Kidney bean

Last two training sessions: 23rd April - 'Lower A' Meat: Deadlift @ 85kg 4x9 (up 3 reps) Leg press @ 80kg added 5x12 (up 2 sets) -- Vegetables: Lying Leg curl @ 13/13/14 (up 1 rep) Seated leg press @ 60kg 3x8 Standing calf raises 3 x 14-16 (I lose count and get bored) --- Dessert: You're damn right I did triceps and biceps in between sets of accessories. I'm new to leg presses, and find them pretty good for targeting my quads more than squats. The problem is, my gym has like 6+ press machines, each one with different levels of resistance/ weight etc, so it's tough to keep the exercise consistent and plan for progression. ----------- 24th April - 'Lower A' Meat: Chin ups (bodyweight) 9/9/9/8/8 (up 3 reps) OHP @ 35kg 8/8/7/7/7 (up 5 reps with an extra set) Cable rows @ 55kg 9/9/9/8/9 (up 1 rep) --- Vegetables: Dumbbell incline press @ 15kg 3x10 --- Dessert: Triceps extensions and bicep curls 3 super sets I think I was smoked from the workout the day before, really not into it. That said, pretty good gains. I'm doing chins and rows at that volume/ intensity twice a week, so that's a great rate of improvement although they are definitely going to be the first things to slow down.

Week 1 ending Sunday 12th April: Starting weight 152lbs, presumed BMR of 2700, and calories at 2750 By weeks end: 151.3 lbs Down 1.5lbs... haha ok. Now I presume I didn't lose fat at that intake. I figure its my body re-adjusting from a holiday break and getting used to a higher calorie and carb intake. I also like to think its the afterglow effect of my dieting where my weight stalled at 151lbs for a few weeks despite being in a deficit. Week 2 ending Sunday 19th April: Starting weight 151.3lbs, presumed BMR 3000, and calories at 2900 By weeks end: 150lbs Weight has gone down again, despite the cautious bump. I'm still very sceptical that someone my height/ weight and with a desk job should be losing at that intake (and I was going over most days). My excel spreadsheet calculates that I should be eating 3600cals a day in order to gain. I'll bump it up to 3000cal and see what happens. My body looks alright, though. It took a while but the weird pouch around my stomach finally evened out and my skin firmed up. Training logs to come. That's going well.

Training I've put reverse pyramid training on the backburner for a while and increase my work capacity. I want to incorporate more volume into my training, and would rather do more reps with lest rest in between sets. I'm focussing on size, not strength although I understand they are interrelated. http://www.strengthe...-work-capacity/ I did the math on my total volume for each lift each workout- taking the best possible performance in each case. I then divided it by 8 or 10 then by 3 for the basis of my new routine. Most lifts were surprisingly manageable, but for others I had to drop a few kgs which is no big deal. Start at 3x8-10 Each session, aim for 1-3 reps more than last time work up until I can do 5x10 - either by adding one more set or more reps Then increase the weight and drop the reps/ sets and start again On paper its relatively simple, but I know it will be tougher to increase by reps than by sets (eg I find 4x10 tougher than 5x8-9, although the latter may have more volume). Starting April: Big Compounds Deadlift 3x8 @ 85kg Squat 3x10 @ 60kg Bench press 3x10 @ 45kg OHP 3x8 @ 35kg Cable Rows 3x10 @55kg Chins 4x6 @ bodyweight (this is a bit different, I haven't settled on a progression pattern yet) Romanian Deadlift 3x10 @60kg If I increase by 3 reps each week, it should take me 2.5 months to get to 5 sets and start again with heavier loads. I have no doubt each lift will increase at different levels- and will probably have a tough time with the chins. I am not going to bother projecting what they will be like in October. I've also embraced some bro exercises- leg presses, biceps and tricep sets, calf raises. I have string for arms. For shame.

