Interlude

Not much to post about really... I plod on. Adding a fiver or a tenner on and off, eating my macros. Weights update:

Bench - 45 DBs
Squat - 165
Deadlift - 245
Row - 95 assuming 25 lb barbell
Leg press - 360

Today's my birthday! Celebrated with a leg session that almost killed me. Is the protein working? Too early to tell but I'd like to think it is.

I'm also participating in an office event where "steps" are measured with a pedometer and to max my count, i've committed to a 5k walk. Gym sessions also count but this way I guess I'll get some cardio in. Not oblivious to the double chin, just waiting for some decent strength numbers....

proteins yahhhh

it begins! 6 egg whites and a fist of chicken breast to kick things off. so this is now a typical day:

pre workout banana
half cup of instant oats in milk w/ walnuts
3 egg whites+1yolk
chicken breast + veg, 1 tsp olive oil and spices
3 egg whites+1yolk
1 chapati + whatever bhaji in the haus

This is gonna be my life for a month or so and then i'm planning to ease in the whey. I SHOULD be getting around 50 gm of the good stuff with my current eats.

Gyms going on as usual! Another 10 lb to my deads and its also time to move up to 45s for my bench dumbbells. Happy.
 

Sugar Normal!

WOOHOO my blood report's back and my sugar levels are now normal. Doc's happy with my progress, this is a monkey off my back. My meds have remained the same so i'd like to believe this is a happy side effect of all the iron i've been moving.

However, she did tell me to take it easy on the protein and to check for serum/creatine the next time i did my tests. So i'm thinking i'll start off with maybe 75 gm a day and do my checks after 3 months. Should be good enough to see some results and not too serious to mess with my system. Also totally ruled out gear and will probably nay creatine supplements as well. Not too busted about the gear since I intend to remain natty, but I wonder how much the creatine bit will affect my gains...

Odd leg day today, I went too deep with 1 plate and had to roll the bar. But then I did a couple sets, not ATG but still below parallel and managed 2 more sets with 10 and 20 lbs more. Good stuff but I wonder if my form is ok...

On other achievements, leg pressed 4 plates for 3 sets and moved up my leg extension dropsets by 1 plate as well. Also added another 20 lbs to my SDLs. Exciting times.

quickie

off to the doctor today to check up on my sugar levels and make sure i can start my protein. fingers crossed!

good chest day... time to move up to 45s for dumbbell press, and lower the resistance for dips too.

I think I'm clinically dead

My friends, be well prepared for the demands of working out the heavies twice a week, if you are so inclined. One week in and I feel like the spark plug of a Parsi-owned Yezdi. The initial idea was to have one off day a week but I'm so bushed that I've been taking one every two days. Too early to tell if its had any impact though, particularly since the proteins haven't started yet. I know I know I'LL GET TO IT

Good leg day today, though the last couple of squat sets were a bit iffy, not too bad though. Put on another 5 in there for the last two sets. The rage rush didnt turn out so good though.... I glared at the mirror as balefully as I could manage but didnt explode out of the squat like I thought I would. Oh well some days stuff clicks I guess.

One discovery I have made is that standing calf raises beat seated silly when it comes to working out them baby cows. My babies feel like they've been put through hell. Useful to know when you have one hour a day to spend in the gym and every minute saved counts.

Jeans success is best success

32 WAIST JEANS MUTHAFUCKAAAA

This is amazing. i used to wear 32s when I was in college and even then my gut used to spill out like an explosion in a treacle factory. Still does, but not so much and not enough to get me down anyway. I'm gonna relish this, more so since I just found out there are chicks in the gym who leg press more than I do. Hoo boy :(

I'M GONNA RELISH THIS

I have serendipitously discovered the value of adrenaline while moving iron. Squats last Saturday and I stare at myself and let out a huge mindroar which totally pumped me up and led to the most explosive set I've done so far. If my earphones would just stay on and my phone wasnt so expensive I'd totally be taking it along and blasting Slayer while I worked out. Until then I'll just have to make do with imaginary scenarios of me beating the shit out of random ugly people.

So I was able to add 5s to my barbell row and the time is ripe to do the same for squats and deadlifts as well. Working out the biggies twice a week is taxing as fuck but I believe the rewards will be proportionate. More so since the diet changes will also kick in from next week. I'm going for around 75 gm of protein a day to start with, equally divided between a scoop of powder, egg whites and chicken breast. Lets see what happens after that.

Baby got back

Well its called a pull day but its as good as back day I guess! Shuffled things around a bit, starting off with 4 sets of wide-grip chinups for 8 reps (assisted - I are still fat ass) and then going on to deadlifts, overhand/underhand rows and finally finishing off with lat pulldowns.

Theres not much room for variation when one needs to stick to old school movements so the best thing to do is to mix up the order and that worked well for me today, I got a nice squeeze on my lats which I havent had in a while. Plus i think i have room to amp up my rows weight now, toss another 5 lbs in there.

