Stibby's 12 Week Mass Journey

Training Training Logs
81

Here’s the second workout of the week (arms), which it seems i have forgotten to log over the last two weeks. Anyways this is the thirds arms workout i have done since i started the new split, and it goes a little somethin like this:

A1. STANDING CURLS
1st set: 23.7’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 23.7’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 23.7’s x 6

Notes- these were really hard, i upped the weight from what i’d been doing for the last two weeks (21.1’s) and managed to reach the desired number of reps (6-8), so strength has improved over the last two weeks. Next week i’ll try get 3 full sets of 8 so i can increase weight again the following week.

A2. TRICEPS DIPS
1st set: BW plus 13.4kg x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: BW plus 13.4kg x 7
60 secs rest
3rd set: BW plus 13.4kg x 6

Notes- As with curls above, strength has improved over the last two weeks, with me moving from plus 10kg at week one to plus 13.4kg this week (3). Next week i should be able to improve again and get 3 full sets of 8 with the same weight.

B1. SEATED CURLS
1st set: 16.7’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 16.7’s x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 16.7’s x 9

Notes- these were pretty hard, nearly managed to get full number of reps required. I may or may not up the weight next week depending on how i feel. Just as a reference for progress so far on these, i started out at 3 x 10 at 13.5’s in week one, moved up to 3 x 10 at 15.7’s last week and i’m at nearly 3 x 10 at 16.7’s this week. So in two weeks the load has gone up by over 3kg per dumbbell which seems pretty good to me.

B2. TRICEPS EXT (LYING)
1st set: 14.5’s x 9
45 secs rest
2nd set: 14.5’s x 8
45 secs rest
3rd set: 14.5’s x 8

Notes- these were pretty hard, first time in weeks i’ve upped the weight at all on these. For the record, in week one i did 13.5’s x 9, 9 and 8 reps. Week 2 i did 13.5’s x 10, 10 and 10 reps. So this week i upped the weight to continue making progress. Next week i should be able to get 3 full sets of 10 at the same weight before i increase weight the following week.

C1. CONCENTRATION CURLS
1st set: 13.5kg x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 13.5kg x 11
30 secs rest
3rd set: 13.5kg x 10

Notes- these were really hard, progress was made again though. For week one i was at 13.5’s x 10, 8 and 10 reps. Week 2, 13.5’s x 11, 10 and 8 reps. So next week i should be able to get 13.5’s x 12, 12 and 12 reps so i can increase load the following week.

C2. SEATED OVERHEAD TRICEPS EXTENSION (1 DB)
1st set: 21.1kg x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 21.1kg x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 21.1kg x 12

Notes- these were pretty hard, but not as hard as they were the previous tow weeks. In week one i got 21.1kg x 12, 10 and 8 reps. Week 2 was 21.1kg x 12, 11 and 9 reps. So today i finally got the full quota of reps with good form. Next week i’ll increase the weight by something like 2.5kg.

Total session length: 37 mins.

Overall today session was pretty good, i either lifted more weight on every exercise or increased the number of reps for the same weight as to continue making progress. I was sweating quite a lot at the end and my biceps, triceps and forearms were particularly fatigued, aswell as pumped. My front delts were also somewhat fatigued from the dips. Hopefully progress will continue next week, as you can see it has over the last 2 weeks.

82

8lbs is good if it is the right kind of weight. I didn’t measure but my abs were only slightly more hidden so on a guess, 9lbs was muscle.

Are you sure you read that article correctly? It’s definitely possible to gain much more than that when you initially hit the weights extremely hard and diet correctly.

I had dabbled in lifting, but when I did OVT I did nearly EVERYTHING perfect. Didn’t miss a single meal, slept plenty, and only missed a couple leg days but since my front squat was shooting threw the roof, it wasn’t a big deal. Hell, my loose fit jeans wouldn’t even come over my thighs! Waist size only slightly increased but my everyday jeans were still comfortable.

Your metabolism is fast.

