The ABC Challenge: falser's bulk

[falser]

Hi! Welcome to my ABC Challenge journal.

I'm heading into this challenge already at full speed. The challenge coincides perfectly with my bulk, I was already planning to continue bulking until springtime. I've been bulking since Oct 15th, and quickly packed on 10lbs in 6 weeks. Unfortunately for the month of December I've been in sort of rut with few gains, my weight stayed steady at 160-ish. Starting the new year right I'm eating like there's no tomorrow, and changing up my split - hopefully this will help me bust through my plateau.


BULK DIET:

These days I can't be bothered to count calories simply because it's tough enough for me to pack in enough food in the first place let alone being selective. Last month I wasn't eating enough, so now I'm just going to eat almost constantly. Once I see some new results good or bad I'll adjust from there. I'm using whey, creatine (with dextrose), glutamine, and protein bars in order to keep my calorie intake high. Without them I'd have no hope of being in the 3000 calorie range - my stomach just isn't big enough. I seldom eat exactly the following, but I try to be pretty close:

7:00am whey, creatine with water
8:00am bagel with cream cheese
10:00am protein bar
11:30am lunch (turkey, rice, broccoli, salad)
2:30pm protein bar, almonds, water
4:30pm whey, creatine with water
5:30pm WORKOUT
7:00pm protein shake (whey, creatine, glutamine, banana, frozen fruit, flax oil, hemp oil, milk)
8:00pm dinner (chicken or salmon, sweet potatoe)
10:30pm cottage cheese with jam

- approx 3000 calories
- on Fridays I have a cheat lunch like a cheesesteak sub, and eat a bit less on that day to make up for it


WORKOUT ROUTINE:

I'm getting more comfortable with my workout routines now. I usually do 3 sets to failure. I'll often mix or add in a drop set, pyramid set, or superset when I feel I need it to produce that sought after burn in the muscle. Looking back at my past workout logs, my best gains have always been when I have been consistant by never missing a workout, and always lifting hard. I'm going to make every effort I can to not miss a workout. And if I do I'll skip a rest day to catch up.

Sunday - legs
Monday - cardio (swim 1.5mi 55min)
Tuesday - tricep, bicep
Wednesday - off
Thursday - chest, shoulders
Friday - off
Saturday - back, forearms, cardio (treadmill 7mph 30min)

- sometimes I'll swim on Friday and skip Saturday treadmill
- do abs whenever I feel like it
- alternate each week with a few different exercises

LIFTS as of January 1 2003:

The following are the weights I'm doing at least 3 sets of 5-12 reps. By the end of the challenge I want every single one of these numbers to be up.

bb bench press = 135
machine chest press = 170
shoulder press = 100
upright rows = 65
bb curl = 60
bb preacher curl = 50
dips = 10,7,4 reps
wide grip pullup = 10,8,6 reps
T-bar wide grip row = 90
seated cable row = 110
squat = 135
deadlift = 135
leg extention = 135
leg curl = 135
standing calf raises = 375


On January 6th I'll post my official weigh-in, bodyfat, and official challenge start picture. From there on I'll check in each week with updated weight and bodyfat, and just a brief summary of my week's workouts (I don't have the discipline to keep track of every weight and number of reps for everything).

Feel free to contribute to my journal with suggestions and critiques. And good luck to you all on the Challenge!

[falser]

Round One... FIGHT! The ABC Challenge has begun! And I'm starting it off right with 2 days rest /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif. I really pushed it last week and I'm sore in almost every body part, I seriously need a few days break.

My official weigh-in stats as of Jan 5 (nighttime):
weight = 161 lbs (buck)
bf = 8.51% (7 point test)
lbm = 147 lbs
(official start picture forthcoming)

I wouldn't have guessed I'm that low on the bodyfat scale, it can't be accurate. But regardless, the number does not mean very much, but rather the trend. As long as that number doesn't go up much, I'm doing fine.

Skinfold measurements:
point - mm
1 - 8
2 - 10
3 - 17
4 - 8
5 - 4
6 - 9
7 - 7

Pre-challenge workout log:

Dec 30 to Jan 5
MON back, forearms
TUE
WED
THU legs
FRI tri, bi
SAT chest, shoudlers
SUN back, forearms

Notes:
It's very rare that I do 4 workouts in a row like that, and I'm paying for it now - I'm sore as all heck. One thing that I was worried about, and proved to be a real problem is my triceps are worked too close to my chest. I couldn't work my chest well at all because my triceps were too sore and fatigued. I'm changing the order my split now before this becomes a problem (see below).

I'm not happy with the intensity of my tricep,bicep workouts, I need to go harder, maybe add drop sets. My shoulder/back/leg routine on the other hand is very solid. I shattered my wide grip pullup record on Jan 5 by doing 4 sets at 10,10,7,4 reps. I think next week I can bump up the weight on a few my exercises (upright rows, squats, curls).

I didn't do any cardio (for like the 3rd week in a row), I suck. I've gotta go for a swim at least once next week if it kills me.

New Workout Split

After some analysis I've decided to space my chest and tricep workouts apart to prevent overtraining of my triceps. And since my workouts are already offset (thanks to Christmas) I'm going to stick with having legs on Tuesdays now instead of my usual Sunday. This may actually work out better because my legs won't be sore for Monday's swims.

Monday - cardio (swim)
Tuesday - legs, dl
Wednesday - off
Thursday - chest, shoulders
Friday - off
Saturday - back, forearms
Sunday - tri, bi, cardio (treadmill)

I'm now going to be logging the start of my workout week on Mondays because simply it makes more sense. My legs are still quite sore so I may work legs on Wednesday next week instead.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

[falser]

Official Start Photos:

pic 1 (http://fury161.dyndns.org:82/transformation/2003.01.06-front1.jpg)
pic 2 (http://fury161.dyndns.org:82/transformation/2003.01.06-front2.jpg)

Taking photos definitely helps me see changes better. I have to start being consistant with the scale. I used to use the platform scale at my gym, with my shoes, shorts, and t-shirt. I happened to do a test, comparing it to when I weigh in the buck. Surprizingly the clothes adds about 3 pounds. I should have noticed this sooner. So I must have gained close to 3 or 4 lbs in the last month, which means I haven't been stuck at as much a plateau as I thought.

