Hardcore Ecto Transformation Journal !

[nradam123]

Whats going on folks. Im back .... after a 4 months gap !
Here are my previous workout journal links:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=151028783
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=152759003

In short i went from 44kgs to 58kgs over a span of 5 months (mid-Jan to mid-June). 44kgs was my weight after getting cured from TB, so that answers the rapid 14kg gain in 5 months

But then i quit working out for the past 4 months because i got a job, and i moved into a new city and i rapidly change houses/areas for the past 4 month and didnt want to hit different gyms during the process and feel inconsistent. So well, finally i found a sexy home where i will be staying for the next 1 to 1.5 years for sure. Victory \m/

And due to insufficient eating my weight went down to 55kgs now. And i will be bulking from now on again, and i am expecting to hit 58 pretty quickly. After which it will be a slow race but i will keep consistent. My goal would be to reach 65kgs in 6 months, i know it is a steep goal but who knows! I dont mind some chubby fat gain too anyway hehe.

I was doing JasonDBs 5X5 before, and i plan to follow it again now. Because the plan is full body, it has pretty hardcore progressive overload, and it is only 3 days a week which will be awesome to handle with my work timings.

Heres a progress picture of mine from before for you guys to see.


I will be collecting all data like always - body weight, size and lift weights. Plus pictures and videos. This will be a colorful log

I hit the gym today first time after 4 months and i just did some warmup and light weights.



I went around a lot to find a decent gym nearby. There were no gyms in 3 km vicinity with a squat rack which i wanted. This gym have rubber weights, so i think it will be okay to drop weights in case of emergency. Because i plan to use a dip bar as my squat stand and i will have to drop the weight in case something farks up :/

Heres my current measurement and measurement before i quit workout. Red shows decrease and yellow means no change.


Here is my workout plan:


Out of these exercises squat is the only exercise which i have never done before properly because i was doing leg press instead in the previous gym. So i will start light with squats until i am very comfortable with the form. Also for other exercises i will start lighter than my previous maxes so that i will remember all the form well again. Plus i will be pretty much warming up in the gym for a week to get back into mood

So yeah, thats it folks.
I am happy that i am back in the gym
Need to figure out nutrition now, and i will update that later.

Lift heavy and stay healthy !
Peace out

[nradam123]

It is exploding everywhere in bangalore today guys, Diwali celebrations !
Warning - Loud noise in the video


And yeah, i fixed my workout plan.
JasonDBs 5X5 on Tue/Thur/Sat

And i am going to attempt deep breathing exercises for 15-20 minutes everyday from this video for a while:

I will be doing that on Mon/Wed/Fri

As for my nutrition, i am still working on it. I will have to hit up to 2500Kcal by this week. Wont be easy with my current work schedule. But i will get it planned and post it up here soon.

For now, Adios

[irish.red]

happy diwali! sub'd for progress

[nradam123]

happy diwali! sub'd for progress

Thanks man.

WEEK 1 DAY 1
Basically today was also just a warmup day. I took a long break, so i think i will get back to full weight after a week or so.
I dont know the bar weight in the gym, so today i am writing the weight pulled without the bar weight.
I didnt do the workout as planned. I went and basically went around lifting here and there just to get back into mood. Here are the weights:

Dead Lift - 45kg + Bar (4 Sets, 5 Reps)
Squat - 20kg + Bar (4 Sets, 5 Reps)
Bent Over Row - 20kg + Bar (5 Sets, 5 Reps)
Overhead Press - 10kg + Bar (A few sets of 5)
Dumbbell Curl - 7.5kg each (3X8)
Calf Raise machine - Attempted some random weight 15 reps
Cable Pull Through - Attempted. I will need to substitute this because of lack of grip in this gym. I slipped when i increased the weight in the cable.

So here are the points for today:
A) Change Cable Pull Through. I am thinking Stiff legged deadlift instead.
B) I am using the dip stand as the squat rack. So no safety bars. Figure out how to be safe here.
C) Start proper progression from next week and increase food intake.

Peace out brahs.

[nradam123]

Whats up bros, did u lift some heavy ass metal today? :P

Week 1 Day 2
My first week will be just getting in the zone again. Light weights baby!
Squat 5X5 : 20kg + Bar
Incline Bench 5X5 : 15kg + Bar
Bent Over Row 5X5 : 20kg + Bar
DB Shrug 3X8: 7.5kg
CGBP 3X8: 5kg + Bar
BB Curl: 20kg + Bar fail
DB Curl 3X8: 7.5kg
Decline Crunch 3X20: BW




What i learned today:
a) The incline bench needs a spotter
b) Need to concentrate on EATING!