Experiment with shocking principles like I said above (drop sets, statics, rest pause, etc.) These are very useful tools for ectomorphs since intensity is a large contributing factor to our success. Coach Thib makes this point a lot. USE SPARINGLY.

Change your diet the best you can and see if you’re progress doesn’t increase. Bodyweight in protein a day is not enough for a ectomorphs like ourselves. Been there, done that, and it doesn’t work well. You’re very high amount of fat is no doubt causing the fat gain. At your weight, no more than 130g is needed and thats on the extreme end. Most will even stay below 100g.

Make sure you are absolutely hauling ass in the gym but it shouldn’t be an aerobic workout. I don’t know your conditioning, but if its like mine, 60 seconds is not enough time. You can find the right time for you but varying your rest times each workout. Which ever gives you the best pump is what you should go with. Example, in one minute, I am still catching my breath so my set will not be optimal since I am still in an “oxygen deprived” state. In four minutes, the pump after preceeding set is already gone. If the pump is gone and you’re still breathing heavy, you need some conditioning.

Summary: less fat, more protein, more carbs, work harder, possibly lengthen rest times.

PS Your workouts are redonk in terms of time. Don’t worry about cortisol bullshit after 45 minutes either. Doing OVT, not one workout was less than an hour and a half and I got some damn good results in the little time I was on it.

83

well i haven’t got time to reply to all you mentioned quite yet, the thing i am most surprised by is your idea that i’m an ectomorph, i always thought i was more of a mix of an meso and ecto and not pure ecto. The reason i say this is i tend to put fat on quite easily. But i suppose if i look at it objectively, i’m tall, not muscularly developed really and have long levers, so maybe there is a case for what you say.

Anyways i’ll have a read over the rest you said and get back to you later, probably might pm you aswell if you don’t mind. Always good to get input from other people who are alike, were alike to you.

84

Bro you are describing me to a T. Skinny-fat = Worst. Disease. Ever.

85

Here is the third workout of the week (quads/hams):

A1.DB LUNGES
1st set: 31.1’s x 6
60 secs rest
2nd set: 31.1’s x 6
60 secs rest
3rd set: 31.1’s x 6

Notes- these were really hard, the weight felt really heavy, i could have maybe done a couple more reps, but i made sure of good form with the heavier weight. Next week i’ll aim for 3 x 8 with the same weight.

A2. DB ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
1st set: 33.6’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 33.6’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 33.6’s x 8

Notes- The were hard, despite increasing weight again, i still felt they were relatively easy, especially when compared to split squats below. Gonna increase weight again next week.

B1. DB SPLIT SQUATS
1st set: 26.7’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 26.7’s x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 26.7’s x 10

Notes- these were unbelievably hard, finally managed to get 3 full sets of 10. These also had my heart going aswell as destroying my legs. Funny thing is there gonna be even harder next week.

B2. BODYWEIGHT LEG CURLS
1st set: BW plus 5kg x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: BW plus 5kg x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: BW plus 5kg x 10

Notes- these were also really hard, i used a barbell to help achieve the full ROM, which helped with form and safety. Felt easier than last week despite the increased weight, so i’ll have to up the weight again. Or i might even try taking away the barbell and using just BW, whilst trying to increase the ROM of reps over time.

C1. STEP UPS
1st set: 10.9’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 10.9’s x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 10.9’s x 12

Notes- these were still pretty easy when compared to the above. Felt like a real cardio/fat loss exercise more than a muscle builder. I’ll definitely up the weight again next week to help finish off the quads.

C2. SINGLE LEG DEADLIFT
1st set: BW x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: BW x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: BW x 12

Notes- changed these for the swiss ball leg curls as these will allow me to add weight over time. The problem with these is maintaining good balance/posture throughout the movement, so i will add weight gradually next week to make sure it’s safe.

Session duration: 48 mins

Overall it was a really really hard session, i achieved PB’s on al exercises, so progress is still continuing which is good. Legs were really fatigued at the end, so were my forearms and upper arms to a lesser extent from gripping the dumbbells, particularly for the heavy lunges.

