12 week progress pictures

[Pickingmyselfup]

I'm following a few people on FB like PTs and coaches and they keep posting incredible photos of their clients 12 week progress. How real are they?!

I have almost 11 weeks until my holiday and I want to look good. I already run and am training for a half marathon and I also lift weights, I took a break for a week due to an injury but now I'm restarting my heavy low reps lifting instead of the lighter higher reps lifting.

I've probably put on a couple of lbs, maybe even a couple of kgs over the last 2 weeks because I've not been sensible with my calories but I was already at a normal weight anyway.

What difference can I make in that short space of time because I've been lifting for years and I literally can not see the difference between my pre lifting and lifting physique.

The biggest changes will have come from the individual changing their diet. There is only so much that exercise can do in terms of changes, especially over a period of 12 weeks.

If you are already exercising and lifting weights regularly (apart from a short break), there won’t be significant changes from a programme.

I have had a on-off relationship with exercise for many years but have achieved consistency for the past 6 months. My weight has always been healthy but I hold fat in certain places (like most of us!). My diet is reasonable good but there is room to improve. There are subtle changes when I look in the mirror - less fat in places, I am certainly much more defined and stronger but nothing close to the 12 week pics. I know that needs a major diet change and calorie counting which I won’t continue in the long term because they just don’t go with my lifestyle.

I could always improve my diet but it's not something I'm willing to do. For the most part it's pretty good and whilst I could ditch the alcohol and the cheese it's not worth it.

Just have to keep plodding along and see what changes I can make in 12 weeks but it's so hard! I don't think I've ever had a 12 week run where I haven't had some binges 😐

It's what we call "newbie gains." Oh I miss those days - dropping 6 kilos effortlessly (and now I'm stalled on the final 5 kilos to go ...)

If you haven't done much exercise & then commit to a 3 month "transformation" that's when you're really going to see changes. After that, it's consistency and patience.

You sound similar to me OP. Overall, I am healthy - my regular meals are full of vegetables, decent amount of protein (although could be better some days), lots of water. But I want to enjoy my life and giving up my favourites - eating at social events, occasional alcohol etc would take away that enjoyment.

I am ashamed to say I did pay someone for one of those type of packages several years ago when I knew next to nothing about exercise and body shape. I believed I was buying an exercise programme that would help me tone up by working out 30mins/day on 4 days a week. What I actually got was a major diet overhaul which did not align with my life/outlook at all. It was all about hitting protein goals using ultra processed proteins (I am a veggie), reducing carbs at all costs - even veggies were to be minimised because of carb content! I have learnt a lot since and know what I would need to do to loose that belly fat but when I am honest with myself - I don't want to make the changes. They are not sustainable for me and I don't see the point in doing them for just a short while

A lot of things aren't sustainable long term are they.

What frustrates me is that I'm getting stronger; my weights are increasing in the gym, I'm getting fitter; my running is getting further and faster, my weight is going down but I look flabbier! I read up on skinny fat and it says it applies to people with a high body fat percentage but low weight (i.e. me) but it's caused by a lack of strength training, too little calories and not enough protein (so not me!)

An initial change in exercise can cause water retention, as can hot weather, lapses in diet etc. So your recent weight gain, combined with the flabbiness you complain of, could be largely water.

I am no expert but I think if you want visible changes you are better off going for muscle building/hypertrophy as opposed to sheer strength. So not the low volume/high weight stuff, but keeping at the lower weight/high volume along with eating at maintenance or a tad below and having plenty of protein. And then 3 weeks before the holiday going onto lower calories in the hope of revealing your muscle a bit more.

Personally, I would think it is all too much trouble for a holiday and would carry on with whatever training regime suited my ultimate goals. It sounds like that is going very well for you.

I haven't gained weight, I'm losing it and my training isn't new although the running has amped up and will continue to do so because of my half marathon in 7 weeks.

I lifted a photo off one of the groups I'm in which is claiming to be a 12 week progress picture... I have no idea how this is even possible. I've been following a high rep progressive lifting programme for the best part of 12 weeks although I have had a couple of blips due to injury and time. I'm lifting heavier, running faster and further and although my diet hasn't been spot on I weigh less than I did 12 weeks ago but look no different. I'm not exercising just to lose weight, I'm doing it because I want to continue to hit goals like lift x weight for x reps, complete x distance in x time or complete x distance but it would be nice to see the results of my hard work!

I'm sticking to a 5x5 progressive heavy lifting programme now for another 12 weeks, will have a few weeks of lifting at the same weight continuously before moving on to a higher rep lighter lifting progression for another 12 weeks then continue with the cycle.

My running will tail off after my half is completed but I need to keep it going at a level to maintain my fitness before I go into next year with more races to do.