overall critique

[Andywest2k1]

Hi all,

Don't know whether this is in the right section but here goes.

Ive been on a lean bulk programme for a month now.

I feel like ive had relatively good results but now feel like im hitting a plateu (my be psychological).

Therefore i have a few questions for you lot (which ill put in bold).

Firstly here are my current stats:

20 years old, 5, 11" tall, 76.5kg/168.7pounds. Body fat - Unsure but have put on a little extra fat since bulking. (the machine in the gym says 9.6%)

I previously weighed 75kg/165.4pounds.

So about a 3pound increase.

Here is my typical days diet:

Upon waking 7:00-7:30am
- MP True whey shake with water.

Breakfast 8:00am:
- 1 x egg, 3 x egg whites scrambled with semi-skimmed milk and 2 slices of wholemeal toast
- around 250ml of innocent smoothie

Mid-morning snack: 10:30am
- Handfull of assorted nuts or piece of fruit.

Lunch: 12:30pm
- 2 chicken breasts
- assorted salad also including olives, jalepenos, and grated cheddar cheese.
- Brown pasta

Pre-workout 3:30pm:
- comp product containing 208cals, 18.6g carbs, Glutamine AKG, Creatine Ethyl-ester and Arginine AKG.
- Cup of strong coffee.

Workout 4:00pm:

post-workout around 5:00pm:
- Same shake as pre-workout.

Dinner 6:00-6:30pm:
- Sirloin steak/or some other type of meat or fish, x2 small sweet potato, mixture of veg.

Evening snack around 9:00pm:
MP True whey protein shake.

Before bed 11:30-12:00:
200g cottage cheese.

I also drink plenty of water and green tea.

remember this is only an example day and the meat/fish etc varies from day to day.

1) Overall views of this diet
2) Do i need the carbs for my lunch? Would eliminating these help keep the fat levels more under control whilst i am lean bulking?
3) Any other thoughts?

Here is my training regime

Day 1 - Back & Biceps
- Chin ups (back) 3x10
- E-Z barbell curls 3x6 SS Military Press 3x8
- Deadlifts 3x8
- Concentration dumbell curls 3x8
- T-bar row SS Hammer db curls both 3x8
- Seated row 3x10 dropset on final set

Day 2 - Chest
- Flat benchpress (db or bb) 3x8
- Incline or decline (alternate each session) db or bb 3x8
- weighted dips 3x10
- Wire crossovers 3x10 SS Press ups 3x12

Day 3 - Legs & Abs
- Squats or lunges 3x10 (depends which is free in the gym)
- Calf Raises 3x15
- Quad Extensions 3x12
- Various weighted and non-weighted abs exercises

Day 4 - Rest Day

Day 5 - Shoulders & triceps
- Shoulder press db or machine 3x10
- Single db behind neck extension (not sure of real name) 3x10 SS Bench dips 3x10
- Bent over db lateral raises 3x8
- Rope exentions 3x10
- Wire raises (shoulders) 3x10

Day 6 - Rest

Day 7 - Begin Cycle again.

I get a real pump after each session especially arms, however i feel my chest is lagging against how the other body parts are growing.

4) Overall views
5) Views on where ive placed rest days
6) I do no cardio at the moment (which i am really missing) Should i add some in to try and help control fat levels?

Thanks in advance,

Westy.

[Luffers]

In 2 months you've put on 3 pounds, you need to up your fat intake and eat more carbs.

Have you worked out how many calories you are eating per day ??

[Andywest2k1]

Quote

In 2 months you've put on 3 pounds, you need to up your fat intake and eat more carbs.

Have you worked out how many calories you are eating per day ??

Ive now worked out when i started the lean bulk and it was 'officially' lol the 14th July ( it just feels alot longer than that) So basically i've been at it for a month.
I'll edit my original post.

With this is mind do i still need to increase my carbs? If so wheen during the day?

[Luffers]

Ok so 3 pounds in 1 month is better but could be more tbh. I would increase your fat intake by eating your eggs whole and having a teaspoon of either walnut/olive/macadamia nut oil with your bedtime shake and see what the scale mirror does over the next month.