All hail the pump. After dieting for most of this year so far I am refocussing back to my long term goal to become huge, which I will be doing for 5 months, until the beginning of October if not beyond. The 3 months stint of dieting taught me a lot about myself and about my goals, and how I want to approach this. Oh yeah I *hopefully* lost some fat along the way. I have realised how so many past challenges, programmes, goals, ideas etc for lifting always seem to fizzle out halfway through. Therefore, I am making quantifiable and accountable targets and I am going to use every piece of ingenuity, effort and will to troubleshoot any problems I have. Body Starting 6th April 2015 152lbs, 30" waist, 5ft 10 I would hazard a guess of ~12-15%bf, which makes lean mass 130-134lbs Looking at this: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/bodybuilding-genetics My lean mass max potential is 160-170lbs. or total weight 182-194lbs at 12%bf. For the purposes of bodybuilding and hypertrophy, I'm classing myself as somewhere between a beginner and novice. I've been lifting way beyond that time period but boy do I have a lot mass to build and think I could gain 1.5lbs of muscle a month, with overall weight gain of 2-2.5lbs a month. That breaks down to 0.5-0.65 weight gain per week. End date: 5th October end weight 162-164.5lbs, lean mass ~140lbs. Target for 4th May is 154-154.5lbs Useful article: http://rippedbody.jp/how-to-bulk/ Now its a case of actually nailing down my BMR and finding the right calores for a surplus. I'm doing smart shit now, like tracking calorie intake, bodyweight and waist measurements in the same place so that I can cross refernce them. I also have an excel spreadsheet that does the necessary calculations for calorie adjustments based on how far off my goal I was etc.

I asked my dad what he wanted for his birthday, and he'd heard me recommending 'How to become a Supple Leopard', use of foam roller and massage balls in the past and said he'd like something like that as a gift. Now, my Dad's lifestyle is quite different. He's 55+, overweight, inactive, has a very busy desk job and suffers from back and joint pain. When has free time, he wants to rest, which he deserves. I don't think he's asking for a lifestyle change and doesn't want one, but something very simple and easy that he can do which would alleviate nagging pains and loosen him up a bit. Can anyone recommend a good book for mobility, flexibility, stretching, relieving pain etc for those with a more inactive lifestyle? Like Supple Leopard, but less geared towards the athlete/weekend gym warrior. I figure I could get him a book as well as a foam roller.

The slow bulk is back on track, which is what this log is all about. I'll make a full 'post of intent' about it, probably when I hit a new page. I've been pretty distant from the forum this year, mainly because I realised spending too much time 'thinking' about my fitness was just complicating things, and I'd end up shooting myself in the foot for what should be a long term project. But I'm all good now and miss you guys. My cut went ok. All in all, I had about 10 weeks in a deficit of 1900/ 1750cals with a week break in between the two. I am unsure on how much weight I actually lost, but would guess around 5lbs. Weight loss stalled pretty quickly after the first few weeks of both stints. My body also looked pretty bad for the final two weeks- a serious pouch and loose skin round the abdomen which freaked me out. I stopped the diet a few days short, not because of cravings or because of food, but because I have genuine desire to get bigger and train for full on motherfucking hypertrophy. I am now into week two of the bulk, calories going up to 2900 tomorrow.

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At the risk of linking to this guy's website twice in two posts, band resisted push ups will do if you're in a pinch. Good luck with figuring out pulling and leg exercises.

This was picked up by Lyle McDonald and Greg Nuckols (in the 'So what do we do with all this?' section). A big difference in that study is how short the high rep workouts took in comparison to the low/mid-rep workouts. Approximately a third of the time ('~17mins' compared to 'about an hour') with similar results in muscle gain and slightly inferior strength gain.

14 days to go until the cut is through. A week break from reading muscle stuff has done a world of good, and I want to keep this distance going. I spent less time worrying and stuck with my goals, and I want to keep it going. When I did read stuff, I read selectively. This last weekend was a bit rough on the diet- I spent it celebrating with my family. But it's only two days (only two bad meals, actually) and I am back on the horse and more determined than ever. So yeah, 14 days to go until I end this cut. After that, I go on a Easter break and then start chasing a pump for 6 months, I seriously can't wait. Until then, I am throwing everything and kitchen sink at this diet- decrease cals, macro cycling, cardio, cayenne pepper, cinnamon with carbs... Whatever until I hit that deadline.

An hour later and I have a different perspective. Keep going, there's still fat to go. New goal which will help solve my issue: Stop surfing muscle stuff for a week. That includes Lyle MacDonald, fitness gurus sites, lifting forums, diet advice, this site etc etc etc. Read your books, watch TV, talk to your family, do your awesome stretching and rolling. Great ways to destress. See you guys in a week!

