Building Muscle Vicariously

[Vicarious]

Alittle about me.

32 yo
209lbs
5'8"
arms 17.25
thighs: 26
neck: 18
chest; 45
waist: 37

After gearing up for a ph cycle I looked in my cart and saw the total to be around 280 for a 6 week cycle and required PCT treatments. And i said hmmmmm, why don't I just learn how to eat and lift a little better and see what happens...its alot cheaper in the long run.

Been working out since I was 14. In my mid 20's I was at 194lbs and a sub 7% BF. Ahhhhh, the unbearable lightness of graduate school. Worked out 2 to 5 hours a day, played full court basketball for hours on end, and divided the rest of my time among other activities required for 20 somethings. Met my wife at 27 and immediately ballooned to 223 in about 8 months and preceed to take the next 3 yrs off from fitness. The Sh*t hit the fan one day when I saw a pic of myself and I looked like a skinny fat guy, a pear with arms and legs. I was about 195 and a slob so I hit the gym again. Its been about 2 yrs now back in the gym. Had to take about 3 months off to get over a little cancer I got almost a year ago to the day, but alls good now and I'm off.

I'm looking to pack on muscle without gaining much fat if any thereby reducing my BF%. May cut afterwards just to see


Here we go day one. At first glance I was worried that I would be hungry between meals...not to worry about that!!! holy moly Its nice to be full all day keeps me from wanting to cheat. Meal prep isn't a big deal for me, i'm used to eating 6times a day and my job lets me eat whenever I want. I'm pretty confident i can nail the diet just about every day.

I'm not really interested in weights so much with this program though I know eating like this increasing weight will be easy. I just want to look better. Once I notice the weights changing I'll log it. I've attached recent pic and i'll put another one up mid stream to compare. should be interesting, like a muscle-tech add in FLEX..except it'll be the same person and only a month will have passed...besides that the same thing.

 

[yeahright]

Best of luck!

 

[Dwight Schrute]

:dance:

 

[Vicarious]

Day 2: feeling well, staying on diet 100%. I'm actually a little hungry and almost dove face first into a crowler cookie but I held fast.

Workout is tough to get used to. I had to drop down in weights to keep the neg and pos timing, some ego adjustment was in order. All the counting in my head keeps me from really feeling the muscles work. Its a bit uncomfortable but I do feel a little sore in places I usually don't so something's working.

Overall feeling very well - feeling very anabolic, muscles are full and tight, energy is consistant all day. i usually have a cup or two of coffee in the afternoon. Today i didn't need it at all and I hope thats a trend.


Day off tommorrow.

 

[Vicarious]

end of week 1 and getting ready to kick off week 2. So far so good I would say. Got on the scale this morning and still 210 (though I might have been around 208 when i started). Workouts were humbling having to drop in weight to keep with the neg and pos counts. The only excersises I could stick with the same weights throughout were alt Db curls and leg presses. Most everything else took a hit. I'm chalking that up to getting used to the program. i've kept a log of my progress so I wont waste any effort finding the right weights this week. Still feel pretty full and sometimes I get that tingly 'on' feeling in my muscles. Diet has been 99% on save missing a serving of protein and having to substitute a cup of nonfat cottage cheese for it. to the gym I'm off.

 

[Vicarious]

End of week 2. Diet has been right on except for last night. Went to a dinner comedy theatre and had 4 beers. Ate pretty well though (pan seared tuna--hmmm hmmm good).

Noticed my strength coming back this week using more the 2:2 timing. This timing is more like my natural movement. overall I'm just bit bigger. May be the fact I'm taking in more quality carbs but i see my lats spreading out a bit more. haven't taken any pics of measurements yet.

3 meals into the day I'm 215 right now, that's a +6. That may be a bit ballooned from the 4 beers I had last night (beer kills me).

Couldn't help it. Just measured my chest and its at 46". An inch of growth in 2 weeks! :box: I had a feeling. I'm stopping there though, don't want to know anymore right now.

i know I'm looking more muscular b/c my wife stopped complaing about my eating habits and she keeps checking me with the evil eyes, so i know somethings up!

Right now my diet and program is up. My quesiton is. Do i start over at day 1 or am i getting another diet and program. i ask because the program is dated for the last 2 weeks, leading me to believe theres more to it.

If i can keep this improvement over the next 6 weeks I'll be extremely pleased. So far this is the best "supplement" decision I've ever made.:clap2:

 

[Jayhawkk]

Good luck, you definately made a good decision. This type of stuff lasts much longer than any supp you could buy over the counter or otherwise. Looking at your pic you have what appears to be a nice wide powerlifting frame.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Email sent.

 

[Vicarious]

Good luck, you definately made a good decision. This type of stuff lasts much longer than any supp you could buy over the counter or otherwise. Looking at your pic you have what appears to be a nice wide powerlifting frame.

Thanks for putting nicely...aka..short and stubby

 

[Jayhawkk]

haha, no you have a good solid looking frame. I prefer those than the 20 inch waste version. It was definately a compliment.

 

[0-hero]

Excellent progress so far,

not looking forward to the ratio's ha ha, but then again this routine gives the impression you need to leave your ego at the door.

Did you consciously count 1,2,3 UP, 1,2 DOWN etc?

