SilentDrapeRunners Log
SilentDrapeRunners
Posts: 199 Member
Decided I would post a log so I can update my progress (and others can offer tips and advice!). First two pictures were taken almost a year ago. I weighed around 99-100 lbs. Next three pictures were taken today, and I currently weigh ~105 pounds. My height is 5'4".
I started bulking a couple months ago, and that was when I really grasped the concept of how much I have to eat in order to put on muscle. Prior to that, I was very conservative and really didn't increase my calories past 1700 or so. My hope was to put on muscle and avoid putting on fat, but as you can see, that didn't work out so well since my body composition hasn't changed much in the past year. I think I've made the most progress just in these past couple months, in terms of putting on muscle. But unfortunately and inevitably I've also put on fat (my thighs are really fat now!).
I think I'm going to bulk until the end of this month (calories are currently at 2100). End of march will be about a 3 month bulk which I think is good for me, since bulking has been much harder than I ever imagined. After bulking, I plan on doing a week at maintenance, and then cutting. No idea how long I should cut for. I would like to maintain the muscle I have, but also lose some body fat and get more lean. Any suggestions? Feel free to be critical...I'm sure you won't be more critical than I am of myself
I started bulking a couple months ago, and that was when I really grasped the concept of how much I have to eat in order to put on muscle. Prior to that, I was very conservative and really didn't increase my calories past 1700 or so. My hope was to put on muscle and avoid putting on fat, but as you can see, that didn't work out so well since my body composition hasn't changed much in the past year. I think I've made the most progress just in these past couple months, in terms of putting on muscle. But unfortunately and inevitably I've also put on fat (my thighs are really fat now!).
I think I'm going to bulk until the end of this month (calories are currently at 2100). End of march will be about a 3 month bulk which I think is good for me, since bulking has been much harder than I ever imagined. After bulking, I plan on doing a week at maintenance, and then cutting. No idea how long I should cut for. I would like to maintain the muscle I have, but also lose some body fat and get more lean. Any suggestions? Feel free to be critical...I'm sure you won't be more critical than I am of myself
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Welcome! I know it's been mentally hard for you but you're doing great!
As far as your plan; my honest opinion would be to not cut. You don't have anything to cut and really shouldn't be at a lower weight than you are now. This would be a case where I would suggest a longer bulk but I am pretty sure your mind is made up to end it and that's fine. What I suggest next is to take the rest of the year and really focus on eating at maintenance not a deficit and smash the heavy lifting. Put everything you got into your lifting and I think you'll like what you see in 6-9 mths. Recomps are a slow process but they do work. Bulking is the quickest way to add on muscle hands down but I know it's mentally taxing.
I think you need to be realistic about your calorie goals and be honest about where your maintenance level is. I would have to disagree with 90% of the active females on here that lift, run etc that say they maintain at less than 1800 calories. I know numbers are scary but women can and are able to eat more. When your body is fueled properly and enough, it will work for you. Your workouts will become better, you'll be less injury prone and you'll recover faster. Your body will change.
You can do this girl!0 -
Welcome! I know it's been mentally hard for you but you're doing great!
As far as your plan; my honest opinion would be to not cut. You don't have anything to cut and really shouldn't be at a lower weight than you are now. This would be a case where I would suggest a longer bulk but I am pretty sure your mind is made up to end it and that's fine. What I suggest next is to take the rest of the year and really focus on eating at maintenance not a deficit and smash the heavy lifting. Put everything you got into your lifting and I think you'll like what you see in 6-9 mths. Recomps are a slow process but they do work. Bulking is the quickest way to add on muscle hands down but I know it's mentally taxing.
I think you need to be realistic about your calorie goals and be honest about where your maintenance level is. I would have to disagree with 90% of the active females on here that lift, run etc that say they maintain at less than 1800 calories. I know numbers are scary but women can and are able to eat more. When your body is fueled properly and enough, it will work for you. Your workouts will become better, you'll be less injury prone and you'll recover faster. Your body will change.
You can do this girl!