86

here’s the nutrition stats for today (16/04/09):

protein: 215g
carbs: 323g
fats: 146g
calories: 3507

Overall i’m pretty happy with today’s effort. Protein is okay, carbs were pretty high also. A worry for me currently is the large amount of fat i’m having, which accounts for more than a third of my calorie intake, gonna maybe look at trying carb cycling next week, so i’ll have to find a way to lower the fat for the high carb days.

87

Here’s the fourth workout of the week (anterior/rear deltoids):

A1. STANDING BARBELL SHOULDER PRESS
1st set: 37.5kg x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 37.5kg x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 37.5kg x 6

Notes- These were pretty hard, upped the weight again by 2.5kg and did pretty well, nearly getting 3 full sets of 8. Next week i’ll aim for a full 3 sets of 8 at the same weight.

A2. BENT OVER REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 11.9’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 11.9’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 11.9’s x 8

Notes- These were pretty hard, but i will need to up the weight again to make it harder. Form was pretty good throughout and i could feel the upper back/shoulders working pretty hard.

B1. ARNOLD PRESS
1st set: 16’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 16’s x 8
45 secs rest
3rd set: 16’s x 7

Notes- These were really hard, i struggled on the 2nd and 3rd sets and didn’t reach the prescribed range (8-10 reps). Therefore i’ll keep the same weight again next week and aim for a minimum of 3 x 8. I did improve on total reps completed from last weeks workout so that is good, and i’ll aim to progress again next week.

B2. SEATED REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 7.8’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 7.8’s x 9
45 secs rest
3rd set: 7.8’s x 8

Notes- Quite Hard, probably just about the right weight, i’ll use the same weight again next week and hopefully get 3 sets of 10.

C1. FRONT RAISES
1st set: 11.9’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 11.9’s x 11
30 secs rest
3rd set: 11.9’s x 10

Notes- these were really really hard, especially with a slightly heavier weight, all sets were really hard and i perhaps used a slight bit of momentum towards the end of the sets. Weight was just about perfect for rep range (10-12). I improved on last weeks workout by lifting more weight and will try to get 3 full sets of 12 with the same weight.

C2. LYING REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 6.4kg x 8
30 secs rest
2nd set: 4kg x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 5kg x 10

Notes- Really hard, picked a weight that was too heavy for the first set, finally got the weight right for the last set, and will aim to get a full 3 sets of 12 with 5kg next week.

Session length: 41 mins.

Overall it was a pretty good session, was sweating significantly at the end and could feel my shoulders and upper back were fatigued. I improved every lift’s performance on last week and will aim to do the same again next week with increased weights.

88

Here are yesterday’s nutrition stats that i know of (18/04/09):

protein: 100g
carbs: 288g
fats: 55g
calories: 2043

The reason the totals are so low is i didn’t record anything after 4pm as i went to a bbq in the evening and had several beers with some bbq food, so have no idea of the macros. I definitely overate a bit but i’m not so worried as my nutrition has been pretty solid all week, and there’s nothing i can do about it now anyway.

89

Here’s today’s (19/04/09) nutrition stats:

protein: 217g
carbs: 320g
fats: 143g
calories: 3477

Okay day today, i fit all these calories into about a 12 hour window as i woke up aound midday. Protein was good, plenty of carbs, which i probably didn’t need and some healthy fats.

90

Right, so after seven weeks of the current training phase, i took measurements again this morning.

Here’s my current stats:
all taken upon waking 20/4/09 after going toilet

Weight: 184.4 lbs (up 4.8)
Supra-illiac: 17mm (up 1)
Body fat: 17% (same)
Lean mass: 153.05 lbs (up 3.98)
Fat mass: 31.35 (up 0.82)
waist: 33.44 (up 0.38)
chest: 38.31 (up 0.06)
left arm: 12.25 (up 0.25)
right arm: 12 (same)
left forearm: 11 (up 0.12)
right forearm: 11.18 (up 0.18)
left thigh: 22.25 (down 0.25)
right thigh: 22.25 (down 0.57)
left calve: 14.06 (same)
right calve: 14.31 (up 0.18)