Its hard to write about my progress when the stories I read for inspiration have such enormous numbers... 400-500 lb deadlifts, 500-600 lb squats, insane feats of fitness. Its hard not to get discouraged, and i WAS discouraged. But its at your lowest point when you need to be the strongest, and take a little help if you need to. I poked a new hole in my belt yesterday and the rush that gave me has to keep me going for another couple months now. its a painfully slow game so be prepared!

Back off, you lawyer vultures

I took down the pictures I'd posted on my previous posts, after waking up today morning and panicking that I might get sued. Pity, I didnt want a wall of text but I cant be bothered to take cool-ass pictures on my phone to put up here. Focus!

So Saturday was pulls and today was push. I quite like this new arrangement, though I'd want to run through a typical cycle without interruptions to see how I feel.

4 x 10 Flat Dumbbell press (25,40,40,35)
4 x 10 Assisted Dips
4 x 10 incline dumbbell press (25, 35, 35, 25)
 Tricep work

I'm having trouble setting goals. Should I be trying to burn fat? Get stronger? Put on muscle? Eat more? Eat less? I FEEL fitter than 6 months ago but that's so vague. My weights have definitely been increasing but I think the rate of progress will plateau and drop pretty soon.

Putting in protein is the hard part. I've come to realise how carb-centric Indian food is, pulses and legumes notwithstanding. The cultural shift here is the hard part, mostly because my babe's gotta be a part of this whole scheme. Well, step 1 should be protein shakes I suppose.

Forgive me padre, for i have sinned....

I think this blog is an ideal way to chronicle my lapses, which are usually dietary. Met an old friend on Wednesday and we ended up polishing off a bottle of wine each, in addition to some fondue. Now I don't "regret" eating or drinking anymore.... I would do it again . Getting a good attitude around food is important, but it takes time to happen and comes automatically when you maintain a sense of discipline around nutrition most of the time. And no way is my fitness regime gonna come in the way of my life - no matter what motivational posters Instagram throws at me. If I can't pig out with my wife or eat a slice of my own delicious banana bread, I'd rather stay tubby and content.

BUT, that's not going to happen because I'm right back on track and killing quads today! Did not repeat the mistakes I made last time and warmed up well, sticking to form on my squats and ending leg extensions with a dropset that almost made me throw up. Best feeling ever. Also tried straight leg deads today for a few sets. I had my concerns around this exercise because I couldn't see how it incorporated hammies, but boy was I wrong. Go heavy on this one, you wont regret it.

Aah the pain

Leg DOMS dont hit you immediately. Mine lie in wait for a day or two until one fine morning, you're trying to haul ass out of bed and suddenly your quads go "yeah, i fuckin quit". Nothing to blame but bad form and overloading. A bit of bad form is fine but i stretched it and paid the price. Loaded 4 plates on the leg press without a warmup as well, and ended up with the squash of shame. Good thing that machine had safety guards or my knees might have pierced my lungs. MOST IMPORTANTLY, no one was around to see me fail. Best part of working out on Sundays.

So I guess I officially started off on my push-pull-legs split! Not doing isolation work feel counterproductive but I'm going to trust Rippetoe et al and place my faith in compounds. This of course leaves no space for cardio. Cry me a river.

The last part of the puzzle is diet. Need to amp up the protein, I'm definitely not getting my 150 grams every day, this part needs to fall into place. Seeing the following on my plate in large quantities:

Chicken Breast
Eggs
Skimmed Milk
Lentils
Peanuts

Everything else I've done has managed to fit in my lifestyle without too much fuss, but this will be different. Will have to resume macro and calorie monitoring. Expect some backlash from the missus as well. No one said this was gonna be easy.

Shirts that fit wahooo

Back day today, more of the usual. Consolidated my deadlifts at two plates.. cant wait to hit 3. Thats as far as the cage allows anyway. Found a picture below - its not very evident but the barbell is guided along x and y axes. 320 lb max load pshaw. What is this a gym for ants. (picture removed)

I am super stoked though - shopped for shirts yesterday and I've dropped down from 42 - regular fit to 40-slim fit. It just feels amazeballs. Shopping for fit used to be an alien concept...

Curlz for the girlz

Well, today was bicep day.

EZ bar curls 4x10
Hammer Curls 4x10
Preacher Curls 4x10
Concentration Curls 4x10
Forearm twisties 4x10

I'm never happy with my workout structure and always looking to mess around with it, well, think about messing around with it anyway. So right now the flavor of the month that has me interested is a push-pull-legs split, twice a week and a rest day. I'm happier doing heavy compounds anyway so I may move to this pattern. Theres hardly any meat on these chicken wings to be doing curls anyway, lets get that first.

Yesterday's dinner looked like the picture perfect meal - roti for carbs, eggs for protein and veggies. Havent spoken about diet so far so here's what I'm doing. I started tracking calories on MFP about 6 months ago and am eating a 500 cal deficit below TDEE, about 1500 cals. I got a fair idea about the kind of calories in each food item so i dont track it anymore. I dont consume processed sugar in any form, except for maybe a slice of homemade cake once a week. I dont do sodas and only drink green tea. Other than that I dont particularly avoid any foods - I have a samosa if I feel like it. Which is rare, I enjoy eating clean.

