How long have you been working out, and how many pounds of muscle do you estimate you have put on since then? And have you been doing your current routine throughout?
Seriously working out for over 2 years now. Pretty much same routine with minor changes to exercises due to injury. Started at 154 pounds and 30%(!) bf (and type 2 diabetic too). 36 inch waist. Currently 130 pounds, 12.4% bf. No diabetes whatsoever, doctor confirmed. 28 inch waist (with visible abs).
He's a good guy, and has authored and co-authored a number of research papers on exercise. You can read a number of archived articles on his site. I've read them all. Started with this one a few years ago: http://www.ageless-athletes.com/90minutes.php
That is obviously evidence of improvement. I'm just wondering if you were keeping track of changed in muscle mass along the way.
I just wanted to know how much muscular mass you gained during the course of your weight training, which you said you had been doing seriously for over 2 years. If you took body composition measures, then along with the % composition, I imagine poundages were also estimated (as they are with the InBody scale). I was just curious to know how many pounds of muscle you had gained with your routine during this period. I am assuming you were not training before this time, judging by how you described yourself before you started. Therefore, the first two years should be quite meaningful. Do you have those numbers or don't you? If you don't that's okay.
I just remembered that he wrote the following in one of his articles: The irony is that through all my training incarnations, I had about the same lean body mass. The only thing required to capitalize on my best assets was to just watch my diet a bit more. Indeed, by comparison, staying relatively lean has been quite easy in contrast the stuffing myself with food to "bulk-up". The reason is that staying leaner plays to whatever favorable genetics I have. Bulking up does not. http://www.ageless-athletes.com/genetic_limits.php So, for all intents and purposes, pretty much any reasonable resistance routine will allow your physique to reach its genetic potential in time, after which it essentially comes down to a matter of maintenance and diet. That's his message. And, as an aside, he's a proponent of low volume HIT.
From the figures i gave, only 6 pounds of lean mass gained in 2 years! WTF. Having said that, I probably lost a couple of pounds of lean in the last 3 months whilst on my cut which i suspect i'll put back on pdq.
I'm no way near my genetic upper limit potential for lean mass. As mentioned in another thread, I have low free testosterone (caused by v high levels of SHBG) which is hindering my ability to build muscle. Went to an endo today, he has ordered more tests.