Vi's Journal - Quest to Escape the Skinny Physique

Hey guys! I've give you some brief information about myself.

Back in November 2005, I decided to do some resistance training, and I started with some basic calisthenics, and some dumbbell exercises. During from this month to February, I gained around 4kg. Anyways, I hurt my back, and stopped my training, and reverted back to my old self. In July, I had already lost 6kg, and you can imagine for someone to lose from 53kg to 47kg, that is alot! The main contribution was also that since I stopped training, my appetite went downhill, I never felt hungry, and also my Crohn's Disease was a contributor as well. Anyways, this was also the month I decided to get back to training. I had purchased a bench, so I was ready.

Since July of 2006 till now, I have gained 8kg or 17.6lbs, which I have been very proud of, putting me at least nearly in the "normal weight" range, although I don't follow it, I feel good about it. I only have recently changed my plan to include mostly compound exercises, such as deadlifts, squats, etc, as previously as you know when you're a beginner to bodybuilding, these exercises may seem very intimidating, but I have finally got over that.

Hopefully, I'll be posting my progress regularly here.

In July 2006, I was 47kg/103.4lbs, 173cm/5'7. I'll post my current weight tomorrow as I weigh myself in every Monday morning. Hopefully I'll get some measurements for my body parts. Done for now!

:D. But hey, maybe it's because you're all taller than me!

I don't know much muscle of the 17.6lbs it was, but I indeed have a gut forming, lol.

I was 121lbs two weeks ago, my diet was messed up due to Christmas celebrations, so I didn't have the nerve to weigh myself this past Monday, but tomorrow it's to the scales. I'm hoping for around 6-7lbs extra before I go back to Uni in Late Feb.

^^What he said.  Stick with those sick, mass-inducing compounds movements and keep hammering away at it relentlessly; you'll be there before you know it 

Being skinny friggin' SUCKS.  Don't let anyone try to tell you it's a gift, and you should be grateful.  Yeah, I'd take being thin over struggling with obesity any day, but to me, that scrawny veg is always sneaking around, ten paces behind me, waiting for me to slack off so he can run up and start peeling off my gains.  He's my biggest demon, and he'll ALWAYS be there.

This game is all about taming the demon.  Like I told Link, building an enviable, muscular physique is not something you can just "get over with", like buying a sofa.  Once you get it, you'll have to fight to keep it.  The good news is, that fight isn't much different than the struggle to build it in the first place, so the sooner you fall in love with the construction years, the easier it will be to revel in the maintenance

Stay strong, stay pumped, stay motivated.  I expect great things from you

ORIGINAL: veggeep
that scrawny veg is always sneaking around, ten paces behind me, waiting for me to slack off so he can run up and start peeling off my gains.  He's my biggest demon, and he'll ALWAYS be there.

your bigger than him, just kick his ass
 
good luck vdk.  stick to your training and diet and your good.

It's the new year now!

Anyways, this morning I weighed myself in since 2 weeks ago (I didn't weight myself last week because of how my diet was screwed up during the Christmas period), and I'm slightly under 55kg, so my weight hasn't changed. Guess it's time to increase my calories once again :(. I might add some cashew nuts to some of my meals to get some additional "good fats".

twistedlink: Hopefully I can reach that, but I would be off my feet if I get to 145lbs by May, but I doubt I'll get to that point. Anyways, nothing is impossible, so I guess I'll just have to wait, but more importantly keep my motivation and hard work going!

edit: I got sick the night on my day of my workout, but luckily it was my last workout for the 3 day workout. So I've had 2 day's rest and tomorrow's my leg day. I'm still thinking if I should take a week off or not, I guess I'll have to wait and see. Damn, I haven't been sick for ages, why now! Why not during my one week off? :d

whenever i get sick becomes my week off, lol.  if i ever get sick for more than 2 days, i take a week off.  luckily i only get sick MAYBE twice a year in the winter.  ive never been sick in the summer
 
Happy New Year!!!

Today was my leg day, still sick, but I was able to still do my workout with amazingly good performance.

I've been doing hack squats, and started out really light, and I mean very light, 10kg, and every week I have increased it by 2.5kg till now around 31kg, and have finally failed, with my last set, completing 7 reps, but after next week, I should be able to increase it again. Anyways, here's what I did today.

