Fett

https://smile.amazon.com/EatSmart-Products-Precision-Recognition-Technology/dp/B004L6NTHU/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483561743&sr=1-4&keywords=body+fat+scale

Hi All! I'm trying to determine what an appropriate goal would be for muscle percentage gain. I have a scale that has been relatively consistent at telling me body fat, muscle and water percentage. Last year I tracked and set goals for Body Fat, but this is the first time I've been tracking Muscle Percentage. Here is where I am currently and what my current workout routine is like: 5' 9" @ 156 lbs BF: 12.6% Musc: 46% Workout Routine Alternating Weeks (HighWeight/LowReps.....LowWeight/HighReps) Alternating Days (Arms, Legs, Arms, Legs...etc) Primarily strength training (dumbbells only - no access to cages/barbells) So at the end of a quarter, could I expect 0.5% gain? 1%? I'm just trying to figure out a realistic goal for myself. Let me know if you have any questions.

Here's a snip from my spreadsheet. Most of the time I put it in a 5 lb Whey container and make around 150 servings. So i'll just multiply each of these values by 150 and use a digital scale to figure out how much of each I need. Almost all of these are "Bulk Supplements" purchased from Amazon.

Yeah I am a big fan of this home-made concoction. Taste leaves a little to be desired, but it certainly gets the job done and you get a huge bang for your buck.

Thanks for the info!

Looks like Optimum Nutrition has cancelled their Naturally Flavored line of Casein. While its still available at some retailers (Amazon...etc), I'm starting to plan ahead for the inevitable. I'd love to go All Natural, or at least Naturally Flavored, but I would prefer to not get UNFLAVORED. Anyone have any great suggestions? Thanks!! -Fett

x3

I will make my homemade preworkout in bulk. I store it in an old 5lb ON Whey container that has been washed out. I usually make about 3-4 pounds at a time. Just make sure to get a digital scale and measure your ingredients by weight. There's a lot of white powder everywhere on my preworkout creation days - kinda looks like a meth lab. Here is what I have in mind, though I appear to be having a froth issue right now...lol. I can get you the measurements if you would like. PreWorkout Mix

My opinions / recommendations 1. Yes - this will help in the muscle building/repairing 2. 10g per day for the first week, 5g every day after that 3. Unsure...sorry! 4. I dont believe this matters - I usually taking my 5g in my preworkout

I'd recommend either making your own through Bulk Supplements or to look into something like Honey Badger. I used HB for a while - no issues, but then I decided to start making my own to save some money and get more bang for your buck

So...kind of strange - I feel like I am having a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment here. This is the second batch (in bulk) of preworkout mix that I have concocted, but this time around whenever I doll out my individual serving and shake it up with water I get ALOT of foam (2 or so inches) along with the little bit of water at the bottom of my shaker cup. Any ideas as to what is going on here?! I've verified the foam is not soap. I don't have the breakdown in front of me though with respect to grams per supplement. Here are the ingredients (and brands), I am using: Beta Alanine (Bulk Supplements) L-Citrulline (Bulk Supplements) L-Glutamine (Bulk Supplements) BCAA (Bulk Supplements) L-Tyrosine (Bulk Supplements) Creatine (O.N.) Caffeine (ProLab) Vitalyte (Lemon Flavor) I did change a few things between batch 1 and batch 2 (otherwise, things have stayed the same): +more L-Citrulline -removed AAKG completely (poor taste) -previous flavoring (TrueLemon/TrueLime) (Replaced with Vitalyte) Thanks! -Fett

Thanks guys - you've given me a lot to think about. So I'm on board with Sunday being my rest day - I think that works out the best with my workout schedule and life, but I'm not quite sure what I want to do with Saturday. In the past, I've found that two days of doing nothing, plus some poor eating choices makes Monday's workout a real b*tch. Normally when my son goes down for a nap, its time to enjoy some video games, but I might just have to do a quick 30 minute workout instead. Instead of feeling like my weekend food is limited to only on the weekends, sometimes I think I feel like its a reward. "Hey, I worked out like a banshee this week - lets order pizza". Unfortunately, then one poor choice seems to roll into the next one. Whether its leftovers, or a little desert that comes along for the ride...etc. Trust me, I realize that I could have a nice spinach salad first and then only have a piece or two, but that pizza tastes SO GOOD!! Haha...my 18 month old has been watching a lot of Sesame Street lately...sometimes I feel like Cookie Monster on the weekend. Om Nom Nom Nom! Life is so much easier during the week when I pack my lunch and everything is portioned into nice containers and rationed out. Maybe that's what I need on the weekend...more structure! Well, at least the weekend is a couple days out - plenty of time for me to psych myself up for another round and try for a victory again! One day (specifically on the weekend) at a time!

I've always been a fan of nuts/jerky. Keeping a cooler in your vehicle would allow you to store fruits/veggies/cheeses. If eating is just busy work for your mouth, you could always do gum/water. Just keep chewing.

Hi All So here's my dilemma. I am spot on with my food, portions, workouts, etc all week long. Hell - coworkers can bring in treats and I leave them alone. BUT, then the weekend comes and instead of continuing the trend, it seems like I'm only hitting the mark half of the time, with the other half being "cheat" meals or some excuse comes up for not wanting to work out. I'd be fine if there was one meal per weekend that was a reward meal (or whatever you want to call it), but lately its gotten a little more out of control. I also think there should be some type of rest day built into your workout routine - maybe that can be Sunday for me? Maybe burn through a Yoga/Stretch video in the morning? I guess I just wanted to vent out my frustrations a bit, but also ping you guys to see what you have used in the past to help you make it through the weekend and stay on track. On a positive note, I'm always back hitting it hard again on Monday...just like today. I just want to be a little more consistent. Thanks for the help! -Fett

I'm still here - I've been updating the original post with my weekly happenings. Check it out!