~Buster's 9 month 'Girlfriend Challenge' journal~

HERE'S THE DEAL

I don't know about you guys, but I find it extremely uplifting when someone you haven't seen in a while comments positively on your progress. My girlfriend is going traveling around the world for over 6 months (mid-June to end of December). I started this challenge at the end of March to give myself 9 months to bulk up. Hopefully when she gets back, she'll love the improved physique - and so will I! :claphigh:

This is my first journal. I aim to post new pics at the end of every month, and post an update of my weight every week. I'm hoping this journal will help keep me motivated, as I know I'll be letting you guys down too if I fall off the wagon! I think instigating a change my girlfriend will notice is a big source of motivation for me, and I now have a 1 month Easter break from college, so there's no better time to start. I can hopefully get into the habit of regular, good eating over this period. :eat:


STATS

Height: 5'9"
Starting weight: 62.5kg (26th March 2007)
Naturally lean ectomorph.
Low bodyfat.
Big troubles putting on weight!


GOALS

My basic goal is to bulk up. I'm not worried about putting on fat, as I know I'll shed it later. I need to pack on some serious mass at the moment, because I play club level (field) hockey, and the season has just finished. When the season starts up again in September/October, training and matches etc. will mean burning a load of calories on the pitch. So fat is not much of an issue for the time being.

Short-term goal is to get up to 75kg.

I need to stick to a meal plan consistently. In the past, I've kept up weeks of perfect eating, then had a bad day and fallen off the wagon. My metabolism is so quick that if I have just a few days off or a week of not eating big, my weight drops right back down to square one. It's crazy!


WORKOUT

Despite having very, very little to show for it, I've been going to the gym for about 4 years (sometimes consistently, at other times not). I've tried 3-day-splits, and full body workouts 3x/week. My body normally feels tired and aches last a while. Results have never been great.

So, I've taken this 2x/week workout largely from the book 'Beyond Brawn', with a little adjustment. It basically involves getting in and out of the gym in under an hour, doing the big compound movements, low volume and very high intensity. The aim is to increase weight very slowly every workout. Most of the work is done in the kitchen - stuffing my face :lol:

I plan to cycle the below workout, doing approx 6 weeks to failure, and then 3 weeks working at 80%. I'm keeping cardio to a minimum too.

MONDAY

Squats
Warm up + 2x12
Dumbell bench press
Warm up + 2x6
Military press
2x6
French press
1x6

THURSDAY

Deadlifts
Warm up + 2x12
Pull ups
2x8
Hammer curls
1x6
Calf extensions
3x15


MEAL PLAN

I've formed a meal plan around my college schedule, so I can realistically keep it going.

Note: all meals consist of at least 20g protein. Some are more carbs heavy, some aren't. I'm eating clean, and thanks to the advice of JSFers am now incorporating healthy fats into my diet (natural peanut butter, almonds etc.) Foods that form the bulk of my diet are: chicken breast, potatoes, rice, beef steak, tuna, pasta, nuts, milk, cheese, salad, veg, PB.

NON-WORKOUT DAY

8/9am - Protein shake (50g protein, 85g carbs)
12noon - Meal
3.30pm - Protein shake
5.30pm - Meal
7pm - Meal
9pm - Meal
11pm - Protein shake
Bedtime - Milk (approx 400/500ml)

WORKOUT DAY

8/9am - Protein shake (50g protein, 85g carbs)
12noon - Meal
3.30pm - Meal
5.30pm - Gym
7pm - Protein shake
9pm - Meal
11pm - Protein shake
Bedtime - Milk (approx 400/500ml)


BASE PHOTOS

Here are my starting photos, taken in the most unflattering light possible. I'll try to take photos in the same place and light each month. I need to get some muscle on my skinny ass! :lol: :bb:

25th March 2007

http://www.geocities.com/faraz_gla/march07front.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/faraz_gla/march07side.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/faraz_gla/march07back.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/faraz_gla/march07legs.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/faraz_gla/march07calves.JPG

2nd April 2007
Weight: 65kg

Good luck. :)

Some of the big name powerlifters eat 12,000+ calories a day.