Exercise                        Reps                            Weight
Hack Barbell Squats        8-8-7                           31.18kg
Lying Leg Curls              8-8-8                           10.3kg (increasing by 1kg next week)
Calf Raises                    8-8-8                           23.68kg (increasing by 1kg next week)
Planks                         1min, 50 secs, 40 secs     -
Pull-ups                        2/2  -/2     2/1

I have just added pull-ups to my leg day as I have not being getting much progress from doing just pull-ups once a week on back day, so I'm going to do 2 times a week for pull-ups.

Note: x/x means complete reps / negative reps
i.e 2/2 means 2 full reps by 2 negative reps

Yep, the poundages are much lighter than you bodybuilders :D, but I'm making great personal progress, so I'm very happy.

I drank heaps of water today, I think it was a result of my sickness. I've already drank 3litres of water, and it's only 4pm, and I don't usually drink that much till about the end of my day which is arond 10-11pm, lol.

Did really crap today, had no energy but hopefully next week should be better

Exercise                                    Reps                            Weight
Flat Bench Press (Barbell)            8-6-5                            26.18kg
Standing Military Press (Barbell)    8-5-4                           10.06kg
Bench Dips - replaced close grip   8-7-6                           no weight
Dumbell Side Bends                    8-7-7                           13.5kg

ORIGINAL: vdk_au

It's the new year now!

Anyways, this morning I weighed myself in since 2 weeks ago (I didn't weight myself last week because of how my diet was screwed up during the Christmas period), and I'm slightly under 55kg, so my weight hasn't changed. Guess it's time to increase my calories once again :(. I might add some cashew nuts to some of my meals to get some additional "good fats".

Bust a move on a whole lot more than just "some" cashew nuts.  Think in terms of meal-sized portions here.  When you're not sitting down with a fork in your hand (which -if you're like me- should be every twenty minutes, LOL), you should be munching on healthy snacks.  Think "A cup and a half of cashews, an orange, and water"  Huge protein in cashews.

twistedlink: Hopefully I can reach that, but I would be off my feet if I get to 145lbs by May, but I doubt I'll get to that point. Anyways, nothing is impossible, so I guess I'll just have to wait, but more importantly keep my motivation and hard work going!

Stop right there.  Don't hope.  Believe.  Look at how you phrased that: you put the doubts first, and you put your dreams in the back seat.  I'm totally not being sarcastic here -you gotta change the tape reel in your head.  We all say things like this (especially me), hedging our bets.  It's just self-deprecating, disarming humor we hide behind and we all think it makes talking about this stuff more comfortable; the truth is, it undercuts your confidence and holds you back.  As rediculous as it sounds, start getting in the habit of affirming your capabilities and speak with the authority of one who is succeeding, because you ARE.

edit: I got sick the night on my day of my workout, but luckily it was my last workout for the 3 day workout. So I've had 2 day's rest and tomorrow's my leg day. I'm still thinking if I should take a week off or not, I guess I'll have to wait and see. Damn, I haven't been sick for ages, why now! Why not during my one week off? :d

Believe it or not, this is more common than you think, and if it means what I think it means, this is very good news for you.  Every time I start up from an extended layoff, I get sick within the first week of starting to work out again.  Maybe it is just a stupid coincidence, but I prefer to think that it's because I caught my immune system sleeping at the switch.  It usually means (for me at least) that I have temporarily weakened my immune system by throwing my whole body into an emergency "repair" state.  Plus, don't forget, it is flu season.  You're doing the right thing with the fluids -just keep your eye on it, and -like Avaric3 said- if it progresses, take the week off.  Working out while sick will only prolong the recovery time.

Stick with it, Bro!

veggeep, are you suggesting to have "snacks" in b/w meals?

I'm not sure, but from what I've heard if you take weight you can lift up to 5 times it will help gain mass faster (and thats what you want as far as i get it)
I already made a topic to clearify on # of reps and their purpose, I'll see what more experienced lifters have to say...
 

War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children.

Jimmy Carter

well from numerous studies they have shown that 9-12 reps product the most hypetrophy (muscle growth) with a realitive short rest. This is what I did previously, but now I'm going with 8 reps with 2-3 minutes rest, and maybe in a few months down the track, I'll take it down to 5 reps by 5 sets. It doesn't really matter what rep range people say, as long as if it works for you, then stick to it! 

ORIGINAL: vdk_au

veggeep, are you suggesting to have "snacks" in b/w meals?

Heck yeah, Bro.  Take your total daily caloric requirement and divide it up into all kinds of "meals".  Remember, a meal doesn't have to be a whole sit down affair.  A gainer shake and some fruit can be a meal.  a couple of peanut butter sandwiches and a banana at 2:30 in the afternoon can be a meal.

