the journal of narb

N

narb

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thought i'd start one of these, just as way to get the constant thought processes going round in my head on to something i can look back on and hopefully learn from..

i really do find myself baffled by the whole process. and when i say that i mean about getting the body i desire..

i'm filled with all this science and then i open a new thread and its telling me the opposite..

it becomes so much sometimes i feel 'f* it!' just be happy with what u got.. but i'm not one to just quit like that..

i really want somebody to say 'right, this is what you do, this is when you do it and this is how!'... but i know life isnt that kind..

basically the last few months i've been working with a "cut" state of mind..
i've been doing more cardio than weights and i've been watching what i eat..
i've managed to lower my body fat from 20.3 to 16.4... however i still cant see my abs well, unless i tense up and catch the right light! i know this all takes time, but i was hoping for slightly quicker results so i could then decide to either try and maintain that look (having lost the blubber) or if to start a smart bulk and increase my muscle size further...

since posting picture in the gallery a couple of days ago, the general feeling is that i should skip the "cut" state of mind i've been in and start bulking now!!

i feel happy enough to do that, however; having read up on it all, it seems i've got to REALLY start eating allot.. as it is i feel reasonably well fed through-out the day, let alone having to eat almost double that amount to start bulking! 500 calories extra, fine! but not 1500 extra!!

i guess if i'm to do it, winter ould be the best time.. buti've still got so many questions and i hate feeling like such a noob...

i'm gna be bugging you guys around the various forums trying to find out about this stuff, so please bare with me, im trying my best!
 
having slept on it i'v decided to bulk.. what have i got to lose?

the worse that can happen is that i cut by summer and look the same as i do now.. i'm gunna try to bulk and build for 5 months and cut leading up to summer.. it can either work, or it cant.. 5 months isn't a long time lookin back to what i've read, but its ok, as i dont want to be big any way, i just want to be better defined and SLIGHTLY bigger than i am now in terms of muscle size..
if anyone REALLY thinks this is a bad idea then please say so, but from what i've read this could be an interesting few months..

i'm still so tempted to cut as i can see the outline of each of my abs when i tense and pull back the blub.. which is difficult in a way bcos thats initially all i wanted, and im so close to that.. but i know a bulk will be the best thing in the long run, so i'll give it a shot..

do you think 5 months will be long enough to achieve anything at all?

pics at: http://training.fitness.com/photo-gallery/newb-wanting-advice-plz-d-29536.html
 
Yea, if you had a 6 pack, it would be would be defined by now because you look pretty thin. Just bulk and put on some muscle, at the moment your soft
 
cheers guys, yeh i think i'm gna go for it.. do you think its possible to increase muscle size after just 5 months bulking and building? and then a cut after that? (compared to now?)
 
i have 3 questions that are bugging me just at the moment;

1) are fat metabolisers a good idea during a bulk? so that i'm making sure all the weight i put on is muscle and as little fat as possible?

2) cardio - should i do any at all?

3) supplements. protein seems to be a given, and creatine i use a serum (liquid), and i take multi-vits.. any more for any more? maximuscles cyclone is looking like a good alrounder? i was considering taking that instead of any of the above supplements... any thoughts on that?
 
thanks allot for your help.. just in those few replies you've helped straighten out my trail of thought! really appreciated.. i'll stay posted and let you know how i get on! i'm gna start monday!!
 
narb said:
i'm just wondering how much weight i should be aiming to put on to do this?
Click to expand...

You should pay more attention to bf% and lean mass. But realistically your not going to create more than .5lbs of muscle a week, and probably less than that unless your diet is strict and your routine is great. Try to gain muscle to fat at a 3-1 ratio. .5-1lb a week would be optimal I believe if you want to stay lean.
 
so i've been going for about 2 weeks now.. gained 3 pounds and my BF has gone from 16.4% to 16.7%...

not sure if this is good or not so will be interested in hearing peoples opinions..

i'm still getting used to eating so much.. i went a bit slow in the first week so i didn't go chucking it all back up again.. gradually getting back in to eating allot tho.. i've been as strict as i feel i can with what i eat..

i worked out the amount of calories i need to gain muscle, and was shocked. supposedly the figure i got is 500 calories more than what i need to maintain my bodyweight with no exercise (MAINTENANCE TOTAL)... my maintanence total alone was way more calories than i would normally eat if i was working out or not.. i'm still not gettin near the figure to gain muscle either, and yet i am gaining weight?! :s!

anyway, i'm sure once i've chucked a few more pounds on thing will start slowing down unless increase my calorie intake further.. with this in mind i was wondering what people thought about this idea: SLIMFAST!!

haha, i know it sounds crazy, but most of their shakes etc are meal replacements (200-300 calories a shake) with about 15g's of protein... it would just be easier to get extra calories this way with out having to carry a picnic hamper with me everywhere i go full of nuts, sandwhiches and low fat low sugar yogurts!! and it would be cheaper than buying weight gainers and other supplements -especially if i got a tesco equivalent!

i'm probably talking madness, but it seemed a good idea when i thought of it earlier, what do u all think?!

on another note i just want to add that i'm really enjoying my new routine.. more weights and no cardio suits me just fine, especially over the winter months!
 