Something to think about. :)

Good luck. :)

Thanks!

Some of the big name powerlifters eat 12,000+ calories a day.

:eek: Ah well, I think I'm getting about 3000+ calories (at a guess). Is this ok for my weight? To be honest, I've never really dealt with calories - only with grammes of protein/carbs/fat. Consuming about 250-300g protein a day. Maybe I should educate myself more on calorie intake.

Hi and good luck :) By the way you don't look like an ectomorph to me:)

Hi and good luck :) By the way you don't look like an ectomorph to me:)

Hey, thanks :) Why do you say that? I have more belly fat in those photos than usual because I'd taken a week or two to build up my eating.

Hey, thanks :) Why do you say that? I have more belly fat in those photos than usual because I'd taken a week or two to build up my eating.

Nope it wasn't the "gut" :) i just thought that your legs had great shape, not skinny, and look as though you will be able to add quite a bit of muscle to them.

Hi there Buster :)
Just wanted to say welcome and good luck on your bulk! :D

Nope it wasn't the "gut" :) i just thought that your legs had great shape, not skinny, and look as though you will be able to add quite a bit of muscle to them.

Thanks. That's the plan!

Hi there Buster :)
Just wanted to say welcome and good luck on your bulk! :D

Thanks buddy! Fingers crossed!!

10th April 2007
Weight: 65kg (same as last week)

Well to be honest, I half expected to be down in weight. The last few days haven't been good eating-wise -- not been near hitting the 7/8 meal target. And it only takes a few days for me to lose a tonne of weight!

Gladly in the gym today I was lifting a teeny bit more on each exercise.

I think I may try to cook most of my meals on a Sunday and pack them into lunchboxes. Otherwise, I find the washing up from cooking so many meals consumes my life!!

Eating has been good for the last few days. I've found a good way of being strict with myself that I thought I'd share with other users...I have a wall-calendar, with various dates and appointments written on it. I've started circling the days where I've had 6+ meals and half-circling where I had, say, 5. The rest get crossed out. Gives you a good overview of a week. Looking to see how it'll appear at the end of the 9 months!

16th April 2007
Weight 65kg (same for the last 2 weeks!)

Okay! I wasn't sure how to take the fact that my weight hasn't shifted in the last 2 weeks. The last week has been good in terms of diet, and I've largely stuck to 6-8 good, clean meals per day. So I'm a little puzzled as to how my weight is the same? :confused:

But, there is some hope. I hope this isn't just in my head, but I think I'm carrying a little less fat than I was 2 weeks ago. Also, all of my lifts have gone up a little (I'm hoping this isn't just the "newbie" gains that come when re-starting training after an off-spell). More still, during the last 3 weeks, I haven't been able to train quite twice per week -- my DOMs were that bad! But they're much less now, so twice per week it shall be from now on. 1 month progress pics coming up next week...

EDIT: I'm reducing my short-term target to 70kg (was 75kg), and hoping to get there within 1 1/2 - 2 months.

:eek: Ah well, I think I'm getting about 3000+ calories (at a guess). Is this ok for my weight? To be honest, I've never really dealt with calories - only with grammes of protein/carbs/fat. Consuming about 250-300g protein a day. Maybe I should educate myself more on calorie intake.

:lol:

I was looking at what I posted and went "What the hell?". Then I remembered. I just wanted to put in perspective that food quantities are relative. :nod:

Anyways, I think you should be fine starting at 3000. See how it goes, then increase it slowly. Don't go all out off the bat. If you gain three or four pounds in a month, chances are most of it will be lean mass. If you put on three pounds a week, chances are most of it will be fat. So long as your scale weight is going up slowly and your lifts are also increasing, you should be doing fine. :tucool:

Thanks for the reply :) To be totally honest, I have no idea about calories! I know there are more calories in a gram of fat than protein etc but wouldn't really know where to start on counting them. For example, my protein shake doesn't state calories per serving on the label :nope:

Maybe if I post a normal day's eating you could tell me if I'm on the right lines for my height (5'9") and weight (143lbs). Here's an example of what exactly I ate the other day...

