There is nothing wrong with documenting your progress, or running experiments to see what it throws up. However, trying to micro-manage your physique is a futile endeavour. Scale weight, tape measurements, photos, DEXA scans and blood work are much more reliable indicators over the medium to longer term, in my experience.
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I look at it in much more simple or some would say stupid terms. After months of following some program if I look in the mirror and can actually see some physical change in my muscles that’s great! Wow I can actually see a little delt improvement or look, my lats are actually showing, thats encouraging . If I look in the mirror and it appears like nothing has changed but but the tests show I put on extra muscle or weight who cares what the charts, measurements , scans and body composition analyzers say.
Scott
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You’ve nailed it Scott.
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But don’t we all sometimes see what we want to see when we look in the mirror? I know I sometimes do. Accurate measurements are objective indicators of progress (or the lack thereof).
That can certainly be true.
But some of us are very self critical and experienced enough to know when a positive adaption has occurred most of the time.
We can also periodically back this up with photographs.
Obviously using other tools can also be of benefit.
No tool is perfect though, even measurements, and at the advanced stage with such small changes I would not use them exclusively as proof.
In summary , the more tools used , the better , but the mirror is always the first and last place I look to monitoring changes.
Mark
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Yea I’ve been looking at the good and bad muscles of this ancient body now for some 50 years so I think I can tell when something changes. Maybe I’m dreaming but I do think I’ve seen a tad of increase in my lat size over that last 3 or 4 months but I don’t know if it’s due to 30 10 30 or the fact that I’ve given my lats more attention than in he past or both? I’ve given my lats top priority with 3 or 4 different lat exercises instead my usual one.
Scott
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Agree on this!
My problem is that I have a hard time seeing minor differences from just observation, likely due to getting used to seeing this body everyday. I notice fluctuations depending on fullness in muscles, especially 24-72 hours after a workout, and can even be visually surprised being pumped up after a workout (yes, boosting your ego is great). Most obvious sign is tighter fitting clothes over time (subjectively, I’m appearantly growing).
Objective observations consists of workout notes on strength development, or lately (during mixed in NTF workouts) I register feel and estimated reps til failure. Then we have the bioimpedance tool which so far correlates well with my notes and subjective thoughts, meaning I regard it of lesser value, to be honest. I wouldn’t dare using it as often as Ricky, as it may draw my attention to making reactive short term adjustments too prematurely (because of natural fluctuations).
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I didn’t mean my comment to suggest that anyone should ignore the mirror, just that objective measurements are important too and should be used to validate what we’re seeing (or not seeing) in the mirror. I’ve been at this a while too and while the mirror is a great tool for gauging progress I personally find accurate (like a DEXA scan) objective measurements more useful.
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I had a lady waitress friend tell me today that I look slimmer…that always beats a mirror or those other methods, 
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== Scott==
I’m not trying to say don’t use those scanners and analyzers etc . If you have them great . Most of us , myself included, don’t have access to such equipment .
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I appreciate many of the points you’ve made… can you define “contractile tissue” i.e. does it not contain water? Please and Thanks! 
Question for Dr. Darden or anyone else who has input: Looking at 5 day average readings vs beginning 5 days (a.m. readings only), I have gained 8.9 lbs which is broken down to 5.7 lbs “fat” and 3.2 lbs “lean lbs” but only 2 lbs “muscle lbs”. When measuring Tyler’s results would callipers (or whatever method used) refer to “lean lbs” gained? or “muscle lbs”? (trying to compare apples to apples if possible)…
questions #2: If I’ve gained 3.2 “lean lbs” but only 2 lbs “muscle lbs”, what are the other 1.2 lbs composed of, if not muscle?
Observation: In previous 35 days, I was already gaining weight, (4.5 lbs) of which 2.6 was “fat”, 1.9 “lean lbs” and 1 was “muscle lbs”… in the last 27 days, I’ve doubled the muscle lbs from the previous 35… so is program working? My observation is, yes, as it’s not just more than the previous 35 days but “in addition to”, but with more fat than I’d like… and question, which of variables (or combination of variables) is most responsible:
Variables changed:
- More frequency
- 301030 (though I was already employing on many exercises)
- going sub failure
- exercise choices
- many more calories (in the past, when I eat more I gain muscle and fat, when I have caloric deficit, I lose muscle and fat, though more of the latter)…
- moving quickly between exercises (definitely feels good, after triple bypass surgery in 2007 to do this at age 62, and not feel overwhelmed)
- Mag 10 and Plazma
I have some ideas on how I would modify program should I repeat. (I might just diet as I prefer the leaner look, even if I do sacrifice some muscle, and while eating like a pig and not measuring is kinda fun, my energy level is actually higher when I’m in a slight caloric deficit) Note: over eating is my responsibility, as nowhere in the book does it suggest that I should gorge myself.
I struggled at beginning with the cadence of the middle 10 reps as being too quick, both for good stimulation and safety. I like the idea of a 90 second window, and don’t think that fewer reps would have a significant negative effect on metabolic conditioning.
This is my thoughts on cadence that I would be more comfortable with.
25-(5@5-5)-25=96 seconds (for exercises where there is no pause at upper turnaround, i.e. leg or chest presses)
20-(4@5-5-5)-20=96 seconds (for exercises where I would have a 5 second hold at upper turnaround i.e. rows or pullovers)
Oh, and I would change exercises to take advantage of the machines I own… and substitute easier mid week workouts, with sessions that focused on smaller body parts, like forearms, neck, rotary shoulder etc…(and I’d like to substitute plazma and mag 10 with just regular protein shakes and food)
By contractile tissue, I just mean the fibers within the muscle that actually contract and produce force. This is what people are after with strength training: bigger fibers capable of producing more force. And yes, being composed of cells, they contain water. Which is why it is tricky to draw a distinction between muscle gain and water gain.
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Here is what Inbody has to say about that:
Lean Body Mass (LBM) = Total Weight – Fat Mass
LBM includes the weight of:
Organs
Skin
Bones
Body Water
Muscle Mass
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Ricky,
First things first.
You still need to finish with the “Gains” week. Do everything to complete the final week.
absolutely… no changes yet… and of course my observations and thoughts will change depending on how this goes… just for clarity… my last metabolic challenge is on day 31, but final weigh in , pics and measurements should be on day 35? or 36? Please and Thanks!
We did the final weigh-ins, measurements, and photos on Day 35.
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Day 28 of 35
comparing today to start day, up nicely, comparing 5 day averages, showing dip from yesterday, as moving forward going into the “dip” that I experienced on days 24, 25 and 26
Note: no changes for Roch as he went to spend the weeked at his girlfriend’s and his last inbody analysis was morning of Feb 19