Another thing is my lower right pec has become noticably lagging - strange since I'm right handed. I must be favoring my left side unconciously. I will have to start to include decline dumbell presses in my chest workouts, which I haven't been doing thus far.

I'm hoping my legs are good to go by Wednesday, they're still sore (4 days later)!

[falser]

Thanks fluffy. Yeah I'm not putting much faith in the bodyfat number, just the change to it. In the end numbers don't mean anything at all.

So far this competition is going poorly for me. I've caught some sort of flu bug that put me out of commision yesterday and has kept me up all night. And I'm not eating well or enough. Ugh... this is gonna set me back.

[falser]

Jan 13 stats
point - mm
1 - 10
2 - 12
3 - 14
4 - 8
5 - 4
6 - 10
7 - 7
weight = 160 (-1 not good!)
bf = 8.8 (+0.3 not good!)
lbm = 145.9 (-1.4 not good!)

I'm not quite sure if I'm being consistant enough with these skinfold measurements, some moved up, some moved down, but there about as accurate as I can get them.

Jan 6 to Jan 12 workout log
MON
TUE
WED legs, dl
THU chest, shoulders
FRI
SAT back, forearms, abs, treadmill (20min @ 7mph)
SUN tri, bi

I'm on my 7th day battling the flu. Perhaps I should have avoided the gym altogether until it passed. But hey, I'm stubborn, I didn't want to let it get to me and didn't expect to still be sick. I think I'm gonna take it easy this week, skip the gym and recouperate my strength. A shame too since I tried really hard in the gym.

I upped my weight on squat (145), leg curl (150), deadlift (145), upright rows (75), and hammer strength T-Bar (95). In particular I worked my hams, back, and traps really well. I learned what I was doing wrong with shrugs. I was using too high weight before, 40lb db are better for me to get full ROM. I did them on back day but will add to next shoulder day immediately after upright rows which should really burn em good. My short run on Saturday felt really good. I'm looking forward to getting healthy again and back on track.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

[falser]

The point # refers to the order in the bodyfat testing guide:

1 pectoral - 10
2 abdomen - 12
3 thigh - 14
4 subscapular - 8
5 tricep - 4
6 midaxillary - 10
7 suprailiac - 7

[falser]

Jan 19 stats
1 pectoral - 10
2 abdomen - 12
3 thigh - 14
4 subscapula - 11
5 tricep - 8
6 midaxillary - 11
7 suprailiac - 7

Weight = 164 lbs
BF = 10.0%
LBM = 147.5 (+0.2 ??)
FAT = 16.5 (+2.8 ??)

Scrap my previous skinfold measurements, there's no way they were accurate unless I really have only gained fat. I'm up 4lbs from last week. I weight in at 164 for the past 3 days now, so I'm fairly confident it's not just water weight. I don't look or feel much (if any) more fat than I did last week. Maybe I was pressing too hard on the calipers, or I'm getting better at grabbing the skinfolds. I'm sure these are the most accurate numbers so far and 10% bf sounds about right. In any case at least I'm gaining weight which means I'm eating enough. Next week's measurements should give me a better idea if I'm really gaining fat or if it's muscle.

Jan 13 to Jan 19 workout log
MON - off
TUE - off
WED - legs
Best leg workout in a while, skipped deadlift (added to back day), added leg press at 180lbs and will go higher next time, maybe try 150 or 155 on squat next week

THU - chest, shoulders:
My front delts have never been this sore in my life, despite skipping shoulder press. Possibly having chest and shoulders on the same day is too demanding. I'll see how it is after a few more weeks.

FRI - off
SAT - off
Wasn't feeling good on Saturday, will make up bi/tri workout on Monday

SUN - back, deadlift, shrugs, forearms, abs
Unusually long workout today, was full of energy. I broke my wide grip pullup record again (10,10,8,5 reps), time to start doing 12's. I really burned up my traps, I'm in for major soreness tomorrow. I finished off with the reverse fly and it felt like I was possibly overtraining my rear delts. Maybe this is an area I can modify my split, like skip rear delts on shoulder day, move forearms with bi/tri. I'll think about it.

I still had the flu all week, but was much healthier by Wednesday. I wasn't nearly as exhausted and just had a cough most of the time. It feels good to be healthy and back on track again.

[falser]

Yeah fluffy, I'm really not impressed with the accuracy of these bodyfat measurements. I mean the numbers can change plus or minus 3mm depending on just how and where I grab the skin and the fat underneath, and at 10% or less a few mm either way makes a big difference in the result. Hopefully I can keep more consistant from here on out.

After some thought I've come to the conclusion that my split just isn't working. So I'm changing it yet again, and hopefully for the last time during this bulk. I need to get into a regular routine that doesn't overtrain anything, and that I don't have the think about so much.

My new split is going to abandon the arms-only and chest/shoulders days, these two things were the main problems. Chest is going on it's own day, and going to do back and bicep together which did work fairly well for me before.

MON off/cardio
TUE shoulders, traps, tricep
WED off/cardio
THU back, biceps
FRI off/cardio
SAT chest, forearms
SUN legs, deadlift

Today (Monday) I did legs again so that I wouldn't go too long without training legs. I'm really glad I went cause I just blew the doors off 3 of my lifts.

For a moment while doing squats I felt a little like Bruce Willis in the movie 'Unbreakable'. I kept on adding 5lbs each set above what I'd done last week and still was able to do a full set. Raised my squat a total of 15 lbs to 160 and I think I can do even more next time - when I can squat more than my weight I'll be really happy. I also raised the weight on leg press to 210 (+50), and leg extension to 150 (+15).

Looks like those few extra pounds I put on are helping a lot. God bless bulking...

[falser]

I'm checking in today (Saturday) instead of my usual Sunday because that's SuperBowl day and I don't know if I'll have time to get my skinfold's done.