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thanks derwyddon... "macros"? havn't heard that term before so am unsure what you mean.. still, i will take ur advice and stay away from them, was just looking for an easy option..

secondly, yeh i have been keepin records of my measurements too.. not a great deal of change just yet, just around my wasit.. no increase on my limbs yet tho! all good things and all that!
 
hmmm.. not being doin well this week.. i expect im not the only one.. i told myself id work hard thru the festive season but ive been week.. i've kept eating well, and what with all the extra meat and veg around its all been good, and i've considerably cut back my drinking recently (planning on going t-total next year) but my workouts havnt continued as they should have done..

i've done wrong, i've done bad.. but i WILL be back on track by monday.. i can only learn from my mistakes..
 
back on track..

i've had a pretty heavy cold for the last week but i forced myself over to the weights today to try and get back on track..

i've started full time at a part-time job iv had for years, good for money, but unfortunalty means i cant stick to a standard routine for training, as the days i work changes each week, infact, even my hours do too..

i've heard that keepin the body guessin can be a good thing tho?

i think i'v got my diet on track now too.. im eating allot more porridge, eggs, peanut butter and veg (along with all the usual meat and protein shakes etc).. i've droped carrots, corn and potatos from all meals as i'v heard they're not much good...

bcos i havnt lifted for a week or two (due to cold and admittedly xmas) im using this week to get back in the swing of things, waking those muscles up again..

typically my diets lookin something like so;

breakfast: 2 slices of wholemeal toast/flora/peanut butter or grilled bacon in wholemeal toast/sandwhich

mid morn snack: bowl of porrige

lunch: wholemeal sandwhich normally with ham, low fat cheese, low fat mayo and lettuce and a banana

afternoon snack: half a sandwhich with marmite and peanut butter, cheesestring, protein shake made with water

workout: creatine serum (before) / protein shake made with milk and banana in blender (after)

main meal: varies, but with no carrots or corn, but extra veg and meat..

at some point after main meal: bowl of weetabix
 
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Man you are pretty Gnarly, Narb! ROCK ON!


Glad to see you back on track to put the smack in your muscle shack!


Im just a quack on crack, but I will be back, to see if you are on track :)


Glad you feel better young man.



Chillen
 
VERY frustrating day today... this has been my first week of my so called 'smart bulk'... obviously i was not expecting to have gained to much already, BUT:

in the weeks leading up to this one (i.e the xmas period) i tried to get as close as i could to this bulking stage by eating allot more during the day and having extra turkey and veg for my xmas din's! lol obviously on other days too..

i also stopped doing any cardio once i knew that bulking was the way i should go..
so baring all that in mind, why is that i have LOST weight?!?!!!!

i know metabolisims speed up when more foods going in etc, but i expected to have gained at least a pound or two?! or at the VERY LEAST have stayed the same?! but to have lost?!!

now as i said a couple of posts ago, my workouts were paused for a couple of weeks due to xmas and a cold i had, is it likely i've lost lean mass/weight despite eating that much extra? but then surely i'd have at least gained some fat weight?!

baffled!!

stats:

18 December 07 (FIRST BULK MEASUREMENTS)
Body Weight In Pounds 141.27
Waist Circumference in INCHES (at navel) 32.2
Lean Mass: 118
Fat Mass: 24
Body Fat: 16.7

10 January 08 (2 weeks off due to xmas and cold)
Body Weight In Pounds 139.87
Waist Circumference in INCHES (at navel) 32
Lean Mass: 117
Fat Mass: 23
Body Fat: 16.4


Any thoughts?
 
I thought i should add my workout routine on here as well, seen as its a fairly important part of the program lol...

Please let me know if you'd change anything or add anything.. I don't know the names of all the exercises to hand, so some of them i'll just categorise the muscle groups.. thanks:

Monday: Triceps, Shrugs, Calves, Abs
Tuesday: Squats, Reverse Wrist Curl, Upright Row
Wednesday: Biceps, Abs, Shoulder Press
Thursday: Deadlift, Wrist Curl, Upper Back
Friday: Chest, Quads, Abs

More often or not, 2 sessions have to be merged in to 1; depending on what shifts i'm put down for at work..
 
probably something to do with the conflicting advice that is constantly given out at any oppotunity on this forum and other sites... what would you suggest?
 
no, if i was getting an attitude, i would make that quite clear.. i was simply stating that there is allot of conflicting advice on this site which makes things confusing for someone who is just starting out in all this...

i asked what you would suggest, not if you agree with me on whether or not there is conflicting information on this site or not..

so if you want to help, then please do so as i would greatfully recieve it, if your just here to start arguments then dont bother because i'm not interested...
 
Just for my own benefit of looking back on this, i want to point out that i have chosen that routine for 2 reasons;

firstly, if im forced to do the 5 days a week routine (listed above) it means that come the following day, im not aching on any of the muscles that i plan to use for the next session.. also, if im able to merge the sessions so that it ends up being a 3 or 4 day a week plan i can do each exercise without sacrificing work load (so for example, it doesn't go bicep curl followed by tricep extension -sacrificing work load on triceps because the arm is tired from the bicep curl, instead it would go bicep curl followed by an ab work out)...

secondly, although i have read allot of different suggested routines, there appears to be no substantial reasoning behind why people chose what they do.. other than to do what i have done, and to give each muscle enough rest time before working on it again...

if my routine is so ricidulously put together then fine, its not like im ashamed of it, im still learning, but if you could suggest ways to improve it, and perhaps give reasoning as to why it should be changed in that way, so that i continue learning, then that would be very helpful!

Otherwise i'm going to continue what i'm doing, because i've been given no reason to believe i should do otherwise... (yet?!?!)...
 
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