Blonde will make thin ....Here we go again !

[zerofive]

Due to a combination of reasons i didn't train or eat particularly well for a week, and naively thought i could still pick up where i left off when i went to the gym today. How wrong I was! Couldn't believe how comparatively weak i felt, and i'm very grateful to the kind gentleman for pulling my final bench rep up off from my chest when I couldn't physically lift it away lol. Pretty embarrassing

Anyway here's where i'm up to:
Squat: 65
Bench: 45
Row: 47.5
OHP: 35 (taking my time with this movement - have begun cleaning the bar to get it up rather than use up a squat rack)
Deadlift: 80


Unfortunately finding time to train/eat strictly is going to be unavoidably difficult over the couple of weeks or so and i'm considering maybe getting some hypertrophy in until i get the time to stick rigidly back to a routine again. I have a beach holiday planned in August so that's a little extra reason for thinking about the change before picking back up with Stronglifts in a month or so. Any thoughts on this? I remain 100% mentally committed to my original goals, just thinking i probably won't progress if i'm training infrequently so perhaps muscle soreness might be more productive instead.  

Moving the goalposts isn't the same as missing the target. I feel like if I can't give 100% to something in particular right now, then I should give 100% to something else in the meantime. Strength and hypertrophy kind of work together, so if your goal is to look better as well as get stronger, why not focus on hypertrophy for 8 weeks, then stronglifts for 8 weeks and alternate like that?

Numbers are starting to look pretty good btw, looks like you're really working hard.

[muckthenuts]

Right uni is officially finished for the year and from Monday i'm getting back on the horse and going harder than ever. Imagine i might have to take a slight deload but considering i was hardly shifting tons of weight before it shouldn't take too long for me to get back on track.

Thoughts on this?

http://stronglifts.com/gomad-milk-squats-gallon-gain-weight/

I was eating 5 meals a day/clean prior to my hiatus but i still didn't really feel like i was eating enough despite this. I am tempted to go the milk route to try and cheat as many calories as possible alongside a clean/often type of diet and see how that goes. Feels like a lot of milk though obviously

[muckthenuts]

Drinking 6 pints of milk today, kinda like a warm up. Will be hitting the gym shortly for the first time in a while.

Had a question if anyone can help me. If i'm drinking that much fluid a day in the shape of milk, how much water should i be drinking alongside it? I hear milk is like 80% water. Might be a weird question but i'm not entirely sure.

[EvilPie]

Why would you want to gain 25lb in 25 days?

I only ask because I've been there before wanting to 'bulk up' in the off season ready to turn it in to muscle for summer.

All that happens is you get fat and then have to burn it off again.

Gaining 25lb in 25 days is no different to losing 25lb in 25 days. It can't be maintained. As soon as you go back to your normal routine you'll go back to your normal weight.

What you need is a steady excess of calories spaced out over a year whilst doing some good stuff down the gym.

I certainly wouldn't be drinking 6 pints of milk whilst I wasn't in a good routine of going to the gym. You say it's your first time in a while. Get that shit sorted first. Get in to a good training routine and then figure out how many calories you need to do what you're doing.

Just throwing a load of milk down your neck is just going to make you fat.

Please feel free to take before and after pics to prove me wrong by the way

[sovietsong]

no update from me in a while, still at 96kg.  Gym has been going really well & been eating ok but need to regain focus if i'm going to get down to 90kg any time soon.  1 kg a week for 6 weeks would be great but really need to focus if i'm going to manage that. 

How's everybody else doing?

[EvilPie]

Managed 3 days of training when I came back from holiday (June 12th) then my back went pop again and I've managed my first steady stretching session today.

Stopped painkillers yesterday and did okay today so if I feel okay tomorrow after tonight's mini workout then I think I'm on the road to full recovery.

Diet's been exactly the same as pre holiday. Early morning fruit type thing, mid-morning protein bar, tuna + pitta for lunch, early evening fruit type drink then a nice evening meal of curry, Chinese, pasta type stuff.