Week 3 Stats (Jan 25 nighttime)

point - last week, this week
1 pectoral - 10, 9
2 abdomen - 12, 12
3 thigh - 14, 12
4 subscapula - 11, 12
5 tricep - 8, 10
6 midaxillary - 11, 11
7 suprailiac - 7, 8
weight = 165 (+1.0)
bf = 10.2% (+0.2%)
lbm = 148.2 (+0.7)
fat = 16.9 (+0.4)

I'm up another pound, and again according to the numbers I am gaining fat - and the numbers don't lie, do they? Well I'm starting to feel a little more fat on my midsection, I can't see my abs as well, and my size 31 jeans are feeling a little tighter than usual. So I'm starting to believe the numbers do carry some weight (haha bad pun). Somehow though I think I look better now than I ever have.

My strength is definitely improving though which is a good sign. I'm either adding weight or doing more reps almost entirely across the board. And I'm liking the new split a lot, I'm going to stick to it for a while.

This was a bit of a rough week mainly because of the split changeover. Next week should be a bit better.

Jan 20 to Jan 26 Workout log
MON legs
Excellent leg day. Skipped hams because they were still sore from deadlifts the previous day. Upped weight on squat to 160, leg press to 210, and leg extension to 150.

TUE shoulders, traps, tricep
Not a great workout, right rear/side delt was very sore and prevented me from really pushing it. And gym was overpacked which I find disruptive, I need to get there earlier on weekdays.

WED swim
Finally made it to the pool again. I did 1 mile in 35minutes which is shorter than my usual 1.5mi swim, but good enough to get back into the routine. My lats were very sore which somewhat interefered with back day.

THU back, biceps
Went a bit easy because I seemed lacking energy and my rear delt was still sore, went to 100lbs on the T-Bar machine row for the first time. Next back day I'll go for a new pullup record.

FRI off

SAT chest, forearms, abs
First time ever doing chest on it's own day, a very nice change. Had a chance to work in a lot of exercises I usually don't have the time or energy for like cable crossovers, and hammer strength.

SUN legs, deadlift
Will do this workout tomorrow morning, going to try upping weight on squat to 165 and deadlift to 155

[falser]

Leg day update:

My legs are getting strong, yay! I managed to pull off two sets of squats at 175lbs - did 165x10, 170x8, 175x6(and a half), 175x4. Next week I'll start with 175 and imagine I will stay at this weight for a while. Doing stiffleg deadlift on leg day is a good match, my hams were burned good.

I've run out of my dextrose/creatine mix (Optimum Pre-Load Creatine), and I think I'm going to cycle off it for at least a month and see how it affects things. I think maybe the extra sugars in it was too much for me and a partial cause of the fat gain.

[falser]

I'm going to be a little more verbose with my journal this week like many of the others on the challenge do regularly. I weighed in a pound lighter today (164), which is probably good since I think I was bulking too fast for my own good. If my BF goes up again by the end of the week I'll probably go insane.

I'm being a little more strict with my diet, and now that I'm off the creatine/dextrose mix for the time being that removes about 420 calories per day. I was having 1 serving during breakfast, 1 pre-workout, 1 post workout. I think after a month off it I'll then reintroduce at 1 serving per day (post workout only).

MON off
TUE off

WED shoulders, traps, tricep

Felt great today, raised upright rows to 80, can do tricep pushdowns at 60 and cg bench at 60 fairly well now, time to raise them I think (finally). I skipped rear delt raises because I'll hit them tomorrow for back day and want to avoid the overtraining problem I ran into last week.

The following is a run-down of the workout, I do a fair amount of drop sets (annoted by 'ds') on shoulders because I've found that fatigues them very effectively.

upright rows - 80x10, 80x8 ds 65x5, 75x8 ds 55x5
shoulder press (old machine) - 115x13, 115x8, 115x7 ds 80x5
tricep pushdowns (v-bar) - 60x15, 60x10, 60x8 ds 40x8
L-laterals - 20x10, 20x8, 20x6 ds 15x5
db front raises - 15x10, 15x10, 15x6
skull crushers - 40x10, 40x7, 40x5+30x5
close grip bench press - 60x12, 60x10, 60x9
tricep kickbacks - 10x10, 10x8, 10x6
shrugs - 45x12, 45x10, 45x8 (+ half reps and statics)

Next shoulder day I'm probably going to try increasing the intensity because I don't feel too burned out - my shoulders are very rarely sore at all the day after, we'll see.

[falser]

THU back, biceps

I went into the gym feeling very lethargic and tired, but once I got going I felt good and strong. I maybe should've have done some abs, but oh well. My strength is continuing to improve. I upped the weight on reverse fly (80), preacher curl (60), and pullover machine (130).

wide grip pullup - 12,9,6 reps (first time starting off with 12 reps, do this from now on)

T-bar machine - 95x10, 95x8, 95x7 (stick to 100 from now on)

reverse fly machine - 80x10, 80x8, 80x5 ds 60x5

preacher curls - 50x13, 60x7, 60x4 (stay at 60 next time)

45 degree bicep machine - b35x10 + e35x5, b35x8 + e35x4, m35x5
- description: this is an interesting machine with 3 places to put the plates that affect where in the curl the most pressure is beginning (b), middle (m) and end (e). I do drops sets alternating between beginning and end which produces a phenominal pump.

pullover machine - 115x12, 130x7, 130x5 ds 80x4 (stay at 130 next time)

standing barbell curl (really fatigued by this time) - 60x7, 60x5 ds 50x3

[falser]

FRI cardio

Went for a treadmill run, did 3 miles in 24min at 7.5mph. A stitch was splitting me in half by the end, man did that hurt. I must really be out of cardiovascular shape because I hardly remembered what those were like. Feel real good afterword though. I'm really looking forward to when it's warm enough to run outside again.

[falser]

SAT chest, forearms, abs

Did a nice short routine today, but still managed to hit my chest well. I upped the weight on chest press (190), and doing a lot more on the wrist curls which is good since my stick-man forearms are a major weakness for me. A few exercises to go for achieving my goal of raising the weight on every exercise I do. This has without a doubt been the most strength improvement I've seen in 1 month time.

chest press machine - 175x12, 190x7, 190x5, 210x2 (stick with 190 from now on)

incline chest press - 130x10, 130x8, 130x6

chest cable crossover - 3 sets at 60lbs (didn't count reps, mostly static holds anyway)

bb wrist curls - 3 sets at 60lbs (way up! I was doing 40lbs last week, I loose track of reps because I'm in so much pain)

bb reverse wrist curls - 3 sets at 40lbs (up from 30lbs)

hammer strength (wide chest) - 70x10, 70x8, 70x6 (70lbs on each side, could definitely go higher next time)

ab crunch machine - 115x12, 115x10, 115x10

My only concern for chest day is that I tend toward the chest machines rather than a barbell - I don't like bothering people to spot because I would need them on every set. Next week I'll go for more dumbell (w/ decline) work.