Meal 1: Protein shake (52g protein, 78g carbs, 6g fat)
Meal 2: 100g chicken breast, potatoes, broccoli, carrots
Meal 3: Protein shake
Meal 4: 2x 50g beef burgers, 100g cottage cheese
Meal 5: 150g sirloin steak, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes
Meal 6: 100g chicken breast, potatoes, broccoli, carrots
Meal 7: Protein shake
Before bed: 300ml semi-skimmed milk

I sometimes miss 1 or 2 meals, but try and stick to the meal plan as much as poss. I realise my protein shake is a weight gainer but I'm not too concerned about fat at the moment -- just want to add mass.

Any idea how many calories I might be consuming? :confused:

Great idea about making a change while your girl is away...:tu:

Good luck to you buddy, I'll be watching this thread.

As far as cal estimates, I use this website to search for nutritional information. I am sure that there are other sites out there.

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

You can also estimate the protein shake.

4 cals for Protein and Carbs
9 cals for fat.

So the protien shake you consume should be about

(52*4) + (78*4) + (6*9) = 574

Hope this helps.

John

Great idea about making a change while your girl is away...:tu:

Good luck to you buddy, I'll be watching this thread.

Thanks! Yeah hopefully it'll be a good surprise. It's been pushing me that little bit harder so far!

As far as cal estimates, I use this website to search for nutritional information. I am sure that there are other sites out there.

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

You can also estimate the protein shake.

4 cals for Protein and Carbs
9 cals for fat.

So the protien shake you consume should be about

(52*4) + (78*4) + (6*9) = 574

Hope this helps.

John

Thanks! That gives me a rough idea. I think now that counting calories each day is a bit full on for me at the moment. I'll stick with my meal plan as above for a bit, counting grammes of protein, and if I haven't gained more weight by this time next month I'll up the ante and count every calorie :)

Legs/chest/tris session coming up later today. If I can up the weight a tiny bit this time, I'll be a fair bit up from where I started strength-wise!

Back from the gym...upped the weights a tiny bit on each exercise :) One thing I noticed after my workout was that my pump in the gym was bigger than normal. I always used the pump as an indication of where I could be in the next month or 2, so that's good news :D

I'll post my monthly update pics next week. Meanwhile, I took these today after my session...I think some improvement can be seen compared to my base photos (first post). But I'm not reading much into them, as they're pumped pics ;) Will have to wait for next weeks photos!

19th April 2007

NB: Pumped

~1 month comparison~

Last week was a 100% week for diet and exercise! Not a meal or workout missed! :D

I took some pics today of me one month down the line. In some, I think the lighting is a bit different because of discrepancies in the flash (especially re the pics of my calves).

I'm happy :) In weeks one and two, I only did one workout a week (instead of two) to allow extra time for recovery -- I hadn't been to the gym for a while. Discipline has been pretty good. Hopefully, next month will be bigger and better, although my holidays are over so I'll have a busier schedule to contend with...

24th April 2007
Weight: 65kg (same for the last 3 weeks!) :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

I am totally stumped as to why my weight's not going up! I think my 1 month comparison pics (see post above) show some improvement over the month, but I'm not gaining weight, so... :confused:

My gym weighing scale doesn't measure pounds, only kg/stone. But not shifting even a kg in 3 weeks?! I was quite upset, seeing as I hadn't missed a single meal or workout last week, and the week before had been quite good too. I'm a light guy, so I was positive I was taking in more than enough protein and cals. Here's a standard day's meal plan quoted from a post above:

Meal 1: Protein shake (52g protein, 78g carbs, 6g fat)
Meal 2: 100g chicken breast, potatoes, broccoli, carrots
Meal 3: Protein shake
Meal 4: 2x 50g beef burgers, 100g cottage cheese
Meal 5: 150g sirloin steak, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes
Meal 6: 100g chicken breast, potatoes, broccoli, carrots
Meal 7: Protein shake
Before bed: 300ml semi-skimmed milk

I must be the world's hardest weight gainer!

On another note, my left calf was seizing up last night (had done calf extensions in the gym that day). Feels sore now so I guess I'll have to leave leg training for a week. Strange though...I warmed up both with stretches and on the treadmill for a few mins before working them.

