Dracoy's Struggle Against GENETICS - A transformation from BOY to MAN - A New LIFE...

[Dracoy]

Pre-Comments [Please read]:
I will be posting everything on my personal website: http://www.yanyanxu.com

The reason I do this is to keep track of my progress so I can never lose it and I can reference all my posts quickly. It will also allow me to put up lots more pictures. I will be linking each new additional post through this website. I will be posting pictures and videos of my daily life and everything. Please follow my journey and help lend your advice and motivation. This is my first serious attempt at changing myself into a complete beast. I've never surpassed 150 pounds and the time to do it is now. Help me get to 180 pounds and become something I've always dreamed about. Thanks!

Every daily entry will be posted in this format.
1) Diet - Pictures of some of the food.
2) Exercises - My lifts.
3) Extra Activities - Extra things I did that day.
4) Picture of the Day - Daily snapshot.
5) Comments - Just random thoughts.

Dracoy

Name:
Yanyan Xu

Age:
19

Sex:
Male

Height:
5' 7''

Weight:
148 [Last weigh in 5/17/08]

Bodytype:
Part ectomorph, part endomorph. [Hard for me to lose weight or gain weight once my body stabilizes]
http://yanyanxu.com/2008/01/22/body-type/

Past/Current Logs:
http://yanyanxu.com/category/journey/

Current Training Schedule:
A 5 day split. Maximizing my gym time with complete dedication towards my lifts.
http://yanyanxu.com/2008/05/15/revamping-exercises/

Cardio Schedule:
Light/HIIT cardio on rest days as well as supplementary abdominal workout.
http://yanyanxu.com/2008/04/04/abdominal-revamping/



Current Diet:
1.5-2 Grams of Protein per Day
Rest Carbs/Fats

Example Diet... Just a small breakdown of what my diet looks like but is not representative. I think I am going to up my intake of oatmeal to twice a day. Once for breakfast and once during the afternoon.

Meal 1)

1.25 Cups of Oatmeal + Cinnamon + Cocoa + 2 Scoops of Whey

Meal 2)

2 x Peanut Butter on Whole Wheat Bread Sandwiches
or
1 x Lunch Meat on Whole Wheat Bread

Meal 3)

6 Eggs [Hardboiled, Scrambled, or Fried] between Two Slices of Whole Wheat Bread
or
6 Eggs and Tomatoes Dish

Meal 4)

Chicken/Pork, Vegetables, and White Rice
or
Grilled Steak

Meal 5)

Random Snackage of Nuts
or
Tuna

Meal 6)

Pre-Bed Shake [4 Scoops of EAS Protein]
or
Cottage Cheese/Peanut Butter

Water Intake:
1-2 Gallons a day.

Goal:
Bulking to 180 or higher. Breaking past my 150 pound hurdle.

Drugs/Alcohol:
None.

Past Progress Pictures:
http://yanyanxu.com/2008/02/27/progress-pictures/

BEFORE:

AFTER (Less than 1 year):


This was after my first cut, it looked good but I was still small [135] pounds. I have since been bulking for the last 2-3 months. I want to become huge! I need all the help and motivation I can get.

[Dracoy]

http://yanyanxu.com/2008/05/17/my-war-against-genetics/

The above post hosted on my blog. Feel free to comment on my blog as well.

http://yanyanxu.com/2008/05/17/day-138/

My first day on my new exercise routine. I will try to get some pictures/videos of my lifts in someday soon.

[Jared.P]

FIRST..IN ya budday!!

[tinyman5000]

you train too often

[Jared.P]

dude..i dont see any black hole in your stack? perhaps this is the missing link to gaining weight....

also, tinyman..no such thing as training too often

[Jared.P]

also...wats the total macros for all your food if you kno them

[tinyman5000]

dude..i dont see any black hole in your stack? perhaps this is the missing link to gaining weight....

also, tinyman..no such thing as training too often

Yes there is. There's a reason he's been training so long and is only 135


Dracoy, have you tried 3-4 days a week? Focusing soley on compounds and assistance exercises ? I have the feeling you could reach your goals faster if you did

[Dracoy]

you train too often

First time doing a 5 day split. Want to test it out first. It is the summer so I get 10 hours of sleep + plenty of rest. I need something new to try out or else I'll never find the perfect workout.