[falser]

SUN legs, deadlift

I got into the gym a bit late today and didn't push it quite as hard as I usually do on leg day. I'm still hurting a bit from Friday's run and needed a bit of a breather day, it's been a tough week. The new split is really great, I don't feel like I'm overtraining any part, and confident I'll be able to stick to this routine.

the workout was:
squats - 175x8, 175x7, 175x5, 155x8 (yup 175 is the right weight for me)

(skipped leg press)

leg extension - 150x10, 150x8, 150x7 ds 90x5 (it might not be too long until I can raise the weight again on this)

standing calf raises - 390x15, 390x10 (I was feeling a sort of pop in my calf joint or tendon that somewhat alarmed me, it wasn't painful but was distracting so I skipped the third set)

seated leg curls - 150x10, 150x7, 150x5

deadlift - 155x9, 155x8, 155x5 (up until today I had seemed to have a pinched nerve in my lower back, its much better now so I'm glad I was able to get this in at the end of my workout)

I will have to make up for this chinsy excuse for a leg workout next week.

Week 4 stats (Feb 2) - last week in brackets
1 pectoral - 9 (9)
2 abdomen - 11 (12)
3 thigh - 12 (12)
4 subscapula - 11 (12)
5 tricep - 10 (10)
6 midaxillary - 12 (11)
7 suprailiac - 7 (8)
weight = 163 (-2.0)
bf = 9.9% (10.2)
lbm = 146.9 (148.2)
fat = 16.1 (16.9)

Yet again my measurements have me completely baffled. I know I'm a bit dehydrated today (had a few beers Saturday night). This, and the slightly lowered calorie intake would explain the few pounds loss. However according to the numbers I've lost more LBM than fat which contradicts my strength gains. I'm trying not to obsess over the numbers, but this is getting frustrating (arrg!).

[falser]

Yeah, the mirror is the true test, and thankfully it doesn't appear that I'm losing LBM and gaining fat like the numbers say I am.

I probably could have raised the squat weight earlier, it moved up really fast - but 175 is really heavy for me, I'm barely able to rack the weight on the last rep. I'm jealous of your weight gains though - you've definitely got me beat on the challenge.

[falser]

TUE - shoulders, traps, triceps

Best shoulder workout in recent history. I kept the time between sets and exercises a little shorter than usual to fit in a lot of work today.

upright rows - 80x10, 80x9, 80x7 ds 65x5
I think I'll have to experiement with an EZ bar for this because at this weight, the angle my wrists are in causes some bone clicking during the movement which concerns me.

parallel bar dips - 11, 9, 7 (new record)

shoulder press - 90x8, 90x5, 80x6 ds 50x5
90lbs is quite heavy for me but will force myself to get used to it

tricep pushdown (v-bar) - 70x9, 70x7, 70x5 ds 50x4

db front raises - 15x12, 15x10, 15x8

db side raises (straight arm) - 10x12, 10x10, 10x8
I had to go light on this one because my right side delt is still giving me some problems. It feels as if they're still overtrained to some degree. 15lbs caused pain, 10lbs was ok though.

(tried to work in a set of close grip bench press but my delts were too fried, remember to work this exercise in earlier next time)

skullcrushers - 3 sets at 40lbs (lost count of reps)

shrugs - 4 sets at 45 lbs (ditto)

reverse fly - 70x8, 70x6 ds 50x5
I'm still not sure what day to do this exercise (shoulder day or back day), it hits both areas. It sure finished off my delts good. But if this interferes with back day I'll switch it back.

[falser]

WED - back, biceps

I'm getting my back and chest workouts in early this week because I won't be able to get to the gym on Friday or Saturday. I did the exercises in a different order, a nice change, but I felt out of energy faster than usual. Doing rear delts yesterday didn't interfere, and made this workout a bit shorter.

I've been neglecting abs way too much lately (and it shows), maybe I'll try to catch the ab class they have at the gym tomorrow.

seated cable row - 120 x 13,10,9 (that's a new record)

wide grip pullups - 7 (super wide), 6, 5 ss 5 close grip chinups

standing barbell curl - 60 x 8,6,5 (I expected to do more)

preacher curl - 50 x 8,6,5 (ditto)

decline barbell pullover - 50 x 10,8,7 (I think that's the first time I did these on a decline bench, rushed a lot of blood to my face so I might go for flat bench from now on)

T-bar wide grip row - 90 x 10,8,7 (a tad out of gas by this point)

[**DONOTDELETE**]

[falser]

Week 5 measurements (Feb 9)
1 pectoral - 9 (9)
2 abdomen - 12 (11)
3 thigh - 12 (12)
4 subscapula - 10 (11)
5 tricep - 9 (10)
6 midaxillary - 10 (12)
7 suprailiac - 7 (7)
weight = 161
bf = 9.4%
lbm = 145.8
fat = 15.2

Well it's safe to say I'm not being very successful with my bulk. I've come down with yet another nasty sinus flu bug - my nose has gone through an entire roll of toilet paper in the last 2 days. This is becoming very frustrating for me as I spent most of January fighting off the remnents of my last flu. I'm back at the same weight I started the challenge on though I imagine most of my loss has been water weight. Hopefully once I'm healthy again my weight will bounce back like it did last time. I'm sure not going to make the same mistake I did time and return to the gym too early.

[falser]

Week 6 measurements (Feb 15)
1 pectoral - 9
2 abdomen - 12
3 thigh - 12
4 subscapula - 10
5 tricep - 10
6 midaxillary - 10
7 suprailiac - 7
weight = 162
bf = 9.6% (+0.2)
lbm = 146.5 (+0.7)
fat = 15.5 (+0.3)

I'm back after taking 9 days off battling flu #2. I pray that is the last bout of sickness I have for a while. My weight didn't bounce back so it looks like I'm practically starting over again. It sucks, but I can't do much now except pick myself up and resume training. I will probably extend my bulk an additional 6 weeks (until mid-May) to compensate for the lost training time.

