First Post: Big_Bang at 6.2, 320lbs

Big_Bang · Dec 11, 2005

Great site. I've been lurking for a while.

Decided to post some pics.

My best current lifts, 1 Rep Max:

515 Flat Bench (Last Pic)
435 Incline Bench
495 Dead Lift
455 Squat
245 Powerclean
275 Standing Behind Neck Military Press
225 Skull Crusher

I just starting DL and PC about 6 months ago.

Also, about 4 months ago I started taking Muay Thai, Brazilian JJ, and MMA classes to improve my BF ratio. I'll be 38 in April. Comments welcome. I know I need to improve BF. Some people say my chest needs work, but my shoulders make my chest look small. I usually wear a 6X big shirt!

Keep Training Like You Mean It!

Big_Bang

Pittbull™ · Dec 11, 2005

Hey bro, looking huge in those pics 6xl Damn!. Everyone has a starting point Where they decide to start training properly & putting in 100%. Sounds like your past that & going hard. Good to ssee your getting stuck into the martial arts

for fitness IMO it's the most fun way to lean up & get your fitness up really quick there is! I used to do muay thai a couple of years ago & really loved it. I'm doing Bu Jitsu now & it's just purely lethal, it combines every single art there is, takes all the good stuff that is quick & extreamly effective from each & chucks out the rest, so end up with "combat" type akido so rather than it being more of a defensive art it becomes a ageressive one. So basically in any given situation you should be able to use 1-2 techniques max to really F*** your opponent up. Very SAS, Special Forces type orientated. Maximum damage minimum effort & time! I love it, nice & brutal & weaponary too Bwahahahaha

Mr Pickles · Dec 11, 2005

i'm glad that 2nd little white box is there

looking mighty large bro

i wouldnt want to piss you off in the street... at 6xl, you're a brute!!!

like you said, your shoulders are wiiiiiide and make your chest look small(er) than them proportion-wise

just get a little leaner over time with your MMA workouts and you'll be there!!

Vander_V · Dec 11, 2005

At that ht and wt you may be the biggest fella on this board , great lifts as well.

Steak Helmet · Dec 13, 2005

tell us a bit about you???

years training??
goals??
how have you been eating...besides everything in site...I am sure you use to have a woman, but you ate her

??

Extra_Strong · Dec 13, 2005

Big_Bang said:
225 Skull Crusher

Big_Bang

WTF ???

holy poopy

Big_Bang · Dec 13, 2005

Thanks for the replies! In particular, it's great to hear from Vander and Steak. Your photos really inspire me to improve!

I'll tell you a little about myself. I'll be 38 in April. I've been training for 15 years (the last 7 years consistently). I left the Army in 97. I was 220lbs and felt small. I decided to get huge and strong.

Regarding eating and getting past 300lbs...this is really tough. When I decided to get huge I was about 230lbs. I began by increasing the # of meals from 3 to 6 per day. I did this by slowly working up to:
--doubling breakfast
--eat lunch #1 at noon
--eat lunch #2 at about 4PM
--doubling my dinner or eating dinner #2 about an hour before bed
Of course I was working out hard 6 times a week. It took 2 years for me to reach 300lbs. It took 6 more months to get to 330. I trained at 330 for a year and then started to cut slowly with the goal being to improve my BF ratio significantly while maintaining my mass. I estimate that at 330 I was 20% fat and now I'm probably 14% fat (loosing fat rapidly due to martial arts training now). Just a comment about going over 300lbs. If you can do it (you need a large frame with extra large shoulders in my opinion), I highly recommend it because of the incredible strength that comes with quality mass. I would have never believed the difference between strength at 240 vs 320. Again, I'm talking about muscle and not fat.

After I hit 330 and started to work on BF ratio, I began looking for the right exercises to help me since I really hate running, treadmill, bike, etc. I taught myself to jump rope and eventually found hardcore Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitzu classes. As you might guess, jumping rope attracts a lot of attention at my gym considering my size. At first I sucked at jumping, but now I'm decent. People come up to me all the time and make positive statements when I jump. Also, the drills we do in Muay Thai (examples are jump knee and skip knee aerobics type repetitive movements) burn fat like crazy. I resemble a water fountain after Muay Thai class.

Today I'm: quads 30 inches, biceps 21 inches, chest 56 inches and neck 22 inches (all cold). My waist is 40 (was 45 six months ago before starting martial arts).