FIRST..IN ya budday!!

Hell yea thanks man!

dude..i dont see any black hole in your stack? perhaps this is the missing link to gaining weight....

also, tinyman..no such thing as training too often

I basically eat every 2-3 hours when I'm hungry lol. I can shove food down pretty easily.

also...wats the total macros for all your food if you kno them

I'll record my food consumption for a few days. I usually record everything but gotten lazy the past few days but this log will give me motivation to record again and then I can adjust my macros accordingly.

Pt is always on my ass [<3 Pt] for not eating enough protein so I've definitely stepped that up a lot haha

[The Solution]

In for this,

What do your macros come out to? I think your protein is excessive especially for someone your weight/height, i think 200-220g would be fine, and your getting probably close to 300+, i think you shold add carbs into your 2nd to last meal and possibly some in your last meal to help aid in your bulk, just disperse it a bit better,

id also suggest tossin in some milk (your choice of %) into mixing your oats and to drink throughout the day and reduce your carb from starhces and replace with milk later at night, 4 scoops of protein pre-bed is overkill and nearly 80+ grams.

I think you got to alter this diet aroud a little bit big guy. You know what your doing and you got tons of supps etc. But i think you need to balance this out a little better, you said you have trouble losing and gaining there with lies the problems that something has to give.

How big are your portions of just white rice etc etc..

Also a breakdown on the meals?


After reading over your split your definately doing too much, your back day has 9 exercises. Come on man, thats just too much and placing too much stress, focus on more of the complex exercises and hitting them hard, YOUR BULKING, not trying to tone up here, you have to accept your going to put on some fat, and the main reason your doing this is to get big, and to get strength. Fatiguing your muscles while trying to bulk is counter-productive Dracoy. Stick to the basics, Deadlifts, Pull-Ups, Barbell Rows, T-Bar Rows, and maybe throw in 1 isolation like some Back Extensions at the end, 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps is all you need with good rest and heavy weight.

Its time to grow lets do it right big guy. I think your arm day is quite excessive too with 8 exercises and your shoulders is pretty massive as well. Focus on the complex's were here to bulk, not to use a cutting split with a bulking mentality.
IN FOR THIS!

[KTHNXBYE]

fucking subbed. looking forward to this log.

overtraining isn't something you can just pin on someone, everyone's body reacts and repairs differently than others. if he is sucessful and his body has enough time to repair, then hes fine. =]

good luck dra.

[willldabeast]

In for the ride! Best of luck Dracoy, you use 1.5 scoops pw and then supplement with Beta Alanine? Did you not notice enough from PW?

[Dracoy]

Yes there is. There's a reason he's been training so long and is only 135


Dracoy, have you tried 3-4 days a week? Focusing soley on compounds and assistance exercises ? I have the feeling you could reach your goals faster if you did

I've been doing a 3-4 day split for the last 5 months. I went from 135 to 148 since then.

I haven't started my 5 day split yet. Today was my first day. Only reason for the drastic change is because my routine has gotten stale and my gains were not as prominent.

I want to hit 100 pound dumbbells [each hand] by the end of the year. I'm at 90 now. Overall my lifts have gotten very strong and solid on my 3-4 day split but now I want to take it to the next level with my free time over the summer.

[tinyman5000]

I've been doing a 3-4 day split for the last 5 months. I went from 135 to 148 since then.

I haven't started my 5 day split yet. Today was my first day. Only reason for the drastic change is because my routine has gotten stale and my gains were not as prominent.