I did back today, and noticed only minor strength loss. I felt dizzy after many of the sets as if I didn't have enough oxygen. Maybe I'm not 100% over the flu, or it's just me getting back into the swing of things... I dunno, I think it'll pass.

SAT back, biceps

wide grip chinups - 12, 9, 6.5 (almost matched record)
seated cable row - 120 x 10,8,6 ds 100x6
T-bar row machine - 90 x 10,9,8 (that felt weak)
preacher curl - 60x5, 50x8, 50x6 (60 is just a tad too heavy)
reverse fly machine - 70x13, 70x12, 80x8 ds 50x6 (that was exceptional for me, going to keep this on back day from now on)
barbell curl - 50 x 10,8,7 (biceps not as strong as I'd like, must work on this)
pullover machine - 130x8, 130x6 (wimped out on last set, too tired)

A solid workout, don't think I could ask for much better after so much time off. I'll probably fit in more workouts than usual this week to get back on track.

[falser]

I'm going stir crazy. **** snowstorm shuts down the whole city (including my gym) right when I'm dying to get back there and pound some weight. My back and biceps are still very sore from that back workout. I got some good exercise shovelling snow the past 2 days - it got my lower and middle back almost as well as deadlifts do. I got the day off tomorrow so here's hoping for an open gym!

[falser]

TUE chest, abs, forearms

Thank god the gym opened again today. It was a bit trecherous getting there, but it was worth it, I had a great workout.

chest press machine - 135 x 13,11,9,6 (I used a different machine than I usually do and much prefer this one, the weight sounds about the same as it would be on freeweight)
incline press machine - 130 x 9,7,5 ds 90x4 ds 50x4
ab torso machine - 130 x 10,10 each side
decline crunches - 3 sets (didn't count reps, just went until exhaustion)
leg raise crunches - 10,10 reps
db fly - 30 x 12,10,8
machine fly - 70 x 13,12,10 (for burnout)
wrist curls - 3 sets at 60lbs (**** these are painful, I get very nauseated from it)
reverse wrist curls - 3 sets at 60lbs (ditto)

I expect to be quite sore from this workout tomorrow. I'm behind in my workouts quite a bit. Hopefully my triceps aren't too sore so I can get a full shoulder/tri/trap workout in tomorrow.

[falser]

WED shoulders, triceps, traps

upright row - 85 x 10,8,7
shoulder press - 80 x 13,7,6 ds 50x4
vbar tricep pushdown - 60 x 13,10,8 ds 40x6
db lateral raises - 15 x 12,10,8 (still feeling some discomfort in right rear delt, but better than before)
db front raises - 15 x 12,10,8
tricep kickback - 10 x 15,12 each side
shrugs - 45 x 15, 50 x 12,10 (50lbs feels right for me now)

Another solid workout, it feels great to be healthy again. I've got A LOT of sore muscles at the moment - glutes, lower/middle back, lats, biceps, abs, obliques, and pecs (interefered a bit with shoulder press today a bit). I take this as a good sign. I think taking that time off helped me recoup my enthusiasm allowing me to push that extra little bit. I almost forgot what being this sore was like, almost.

One bad thing though, I kind of hurt my right knee when picking up the dumbells. A slight sheering pain when the knee was bent. That knee has given me problems in the past, I have to be more careful. I think it'll be ok for leg day though.

(my Kryogenic story of the day: this cute girl at the gym that I've been exchanging glances with for a while seemed to be staring more intently today, good sign? gotta figure out a way to ask her out or I'll go insane thinking about it)

[falser]

FRI back, biceps
wide grip chinups - 12, 9, 6.5 (same, darn!)
preacher curl - 50 x 12,8,6
reverse fly machine - 70 x 15, 80 x 10,8
T-bar row machine - 90 x 12, 100 x 8,6
seated cable row - 120 x 10,8,5
barbell curl - 60 x 8,6 (that finished em off)

I went a bit heavy (for me) today and got through everything very solidly. I'm definitely over the flu, but I'm still weighing in light. I'll have to start upping my calories again. I've got some new/different supplements (meal replacement shakes, dextrose, and protein bars) on the way which should help.

[falser]

Week 7 measurements (Feb 22)

1 pectoral - 8
2 abdomen - 12
3 thigh - 12
4 subscapula - 11
5 tricep - 8
6 midaxillary - 11
7 suprailiac - 7
weight = 163.5 (+1.5)
bf = 9.4% (-0.2)
lbm = 148.1 (+1.6)
fat = 15.4 (-0.1)

Some better numbers this week. I can't be certain if I really gained that much weight because I used a different scale than usual. I used the new digital scale at the gym, it's probably more accurate than my home scale which I've been finding less and less consistant - the spring is wearing out or something. I'll use the gym scale from now on.

SAT legs

My chest wasn't ready to go today so I did legs instead. Good workout, but I've definitely lost some leg strength since it's been so long since my last leg workout.

laying leg curl - 70 x 11,9,7
squats - 165 x 10,8,8,6 (how the heck did I do 175?, 165 was tough enough for me today)
leg press - 230 x 12,10,8
standing calf raise (wide toe) - 345x15, 375x12,10
leg extensions - 135 x 12,10,8 (had to go lighter, my quads were fried)
seated calf raise (straight toe) - 115 x 12,10,8

I'm probably in for some serious DOMS tomorrow. Hopefully next week I can raise the weights back to what I was doing previously.

[falser]

SUN chest, abs, forearms

chest press machine - 150 x 11,9,7 (that's up from last chest day)
incline press machine - 130 x 8,7,7
decline crunches - 3 sets to failure (for this I actually do more like half a situp and crunch up tight then stretch all the way back out again - it seems to work good)
torso rotator - 8,8 reps both sides
chest fly machine - 110 x 12,10,8
wrist curl - 3 sets at 60 lbs to failure (my threshold of pain is always tested here)
reverse wrist curl - 2 sets at 40 lbs
incline db fly - 25 x 10,9,8

Solid workout, no complaints except that I really hate doing abs and forearms in one day. I have the forearms of a 90lb girl and I hate it more than the pain. I upchucked in the locker room after, yay!