Thanks so much for the support and advice! My mind isn't completely made up...I'm kind of taking it a day at a time. I can see your point about continuing bulking. Although, even though my weight is low, my BF% really isn't that low....and I really would like to get around 15% BF (not even sure if that is possible), because I'm tired of being skinny fat. But I do know that bulking will help in taking away the skinny fat look. That's why I was thinking a short bulk (3 months) followed by a short cut (1 month) (and then repeat that cycle) might be a good thing to try. What do you think? I'm hesitant to try just eating at maintenance, because that's kind of what I was doing for the past year (although I do agree that my maintenance could have been higher- like around 1900).0 -
Welcome! I know it's been mentally hard for you but you're doing great!
As far as your plan; my honest opinion would be to not cut. You don't have anything to cut and really shouldn't be at a lower weight than you are now. This would be a case where I would suggest a longer bulk but I am pretty sure your mind is made up to end it and that's fine. What I suggest next is to take the rest of the year and really focus on eating at maintenance not a deficit and smash the heavy lifting. Put everything you got into your lifting and I think you'll like what you see in 6-9 mths. Recomps are a slow process but they do work. Bulking is the quickest way to add on muscle hands down but I know it's mentally taxing.
I think you need to be realistic about your calorie goals and be honest about where your maintenance level is. I would have to disagree with 90% of the active females on here that lift, run etc that say they maintain at less than 1800 calories. I know numbers are scary but women can and are able to eat more. When your body is fueled properly and enough, it will work for you. Your workouts will become better, you'll be less injury prone and you'll recover faster. Your body will change.
You can do this girl!
I could not agree with this post more!
Everyone can work towards the body that THEY want. That being said….IMO, you should not cut. I think you look SOOOO much better in the second pic. More healthy, more fit and more strong. NOT more fat. I don't see the fat/big thighs you see.
My opinion is that if you decide to cut, you won't be happy in the end. I think you'll be spinning your wheels and end up feeling like you get nowhere in the end.
I'd also suggest committing to a 9-12 month recomp. Eat at at least maintenance (definitely not a cut) and lift HEAVY!0 -
Welcome! I know it's been mentally hard for you but you're doing great!
As far as your plan; my honest opinion would be to not cut. You don't have anything to cut and really shouldn't be at a lower weight than you are now. This would be a case where I would suggest a longer bulk but I am pretty sure your mind is made up to end it and that's fine. What I suggest next is to take the rest of the year and really focus on eating at maintenance not a deficit and smash the heavy lifting. Put everything you got into your lifting and I think you'll like what you see in 6-9 mths. Recomps are a slow process but they do work. Bulking is the quickest way to add on muscle hands down but I know it's mentally taxing.
I think you need to be realistic about your calorie goals and be honest about where your maintenance level is. I would have to disagree with 90% of the active females on here that lift, run etc that say they maintain at less than 1800 calories. I know numbers are scary but women can and are able to eat more. When your body is fueled properly and enough, it will work for you. Your workouts will become better, you'll be less injury prone and you'll recover faster. Your body will change.
You can do this girl!
I could not agree with this post more!
Everyone can work towards the body that THEY want. That being said….IMO, you should not cut. I think you look SOOOO much better in the second pic. More healthy, more fit and more strong. NOT more fat. I don't see the fat/big thighs you see.
My opinion is that if you decide to cut, you won't be happy in the end. I think you'll be spinning your wheels and end up feeling like you get nowhere in the end.
I'd also suggest committing to a 9-12 month recomp. Eat at at least maintenance (definitely not a cut) and lift HEAVY!
Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it! Just to clarify (since everyone has slightly different definitions of things) is a recomp just eating at maintenance in the hopes you can put on muscle while gaining minimal fat (I know some amount of fat gain is inevitable). My concern with doing that (staying at maintenance), is that I'll just continue spinning my wheels, but maybe not.0 -
What was your lifting like in that last year and what are you doing now? What kind and how much cardio have you've been doing? Have you just hit your calories in the last year or have you paid attention to macros?0
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What was your lifting like in that last year and what are you doing now? What kind and how much cardio have you've been doing? Have you just hit your calories in the last year or have you paid attention to macros?
I became more serious about lifting in June 2013. That's when I started Mike Matthew's Thinner, Leaner, Stronger program. He emphasizes all the basic, important exercises (bench press, deadlift, squats, etc). But he advocates a 'one body part per week' program (I know that some people say an upper/lower body split type program is better). My current routine is :
Sun: Chest & abs
Mon: Back
Tues: Shoulders & abs
Weds: Arms
Thurs: Legs
Fri: Rest
Sat: Cardio (20-30 min HIIT recumbent bike)
The amount of cardio I've done over the past year has been really variable. I have consistently stuck with the HIIT workouts, but I've tried anywhere from once a week (what I'm currently doing) up to 4 times a week.