In regards to your training, do your back exercise's first and biceps afterwards.

[cheef]

drop the smoothie have oats with milk berries flax seed and honey

[Andywest2k1]

Quote

Ok so 3 pounds in 1 month is better but could be more tbh. I would increase your fat intake by eating your eggs whole and having a teaspoon of either walnut/olive/macadamia nut oil with your bedtime shake and see what the scale mirror does over the next month.

In regards to your training, do your back exercise's first and biceps afterwards.

I dont have a bed-time shake i just have the cottage cheese. Any meat etc i have is cooked in extra virgin olive oil.

[Andywest2k1]

Quote

drop the smoothie have oats with milk berries flax seed and honey

Cheers for the suggestion mate.

[Luffers]

Cooking in extra virgin olive oil is ok as long as you don't have the heat to high

The below is taken from WHfoods.com

Is it OK to cook with extra-virgin olive oil?

One of the main things to consider when evaluating whether it is OK to heat extra-virgin olive oil (or any other oil for that matter) is the smoke point of the oil. The smoke point is the temperature at which visible gaseous vapor from the heating of oil becomes evident. It is traditionally used as a marker for when decomposition of oil begins to take place. Since decomposition incurs chemical changes that may not only result in reduced flavor and nutritional value but also the generation of harmful cancer causing compounds (oxygen radicals) that are harmful to your health, it is important to not heat oil past its smoke point. Inhaling the vapors can also be damaging.

Oils and their smoke point

The smoke point is a natural property of unrefined oils, reflecting their chemical composition. When oil is refined, the process increases the oil's smoke point; in fact, raising the smoke point is one of the reasons why the refining process is used. To get a better idea of how refining increases the smoke point of oil, look at Table 1 that shows several examples.

Table 1

Oil type Smoke point
Canola oil, unrefined 225°F
Canola oil, semirefined 350°F
Canola oil, refined 400°
Safflower oil, unrefined 225°F
Safflower oil, semirefined 320°F
Safflower oil, refined 450°F
Soy oil, unrefined 320°F
Soy oil, semirefined 350°F
Soy oil, refined 450°F
Sunflower oil, unrefined 225°
Sunflower oil, semirefined 450°
Sunflower oil, refined high-oleic 450°

Olive oil and its smoke point

Before I discuss the specifics of the smoke point of olive oil, I want to clarify some terms used to define olive oils since these terms are often a source of confusion for many people:

Extra-virgin: derived from the first pressing of the olives (has the most delicate flavor).
Fine virgin: created from the second pressing of the olives.
Refined oil: unlike extra-virgin and fine virgin olive oils, which only use mechanical means to press the oil, refined oil is created by using chemicals to extract the oil from the olives.
Pure oil: a bit of a misnomer, it indicates oil that is a blend of refined and virgin olive oils.
Now, unlike the information presented in Table 1, the information on olive oil smoke points is, unfortunately, not very clear or consistent since different companies list different smoke points for their olive oil products; this variability most likely reflects differences in degree of processing. Generally, the "smoke point of olive oil" ranges from 220-437°F. Most commercial producers list their pure olive smoke points in the range of 425-450°F while "light" olive oil products (which have undergone more processing) are listed at 468°F. Manufacturers of extra virgin oil list their smoke points in a range that starts "just under 200°F" and that extends all the way up to 406°F. Again, the variability here is great, and most likely reflects differences in the degree of processing.

Practical tips

In principle, organic, unrefined, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil should have the lowest smoke point of all forms of olive oil since this form of the oil is the least refined, most nutrient dense and contains the largest concentration of fragile nutritive components. Based upon this, I cannot imagine exposing this type of olive oil to high heat, anymore than I can imagine exposing fresh organic flax oil or evening primrose oil. For a natural, very high-quality extra virgin olive oil, I believe the 200-250°F range reflects the most likely upper limit for heating without excessive damage. In other words, this would allow the use of extra virgin olive oil for making sauces, but not for 350°F baking or higher temperature cooking. It is best to add it to your dishes after they have been cooked to enjoy the wonderful flavor and nutritional value of olive oil.

[Andywest2k1]

much appreciated luffers.