A Work In Progress

[gobbles23]

I'm excited to see how you find lyle's bulking routine I was looking over it again and thinking of trying it when I'm done dieting

Glad you had a good weekend

[rachelily]

Thanks for the kind words...I'm excited to start a new program. Woot! Funny you say that about my shoulders because that's the one part I hate and feel is lagging and thus contributing to me looking so small up top. Waahhhh.



Awe, thanks. Sometimes I feel like I look okay and other days I wonder if I'm doing this whole bulking thing right. I guess I won't *really* know until I bulk longer and then cut and see what's left. I'm gonna be doing Lyle's Generic Bulking Routine next; starting with it tomorrow!

Well, it was a nice weekend away from the gym and up at the cottage with friends. It was a weekend of much food, drinks and other debauchery. Looking forward to a fresh start with a new program tomorrow. I've been having some trouble with a weird feeling behind my knee cap during leg press and squatting so I'm going to have my sports chiro look at it tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers that it's nothing major developing.

My shoulders lag too. But don't worry yours are LOVELY!

I always wondered if I bulked right too - I think that's just how it goes, you just dive in and do it and if you don't have a coach, you're always gonna wonder. But just keep going

Hope the knee is okay!

[coconuttree2009]

It's very refreshing to see a girl who instead of questioning if gaining not too fast is questioning if gaining enough! Jelly of your calorie level too.
You do look incredible. Gaining faster would not mean gaining more lean mass as us ladies without any 'outside' help do not have hormonal capacity to gain more than a pound or two of quality mass per month.
Of course there is an argument that bigger surplus creates more optimal environment to maximise muscle gains but it is imposible to measure and compare results.
I would think that slower horse wins the race.

[schnauzers]

I'm excited to see how you find lyle's bulking routine I was looking over it again and thinking of trying it when I'm done dieting

Glad you had a good weekend

I will keep you all posted along the way!

Weekend was great...friends, cottage country, food, booze....and other stuff = blissful Tonight is a big mess in the GTA....major rain storm and MAJOR flooding. It's nutso! So many flooded areas, abandoned cars, areas without power. Ugh, what a mess.

My shoulders lag too. But don't worry yours are LOVELY!

I always wondered if I bulked right too - I think that's just how it goes, you just dive in and do it and if you don't have a coach, you're always gonna wonder. But just keep going

Hope the knee is okay!

Well said....since I don't have a coach, I'm constantly second guessing myself and whether or not I'm doing it right. I need to lighten up and trust the process a bit more

It's very refreshing to see a girl who instead of questioning if gaining not too fast is questioning if gaining enough! Jelly of your calorie level too.
You do look incredible. Gaining faster would not mean gaining more lean mass as us ladies without any 'outside' help do not have hormonal capacity to gain more than a pound or two of quality mass per month.
Of course there is an argument that bigger surplus creates more optimal environment to maximise muscle gains but it is imposible to measure and compare results.
I would think that slower horse wins the race.

Yes, that's one of the important things I've learned when reading up on bulking...that gaining quickly isn't gonna make me gain muscle any quicker but it will lead to fast fat gain. At first I was gaining SO slowly (or, IIRC, not all all) but it turned out to be that I just wasn't eating enough. I'm trying to find a good balance to avoid not gaining at all but also avoid 'fulking' Too bad a relatively quick bulk isn't possible the way a quick cut is!

___________________________________________

First day of Lyle's Generic Bulking Routine is in da books! The first two weeks are part of a sub maximal run-up phase where I work at 80-85% of my previous maxes for the prescribed rep range in the first week, 90-95% in the second week and then run the program for 4-6 weeks.