I want to hit 100 pound dumbbells [each hand] by the end of the year. I'm at 90 now. Overall my lifts have gotten very strong and solid on my 3-4 day split but now I want to take it to the next level with my free time over the summer.

ok cool cool. where are your lifts at now

good bench too

[Jared.P]

First time doing a 5 day split. Want to test it out first. It is the summer so I get 10 hours of sleep + plenty of rest. I need something new to try out or else I'll never find the perfect workout.



Hell yea thanks man!



I basically eat every 2-3 hours when I'm hungry lol. I can shove food down pretty easily.



I'll record my food consumption for a few days. I usually record everything but gotten lazy the past few days but this log will give me motivation to record again and then I can adjust my macros accordingly.

Pt is always on my ass [<3 Pt] for not eating enough protein so I've definitely stepped that up a lot haha

about the diet, your about my height and seem to have the same ridiculous metabolism..my macros break down around:
cals: 6300
carb: ~800-900g
protein: ~400g

it seems like a lot..but seriously, eat a LOT and it seems to me you can afford a bit of dirty food here and there

[Dracoy]

In for this,

What do your macros come out to? I think your protein is excessive especially for someone your weight/height, i think 200-220g would be fine, and your getting probably close to 300+, i think you shold add carbs into your 2nd to last meal and possibly some in your last meal to help aid in your bulk, just disperse it a bit better,

id also suggest tossin in some milk (your choice of %) into mixing your oats and to drink throughout the day and reduce your carb from starhces and replace with milk later at night, 4 scoops of protein pre-bed is overkill and nearly 80+ grams.

I think you got to alter this diet aroud a little bit big guy. You know what your doing and you got tons of supps etc. But i think you need to balance this out a little better, you said you have trouble losing and gaining there with lies the problems that something has to give.

How big are your portions of just white rice etc etc..

Also a breakdown on the meals?

IN FOR THIS!

I'll record my diet closely the next few days for you guys to help edit it out. The meals are just example meals not actually a daily schedule.

I'm lactose intolerant but I still use milk with my oatmeal and protein. I actually just started this new diet with more protein but I have to re-work it to get it down perfectly. Since I recently moved it has been hard getting everything right.

Next few days, I'll make sure to record everything and anything for you guys to help tweak though I need the help!

fucking subbed. looking forward to this log.

overtraining isn't something you can just pin on someone, everyone's body reacts and repairs differently than others. if he is sucessful and his body has enough time to repair, then hes fine. =]

good luck dra.

Thanks man. If i feel like I'm overtraining I will cut back. I really want to try this new 5 day split, it is something I was planning on to do over the entire summer.

In for the ride! Best of luck Dracoy, you use 1.5 scoops pw and then supplement with Beta Alanine? Did you not notice enough from PW?

Nope. I haven't started BA yet, I will only use the BA during long endurance runs, meaning 1-3 hour runs in the country. I don't want to carry PW or have water sloshing in my stomach.

If I take BA I won't take PW, and if I take PW I won't take BA. Thanks for joining

[The Solution]

about the diet, your about my height and seem to have the same ridiculous metabolism..my macros break down around:
cals: 6300
carb: ~800-900g
protein: ~400g

it seems like a lot..but seriously, eat a LOT and it seems to me you can afford a bit of dirty food here and there

Yes he could eat dirty, but i dont think dracoy is taking in enough carbs, leaving them out the last 2 meals may think that its going to prohibit fat gain and help aid in leaness, but i think it would be more beneficial in controlling inslin with comlete meals spread throughout the day (especially bulking) dont taper carbs on a bulk your bulking for 1 reason to get big, disperse the amount of carbs througout the day and taper them down all througout each meal.

Also when do you workout? I think you workout early if i rememebr right, having carbs at night will provide extra fuel for you for the gym in the morning.

[The Solution]

Cant wait to see where this takes you, i thuoght i would never hit 100's on DB's for bench, but hell im hitting 140's now at 155 lbs, youll be there in no time dracoy, keep working hard bud. IM here to support you through this ride.

