Fitness update time baybeeeeeeeee! I once again had to gather the balls to post the photos here so uh. Ye. :D
Like the last one, more details will be under the cut, but for the TL;DR crowd:
Last Update Here
Current: 177lbs | Estimated BMI: 24-26% | Push Pull Legs split at 6 Days a week
Notes: Training stimulus for this block focused on lifting basics and intensity: establishing a stronger mind-muscle connection and knowing how training to true mechanical failure feels like. Additional challenge: Finding maintenance calories and maintaining weight in the general range of 175-180lbs before re-attempting 1st Lean Bulk attempt.
Results: All lifts have seen an increase in working weight. Noticeably more muscle definition overall over the course of the last two months. Weight largely remained the same; assume maintenance calories has been accurately found.
Sooooooo the last two months have been kinda crazy. I took a look at my past lifting logbooks and found that despite my PRs being higher than the last recorded attempt, my overall working weights for all of my lifts hadn't really moved much. Partially out of fear of injury, but mostly due to the noticeable lack of real intensity in the training.
On top of that I found that my weight wasn't going down or up at the calories I was eating at, but my energy had begun to drop and recovery was suffering. Originally I was meant to be in my first bulk, but my weight never moved, and that ultimately resulted in me switching strategies for my nutrition too.
Basic idea: dial up the intensity, RPE of 8-9.5. Find true maintenance calories.
For nutrition: I used the TDEE calculator for my calories this time. It's supposedly more accurate than most other calorie calculators including MyFitnessPal's calculator, which gave me 2200 calories as my "bulk". Welp, turns out that's wrong; 2200 is my cutting number with my current activity level. And given how long I've been in a cut, it explained why, even in the deficit still, my weight never moved: it's too low to gain weight, and with how long I been in a deficit up until then my body was adapted too much to continue losing fat. So I instead switched focus onto finding my actual maintenance calories by immediately bumping my calories to the number the TDEE calculator gave me (2600 cal) and adjusting based on how my weight trend.
Result is, over the course of 2 months I gained 2 pounds but I'm certain this is almost entirely muscle (based on look, measurements, and performance in the gym); I've otherwise hadn't changed weight wise. This is good to know; it means I can eat more than I initially thought and gives me a stronger baseline for when I do actually go into a real bulk.
For training: First thing I focused on was my legs, which was arguably my weak link. This is largely due to an old injury in my left knee made it hard to reach full range of motion, and the strength discrepancy between my left and right leg because of it was pretty noticeable. Correcting it is one of the reasons why I switched to PPL training split, with Legs being trained first every cycle.
For both my legs and my isolation exercises I utilized unilateral versions of all my exercises; working each limb separately instead of together. I also incorporated a different set program: 2 working sets of 6-10 reps, 1-2 sets taken to true mechanical failure. The failure sets were meant for me to get used to the very uncomfortable sensation of training the muscle to- and past - it's actual limit and not my mental limit while maintaining proper form technique. That shit is rough, but it ensured that I was training with actual intensity and I was taking the muscle to true failure for growth, which in turn would help with building better muscle-mind connection with each muscle bilaterally and unilaterally.
For compounds I didn't take any of the lifts to true failure due to the higher fatigue and recovery toll. Instead I focused on building strength skill, so the set program was: 1 Topset (heaviest set of the exercise) 1-3 reps, 2 working sets for 5-8 reps. Any hypertrophy work for these lifts were always done with machine accessories for stability and safety.
Results thus far has seen my overall strength increasing, my knee is much stronger and stable (tested my squats and I can safely squat my own bodyweight without pain or wobbling, which is a feat due to being unable to do that months ago), and I confidently can say I have better form and idea of intensity.
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SO! With all of that said I'd say this block was overall a success after much trial and error. Now that I've gotten a better idea of a few things, my next move right now is to take a deload week for some much needed rest, then structure my next block for a more strength focus alongside my 2nd attempt at an actual lean bulk. The goal is to gain at least 4-5 pounds of muscle by the beginning of next year and make a new maxout for my PRs, so I might look a lil soft the next time I do a progress report but hopefully I'll be much stronger and ready for my second cutting phase.