Today looked like this:

squat: 90lbs-8,8,8,7
SLDL: 105: 8,8,8
leg extension: 85lbs: 12, 12, 12
seated leg curl: 85lbs: 12, 12, 12
standing calf raise: 95: 8,8,8,8
seated calf raise: 90lbs: 12, 10, 10
DB back extension: 30lbs: 20, 20
ab roller coaster thingy: 3x10
hanging leg raise: 3 x 10

Everything felt good and I tried to keep it light. My knee is bugging me more and more. Went to the sports med chiro and he thinks its patellofemoral pain syndrome. He thinks it's being caused by an imbalance/weakness in my hip muscles. He worked on my left hip for about 45 minutes today and my next for 15 minutes and even that wasn't enough to loosen me up enough so I have to go back next week for more treatment. Also, he said he will give me hip rehab homework stuff to work on, similar to what I was doing last summer when I was having issues with my other hip and knee. I REALLY hope my knee isn't gonna hold me back. The GBR template calls for leg presses but I can't do those due to the pain so I've made some changes to avoid leg pressing. I was okay until this past week doing squats and lately they've caused pain too. So I guess I'll have to squat and see what happens.

Still brainstorming ideas for a new log name....

ETA: My weight was 142.2lbs today. Up from 138.8 on Friday (three days ago). I suspect the quick gain is simply due to this past weekend's pig out.

[Cara0915]

Didn't know you were doing a log, guess that's what I get for forgetting to hop over to the Journal section.
Just read through the whooooole thing.
I'm bummed you didn't like PHAT. It is TOUGH though. I did it for 12 weeks, I adjusted well but there was one workout I had trouble with for about half the time I ran the program.
How's Lyles going? When changing programs his and a couple others were at the top of my list.

Miranda- damn woman, you have da brain power :-)
I may start a log just so you can tell me what I'm doing wrong lol

[coconuttree2009]

Be careful with your knee, it's better to take things easy and maybe even not do any exercises that cause pain till you sort out the problem because it's so easy to cause more damage by trying to be tough and ignore the pain - I learned it bad way and had to kiss goodbye to deadlifts and squats for about a month due to injury which could have been prevented if I listened to signals.

[schnauzers]

Didn't know you were doing a log, guess that's what I get for forgetting to hop over to the Journal section.
Just read through the whooooole thing.
I'm bummed you didn't like PHAT. It is TOUGH though. I did it for 12 weeks, I adjusted well but there was one workout I had trouble with for about half the time I ran the program.
How's Lyles going? When changing programs his and a couple others were at the top of my list.

Miranda- damn woman, you have da brain power :-)
I may start a log just so you can tell me what I'm doing wrong lol

I liked PHAT a lot, but it wore me out quickly. I've only done two of the GBR workouts so far as I've just started (and am in the sub max run up phase). Stay tuned for more...

Be careful with your knee, it's better to take things easy and maybe even not do any exercises that cause pain till you sort out the problem because it's so easy to cause more damage by trying to be tough and ignore the pain - I learned it bad way and had to kiss goodbye to deadlifts and squats for about a month due to injury which could have been prevented if I listened to signals.

Noted. I get right pissed when my body hurts or something is out of alignment. It's like I'm insulted that my body isn't working properly lol. I'll try to back off if I need to when there is pain. Right now my hips and knees and right shoulder seem to need some TLC so I'm gonna work on Thera band rehab stuff every night.

Today was my first Upper A workout:

Flat bench: 85lbs-7,8,8,8
"Seated cable row underhand, narrow: 70lbs- 4x8
Incline bench: 25lbs DB: 3x12
Pulldowns, underhand: 75-3x12
Lying tricep extension: 35-15, 15
Cambered bar curls: 40-15,15

It was a quick and fun workout but geez did I hate using lighter weights. I know the sub max run up period is required and why it's important but it feels like I didn't do 'enough'.

Weight is still up at 142lbs. I thought it would come back down to 138/9 after the weekend binge but not yet.

