Stef Sardelsa's Log
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After a very crazy weekend I am (hopefully) back on track today. I don't want to use bulking as an excuse to eat anything and everything, but I did go a little overboard
. I haven't worked out in 3 days too... I have yoga class tonight but I am going to try to get a lifting session in as well. Baby got up so many times last night and just would not settle so I am exhausted. 
I am moving on to the second part of Gorgeous Glutes this week, more weight less body exercises so that is exciting.
I think I need to start cutting down my wine intake... I usually have a glass or two with dinner but I hope it isn't interfering with my gains, I even leave it out of my diary sometimes (woops) but despite all those extra calories, the scale doesn't really do much except perhaps retain water.
I also notice I am fidgeting a lot... I always feel like I drank too much coffee (well, that could be part of it too) I dance, I sway, I tap my legs constantly... I think it is my body trying to deal with these extra cals? Who knows but when I notice myself doing it I have to force myself to sit still.
Anywho, I think that is all for now!
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good luck with gorgeous glutes this week
maybe your fidgeting just cause you have more energy now ? Not a bad thang at all! 0 -
Yesterday I was having such a crappy day because of a weigh-in. So I decided to chart all my weigh-ins to get a better idea and see a trend, and I am sooo happy I did that. Although it is slow, there is an upward trend. You really see a difference starting in October (September I was hanging out at maintenance).
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Great idea! Your chart looks great and really does show that your bulk is working. Good job!
Did you just plug all your numbers into MFP and use the reports tab? I'd be interested in transferring my weights and seeing it on a chart as well. As it is now, I just record it every morning old school style on my calendar. But I love visuals.0 -
NICE!!!! my charts are much flatter- It's boring- progress is slow- but the nice thing about continuing to take data points is you can SEE the slow progress over months/days. Good stuff my friend- good stuff.0
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Yay! This looks good, definitely what you want to see!0
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hooray this proves a day to day focus is sometimes less effective than looking at the big picture well done babes! keep it up 0
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Thank you so much ladies!!!!
Freckles, I am old school too and record it with pen and paper, but I input the data into Excel to make this chart. 0 -
Having a bit of an off day. I workout at home so when I first started lifting, I could only use what we had: dumbbells, EZ bar and cable machine. I worked with that and made significant progress. Now we have an Olympic barbell which is great so I do most exercises with that, within reason (I don't have a squat rack or anyone to spot me so I try not to push my limits too much) Lifting with the barbell is so much different than what I am used to and I find I am rounding my back when putting it back down and my forearms feel strained. Definitely need to work on my form. Sometimes that is when I wish I had a trainer or worked out in a gym. I guess I am just frustrated and feeling really weak (still unable to do a pull up or chin up, negatives are getting a little better), but I shouldn't be surprised especially since I am not really focusing on upper body (this is my own doing so I only have myself to blame!). I know I am progressing, and I should be focusing on MY progress.. I just feel... I duno, bleck about it lately.
Also, while everything is looking great... there seems to be a lack of progress in my butt, the area I am working 3x per week looks the exact same as it did when I started over 4 weeks ago. Arggg... on top of that I am eating even more and I have so much excess energy as a result... I am like a jumping bean lately and can't sit still!
Anyways, sorry ladies, of course this is the only place to vent all these frustrations... it's not as if I can call my best girlfriend and tell her all this stuff, and hubby is sick of hearing it!
As always, thankful for all you ladies and this group. Keeps my head up and keeps me going strong! 0 -
Hey girl your booty gains will come, don't stress give it another month then maybe switch up your program if needed?
and it took me SOO long to be able to do a pullup/chinup- and some days I cant do any, other days I can do 3 in a row. Don't sweat it too much. 0 -
4 weeks isn't very long as Skye said. And remember women can only gain .25 pounds of muscle per week under the best circumstances. So this whole thing is a very slow process. You must have patience and keep doing your thang; none of this will come easy. But venting is ok too and that's what we're here for, especially since it's such a strange subject for most people IRL to comprehend and most can't relate.
I'm assuming you have plates with your Oly bar and are trying to increase every session?0 -
Thanks Skye and Freckles! I know, 4 weeks isn't long and in women gains are definitely slow... I just wish I knew something was going on back there! I need to be patient.. I need to just keep with it and trust.
Yea I have plates (not too many, but enough for now, I will have to get more soon) but I think I increased it too much last sesh since I thought I could handle it. Not my wisest moment.
