I’ve decided that keeping a journal will be a great personal motivator to help reach my goals.

As of 05/12/2004 I’m 6’3”, 164.5lbs @ 12% body fat.

I’ve always been thin, but a year ago after a visit to my doctor I was up to 205lbs. Gaining mass (be it fat OR muscle) was always difficult, so an increase in weight struck me as a good thing. Of course, that was silly. I had zero activity level. My days consisted of sitting on my ass at my desk job. My nights consisted of sitting on my ass playing video games. And my diet consisted of pizza, chased with Pepsi. The combination of this lifestyle and quitting smoking in 06/2002 caused me to put on 40lbs in 2 years.

Around October of 2003 I began running on the treadmill at the gym. At this time I was around 195lbs. I didn’t make any diet changes, I just ran 6 days a week. I was very dedicated and in 2 months I had dropped down to around 180. Then I injured my back and the holidays came and I lost motivation. I did not put on any weight and in February I decided to get serious about getting in shape. I created a diet and weightlifting/cardio routine and stuck to it. I dropped down to a low of 161 (last week). While I still had a small amount of fat left that I could have taken care of, I decided to go ahead and bulk up, add some mass and then cut down to 9%. This is where I am now.

I originally planned on doing a 3000-calorie per day diet with a macronutrient breakdown of 40/40/20 – Carbs/Protein/Fat. After trying to meet the calorie/macronutrient requirements this week I’ve decided to alter it slightly to a 45/35/20 Carbs/Protein/Fat. There was just no way for me to get that much protein in during the day without consuming 3+ protein shakes.

So, for the last 3 days I’ve been taking in 3000 calories as well as supplementing with Creatine. I believe the Creatine is the cause of my sudden spike in weight (3.5lbs in less than a week). I seem to be retaining quite a bit of water around my midsection. I will continue to supplement with Creatine and hopefully I’ll “max out” in terms of water retention before I resume weight training on Monday.

Since this is my first bulking phase, I’m not too sure how it will progress. For now I’m aiming at bulking until I hit 180, and then cutting. I’m guessing this will take roughly three months.

For now I’m planning on a 4 day split. Weight training on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Then 2 sessions of 45 min cardio keeping my MHR at 75-85% on Wednesday and Saturday.

Since this is my week off from lifting I'll be adding in some extra cardio sessions. I'm finding it hard to stay out of the gym.


Most recent workout

Last night was cardio. 35 minutes on the treadmill. 3.5 miles total. 10 minutes on the stationary bike. Average BPM was 157.

Stats for yesterday:

3087 calories consumed. 20% Fat, 47% Carbs, 33% Protein.
Cardio – 45 minutes. 35 on treadmill. 10 on stationary bike. BPM 155.

Morning weigh-in: 163.5

After a couple of months doing the recumbent bike for 45 minutes a pop I’m enjoying the new treadmill/bike routine. Cardio is no fun, but this helps to break up the monotony.

Stats for yesterday:

3032 calories consumed: 20% fat, 45% carbs, 35% protein.
No workout.

Morning weigh-in: 163.5

For months I have been eating at roughly the same times during the week.

Morning shake at - 6:00am
Huge breakfast at - 7:00am.
Lunch at - 11:00am
Snack at - 1:15pm
Dinner at 5-6pm (depending on work schedule)
Final shake - 30 minutes before bed.

With my bump up in calories I’ve had to find some new times to eat more of this food. My schedule looks like.

Morning shake - 6:00am (~150 cals)
Breakfast - 7:30m (600-800 cals)
Lunch - 11:00am (500 – 700 cals)
Snack #1 - 1:15pm (400 – 500 cals)
Snack #2 - 3:30pm (100-200 cals)
Snack #3 - 5:00pm (Fat intake, usually whole wheat bread + natty PB (4tbs) 600 cals)
Dinner - 7:30pm (~350 cals)
Final shake – 30 minutes before bed (108 cals)

It’s funny, even with all this eating every now and again I’m still finding myself hungry at times (usually late in the afternoon). This eating schedule may see some more revisions down the road, but for now this is working out okay. This weekend will be difficult to maintain any type of schedule (as it always is) but with my gears shifting from a cut to bulk I see this as being less of a problem as long as I eat more per sitting.