So my weightlifting program hasn't changed much in the past year, although I have stepped up the intensity. When I started last June, I could bench press 20 pounds, and now I can do 5 reps at 40 pounds (I know, not very remarkable, but it is a small amount of progress I think.)
In the past year I've been careful and dedicated about hitting my calories as well as macros. I know for sure that I'm getting enough protein, since I've tried to not go under ~120 g (which I'm pretty sure is more than enough for my body weight).0 -
I agree. DON'T plan on cutting. Stick with a slow bulk followed by maintenance for a while. My stats were almost identical to your when I started my cut in Oct. 5'3.5" 104-105 lbs, 17-18% BF, maintainting on about 1700 cals. Part of the reason I wanted to bulk in the first place was b/c I knew I didn't have enough LBM to support a lower BF. I just couldn't lean out anymore without seriously compromising my health. I, too, hadn't had a period in quite a while.
I bulked my way up to about 112 lbs in the end (that's all I could stand) and then did my cut for about 2 months. Now I'm sitting about 107-108, 17% ish, and the same measurements as before my bulk. Oh, and more strength. But I know I still need more LBM. And I think after my cut, I look 'skinny' again 
. Wish I had had the self control to keep a few more pounds on.
So now, rather than start another bulk, which for me sort of triggered that reactive cut, I will work on eating at FULL maintenance and lifting heavy (by which I mean using maintenance number as a minimum and erring on the side of more vs less). I'm aiming to get to a place where I can maintain at 2000 which I think is realistic. But that will mean not stopping at my 'old' maintencance of 1700-1800.
Also- you said that your BF isn't that low and you would like it to go lower. DON'T do it. It's too low as it is- as evidenced by your messed up menstral cycle. A bit more BF over some nice muscles will make you look and feel much better than dropping to an unsustainable 15%BF.0 -
Yep…a very clear blaring warning that you are at too low a body fat % is that you stop having a period. It's not good at all and in fact will likely lead to early onset osteoporosis….which all this weight training is supposed to guard agains. But it won't if you have your hormones screwed up by being too lean.
There's a personal trainer at my gym who is crazy lean. I know she does some fitness modeling and I think maybe even competes in Bodybuilding. Anyway, I overheard her having a conversation in the locker room the other day….she was telling a woman that she's 22 years old and hasn't had a period since she was 19. She said, "it's because I train so hard". I just wanted to shake her and say, "NO…it's because you aren't eating enough!!!" The poor girl is going to hurt herself in the long run all for the sake of extreme leanness now.0 -
Thanks for the advice, keep it coming! Did I say somewhere that my periods are messed up (if I did, then I didn't mean to). To clarify, my menstrual cycles are normal- I have a period every month. So that's not an issue, luckily. Just curious, what do you think my body fat % is? I have calipers, but I really question their accuracy.
I do think that maybe the best plan is to do 2-3 more weeks of bulking and then switch to maintenance (instead of a drastic cut). I really like the muscle I've finally been able to put on these past couple months by eating more, but I'm not sure I can bulk for more than another few weeks. So if I switched to maintenance for a month or so and then switched back to bulking for a couple months, would that be a good thing to do? It's definitely a work in progress, but I think I've ruled out a drastic cut at this point is a no-go. Thanks guys!0 -
Thanks for the advice, keep it coming! Did I say somewhere that my periods are messed up (if I did, then I didn't mean to). To clarify, my menstrual cycles are normal- I have a period every month. So that's not an issue, luckily. Just curious, what do you think my body fat % is? I have calipers, but I really question their accuracy.
I do think that maybe the best plan is to do 2-3 more weeks of bulking and then switch to maintenance (instead of a drastic cut). I really like the muscle I've finally been able to put on these past couple months by eating more, but I'm not sure I can bulk for more than another few weeks. So if I switched to maintenance for a month or so and then switched back to bulking for a couple months, would that be a good thing to do? It's definitely a work in progress, but I think I've ruled out a drastic cut at this point is a no-go. Thanks guys!
