The Definitive Veggeep CMP Thread

Well sports fans, the time has come! No more stalling. No more slacking off. No more excuses. It's time for the ol' Veggilante to get his skinny ass back in the gym and stop being such a slacker douchebag! And to commemorate my latest foray into the pain game, I'm officially launching The Definitive Veggeep CMP Thread. Those of you who remember my last go-around may recall that I like to take my "Before & After" posts to a new level of uber-dork graphic design. Well buckle up, compadres, 'cause I've go a wild hair up my butt again, and I have a feeling this bulking phase is gonna blow the llama's ass straight to Mars! BOO YAAHH!! I'm stoked! You stoked?

Like most people, I'll be posting updates to this thread on a periodic basis. However, to keep things nice and tidy (and save you a ton of scrolling), I'm going to post ALL the relevant images, stats, and analysis RIGHT HERE in this entry. That means come June 28, 2008 (if all goes according to my diabolical plan), I will upload a new progress pic to my web hosting space, and this page will update just by you opening it, MWAH HA HA HA HA I haven't designed them yet, but I'll also be posting some new graphs with my current body-weight/body fat progress.

So let's get down to business, shall we?



MARCH 23, 2008 - 146 Lbs (7.21% body fat)
"VEG!! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" you say. "You were on your way, man! You made it all the way to 164 Lbs! You were looking jacked! What gives?!" you ask. What the hell indeed! Let's just say I went and did the one thing I'm always admonishing everyone else NOT to do: February 2007, I got complacent. I let the petty distractions of life interfere with my journey, and took my eye off the goal just long enough for the cancer of procrastination to take root. I took a month off. A month turned into two, which turned into thirteen. I let my diet slip, and went back to skipping meals and grabbing worthless breakfasts on my way to work. Friends, I have paid the price for my lack of motivation.

Altogether, I gave back almost twenty pounds of muscle, and my hydration has never been worse. I'm tired and cranky all the time, I have trouble waking up in the morning, and my skin is a wreck (thanks a LOT, Old Man Winter!). I suppose I should be grateful I didn't slip all the way back to the 134 pounds I started from, but that's no consolation when you realize that if I hadn't flaked out last year -if I had stuck with it- I would probably be north of 180 pounds right now Oh well. No point crying over spilled whey. Atrophy may be a b1tch, but so is muscle memory, know'm sayin'?

---

Oh yes, sports fans. I take my geeking very seriously indeed! Let it never be said that I don't know exactly where I am in my journey. Not much to look at today, but check in often, and I promise to keep this interesting

As you can see, I take goal-setting pretty literally. I've been doing this long enough that I've actually determined exactly how much progress I'm capable of during a bulking phase, and that allows me to set challenging, but realistic goals. At the end of this six month phase, what I should end up with are a collection of measured improvements -in this case, a percent increase in circumference for all my key improvement areas. In my tracker spreadsheet application, this graph is like my own personal dashboard. It shows me at a glance where my current progress on each body part is, relative to the goal. So if I know I'm half-way through the phase, and only one-quarter of the way up a certain column, I know I'm falling behind in that area.

It occurred to me, after years of meticulously tracking gross body weight and body fat percentage, that you can illustrate the relationship quite effectively just by stacking the two values on an area graph. In case it isn't self-explanatory enough, what you're looking at here is my lean mass, plotted in solid light blue, with my body fat mass stacked on top of it (just like in real life, no?) in an appropriate shade of lipid yellow The top of the stack, obviously, is my gross body weight, and the dashed line (as in all the following graphs) represents my goal trajectory.

You may have noticed that I didn't plan for any significant body fat increase in my goal trajectory. That is deliberate. Naturally, I expect to pick up a little fat along the way, but I typically do a clean bulk, cause I don't believe in taking three steps forward just to take two steps back.


Here (as well as on the Forearms and Thighs graphs), I am averaging the circumference of both arms and representing both the relaxed and flexed state. It's quite one thing to always quote your flexed measurements (which a lot of people shamelessly take right after a workout, when they're pumped... tsk, tsk), but another thing entirely to track your relaxed state as well. After all, this is how almost everyone else in your daily existence sees you. And, like most people, I rather enjoy the fact that when I'm in the thick of a bulking phase, the gap between relaxed and flexed measurements shrinks, and you spend more of your waking hours looking like you just strolled out of the gym



Finally, calves. Like 99% of the rest of the bodybuilding community, my calves don't respond to sh1t. So I'm not expecting great things there. I went ahead and set an improvement goal anyway.

welcome back, uber geek! :)

180 lbs, here you come!

"If there's nothing else that's relevant, I'll be leaving now"

"Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground"

Cant wait to see how it goes, im currently bulking as well

Good luck on your journey

Awesome.  What exactly is the GOAL?

I find that if I don't have a plan, then working out is just random and my weight stays about the same.  If you are bulking, what's the clear cut plan to get there?  If that's a TBA, I can wait but I'd say #1 on the list of things to do right after the picture is to post a goal of what you want to accomplish, the timeline and how you plan on getting there.