[falser]

WED shoulders, traps, tricep

I was supposed to do this workout yesterday, but I happened to have a 4 and half hour nap and so I had no time to go to the gym. I must have really needed the sleep because my legs are still sore from Saturday's workout.

cable upright row - 110x15, 120x12,10,8 ds 80x6 (first time doing this on cable, I like it a lot, it was much easier on my wrists and gave a good burn through my traps)
close grip bench press - 85x15, 95x12 (right tricep was 'popping' on 3rd set, so I stopped immediately)
db lateral raises - 15x12,15x10 ds 10x5, 15x8 ds 10x5 (right delt finally seems to be better)
db front raises - 15x12 ds 10x5, 15x10 ds 10x5
dips - 8,6 (not enough strength to do these properly)
shoulder press machine - 90x8, 90x5 ds 60x5, 80x6 ds 50x4
skull crushers - 40x12,10,8
shrugs - 50lbs for 3 sets

I did a lot of drop sets today. I find them so effective for shoulder exercises I'm going to keep it up for a while. I haven't been hitting my triceps well enough, have to work on that.

[falser]

THU back, biceps

My workout was cut short today, but this allowed me to keep the intensity up for the exercises I did do.

T-bar row machine - 100 x 12,10,8
seated cable row - 120x8, 110x10,8 (lighter is better for me otherwise my form goes out the window)
preacher curl - 50 x 15,10,8 (great pump on these sets)
reverse fly machine - 80 x 13,10,8 (rear delts were fried after that)
barbell curl - 60 x 9,7,5

I'm going to try paying more attention to my rest periods. I think I'm taking too little between sets, and too much between exercises. Going to aim for around 2 minutes for all exercises on all days.

[falser]

SAT chest, abs

I had a few beers last night and didn't feel like working out at all, so I'm glad I managed to do something. I weighed in a few pounds lighter today (around 162) so either I'm dehydrated or I'm not eating enough. But the good news is I'm feeling some new definition in my upper back muscles and my arms look a tad bigger, I don't have a measuring tape so I can't be sure.

ab torso machine - 130 x 12,11 (each side)
decline crunches - 3 sets of 10-15
db bench press - 50 x 12,10,9 (could have gone higher)
fly machine - 120 x 12,11,9
db incline press - 35 x 11,10,8

[falser]

Yup, you were right fluffy, my weight bounced right back.

Week 8 measurements (March 2)
1 pectoral - 9
2 abdomen - 12
3 thigh - 12
4 subscapula - 10
5 tricep - 9
6 midaxillary - 10
7 suprailiac - 7
weight = 165 (+1.5)
bf = 9.4% (+0.2)
lbm = 149.4 (+1.3)
fat = 15.6 (+0.2)

165 lbs is a new high for me. If I can keep this rate I'll be at 171 lbs by the end of the Challenge. But it's going to come down to my nutrition, gotta keep eating.

SUN legs,deadlift

squats - 135x15, 165x12,10,8 (back to 175 next week)
leg press - 230 x 12,10,8 (up to 240 next week)
lying leg curl - 70x8,60x8,6
standing calf raise (wide toe) - 360 x 15,12,10 (+ lots of half reps)
leg extension - 135 x 13,10,8 (back to 150 next week)
deadlift - 155 x 8,6 (haven't done these in a while)

My legs are feeling strong again, next week I'll be back at my previous lift weights.

Edit: corrected BF%, mistakenly put 9.6

[falser]

WED shoulders, triceps, traps

cable upright rows - 120x14,130x10,130x8
decline close-grip press - 95 x 12,10,7 (this stresses a ligament in my right elbow in a bad way, but I like this exercise and will give it a chance)
parallel bar dips - 10,8,6 reps
db lateral raise - 15x10 ds 10x10, 15x8 ds 10x7, 15x6 ds 10x6
db front raise - ditto
shoulder press - 130x4, 115x8,6
tricep v-bar pushdown - 70x6,60x8,60x6
shrugs - 50 x 15,10,10

I almost didn't do this workout, but I'm glad I made it through. My mind is going in a million different directions these days, too stressed for my own good. Can't let day-to-day crap interfere with my time at the gym.

[falser]

FRI back, biceps

wide grip chinup - 13,9,7 reps (that's a new record)
T-bar row machine - 100x8,90x10,8
preacher curl - 50 x 12,9,7
reverse fly machine - 80x10, 80x8 ds 50x8, 80x6 ds 50x8
pullover machine - 130x7, 115x10,8 (I should stick with db's)
barbell curl - 50 x 12,9,6

Good workout. Unfortunately it looks like I didn't gain any weight this week, again not eating enough! I think my biceps are starting to feel stronger now, next week I'll try 60's again for curls. As of tonight's post-workout shake I'm back on creatine after a 5 or 6 week off cycle. I'll be loading with 3 servings a day for a week or so, then stay at 1 serving a day.

[falser]

Arrg, 2 beers last night and again I weighed in low! Bad habits...

SAT chest, abs

db flat press - 55 x 10,9,8
db incline fly - 25 x 10,8,8
decline ab crunches - 3 sets of 10-15 + static holds
db decline press - 40x15, 45x10,8
machine fly - 120 x 8,7

I kind of wimped out on doing wrist curls again... I'm afraid of the pain. Is being too hungry a valid excuse for leaving the gym early?

[falser]

Week 9 measurements (March 9)

1 pectoral - 8
2 abdomen - 12
3 thigh - 12
4 subscapula - 10
5 tricep - 9
6 midaxillary - 10
7 suprailiac - 7

weight = 165 (same)
bf = 9.3% (-0.1)
lbm = 149.7 (+0.3)
fat = 15.3 (-0.3)

It's becoming painfully clear that my main roadblock to gaining more size is lack of calories. Given that I want to be gaining 1 lb per week I need to increase my calories by 500 per day from what I'm eating now. I'll have to figure out some way to do this (nuts, more flax, McD's...).