Overall my weight is up a massive 4.8lbs!!! The body compOsition stuff says that the majority of the weight gain was LBM, with a much smaller gain in fat. The large rise in BW is probably due to the bbq binge i had on saturday night which also included beer, me just speculating here, maybe there was some sort of super-compensation going on by my body due to the influx of calories, either way most of the weight is likely water storage and/or glycogen refilling. Other than the evident gain in BW, all the other numbers are going up slowly. Aside from thigh measures, which have been shown to be very inaccurate when i take them. I’m gonna carry on as i have been doing with regards to training and nutrition, maybe consuming more carbohydrates and protein and a little less fat, calories will remain around 3500.

91

Here’s the first workout of the week, chest and back:

A1. DB BENCH PRESS
1st set: 29.5’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 29.5’s x 7
60 secs rest
3rd set: 29.5’s x 5

Notes- These were really hard, For the third set i was able to maintain the weight but couldn’t quite reach 6 reps. I think i did okay though, today was the 1st time i’ve lifted the same weight for all three sets. I also managed to increase the reps by 1 on both the 1st and 2nd sets. Hopefully next week i’ll be able to get 3 full sets of 8 with the 29.5’s.

A2. CHIN UPS
1st set: BW + 6.25kg x 7
60 secs rest
2nd set: BW + 5kg x 5
60 secs rest
3rd set: BW + 3.75kg x 4

Notes- these were also really hard, i used the same weight as last week. On the positive side, i got one more rep on the 1st set, but on the negative this affected the 2nd set, getting 1 less rep than last week. The third set maintained status quo of last week. Will probably use same weights again and see if strength will increase number of reps performed.

B1. DB INCLINE PRESS
1st set: 23.7’s x 9
45 secs rest
2nd set: 23.7’s x 5
45 secs rest
3rd set: 21.1’s x 7

Notes- really hard, i kept the weight the same as last week throughout the 3 sets but was unable to do more reps, instead just repeating last weeks numbers. As with chin ups i’ll try to increase reps with the same load next week.

B2. 1 ARM ROW
1st set: 29.5kg x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 29.5kg x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 29.5kg x 10

Notes- really hard, used the same weight as last week and managed to get the full 3 sets of 10. Hopefully i can progress again next week with a heavier weight.

C1. DB FLIES
1st set: 18.7’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 18.7’s x 10
30 secs rest
3rd set: 18.7’s x 7

Notes- these were really hard, really fatigued my chest a lot. I managed to maintain 18.7’s for 3 sets, but couldn’t quite get 10-12 reps for the last set. On the other hand, reps on the first two sets were increased again. Hopefully next week i can get 3 sets of 10-12 with the 18.7’s.

C2. BENT OVER REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 7.1’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 7.1’s x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 7.1’s x 12

Notes- these were also really hard, i managed to get 3 full sets of 12 as i had aimed to. Next week i’ll try a heavier weight for 3 sets of 10-12.

Session length: 41 mins

Overall, this was a great session, really hard work, sweating a lot throughout. I was sweating a lot at the end, my chest and back were really fatigued, as were my forearms, front delts and triceps, less so for my biceps. Progression was made on most exercises so the session was pretty good, hopefully next week progress with continue for all exercises.

92

here’s the nutrition stats for today (20/04/09):

protein: 240g
carbs: 423g
fats: 93g
calories: 3509

Really tried to get more protein and carbs in today and reduce the fats accordingly. Think i did pretty well, normally i would only have carbs at breakfast, PWO and the PWO meal but i scrapped that today and had in all meals except last. I may try the opposite tomorrow and only have carbs at breakfast, seen as tomorrow is something of a rest day.

93

[quote]stibby wrote:
here’s the nutrition stats for today (20/04/09):

protein: 240g
carbs: 423g
fats: 93g
calories: 3509

[/quote]

Fantastic.

Lowering carbs on off days isn’t a bad idea either since you say you are gaining some fat. Are you using creatine by chance? 1000g for $20 is dirt cheap and will last you awhile. Not essential, but definitely helps.

