SilentDrapeRunners Member

A week or so ago I took some pics of my flat pancake butt, so here's hoping that I'll have some good progress pics to report soon! I'm struggling with trying to decide if I should really push myself to lift heavier, or if I should stay where I'm at and maybe just do more reps. Of course I would like to lift heavier and…

Good question, but I agree with what's been said. It would be nice to do cutting every so often to keep fat gains at bay, but I think for most women it would be very difficult if not impossible. I know for me, making the transition from bulking to cutting is difficult and takes some time. Switching gears takes considerable…

You may be gaining a lot in the beginning because you're coming off a cut (I can't remember what your cals were prior to bulk #1, but I'm guessing that they were around TDEE). After a cut, sometimes the metabolism can be depressed a bit. I'm also seeing a similar issue with myself- I seem to be gaining at a somewhat rapid…

I also had knee issues with squatting, but since I've really taken the time to perfect my form (read Starting Strength), my squats have improved. It's definitely still a work in progress. But you want to make sure that you're going to parallel. It always surprises me where parallel actually is- I have to make a conscious…

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…

Yeah I would like to find a book like that too, but I don't think one exists. Mike who wrote Thinner, Leaner, Stronger said he's going to write a sequel, but I think it's just going to be a second edition. Honestly most women just aren't interested in intentionally eating a surplus and weightlifting. I would also like to…

Yeah, more carbs=more hunger for me. So I switched back to 50% carbs, 25% fat, 25% protein. So that puts protein at 1.2 g/lb, which is somewhat high, but my body seems to like it. I'm also staying at 1900 cals, because I'm starting to see some weight gain, and I want to have this bulk be slow and steady. I also cut out one…

Yeah I would also recommend getting your BF% down before bulking. It varies from person to person as to what BF% you should be at before bulking, but if your goal is 22% BF then that's a good place to get to before bulking. HIIT cardio is great (especially when cutting or in a deficit) because it results in less muscle…

Yay! This looks good, definitely what you want to see!

Oh and btw, I know what you mean about not wanting to lose your good results. I've been struggling with that a bit as well, since my abs are starting to disappear. But at the end of the day I ask myself 'do I want to just maintain this or do I want to get stronger and put on more muscle?' And for me, getting stronger and…

Still maintaining on 1900 cals, probably will reach 2000 next week. Not sure how much I like the higher carbs...I definitely think higher protein (120ish) helps my satiety. I've also been feeling somewhat low energy/blah, but that could be due to many different things. So I'll stay on 55% C, 25% F, 20% P, but I may change…

Hope your back is feeling better! It is tricky finding the line between pushing yourself to lift heavier and lifting too heavy that results in injury.

Yeah just keep at it! It definitely takes time and patience and sometimes weight won't budge for a long time and then it will shoot up...but just keep monitoring the trends. About deciding on bulking/cutting vs. recomping...yeah it's a tough decision. It all depends on your goals etc. I think a big factor is your body fat…

Great progress and amazing legs! Cool goals too :)

Yeah not logging over the weekends is a good approach and I think you'll continue to see progress. Restaurant food tends to have higher cals/fat, so you should be good on meeting your bulking requirements.

Great progress, you're almost there!

Thanks for starting this group! This group and the people in it are what encouraged me to do my first bulk (jan-june). Now I'm reverse dieting my way up to bulk #2 (which will likely officially start in november).

I definitely agree about bulking improving one's relationship with food...and how more food gives more fuel for workouts! Keep up the great work!

Lookin good! Yeah you're at a perfect place for bulking, I think you'll be really happy with the results. You'll also be amazed at what bulking can do for your booty. My booty kind of went away when I cut, but I know it will return with bulk #2, because that's what happened the first time (I grew a booty I never knew…

Lost a tiny bit this past week (little less than 1/2 a lb), but I still think I'm hovering around the low end of maintenance. Raising cals up to 1900. That should be in the middle-high end of maintenance. During and after bulk #1, I determined my maintenance range to be 1850-2000, so I'm expecting to definitely see gains…

Personally, the calculators aren't really a good estimate for me, so don't be surprised if you have to adjust accordingly. Basically just stick with what you've got figured out, weigh yourself over the course of a month, and see what happens. For bulking, you should be gaining roughly 1-2 lbs a month. But keep in mind…

Definitely true about there being good days and bad days, ups and downs. I don't think anyone reaches a point where they're like 'yes! I'm done, now it's all easy street and uphill from here'. I think it's good to take note of the goods and bads and to have balance. Because the sweet is never as sweet without the sour.

Reverse dieting my way back to bulking. Definitely enjoying the extra strength. Although I have a feeling that bulk #2 may be somewhat more mentally challenging then bulk #1. Mainly because I got pretty lean at the end of this cut (the leanest I've ever been before in my life). Not the lowest weight, but the leanest. And I…

Yay! Happy bulking! I'm making my way back into bulking territory as well. I've also started hitting my glutes harder too. Hip thrusts are amazing.

You will lose a little muscle over time while eating at a deficit, but you won't lose much if the deficit is small-moderate (a deficit not greater than around 25%), you're lifting heavy weights, and you're eating enough protein (1.2-1.5 g/lb body weight).

Is there a good app/device that can do stress checks? Like to indicate if you're approaching overtraining or just stressed in general? I've tried the Azumio app that measures stress level by measuring heart rate variability, but I question it's accuracy (and precision for that matter). Obviously you can check your stress…

oats, PB2, milk, flaxseed...best breakfast ever

Welcome and good luck! Bulking is a great way to put on significant muscle, and I'm sure it will be a great experience for you. Yes, getting on a program and having a set routine is the best thing to do especially when you're starting out and want to track progress and such. You may find that lowering your fat a bit…

1 cup a day is probably ok. The migraines might return if you stop drinking it, but if it's working, I would say keep doing it. You could also try something less potent like decaf (which does have some caffeine) or tea. That's what I do if I need a pick me up, because I'm very sensitive to caffeine. More often than not, a…

Oh me too- I used to really hate cardio. That's why I only do 20-30 min 3 times a week. But I think I'm getting to where I kind of like it (or don't mind it as much :tongue: ). I've been doing fasted cardio first thing in the morning. I'm NOT a morning person at all, so it was a struggle at first. But it really gives me an…