by BodyBM » July 31st, 2013, 4:39 pm
Good, you are cool. I like that. As rugbyjock, I'm loving this discussion too.
I have just few observations, my first opinions about your eating. :-)
[quote]I think it's just that my calves look really thin in that picture. [/quote]
Agree
[quote]She's never said anything about them, actually! [/quote]
Maybe she will tell that later or never (this latter would be sad). Everybody is different.
[quote]5'11", around 186lbs. [/quote]
Ok, you are still "thin" broadwise (compared to myself for example), so I thought you are taller. Now I see things more clearly.
[quote]Soreness and muscle weakness aren't very good indicators of an effective workout. The intensity and duration of DOMS varies greatly from person to person. For example, I rarely get soreness the day after my workouts; it usually occurs on the second day after, or sometimes doesn't happen at all even though my workouts are pretty intense. On leg days I regularly work myself until I'm hobbling around trying to walk. I've made myself sick a few times, even, and got a nosebleed once. [/quote]
Ok. I think you make yourself "sick" sometimes under legs training, because you simply don't eat enough. Legs training is the most energy-intensive workout, put a heavy of load to your entire body/nervous system. I never feel sick under my legs workout, just lose the feeling I have legs when I finish. I feel "sick" a hour later when I eat my 2*11oz jasmine rice and 3 bananas, and a hour later eat again. Directly after my workout I use ON whey like you, but put ~3oz dextrose to the mix. Later I will tell.
Maybe you have a fear of getting fat and it is not an option to somebody who wants to grow muscles progressively, for long time. You are still growing, but I see this way you eat will gives problems for you, sooner of later, but in my opinion sooner.
Nosebleed isn't a good sign, maybe you pushed yoursel too much, make the blood pressure really high in your head. I didn't had nosebleed under a workout, but my head get really red in color on legs day. Do you check your blood pressure sometimes?
Adequate carbs in adequate time! You will not get fat but can grow your muscles. I tell about later.
Eat good fats may/will increase your testosterone level even higher, you will feel yoursel even better. :-)
[quote]A better way to tell if your workout is effective is using progressive overload. If every week you are making progress in terms of weight, reps, or even time spent on your exercises, then you know it's effective. Example: if I can do 8 reps maximum of biceps curls at 75lbs one week, then the next week I can do 1/\[url=(https?:\/\/[^\s\[]+):$uid\](.*?)\[\/url:$uid\]/i reps, then I've made progress. It varies a bit, since some days you may just not feel as strong as others, but as long as you track your workouts and take pictures regularly, you'll see the results of your efforts. [/quote]
I just told the same, "progressively overload". Just for legs training I watch for my body's reaction and not potter with sets/weights calculations. Yes, right, photos and compare in time is ok. I just let my wife to check and feel my progress.. Just kidding.
[quote]That's what I'm aiming for! Smile [/quote]
Yes, it is our main goal, I see. I have been progressing well in that, but I still get a lot of new suprises almost every day.
I see you have been progressing well too, just try experimenting a bit with more food.
[quote]I'm not against the use of steroids either, it's just not something I would want to do. I know I can get sufficiently big naturally, and I'm comfortable with doing it the old-fashioned way, so to speak. Smile I know I have a very long road ahead of me. I don't expect to be nearing my peak size for at least another three years. [/quote]
Agree, but you should eat more carbs/fats to keep yourself anabolic and not starving. You should change your eat plan till it's too late and your grow stops, possible get overtrained.
You didn't tell about, so I just suggest a good multi would be great as your body gets very intensive load (the nervous system too). At last resort vitaminC and B complex. I'm using Opti-men. Food scale is great, I also use a digital model (measure gramms).
[quote]I try to eat relatively clean and I track my weight. I stay away from foods with a lot of sugar or salt in them, and I regularly cook my own meals. A typical day for me is like this: [/quote]
I like you eat healthy foods, I also cook for myself. My wife got aversion from rice (and other my preferred foods) during years, and also I cook that much better.
I see from your answers you also use the science, so watch after:
- You didn't tell quantities for carbs, so I used my fantasy a bit too to guess that.
- Fats are your friends, of course not all fats. Trans fats are poisons and make you fat. Watch for coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, fish oil. I make a special mixture of these oils for myself, and drink 1.7 ounces on a day. This is sure much for you, but with my eating plan I need this quantity cos it's my main fuel. I also chewing pumpkin seeds and nuts. I recommend you try a spoon coconut, or olive oil at morning. Watch after Omega3 too. I see you watch for your body (track), so try experimenting with oils and carbs. What can you lose? I think you can gain a lot and not loose with them. Bodybuilding is a big experimenting with our bodies.
- After workout your muscles glycogen stores are depleted, so craving to fill them back. Now come into the scene the most anabolic hormone in our body, insulin. This hormone helps load ch's into glycogen stores and fat cells. The insulin level goes higher when we eat higher glycemic index carbs, like dextrose, maltodextrin. If you fear of these sugars you can try experimenting with jasmine rice (gi: 87) for example. Also eat some fruits (bananas), but this time no too much because the fructose sugar in fruits rather fill glycogen stores of liver, not muscles. It must be processed by liver first and it is time. Fat cells will be not filled much, because the body prefers to fill muscle store now, so your body is "bulletproof" agains getting fat, THIS time only, just after your hard workout.
- Gold standard whey is really pure, without a lot of shits. I also use this even it is not cheap but the best.
Later-
Last edited by
BodyBM on July 31st, 2013, 5:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.