Woah, so the cut is going well... I guess? Full 'dear diary' post below: This week I weighed in consistently at 147.2 at the beginning of the week and this morning I got to 145.2lbs- which is my lowest ever recording.My waistline has been consistently around 29 - 29.4" all week, which again is the lowest ever.(I am 5'10", eating 1800cals)I feel like I have broken some barrier. My upper/ mid abs feel like tighter, my clothes are looser...I've never felt this lean in the past (or at least in recent memory) and I'm starting to feel uncomfortable and scrawny. The last time I felt this uncomfortable about my body was when I took my first bulk too far about a year ago.So I am torn in two halves, with a common dilemma for the skinny/skinny-fat dudes: Argument 1 My plan for this challenge was to lose fat for these 6 weeks. Just completely get it off me once and for all, hit that 10% bf sweet spot, then start a year long slow-bulk and never look back. No more spinning wheels in in-between territories, but to have a noticeable difference in my physique. A big inspiration for me has been this article, particularly the 'Purgatory' section: http://rippedbody.jp/physique-goal-setting-part-3/ So argument 1 says: 'You have set the goal, and you should stick with it. You've only done 2 weeks so far. You knew that this was supposed to be difficult and in order to have that noticeable change in your physique you have to push through that uncomfortable phase and stick with it just that bit longer. If you don't, you will just repeat an indefinite cycle for another year'. I should also consider that If I switch to maintenance or bulking, then my weight and waistline is likely to jump up within a few days anyway. Argument 2 When changing in the gym on Friday, I was caught completely off-guard at how scrawny I look- like 'Shit, do I have an Eating Disorder?'. It doesn't help that I work out a bodybuilding gym where everyone else is huge, but still. The whole weekend, my energy levels have been low and I still have a feeling of vulnerability about me. I could chalk this up to a few rough days, but what if its something beyond that? I have been lifting for 15 months and there's no getting around how low my lifting numbers are. They go up- they plateau a little- I reduce the weight and work up again with 'slightly better form', but the actual weight on the bar hasn't not changed much in the last 6 months. Have I got any strength? Have I developed muscle? 15 months and little to show for it. Or the fact that I have always wanted to be bigger and more muscular (check out challenge 1, or my letter of intent in the first post of my Diary). I start bulking for a while, even at an acceptable pace, but I always revert to putting in another spell of cutting. Holy shit, when am I ever going to get big? Compound these factors with trying to assess my body currently. I'm now at the leanest I have been and I still have no idea how much fat is left to cut, because I have loose skin around the mid-region from when I lost a lot of weight quickly as a teenager. So is it fat or skin? I have no idea. ---- Another problem is- as you can plainly see- this is infecting the quality of my life more than it should be. I'm thinking about it constantly and double-guessing every time I train or plan my meals. I scour 'muscle' articles and forums for arguments in support of either side every chance I get. I need a life. So there you have it- Jekyll and Hyde. I am going to resume the cut for another week and monitor bodyweight levels before I make any changes because: 1) I still believe in having a plan and sticking to it 2) Maybe its just a few rough days and a part of the process Nothing major is going to happen in a week and workdays are the easiest ones to keep the diet and training routine on track. If I hit 145lbs and ~29" waistline consistently, I think I will transition to maintenance. I should also take some progress pics soon.

5 days into the cut and the water weight seems to have flushed out and I've started to get used to the cut. Last 2 days, I have weighed in at 146.6lbs, the lowest 'since records began'. No doubt most of that drop is attributable to the abrupt drop in calories, particularly carbs, and recently I've eaten less veggies than normal, but it's still gratifying to know the plan is working. It also means that the previous cut and diet break have done exactly what they're supposed to have done (ie drop bodyfat in phases and maintain/gain strength). I have actually felt amazing the past few days and dare say I look it too. I have energy and optimism. Let me re-iterate: I am happy with how I am. A part of me is tempted to stop the cut, but I know I have to drive through my comfort zone more before changing the plan. Also, I finally watched Pumping Iron today. How had I never seen that before?!

I've never been one to sleep on my front, but I can't help but revert to my side which always jams the opposite arm into the front of the shoulder socket. If I can break that habit, then that's a solid 8 hours a day where I'm improving my posture with zero effort. I again refer to Kelly for all my well-being needs: There's another mobilitywod on sleep positions, but it gave me more questions than answers.

Haha, like you need me with your 3-page challenge thread and entourage. (It's Kelly Starrett, btw. I'm no cross fitter, but I do think he's pretty cool).

I have said it before and I will say it again: That is the best stretching exercise I have ever encountered. And I have been doing 'fitness' dogmatically in some form for 4 years. Challenge is going well- Got 13 chin ups yesterday Got 5x90kg squats today. Some dude walked past me on the fifth rep and offered to spot mid-set. We went through 2 more reps for the hell of it, but there's no way it was a solo effort. So that's goal 2 completed?!... On both exercises, I think I could extend the ROM a bit more. I don't wanna say I cheated myself or my form was poor, but I could go a tad deeper and will probably concentrate on that. 4 days of dieting and I'm holding up well. Mornings are roughest and I don't feel like I've woken up until about 12pm. Maybe I'm just getting old. I also get insane sugar cravings after lunch and most meals come to think of it. Rest days are also harder than gym days.