Today some gal at the gym was talking about some tracking devices that she straps to herself to monitor calories burned. And that she's burned up to 2000 cals a day. Lol, wut? Is that even possible? Then she said that eats about 2000 cals a day and burns 400 cals a day on average according to this tracking device. Are these things even remotely accurate? It was a silly convo and I just nodded and 'uh huh'ed along. Then someone nearby made some comment about your body storing fat and not being able to burn fat if you only eat the number of calories you burn. The whole convo sorta made my ears bleed. They looked at me sorta blank faced when I told them I'm trying to gain weight. 'You want to GAIN weight? Why? You want your muscles to get BIGGER?' Why, yes. Yes I do, suckas!!!! Sigh, silly gym convos...

[LHarwood]

Hammie burns upto 2-3k cals a day cus of her job I think. Craaazy. That's why she has to eat so many calories.

Ughh I get annoyed with people that have no clue but we were all there once I suppose. I advised somebody who claims to hardly eat and cant lose weight to start tracking calories...her first reaction was 'too much effort'.

Then she told me what she eats and I told her that the amount she puts in her bowl isn't the amount on the packet serving size suggestion...then the penny dropped haha. She thought her bowl of healthy branflakes =110 cals..I weighed out 30g (serving suggestion on the packet which =110 cals) for her and it was roughly a quatre of what she was eating, she said she has a cheat day on a Saturday..eats her normal foods then has a few sweets, it turned out to be nearly 1000 cals more than she normally eats through the day. I explained to her about the IIFYM thing. She was really shocked when I broke down her eating habits.

[schnauzers]

Hammie burns upto 2-3k cals a day cus of her job I think. Craaazy. That's why she has to eat so many calories.

Ughh I get annoyed with people that have no clue but we were all there once I suppose. I advised somebody who claims to hardly eat and cant lose weight to start tracking calories...her first reaction was 'too much effort'.

Then she told me what she eats and I told her that the amount she puts in her bowl isn't the amount on the packet serving size suggestion...then the penny dropped haha. She thought her bowl of healthy branflakes =110 cals..I weighed out 30g (serving suggestion on the packet which =110 cals) for her and it was roughly a quatre of what she was eating, she said she has a cheat day on a Saturday..eats her normal foods then has a few sweets, it turned out to be nearly 1000 cals more than she normally eats through the day. I explained to her about the IIFYM thing. She was really shocked when I broke down her eating habits.

Actually burning 2000 cals a day is insano! This girl that was going on about it doesn't have that active of a job so that why I call BS on her. Anyhow, who cares, right? I should just concentrate on myself And same here, when I tell people about tracking, they say it's too much work. So I tell them to figure out what they want more: losing weight OR avoiding 5 minutes of data entry per day, lol. I even told myself a while back that I wouldn't track for a while. That was about 6 weeks ago and I've still kept up with it, because it's that easy. Annoying sometimes, but easy peasy.

Weight was back at 138.8lbs today, what it was before the weekend whiskey and chips fest so I'm back on track. In other news, my left hip is farking KILLING me. I can't help but think it was the chiro who tweaked something in a bad way while he was attempting to loose **** up in my hip to help my knee. So now I have an ouchy left knee AND VERy ouchy left hip. Plus a kink in my neck from three weeks ago that he also wasn't able to solve. This was the first time I saw him (two days ago) that he worked on me for an hour and still wasn't able to 'fix' me.

[coconuttree2009]

Looks like you falling apart a bit
Pain in the hips and knees is so limiting. Unfortunately even a good chiro cannot fix those things in a day- it takes time and the worst bit is that it takes time off from training lower body...

[kaleida]

I hope your hip feels better soon! I wonder if a heating pad would help? after using a heating pad on mine for 20 minutes and then stretching in various directions I could hear things popping back into place. sometimes very loudly I have that "snapping hip syndrome" so my hip needs things popped back into place all the time even if everything is ok.

[schnauzers]

Looks like you falling apart a bit
Pain in the hips and knees is so limiting. Unfortunately even a good chiro cannot fix those things in a day- it takes time and the worst bit is that it takes time off from training lower body...

I hope your hip feels better soon! I wonder if a heating pad would help? after using a heating pad on mine for 20 minutes and then stretching in various directions I could hear things popping back into place. sometimes very loudly I have that "snapping hip syndrome" so my hip needs things popped back into place all the time even if everything is ok.