I’ve been keeping a track of my diet, counting calories and sticking to a strict regime for the past 14 weeks. This week was my first where I did no lifting so I’m very anxious to get back to the weights on Monday and see if I’ve made any gains. My body seems to be responding well to the increase in calories and I’m excited to see how I feel in the next couple of months.

I love you sweetie and I am so proud of you. You have really made some big gains because of your positive attitude and hard work. You are my biggest inspiration. :d_tongue:

P.S. plus you're super hot! :drool:

Thanks for being so supportive babe. It's easy to try hard with you cheering me on! :)

Stats for yesterday:

Unsure of calories. Ate out at Johnny Carino's and had Chicken + Pasta + Apple thingy for desert + 2 vodka collins.

Morning weigh-in: 164

Slept in this morning. Ahh, does it feel good. Throws off my "normal" schedule but it's worth it. Got up and before breakfast decided to get 45 minutes of cardio in. To switch things up I went to a park nearby to run. Their track is 1.5 miles long so I made three revolutions of it. Man, what a difference running outside makes. I've only run in the gym these past few months, and always on the treadmill. I got my ass kicked today. I ended up running 4.5 miles in 45 min. Average HR was 164. May be a bit high, but I don't think there is much I can do about that now. In time I'm sure it will begin to drop.

I think I'll throw running at the park into my cardio rotation to mix things up. Was a nice change of pace.

Today has typically been my cheat day. It will be again. Party at my brothers tonight so lots of beer and burgers. WOOHOO! :drool: :claphigh:

Stats for yesterday:

No clue. I always have trouble being bothered to track my intake on the weekends. When cutting I was decent at it, but now that I’m bulking I really have no motivation so I just eat well, usually. I did have pizza though. Yes, I’m a bad boy. After 12 weeks of cutting I think I should be allowed to indulge a little. I’ll do an extra cardio session this week to make up for it.

Morning weigh-in: 167 (wondering how much is water retention)

This morning I was back in the weight room. Having taken all of last week off it has been 2 weeks since I’ve done chest/triceps. Wow, is all I have to say. I made gains across the board! Added 5lbs to my flat bench and based on my performance today I will be adding another 5lbs next week. I’ve added 15lbs in the past 3 chest workouts! I’m pretty excited about that. My chest is an area that I’m really trying to develop and I’m seeing really good results since I bumped up my calories. I also blasted my triceps. Went up 10lbs on cable tricep extension and cable tricep pushdown. When it came time for my final workout of the day on tricep dips they were so fatigued I was only able to do 8/8/6 reps. Dropping the weight on the second set. I’m going to be very sore tomorrow, I can tell already.

As I continue with my fitness routine I am reminded often about how important it is to stay motivated. To set small, attainable goals that keep you excited about your progress. I continue to set short-term goals for myself and every time I meet these I set new ones and push harder to reach them. Sometimes I get unexpected motivation out of nowhere. At my younger brothers cookout, my older brother grabbed my arm and did a “WOW!”. He knows I’ve been workout out and he then began asking me questions about my routine, how long I’ve been doing it, etc. It was a great motivator! Also, I’ve started to notice the changes in my body where I’m putting on muscle mass. Moving has a “different” feel in certain areas due to the muscle mass increases.

Leg day tomorrow. It’s going to be hell. A lot of people neglect doing their leg workouts because it’s “boring”. I just don’t understand that. My leg workouts drain me completely. It’s the most difficult lifting day I have. I start out with squats and by the time I’m done with them I’m sweating like a pig, and continue to sweat the rest of the workout. The only day that happens is on leg day. I won’t lie. I don’t look forward to leg day like I do to chest/triceps. But it’s just one of those things that you have to do. When I’m done I get a great sense of accomplishment. That makes it all worth while.

Stats for yesterday:

Calories today 3057. My chest and triceps are so sore today. They haven’t been this sore in a long, long time. Feels good!