Starting steps: 3 day average of bodyweight and waistline at the beginning of the challenge: 151lbs, 30.1" waist. Minor updates: -Set a mini-PR on deadlifts yesterday. 112.5kg for 5 reps. I want to try and get to 6 reps before increasing the weight. I really want to get 13 on chins tonight. - Diet is fine 2 days in, 1800 on Monday, 1700 on Tuesday. - Went to a music performance last night (bonus point for 'living life'). After standing around for several hours, I realised that I am getting a lot quicker at automatically correcting my posture which is great. - Still no idea how to tackle sleeping on my side, it seems to be the only way I can fall asleep.

Hell yeah, mobility. Your goal is eerily similar to one in my last challenge. I got Supple Leopard for Christmas and stuck to 20mins of stretching and rolling each day as part of my challenge. What started as Glutes and hams turned into more ankle flexibility and loosening the chest. The body sure is a complicated thing. I hope the following is helpful for you: - Get massage balls. Don't let the name fool you, these were used by the Spanish Inquisition. Use it to smash anything from the balls of your feet to your back. It needs to hurt. - this is the ultimate stretch for hips, hamstrings and ankles and gets you limber: - quality not quantity Good luck Alanna. Kelly has your back. Edit: another Brit, too! Love reading workouts in kg.

This is more or less a continuation of my previous challenge (no.6), hence the dull title. What I want to focus on in the next 6 weeks: 1. GET LEAN I am going on holiday over the Easter hols (April 3rd). I want to be done with 'trimming fat' by then. I've already done 6 weeks of cutting and a week break. The long term goal is to be ripped and I want to get back to slow bulking. I am currently hanging around 150lbs, 30" waist at 5'10. No idea of bf%. Optimistically, I'd like to get down to 145lbs, 29.5" waist, but my weight loss stalled at 150lbs in my previous deficit. Granted, it was mild last time and I still saw progress in my strength training, which is obviously an awesome result. This time, I am going to shoot for ~1800cals, high protein and medium fat and just try not to think about it too much. Things I learnt from my last challenge: - work lunches are the least important meal. You can drive these low. - you will miss bread, so include it. have a slice for breakfast every few days. - no matter what, you will want 'a little something' after dinner. Plan for it. - don't overthink it. That goes for cals and macros. Be mildly active and happy. - have a maintenance day or refeed after a few weeks. - you looked your worst in the last 2 weeks of the challenge. This is just a part of the process of cutting. Literally 1 day of maintenance, eating well, and some exercise had you back into good shape. 2. MAKE ACTUAL STRENGTH GAINS The reps on my heavy sets for all lifts have stalled. By the end of this challenge, I want to get an extra rep on at least two of the following exercises: - Deadlift 120kg x 3 or 117.5kg x4 - Squat 90kg x 4 - Bench 57.5kg x 6 - OHP... 47.5kg x 5 - Chin ups (Bw) x 12 I am still enjoying gains in rows, RDLs. I think I can make progress on the squat and chins. 3. INCREASE MOBILITY I use the word mobility in a very ambiguous way. I mean greater control and ROM of certain muscles, and improving posture. Working on this is far more gratifying than focussing on losing fat. Particular areas include: - lengthening hamstrings. - really hammering into my left shoulder. This is definitely my weak link in pulls and presses. - adjusting anterior pelvic tilt. It's nearly eradicated, but work can be done. - get better at sitting at my desk and sleeping (this is destroying my shoulders). LIFE GOALS Enjoy thyself. Read more, surf the Internet less (sorry nerd fitness) and embrace the cultural opportunities that living in London affords. Be more pro-active about moving jobs or quit whining about it.

No man, you're free-flowing like water. Good luck dude, subbed for strongman event. I don't know if you can grow a full beard in time, but it may help.

Yeah, I will definitely be sticking with RPT for a while. My workouts typically follow my old 531 4-day structure - as in upper a / lower a / rest / upper b/ lower b- but the set and rep scheme is so much better. How are my lifts looking? That's a question I always struggle to answer. I don't focus on 1RMs- I prefer to stick in the 3-8 rep ranges. This is for 2 reasons: 1. I'm a weak-ass pansy and would get disillusioned v fast at my lack of 'bottom line' progress in strength. I don't think my 1 RMs have gone up in 9 months. 2. I am not a powerlifter or strongman. I don't have a meet. My goals are health and physique oriented. The compromise in form at higher loads just isn't worth it. So far all the 'big 4' compound lifts are stalled out at: Deadlift 117.5kg x 3 Squat. 90kg x 4 Bench 60kg x 4-5 OHP 50kg x 1-3 (this one fluctuates so erratically, it's laughable) The point of RPT though is to follow that set up with a slightly lower weight and increase the reps. This is where I have been seeing most of my gains. Each week I am able to push more out in the 2nd and 3rd set, and able to increase the weight in those subsequent sets after a while. In time, this should transfer to an extra few reps on the above heavy sets. The priority for me is to address the weak links in each part (left shoulder socket for pressing, collapsing knees for squats)- I can't see my lifts going up until these fundamentals get addressed.