I actually love this idea.
It's hard to tell BF, so I can't really gauge. I've seen so many different levels on different body types that it's not easy to narrow down as some think. Callipers can be very accurate depending on the tester and their skill. Plus the more points, the better. If you're doing them yourself, not very accurate it's safe to say. In the end, it really doesn't matter. Sure it's a goal to have I guess, but it's yet another number to not be defined by.0 -
So sorry about the period confusion! Looks like I started that misinformation. It's possible I was confusing you with another post I had read. Anyway, glad it's all good for you. 0
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I know how you feel OP. I'm skinny-fat too and want to reduce my body fat but really don't have enough LBM to support a lower BF% as I drop into being underweight.
It's difficult getting your head around the idea of a bulk when you consider your BF% too high to really want to increase it further. I've been umming and ahhing between cutting my BF further where I know I can put on a decent amount of weight to make a bulk worhtwhile, but that would mean putting my self in the underweight category, or by bulking from here and dealing with the fact that I'm really not going to be comfortable with the extra fat that it will require to add some healthy LBM.
I too want to give you the healthy advice, which makes me realise I should be giving it to myself! Think how good it will feel to bring your LBM up to a point where you can have the BF% you're happy with while maintaining a healthy weight!
Also, :flowerforyou: for Twin Peaks reference0 -
You have to remember that when you increase your LBM at the same time you increase your fat mass….your total body fat % doesn't increase that much. Because your body fat % is just that…a percentage of the total. So…because the overall total is going up, the percentage doesn't increase at such a drastic rate.
For example…over this bulk, I've put on about 11 lbs. About 6 of that is LBM and about 5 of that is fat. Even though I put on 5 lbs of fat…my overall body fat % only increased about 1.5%0 -
You have to remember that when you increase your LBM at the same time you increase your fat mass….your total body fat % doesn't increase that much. Because your body fat % is just that…a percentage of the total. So…because the overall total is going up, the percentage doesn't increase at such a drastic rate.
For example…over this bulk, I've put on about 11 lbs. About 6 of that is LBM and about 5 of that is fat. Even though I put on 5 lbs of fat…my overall body fat % only increased about 1.5%
Good point...I think that's true for me. I'm putting on weight (approaching 106 lbs., woohoo!), but I don't think my BF% is increasing as drastically as I feared it would. So that's good. So for now, I'm just going to remain at 2100 calories. I also upped my fat macro and decreased (not drastically) my carbs. That's really helped for me, because I seem to be really sensitive to too many carbs (especially high GI). A couple years ago I had an oral glucose tolerance test done because I thought for sure I had some degree of insulin resistance, but the test came out normal.
So how much cardio should I be doing per week? Right now I'm just doing one 20 min. HIIT session per week. I'm inclined to think that maybe 2-3 sessions a week wouldn't be a bad idea (especially if I increase my calories a little more).
Also, I know focusing on numbers (like BF%) isn't really important, but for me, making progress quantitatively is important. Thanks to you guys, I found out that when gaining muscle correctly I should be gaining about 1/2 lb per week. I didn't know that before, so I just kind of gauged progress by how I felt (if I felt like I was getting fat, I wouldn't increase calories or worse, I would decrease). Numbers keep me moving in the right direction. It's the same with eating- if I didn't keep track of what I ate and just went off of appetite I would definitely not be meeting my calorie (and protein) requirements (although I am getting to the point where I could probably closely estimate what I need to eat without actually tracking it).0 -
I'm a fan of no cardio or as little as possible during a bulk. If one has difficulty eating more or increasing calories, adding in more cardio is not going to help as it creates a larger deficit. Just bc you increase your calories doesn't mean increase your activity; you want to gain here.0
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So I emailed my 'personal trainer' (not really my personal trainer, but the closest thing I'll get to a personal trainer at least while I'm making a meager salary and debt-ridden). Anyway, he's Mike Matthews- I've been doing his program for almost a year now and he's helped me out along the way- he responds to any and all emails. So I emailed him the same pics I posted above and asked him what he thought about my progress and where I should go from here. He said I could either focus on building muscle OR I could cut if I want to get really lean for spring/summer. So now I'm really conflicted.