On a side note, how do you arrange your hair like that?

I am totally stumped as to why my weight's not going up! I think my 1 month comparison pics (see post above) show some improvement over the month, but I'm not gaining weight, so... :confused:

I must be the world's hardest weight gainer!

Hey there. Answer is pretty simple - you need to eat even more (wish I had that problem.. :) ).

Cram in more calories. Since you are eating so "clean" that's very easy to do. Add an additional gainer when you're lifting - one before/during exercise and one after. Add healthy, but more calorie-dense stuff - nuts, oil, fruit etc. Start by adding 500 kcal each day, and if you still don't see any weight gain after a week, add another 250 kcal.

(also try to get your hands on Berardis "Scrawny to brawny" book)

On a side note, how do you arrange your hair like that?

Like what!? Hair wax!

Hey there. Answer is pretty simple - you need to eat even more (wish I had that problem.. ).

Cram in more calories. Since you are eating so "clean" that's very easy to do. Add an additional gainer when you're lifting - one before/during exercise and one after. Add healthy, but more calorie-dense stuff - nuts, oil, fruit etc. Start by adding 500 kcal each day, and if you still don't see any weight gain after a week, add another 250 kcal.

(also try to get your hands on Berardis "Scrawny to brawny" book)?

I have indeed taken on this advice. And in fact bought that very book just the other week. See below!

~Changes: Learning from Mistakes~

I posted a rant about how I wasn't putting on any weight in the nutrition forum, here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=36087). Thanks for all your responses. Last week was bad for me - I didn't do my routine weights-wise or nutrition-wise due to exams. :( I also felt a little demoralised after a month and a bit of the most effort I'd ever given to the gym and eating, without seeing the weight gains. But thankfully, from your posts I've learned a few things, and am glad I'm getting back on the wagon after only a week off (it could have been much more knowing me!) Time to make some changes.

The other day, for the first time, I cooked all my food for the week in one go. It was actually pretty awesome and not too time-consuming. They are all packed in tupperware containers in my fridge, ready for heating. This means that I can now have an entirely solid food diet (apart from pre-/post-workout shakes), as opposed to relying heavily on the shakes as I did before.

I'm working in some new foods. Quinoa and mince feature a lot, as do lots of potatoes, chicken breasts, sausages, steak, cottage cheese, natural yoghurt (with added protein scoop), natural PB etc. I'm taking 2 fish oil capsules twice a day and snacking on pumpkin seeds quite a lot.

I'm hoping this solid food diet is going to have a positive effect. Eating large portions, i.e. shovelling the food down. I guess the scales will tell in time. I was down to my original weight last week :( so that is what's prompted this big change. I've also changed up my exercise routine, and am doing 'Phase II' of the Scrawny to Brawny book. I'll post the full routine here when I get some more time :)

Go for it man. You must have a super-fast metabolism. You're well on your way with introducing the new foods, and it seems to be healthy good stuff you eat too. By the way, it's easier to cram in more calories if you keep a shake or two on top of the good solid foods. Good luck :)

It would be very interesting to hear more of what you think about the Scrawny to brawny book and the routines there. I heard a lot of good things about it.

Go for it man. You must have a super-fast metabolism. You're well on your way with introducing the new foods, and it seems to be healthy good stuff you eat too. By the way, it's easier to cram in more calories if you keep a shake or two on top of the good solid foods. Good luck :)

It would be very interesting to hear more of what you think about the Scrawny to brawny book and the routines there. I heard a lot of good things about it.

I was just thinking that...perhaps I'll have a shake before bed on non-workout days then.

I did my first routine as part of the 'Phase II' section yesterday, and am aching like anything now. I also found the workout a bit exhausting (cardiovascularly)...but I'm assuming this is only because I was doing hardly any volume before, and the Scrawny to Brawny workouts involve more.