Thanks ladies! I think I will try a heating pad. I have a thermaphore (sp??) but it just seems uncomfy to use it in the summer. I'll try it though. I have two foams rollers too which I should use. I was going to last night but I had some DOMS which woulda made the foam rollers even more torturous I did some hip and shoulder rehab stuff with a theraband.

It's weird about my left hip...It wasn't hurting before the chiro. Only my knee was. So not to 'blame' him but I think he worked too aggressively to break up some tightness and caused some other issue. I'm going back in a week today to get sorted. I know he can't fix me in one visit (that would be awesome though since I used up all my chiro insurance coverage) but he usually makes such great progress in an hour that I'm usually amazed.

I appreciate the reminders to stop being an idiot and back off when there is pain...so if I act dumb, just call me on it.

I just finnnallllly used the subscribe function to subscribe to several journals. So it makes it way more convenient to keep up and for that I'm excited!

[coconuttree2009]

I remember once I had a session with my Chinese massage guy to losen up my back and I said I don't mind if he goes hard... Well, he literally bruised me so bad that my back was in agony for days!

[schnauzers]

I remember once I had a session with my Chinese massage guy to losen up my back and I said I don't mind if he goes hard... Well, he literally bruised me so bad that my back was in agony for days!

Ha ha I bruise easily so it's not uncommon for me to look beat up after a serious massage or chiro (or deadlift) session.

Today was Lower A....

I played hooky a bit this AM and went to the gym early ish just to get my workout over with. Every time I go early I remind myself why I don't like working out in the AM I don't feel strong until later in the day. Anyway, good thing is was another sub max run up workout.


Deadlift: 135-5,5,5
Split squat: 40-8,8,8,8 (at Smith Machine)
Leg extension: 85-12,12,12
Seated leg curl: 85-12,12,12
Calf raise: 95-8,8,8,8
Seated calf raise: 100-10, 90-10, 10
DB back extension: 30lb DB- 20,20
Kneeling Cable crunches: 27.5lbs-12, 32.5-12,"
Russian twist,25lb DB-12,12,12
Shrugs: 45-12,12,12

Notes:

-went easy on the split squat weight because of my knee but it didn't bother me so in hindsight maybe I went TOO light
-first time trying cable crunches so I have to look up and see if I did these right
-gym was so humid today! Even at just 135lbs my hands were slipping during DLs. Too lazy to go get my chalk from my locker
-Russian twists...I never 'feel' these. Not sure if my form is good enough on these so will have to look these up too.

Can't wait to deadlift again! I haven't conventional DL'ed since....January? So glad to be at it again

Oh, weight was 142.0lbs today. Shmeh.

[LHarwood]

I need to get some chalk.

I read loads of Lyles online information yesterday. Really good read.

Happy Friday

[schnauzers]

I need to get some chalk.

I read loads of Lyles online information yesterday. Really good read.

Happy Friday

Yeah the chalk helps me a lot. I have a ways to go to develop grip strength and I can't be bothered with straps so chalk it is. I haven't had to use it lately so I'm glad to break it out again soon for deadlifts and left a ******* like trail of dust at the rack lol.

Glad you are enjoying Lyles stuff as much as I am

Today was another sub max run up workout *cough* boooooring *cough*

OHP: 47.5-8,8,8,8
chin ups, Purple band assisted, parallel grip-8,8, 6,6
Incline chest flye: 20-12,12,12
chest supported DB row: 25-12, 12,12
lateral raises: 10-12,12,12
cable rope pushdowns: 55-12, 15
DB concentration curls: 22.5lb-15,15
Cable face pulls: 37.5-15, 15 (added these on, not part of the GBR)

After the gym, came home and spent the rest of the day lying in the sun doing not much else. Now I have a bit if a sunburn and I love it lol. The weather has either been rainy or too humid lately so today was perfect!