Make all the workouts you are about to do count for something specific.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

ORIGINAL: Marc David

Awesome.  What exactly is the GOAL?

I find that if I don't have a plan, then working out is just random and my weight stays about the same.  If you are bulking, what's the clear cut plan to get there?  If that's a TBA, I can wait but I'd say #1 on the list of things to do right after the picture is to post a goal of what you want to accomplish, the timeline and how you plan on getting there.

Make all the workouts you are about to do count for something specific.

D'Oh!! Of course! What was I thinking?

You may recall from all my past shenanigans that my long term goal is to get to 190 pounds of beefcakitude by July 4, 2008 (my 8th veggiversary) -a rather lofty ambition I originally set out to achieve through aggressive 6-month "phases". Well, I think we all know THAT'S not in the cards this year. It would probably help if I stopped flaking out just when the going gets good, huh?

The six-month phase I'm kicking off today is all about getting back to 164 pounds (where I was last February). Who knows, I usually find myself raising the bar when I find out I'm exceeding my expectations. My long-term goal still stands, but I'm no longer holding to the July 4, 2008 deadline on that.

Oh my! You better be stuffing your face with legumes and pasta right now!

Add me on facebook!

How tall are you veg?

V,
    You're the Clipart Photoshop GOD!

 

wow man, you disappoint me. lol j/k.

Good luck on your progress again though, this time it will probably go by faster than last time.

Yeah, I know, I know... [&o]
 
But you guys know me by now.  That last time I had to "start over", I went from 144 to 164 in just under 4 months, so there's really nothing to this but the doing.  And hey, I'm excited about it.  I'm not gonna sit around moping and being pissed off about missed opportunities -I have a date with destiny!
 
Virtuoso, I'm 6'-2".  I'm one of the privileged few here on DBB who can legitimately claim the title of "Ectomorph".  Left to it's own devices, my body would happily equalize around 140 pounds, with 8% body fat.  And that's with no delberate diet or exercise.  This is where all the overweight guys silently curse me under their breath, and all the mesomorphs chuckle, "sucks to be you, dude!"
 
In any case, I'm no stranger to this game, so sit back and watch the fireworks.  I know there's still a lot of information missing here, but bear with me and I'll update that first post as I flesh out the details (diet, supps, workout strategy, etc.)  And of course, no Veggeep bulking phase would be complete without a custom signature banner graphic.  I have a lot of work cut out for me

 I think you better make your avatar the picture you have in your "Before-After" poses, with your elbows pointed up.  Make your avatar the after picture, so you can look at it and see what you need to get back, that or I'll give you a picture of me to look at.  Though that might depress you since no man can come as close as I can to a sexual tiger.

President of the Emancipation Detoxification. DBB's oldest forum group, punching baby seals since 2/12/08

This thread reminds of that Tim Ferriss one where he said "I went from geek to freak:  How I gain 34 lbs of muscle in 4 weeks"

Last picture I saw of him, he needs to change his title from "I went from geek to feak and back to geek:  How I lost 34 lbs of muscle"

He looks the same as his before picture.

Remember.. VEGGINATOR.. if you are diligent with your nutrition and training, I have no doubts you'll experience those fast newbie gains all over again. 

Once you add 30 lbs of lean mass to that frame.. that's where the real art of bodybuilding begins.  Keeping that mass and gaining more.

I'm with you bud!

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

I think he still has more mass on his quads than from the very first pictures.

And adding weight to the bar is twice as easy the second go round!

Add me on facebook!

He's still got more mass everywhere than he did in his original before pics. I don't know if you remember them, but he had no pecs or shoulders at all, it was all bones.

(here's the old before/after for those who haven't seen it)

My Journal: Jheft's Heftorium

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." -- Mark Twain

Don't worry veg I am stuck right with ya.. I am just in a different weight class is all.

wow being a newer member I never say his old before and afters, what a dramatic improvement. I too have very high metabolism, but mine seems to be slowing down w/ age.  Isnt it weird how it takes you 2 times longer to gain muscle than to build it up.  I agree w/ a few others, it is much more speedy the second time around, you dont lose as much strength as you think, you just loose alot of your visible size.

Good to see you back on track Vegorama!
 
As you can tell, your support is truly global. We are all here for you.
 
Many of us have fallen in the past, but with the help of friends we all get back up and grow bigger!

"If you think you need a spot, just go harder"

Shane - my maori friend + ex-training partner

From Veginator to Vegweep. Oh Veg. Oh well, at least we can find out once and for all if the whole "muscle memory" thing holds true.

ORIGINAL: Yet

I think you better make your avatar the picture you have in your "Before-After" poses, with your elbows pointed up.  Make your avatar the after picture, so you can look at it and see what you need to get back, that or I'll give you a picture of me to look at.  Though that might depress you since no man can come as close as I can to a sexual tiger.

Done! Excellent idea, I might add No every time I log on to DBB, I gotta face myself!

ORINGINAL: Marc David

Remember.. VEGGINATOR.. if you are diligent with your nutrition and training, I have no doubts you'll experience those fast newbie gains all over again.