Morning weigh-in: 167

Today I discovered that there is a fine line between an intense workout, and overdoing it. It was leg day and I started out with Squats. I went too heavy (silly) and dropped weight to complete my final set. I felt good after, and my quads were very fatigued. I then moved on to the leg press. First set was hell. Again, I went too heavy. Second set was hell. Third set was murder. After I was done I just sat there with my legs quivering and sweat streaming down my body. Next thing I knew I was just about to go into projectile puke mode. I had a protein shake and a neon-lime green dextrose+koolaid Creatine mix; it would have made a colorful vomit rainbow. http://members.cox.net/mdory/icon_puke2.gif

I decided that I was done for the day. Went home and continued to feel horrible. It’s managed to screw up my entire morning. Late for work, weak breakfast, still feel crappy. I’ll have to add in my hamstring/calve workout onto Thursday’s shoulder/trap workout.

Lesson learned. I’ll be more cautious in the future when upping the weight in my exercises.

great smiley. if you can call it that.

Stats for yesterday:

Calories: ~2800 yesterday.

Morning weigh-in: 166


Quads are deceptively sore today. I sit at my desk for a couple of hours “working” then stand up to refill my water and I look like a cripple. Walking helps tremendously so I’ve taken a couple of mile long walks around my center today.

Tonight it’s 45 minutes of cardio. It’s 90 degrees today, and humid, so I think running at the park after work would be a bad idea. I’ll hit the gym for some treadmill/stationary bike work.

I’ve become more and more interested in upping my endurance. I’d like to record my 5k time and then try to improve upon it every week. One of the things I feel limits my ability in running long distances is breathing. The more I run the more important I find it is to breathe properly and continue to do so. I get too distracted and it always causes my concentration to fail, so my breathing changes, and my heart rate jumps up 8-10 BPM and then I start to get fatigued faster. I’ll record my 5k time during this Saturday’s cardio and use that as a baseline.

Yesterday’s Calories: 2800
Morning Weigh-In: 165


I did cardio last night. 30 minutes @ 6 miles per hour, then 5 minutes walking at an incline of 3 and a speed of 4.5 MPH. After that I did 10 minutes on the stationary bike. Average BPM was 154.

Shoulder/Traps/Hamstrings/Calves workout this morning. It went well. I need to expand on my shoulder workout. I don’t feel like I’m working them out 100% when I leave. I need to read up on some other exercises and incorporate them into my workout.

Back/Biceps tomorrow.

Hi baby. I love you! :claphigh:
I just saw that you wrote in your journal and I thought I would take a peek. Hope you are having a good day.

Stats for yesterday: 3027 calories – 19.5% Fat, 42% Carbs, 37.5% Protein
Morning Weight-In: 164! Another pound lost.

I continue to gorge myself on 3000 healthy calories a day and my weight continues to drop. I just have to assume that the weight I’ve lost this week was due to water retention. I find it hard to believe that in 4 days, 11704 total calories with 1 day of cardio that I’ve lost 3lbs of fat and/or lean mass.

Food intake for yesterday:


Time Description Calories Fat (Sat Fat) Carbs (Fiber) (Sugars) Protein
6:00AM All They Whey (1 Serving) 108 1 0 2 0 0 22
7:10AM All They Whey (1 Serving) 108 1 0 2 0 0 22
7:30AM Kraft Cheddar (Fat Free) 1/4 cup 45 0 0 2 0 0 9
7:30AM Oatmeal 300 6 1 54 8 2 10
7:30AM Egg Beaters (3 Servings 3/4 cup) 90 0 0 3 0 0 18
8:00AM 8oz Glass Orange Juice 110 0 0 26 0 22 2
11:15AM Chicken Breast (Pilgrams Pride) 288 7.2 0 0 0 0 54.4
11:15AM 0.6 Tbsp Olive Oil 72 8.4 0.6 0 0 0 0
11:15AM Whole Wheat Pasta 200 2.5 0.5 34 4 1 8
11:15AM Fat Free Sour Cream 1 tbs 10 0 0 1.5 0 1 1
11:15AM Rold Gold Twists (1 serving - 8 sticks) 110 1 0 23 1 0 2
11:15AM Jello Sugar Free 10 0 0 0 0 0 1
2:00PM Tuna Packet (1.17 Servings) 70 0.6 0 0 0 0 16.3
2:00PM Orowheat 100% Wheat Bread (2 slices) 180 2 0 36 6 6 8
2:00PM Low Fat Mayo 50 5 1 1 0 1 0
3:00PM Rold Gold Twists (1 serving - 8 sticks) 110 1 0 23 1 0 2
5:00PM Orowheat 100% Wheat Bread 90 1 0 18 3 3 4
5:00PM Orowheat 100% Wheat Bread 90 1 0 18 3 3 4
5:00PM Natural Peanut Butter (2tbs) 210 16 2.5 6 2 1 8
6:30PM Whole Wheat Pasta 300 3.75 0.75 51 6 1.3 12
6:30PM Fat Free Sour Cream 1 tbs 10 0 0 1.5 0 1 1
6:30PM Chicken Breast (Pilgrams Pride) 288 7.2 0 0 0 0 54.4
6:30PM Green Beans (Del Monte - 1 Can) 70 0 0 14 7 7 3.5
10:00PM All They Whey (1 Serving) 108 1 0 2 0 0 22