I guess I'm going to have to try harder to kick my metabolism's butt this time, and eat more carbs and fats...just plain more :lol: I forced 6 eggs down me this morning and had some huge carb-loaded meals since (mince and loads of rice and potatoes) and I can tell you...the effort for me to clean my plate is about the same as for me deadlifting to failure :lol:

SUCCESS! Thankfully my weight is now on the up, and substantially so! Thanks to the advice from you guys on this thread and the one I posted in the nutrition forum, I pre-made all my meals for the week. I added a lot more carbs and healthy fats, and cut down on the shakes in favour of whole food.

14th May 2007
Weight: 67kg

I gained more weight in one week than I did in the whole month and a half prior! :tucool: Hopefully I'll have a good week of eating again, and up the weight again by next week :) Off to the supermarket - it's cooking day :D

SUCCESS! Thankfully my weight is now on the up, and substantially so! Thanks to the advice from you guys on this thread and the one I posted in the nutrition forum, I pre-made all my meals for the week. I added a lot more carbs and healthy fats, and cut down on the shakes in favour of whole food.

14th May 2007
Weight: 67kg

I gained more weight in one week than I did in the whole month and a half prior! :tucool: Hopefully I'll have a good week of eating again, and up the weight again by next week :) Off to the supermarket - it's cooking day :D

Congrats for getting the scale to move!! Keep eating the good stuff.

A little word of caution though - don't overdo it.. I'm sure the weight increase will slow down as you go, but if you feel too much of it is fat, you won't be happy in the end. Aim for a maximum of 0.5 kg per week.

Hey guys! Well the last few weeks have not been good at all. Exams for a few weeks and I went on a short holiday. So until today, I hadn't been in the gym in almost 3 weeks.

I noticed in the gym today my strength had gone down, but not all that much, so I'm not quite at square one there. I'm at 64kg, which is a shame, but at least I'm not at my absolute starting weight (62.5kg). I had some success getting up to 67kg at the end of my last cycle by eating regularly and cooking all my meals for the week, so I'm gunning for that approach again.

My girlfriend has gone away on her travels now, and my postgraduate course has finished, so I have nothing to do really except fill out internship/job applications...and go to the gym and eat! Hopefully, the free time will help me get more focussed. I even filled out some applications for internships in the US (Washington, Minnesota and Texas).

I decided to take my measurements today before the gym - note, they are absolutely laughable! Anyway, for the sake of recording my progress, here they are...

Chest: 37"
Waist: 30.5"
Arms flexed: 12" :lol::lol:
Thighs: 19.75"
Calves: 13.5"

I'll see how this looks in a month's time.

Some of you may have the impression from my journal so far that I find it hard to stick to a routine like this over a long period of time. You'd be entirely right! I respect all of you who've seen results for staying dedicated - I certainly haven't shown anything like that so far. So I'm picking up the pieces now, hoping that this time I'll get it right...again!

Hey, keep up the good work! I wish I started when I was your age. I was a lot like you, a hard gainer and gave up too much when I attempted to work out. Now I'm 43 and ready to commit...lol. Stick to it! I think you'll do great.

By the way, 160 lbs is a great weight for you. Once you tone up more, you're gonna' look good!

Hey, keep up the good work! I wish I started when I was your age. I was a lot like you, a hard gainer and gave up too much when I attempted to work out. Now I'm 43 and ready to commit...lol. Stick to it! I think you'll do great.

By the way, 160 lbs is a great weight for you. Once you tone up more, you're gonna' look good!

Thanks for your comment. It's weird, even I wish I'd started when I was younger :lol: I wish I'd known more about nutrition and not been scared of eating more when I was 18/19.

I just realised, I haven't posted my current workout on the journal yet. I switched to it a while ago. It's from the book 'Scrawny to Brawny', with a few very minor adjustments.

~Current workout~

MONDAY

Squats - warm up + 5x5
Incline bench - warm up + 5x5
Bulgarians - 2x8
Elbow out rows - 2x8

WEDNESDAY

Chins - 5x5
Hang clean and press - warm up + 5x5
Cable pull throughs (hamstrings) - 2x8
Weighted sit ups - 2x15

FRIDAY

Deads - warm up + 5x5
Dips - 5x5
Hammer curls - 2x8
Calf extensions - 2x15


Any feedback on this workout regime would be much appreciated.

