MeshMan's First Season Journal

[MeshMan]

From my diet today, its be quite odd. I've felt hungry almost all day though I have took about 5 cups of green tea throughout these meals which I don't usually do, so that could be it?

So guys, just so you know, Ketosis for 2 weeks and a 1 week break after my 12 weeks of constant bulking. Would you recommened that 1 week off completely from the weights? Just incorporate some cardio for the 1 week off?

[MeshMan]

Arg, what a week! First in my old place the internet cut off so couldn't update my journal with my amazing gains in the past week. I had a chest day that went up by 5KG and got the same and more reps than the previous week! Absoloutely amazing workout, I get this growth spurts every few weeks on my chest, where all other groups progress nice and steady, chest seems to freeze for a few weeks then bang.

Had to move house this weekend and will be moving again in to my new place soon so things are up in the air at the mo so no training this week. Going to do some cardio though and try ketosis (got my ketostix at last) and that started today - see how it goes. I'm a little worried about muscle/strength loss from taking a whole week out and suddenly bringing in 3 days of cardio when previously I had none at all. Anyone any advice on this?

Going to keep my protein super high (around 300g) from chicken, mince beef, eggs, and fish. Fats around 50g, and carbs less than 25g. Will let you all know how it goes.

[MeshMan]

Second week in to Ketosis....

Started Ketosis last Monday, starting in my week break from my bulking. I added 3 days of 45 mins cardio with a few HIIT intervals mixed in, tested positive in Ketosis most days.

In my second week now and my carbs I can't even count 10g throughout the day, and I'm struggling to test for Ketosis, have no idea what I'm doing wrong......

Maybe someone could help? Here's today:

9am: 2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausages

12.30: 300g Chicken, 25g Pistachio Nuts

3.30: 300g Chicken

4.30: 25g Pistachio Nuts

8pm: 40g Whey, 10g Glutamine, 5g Creatine

8.30pm: 1 can of tuna, 50g Cottage Cheese, 50g Brocolli, 4 Omega 3-6-9, 1 Multivit

I tested at 7pm for Keto - Trace
I tested at 9pm for Keto - Nothing
I tested at 10pm for Keto - Nothing

What the hell is going on? I'm eating less than 20g carbs easy and no keto??? Can someone please help here?

Oh well, can't wait to end this horrible diet and get back to lovely oats and milk, and fruit!

[MeshMan]

Ok, finally, moved in to my new house and can resume my journal .

Not going to post my diet anymore though as thats just too much time and effort.

So...

Chest + Tris

Flat Bench Press
6 x 40KG
6 x 40KG (Assisted after 4 reps)
6 x 40KG (Assisted after 1 rep)

Dumbbell Incline Press
2 x 30KG (Ouch)
8 x 20KG
8 x 20KG Ridiculously worse than ever, don't understand the sudden strength loss

Decline Bench Press
6 x 30KG
6 x 30KG
5 x 30KG

Assisted Dips
9 x -60KG
9 x -60KG
8 x -60KG

Skull Crushers
6 x 25KG
8 x 20KG
8 x 20KG

Overhead Cable Row
10 x 17KG
10 x 17KG
10 x 17KG Really easy sets but next weight is +7.5KG and too difficult

[simon m]

Are you eating enough carbs?

Don't listen to the high fatters, they talk complete rubbish!

[MeshMan]

Hey simon, yes, eating enough carbs I think. I guess it won't hurt to post my diet now and then so here's yesterdays that gave me an appauling rubbish workout.

7am
40g Whey, 5g Glutamine (25/0/0)
50g Oats in Full Fat Milk (10/33/5)

10am
1 can of tuna on four slices of wholemeal bread (50/40/16)
1 small orange

1pm
250g Mince Beef (50/0/50)
1 small orange

4pm
40g Whey (25/0/0)
50g Oats (10/35/5)

8pm - PWO Shake
60g Whey (40/0/0)
30g Dextrose (0/30/0)
30g Maltodextrin (0/30/0)
5g Creatine
5g Glutamine

9pm
4 Eggs (28/0/28)
150g Chicken Fillet (30/0/0)
1 Multivitamin/mineral Pill
2 Pears (huge fruit craving, felt so hungry all night!)
2-finger kit kat (still craving all sorts of foods and was grabbig everything around me)

11pm
300g Cottage Cheese (36/8/6)
4 Omega-3-6-9 Caps
5g Glutamine

And it's pretty much this every day but mixed up. Weekends I completely chock up on veg as I hate cooking them in the week. Sometimes I'll get a bit of salad in the week but pretty much this range of food always.

Total Macro: 304g Protein, 176g Carbs, 110g Fats

Total Cals: 1,216c Protein, 704c Carbs, 990c Fats = 2,910 Calorie Total

Macro Ratio: 41% Protein, 24% Carbs, 34% Fats

Not the best ratio but getting the cals in!

[Tugboat]

What are your goals mate? your training and eating look a little mis matched to me.

[MeshMan]

My goals are strength/size gain, and cycled cuts.

I usually do 12 weeks of strength/size gain, then 4 weeks of cutting.

Cals are clearly too high but not sure what to do as I'm used to cooking mince a lot now as it nutritious and easy but it's high fat so can't mix it with carbs. And looking at my diet, it's not exactly carb absent.

I'm about 196lbs at 20% body fat, should only hit about 2,500 cals for growth!

[Tugboat]

Just glancing over your journal mate id say you need to revise your training a little and train 'bigger'.
You seem to do a lot of tweaking exercises and not enough big heavy compounds that will pack the mass and build up your strength. Also the rep range looks high in places (I know some think that rep range is irrellevant so long as you keep intensity high, but from experience i feel i grow better lifting heavier in the 5-8 range than i do lighter in 8-15).

Thats what i meant by the mis match in diet and training, if i had to guess what sort of trainee that diet is from i would have guessed a 100kg+ powerlifter/oly lifter or bodybuilder bulking, but the training looks more like someone putting finishing touches on

[MeshMan]

Hmm, hard to know what to do based on what you've said there Tugboat.

My chest days I do Flat Bench, leg days I do squats and back days I dead lifts, so there's all the compounds. I'm told that doing more than 9 sets per muscle group is too much, and this workout as it stands last me about 45-60 mins, so how can I up it?

I must admit, I did the 5x5 for a good 6 weeks and everything shot up, I did just 5 sets of a major compund excercise followed by 1 more tweaking exercise. I seem to have got more results from that than I do now!

James C also commented a while back that my excerises aren't good, but I can't find a balance. For example, back days, which 3 do I choose from Deads, Lat Pulldown, Dumbbell Row, Bar Row, Chin Ups, Wide grip Pull Ups etc. etc. And what better other movement is there than the dumbbell press or barbell press for chest??

What do you suggest?

I'm doing 4 days of Chest/Tris, Legs, Back/Bis, and Shoulders.

Thanks for your help Tugboat.