Despite the lack of gym my waist has hit just under 35" worst case and just under 34" best so really happy there. Be nice to tone it up a bit over the next couple of months and see if a six pack is a possibility. I would think so as I'm carrying very low body fat at the moment.

If I can get back on the T25 properly next week then I think I'll be all good for the start of September......

[sovietsong]

no update from me in a while, still at 96kg.  Gym has been going really well & been eating ok but need to regain focus if i'm going to get down to 90kg any time soon.  1 kg a week for 6 weeks would be great but really need to focus if i'm going to manage that. 

How's everybody else doing?

I'm going to add to this, I know when i started back on this in Feb I really wanted to lose 1kg a week & get down to 90kg fast.  Some wise people said that it wasn't the best way & i should make changes that are sustainable.  

Well 4 months later & i've only lost 8kg.  But from when BWMYT started i've lost 22.5kg & feel really good.  I'm wearing clothes that i couldn't before & back into "large" t-shirts.  I really do think i look better than ever & its not been that hard, i go through little bursts of really clean living & then "normal" where i maintain.  In my normal fazes i don't go silly, i just have a few pints if i fancy it & a curry now & then when i want one.  I don't smash in kebab's every day or eat rubbish, i no longer feel the need to do that.  I think its because its not that restrictive when i'm living clean.

I'm much stronger at the gym & have more energy.  I'd like to get to 90kg just because its a goal i set, i've missed the time target but its really not the end of the world as i've enjoyed living better.

[sovietsong]

Managed 3 days of training when I came back from holiday (June 12th) then my back went pop again and I've managed my first steady stretching session today.

Stopped painkillers yesterday and did okay today so if I feel okay tomorrow after tonight's mini workout then I think I'm on the road to full recovery.

Diet's been exactly the same as pre holiday. Early morning fruit type thing, mid-morning protein bar, tuna + pitta for lunch, early evening fruit type drink then a nice evening meal of curry, Chinese, pasta type stuff.

Despite the lack of gym my waist has hit just under 35" worst case and just under 34" best so really happy there. Be nice to tone it up a bit over the next couple of months and see if a six pack is a possibility. I would think so as I'm carrying very low body fat at the moment.

If I can get back on the T25 properly next week then I think I'll be all good for the start of September......

I could do with getting more fruit into my diet, are you doing the nutrabullet thing?

[EvilPie]

Managed 3 days of training when I came back from holiday (June 12th) then my back went pop again and I've managed my first steady stretching session today.

Stopped painkillers yesterday and did okay today so if I feel okay tomorrow after tonight's mini workout then I think I'm on the road to full recovery.

Diet's been exactly the same as pre holiday. Early morning fruit type thing, mid-morning protein bar, tuna + pitta for lunch, early evening fruit type drink then a nice evening meal of curry, Chinese, pasta type stuff.

Despite the lack of gym my waist has hit just under 35" worst case and just under 34" best so really happy there. Be nice to tone it up a bit over the next couple of months and see if a six pack is a possibility. I would think so as I'm carrying very low body fat at the moment.

If I can get back on the T25 properly next week then I think I'll be all good for the start of September......

I could do with getting more fruit into my diet, are you doing the nutrabullet thing?

Yeah I have 2 every day and it's been a bit of a revelation for me to be honest. Absolutely love the thing.

Spinach, banana, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, cashew/walnuts/chia seeds in the morning.

Kale, apple or pear, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, cashew/walnuts/chia seeds in the evening.

Feel amazing on it and like you I can still spoil myself with a curry or a pizza and a skin full of ale occasionally if I fancy it without even noticing any effect. One bad meal can't outdo the effect of 10 good ones the same as 1 salad won't help if you've had kebabs 6 nights a week.

It's just become habit now that I buy my fruit and leafy stuff then make myself a drink twice a day. Think I've had it about 3 months now and I've used it every single day perhaps with only half a dozen slips where I've only had one instead of the usual two.