If I'm completely honest with myself, I think I would really want to get more lean. But if I'm honest about what would be best in terms of the long run or my health, I think continuing to put on muscle would be the best thing to do. I know he and all of you mean well and have the knowledge and experience, so I'm really grateful for that. But it makes it difficult to decide what to do. Frustrated. For now, I'll continue my maintenance/slight bulk, but knowing that a professional has given the 'ok' to do a cut will make it difficult NOT to do a cut (if that makes sense).0 -
So I emailed my 'personal trainer' (not really my personal trainer, but the closest thing I'll get to a personal trainer at least while I'm making a meager salary and debt-ridden). Anyway, he's Mike Matthews- I've been doing his program for almost a year now and he's helped me out along the way- he responds to any and all emails. So I emailed him the same pics I posted above and asked him what he thought about my progress and where I should go from here. He said I could either focus on building muscle OR I could cut if I want to get really lean for spring/summer. So now I'm really conflicted.
If I'm completely honest with myself, I think I would really want to get more lean. But if I'm honest about what would be best in terms of the long run or my health, I think continuing to put on muscle would be the best thing to do. I know he and all of you mean well and have the knowledge and experience, so I'm really grateful for that. But it makes it difficult to decide what to do. Frustrated. For now, I'll continue my maintenance/slight bulk, but knowing that a professional has given the 'ok' to do a cut will make it difficult NOT to do a cut (if that makes sense).
Are you worried about looking lean for summer? Because that's what I worry about in terms of cutting my bulk short. But ultimately I keep coming back to the fact that I really want to change my body composition. So that probably means that for this bulk to be successful, I'm going to have to bulk until the end of May at least, which doesn't give me any time to cut before summer. BUT does it really matter if I look fluffy for this one summer if the other option is building strong, sexy muscle? I can always strut my stuff on the sand next year.
Anyways, I guess my point is you can always get more lean. What you need to decide now is whether or not you've built enough muscle and can be happy ending your bulk. 0 -
So I emailed my 'personal trainer' (not really my personal trainer, but the closest thing I'll get to a personal trainer at least while I'm making a meager salary and debt-ridden). Anyway, he's Mike Matthews- I've been doing his program for almost a year now and he's helped me out along the way- he responds to any and all emails. So I emailed him the same pics I posted above and asked him what he thought about my progress and where I should go from here. He said I could either focus on building muscle OR I could cut if I want to get really lean for spring/summer. So now I'm really conflicted.
If I'm completely honest with myself, I think I would really want to get more lean. But if I'm honest about what would be best in terms of the long run or my health, I think continuing to put on muscle would be the best thing to do. I know he and all of you mean well and have the knowledge and experience, so I'm really grateful for that. But it makes it difficult to decide what to do. Frustrated. For now, I'll continue my maintenance/slight bulk, but knowing that a professional has given the 'ok' to do a cut will make it difficult NOT to do a cut (if that makes sense).
Are you worried about looking lean for summer? Because that's what I worry about in terms of cutting my bulk short. But ultimately I keep coming back to the fact that I really want to change my body composition. So that probably means that for this bulk to be successful, I'm going to have to bulk until the end of May at least, which doesn't give me any time to cut before summer. BUT does it really matter if I look fluffy for this one summer if the other option is building strong, sexy muscle? I can always strut my stuff on the sand next year. Anyways, I guess my point is you can always get more lean. What you need to decide now is whether or not you've built enough muscle and can be happy ending your bulk.
I don't really have any important events or deadlines to meet. I guess my mind just has a tendency to revert back to autopilot mode/mindset which is 'gotta get more lean!' Especially since I've been working towards this for almost a couple years now. But I know I've made progress. And I think the best way to make more progress is to continue maintaining/bulking. That's a good point that I can always get more lean. But I guess I do worry about bulking so much that it'll be difficult to get lean later. But honestly I think the way I'm doing it (bulking veerrrry slowly), won't result in me getting too squishy.0 -
And this is exactly why I choose not to hire a coach or trainer. If I do I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be via the internet. No offense, but many claim to be professionals but many don't look at the whole picture with the client in mind. Unless this man is providing nutritional breakdown with macros and training specific to your goals and body, your personal interest and health is not of the upmost importance to him. Sorry, harsh reality.
