Let's be realistic

Today while sitting at home waiting for my dentist appointment, I went into a rather deep thought. I got real with myself for a few minutes. I noticed that the reasons I started body building have kind of washed themselves away.

A. Strength. But, getting smaller means there's only so much you can lift.
B. Women. Let me be honest, if I found a woman, I have a girlfriend anyway, so.. why worry?
C. Health. In ketosis, I feel like ****. More power to those of you who can zip through 8 weeks of keto and have no problems. I am not that way. I need carbs to function or my world gets torn all to hell.

So, I have let these things stray away and I want them back. I want to get bigger and stronger, I need better health, which I am making progress on because I cut out bad habits and.. well it's fun to impress the girls, but hard to do when you are scrawny. Then I started thinking, how much muscle could I gain without getting.. you know, fat.

Is it possible to put on 2 pounds of muscle per week? I have 8 months before the next cutting phase will get here and if we were to do the math, that's 64 pounds of muscle I could gain. Even 1 pound a week would be give or take 35 extra pounds. Hell, that would put me at 211 by March.

BUT, let's be realistic, that really isn't that possible is it? If I got every single calorie, every gram of fat and carbs and protein, I got enough sleep, I trained with Dante, 20 rep squats, west side, you name it.. the human body isn't really going to add that much mass in that amount of time is it?

I know strength is possible because I never thought I would be lifting half as much as I lift now. I put a tad bit of faith into it and I have built one hell of a physique compared to where I was 2 years ago, but the journey never really ends.

I dragged this along, but I wanted to just share thoughts because there's no one else that can listen and understand. I am having a rather bad day, but this should make for good conversation.

Dude.  This is what two pounds a week looks like, natty.  Notice that the body fat series is rising visibly faster than the lean mass series.

Unless you had achieved a significant level of physical development and let it all go to pot, no, I don't think 2 pounds of solid muscle per week is realistic.  Not without pharmacological help, at least.

Notice that ever since I reached my previous record of 165, I've been slowly tapering off in the lean mass trajectory, and the body fat remains virtually uninhibited.  This, despite increasing the calories and protein to match the increase in gross bodyweight and training intensity all along.

Marc David twittered this article a couple days ago that took several different looks at muscle gain potential in people at various levels of training experience... check it out.

My home away from DBB

I just kinda do it out of habit anymore.  I don't have any specific goals at the moment. 

I mean, ya I'd like to deadlift 5 plates, squat 4, bench 3, etc... and I'd like to be a lean 200 lbs.....

I'll probably achieve all those things one day too, but I'm not actively pursuing any of them.  I'm just pretty much addicted to what I do, which is go to the gym, try to progress every workout, go train some MMA crap, and then flex in front of the mirror naked after I get home.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

Same here, but it's a hobby that I've developed and I've stopped doing it to impress other people and began to learn to do it to impress myself. To prove to myself with hard work desired results will come through.

So far, I went from a 130lb scrawny little guy that struggles with a 45 on each side to a near 200lb person that can workout with two 45s on each side, all with taking breaks in between. If it weren't for the breaks, I figure my bench max would be around 335, squat over 400lbs, and of course I probably wouldn't have an impressive deadlift due to hand injuries.

But that just motivates me to not take breaks.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

I just wanted to lose my beer gut, but I achieved that, so now what?  Quit pushing myself?

It's so weird to me that I care anything about gaining LMM.  I never minded being skinny as long as I wasn't "skinny fat."  Right now I care very little about strength as long as I'm growing, but I'm sure that'll change too within the next year or so.

brihead301

and then flex in front of the mirror naked after I get home.

That is pretty much my reason, I look at it the same way I look at karate\MMA, I am competing against myself.

I mean its great that I am strong, and when I grab a hold of someones GI or lock them up on the ground there is now way they can possibly break my grip.

But cmon you know when you get out of the shower and flex in front of the mirror you think man I did this, it was all me, it was all natural, and god damn I look good.

wow i just rembered i have denist apointment in an hour. Thanks
Perrynaytor

So, if I did 20 x 176 (my body weight) I should gain a solid pound of muscle per week?

I'm sick of sitting in the 170-190 area. I need to break 200lb for myself. I need to do it with a lot more muscle than fat gain. I think I will cut out all fast food, sweets, junk whatever and stick to whole foods and whole milk. Hopefully it will be gold.

Perrynaytor


So, if I did 20 x 176 (my body weight) I should gain a solid pound of muscle per week?

I'm sick of sitting in the 170-190 area. I need to break 200lb for myself. I need to do it with a lot more muscle than fat gain. I think I will cut out all fast food, sweets, junk whatever and stick to whole foods and whole milk. Hopefully it will be gold.

man it is so hard to gain 1 lb a week especially if you got some experience already, im right around where your at, about 177, so far i been on the low to no carb diet, with lots of protein and fat, as the scale weight hasn't changed much im definitely looking a hell of a lot more ripped in the mirror, muscle gain, fat loss? and im still pushing the same weight! i think im going to be on this diet a loooong time if it keeps working like this, if your serious about breaking 200 do what you say you will do (no sweets..etc) and stick to it, it may suck, but the end results will be amazing, i cant tell you how many times ive looked at ice cream and different sweets and junk foods and wanted to just pig out on them, but a few weeks in to this diet and im glad i sticked with it

update! 8/3/09

maxes and goals
bench - need to remax
goal bench - 405

squat - need to remax
goal squat - 500

deadlift - need to remax
goal deadlift - 500
weight -174.8 8%bf 

I think I should really stick out the diet. I'm sick of all this high fat stuff, I am going with the paleo diet. Meat and vegetables and fruit post workout with a protein shake.

Its pretty much "if a caveman couldn't eat it, neither can you.. except whey" 

Jon, you are a lot more ripped than I am. you think you are at 10%, but I swear you are sitting in the 6% - 7% ish range in your avatar.

I'm sick of my lifts being the same too. I can't wait until fall so I can drink my milk and eat all my breads and chickens and turkeys and get hyoooge again.

MoNey ShOt


wow i just rembered i have denist apointment in an hour. Thanks
Perrynaytor

lmao

Perrynaytor


I think I should really stick out the diet. I'm sick of all this high fat stuff, I am going with the paleo diet. Meat and vegetables and fruit post workout with a protein shake.

Its pretty much "if a caveman couldn't eat it, neither can you.. except whey" 

Jon, you are a lot more ripped than I am. you think you are at 10%, but I swear you are sitting in the 6% - 7% ish range in your avatar.

I'm sick of my lifts being the same too. I can't wait until fall so I can drink my milk and eat all my breads and chickens and turkeys and get hyoooge again.

i would love to say im at a lower bf%, but theres this little bit of fat over my lower abs and obliques that makes me think otherwise, i mean when i flex my abs i can clearly see six, more so the top four though, its  true thats the last place fat will come off!

update! 8/3/09

maxes and goals
bench - need to remax
goal bench - 405

squat - need to remax
goal squat - 500

deadlift - need to remax
goal deadlift - 500
weight -174.8 8%bf