg (2.2lb). I'm at 90kg (198lb) now. Regarding weight I don't think I will go much lower. Maybe I'm willing to get to 84-85kg (185lb) and then change 'directions'. My goal is not to get skinny, it's just getting rid of the belly fat. However, after reading a lot, finding more support than I expected (including on this thread) and some personal help from a friend on board, I decided to put a bit more dedication into training and muscle building. It's nowhere near any of your goals but still...

So after my last post I hit the ship's gym for the first time with the mentioned friend who has much more experience in the gym and training in general. For the purpose of this thread and people following it, we did the following:

day1: chest and triceps (6 compound exercises for chest and 4 for triceps, with weights and lat machine, around 12-15 reps each)
day 2: shoulders and biceps (5 compound exercises for shoulders and 4 for biceps, with weights and lat machine, around 12-15 reps each)
day 3: rest day (although I did cardio and some push ups and crunches)
day 4: back (7 compound exercises for the back, with weights and lat machine, around 12-15 reps each)
day 5: 6 exercises for the legs, mostly on the lat machine
day 6: rest day (again cardio + crunches)
day 7: unable to workout due to work, just did cardio for 40-45 minutes)

I'd explain each exercise but in case you didn't notice, English is not my mother tongue (just kidding, of course you did), especially gym-related. Heck, even in my language I wouldn't be able to explain or even name the exercises we did.

I also did the 'loading phase' (not necessary by many but imperative by others) of 5 days with creatine (5g, 4 times a day) and post-workout glutamine. Now I'm continuing with creatine before gym and creatine + glutamine after the gym.

Now, I feel like I'm leaving out the cardio and replacing it with the gym. Probably not bad but I'll try to find some time for cardio as well, every day. I'll try to squeeze it in the morning by waking up an hour or so earlier and doing it before my noon shift. Then the only thing I'll be lacking is sleep which I'm not sure how will work out for me and how long will I be able to keep up with that. But it's worth a try. Otherwise, I'll try to add at least half an hour of cardio after the gym, when possible.

Regarding diet, not much room for improvement, giving the situation and working environment. I'm only considering buying some supplements like whey protein and some vitamins/minerals. Probably not the best way to go but I don't have a better one and I believe is better with supplements than leaving all that out.

That's a short update, if anyone is interested and now back to the posts because I appreciate every post and don't want to ignore anyone.


Have you considered a cycle based on propionate testosterone and boldenone?

No, I haven't. I believe I said it in the first post and I'm not even considering pricking myself for now. If I ever do, I'll steer my research in another direction.


To be honest, it sounds like you're doing all the right stuff man. Cardio and hundreds of pushups and situps and doing whatever exercises are available to you. Your calories sound low though. From what you said it seems like you're only on abo5ut 1000 max a day. Nothing wrong with upping it a bit and that will give you more energy to do your workouts, but of course you know your body better than anyone so do what feels right and what gives you enough energy while still getting results. I would say keep doing what you're doing, get back home, hit the nutrition and gym properly and build on what you've already done.

Thanks for the input. The calories intake is probably low which is reflecting in my weight loss. Maybe not as low as 1000 but I believe it's definitely less than 1500. I just downloaded a bunch of guides on food and calories so I'll probably have a more complete picture in a week or two.

I still have around 4 months on board and by that time I believe I will reach the weight goal (84-85kg) and also build up some (no matter how ridiculous for most of you) muscles to be able to hit the gym as soon as I get home. Also the diet will be much better once I get off the vessel and have all the meat, fruits and vegetables available whenever I need them. I guess most people don't appreciate that. Including me, few months ago. :)



You need a lot more vegetables. Do you like nuts? They have healthy fats and protein. If you have adipose tissue around your mid section I would not try to increase the size of your stomach muscles, it will just make the fat stick out more over the larger muscles. You cannot spot reduce so doing crunches or setups will not make your stomach fat go away. Try fasted cardi and HIIT training with a ketogenic diet. If you can stick to the diet I think you will be pleased. Also look into creatine, its cheap, safe and very effective.

I know I need a lot more vegetables and fruits. But I just have no option at the moment. Except going the supplement route and drinking them instead of eating. Or swallowing, whatever. I like most nuts but as little as I read about the calories (I said above I just downloaded a bunch of guides) I've noticed that most of them are actually high in calories. I know calories don't determine how good/bad the food is but it's just something I've noticed. Right now the only 'snack' I take daily are the sunflower and pumpkin seeds. I guess that count as nuts or at least is close. Anyways, those I could probably buy next time I get a chance.

I know I cannot spot-reduce (actually didn't know until recently) but I believe(d) that even crunches are good. Not that they will be responsible for melting my belly fat but I didn't think about them being counter-productive and making the fat stick even more. I'll look into that and maybe replace them with some other exercise(s). I'm doing cardio, now a bit less with the gym but probably will start daily cardio again. I'm not measuring if it's cardio or HIIT but I believe I'm good there because after 1 hour of running, jumping, squatting, mountain climbing etc. I'm all wet, from my ear to my toes. I'll also look into the ketogenic diet even tho I'm not sure I'm able to strictly follow any diet while on board.

Also, you need more water. Drink at least a gallon a day.

Almost 4 liters sounds quite a lot to me, at the moment. When training (including post-workout) I drink around 1-1.5 liters. Throughout the day I drink that same amount. So that's the initial 2-3 liters I believe I mentioned in the first post. I'll try to increase it to the 4 liters (just over 1 gallon) per day.



You may also want to look into a cleanse. Get your body more effective at absorption so what you do put into your body runs better. It will also take some of the bloat out of your belly and that will give you modivation. Be careful with it though. You don't want to take it too far. Shitting yourself on a boat during your shift would be quite the story.