[Jared.P]

Yes he could eat dirty, but i dont think dracoy is taking in enough carbs, leaving them out the last 2 meals may think that its going to prohibit fat gain and help aid in leaness, but i think it would be more beneficial in controlling inslin with comlete meals spread throughout the day (especially bulking) dont taper carbs on a bulk your bulking for 1 reason to get big, disperse the amount of carbs througout the day and taper them down all througout each meal.

Also when do you workout? I think you workout early if i rememebr right, having carbs at night will provide extra fuel for you for the gym in the morning.

exactly one of the things i was showing him, how many carbs i have. i taper, but i still get a lot of carbs in my last meals. i dont want to gain too much fat although i dont think it will be much problem.

[Dracoy]

ok cool cool. where are your lifts at now

good bench too

You can check up on some lifts here. Old CL logs for PW.

http://yanyanxu.com/category/control...sponsored-log/

Basically my old workout schedule was the same for everyday of the week so it is easy to see my progress.

Bench wise I was repping 225 BP and 80 DP. I can now do 85 DP easily so I think I'll move onto 90s for reps soon. One day when I get enough courage I'll work to 95s. My wrists are injured right now from some sprain so I'll wait a few weeks for that.

about the diet, your about my height and seem to have the same ridiculous metabolism..my macros break down around:
cals: 6300
carb: ~800-900g
protein: ~400g

it seems like a lot..but seriously, eat a LOT and it seems to me you can afford a bit of dirty food here and there

I'll have to keep working on my diet. Everytime I set a new goal my diet changes and it takes me a few weeks to get used to it. My cut diet was spot on but my bulk diet is a little sloppy. I don't really eat dirty at all because I don't find it as satisfying.

I'll record what I eat for the next few days with daily breakdowns so you guys look at it

[akkxn]

"Current Diet:
1.5-2 Grams of Protein per Day
Rest Carbs/Fats"

the exacts of carbs and fats are just as important as protein. Work out your macros. E.g. P: 35% C:45% F:20%

I believe if you stick with your current training routine, you'll be overtrained within 6-8 weeks.

I suggest a 4 day per week push pull routine focusing primarily on heavy compounds. It's debatable, but I'm against 5 day splits for people who are trying to gain lots of mass over the whole body.

IMO your routine should have "more frequency per bodypart per week" as opposed to totally trashing a particular body part once per week.

What kind of rep ranges / set x reps do you plan on doing?

Don't forget, if you want to reach 180. You have to keep progressing. Not only in your lifts, but also in the amount of food you eat. The more you gain, the more food you'll need to eat to keep gaining.

oh yeah, t-nation.com has some excellent articles, which you have to read

keep us updated

[Dracoy]

Yes he could eat dirty, but i dont think dracoy is taking in enough carbs, leaving them out the last 2 meals may think that its going to prohibit fat gain and help aid in leaness, but i think it would be more beneficial in controlling inslin with comlete meals spread throughout the day (especially bulking) dont taper carbs on a bulk your bulking for 1 reason to get big, disperse the amount of carbs througout the day and taper them down all througout each meal.

Also when do you workout? I think you workout early if i rememebr right, having carbs at night will provide extra fuel for you for the gym in the morning.

I've been changing my workouts to be around 3-4 pm, after class. I'll properly record my meals for you so we can all work and see what really goes on in my diet haha.

Cant wait to see where this takes you, i thuoght i would never hit 100's on DB's for bench, but hell im hitting 140's now at 155 lbs, youll be there in no time dracoy, keep working hard bud. IM here to support you through this ride.

HOLY ****. 140 in each arm?????? Our highest DB is 100 LOL! Damn 140 each arm is just ridiculous.

exactly one of the things i was showing him, how many carbs i have. i taper, but i still get a lot of carbs in my last meals. i dont want to gain too much fat although i dont think it will be much problem.