SUN legs

I had pain in my left knee on the first set of squats. I guess my knee came too far forward and caused a sheering pain. I stopped immediately and skipped leg press as well.

standing calf raise (toes out) - 375 x 15,12,10
standing calf raise (toes straight) - 375 x 12,10
seated leg curl - 135 x 12,10,10
leg extensions - 150 x 15,12,10 (that was unusually good because my quads were still fresh)
seated calf raise - 90 x 16,12,10

Leg day is just not the same without squats.

[falser]

TUE shoulders, traps, tricep

cable upright rows - 130 x 13,10,8
shoulder press - 90 x 10,8,7 (I'm starting to hate this machine, I think I will switch to db presses next week)
decline close-grip barbell press - 95 x 14,11,10 (I'm using a wider grip about 10" inches and this feels much better now)
db lateral raise - 15 x 15,12,10
barbell front raise - 40x8, 40x6 ds 30x10, 40x5 ds 30x8 (a nice change from db's)
skull crushers - 40 x 3 sets to failure (didn't count reps)
shrugs - 50 x 3 sets (ditto)

My shoulders are feeling strong. I think I can raise a lot of those weights next time.

[falser]

THU back, bicep

wide grip pullup - 12,9,7
T-bar row - 95 x 12,10,8
preacher curl - 60x8, 60x4, 50x7 (****, still not strong enough for 60lbs)
decline db pullover - 25 x 10,8,7 (those kick ***!)
reverse fly machine - 80x10, 80x8 ds 60x5, 80x5 ds 50x5
barbell curl - 60x9,7,6, 50x6

I weighed in 2lbs heavier today, yay! I might still have hope for this bulk.

I spent some time re-analyzing my stats and goals. I've decided to keep bulking until I'm around 172lbs and 10% bf. At that point I'll begin cutting. My cut goal for the summer will be to lose 7 lbs of fat. If I were to do that and lose no LBM I'd end up at 6% bodyfat which has been my long term goal for a while.

[falser]

SAT chest, abs, forearms

db incline press - 55 x 8,7,6
db fly superset db press - 30lbs/30lbs x 14/10, 12/8, 10/6 (these were a bit underweighted but really wore me out)
db decline press - 35 x 14,11,10
decline crunches - 3 sets to failure
leg lifts - 2 sets to failure
bb wrist curls - 60 lbs, 3 sets to pain threshold
reverse bb wrist curls - 40lbs, 2 sets to pain threshold

This dumbell work on chest is really helping, I should have started doing them earlier.

[falser]

I'm a day late with this weigh in, I was too busy eating on Sunday /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Week 10 measurements (March 17)

1 pectoral - 10
2 abdomen - 12
3 thigh - 12
4 subscapula - 10
5 tricep - 8
6 midaxillary - 10
7 suprailiac - 7

weight = 168.5
bf = 9.4% (+0.1)
lbm = 152.6 (+2.9)
fat = 15.9 (+0.6)

Those are some good numbers. I've been eating like mad and it seems to be working. Only 2 weeks left for the challenge, hopefully I can reach 170 by then.

MON legs

squats - 135x10, 170 x 10,8,7
seated leg curl - 135 x 12,10 (3rd set didn't feel good so I skipped)
leg extensions - 150 x 15,11,11 (really pushed hard on that last set)
standing calf raise (wide toe) - 390 x 15,12,10
leg press - 180 x 10, 230 x 8, 230 x 7

Much more satisfying leg day than last week. I was careful to keep good form on the squats and it was good.

[falser]

WED shoulders, traps, triceps

machine ab crunches - 100x15, 115x10, 115x7 ds 100x5
barbell upright rows - 85 x 13,11,10
cable upright rows - 140 x 9 (next week I'll max out the machine at 150)
parallel bar dips - 12,10,8
db shoulder press - 30 x 12,9,8 (these are so much tougher than the shoulder press machines)
skull crushers - 40 x 12,10,8
db lateral raise - 15 x 15,11,10
db front raise - 15x12 ds 10x10, 15x10 ds 10x5
cable vbar pushdown - 70 x 8,7
shrugs - 50 x 15,12,12

I'm making some real progress on these exercises, time to start upping the weight. Strange though, this is the only day where I'm not very sore the next day.

[falser]

Man, this week's diet has gone all to crap. I had a couple cheat meals nothing too bad, even worse though is I'm actually forgetting to eat. I'm down to 166lbs -- so frustrating.

FRI back, biceps

weighted wide grip pullups - 10lbs x 10, 20lbs x 5, 10lbs x 6, bw x 7 (weighting your pullups feels so hardcore it's almost funny, but they kick ***)
decline db pullover - 25 x 10,8,8
preacher curl - 60x9,6, 60x5 ds 50x5 + 2 negatives (that last set was awesome)
t-bar row machine - 100x9,7, 90x9 (I'll be honest, my form isn't very good on at 100lbs, it's just too heavy to get the full ROM)
db row - 35x10, 30x11,10
reverse fly machine - 80x10, 80x8 ds 60x5, 70x8 ds 50x5, 60x8 ds 40x5 (I love that machine, it hits the back of my traps better than any other exercise)
barbell curl - 60x9, 60x7 ds 40x5, 60x5 ds 40x5
bicep curl machine - 35 x 6,4

That was a good workout and I got some needed variety in for good measure.

[falser]

Week 11 measurements (March 23)

1 pectoral - 10
2 abdomen - 12
3 thigh - 12
4 subscapula - 10
5 tricep - 9
6 midaxillary - 10
7 suprailiac - 7

weight = 167
bf = 9.6% (+0.2)
lbm = 151 (-1.6)
fat = 16.0 (+0.1)

My workouts were good this week, but my diet was a wreck and the numbers show it.

SUN chest, abs, forearms

db incline press 55 x 8,7,6, 45x8
db fly - 35 x 10,8,7
db decline press - 45 x 11,8,7
decline crunches - 3 sets to failure
torso rotator machine - 130 x 10,9
wrist curl - 60lbs 3 sets to failure
reverse wrist curl - 40lbs 3 sets to failure

Solid workout. I love those dumbells for chest exercises. It was made a bit more tough because my lats are incredibly sore from Friday's workout.