94

yeah using creatine, something like 10g post workout, don’t bother on rest days. Lately i’ve tried upping carbs a bit more on workout days, like above, in affect having to post workout meals with carbs (not including shake). You think i should drop calories a bit maybe on rest days? At the moment i’m around 3500 everyday, that being said i only really have 2 proper rest days, the third involves 5 a side footy for 25 mins.

I think the reason i’ve gained fat over the last two weeks was probably due to the drinking binge on good friday. Prior to that i’d not drank at all and was remaining at a similar body fat level.

With ragards to the overall plan, do you think i should carry on as i am? I am becoming slightly concerned by the fat gain over the last couple weeks. I think if i carry on as i am and stick to the nutrition and don’t drink, which isn’t hard for me, i wont get much fatter over the next 5-6 weeks. I can accept the current level of body fat, but wouldn’t want to get much closer to 20%.

Overall i’m thinking i do at least 12 weeks as i am, then maybe maintain weight for a couple weeks or do a short 2 week cut just to reduce body fat down to around 15%, then go back to weight gain, what you think? would i just end up getting nowhere doing this?

Another thing i’ve been looking at which may help with the above, is carb cycling, what’s your thoughts on this? Am i getting too complex with this?

Anyways, novel over, yesterdays (21/04/09) nutrition stats were:

protein: 235g
carbs: 387g
fats: 115g
calories: 3559

I know i mentioned about lowering carbs, but my options were somewhat limited in terms of food choices as i’m running out of food fast, nearly time for the weekly shop. Anyways, i did play 5 aside in the evening so it wasn’t a proper rest day, hopefully some of tghe carbs were burned here and not stored as fat. Off to hit the arms workout now.

95

Here’s the second workout of the week (arms), which it seems i have forgotten to log over the last two weeks. Anyways this is the thirds arms workout i have done since i started the new split, and it goes a little somethin like this:

A1. STANDING CURLS
1st set: 23.7’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 23.7’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 23.7’s x 8

Notes- these were really hard, i managed to get a full 3 sets of 8 as i set out to. Next week i’ll aim for 3 sets of 6 with heavier weight.

A2. TRICEPS DIPS
1st set: BW plus 13.4kg x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: BW plus 13.4kg x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: BW plus 13.4kg x 8

Notes- As with curls above, strength has improved over the last week, i managed to hit my target of 3 sets of 8 and next week i should be able to up the weight and aim for 3 sets of 6 reps.

B1. SEATED CURLS
1st set: 16.7’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 16.7’s x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 16.7’s x 10

Notes- these were pretty hard, i stuck to the same weight as last week and manage to get the full requirement of sets and reps. As above i will up the weight again next week for 3 sets of 8-10.

B2. TRICEPS EXT (LYING)
1st set: 14.5’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 14.5’s x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 14.5’s x 9

Notes- these were pretty hard, used the same weight as last week and nearly got the full sets/reps. Depending on how i feel, i may up the weight again slightly next week.

C1. CONCENTRATION CURLS
1st set: 13.5kg x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 13.5kg x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 13.5kg x 12

Notes- these were really hard, finally got 3 full sets of 12 after many weeks of progress. I should be able to up the weight to 14.5’s next week and aim for 10-12 reps for 3 sets.

C2. SEATED OVERHEAD TRICEPS EXTENSION (1 DB)
1st set: 23.7kg x 11
30 secs rest
2nd set: 23.7kg x 9
30 secs rest
3rd set: 21.1kg x 10

Notes- these were pretty hard, i upped the weight on the first two sets but couldn’t get 10-12 reps for the 2nd set, i thereafter reduced the weight for the 3rd set, which was a lot harder than last week, due to the heavier previous sets. Hopefully next week i’ll be able to get 3 sets of 10-12 with the 23.7’s, if not i’ll make sure i get more reps with the same weights.

Total session length: 38 mins.

Overall today session was pretty good, i either lifted more weight on every exercise or increased the number of reps for the same weight as to continue making progress. I was sweating quite a lot at the end and my biceps, triceps and forearms were particularly fatigued, aswell as pumped. Hopefully progress will continue next week, as you can see it has over the last 3 weeks.