On a Side Note:
a) Squat without a rack can be dangerous. Need to find spotter.
b) From past experience progression in JasonDB is quite hardcore. Plus the gym have minimum weights of 2.5kg. Might need to find a different progression plan to prevent too much failure.

All righty bruddas,
lift heavy and eat heavy

[nradam123]

Didnt workout today, because i had fever

Anyway so took the time to reanalyze my previous threads and see things that i have learned, my previous 5Rep max etc. I will write them down here:

My Previous PRs:



Reference Experiences from previous journal:

1) Carry water bottle in gym.
2) Increase food, water, rest/sleep to
- improve muscle recovery
- improve CNS recovery
- feel strong and less tired in gym
- to ensure strength progression
- to ensure weight progression
3) Make use of the anabolic window by carrying protein shake to gym
4) Have a high carb food an hour before workout
5) Stretch well before and after workout. Warmup well before a workout too
6) Form over weight. Muscle-mind connection is the key to using the correct muscles.
7) Create 6 week workout goals.
8) Eat a lot of meals. 8 meals a day will ensure that i am able to gobble as much as possible.
9) In every workout, keep compound movements first and auxiliary movements next.
10) Concentrate on the lower back form. Maintaining neutral spine, flexing abs, glutes and every single muscle to ensure rigidity.
11) Deadlift form tips:
- Concentrate on lower back form
- Imagine the move as a push rather than a pull. Push the ground with your legs (Like a reverse leg press) and not as a pull.
- Keep head angle inline with the spines every time throughout the workout
- Flex abs and take a vulsava breathing to ensure proper form
- Maintain a neutral spine throughtout the movement
- Flex Glutes at the top of the lift
- Dont let the knees cave in
- Control the return movement in deadlift so that you dont have to reset the bar. Make sure your ass is at proper height at the end of a full rep and that you are able to go to next rep without too many adjustments.
12) Carry a pen and book to gym (Or write in smartphone)
13) Carry a towel to gym.
14) Dont be shy to take videos in gym. Take as many videos in gym as needed.
15) Always collect data. Measure size, weight and keep track of progressive overload. Take many pictures.
16) The best way for hardcore ectos to gain weight is to workout hard on one day. And then forget all about workout and keep eating during rest days. Eat like a mad guy until you puke. Eating is the 95% of weight gaining recipe for a hardcore ecto.
17) Barbell Shrug tip:
- Lean forward to hit barbell shrugs properly on the traps.
18) Control the movement. You control the weight, weight doesn't control you. A little slower cadence will help.
19) Barbell Row tip:
- The angle should be less than 45 degrees at least.
- As you pull, the shoulders must pinch at highest position
- Imagine puling with the elbow to ensure proper muscle engagement
- Reduce the weight if doubtful about form
20) Watch Furious Pete and EpicMealTime to get inspired to eat.
21) My 1 year goal was :
- Bench Press (Hoping my elbow injury will subside) - 105kg
- Pull Up - 20 Reps BW
- Deadlift - 160kg
- Squats - 140kg
22) Its okay to have bad days in the gym
23) Use an EZ bar on curls
24) Get organized with progressive overload
25) Flex muscles really well in squats, deadlifts and overhead press
26) Pinch shoulder well in bench press. Also straight wrist to prevent wrist injury and reduce snapping tricep
27) Stretch elbows, keep wrist straight and keep proper distance in the bar to reduce snapping tricep
28) Elbow irritation in following exercises: Flat Bench Press > Skull Crusher > Close Grip Bench Press > Overhead Press
29) Watch out your CNS recovery
30) Practice squat form properly

My Macro Requirements:

MY MACRO NEEDS (After Calculation):
BMR = 1579 Cal
Activity Level = 1.6
Total Calories = 2528 Cal
Surplus Calories = 500 Cal
Total Calories For Weight Gain = 3000 Cal

Current Weight = 56kg
Protein requirement = 3X56 = 168gm
Fat requirement = 2X56 = 112gm
Carb requirement = 330gm (To reach 3000 cal) or 455gm (To reach 3500 cal)
Water = 3-4 Liters

Since our staple food here is rice which is a lot of carb, carbs are inevitable. And being a super thin guy with super quick metabolism a little bit too much carb wont hurt i guess. So i might aim for 450gm carb and see how that goes.

