Thread: Time for my bulk I thinks...

Well after many many years of battling the bulge and never really bulking at any stage during my lifting career, I've decided that now is the time when I dedicate some time to tweaking my whole way of life toward that of a bulk. It will of course be a lean/clean bulk as much as possible as I will be too scared of putting on fat due to - I guess you could call it - a slow metabolism. I'm going to dedicate the next 2-3 weeks of solid dieting/cutting before I have all my "stars" in alignment, then go balls to the wall training, supplementing and eating. My lifting will remain the same, I'm lifting heavy weights with a great deal of intensity at the moment (for reasons I'll get into a bit later), my diet will not necessarily be recorded, but will include 7-8 meals (2x shakes max), protein and clean carbs in every meal, and as low fat as possible. I might take some pics just before I start the bulk for comparisons at the end, and I'll keep at least weekly updates as to how I'm going/progressing/feeling and even some personal bests that I'm proud of...

Watch this space!!!

Looking forawrd to it!

Touching on the training side - A few months ago I herniated one of my disks slightly in my lower back after maxing out on deadlifts (I felt it go in the last rep), I paid a visit to the gp, got a scan and found out that I've got a few other general wear and tear issues in my lower back. After the gp said to me I've gotta stop lifting ALTOGETHER, I took a few weeks off from the gym, took a few pain meds, then slowly but surely got back to the weights I was lifting before the bulged disk. I am still taking it easy on squats and deads, if I do them at all, but the disk is pretty much all better, I've just got a bit of an ache from the wear and tear issues. I do also wear my belt pretty much all the time now as well as a precaution which has helped alot. Anyhoo, while I've been having some time to contemplate the injuries, my training, my future, etc, I've come to the conclusion that I have become a little lazy in the gym. Be it form, intensity, weight, whatever, I haven't been pushing myself the way I should be. I never really went past failure lately, barely even up to it, never really put enough on the bar to benefit me in any way, and I'm sure you can imagine the rest. So now that I have a better understanding of form, what it does and how it feels when it is wrong, I have been able to push myself harder and further than before. In the last month I have put on a substantial amount of new muscle (naturally), and have gotten back the drive for weights that I had lost but not realised. So now my training will always include maxing out and when applicable, going past failure, and I think I will start implementing the 7's at the end of my workout - I have used it a little and I have made some awesome gains!! But most of all, I'm going to prove the gp wrong and make my back stronger than ever, one way or another!

Proving the GP wrong will be easy> I bulged disk in my lower back to the point of not being able to walk. As long as i do so very simple core strength exercises 3-4 times a week im fine and pain free!!! Maybe try that. and its not the exercises you think you'd be doing. its very light weight and easy to do. just a bit time consuming. i can post up some of the exercises if any1 likes...

Originally Posted by Thrasha

Proving the GP wrong will be easy> I bulged disk in my lower back to the point of not being able to walk. As long as i do so very simple core strength exercises 3-4 times a week im fine and pain free!!! Maybe try that. and its not the exercises you think you'd be doing. its very light weight and easy to do. just a bit time consuming. i can post up some of the exercises if any1 likes...

Yeah man, post away, I'm keen as!

Nice work IW2BC looking forward to seeing the before and after photo's.

Originally Posted by IW2BC

Yeah man, post away, I'm keen as!

man i cant find it at the mo lol. Ill give my desk a clean and im sure it will pop up. Its basically fit ball work with light weights... sorry, ill make sure i find it

Good luck with the bulk mate. I'll be interested in your results.

Well I'm now 2 days into my bulk, and I'm pretty pissed at the start. First day was Chest and my bloody elbow flared up with tendonitis I think and it killed to train, but couple days past it now and its not too bad. I did however feel stronger than usual, pushed out a few extra reps, and still managed a good pump.

Yesterday I did Back, and still felt it in my elbow slightly, couple that with lost concentration worrying about my elbow and I had a pretty shit session on back. Again I did lift a few extra reps considering.

I might just leave it with chest, back and legs, have 2 days rest and see how the elbow feels then. Hopefully the extra rest and a bit more joint supps will help get the elbow back on track.

So anyway I started my bulk at 110kg, weight has fluctuated the last few days but hasn't increased, which is good for my standards lol. I'll hopefully get some pics up tonight for some before shots. I still feel pretty shit from finishing nights last week, haven't really caught up with sleep yet I think, might have a few more carbs today before I hit the legs hard...

Keep it up mate. I know elbow tendinitis can be a problem. I suffered that last month but basically did the same as you. Some rest and joint supps. Good as gold now.

Chest again today, elbow felt really good, still felt it though a little.

Was really strong considering, and had a really god session. Last week I made up for the 2 shit sessions by absolutely smashing my legs and couldn't walk too well for a few days.

Still haven't got to those bloody pics lol...

Just finished week 2 of my bulk. Last session was legs today and I really nailed it. I did free weight squats for the first time since I bulged a disk and I felt very strong and my back felt awesome. I managed 170kg (including the bar). My elbow is still giving me the shits, but not as bad, hopefully a couple days off it will help, I've been resting it up so far and its coming good. Had a really good chest workout, thrashed my shoulders and back, but arms I took it easy cause it was affecting my elbow a little too much.

I've taken some pics and put them in the members gallery for the purpose of comparisons for this bulk, start and finish, and I'll take some hopefully every few weeks.

If anyone is interested - IW2BC - Members Pics

Nice wheels cuz.

legs are looking good mate, what's the back training look like with the injury, you can tell your still lagging in the back because of it.

Originally Posted by Online Nutrition

legs are looking good mate, what's the back training look like with the injury, you can tell your still lagging in the back because of it.

At the moment I'm training heavy again, but I havent gone too far with deads yet. I've started incorporating chins now though, hopefully that'll help a little too. The injury certainly did a number on me in all departments lol. I might start doing deads with high reps low weight I think...

what does your back day workout look like?

Originally Posted by IW2BC

If anyone is interested - IW2BC - Members Pics

Looking good champ. Keep at it.

Originally Posted by Online Nutrition

what does your back day workout look like?

At the moment its a bit all over the place, bit of instinctive training, mainly cause I train at 1 gym with hardly any machines while at work, then when home I have machines galore.

While at work I tend to do lat pulls / chins, cable rows (wide or narrow depending), bent over barbell rows, dumbell rows, then sometimes T-bar rows, a bit of a Frankenstein row on a chest press lol. I like to do 15 heavy sets not including warm up/weight acclimation sets.

While home I use mainly Panatta machines for lat pulls (wide and close grip), high/low rows, then add in cable rows and bent over rows. Still all heavy sets, but I have a bit more time to spend in the gym so its around 15 sets depending how the workout is going.

I'm going to start incorporating deads again, but not as heavy and just do higher reps. Hopefully that'll help in the back department.

Your legs look good mate

Just about to start week 4 now, and so far I've put on about 7kg, including fluid. I'm feeling pretty strong at the moment, I've put 10kg on my bench, started squatting free weights again, and lifting some pretty decent weights on back. The missus tells me that I have gotten bigger (she only sees me for one week out of 3) and I can tell in my clothes that I've gotten a little bigger. I also feel really tight everywhere, it feels awesome. Every training session pretty much I get a better pump and better DOMS than I have in a long time, so I'm feeling really good at the moment.

I've got chest today again, my favorite day by far, lol, and my elbow is pretty much all better, haven't felt it in a week or so, well not major anyway. So my goal today being my week off work as well, get in all my meals, train hard as fuck, then do absolutely nothing....