96

Let’s see what you eat in a day. Don’t need macro count as I’m just trying to see what you get your macros from.

If you’re eating a lot of food (and you are), you want to make sure you’ve hit that muscle pretty hard leaving no regrets. You say that the bodypart you hit is fatigued when you leave the gym. When I leave the gym, that body part is pumped to the max and almost hurts.

Everytime you leave the gym that body part should be pumped to the point that anymore blood coming into the muscle and it would explode. If not, then you are definitely not working it hard enough. I just can’t picture that with the amount of rest you take in between exercises. It would be a cardio workout for me and my conditioning is not horrible.

A note on frequency and volume: If you train a muscle once a week, and it has recovered after 2 days, YOU HAVE to change either frequency, volume, or both to grow optimally.

In short, I think our progress depends on increasing weight and/or volume every working day (not too much), and how pumped and tired your muscle feels after a workout.

While bulking, your recovery time is siginificantly increased from when you aren’t eating like a mad man. You can increase frequency or volume significantly and while at first you might feel as if it is too much, your body will adapt quickly.

I would not start carb cycling. Keep the carbs up. My experience with skinny fat people (including myself) is that they/we cannot make a transformation from skinny fat to lean and muscular easily. So you may have to bulk to the point where you have significantly more muscle and some fat to the point where if someone looks at you, they may not be able to tell you lift at all and are just a big guy (the only way I could get bigger).

Then you will have to cut down VERY SLOWLY to get lean. We burn up muscle quickly while in a caloric defecit and I have personal experience that if you do not do it slowly, you will lose most of the muscle you’ve gained GUARANTEED.

97

Let’s see what you eat in a day. Don’t need macro count as I’m just trying to see what you get your macros from.

If you’re eating a lot of food (and you are), you want to make sure you’ve hit that muscle pretty hard leaving no regrets. You say that the bodypart you hit is fatigued when you leave the gym. When I leave the gym, that body part is pumped to the max and almost hurts. Everytime you leave the gym that body part should be pumped to the point that anymore blood coming into the muscle and it would explode. If not, then you are definitely not working it hard enough. I just can’t picture that with the amount of rest you take in between exercises. It would be a cardio workout for me and my conditioning is not horrible.

A note on frequency and volume: If you train a muscle once a week, and it has recovered after 2 days, YOU HAVE to change either frequency, volume, or both to grow optimally.

In short, I think our progress depends on increasing weight and/or volume every working day (not too much), and how pumped and tired your muscle feels after a workout.

While bulking, your recovery time is siginificantly increased from when you aren’t eating like a mad man. You can increase frequency or volume significantly and while at first you might feel as if it is too much, your body will adapt quickly.

I would not start carb cycling. Keep the carbs up. My experience with skinny fat people (including myself) is that they/we cannot make a transformation from skinny fat to lean and muscular easily. So you may have to bulk to the point where you have significantly more muscle and some fat to the point where if someone looks at you, they may not be able to tell you lift at all and are just a big guy (the only way I could get bigger). Then you will have to cut down VERY SLOWLY to get lean. We burn up muscle quickly while in a caloric defecit and I have personal experience that if you do not do it slowly, you will lose most of the muscle you’ve gained GUARANTEED.

98

well i was gonna just report the macros as normal, but i’ll give you what i had at each meal/feeding.

BREAKFAST
Oats (50g)
milk (200ml)
honey (15g)
banana (58g)
cinnamon (2g)

Cottage cheese (200g)
apple (85g)
sweetener (2g)

TOTALS (P/C/F/CALS)37/79/8/579/

POST WORKOUT

Skimmed milk (1 pint)
banana (72g)
honey(20g)

TOTALS (P/C/F/CALS)22/63/0.5/343/

MEAL (healthy spag bol)

Beef (127g)
Wholemeal pasta (77g)
Tomatoes (200g)
Tomato Puree (25g)
Onion (82g)
Peppers (75g)
Olive oil (5ml)