My current goals are to get down to around 10% BF and remain over 300lbs. In the gym, to be efficient, I focus on squat, DL, incline bench, and powerclean. I want to grapple in tournaments and perhaps do some novice MMA cage events. I'm training with some really hardcore guys in their 20s but no one is near my size. It will be interesting to see if I can accomplish this. When I roll with a guy who is 220 or less, there is no contest if my skills are equivalent to his.

Thanks again. Keep training hard. If anyone has suggestions, please send them my way.

Big_Bang

Jaylee · Dec 13, 2005

Brown Nosing?

I commend you for posting your pics. Most people including myself do not like to show the world our physiques. I am a little bit confused. It seems if these guys, not everyone, is in shock with how big you are and your lift totals. Your upperbody lifts are mid rate, but a 455 squat for a 320lb. individual. Wooohooo.... John Bravo might I say.

HOUSE OF PAIN · Dec 13, 2005

14% body fat??

haze324 · Dec 14, 2005

dixichic said:
I commend you for posting your pics. Most people including myself do not like to show the world our physiques. I am a little bit confused. It seems if these guys, not everyone, is in shock with how big you are and your lift totals. Your upperbody lifts are mid rate, but a 455 squat for a 320lb. individual. Wooohooo.... John Bravo might I say.

Yeah I gotta agree a bit here. You're a big guy - but I would definitly say your DL and Squat need some work. I grappled for years and found the stronger I was at DL the more explosive I was on the mat. There's some good reading in the powerlifting section by BigByrd.

Good luck with your goals.

Extra_Strong · Dec 14, 2005

HOUSE OF PAIN said:
14% body fat??

Ya U are a big guy there seems to be lots of muscles. but?? 14% bodyfat there is no way!!

by looking at those pictures, that i can see U have that low of body fat i would guess 20% + ...

but keep us updated ... U are a beast.

BigBoyJ · Dec 14, 2005

14% bodyfat is just a VERY unrealistic measurement. You are well over 20% in those pics. There was another guy who posted calling himself "350 lb MassFreak". Everyone gave him pure hell for being so fat. I'm surpised everyone is being so nice to you. I mean, it's good that they're being nice, I just don't see why you're getting such positive replies, but he was totally trashed.

As for the lifts, the chest movements are good. Everything else is a little low for your size. In July I deadlifted 755 at only 250 lbs. I did use straps, but that's it....no wraps, backbraces or any of that crap. The bad thing is, I have bones like a skinny woman, so I can't take too much powerlifting.

The good thing is, you posted pics. I'll probably never do that. I'm too chicken shit and paranoid.

Big_Bang · Dec 15, 2005

I want to thank everyone again who posted constructive replies.

As for the less than constructive replies, I'd like to mention three points (not being defensive, just making 3 observations):

1) To get big, I mean really big over 300 lbs, you are going to carry a lot of undesirable fat for a while! So that's me! I'm in the process of losing the fat now. When I'm done, I'll be lean and over 300lbs--not a bad place to be. Last week I grappled with a guy who looked big at 240lbs. After we rolled he said I was one of the strongest and muscled guys he ever rolled with. He's a brown belt. (Of course he tapped me with no problem given his skill level.) Also I'll mention that when I grapple for practice with small guys under 220, I have to be extra careful not to injure them. Twice in the past 4 months, I've accidently hurt my partner forgetting how much stronger and larger I am. I'm not boasting, but it shows that size and strength really matter in some sports. (Now I just have to improve my cardio so I can last in a tournament situation!)

2) To get really strong in pushing exercises such as bench (not using a compression shirt), you need to be really big. I'd like to meet the 200lb guy who can bench 500lbs WITHOUT a compression shirt. He does not exist. I have a friend who is a professional powerlifter. He benches 750 without a shirt and 1000 with shirt. He weighs 400lbs and is 5.11. Without the mass, he could not do it. As for pulling exercises, such as DL, most powerlifters know that med size guys have an advantage due to center of gravity of your body--a big waist works against a deadlifting athlete. Of course there are exceptions, but the great pullers are usually a little smaller than the great pushers.

3) I mentioned in my first post that I just started doing DL and PC, so that will improve over time. I should have also mentioned that I just started squating regularly as well. In order to make time for martial arts, I have shifted my entire workout to DL, SQT, PC, and BP. I avoided these exercises for years because of a bad back, but with the recent help of a good sports ortho docter, my back is much better now. (I highly recommend sports doctors vs the ordinary kind for any type of injury or mechanical problem.)