Of course you can be more lean if you choose, but at what sacrifice are you willing to make in order for appearance? Is being lean more important than being at a healthy mindset and bodyweight? Does being lean hold more value over working to be strong and build muscle?
It comes down to are you doing this for health and life or does looking good for the summer hold more importance?0 -
And this is exactly why I choose not to hire a coach or trainer. If I do I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be via the internet. No offense, but many claim to be professionals but many don't look at the whole picture with the client in mind. Unless this man is providing nutritional breakdown with macros and training specific to your goals and body, your personal interest and health is not of the upmost importance to him. Sorry, harsh reality.
Of course you can be more lean if you choose, but at what sacrifice are you willing to make in order for appearance? Is being lean more important than being at a healthy mindset and bodyweight? Does being lean hold more value over working to be strong and build muscle?
It comes down to are you doing this for health and life or does looking good for the summer hold more importance?
^^^ ditto!
Just because this guy is a "professional" doesn't mean he's correct or knows what's in your best interest.0 -
And this is exactly why I choose not to hire a coach or trainer. If I do I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be via the internet. No offense, but many claim to be professionals but many don't look at the whole picture with the client in mind. Unless this man is providing nutritional breakdown with macros and training specific to your goals and body, your personal interest and health is not of the upmost importance to him. Sorry, harsh reality.
Of course you can be more lean if you choose, but at what sacrifice are you willing to make in order for appearance? Is being lean more important than being at a healthy mindset and bodyweight? Does being lean hold more value over working to be strong and build muscle?
It comes down to are you doing this for health and life or does looking good for the summer hold more importance?
Well I guess in his defense, he does provide very good, evidence-based information in his books and his online articles. And his supplement line is good too (a little expensive, but high quality). So I've trusted and agreed with a lot of what he's said until now.
But I understand what you're saying completely, and I agree. I know he's far from my 'personal trainer', but he's the closest thing I've had to someone giving me advice on what to do. Before I met this wonderful group, he was the only person I could ask for advice. But I highly value what everyone on here says since you're all women and have personally made the changes I would like to make.
I'm in this for the long haul, so it's not my ultimate goal to look magnificent this summer. I want to do what is necessary to reach my long-term goals without sidestepping to achieve short-term goals that will delay my progress and hurt my physical and mental well-being. I know I have a negative body image possibly extending into a body dysmorphia, so that's why I need to rely on others to tell me where I'm at and where I need to go in order to reach my goals. Because some of my relatives have osteoporosis (although it's likely due to extraneous factors (medications) possibly outside of genetics) and because I already have a skeletal disorder (scoliosis), I recognize the importance of getting stronger and building more muscle.0 -
Question for all you lifting ladies: when you started lifting, how much were you bench pressing? (I just arbitrarily picked the bench press probably because it's my favorite but I could have picked squats, deadlifts, etc.). The reason I ask is because I'm bench pressing 40 lbs. right now and that seems really heavy to me! But then I see what all of you are lifting and I have to slink back into my weakling hole. Am I doomed to be a weakling forever? Should I just focus on making slow increases/progressions every week (which I am doing) or should I be pushing myself harder? Although I do think that if I were to push myself much harder I would be crossing over into injury territory. :frown:
Also, another question I posted on my feed that I'll add here just so I can track my progress. For the next month or so I'm going to try and stay at maintenance since I've been gaining quite nicely (106 pounds now). Not exactly sure what my maintenance is, but I'm guessing it's around 2000 (currently at 2100, 230 g carbs, 70 g fat, 130 g protein). I added in some more cardio to see if I could keep my cals at 2100, but I've just continued to gain (but I suspect the gaining is due to water retention). So it's difficult to discern exactly how much of the weight gain is muscle, fat, and water.
I will say that once I get to 110 lbs. I think I may have to cut. Due to practical, financial, and psychological issues, I can't see myself buying a whole new clothes wardrobe, and I think that's what would have to happen once I cross into the 110 lbs.+ realm. Argh, I wish I would have found this group earlier before I crossed over into size 0-2 territory.0 -
Lifts are all going to be relative based on LBM and time spent lifting.
But…to answer your question; my working weight for the following lifts are:
Bench : 95 lbs
Squat : 180 lbs
Deadlift : 205 lbs
OH : 72.5 lbs
What program are you following? Is there a progressive load system already built in? Meaning…does it tell you when to add more weight? If not…you need a new program.