LITERATURE REVIEW (Might help other people too)

MACRO
1) Protein:
Build of amino acids. All antibodies, enzymes and most hormones are proteins. They transport nutrients, oxygen and waste materials through out body. They are building blocks of muscles, skin, hair and nail.
Sources: Chicken, Cow, Fish, Shellfish, Milk, Cheese, Eggs, Nuts, Seeds, Rice, Wheat (Grains), Chickpea, Whey Protein

2) Carbohydrates:
Chief source of energy for all bodily functions and muscular excretions. Helps in digestion and assimilation of food. Helps in regulation of protein and fat metabolism. Carbs also breaks down fats in liver. Carbs are really really important for weight gain goals. Simple carbs restore glycogen faster than complex carbs. Glycogen storage gets depleted after workout, and its important to help muscle recover as soon as possible from glycogen lost through expenditure. Hence simple carbs like banana are awesome post workout. But this is not important if you are taking your macros seriously and is already in a fed state throughout the day. Complex carbs contains fibers, and other micro nutrients along with carbs and is slower to digest.
Simple Carb/Sugar Sources: Fruits, honey,milk, sugar, banana
Complex Carb: Potato, corn, oats, wheat, brown rice, basmati rice, flour, pasta, bread (whole grain), carrot, nuts

3) Fats:
Required to produce and build new cells. Critical in transmission of nerve impulses, brain functions and development. Helps in synthesizing hormones. It protects our organs and is a backup source of energy. Fat prevents muscle loss during starvation. Body will be able to store fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) and prevents its deficiency. Fat insulates nerver fibers. It transports nutrients. Fat also helps in immune functions. Contrary to normal beliefs, fat is very helpful in overall health.
Try to get most of your fat from unsaturated fat if you want to be strictly healthy. Saturated fat has an artery clogging effect which can result in heart attacks etc if taken in excess over a long course of time. There is another type of fat called transfat which is created in vegetable oil after hydrogenation. Saturated fat is better to be limited in diet but transfat is always best to be eliminated totally (Not possible totally. lol but you get the point). Cookies, Cakes, Hydrogenated vegetabe oil contains transfat.
Cholestrol is not a fat, but it is found in fatty animal meats and possess a threat to cardiovascular health if its blood levels are too high.
Unsaturated fatty acids and Omega 3 fatty acids are good fats and they help to lower the LDL cholestrol levels in the bed. Its good to get your fat from sources high in such good fats.
Unsaturated fat sources: Plant oils, nuts, seeds, fish, coconut oil (This contains cholestrol though)
Saturated fat sources: milk, meat, poultry, egg yolk

4) Fiber:
Known as the fourth macro nutrient. They are carbs that cannot be broken down by human digestive system. Soluble fibers helps in slow speed of digestion and artery health. Insoluble fibers are great for gut health. Fibers and water are the key to preventing constipation which can result in hemorrhoids etc.
Sources: Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach, Lettuce, Carrot, Onion, Beans, Sprouts, Cucumber, Grain, Fruits (Banana) etc.

5) Water:
Universal solvent. Human body is 70 percent water and it is the second most important thing for sustenance of life, first being oxygen. You can survive without food for a month, but without water for not more than two days. Reduction of 15 percent water weight in body can result in 50 percent strength loss. There is a lot to write about water, but in a nutshell if you are not consuming enough water none of the macro and micro nutrients that you consumed will be used properly by the body.

IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT YOU DONT AGREE WITH IN MY INFORMATION PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

MICRO:

I am not going to take macro, micro, clean diet thing too seriously at the moment. I will just try to reach my goal calories (3000 - 3500) from mostly clean food and then try to figure out the macros from myfitness pal and see whether it is possible to alter it. But i did read a lil bit about micros from the stickies here in the past few days and i will write them down here so that it can be a good reference material for me and for you guys too in the future.

The goal of this information is to let you know the importance of micronutrients so that vegetables and other good stuff wont be neglected in the diet.

[nradam123]

Information about Micro Nutrients:

MICRO NUTRIENTS:

Vitamin A: Helps in cell reproduction, Healthy vision. Also vital for reproductive process (Development of Sperm, Ovary etc)

Vitamin B1: Water Soluble. Helps in breaking down carbs, fat and protein. Cells requires Vitamin B1 to create ATP. It also helps in nerve cell functions.

Vitamin B2: It helps in processing aminoacids and fats, conversion of carbs to ATP. It is also an antioxidant. B2 also activates Vitamin B6 and folic acid (Vitamin B9).

Vitamin B3: Helps in cell respiration. Helps to release energy in fats, carbs and proteins. It aids in developing a proper fluid circulation, healthy skin and nervous system, secretion of bile and stomach fluids, enhances memory and also helps in synthesizing sex hormones.

Vitamin B5: Helps in releasing energy fro sugar and fats. Also helps n fat production.

Vitamin B6: Synthesize antibodies. Helps in formation of RBC. Helps in proper nerve funcitons, chemical reactions to digest protein. More B6 is required if more the protein intake.