Every time you eat, you trigger a growth hormone response.  Same thing when you go to sleep.  In fact, if it doesn't mess up your quality of sleep too much, you might even consider waking up in the middle of the night for a snack.  That way, you get three GH hits a night instead of just one.

Ditch the Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner eating mentality -that "three squares a day" nonsense is for people who aren't forcing their bodies to grow.

I actually eat a full 6 proper meals a day, well, except the one at 9:30-10:00pm, it's probably my lightest (1 full cup of oatmeal + 1 cup of milk) as I don't want to be eating too heavy before I go to sleep.

But what I meant was are you saying I should be eating in b/w these 2 hour meals I have, as if I were to, wouldn't that mean you'd be just stacking more food on the undigested food as it takes about 2-3 hours for it to digest.

Technically, digestion is a several-hour process.  It can take up to a day and a half for some things to work through your entire digestive tract.  I think what you're refering to is gastric emptying rate.  Either way, it doesn't matter how much of what is in your system is digested vs. undigested.  You need a constant supply of calories.  Don't wait until your stomach is empty to eat again -and especially don't wait until you feel hungry.

Let me reiterate my point from my "Eat Big to Get Big" thread:  it's not just about getting a lot of nutrients -that's the obvious part.  Almost as important is the fact that eating huge causes its very own hormonal releases.  Just like blasting the dickens out of your legs and back, digesting huge amounts of food is epically hormonal.

Small snacks between those meals won't hurt -especially if you're not nailing every single one of those meals exactly 3 hours abpart.  I don't know many people who can keep that schedule that religiously

Thanks for the advice, veggeep.

Anyways, my diet has been crap these last few days, eating less, especially yesterday at my friend's party. Also I missed out on my Saturday's workout routine (Pull), but I was thinking of doing on Monday, but my Leg workout is on Tuesday, so I don't think I should do it that close, but what do you guy's think?

As a result of the misfortunate's, I don't think I will have gained any weight tomorrow when I weight myself again on the Monday morning. I'll either lose a bit of weight, or stay at the same. Let's just hope I stay at the same.

keep a pen and paper with you for a week.. write down all the calories and protein that you consume.. That alone will help you out alot!
 
At the end of the day calculate the total calories you ate in one day.. I think you should try getting 3,500 - 4,000 calories per day + what you want to weigh in protein not your body weight.
 
Depending on how active you are.. you might defenently want to get 4,000 calories per day.. especially if your tall.. Being an ecto morph my self i need over 4,000 calories per day in order to gain any sort of weight..

Thanks. I did my weigh in today, and luckily I didn't lose any but stayed at 55kg.

3500 calories would definitely be too much for me, considering I'm only 5'8, 121lbs. I'm not that active, other than my 3 day workout a week, with no cardio. I did do the pen and paper initially, but after that whenever I just started to stay at my same weight, I'd increase the food portions again. But I think I'm actually pretty full after each meal, so I might follow veggeep's idea of eating in b/w meals to get those extra calories I need.

My Leg Day today, it was good, except my last exercise (pull-ups), I didn't do as well as last week, must have been the planks that screwed me up. anyways, here's what I did today.

Exercise                        Reps                            Weight
Hack Barbell Squats        8-8-8                           31.18kg (completed, so increase to 32.18kg)
Lying Leg Curls              8-8-8                           11.3kg (increase to 12.8kg next week)
Calf Raises                    8-8-8                           24.68kg (increase to 26.18kgkg next week)
Planks                         1min, 1 min, 1min             -
Pull-ups                        1/2  1/2     -/2

Before my workout, about 45 minutes, I somehow went to the toilet about 6-7 times in a matter of 20 minutes, it was very annoying and I have been going to the toilet today excessively, don't know why though.

Anyways, today was push day and it was good. It was extremely hot today, and I thought I would do bad, but it was probably one of my best push days.

Exercise                        Reps                            Weight
Bench Press                  8-8-7                           26.18kg
Military Press                 8-8-6                           10.06kg
Bench Dips                    8-8-6                         No Weight
Side Bends                    10-10-10                    13.5kg - Completed but not increasing weight

Hopefully after next week, I should be able to increase the weight for at least one of the exercise for push day. Today I tried some visulations, with my bench press, during my rest period, I imagined someone I hated and just started to punch him really hard, lol, maybe that's why I did well today, anyways, I'll try it for my next workout and see how it goes.