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I'm not sure I'm ready for a cleanse. As mentioned, the food quality here is not the best and I'm anyways taking maybe even less calories than needed which makes me feel a bit weak at times (not often) so a cleanse would make that significantly worse (I believe) and would have a negative effect on the training and on the job itself (let's not forget is the primary reason I'm here :))



Bodyweight exercises are a good place to start. Try to progress and use more weight. Pushups, pullups, squats, etc are a great basis for a program. You can look up things like "Jailhouse workout", etc and see what kinds of routines you can do. If you have access to a barbell and can do squats, presses, deadlifts, etc; you'll be that much better off.

Diet: The biggest thing you need to do is maintain a calorie deficit. Aim for trying to lose 1-3 lbs/wk. 3 is pretty aggressive. you need to eat as many veggies (as long as they're not loaded w/ butter & oils) as you can. Lots of vitamins, fiber, etc to keep your body running well. Keep hammering the meat & eggs. Bringing on tuna, protein powder, protein bars, etc to supplement what you can get in the galley is a good idea. Make friends w/ the cooks & see if they might set you aside a few eggs or something more conducive to your goals on those days they serve things you normally skip. Wouldn't take too much effort for them to toss on a few eggs to boil for you. What's the worst they can say? When people see others making real efforts, they're often likely to help. Shit...look at all the people taking time to chime in on this thread.

Anabolics shouldn't even be a consideration right now. I'm in a SIMILAR situation, bodyfat-wise, but I also am considerably older than you, had been training for a while, and my Testosterone levels were low. I highly doubt this would've been a consideration if I were 28. AAS shouldn't even be something you consider for quite a few years, actually, considering you just started training.

Starting in the gym will 'solve the problem' regarding weights. And yes, we have a barbell. A straight and curved one (no idea if that's a proper name but I hope you know what I mean).

Regarding the diet, I'm sure I'm still in the calorie deficit (also shown by losing over 2 pounds in the last week) and I'll probably continue another week or two and then go a bit less aggressive on that. Right now there is a 'general problem' with veggies and fruits but I didn't want to bring that up and sound like an excuse. So there is a limited quantity of both and I can only get an additional apple/banana or a carrot a day. Not sure if it sounds funny or sad but that's how it is at the moment. That's why I'm seriously considering the supplements mentioned above.

I believe I have to apologize again for another long post. I guess that's a 'professional deformation' :)

I really appreciate all the time and support here, I kinda want someone to come and flame me to put me down a bit... Just kidding, no need :)

Thanks again,

Til next time,

Charlie

[AvidFisherman]

If you do a keto diet you don't need the veggies, otherwise you need those low gi carbs. Can you take canned greenbeans etc. onboard?

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[Loose Cannon]

cant get over the WILLY thing brother. too funny! lol welcome to bop

[Steele7]

Welcome brother. Okay wow quite the first post you got here bud. I am going to say what you dont wanna hear. Dont take the sauce if you really only wanna try it once or twice. I remember reading an old joke where a guy said the number of brothers that he knows that ran one cycle=0. Here's how its properly done:
1.You eat and train right until you are either at or damn near your genetic potential.
2. You start to cycle AAS to go above your genetic potential while accepting the risk that down the road you will likely need to be on hrt.
AAS in my opinion should not be used by people having a "one and done" mentality.
However, lemme give you some straight advice brother. First off, I know you can't measure your body fat, but rough estimate how lean you are. Do you have any visible abs? If the answer is no I would suggest you keep working at the diet and exercise (I know you dont wanna hear that shit). The key to anabolics and any extra supplements in my opinion is like an old buddy of mine said it to me: Use it as your "ace in the hole" meaning hold out until shit really gets rough. And trust me man, shit will get rough the leaner you get. So explain your situation more. Can you cook food and get a variety of food where you are at? Do you have any weights or equipment?
-Rev
Rev. Brother awesome insight. I personally don't think it Will said better BY any OF us. I tip MY hat to YOU BROTHER.



Charlie, get yourself, if nothing else a place on THE ship under stairs pull ups chin ups. A couple pair of dumbbells. 20lbs to start with. Oh....... look up tough mudder work out routine..total body circuit training IS no joke. If theirs a desire NO matter what FOR loud music and heavyweight you'll FIND a WAY.
Sounds like GOD ALMIGHTY JEHOVAH AND JESUS CHRIST MY PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR has already BLESSED YOU with that burning Will be BLESSED. It's your own personal mountains. Brother you're on your way YOU got THIS

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[Boombalaty]

Good advice here. One thing to add is an app called my fitness pal. It will help track tour food intake and protein carbs and fat. When you are trying to cut or add muscle you cant assume you are eating 1000 or 1500 or 5000 calories, you need to KNOW exactly what you are taking in. This is the only way to know if what you are doing is working. If you are not llosing then you know to either drop a couple hundred cals a day or increase cardio. If you are loosing too much too fast, which usually means you are sacrificing muscle especially if you are not on gear, you need to eat more. Just my 2c brother.

[HardtoGain]

It sounds like you are doing great and making progress to your goal of overall fitness. To me it sounds like you are looking for a shortcut or something to speed along your progress. I have found that there are really no shortcuts and steroids help once you reach your genetic potential or plateau where no more muscle is coming on.

I recommend making your new found passion for fitness a lifelong goal. Fitness is more of a lifestyle than a diet or gym session. Once you find the proper nutrition, maintaining an ideal body weight will be easy. Give natural fitness a try for a couple of years and when you stop making progress in the gym then revisit the idea of steroids. By then you will already have a grasp of nutrition (which is 90% of fitness) and a solid understanding of physical exercise. This will put you at a big advantage rather than if you were to start using AAS now.