I'll be back with more pics in 6 months or so. Keep training like you mean it!

Big_Bang

jerrywear · Dec 15, 2005

you saying that you are 14% rigt now,your arms 21,you are 320lb.
do youhave pics where you posing,not standing?

phreak · Dec 15, 2005

if he's 14% then i'm 2%

Jaylee · Dec 15, 2005

The Body Fat meter is off!

Either Big Bang is using a body fat measuring tool from the 1800's or maybe he simply has the numbers transposed backwards!! He is 96 % fat and !4% lean muscle. No offense, but you can not come onto this board and beefcake the numbers. There are too many people here that are AWARE of con-men. So please humble yourself and give a call to either Jenny Craig or LA Weight loss. Take care.

phreak · Dec 15, 2005

^^^^

BigBoyJ · Dec 15, 2005

dixichic said:
Either Big Bang is using a body fat measuring tool from the 1800's or maybe he simply has the numbers transposed backwards!! He is 96 % fat and !4% lean muscle. No offense, but you can not come onto this board and beefcake the numbers. There are too many people here that are AWARE of con-men. So please humble yourself and give a call to either Jenny Craig or LA Weight loss. Take care.

Holy crap!!!

My kind of woman.

Extra_Strong · Dec 16, 2005

Big_Bang said:
I want to thank everyone again who posted constructive replies.

As for the less than constructive replies, I'd like to mention three points (not being defensive, just making 3 observations):

1) To get big, I mean really big over 300 lbs, you are going to carry a lot of undesirable fat for a while! So that's me! I'm in the process of losing the fat now. When I'm done, I'll be lean and over 300lbs--not a bad place to be. Last week I grappled with a guy who looked big at 240lbs. After we rolled he said I was one of the strongest and muscled guys he ever rolled with. He's a brown belt. (Of course he tapped me with no problem given his skill level.) Also I'll mention that when I grapple for practice with small guys under 220, I have to be extra careful not to injure them. Twice in the past 4 months, I've accidently hurt my partner forgetting how much stronger and larger I am. I'm not boasting, but it shows that size and strength really matter in some sports. (Now I just have to improve my cardio so I can last in a tournament situation!)

2) To get really strong in pushing exercises such as bench (not using a compression shirt), you need to be really big. I'd like to meet the 200lb guy who can bench 500lbs WITHOUT a compression shirt. He does not exist. I have a friend who is a professional powerlifter. He benches 750 without a shirt and 1000 with shirt. He weighs 400lbs and is 5.11. Without the mass, he could not do it. As for pulling exercises, such as DL, most powerlifters know that med size guys have an advantage due to center of gravity of your body--a big waist works against a deadlifting athlete. Of course there are exceptions, but the great pullers are usually a little smaller than the great pushers.

3) I mentioned in my first post that I just started doing DL and PC, so that will improve over time. I should have also mentioned that I just started squating regularly as well. In order to make time for martial arts, I have shifted my entire workout to DL, SQT, PC, and BP. I avoided these exercises for years because of a bad back, but with the recent help of a good sports ortho docter, my back is much better now. (I highly recommend sports doctors vs the ordinary kind for any type of injury or mechanical problem.)

I'll be back with more pics in 6 months or so. Keep training like you mean it!

Big_Bang

How did you measure you body fat % ???

Not to bash but you should know the truth.

dragonfire101 · Dec 16, 2005

Congrats on making some good gains and getting into MMA. Your upper bodylifts are decent, but at that weight lower body lifts are below average.
Im about 220 and squat 495 x 5 and deadlift the same and am not into develping power. Those are just normal workoutt lifts.

At 10% bdf you can start to see abs. Measuring bdf% can be difficult an dtrickiy by your pics I say your between 22-25% though. Thre is no shame in that I at 20%bdf in the winter and get down below 10% in the summer. You will be able to do jut fine getting below the 10% with some hard training. Dont be scared to get below 300. At 275 at say 8% you will look over 300.

Its cool you joined MMA, but dont think you will be hurting the smaller guys because of your size or your to big. MMA is about skill and someone with average technique will catch you in a ankle or knee lock and it wont matter. If it was wrestling it would be a different story, but thats why wrestling has weight classes only about 10 pounds apart. MMA will help you shed the fat and get you in some good conditioning.
Good Luck with that and your goals.