[schnauzers]

Great weekend had by schnauzers Hung out in the sun, hung out with some friends, got a workout in and went to the dog park a few times.

I'm up to 142.1lbs but shark week has began so that's likely related. I used to fluctuate between 130-135 (months ago) for the longest time and more recently between 138-142 so I guess that is my new range. If I can bump that range up by another five lbs I'd be pretty happy.

Nutrition for the week went like this:

July 8: 2814c/133F/269C/138P
July 9: 2665c, 104F/272C/152P (not sure why cals were low this day??)
July 10: 2971c, 117F, 340C, 141P
July 11: 2919c, 139F, 270C, 149P
July 12: only logged until about 530PM because then went to my grandmother's for dinner which was unloggable
July 13: 2914c, 137F/271C/148P

Not sure if I wrote about it before but those crazy episodes of spaciness and quasi confusion have gone away. The results of my blood work and ECG cam back perfectly normal. The Dr. says it was likely some anxiety that was causing the spaciness, slurred speech and fogginess. Not sure what I was anxious about but glad that it's pretty much gone.

[rachelily]

Glad the weird episodes are over!!!

[schnauzers]

Glad the weird episodes are over!!!

Me too. I thought my brain might be melting or be heading for a short circuit lol. Guess I shouldn't lol about that but YKWIM

[rachelily]

Me too. I thought my brain might be melting or be heading for a short circuit lol. Guess I shouldn't lol about that but YKWIM

I do know what you mean I had weird dizzy spells a few years ago and got an MRI for it and thought the exact same!

[schnauzers]

Today was the second sub max run up week but this time at 90-95%. I added weight to everything accordingly. Squat weight is lower than 90-95% because of my knee issues.

Squat: 102.5lbs-8, 8,8,8
SLDL: 122.5lbs: 8,8,7,7
Leg extension 95-12,12,12
Seated leg curl: 95-12,12,12
Standing calf raise 105-8,8,8,8
Seated calf riase 95-12,12, 12 (also an extra set of 12 at 80lbs bc some bro stole some plates while I wasn't paying attention)
DB back extension 35-20,15
Ab coaster: 10, 12,12
Hanging streight leg raise 3 x 10

I made time for some stretching afterwards which I've been putting off for months because I jut want to leave when my workout is done. Considering I haven't stretched properly for months I was surprised I could still get into the splits easily. Still, I need to commit to stretching more often. I can't help but wonder if my knee issue is related to not only a muscle imbalance but a lack of stretching. Grrrrr....

One of the guys I see regularly at the gym said to me today that the squats must be working. At first I thought he was joking about how little weight I was squatting so I joked along about that. But then he said that my booty is looking bigger and rounder so yay for that. I told him that gaining 11 lbs probably helped with that and he said I look better now. I've had a few of the guys come up to me and say I look better now with a few extra lbs which is interesting because I prefer myself bigger too but miss being leaner. So I'm glad I'm doing this bulk because its the only way I'm ever gonna look bigger if I lose some fat later on.

It's SO hot and humid in Southern Ontario today. Planning to go for bulk frozen yogurt later which seems to be all the rage around here. Where you dispense your own flavours of fro yo and then add a variety of toppings and its all charged by weight. Mmmmmm....

[kaleida]

great job on your workout and yay for bigger bootyyy!

[rachelily]

Today was the second sub max run up week but this time at 90-95%. I added weight to everything accordingly. Squat weight is lower than 90-95% because of my knee issues.

Squat: 102.5lbs-8, 8,8,8
SLDL: 122.5lbs: 8,8,7,7
Leg extension 95-12,12,12
Seated leg curl: 95-12,12,12
Standing calf raise 105-8,8,8,8
Seated calf riase 95-12,12, 12 (also an extra set of 12 at 80lbs bc some bro stole some plates while I wasn't paying attention)
DB back extension 35-20,15
Ab coaster: 10, 12,12
Hanging streight leg raise 3 x 10

I made time for some stretching afterwards which I've been putting off for months because I jut want to leave when my workout is done. Considering I haven't stretched properly for months I was surprised I could still get into the splits easily. Still, I need to commit to stretching more often. I can't help but wonder if my knee issue is related to not only a muscle imbalance but a lack of stretching. Grrrrr....