NB: I'm cooking all my meals for the week at once now which is so, so much easier! :drool:

Hey guys, I gained 4kg over the last week. Obviously most of that will be fat...I'm not really too bothered though, as I'm sure I'll lose it later, and at least it shows that I'm eating big enough.

I'm also not sure if this is possible, but I seem to have gained 0.25" on my arms in the last week. I also gained 0.5" on my waist. Is that sort of rate of growth sustainable? (On the arms, I mean!)

Okay, I took all of my measurements today, and am amazed to have seen all of them go up in just a week and a half. These must be newbie gains... I've been eating like crazy though and had a near perfect week and a half. Here are the current measurements (note: still terrible, but it's progress!)

Waist: 31" (+0.5)
Chest: 37.5" (+0.5)
Arms flexed: 12.25" (+0.25)
Thigh: 20.25" (+0.5)
Calves: 13.75" (+0.25)

:claphigh::claphigh::claphigh::claphigh: This is the first time I've tried to record my progress with measurements, and I'm definitely going to keep it up! Great motivation.

Perhpas you are gaining weight a touch too fast? I know you're not worried about the fat right now, but two months down the road when you have an extra 10 lbs of it, you will take notice.

While it is impossible that you gained 4kg of fat over a week, or for that matter fat and muscle, that is still a substantial increase and you should really tone down your calories until you see more stable poundage adding up.

Perhpas you are gaining weight a touch too fast? I know you're not worried about the fat right now, but two months down the road when you have an extra 10 lbs of it, you will take notice.

While it is impossible that you gained 4kg of fat over a week, or for that matter fat and muscle, that is still a substantial increase and you should really tone down your calories until you see more stable poundage adding up.

Hey. I know you're right, I was gaining weight (fat) too fast. But here's the weird thing...I don't seem able to add on a little bit of weight every week. I can only seem to add a few kg, or not add anything :confused: I'm off to the gym today, and when I weigh myself I'm sure I'll be down from last week.

Seems like I'm either adding a lot of weight (v tough in terms of eating), or losing it :confused: I can't seem to find an in-between...

Hey Buster. Congrats on the increases on the tape. You aren't going to grow and add muscle unless you are eating a lot (which you are) so I wouldn't worry about the rate of gain until your waist gets up to about 32 or 32.5". Then, you might want to cut back a little on the calories or increase your cardio. When I bulked, I went full bore and gained 37 pounds and my waist went up to about 34" but I have since got it back down to 31" with lower body fat. True ectos (which I assume you and I are) can lose weight easily, it's the eating and muscle gaining that comes hard.

Buster, congrats on your current progress!

I've noticed that we are about the same in terms of body. I'm 20 (21 in September), 5'9", and about 162 lbs (~73.5 kg) right now. I'm on creatine right now so I went up about 2 lbs from around 160 lbs. I don't know any of my measurements, but once I go back home next month, I'm going to get measured and I'll find out my body fat as well. Anyways, point is that I'm thinking about following your progress since we have similar stats. My goals right now are to lose fat, while keeping the muscle that I have (and maybe gain a little). I wouldn't necessarily say I'm cutting, though. I'm working out every other day, and doing cardio 3-4 times a week. I'm also trying to eat about 2500 cal/day (slight deficit) with 40-40-20 (P-C-F). I've been getting more like 30-50-20, but once I get back home I will also start taking supplementing with protein.

How much cardio are you doing?

Hey guys, first, a few responses, and then my latest progress report...

Hey Buster. Congrats on the increases on the tape. You aren't going to grow and add muscle unless you are eating a lot (which you are) so I wouldn't worry about the rate of gain until your waist gets up to about 32 or 32.5". Then, you might want to cut back a little on the calories or increase your cardio. When I bulked, I went full bore and gained 37 pounds and my waist went up to about 34" but I have since got it back down to 31" with lower body fat. True ectos (which I assume you and I are) can lose weight easily, it's the eating and muscle gaining that comes hard.