Today was my pull day. It wasn't as good as I expected, but I guess because 2 weeks ago, I had increaed my poundages for the next week, but I missed last week's pull day, which probably explains why I had difficulty, but overall I'm happy.

Exercise                        Reps                            Weight
Deadlift                        8-8-6                                 26.18kg
Barbell Rows                 8-8-8                           27.18kg
Pull-ups                       8-8-6                             1/2 - 1/2 - 1/2
Barbell Curls                 8-8-5                         10.06kg

I completed my total reps for barbell rows, but it was difficult as I missed out one week as stated previously, so I'll stick to the same weight next week.

I weighed myself today, and I gained another 1kg. So I'm at 56kg now so I'm pretty happy.

Hey V,
 
Glad to see you are putting on the kegs, good to see the training log still going too!
 
Hey out of curiosity, are you including the wieght of the bar when posting the wieght you are doing?

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

Shane - my maori friend + ex-training partner

I don't include my bar weight, but the weight of the bar is probably no more than 1kg, which explains why it can only support up to 40kg, so in a few months when my squat reaches that point, I'll have to buy a new one.

So as you can tell my strength is not that good, but I'm making progress which is the main thing.

1Kg bar? I never saw one.  Anyways, 40Kg is the ammout I'm bench pressing at the moment, and I've been so for around 1 month, maybe I'm overtraining cuz before I used to incread 2Kg bench press every week. 
 
Can you tell us your current measurements? including weight

Motivation comes by itself when improvement is seen!

Oh yeah man, I totally agree! You are progressing and its awesome! Everyone has to start somewhere, you should be proud of your achievements and your dedication.
 
I was just asking so I could get a clear idea of where your at. That is a very light bar though, whats it made of? Have you ever weighed it?

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

Shane - my maori friend + ex-training partner

ORIGINAL: dougdarock

1Kg bar? I never saw one.  Anyways, 40Kg is the ammout I'm bench pressing at the moment, and I've been so for around 1 month, maybe I'm overtraining cuz before I used to incread 2Kg bench press every week. 

Can you tell us your current measurements? including weight

I can kinda pick up the bar with 2 fingers (balance is the problem, not weight), so it's really light. It's actually lighter than my dumbell with screwlocks (2.5kg), and the barbell is a spring collar one.

My weight is currently 56kg, up 9kg since July 2006 (47kg then). I'll get some measurements soon.

ORIGINAL: Wannabe_Draper

Oh yeah man, I totally agree! You are progressing and its awesome! Everyone has to start somewhere, you should be proud of your achievements and your dedication.

I was just asking so I could get a clear idea of where your at. That is a very light bar though, whats it made of? Have you ever weighed it?

I just went to weigh the bar, just for you! ;). I used our mechanical scales, so it's hard to tell exactly, but it was less than the 1kg mark. The bar and weights came with the bench I purchased at K-mart for like around $130AU, so it was really cheap. The bar can only hold up to 45kg as stated on their website, thus explaining why it is so light. This is the one I purchased: http://www.hyper-extension.com/item.aspx?ID=101

My friend recently bought a bench from that company as well, which includes a lat-pulldown, and a squat rack intergrated for only $150AU. I wish I had that one, lol, so I could start with lat-pulldowns as I'm pretty weak at pull-ups, and able to do back squats, which I currently can't without a rack.
http://www.hyper-extension.com/item.aspx?ID=31

Today was my leg day, and it was excellent! After I finished my squat, I had a sudden feeling that I had done less weight than last week, but quickly checked and I had actually done more, so it was all good. Anyways, here's what I did this week.

Exercise                        Reps                            Weight
Hack Barbell Squats        8-8-8                           32.74kg (completed, so increase to 33.74kg)
Lying Leg Curls              8-8-8                           12.8kg (increase to 13.8kg next week)
Calf Raises                    8-8-8                           26.18kg (increase to 27.68kg next week)
Planks                         1min, 1 min, 1min             -
Pull-ups                        1/2  1/2     -/2

My pull-ups are still lagging behind, I wish I had a lat-pulldown to help me progress slowly, as my strength is not that great and it's hard to start with pull-ups immediately. I guess I'll have to keep trying!

56kg currently? how old are you and for how long have you been training?
 
in my opinion you could leave the weight of squats as it is and increase a bit the reps for now, until you're able to do around 12 - 15  good luck

Motivation comes by itself when improvement is seen!