One of the guys I see regularly at the gym said to me today that the squats must be working. At first I thought he was joking about how little weight I was squatting so I joked along about that. But then he said that my booty is looking bigger and rounder do yay for that. I told him that gaining 11 lbs probably helped with that and he said I look better now. I've had a few of the guys come up to me and say I look better now with a few extra lbs which is interesting because I prefer myself bigger too but miss being leaner. So I'm glad I'm doing this bulk because its the only way I'm ever gonna look bigger if I lose some fat later on.

It's SO hot and humid in Southern Ontario today. Planning to go for bulk frozen yogurt later which seems to be all the rage around here. Where you dispense your own flavours of fro yo and then add a variety of toppings and its all charged by weight. Mmmmmm....

Hahaha I love that someone noticed your bootay Definitely the squats are working!! I love those froyo places - my fave is coconut with chocolate chips on top!!! Or just original with chocolate chips

[alyshabruso]

lol congrats on the bigger booty! cutting has made mine completely disappear! You seem to be doing an awesome job with your bulk

[schnauzers]

I went with coconut, green apple, and cake batter flavours. I didn't like the cake batter one which is no surprise bc I don't like cake. Toppings were cheesecake bits, skor bits, chocolate macaroons, and strawberry bobba. This was my second time getting this bulk type of frozen yogurt and I'm meh about it. It was $9 for mine (almost half a lb) and it just tasted fake to me. I think I like the 'old school' stuff better where they take a frozen yogurt puck and blend it with actual frozen fruit. Hopefully it ALL goes to my azz

[rachelily]

I went with coconut, green apple, and cake batter flavours. I didn't like the cake batter one which is no surprise bc I don't like cake. Toppings were cheesecake bits, skor bits, chocolate macaroons, and strawberry bobba. This was my second time getting this bulk type of frozen yogurt and I'm meh about it. It was $9 for mine (almost half a lb) and it just tasted fake to me. I think I like the 'old school' stuff better where they take a frozen yogurt puck and blend it with actual frozen fruit. Hopefully it ALL goes to my azz

i find the fruit flavors or the plain are the only good ones andi only like putting chocolate chips on em anyway haha

[Miranda]

there's a new franchise over at the beach that sells yogurt with allsorts flavouring. i'm sure its success has to do with yogurt's image as a 'healthy' food . . . you see people walk around with massive tubs of the stuff. it's just camouflaged ice cream

[gobbles23]

^^Hahaha! Yeah, one girl at my work is 'trying to lose weight' and she 'accidentally' went and got frozen yogurt with chocolate syrup and the works...but it's ok, it's healthy. lol!

[schnauzers]

Oh, with the dozens and dozens of candy, chocolate, cookie, nut, etc. toppings plus the ability to take as much as you want from the yogurt 'buffet' machines, one would be dumb to think that a bulk yogurt cup (more like a bucket) is 'healthy'. I went for the calories and the taste and I left only satisfied with one of them Actually......I still had to have a snack after I got home because as I sat there chatting with friends I got hungry again, lol.


Weirdest thing...I've been having some major DOMS last week and still now. It strikes me as odd because a) a lot of the movements in this new program are ones I was doing in PHAT and b) I'm using sub max weights during the two week run up period. My calories are still up but my sleep sucks as usual...could that cause DOMS to linger? Or would the new rep/set scheme, even with lighter weight, cause DOMS simply because it's 'different'?

Weight is still up: 141.2lbs.

[coconuttree2009]

Lack of sleep can impact recovery dramatically but more likely new set/rep scheme is giving you DOMS because it's 'different'. Our bodies are incredible and adapt to things very quick that is why it is important to keep changing routines for new stimulus=growth.