Carguy - my waist is growing (see below) and, to be honest, I'm not overly worried about it. I've been slim enough of my life to welcome the extra padding! :lol: I'm thinking I might even go up to 33" or 34" like you did before cutting back the calories and adding the cardio; I don't want to cut my gains short.

Buster, congrats on your current progress!

I've noticed that we are about the same in terms of body. I'm 20 (21 in September), 5'9", and about 162 lbs (~73.5 kg) right now. I'm on creatine right now so I went up about 2 lbs from around 160 lbs. I don't know any of my measurements, but once I go back home next month, I'm going to get measured and I'll find out my body fat as well. Anyways, point is that I'm thinking about following your progress since we have similar stats. My goals right now are to lose fat, while keeping the muscle that I have (and maybe gain a little). I wouldn't necessarily say I'm cutting, though. I'm working out every other day, and doing cardio 3-4 times a week. I'm also trying to eat about 2500 cal/day (slight deficit) with 40-40-20 (P-C-F). I've been getting more like 30-50-20, but once I get back home I will also start taking supplementing with protein.

How much cardio are you doing?

Thanks :D I never thought I'd be the one on the receiving end being congratulated on gains! You're a bit heavier than me - I'm at 150lbs (~68kg) at the moment and 5'9". I'd definitely recommend taking measurements - I've just taken comparison measurements after 1 month and am pleasantly surprised. I can notice a change in the mirror, but not too much. Seeing the changes on tape has really spurred me on.

Regarding cardio, I'm not really doing any at the moment. I go for the odd swim, but not much other than that. My main reason for this is that I'm a (field) hockey player, and once the new season begins I'll be training/playing about 3 times a week and burning more calories than I'd like to. I may add some cardio though if my waist measurement gets higher than 33" or 34".

~Progress report~

About 2 weeks ago, I hit a wall and couldn't increase my weight - I posted about it here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=37845). Since then, based on the advice I got, I've added the following shake every morning and evening before bed:

4 scoops whey
300ml milk
4 tablespoons double whipping cream
1/2 cup oats

It adds up to just over 1000cals, and it really fills me up. Seems to have had good effects so far, both on the scale and the measuring tape.

Here are my latest measurements, just under 1 month on from my first measurements:

Waist: 31.25" (+0.75)
Chest: 38.75" (+1.75)
Arms flexed: 12.5" (+0.5)
Thigh: 20.75" (+1)
Calves: 13.75" (+0.25)

:D Very happy with the gains so far, can't wait to see how things look in another month or two. My weight is at 150lbs (~68kg).

~Routine change~

As you know, I'm following the workout plans in the Scrawny to Brawny book...and according to the book, it's time to change routines...

The last routine I was doing had two big compound exercises (5x5) and two smaller exercises (2x8 or 2x15) per workout. I.e. the main aim was to build strength in the big lifts.

The next routine involves 4 weeks of even lower reps, to build even greater strength in the big compounds. Then, the final routine involves working in the 8-10 muscle building rep range. The idea is that by then, you'll be shifting much heavier weights, so there'll be a greater stimulus for growth.

So here is the ultra low-rep routine I'll be on for the forthcoming weeks. NOTE: The first two exercises of each workout involve WAVES. I.e. doing three lighter sets of 4, 3, 2 reps, then three heavier sets of 4, 3, 2 reps.

MONDAY

Deads - warm up + 2x4/3/2
Flat bench - warm up + 2x4/3/2
Cable rotators - 2x10
Ab rope pulldowns - 2x15

WEDNESDAY

Hang snatch - warm up + 2x4/3/2
Standing barbell military press - warm up + 2x4/3/2
Russian twists - 2x10
Prone rows - 2x8

FRIDAY

Box squats - warm up + 2x4/3/2
Pullups - 2x4/3/2
Hanging leg raises - 2x8
Upright rows - 2x8

I'm sad to say for the last few days, my diet hasn't been very good. I went away for the weekend.