 I dont think one should follow a cheat meal concept and treat food like a reward. Food is a beautiful glorious thing which should be enjoyed to the fullest and, as with all good things, in moderation. Your bodies are beautiful glorious things too. I've been guilty of trying to pep myself up with a bowl of chips or other fried snacks. Not anymore.

Brother, wife and I hit the movies yesterday to catch the evening show of Wolverine (tickets at half price awww yisss). Hugh Jackman is the shit. What I've read of his workouts enforces my belief in compound movements. Dude is crazy buff.

Deadlift PR!

Praise the gods, I managed to get up and hit the weights today! Wailing babies and disturbed sleep do not a swoldier make and by god I need my 6 hours or I cant do shit. Today was back day and one pre-workout banana later, the following happened:

Warmup
Deadlift - Warmup + 3 sets (Last one 180 x 2)
Bent over rows - 3 sets at 50 + bar
Assisted pullups - 3 x 8
Lat pulldown - 3 x 10
Row machine - 3 x 10

Usual breakfast of oatmeal + 1 cup milk and some almonds. Snacked on a pear.

This damn fat loss is taking its own sweet time. There ARE changes - my clothes feel oversized, my legs definitely look chunky and after an eternity, I HAS BUTT. I'm guessing I'm adding muscle and burning fat, which is why my weight's fairly static. My insatiable desire for quantifiable progress is a pain in the ass. But you just gotta hunker down, believe and soldier on. Taking heart from my progress so far - took me 4 months to DL one plate and added the second plate in another 2 months. Im happy if I can add a 45 every 2 months until i'm satisfied. When is that? I dont know, 400 seems to be a nice round number at the moment. For some strange reason, today is the day I finally believe I can pull those weights. Maybe it was the 2 plates today, I dont know.

Signing off with Konstantin Konstantinov for inspiration. What a beast!(image removed)

Day 2

Monday
Breakfast - 4 scoops of oats in a cup of milk - 287 cal
Snack - 1 boiled egg - 77 cal
Lunch - 2 phulkas and rajma curry - 376 cal


Workout - nix. I drown in shame.

Fun Fact - I will slice off a tit if it keeps me from doing cardio. Unforgivable, I know. Reddit would have you believe cardio doesnt matter, it sucks and so on but maybe that's true for fat loss at the fringe - from 10% to 8% for example. To get from 25% to 15% may be LISS cardio's ball game.

All hypothetical knowledge at this juncture. I hesitate to propound anything unless I've tried it out first and seen the results for myself, and anything in the fitness space requires time and patience. So bit of shooting in the dark going on right now, lets see where that takes us.

Day 1

This blog may not live past five posts, but anyway. I will attempt to chronicle my progress at fat loss, strength gain and maybe eventually muscular development as well.

 Vital Stats - 5' 6", 77.5 kgs, 25% BF.

Goals - when I started off the goal was to get to 65 kgs. I'm not sure anymore, my workouts have resulted in significant muscle addition, particularly to the legs. Maybe I'll keep a BF goal, say 15%?

My workouts draw from the principles of Starting Strength with heavy emphasis on bench, squat and deadlift, with some isolation work thrown in. I frequent the fitness forums in reddit and the articles in bodybuilding.com and t-nation.com.

Bench has taken a bit of a kick following a rotator cuff problem probably- haven't gotten around to diagnosing it fully yet - so am taking it easy and sticking to dumbbell presses and dips for chest.

Squats are in a power cage with guided barbell - not sure how much that thing weighs but definitely not 45 lbs. Maybe around 20 or so is my best guess. Current PR is 120 lbs for 2 reps + bar weight.

Deadlift PR is 160 lbs + bar weight.

Not impressive or inspiring numbers by any standards but they're mine and I love them, haha.

Maybe will post photographs one day if I feel brave enough.

I'm excited at the prospect of this blog, with these humble beginnings, being a source of inspiration to a fitness enthusiast one day. The first few months have taught me a few things which I think must be internalized by anyone seeking to improve himself or herself:

If people aren't calling you crazy and obsessed, you're doing it wrong. The demands this lifestyle make of you cannot be met without just the tiny bit of madness.

The first couple months are the hardest. Afterwards, the iron is its own reward.

It's important to have clear goals. Personally I don't have them right now - my knowledge, my capacity and my body are changing, which is making setting a goal pretty difficult. Presently focused on getting stronger.

Which leads me to my next point. Get stronger. Everyone should be able to squat their own body weight and deadlift atleast twice that. EVERYONE. Your aesthetic goals are secondary to having a fit core that is capable of hard work whenever you require it to.


The chapters henceforth will have details Of my workout, diet and any other stuff I find interesting, relevant. This looks to be a good ride.

" everybody wanna be a bodybuilder, but don't nobody wanna lift this heavy-ass weight!" - Ronnie Coleman.

Light Weight baby!