Vitamin B9: Also called Folic Acid. Helps in cell replication and growth. Especially important for rapidly growing cells such as fetus formation, RBC and immune cells.

Vitamin B12: Good for nerve cells. Also helps in controlling homocysteine levels which reduces risk of coronary disease, stroke and other diseases such as osteoperosis and alzheimers. It also reduces mood swings.

Vitamin C: Its an antioxidant (Controls LDL Cholestrol and reduces heart diseases). Reduces stiffness of arterise and tendency of platelets to coagulate in vein to form heart diseases. It makes collagen that strengthens many parts of body such as muscles and blood vessels. Its an antihistamine and helps in healing. Helps in formation of lever bile (that also detoxify alcohol). Reduces chances of cataracts.

Vitamin D: Helps in maintaining blood levels of calcium by reducing urinary calcium loss and increasing absoption. Important for healthy bones and teeth.

Vitamin E: Its also an antioxidant. Prevents/treats diabetes. Helps in blood cell regulation, connective tissue growth and genetic control of cell division.

Vitamin H: Its a part of the BComplex. It helps in energy production, fat synthesis and it is good for the nervous system.

Vitamin K: Helps in bone growth and blood coagulation.

Calcium: Good for bones, teeth. Prevents Osteoperosis. Good for bloog clotting, nerves and muscle contraction.

Chlorine: Helps in nutrient absoption and transport. Has many more useful functions.

Chromium: Helps in production of GTF ( Glucose Tolerance Factor) which is important for utilization of insulin, a hormone which stabilizes blood sugar. Helps in synthesize of fatty acid and cholestrol.

Copper: Helps in absorption and utilization of iron.

Iodine: Proper functioning thyroid gland which releases thyroid hormones for cellular metabolism.

Iron: Forms part of haemoglobin that carries oxygen throughout body. Without iron, ATP cannot be properly sythesized.

Mg: Aids in protein, bone and fatty acid formation. Activates the B Vitamins. Helps in blood clotting and formation of ATP.

Mn: Good for metabolism of protein and fat. Good for immune system, blood sugar bakance, cell energy, reproduction and growth. Helps in blood clotting and reduces stress, frustration and anxiety.

Mo: Helps in catabolism.

P: Good for bone and biochemecial reactions in the body.

K: Regulation of wter balance, acidity and blood pressure. Good for cardiovascular health, carb and protein metabolism.

Se: Activates an antioxidant enzyme that protects body from cancer. Reduces prostrate cancer (65% fewer cases)

Na: Balances positive and negative ions in body fluids and tissues.

S: Helps in formation of hormones, manufacturing any proteins and regulating blood sugars.

Zn: Repairing wounds, fertility, immunity and cell reproduction.

Cholestrol: Sufficient amount made in the body by itself, so cholestrol is not an essential nutrient for children over 2years. Less than 300mg of cholestrol a day is pretty good for a healthy life.

New Progression Plan:

- Lack of little weights in gym means hard to progress by baby steps.
- Progression was always inconsistent from previous experiences
- So, trying AllPros kinda progression

You will do 3 work outs per week on non consecutive days. The first work out is your heavy work out. The second work out is your medium work out, use 10% less weight for your work sets. The final work out for the week is your lite work out, use 20% less weight.

Do a lite warm up with 1/4 of your work sets weight. Do a medium warm up with 1/2 of your work sets weight. Do 2 work sets with the same weight. Choose a starting weight and start light.

You will be running this program on a five week cycle as follows:
The first week do all 4 sets for 5 reps.
The second week do all 4 sets for 6 reps.
The third week do all 4 sets for 7 reps.
The fourth week do all 4 sets for 8 reps.
The fifth week do all 4 sets for 9 reps.
If you got all of the required reps on the fifth week then increase the weight by 10% and repeat the cycle. If you didn't get all of the reps on the fifth week then repeat the cycle with the same weight. You shouldn't need more than one minute rest between the warm up sets and you shouldn't need more than one minute thirty seconds between the work sets.

- Will need to find 5 Rep Max first for all workouts

Diet:

- Can include 2 tbsp Peanut Butter, 2 Cheese slice, 2 tbsp Protein Powder, 1/2 liter milk, Sprouted Chickpeas (1/2 cup), (1/2 cup) Oats, 4 Banana everyday
- 3 Liter Water Everyday
- Rest nutrients from lunch, dinner and breakfast (Varies everyday)

In a Nutshell:

THE PLAN IS READY. NOW JUST DO IT !
GET ORGANIZED !!!

Peace

[binz22]

did you make it brah?