What the... I turn my back for one month and you turn into a lumberjack.

So, overall, I am calling this challenge a success. I have stuck to all of these goals and have seen improvements in all areas. I don't think these are life-changing outcomes, but what can you expect from 6 weeks? Let's break it down: 1. Increase mobility & ROM and improve posture Specific Areas to target- forward rolling shoulders + internally rotating humeri - so strengthen the back, shoulder sockets and elbow jointsanterior pelvic tilt + external rotated feet - so work on hip and ankle mobility, strengthen the glute and hamstringsVictory. I have done 20 minutes of stretching and rolling as a minimum each day. Most of the time this is 15 mins in the morning, and then 5-25 min in the evening, with some massage ball rolling in front of the tv. This hasn't felt like a chore, but it turns out it is by far the best way to waken and loosen my body up in the morning. I rarely feel stiff walking out the door. I will continue to do this after the challenge. The first 3 weeks was focussed on my lower body, working on hip and ankle flexibility, as well as strengthening the glutes and hams and loosening the quads and IT band. As a result, my posture has improved and I daresay my squats are looking better at higher weights. My classic break in squat form is a collapsing right knee. At about week 4 I started to focus on my upper body more. This would typically involve some serious ball rolling on the pecs and also around the shoulder joint and scapular area. Jesus is this painful. I am pleased to report that it is starting to have an effect and I am getting better at automatically pulling my shoulders right back into the joint everyday. The next big thing to tackle is sitting posture, especially at my desk at work. 2. Get a better back and posterior chain and get my lifting shit together Again- Victory. I have adopted 'Reverse Pyramid Training' for this challenge and it has served me well so far. The sets are intense, but I am learning that I don't have to obliterate my body with volume every time I go into the gym. RPT allows me to be more in tune with my body and choose how I progress (by more reps or sets). I saw gains at first, which started to taper towards the end. Whether this is because the novelty of a new programme and starting light wore off, or my body was getting fatigued from training and dieting remains to be seen. Possibly the best thing I have started doing is writing instructions in my gym log about what to do next week for each exercise (ie increase weight, increase reps or work on feel if I feel the execution could be improved). I will definitely continue to do this. The posterior chain is getting better. I really like front squats, RDLs and good mornings as accessory lifts. It will take some head scratching to fit them all in whilst also trying to keep my workouts as streamlined as possible. I may also be at the point - for the first time in my lifting career- where my quads will need targeting. I say this because the sticking point for my DLs is getting the bar off the ground. Upper body is still very much under development but definitely getting better. I have been doing 3 sets of chins and neutral grip seated cable rows twice a week, which has served me well. I have tried several accessory lifts that focus on my left shoulder, trying to locate the exact weak spot. I think I will start focussing on lateral raises and pause bench presses for the next training block. 3. Lose a bit of fat This has been a semi-victory. I started on 5-7th January at an average of 153lbs and a 30.5" waistline. Today I weighed in at 147.6lbs and 29 3/4" waistline. That progress looks great, but literally until this morning, I had stalled out at 152lbs and 30" waistline all week. Its as if my body knew I was stopping the deficit today and dropped 5lbs. I said initially that I wouldn't focus on dieting and losing fat but I inevitably did. As you can see in my last post- there was some grievances I wanted to get off my chest towards the end but I do feel better now. As rough as those few days were, all it took was 200 cals of complex carbs and some rest before I was ready to happily resume again. I am still going to take the planned diet break to teach myself to be patient, before resuming the diet. I think I can push the deficit slightly steeper to 1800cals a day next time. I will take a progress pic soon. Conclusion All being said, I think this 6-week challenge has been a success. Aside from any problems I have mentioned, my quality of life has been great. Like I said earlier, it has been way more gratifying to work on my posture, stretching and keeping loose than it has been when I was assessing my diet or training. I have got on and done stuff I enjoy- gone for walks, exhibitions, watched movies and read books. Thinking about training and dieting doesn't make you stronger or leaner any quicker than being happy and stress-free does. My only regret about this aspect is that I haven't found the time to talk and support other people on this forum. A good question I ask myself is 'How are you going to live your life differently once you get that god-like physique?' and the immediate follow up is 'Why not start doing that stuff now?'