I'm completely new to posting here, this is my very first post on the entire forum, I will go an introduce myself properly but I thought I'd start a training log while I still have the nerve.
Right a little bit about me and what I want to achieve. I've been going to the gym pretty consistently for the last 5 years since I started uni, and up until I found this site I'd been dedicated to an hour of cardio three times a week and weight twice a week.
I stumbled across Anthony's Daniel Craig workout back in March and have been following it ever since, about 8 weeks ago I tided up my diet, and started following one similar to the mansized weight loss plan and have dropped about a stone in that time which is great.
I'm posting because I'm not sure what to do really, I'm finding the low amount of calories a real struggle (I love eating), it's not that I miss junk, but I want more of all the healthy stuff. My long term goal is to replace the weight I've lost with muscle, and get back to around 80kg. My girlfriend says I'm too skinny, but I'm quite close to a six pack I think, is now the time to start bulking, or should I cut the final pound or two off first?
Anyway, here are my stats and some pictures, any advice and opinions are gratefully received.
Stats
Age: 24
Height: 5'10 1/2 (all important half)
Weight: 70kg
Waist: 30.5 inch
Chest: 36.5
Bodyfat: 10% estimated (I'm going to buy some calipers in the next week)
Diet
An average weekday:
Breakfast: 3 weetabix with 300ml of semi-skimmed milk
Mid morning snack: 160cal portion of homemade protein bar from a recipe on this site :D
Lunch: 1 Chicken breast (skinless), half a packet of ainsley harriot cous cous, 1 boiled egg comes to about 400cals
Afternoon snack: 100g of Onken biopot yogurt and a banana about 240 cals in total
Dinner: Either 400cal homemade fruit smoothie, or beans on toast, or a veggie pasta dish again about 400cals
I also drink 5 litres of cold water and about 3 cups of tea during the day.
Goals
Weight about 80Kg
Get my chest to 39/40"
Keep waist below 32"
Be around 10-12% bodyfat
Looks like you've done really well there. Looking very lean and mean!
You're in a really good position now to add some fat free mass. To start off you can continue with the same program but just add a few calories to your intake. You'll be looking for around 2500 to start.
As you add weight, you'll need to gradually increase your calories by about 100 at a time, so keep on top of your bodyweight by jumping on the scales every fortnight.
Stick to the same basic diet principles (i.e. eating frequently) and food choices you've been following from the weight loss plan, and couple that with your workouts and you'll be off to a good start.
Your body can only produce muscle at a certain rate, and if you're gaining back too much fat, you're eating too much and need to cut back on your calories a bit, and slow down the increases.
Most men have the genetic potential to gain around 10-15 lbs of lean mass over a 12 week period. Based on your pics, you would fall neatly into this category if you work hard enough and keep on top of your diet.
I'd say it's definitely time to add some muscle on, as you do look a bit skinny, no point having a 6-pack if you're that slim! People will just think you are naturally skinny.
If you get some muscle on it can disguise or distract from some extra fat anyway, plus if you manage to gain muscle, without gaining too much extra fat then your body fat percentage will actually go down!
If you get some muscle on it can disguise or distract from some extra fat anyway, plus if you manage to gain muscle, without gaining too much extra fat then your body fat percentage will actually go down!
In thoery - yes, in reality - no
The gains have to be so slow, that fat increase % is low and this has to happen over a prolonged period of time.
For example:
70kg, 63kg non fat mass: 7kg fat mass, bf% 10
80kg, 72kg non fat mass: 8kg fat mass, bf% 10
To gain 9kg non-fat mass and keep fat increase to only 1kg is very difficult, and this will only maintain bf%.
Breakfast: 3 weetabix with 300ml of semi-skimmed milk
Mid morning snack: 160cal portion of homemade protein bar from a recipe on this site :D
Lunch: 1 Chicken breast (skinless), half a packet of ainsley harriot cous cous, 1 boiled egg comes to about 400cals
Afternoon snack: 100g of Onken biopot yogurt and a banana about 240 cals in total
Dinner: Either 400cal homemade fruit smoothie, or beans on toast, or a veggie pasta dish again about 400cals
I also drink 5 litres of cold water and about 3 cups of tea during the day.
Do you have a pre and post-workout meal? In addition, it would be a good idea to have something before bed too.
JT5 has some good recommendations for pre- and post-workout drinks... they'd boost the calories for your whole day in a simple way and probably help you get the most out of your workouts. Check his training log.
Edit: You look nice and lean... i'd go for the bulk now! If you can manage 12 weeks of clean eating and hard work, you can easily put on close to a stone, most of which will be muscle.
You're absolutely right. It can be easy to cheat, but the key is to slow everything down so you could literally stop the movement at any given second. If you can do that, then you'll be moving slow enough to keep a close eye on your form throughout the movement from beginning to end.
It also gives you time to concentrate on the other aspects of lifting, like breathing consistantly, relaxing muscles you're not working, squeezing the muscles you are, turning around smoothly at each end, pushing into the bar when you think you can't do another rep, etc.
On a side note, I just had another read of your goals, and the DC plan will actually be perfect for you from building up your chest measurement. Alot of that measurement will come from back mass aswell to give that broad shouldered, thickly muscled look, which the Dc plan is designed to focus on.