TOTALS (P/C/F/CALS)43/68/21/632/

MEAL

Tuna (90g)
Onion (73g)
salad cream (20g)
Olive oil (10ml)
Sprouts (100g)
Carrots (100g)
Cauliflower (100g)
cashews (26g)

TOTALS (P/C/F/CALS)34/20/28/472/

MEAL
Eggs (whole, 323g)
Green beans (64g)
Spinach (100g)
Broccoli (100g)
Sprouts (100g)
Sunflower oil (5ml)
butter substitute (lower cals etc, 10g)
olive oil (10ml)

TOTALS (P/C/F/CALS)52/8.5/50.2/730/

MEAL

Salmon (120g)
Peanut butter (50g)
almonds (37g)
sweetener (1g)

TOTALS (P/C/F/CALS)47/11.5/58/769/

TOTALS FOR DAY: (P/C/F/CALS) 244/263/170/3648/

Overall i thought i did pretty well until i saw the numbers. Oddly i had less carbs today on a workout day than a rest day and more fats. I think the fats are probably too high, what you think?

As far as total cals go my target was 3500 so i overshot on account of the fat i underestimated the portion of almonds i had to eat to finish the pack. This is a rarity and as such wouldn’t normally happen.

This is sort of a typical workout day, obviously the meals change around somewhat on a daily basis. The general thinking behind it is large portion of carbs at breakfast, post workout and in the post workout meal, then switching to more P+F meals later in the day for easier calories. I also try to make sure i get at least 25g of protein at each meal. What i do is generally eat similar meals to these daily, tally up the cals etc prior to the last meal, and base the macros for the last meal of the remaining cals etc, which is why i’m normally pretty close to the calorie target.

As far as training goes the sessions are really hard, probably not quite as hard as yours though. When the workouts are done my muscles are really fatigued and definately pumped. I’ve been toying with the idea of increasing volume via sets, maybe going from 9 sets per muscle group up to 12. As i’ve said previously, the training is all based of the thib article on program design, so thats where all the variables, including rest have come from. I’m thinking maybe i should give the program more time and more of a chance to see what results i get. Over the last two weeks, i’ve really been focused on making sure i lift more weight or do more reps from session to session as a means of continual progress, which i wasn’t doing strictly at the start.

At the moment i’m sort of feeling like it is gonna be a long haul and take forever (like 12-18months) to add an appreciable amount of muscle. What you reckon then?

99

here’s another thing i might aswell ask, is this realistic for me?

FROM Chad Waterbury’s Muscle Revolution:

"I want to see weight gain of 1-2 pounds a week without any substantial increase in waist size or body-fat percentage.

“Substantial” can mean different things with different clients, but in general I use an eighth of an inch in waist size as the maximum acceptable increase in waist size over a two-week period. That would mean a gain of three-quarters of an inch in 12 weeks, which isn’t terribly bad"

So according to chad, who is probably right, i’ve overdone it as my waist has gone from 32.18 inches baseline to 33.44 inches this last monday, an increase of 1.26 inches in 7 weeks.

I suppose this is what you’d call a mistake/miscalculation which can be used as a learning experience in the long term to help future success. Also, case in point, this is my first proper bulk so i was always likely to make mistakes.

Perhaps yet more evidence for reducing cals to make sure waist size doesn’t continue to balloon out of control. What you think?

100

Sources seem good.

If you like your lifting routine and you feel you are making adequate progress, then don’t change it. My thoughts are what I personally think could make your routine more suited for you.

I’ve already answered every question you just asked me. I’m just gonna make it reeeeeal simple.

  1. You eat too much fat and not enough carbs

2a. With your body type, you will look like a big guy (semi-muscular, 15% bf) before you ever are lean and athletic looking.

2b. Do not be afraid to look like the first guy in 2a. You have to sacrifice to get what you want and this is one of those sacrifices. Build the muscle now, worry about the fat later.

  1. Longer rest periods = greater increase in strength, less aerobic work.

  2. Work harder. Be the hardest working person in the gym. No excuses.