Yea I've been plateauing at 148 for a while but this is with Finals + Moving + everything. Now is time to get serious, thus the journal has begun

[2 D]

In like swim wear (no homo!).

[FullOut19]

saw ur post in layzies thread so i thought i'd stop by...

I agree with tiny, if your doing a 5day split at least adjust the volume to allow yourself to be able to handle it...idk if your looking for critiques or not but it seems as alot of your movements are pretty much the repeated in alot of your workouts...like back squat and front squat? choose 1 or alternate every other workout...

looks like way way to much but i guess give it a go...subb'd

[akkxn]

about the diet, your about my height and seem to have the same ridiculous metabolism..my macros break down around:
cals: 6300
carb: ~800-900g
protein: ~400g

it seems like a lot..but seriously, eat a LOT and it seems to me you can afford a bit of dirty food here and there

6300 kCals

fark me....

[Dracoy]

"Current Diet:
1.5-2 Grams of Protein per Day
Rest Carbs/Fats"

the exacts of carbs and fats are just as important as protein. Work out your macros. E.g. P: 35% C:45% F:20%

I believe if you stick with your current training routine, you'll be overtrained within 6-8 weeks.

I suggest a 4 day per week push pull routine focusing primarily on heavy compounds. It's debatable, but I'm against 5 day splits for people who are trying to gain lots of mass over the whole body.

IMO your routine should have "more frequency per bodypart per week" as opposed to totally trashing a particular body part once per week.

What kind of rep ranges / set x reps do you plan on doing?

Don't forget, if you want to reach 180. You have to keep progressing. Not only in your lifts, but also in the amount of food you eat. The more you gain, the more food you'll need to eat to keep gaining.

oh yeah, t-nation.com has some excellent articles, which you have to read

keep us updated

My collection of fats http://yanyanxu.com/2008/05/14/nuts/

I'm only going to take my 5 day split for 2-3 months tops. I will change up my workout at the end of summer session 2. It is only a temporary thing. If I see my body is faltering I'll change it up.

I've always done a 3-4 day split all my life but with summer I want to take it up a notch. I won't let myself crash with this, I'm sure everyone will see it adversely affecting me and I'll stop it immediately.

I usually do 4 Sets/7 Reps per Set/Each Exercise. I've overhauled my exercise routine 3-4 times already and this is my newest routine. I just want to give it a try before I call it a failure.

I spent half my time at the nutrition forum when I first started. I've been trying to stuff as much food into me as possible. It is just hard because I don't have a car and I'm at college. But once I get my diet down straight I'll know exactly what to buy and how much.

Thanks for the help, I'll definitely need you in case I fail this routine

[Jared.P]

6300 kCals

fark me....

and i STILL have trouble gaining..can you believe that?

[EMISGOD]

In 4 next door orgies!

[Jared.P]

for those critiquing his routine, i know he likes the added input, but seriously, let the guy try it out. hes never tried a 5-day split and has mentioned numerous times he just wants to try it out and will adjust if/when needed. just my .02, no hate

[akkxn]

and i STILL have trouble gaining..can you believe that?

that's insane dude. Are you sure it's your diet that's holding you back? :S

[Dracoy]

In like swim wear (no homo!).

Haha awesome

saw ur post in layzies thread so i thought i'd stop by...

I agree with tiny, if your doing a 5day split at least adjust the volume to allow yourself to be able to handle it...idk if your looking for critiques or not but it seems as alot of your movements are pretty much the repeated in alot of your workouts...like back squat and front squat? choose 1 or alternate every other workout...

looks like way way to much but i guess give it a go...subb'd

I need critiques badly. I'm not doing back and front squats together. In my excel spreadsheet there are "yellow/lime green" blocks. Those are variations I can do for different weeks. I won't do those together.

I've always been a responder to high volume workouts. I remember before I found this forum I plateaued for a year, after I came to this site, reworked my routine and my diet I was finally able to see insane gains.

This time, I've changed everything around again and we'll see how everything works out. Help is something I really appreciate at this point.