For mine…I work in 3 sets of 5 reps. Once I can hit all sets/reps at a weight, I move up the next week. For certain lifts….like squats, I try to work in 4 sets of 5 before I progress.0 -
Also…why cut at 110 lbs?? That seems like an awfully low body weight to cut at. Why not just maintain when you get to 110. Chances are…if you are putting on new muscle, your size 2's should still fit. I could fit into some size 2 pants back before I bulked when I was 125lbs.0
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I'm doing Mike Matthews's (muscleforlife.com) Thinner, Leaner, Stronger program. For example, for chest I'll do 3 warm-up sets, then do 4 sets in the 4-6 rep range, then 7 sets in the 8-10 rep range. Every week for each exercise I move up in reps. Then once I hit the top of the rep range I'll move up in weight. I am progressing, but it seems really slow (maybe too slow).
Good to know that my pants should still fit. Believe me, I don't want to cut anytime soon, but I also want my clothes to still fit. That's why I hope the bulking/maintenance cycle I'm doing now works, but I can't help but worry what will happen when I put on another 5 lbs. (I know it's dumb and probably doesn't make any sense, but I'm just being honest).0 -
Question for all you lifting ladies: when you started lifting, how much were you bench pressing? (I just arbitrarily picked the bench press probably because it's my favorite but I could have picked squats, deadlifts, etc.). The reason I ask is because I'm bench pressing 40 lbs. right now and that seems really heavy to me! But then I see what all of you are lifting and I have to slink back into my weakling hole. Am I doomed to be a weakling forever? Should I just focus on making slow increases/progressions every week (which I am doing) or should I be pushing myself harder? Although I do think that if I were to push myself much harder I would be crossing over into injury territory. :frown:
Also, another question I posted on my feed that I'll add here just so I can track my progress. For the next month or so I'm going to try and stay at maintenance since I've been gaining quite nicely (106 pounds now). Not exactly sure what my maintenance is, but I'm guessing it's around 2000 (currently at 2100, 230 g carbs, 70 g fat, 130 g protein). I added in some more cardio to see if I could keep my cals at 2100, but I've just continued to gain (but I suspect the gaining is due to water retention). So it's difficult to discern exactly how much of the weight gain is muscle, fat, and water.
I will say that once I get to 110 lbs. I think I may have to cut. Due to practical, financial, and psychological issues, I can't see myself buying a whole new clothes wardrobe, and I think that's what would have to happen once I cross into the 110 lbs.+ realm. Argh, I wish I would have found this group earlier before I crossed over into size 0-2 territory.
When I started lifting I did just the bar. After 8 months of lifting (but before I started my new progran 3 weeks ago) I was benching 89 lbs 3x5. My new program has me doing higher reps, so I'm benching 65 3x8. I'm assuming you are using lower weights when working in the hypertrophy range of your program, right? And you are not doomed to be a weakling! Lifting heavy is all relative. What's heavy for me may be a warmup set for another girl. Keep progressing a little each week. As long as you are struggling to get that last rep in then you're doing it right. That's all that matters.
Also wanted to add - don't be so quick to cut your calories or go into maintenance. I was cruising along gaining 0.5 lb per week, happy as a clam and then BOOM. This morning I'm DOWN 2 lbs. So in 7 weeks instead of gaining 3 pounds like I thought i've really only gained 1 lb. I'm so annoyed. But my point is you don't know how much of what you're gaining is water weight. Probably more than you think. I'm starting to realize that I need to go all out in order for this bulk to be succesful, otherwise I'm just wasting my time. Ultimately you do what works best for you, but just something to think about.0 -
Question for all you lifting ladies: when you started lifting, how much were you bench pressing? (I just arbitrarily picked the bench press probably because it's my favorite but I could have picked squats, deadlifts, etc.). The reason I ask is because I'm bench pressing 40 lbs. right now and that seems really heavy to me! But then I see what all of you are lifting and I have to slink back into my weakling hole. Am I doomed to be a weakling forever? Should I just focus on making slow increases/progressions every week (which I am doing) or should I be pushing myself harder? Although I do think that if I were to push myself much harder I would be crossing over into injury territory. :frown:
Also, another question I posted on my feed that I'll add here just so I can track my progress. For the next month or so I'm going to try and stay at maintenance since I've been gaining quite nicely (106 pounds now). Not exactly sure what my maintenance is, but I'm guessing it's around 2000 (currently at 2100, 230 g carbs, 70 g fat, 130 g protein). I added in some more cardio to see if I could keep my cals at 2100, but I've just continued to gain (but I suspect the gaining is due to water retention). So it's difficult to discern exactly how much of the weight gain is muscle, fat, and water.