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Ok that's it. I just read a fantastic article posted in the gaining forums http://www.jcdfitness.com/2009/10/the-former-fat-boy-syndrome/
and I realized I am guilty of some of the back and forth business of bulking. Yesterday, perhaps in a moment of weakness, I let my excess energy get the best of me and I did 45 min of pretty intense cardio. Why? Well because I love jumping around... but no.. we can't be doing that anymore. HIIT 1x per week is the limit.. anymore than that, I am going to be spinning my wheels.
(Excuse me while I talk to myself here) -->
/ STEF please, listen, I know you want to jump around but you need to be in this 100%...you really cannot afford to be burning off extra calories. That pretty chart you put together last week? Well with new data from November it isn't looking so great anymore. I know you want to keep your abs and definition, but you need to let go of that for a little while. You will not lose control over your eating... you are doing so well. Don't waste your time and mess around with this. Trust the process and commit. You will not regret it. /0 -
/ STEF please, listen, I know you want to jump around but you need to be in this 100%...you really cannot afford to be burning off extra calories. That pretty chart you put together last week? Well with new data from November it isn't looking so great anymore. I know you want to keep your abs and definition, but you need to let go of that for a little while. You will not lose control over your eating... you are doing so well. Don't waste your time and mess around with this. Trust the process and commit. You will not regret it. /
*Like* and agree.
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So I really hurt my lower back somehow. Ever since my yoga class last Monday it has been off and on. Finally was feeling 100% and as soon as I did my workout B it flared up again.. I was doing body weight hip thrusts and single leg Romanian deadlifts and that was it. I checked my form, looked great.. and no matter what I did it still hurt. I have done these things before so I don't know what is up. Esp with the Rom DLs (even tried it without weights!), holy smokes, my back was on fire. Felt like muscle soreness similar to when you hold a superman or do hyper extensions... as soon as I stopped, pain is gone. Grr. I think I am going to remove Workout B from my weekly schedule and do something else, or only do half and something else. Maybe some resistance band training. I am just not getting the glute activation in these workouts and I feel like it is wasting my time and hurting my back.
Yesterday I was also in a funk, I just felt off. Yet despite my back hurting I am in a much better mood today, strange, you would think I would be upset today.. but I am fine. I think it's a reminder to me to take things easy and relax, I push myself a little too hard at times. I have decided I am going to take a rest until Monday. But not from eating of course, I will still have all the noms and then some (3300+ baby!).
I have to go shopping. Nothing fits me. I am hesitant because I know I am gaining, but honestly, if I gain 5-8lbs I should still be able to fit into my current wardrobe (it is all from when I was 130-135lbs pre-pregnancy), any more than that and worst case I have my maternity stuff. So I think a few skinny clothes can't hurt. They will also be there after the bulk. I haven't been shopping in ages, I am living in yoga pants and workout tops over here!! (not that there is anything wrong with that!)
Woah.. sorry this was long. Hope everyone is kicking butt and bulking hard!!0 -
Keep at it! I'm in the same boat (workout at home), so I hear ya on the frustrations on form and such. I keep going back and forth on whether or not I should get a personal trainer. It's been really helpful (and necessary) for me to shoot videos of my lifts so that I can evaluate my form and reassess how it needs to be changed. When left to my own devices, my form is horrible so I need to watch the videos in order to make a conscious effort to change my motor patterns.1
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Thanks SDR, that is not a bad idea taking a video and watching it especially my deadlifts, hip thrusts and squats. I have a full mirror on the one side of my gym so I try to watch my form but obviously it is hard to see the big picture.
I thought my back was better, but I went to pick up my baby this morning out of the crib and I felt a little twinge. I am going to give it one more day before I lift again. I have Yoga class tonight so hopefully I won't agitate it too much. I am going to sit out the headstands because that is the one move I find hurts it the most.
I *think* I am making progress in the booty department! It looks rounder, stronger and a little larger. However I hate that I have cellulite. I know I know, it's inevitable.. but I really hate it! I am hoping with this bulk-recomp cycle I am doing it will help reduce its appearance a little bit. Otherwise, I am really happy with my booty results so far.. 0 -
I get you - I workout at home too and really wish I'd went for a power rack instead of the squat rack I've got - it has no safety's so I don't really have the bottle to go for big PBs.
If you can, have a session with a strength coach (not a PT - I know there are good ones out there but also a lot of bad or mediocre). I had one session and it's helped a lot - got my OHP up (and learned the benefit of these versus doing push-press to get the big plates on) unfortunately, my squat went down as I was doing it wrong but better now than later.
Your back is looking awesome btw 0 -
Thanks! That is great advice. I might have a professional come to my house and show me the ropes!
I feel like I look a lot stronger than I am. I am pretty weak when it comes to certain exercises...my PRs are embarrassing tbh. I guess I am just cut not so much strong since the size of my actual arms are very small. I duno!0
