Big Enough?

I have been on a "Get Big" plan since October 10, that's six weeks now. I am wondering if I should stop or keep going?

 

I have to gain weight to gain lean mass, and I have been doing a good job keeping the fat at bay, but when you gain, it's not 100% muscle, there is always some fat in the mix.

Don't get me wrong, no one would say I am fat in any way, shape or form, but I am not the mean, lean machine I used to be and it's hard to get used to it.

My stomach certainly isn't tight and flat any longer, in fact it looks similar to many mid sections I see on bikini competitors- and that's not a look I particularly care for, soft and smooth.

I was grocery shopping on Wednesday and the clerk said "your arms are really getting big!"....hmm, that's the plan but when do I stop?

My back is looking fairly wide too, and with a good taper.

I guess I am a bit afraid that I will just get so big, that it will be hard to drop down again when I want to, although I have actually plateaued at 127 pounds, which is only 7 pounds over competition weight, so I really could gain a bit more and be OK.

I am eating more, incorporating fruit, beef, some low fat cheese and bread on occasion, even some pasta now and again.

You see,  to gain weight, you must have a caloric surplus (eat more calories than you expend in a day), and to lose weight, you must have a caloric deficit (eat less calories than you expend in a day).

It's not as simple as either eating more or eating less though, that is where the novice fails. When gaining, most people don't want to gain fat, they want to gain lean mass. This means that you increase calories a slight amount, it can be as little as 300 calories more a day, or in the case of a very large male, it could be a couple thousand. Those calories cannot be any calories, if you ingest a bunch of saturated fats and alcohol and empty calories (junk), it will be fat you gain and not lean muscle mass.

So I have been eating more of the same foods I regularly eat, but I have also been enjoying life and eating some regular foods, foods I will probably have to start cutting back soon.

To make sure I am gaining, I have increased  my carbohydrate immediately after lifting, and the two meals following. I have incorporated more healthy fats, and then relaxed on the proteins (meaning I am eating more beef and not so much fish).

I am lifting really heavy, and sticking to the basics like squats, lunges, pull ups, chin ups, t-bar rows and some kettlebells. I am still running those 300 stairs everyday at work too, rain or shine.

I guess a few more weeks won't hurt, then I can pull back a bit and see how things are looking.

Quadzilla (lite)

I was reading Natural Muscle Magazine and ran across an article by Steve Shaw called "the Quadzilla, 60 Minutes of Leg Destruction" he said it was named after the King of Quads, Tom Platz.

I am forever attempting to get bigger quads, so this caught my eye. Now the only problem with this workout was it was designed to do only once a month.   Not sure about you, but I pretty much detest anything that comes around once a month, so I decided I would alter it to fit my needs.

 This is designed where you will perform your squats at 60% to 70% of your one rep max. You will be doing a lot of squats, so don't try to load the plates on too much!

I did this on Thursday, and could already feel them that afternoon. Friday, I was sore. Saturday I was popping Advil. Not only were my quads in pain, my glutes hurt too, I was a pathetic sight. Sunday, today as I write this, I am sore still, but it is fading. Good thing cause I gotta hit them again on Monday morning.

Mondays are always "Bench Press Mondays' for the guys, they all come in swaggering after the weekend and want to prove how tough they are again. This is good, because it keeps them out of my squat rack. They can lay on their bench grunting and I have the squat rack all to myself!

Here is Quadzilla Lite (1)

Front Squat 5x8 125 pounds
Back Squat 5x10 135 pounds

Hamstring curls 8x10 20 pounds added to machine

Leg Extension 5x10 90 pounds

Lunge Walking 30 seconds walk, 30 seconds rest holding 20 pound dumbbells in each hand. Repeat 5 times.

I plan to incorporate Quadzilla Lite (2) and Quadzilla Lite (3). My changes will be adding RDL's one day and leg press in the other in instead of the hamstring curl. It may prove to be way too much and I might have to go back down to two times a week, but I will never know unless I try right?

He advises to "eat like a monster" post workout, I do like that advise, in fact, I have been doing quite a bit of that, I have gained 7 pounds since the 2nd. I will soon have to stop eating like that, I am looking a little sloppy, but I can clean up fairly fast, in just a couple weeks actually.

But I am still giving myself some leeway, at least for another week or so. Then it's back to the same 'ol, same 'ol!
 

I know that pain does not mean a good workout, nor is it always desirable, but it really did hurt so good, I had this in my head all weekend long!  (Email subscribers may need to navigate directly to the blog to see the embedded video)