I will say that once I get to 110 lbs. I think I may have to cut. Due to practical, financial, and psychological issues, I can't see myself buying a whole new clothes wardrobe, and I think that's what would have to happen once I cross into the 110 lbs.+ realm. Argh, I wish I would have found this group earlier before I crossed over into size 0-2 territory.
When I started lifting I did just the bar. After 8 months of lifting (but before I started my new progran 3 weeks ago) I was benching 89 lbs 3x5. My new program has me doing higher reps, so I'm benching 65 3x8. I'm assuming you are using lower weights when working in the hypertrophy range of your program, right? And you are not doomed to be a weakling! Lifting heavy is all relative. What's heavy for me may be a warmup set for another girl. Keep progressing a little each week. As long as you are struggling to get that last rep in then you're doing it right. That's all that matters.
Also wanted to add - don't be so quick to cut your calories or go into maintenance. I was cruising along gaining 0.5 lb per week, happy as a clam and then BOOM. This morning I'm DOWN 2 lbs. So in 7 weeks instead of gaining 3 pounds like I thought i've really only gained 1 lb. I'm so annoyed. But my point is you don't know how much of what you're gaining is water weight. Probably more than you think. I'm starting to realize that I need to go all out in order for this bulk to be succesful, otherwise I'm just wasting my time. Ultimately you do what works best for you, but just something to think about.
Hmmm, I've been lifting for about 8 months too (for the year prior to that I was doing strength training with dumbbells, etc.). When I started bench pressing I was doing 20 lbs. and now I'm at 40 lbs. 4x6. Yes, when I'm doing my 8-10 rep ranges, I BP 25-35 (depending if it's barbell or dumbbells). I don't count the weight of the barbell. But in any case, you're right, as long as I'm progressing each week that's what's important. And I've definitely noticed significant progress/strength since I started eating above 1900 calories.
I decided I'm going to stay at 2100 for the time being (I was debating dropping down to 2000). Dropping my calories at this point seems like a step in the wrong direction, and I don't want to lose my gains/strength. And that's a good point about water weight, it can be a tricky thing to decipher. Personally, I tend to notice the scale goes up the day after I do cardio, so I attribute that to water. But it can be random at times, which is frustrating.0 -
First try not to compare to others bc it's about you vs you. Plus when you see most stats, they include the weight of the bar. Your lifting it, include it! That's why it may seem so skewed if you're comparing.
Progress every week is key and IMO sometimes you do have to step out of your comfort zone and push fear aside.
No other advice to add besides what's been stated. ????0 -
Sweet, my bar weighs 13.2 lbs (not that it really matters for my progression, but good to know). My boyfriend actually mentioned it a couple days ago when I was complaining that I was a weakling- he said 'shouldn't you include the weight of the bar?' He also did some bench presses at the weight I've been doing and said it actually seemed pretty heavy (but he doesn't workout or exercise at all). I joke that eventually I'm going to have bigger muscle than him. I think that worries him a little bit. But anyway, I'm not really comparing myself to others- I guess I'm just comparing my progression to others' progressions. But I know that can vary a lot too.0
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Sweet, my bar weighs 13.2 lbs (not that it really matters for my progression, but good to know). My boyfriend actually mentioned it a couple days ago when I was complaining that I was a weakling- he said 'shouldn't you include the weight of the bar?' He also did some bench presses at the weight I've been doing and said it actually seemed pretty heavy (but he doesn't workout or exercise at all). I joke that eventually I'm going to have bigger muscle than him. I think that worries him a little bit. But anyway, I'm not really comparing myself to others- I guess I'm just comparing my progression to others' progressions. But I know that can vary a lot too.
The only time a bar weight shouldn't be included is on the smith machine bc it's pretty negligible. Well, nothing should really be done on the smith machine....
Eh, ignore him. He will come around.0
This discussion has been closed.