[muckthenuts]

Why would you want to gain 25lb in 25 days?

I only ask because I've been there before wanting to 'bulk up' in the off season ready to turn it in to muscle for summer.

All that happens is you get fat and then have to burn it off again.

Gaining 25lb in 25 days is no different to losing 25lb in 25 days. It can't be maintained. As soon as you go back to your normal routine you'll go back to your normal weight.

What you need is a steady excess of calories spaced out over a year whilst doing some good stuff down the gym.

I certainly wouldn't be drinking 6 pints of milk whilst I wasn't in a good routine of going to the gym. You say it's your first time in a while. Get that shit sorted first. Get in to a good training routine and then figure out how many calories you need to do what you're doing.

Just throwing a load of milk down your neck is just going to make you fat.

Please feel free to take before and after pics to prove me wrong by the way

Thanks Matt definitely given me some food for thought, I mean i'm pretty much just trying things out to see what works at this stage. I really am the epitome of ectomorph and my body seems to hate putting weight on, so the idea of getting a little fat isn't too dissuasive right now lol. As a more healthy compromise though how about increased milk consumption just on workout days Mon Weds and Fri? 

[iRaise]

Why would you want to gain 25lb in 25 days?

I only ask because I've been there before wanting to 'bulk up' in the off season ready to turn it in to muscle for summer.

All that happens is you get fat and then have to burn it off again.

Gaining 25lb in 25 days is no different to losing 25lb in 25 days. It can't be maintained. As soon as you go back to your normal routine you'll go back to your normal weight.

What you need is a steady excess of calories spaced out over a year whilst doing some good stuff down the gym.



I certainly wouldn't be drinking 6 pints of milk whilst I wasn't in a good routine of going to the gym. You say it's your first time in a while. Get that shit sorted first. Get in to a good training routine and then figure out how many calories you need to do what you're doing.

Just throwing a load of milk down your neck is just going to make you fat.

Please feel free to take before and after pics to prove me wrong by the way

Thanks Matt definitely given me some food for thought, I mean i'm pretty much just trying things out to see what works at this stage. I really am the epitome of ectomorph and my body seems to hate putting weight on, so the idea of getting a little fat isn't too dissuasive right now lol. As a more healthy compromise though how about increased milk consumption just on workout days Mon Weds and Fri? 

Total Kcals per week is the best way to go. You dont need to go 'just workout' days, speshly if you struggle to put on weight.

But what Matt says is exactly right, none of the nutrition stuff matters if you aren't nailing the gym. You are going to add fat not muscle. Like with any form of body transformation, they need to compliment each other.

And you dont put 25lbs of muscle on in 25 days unless you are using PEDs. If you put on 25lbs of much in your FIRST (easiest) year of training. You have done EXTREMELY well and genetically gifted and incredibly consistent.

[muckthenuts]

The milk experiment went pretty shit... quite literally . It's simply impossible to drink that much milk and also have a life unless you know you'll be situated within 10 feet of a toilet all day! Back to wholemeal pasta and tuna tins instead and i think i prefer it lol. I've gotten into a nice routine of preparing my food the night before and making enough to last the whole day.

Feels like i've gotten back into a routine again with the gym too. Off on holiday next week and will put all manner of crap into my body during that time but it's only 5 days so shouldn't be a disaster. Will have at least 2 workout sessions before then.

Squat: 70
Bench: 40
Row: 50
OHP: 37.5 (for some reason i find this really hard)
Deadlift: 92.5

Gonna start adding dips and pullups into my workouts alternately as well. Will initially aim towards getting to 3 sets of 10 of each unassisted. Will see how i get on.

[leethefish]

gonna have to come back to this very very soon !

[EvilPie]

gonna have to come back to this very very soon !

What's wrong with tomorrow?

[leethefish]

gonna have to come back to this very very soon !

What's wrong with tomorrow?

It's Saturday bud can't start on a Saturday ;-)