While you're standing around laughing, I'm working my butt off...

[callmegumby]

I'm finally serious enough to warrant a journal...

I've been at it for a couple of months, but I haven't seen anything until the last couple of weeks. Problem is, I had a back injury, so I was too chicken-sh!t to use free weights. I used machines and ruined my shoulders. I started all over and I'm finally starting to get somewhere.


I'm doing all pro's "simple beginner's routine" (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843)
I finished my first cycle today, and I'm happy (and a bit surprised) to say that I PR'd all of my exercises, so I can up my 10rm for next week.

This cycle's 10RMs:
Bench: 110 lbs
Leg Press: 140 lbs (plus weight of sled)
calf raises: 90 lbs (plus weight of sled)
Hamstring curls: 100 lbs
Overhead Presses: 55 lbs
Back hyperextensions: 10 lbs
bent-over rows: 60 lbs
Barbell curls: 45 lbs

Supps:
IDS multi-pro whey isolate
superpump 250 (2 scoops pre and 1/2 scoop on non training days)
creatine mono powder (to fill out my 5g on non-workout days)
melaleuca proflex (great protein blend, sometimes I take it before bed with milk)

Diet:
shooting for 4000 cals a day, but I usually get 3000-3500. It will be easier when classes start again and my day is a little more structured. I eat between 10 and 20% fat, about 230g protein and fill the rest in with carbs, mostly from oats and whole grain breads, and a couple pieces of fruit. I also have a homemade weight gainer that I use to try to hit my cals. It has the two protein powders I listed, PB, flax oil, oats, and skim milk.

Attitude:
I'm absolutely pumped. I'm finally getting somewhere and it's just making me more motivated.

Goals:
I want to complete every cycle of my routine, and bulk until it's warm enough to ride my bicycle again ( I live in Iowa, should be mid-april or so). Then I'm going to do a cut to see what I got. I plan on maintaining my lifts over the summer, and in the fall I'll bulk until spring. I figure it should take me 3 or 4 years to get where I want to be, which is around 175lbs or so and lean. This will probably be the upper limit of my ability (genetics).


Today:
egg and toast for breakfast with a scoop of whey isolate, then 2 scoops of superpump 250, then the gym. Had another scoop of whey postwkt...

[callmegumby]

Back at school, and had a whole dilemma with my room being destroyed and stuff, so I finally got to lift today. I did my heavy day of the first week of my new cycle, and it went pretty well. The lifts felt really heavy, but I got through them alright. My diet has been together pretty well the past couple of days, and I weighed in at 164 today. Wonder how much of that was water...

This cycle's 10rm
Bench: 120 lbs
Leg Press: 160 lbs (plus weight of sled)
calf raises: 100 lbs (plus weight of sled)
Hamstring curls: 110 lbs - (forgot to do today, not sure how to fit it in)
Overhead Presses: 60 lbs
Back hyperextensions: 12 lbs
bent-over rows: 65 lbs
Barbell curls: 50 lbs

Curls really rocked my forearms today.

[callmegumby]

Started 9-rep week today. I didn't feel all that good about it (ate like crap this weekend), but it went pretty well. Next week I'll start hitting PRs again, and I can't wait. I stopped taking creatine on off days, and my weight was 160 on an empty stomach and after two trips to the can. My cals were a little low today, but I was really busy so I'm okay with where I ended up.

[callmegumby]

First day of 11 rep week went well, but my back is hurting me. Bent over rows are the culprit. I'm going to stretch the **** out of it and sleep on the heating pad. I measured today, and found that I've gotten another 1/4" on my arms. The stomach is getting bigger too, it's not just in my head. I'm excited to finish my next cycle so I can start cutting. I might start doing off-day cardio to help stem the fat gain a little.

I'm really pumped up, I'm making a lot of progress. It's going faster than I imagined.

[callmegumby]

Day one of 12 rep week is a success. I PRed all my lifts, except bent over rows, because I'm not doing them for a few weeks. I'm going to skip them, and pick back up where I left off on this cycle. I was sick wed-fri, and I had a chem exam, so I wasn't eating well. Friday's workout made me feel like I was going to throw up and die, and today's was strange too. I would finish my set, then I'd get a lactic-acid like burn that would last for ten minutes or so. It was brutal, but I got through it. I'm going to start doing cardio tomorrow and cut my cals by 300 or so to reverse this fat gain bull****. If it make it through my next cycle, great; if not, that's okay too if the gut shrinks. We'll see, a little at a time.

[Kraftee]

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat.

Though you seem to have a structured diet and I don't how did you sort yourself out?

I was going to ask my gyms personal trainer about it but she seemed a little confused about what I was trying to ask her. :/

I'll follow this.

[callmegumby]

Haven't posted for a while, but I'm still at it. I'm almost through the 10 rep week. It's getting harder, but I'm also not eating as much. I'm tracking everything on fitday and maintaining a 500 calorie deficit and I added a little cardio. Still waiting for results.

[callmegumby]

I took a week off for spring break, and my lifts all nose-dived. I haven't lost any more size though, except for 1" on my gut. It looks like things will work out, but I'm going to have to accept a decline in my lifts for a while. I want so badly to succeed, but I just need to refocus and realize that it's going to take a while. Maybe even longer than for most people. I went off creatine for a couple of weeks, and I think that may have also hurt my lifts. I lost about 6 pounds in water, so now I have an idea how much water weight I actually hold from creatine. I bought more, and also reordered sp250. I tried the myo-shock samples today, and I hated it. It just made me a little dizzy and upset my stomach. I got through my 10-rep heavy day, with the exception of the bench press. I got the first set, but not the second. I've learned that intensity and persistence are key for me; if I take time off, I get into trouble.

[callmegumby]

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat.

Though you seem to have a structured diet and I don't how did you sort yourself out?

I was going to ask my gyms personal trainer about it but she seemed a little confused about what I was trying to ask her. :/

I'll follow this.

Sorry, didn't see you had a question in there. It's probably too late, but I was using an excel spreadsheet, but I found it easier to put everything on fitday.com. It rules.