Werd to the man who knows better than anyone! It never ceases to amaze me how fast you can get back on the bandwagon, if you can only suck it up and get past those horrible, humiliating first two weeks

Indeed, I did manage to retain a good deal of mass. I mean, hey, I'd rather not lose ANY of it, once I've got it, but this should be a powerful lesson to ecto's everywhere: bodybuilding success is not something you can just "check off your list" once you achieve it. Like Marc David said, you can go from geek to freak, but you'll spend the rest of your life trying to hold onto that condition. It's true for everyone, really, but some of us have it harder than others. The B & A pic Jheft posted features me at 134 pounds back in August 2005. That was the thinnest I've ever been since high school even.

Werd to IBB, Sam, and The Z-Man! Y'all ain't off the hook just 'cause I dorked out I fully expect to be in the company of the beefcakitude elite when I roll into September... Don't be slackin'!

Veg, you're my freaking hero!    I'll be bookmarking this one!  If I ever end up looking like your avatar pic.......ohhhhh I'll be in heaven man!!!!!!!

I just got back on the horse after being sick, puking my guts out, and losing 11 pounds last week!!!  But it's all good.  I ditched that split routine, came up with a 2 day a week full body routine, and got my azz handed to me by it last night!  I am so flippin sore today, everywhere, all over, and I love it!

Good luck bro, long live us ectos!!!

keep it goin dude! i know how you're feeling. it happens, just don't dwell on it and reach your goal!

good look vege, i dont know if ur avater is because of ur edditing tricks and lighting etc being a pro photographer but you look/ed AWESOME! i had no idea man, all ide need for motivation is to look at my self in the mirror, then look at ur avater..seriously you look JACKED! now time to get that all back!

ORIGINAL: PimpWivGunZ

good look vege, i dont know if ur avater is because of ur edditing tricks and lighting etc being a pro photographer but you look/ed AWESOME! i had no idea man, all ide need for motivation is to look at my self in the mirror, then look at ur avater..seriously you look JACKED! now time to get that all back!

Yeah, man -what's up with that?  LOL!  The smaller I shrink it, the more jacked up I look   Jeziz!  Even I don't remember being THAT huge!  Of course, I think that's why it's my all-time favorite "After" photo: the pose was just right, the lighting was perfect.  As I recall, it took me totally by surprise [sm=tongue.gif]  The other one I posted in that same thread wasn't quite as impressive.
 
But I notice every bodybuilder falls in love with a particular "signature" pose (like Sam's avatar -that's a signature draper shot) -maybe that hands-behind-head abs pose will be mine.
 
In any case, it's Game On, now!  It's my goal to end this six-month cyce with an even SICKER "after" pic than that one.

 Just don't listen to the calling of that M1D bottle in your closet.  That's cheating .

President of the Emancipation Detoxification. DBB's oldest forum group, punching baby seals since 2/12/08

holy **** amazing physique december 2006

ORIGINAL: RobertN

Veg, you're my freaking hero!    I'll be bookmarking this one!  If I ever end up looking like your avatar pic.......ohhhhh I'll be in heaven man!!!!!!!

Hey, bro, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it! You gotta have a take-no-prisoners attitude in the kitchen as well as the gym. As I recall, I got to a point where I was carb-loading and stuffing myself to near-discomfort at almost every meal. I got to craving the sensation. Pull out all the stops and go freaking crazy in the kitchen for three months, paired with STUPID intense workouts and tons of sleep -there ain't an ecto alive who can stay skinny in the face of that

I just got back on the horse after being sick, puking my guts out, and losing 11 pounds last week!!!  But it's all good.  I ditched that split routine, came up with a 2 day a week full body routine, and got my azz handed to me by it last night!  I am so flippin sore today, everywhere, all over, and I love it!

Good luck bro, long live us ectos!!!

That is the absolute WORST, and I definitely feel you there. Nothing sucks worse than getting gut-punched with food poisoning or flu and watching all your hard work go swirling down the pipes. But you have exactly the right approach for comeback. That's exactly what I do: fall back on total-body workouts for two or three weeks, until I'm back to the point where I can't establish any real soreness or finish the whole workout in under 50 minutes. When I reach that point, I jump back on a push/pull/legs type of routine and escalate it until I'm hitting the iron three days on, one off. I don't let the weekdays dictate my schedule -I always stick with on/off timing so that I don't end up loathing Mondays or Thursdays just because they're "leg day".

so where are we?

"If there's nothing else that's relevant, I'll be leaving now"

"Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground"

nevermind ur pic looks photoshop..

EDIT NO NOT LOSER BUT IS IT PHOTOSHOPED?

it looks so graphics

ORIGINAL: Forsaken3400

nevermind ur pic looks photoshop... loser

??????

The dude is a photographer with some mad slilz!  He has the lighting and background equipment to make some awesome shots!

Here is a small sample of his stuff:

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&userID=1157540

Here is his gallery, check the bottom row for some straight up pics:

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/albumphoto.aspx?albumid=35&asortType=1&apage=3