Increasing Volume

You know, finding that "niche", that "thing", that special "something" that gives you chills up and down your spine is a feeling that people can spend their entire life looking for.

It could be watching car racing on TV. Maybe its having a prize show dog. Shooting a powerful rifle. It could be anything. Something that gives you the feeling of  power, purpose and accomplishment. Something that makes you proud of your hard work.

I have found mine, there is no question about it , and lately, I have felt like I am in overdrive. 

It comes from breaking out of the feeling of being complacent. 

Comfortable.

Set.

OK.

Doing Just Fine.

When we start to feel that "everything is going just fine and smoothly", that's when it can all break down and things can get......messy. 

The body loves to be comfortable and will make sure that it has just what it needs to feel relaxed, well fed and not stressed. 

it's called Homeostasis. Our bodies work very, very hard to remain the same, to adapt to the environment, to chug along without making any waves.  Our minds work with the body to convince us that we don't need to do anything extra.

So if you don't change your training, if you don't challenge your body, it will adapt and it will not grow, it will not improve. It will do only what it needs to stay the same.

It's so easy to keep going to the gym doing the same thing, thinking that we are doing our bodies good. 

Doing the same thing over and over is what your body wants to be cozy. Does "cozy" evoke thoughts of sexy? Of ripped? Of lean and hard? Nooooo

Cozy is the opposite word of what I strive for.

I have known for years that I must change my training to grow. I do change it, but I also fall into the same trap that we all do, repeating the same workout or the same weights over and over again.

It should change every week, really. You should not go in this Monday and do the same weights and reps you did last Monday, where is the improvement in that? 

I have made a personal challenge to increase my pull ups and chin ups every week, and it has been so successful I  am shaking my head that I didn't do this earlier.

I train my Back on Sundays, and when I get close to a competition I also add in Wednesday mornings. 

Three weeks ago this was my chin up set:

With a weight belt and a total of 9 1/2 pounds added:

4, 5, 6, 6, 6 ,6 for a total of 27 chin ups

Two weeks ago:

With a weight belt and a total of 9 1/2 pounds added:

5, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 for a total of 36 chin ups (11 more)

Last week:

With a weight belt and a total of 9 1/2 pounds added:

5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 for a total of 46 chin ups (10 more than the previous week and 21 more than two weeks ago!)

This Sunday my goal is to try to hit 7 on each set. I have a mental block about getting past that #6 mark, and Roy said that a lot of people stop right there, I have no idea why!

Remember that even adding just a couple more each session is improvement, it doesn't have to be drastic, but just a bit more. It will not only improve your physique, but give your mind that mental boost of accomplishment to keep you going for yet a another session!

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.