[falser]

MON legs

squats - 135x10, 170x10,8,7
leg press - 270 x 10,9,8 (I think I can go a bit higher)
standing calf raise - 405 x 15,12,10 (+ lots of half reps)
laying leg curl - 70 x 9,8,7
leg extensions - 135x15, 150x10,8

I'm behind in my workouts so I'm glad I got this workout in. That's about the strongest my legs have been so far, so I'm slowly making progress again. Deadlifts have mysteriously become absent in my routine, I really should start doing them again.

[falser]

TUE shoulders, tricep

barbell bench press - 155x8, 175x3 (wasn't planning to do bp but wanted to see where I'm at with it)
decline close grip press - 105x15, 115x10,9
cable upright rows - 150 x 10,9,9 (maxed out the machine, back to barbell now)
db shoulder press - 35 x 10,9,9
db lateral raise - 20 x 10,8,7
db front raise - 20 x 10 (right shoulder wasn't feeling good so I stopped there)
freedom press (aka french press) - 35 x 10,8,7
vbar tricep pushdown - 60 x 11,9,7

I'm very happy with my progress on these exercises.

[falser]

I DID IT.

Weighed in at exactly 170.0 lbs today. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for 10 minutes. I've officially come full circle -- about 1 year ago this is what I weighed when I was an out of shape, flabby puddle of goo. I've come a long way this year and I'm not done yet.

FRI back, biceps

weighted wide grip pullups - 20lbs x 7,5,4 ds BWx5
db pullover (flat bench) - 11,10,10 (can't decide if I like decline more)
db concentration curls - 25 x 12,11,10
seated cable row - 120 x 13,11,10 (that's the first time I really felt this exercise good)
reverse fly - 80x10, 80x7 ds 60x5, 80x5 ds 50x5 ds 30x5
EZ bar curls - 60 x 12,9,7

Did some exercises here that I don't all the time and liked it a lot. But I was getting a little annoyed in the gym because every machine/weight I was going to use was already taken... as if reaching my goal cursed the workout.

[falser]

Whoops, belay that weigh in. I seemed to have flushed 2.5 lbs down the toilet this morning. But in any case, tomorrow will be the final number.

SAT chest, abs

decline crunches - 12,10
decline twisting crunches - 10,10
db incline press - 55 x 10,8,8
db fly - 35 x 10,8,8
hammer strength decline press - 70x15, 90x11,10
pec dec - 90x8,7

Those first 3 chest exercises were surprizingly effective. But the gym was so humid it was disgusting, I didn't want to stay there any longer so I skipped forearms.

[falser]

SUN legs

squats - 170 x 12,10,8
leg press - 270 x 12,9,8
standing calf raise (wide toe) - 405 x 15,12,12
standing calf raise (straight toe) - 405 x 10
leg extensions - 150 x 15,12,10 (time to raise these)
laying leg curl - 70 x 10,8,7
deadlift - 165 x 10,9,8 (finally got back into doing these again)
seated calf raise - 115 x 12,10,8

Great workout. I sure was walking funny afterword.

[falser]

Final measurements (March 30)
(starting measurements in brackets)

1 pectoral - 10 (8)
2 abdomen - 12 (10)
3 thigh - 12 (17)
4 subscapula - 10 (8)
5 tricep - 9 (4)
6 midaxillary - 11 (9)
7 suprailiac - 7 (7)

Weight = 168 (161) - 7lbs gained
BF = 9.7% (8.5)
LBM = 151.6 (147) - 4.6lbs LBM gained
FAT = 16.4 (14.0) - 2.4lbs FAT gained

To be honest my end results are not as good as I wanted. The first half of my challenge was riddled with sickness and that set me back considerably. But after mid-February I was healthy again and made some great gains in both size and strength. And I know my first 2 week's measurements were incorrect, so that kind of taints my true gains a bit.

Overal Stats
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>DATE WEIGHT BF% LBM FAT
Jan 6 161 8.5 147 14 * error with bodyfat
Jan 13 160 8.8 145.9 14.1 * error with bodyfat
Jan 19 164 10.0 147.5 16.5
Jan 26 165 10.2 148.2 16.9
Feb 2 163 9.9 146.9 16.1
Feb 9 161 9.4 145.8 15.2
Feb 16 162 9.6 146.5 15.5
Feb 23 163.5 9.4 148.1 15.4
Mar 2 165 9.4 149.4 15.6
Mar 9 165 9.3 149.7 15.3
Mar 16 168.5 9.4 152.6 15.9
Mar 23 167 9.6 151 16.0
Mar 30 168 9.7 151.6 16.4</pre><hr />

By my estimates the first 2 measurements should've been closer to 10% as well, I know my actual LBM gains were higher.

Strength Gains

Exercise = Jan 1 -> March 30

barbell bench press = 135 -> 165
barbell upright rows = 65 -> 85
cable upright rows = 110 -> 150
parallel bar dips = 10,7,4 -> 12,10,8
close grip bench press = 60 -> 115
db lateral raises = 15 -> 20
db front raises = 15 -> 20
wide grip pullup = 10,8,6 -> weighted 20lbs x 7,5,4
t-bar machine = 90 -> 100
seated cable row = 110 -> 120
squat = 135 -> 170/175
deadlift = 135 -> 165
leg press = 210 -> 270
leg extention = 135 -> 150
leg curl = 135 -> 150
lying leg curl = 60 -> 70
standing calf raises = 375 -> 405

My biggest gains were for leg and back exercises, but nearly everything has come up.

I'll probably post a "post-challenge" picture however I look pretty much the same as at the starting of the year. Only my traps and back muscles got noticably larger. I'm not sure where the rest of the weight went. My plan now is to keep bulking for another 6 to 8 weeks and hopefully gain another 5-10 lbs before going on a cut down to 6% bodyfat.

Congrats to the other challengers who stuck it out for the long haul. There seemed to be a lot of people who gave up after the first few weeks. Its a testement to the kind of dedication it takes.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

[falser]

Here's two pics that show best the improvements I made during the challenge:

Back definition improved a lot, and my rear delts went from practically nothing to fairly decent:
http://fury161.dyndns.org:82/transformation/challenge/dbb.jpg

Most noticable is that my traps literally doubled in size, they responded very well to upright rows:
http://fury161.dyndns.org:82/transformation/challenge/traps.jpg

My chest and legs improved a bit also. Unfortunately by the looks of it my arms are the same size, so this will continue to be an area of focus for me.