TOTALS 3027 65.65 6.35 318 41 49.3 284.6
PERCENT 19.52% 42.02% 37.61%





I’ll continue eating as I have been, recording my meals and progress and see how things continue.

This morning was back/biceps. Workout went very well. I increased my curl weight by 5lbs (wide-grip ezcurl bar) and will increase it another 5lbs next week. Every workout for the past 4 I’ve increased my weight by 5lbs on wide-grip ezcurl bar exercises. Very pleased with this progress as I’ve always felt my biceps were lacking in overall strength. I’ll also be increasing my bent-over row weight by 5lbs.

TGIF. It has been a long week and I’m ready to relax. Cardio and Abs tomorrow morning and then cheat day after noon!

Week 16

Stats for yesterday: 2800.
Morning Weigh-In: 165

Saturday I did my girlfriends abs workout. Holy Jesus. I’m STILL sore. I’ve never felt pain like this in my abs before. Who knew that a giant blue ball, when used properly, could cause me to be so sore? I’m glad I finally found an ab workout that works. I’ve struggled with this area of my body for a long time now, trying this, trying that, and now I’ve been shown something that obviously hits my upper and lower abs. I look forward to doing this routine every Saturday.

I decided against timing my 5k. After doing some research I think I’m working too hard on my cardio. I have a tendency to push myself to my limit every session instead of sitting back and maintaining my 60%-75% heart rate. I never push so hard that I feel like I’m overdoing it, but I consistently get my heart rate above my optimum fat burning zone. So, I’ve moved over to an incline walk on the treadmill (4.0 incline, 4.5mph for 45 minutes). This makes it much easier to regulate my heart rate. I was amazed at how hard I was sweating by the end. It felt great! I’ll be sticking with this Cardio routine throughout my bulking cycle.

Chest was yesterday. I increased the weight on my decline bench press, incline dumbbell press and dumbbell flys. Flat bench I used the same weight as last week. I will increase this next week, as I was able to finish all 3 sets. My triceps continue to surprise me. The gains I’ve made in this area are amazing. In 15 weeks I’m lifting 2.5x as much as when I started, and in a couple of sessions I see my weight increasing again. They’re filling out quite nice. I’ve always had small arms so I’m enjoying this.

Today was to be a leg day but I still have some lingering soreness in my hamstrings from doing them on Thursday. Instead I’ll be doing cardio after work and doing legs tomorrow.

Status for yesterday: 3019 calories. 25% fat, 45% carbs, 30% protein
Morning Weigh-In: 166.5

Did cardio yesterday evening. 45 minutes on 5 degree incline at 4.1 – 4.2 speed. It’s amazing how easy it is to regulate my heartbeat by toggling between 1/10th of a MPH. Average BPM was 142 or 73% MHR. Right on target.

This morning was legs. Leg workouts wear me out. I’m drained the entire day While it’s always great to get through this workout, I don’t look forward to it. Call it a love hate relationship. Workout consisted of:

Squats
Leg Press
Straight Leg Dead Lifts
Leg Curls
Seated Calf Raise
Standing Calf Raise

Most of these I will be increasing weight slowly over the next few sessions. I’m confident that I can handle more but after last weeks problem I don’t want to rush it.

Tomorrow is shoulders/traps. I’m going to try some new dumbbell shoulder exercise to see if it helps flush out my routine.