As it turns out, I've gone down from 152lbs to 147.5lbs! 2kg, dammit! I can't believe I've lost that much in just a few days :( It's a bit disheartening because I'm going on holiday for 1 1/2 weeks in 2 weeks' time, and I won't be able to workout. I'll eat as well as I can, but I just know I'll lose loads of weight...damn metabolism :mad:

I guess the best thing I can do is eat as well as I can and not miss a session for the remaining 2 weeks. But if I come back much lighter than I am now, I'll be mad! :bang:

Well, the last week or so has been good. I'm at 152lbs at the moment, and lifts are constantly going up. I'm off to Cuba next week for a holiday (11 days), so thought I'd reflect on what I've managed so far...weight, comparison pics and measurements are below:


Starting weight: 137.5lbs
Current weight: 152lbs


Current measurements, compared to base measurements:

Waist: 32.25" (+1.75)
Chest: 38.75" (+1.75)
Arms flexed: 13" (+1)
Thigh: 21" (+1.25)
Calves: 14" (+0.5)

Recent pic. I don't have a past comparison pic like this, but I'll post a comparison to this in the coming months.

Hey Buster, looking nice and thick. You are filling out well without much extra fat.:tu:

Hey guys, just back from holiday! Was great to see the girlfriend after 2 months apart. Went to Cuba for 2 weeks.

On a fitness note, I went to the gym yesterday for a legs/back day. Lifts were the same as when I left, which is great, but my weight is down about 4/5lbs to 146.5lbs. I'm looking a lot slimmer in the mirror too. It could be worse...I at least tried to eat regularly on holiday. I got the runs though, which is never great :lol:

So I'm back on the bulk. One other issue though - my hockey training and matches start this week. That means 2 days of the week I'll be doing about 80-90mins of intense cardio. I'm guessing this is going to affect my bulk significantly. Any ideas? Should I chug a protein shake straight after training? What's the best way to combat this calorie burning? It's hard enough to add on the pounds as it stands.

Right, I've regained weight since the holiday, and have consequently reached my initial target of 70kg! :claphigh::claphigh::claphigh::claphigh::claphigh: :claphigh::claphigh:

My next target is to add 20lbs in the next few months - I've joined Carguy's challenge here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=38506). I started the challenge at 150.5lbs and am currently at 153.5lbs. I'll be posting updates on that thread mainly until it's complete :)

Congrats Buster on the weight gain. Since starting my own challenge, I'm down a pound.:o

Well, it's been a while. I'm posting now because I've reached a milestone in that I've gone up 10lbs since starting Carguy's challenge. That's makes me 160.5lbs, which is 23lbs up from when I started this thread :D

I've added a lot more weight in the last month than I have in any other month. I've been a lot more dedicated with both my diet and my training, and really think I can keep this up now.

Also, I just changed from the strength-based workouts to a muscle building one, focussing a bit more on the 8-10 rep range. We'll see what happens...

EDIT: Below is a pic of me from the start of this thread (137.5lbs) and now (160.5lbs).

Look at your new chest! :eek:

:lol:

:tu:

Dang, Buster. Looks like you're up a full shirt size and even that's probably fitting snugly. You're chest is really growing. By December with an additional 10 pounds on you and three more months of lifting, you're girlfriend won't recognize you. (Unless of course she reads this sight in which case she knows you've turned into a chowhound.)

Look at your new chest! :eek:

:lol:

:tu:

Haha, I know a bit of it will be fat (moob, if you will :lol:) but I'm happy. One thing I wonder about though is if I'd still look significantly bigger when I cut off the fat :confused: It's for this reason I don't want to cut my bulk short.

Dang, Buster. Looks like you're up a full shirt size and even that's probably fitting snugly. You're chest is really growing. By December with an additional 10 pounds on you and three more months of lifting, you're girlfriend won't recognize you.

If she actually didn't recognise me I'd be pretty pissed! :lol: In seriousness though, it's easy to compare when looking at two pictures side by side, but probably more difficult comparing from memory in real life. So I'm going to keep working hard until the end of the year... :bb:

(Unless of course she reads this sight in which case she knows you've turned into a chowhound.)

Emm, hey honey...welcome to JSF! :lol:

Here are some new pics. I'm pretty happy in particular with the way the upper back is coming along - I've started to notice the outlines of those muscles I thought were only visible on the big guys! :D

Wow, nice progress. Did the GF approve?