This shit is hard, but I'm loving it to death man. I'm having a lot of fun learning and going through the journey and now I can confidently say that I'm at the Intermediate stage of lifting! I also think I know the type of weightlifter I am now. I've heard the term "powerbuilding" a few times now and I feel it fits; primarily lifting to build strength, but also throwing in some bodybuilding rhetoric for aesthetics.
Like I said a while back I'm seriously considering recording my workouts and posting those as I go on my Instagram, and I've actually bought a lil phone stand to practice recording and being more comfortable in front of the camera. We'll see how that goes I suppose!
But uhhhhh YE! That's all my yapping for now. Thank you for listening, and if you have any fitness goals feel free to share them with me! :)
Rest day yesterday, but here's some punches and kick stuff from Tuesday. A little weird crouching mobility too , I don't know what to call it 😅 I'm in a step challenge so I really wanted to get a run in or something yes, but it was rest day and I needed it, so we took the dogs on a walk instead. Luckily we got back before it dumped on us 🌧 #fit #fitgirls #fitmomsofig #fitness #fitmom #fitmoms #fitnessgirl #girlswholiftheavy #garagegymlife #girlswholovetorun #girlswithmuscles #garagegym #gym #girlswholift #running #run #runner #dowork #powerbuilder #powerbuilding #pickupheavyshit #conditioning #cardio #thickthighssavelives https://www.instagram.com/p/CizwSXTrUKG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
⚡ Today the workout spotlight is Traps. Your Back, Jack.⠀ ⠀ Homage to the baddest wrestling tag team of all time, the Road Warriors.⠀ ⠀ You want trap thickness and height?⠀ ⠀ Shrug heavy and shrug long.⠀ ⠀ Heavy is easy using a barbell. Start slapping on 45s. I'm allergic to 10lbs lol.⠀ ⠀ If you're a lightweight, no worries. Use 45 and 25 lb plates.⠀ ⠀ On this day, I liked the 5 x 5 method.⠀ ⠀ Warm up sets of 5 reps. Rest 60s. Slap on another 45. 5 reps and repeat.⠀ ⠀ Once you get to your 5 rep max that's when your 5 working sets of 5 reps start.⠀ ⠀ Done.⠀ ⠀ As for the dumbbell shrugs I tend to lean on the side of excruciating volume of reps.⠀ ⠀ Grab the heaviest set of dumbbells your gym has. I have to work with 100lb dumbbell limits and hence the method to my madness for commercial gym.⠀ ⠀ 20 reps for the thickness. If you'd like to work some grip strength then ditch the straps shirley.⠀ ⠀ You can make the two part of your trap workout.⠀ ⠀ Heavy barbell shrugs first then the volume of the dumbbell shrugs.⠀ ⠀ Your traps will be pre-fatigued with the heavy work of barbell shrugs and those dumbbell shrugs will feel even more excruciatingly good.⠀ ⠀ Again, train safe and always progress confidently.⠀ ⠀ We need the strong to survive clown world.⠀ ⠀ That's it for now. Wish you all well.⠀ ⠀ 📙 My Book LINK in BIO or check your local bookstores.⠀ ⠀ 👕 SHOP Link in BIO.⠀ ⠀ 🗝 Support me via my Patreon Vault.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #deezify #aewwrestling #art #backworkout #bodybuilding #bodybuildinglifestyle #bodybuildingmotivation #exercise #fitness #fitnessmotivation #gains #gymlife #illustration #instafit #muscle #powerbuilding #powerlifter #powerlifting #powerliftingmotivation #prowrestling #smackdown #wcw #weightlifting #workouttips #wrestling #wwe https://www.instagram.com/p/CTSz1LBJqpP/?utm_medium=tumblr
Well don’t say I didn’t warn you! Here’s set 2 of my 3 sets of 3 at 450 from tonight’s leg session. This set was ugly, disturbing, gross, disgusting, nasty, and for all the form checkers out there high! But 1 single set of 3 at 450 would have been an all time PR for me and I hit 3 of them tonight in the same workout. All the extra single leg work is working well to bring up my weak leg. Check in weight this morning 200.8 lbs. #myoplasmic #bodybuilding #powerlifting #powerbuilding #weightlossjourney #weightlosstransformation #weightlossmotivation #dadbod #troponinnutrition https://www.instagram.com/p/CGTxOjvDweo/?igshid=17ow17kgi1l5g