I can only imagine how much my weights are going to drop, hopefully not as much as my bodyfat though

 

[Vicarious]

Did you consciously count 1,2,3 UP, 1,2 DOWN etc?

yes i keep track in my head. For me i count regular for the positive movement but keep track of my reps on the negative movement. i.e. for a 2:2, I would count 1-2 on the pos but for neg I would count 1-1. The next rep would be 1-2 for pos then 1-2 for neg, then 1-2 pos and 1-3 on neg etc....it works for me.

 

[Vicarious]

CRUSHED a Leg press PR today. Previous record, 22 plates for a 1 rep. Today, 22 plates for 8. I couldn't walk when I was finished and I actually rolled onto the floor and prayed i wouldn't puke because I couldn't make it to the garbage can.

 

[Vicarious]

start of the 4th week here. Definitely putting on weight. My "walk around the day weight" is 220-223. Crushed another record today on inclince bench. I'm not much of a bencher. Ususally do working sets with 225. Today banged out 2 sets of 265 of 8 reps. Pretty good for 3 weeks. I can't say enough about this. the diet and the resultant pumps at the gym rival NO products I've used. Carbs...who knew?

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Sshhh.....food works

 

[Vicarious]

I wont say a thing...but seriously, this is crazy
:bb3:

 

[Vicarious]

wore a tank top at the gym for the first time since i started "the program". holy crap! I had 2 people i usually see at the gym ask me what I was on...food i said...alot of it. I don't think they believed me.

One more thing. I'm constantly sweating my a$$ off..all day long. Last night my wife was shivering in the house while I was walking around in my underware with sweat dripping my upper lip. Is that from my metabloism working in overdrive? I feel fine. I absolutely HAVE to wear undershirts at work or I sweat through my shirts like a fat man taking the stairs. And forget a cup a coffee..good god.

 

[Vicarious]

Been gone a while. had to take a few days off to travel up to NH for a funeral. i still got in a good workout and ate pretty well considering ( i just had to got out for lobster and steamers and a plate of fried sea scallops. Its mandatory when i head up north).

Thus far. It seems i'm rounding thrid base here and coming home. Got a week left.

I've recently started putting more weight on around the mid section. not too much though, it was expected. I'll take measurements on sunday and post. then its definitely time to cut.

this morning i was 219, thats about 10 pounds since i started. Strength is still going up every 2 weeks or so.

my upper and mid back has developed nicely. Lats have spread a bit more and filled out a bit (lats have always been a problem with me - see pic).

this morning I ended my incline with 275 for 9 reps. that was one more than the program called for but I felt i could do it. i'll go to 285 next time. Sure would be nice to hit the 315 mark for reps. everything else seems to be moving right along increasing some days, flattening out on others. not a big deal to me. I feel great but carrying around this weight all day is starting to get to me.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Been gone a while. had to take a few days off to travel up to NH for a funeral. i still got in a good workout and ate pretty well considering ( i just had to got out for lobster and steamers and a plate of fried sea scallops. Its mandatory when i head up north).

Thus far. It seems i'm rounding thrid base here and coming home. Got a week left.

I've recently started putting more weight on around the mid section. not too much though, it was expected. I'll take measurements on sunday and post. then its definitely time to cut.

this morning i was 219, thats about 10 pounds since i started. Strength is still going up every 2 weeks or so.

my upper and mid back has developed nicely. Lats have spread a bit more and filled out a bit (lats have always been a problem with me - see pic).

this morning I ended my incline with 275 for 9 reps. that was one more than the program called for but I felt i could do it. i'll go to 285 next time. Sure would be nice to hit the 315 mark for reps. everything else seems to be moving right along increasing some days, flattening out on others. not a big deal to me. I feel great but carrying around this weight all day is starting to get to me.

How much around the mid section? Visible fat or just increases girth overall?

 

[Vicarious]

abs have receeded a bit but i would say overall girth in general. I'm just bigger....everywhere

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Girth is good, fat is bad

 

[donnywarchild]

Looking at your posts and wishing I was feeling that way. Hopefully the bobosterone will kick in soon

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Donny,


Muscle growth takes weeks, not days.

 

[Vicarious]

Girth is good, fat is bad

I'm going to use that one on my tiny little wife..."honey, I'm not fat...i've got girth and Bobo says Girth is good!":woohoo:

 

[Vicarious]

The final results are in!
32 yo/..for a another 2 months
219lbs..+10lbs
5'8"...dam genetics!
arms 17.75...+.5"
thighs: 26.5...+.5 (even though my weights are through the roof!)
neck: 18.5"...+.5"
chest; 46"...+1"
waist: 37.5"...+.5"

I wasn't interested in putting on crazy amounts of muscle but I still gained pretty good. i'm pleased and a bit proud I might say. Final pic really sucks...I couldn't for the life of me get the friggin camera to shoot a still shot. I have no idea why. but here it is. My frame hides weight real well. In the past I've lost 20 lbs and nobody even noticed. Now I tell people I'm 220 and they don't believe me. Whatever, don't really care. Overall, excellent program and plan, by far the best supplement decision I've ever made. :thumbsup: All my weights went through the roof. I almost made it to big boy weights!

I would like to cut pretty soon. bobo shoot me an email on the logistics. Thanks.

I attached the before and after. i really wish i could have gotten the after in better quality. I took at least 10 pics. Can't really tell much diff from the pics. That may be a good thing knowing I put 10 lbs on a 5'8" frame.

 

[Vicarious]

The final results are in!

Looks like a can't count! I stopped about a week early! what an idiot...The unexpected passing of my aunt a few weeks ago through my timing for a loop. Oh well, I'm actually still eating close to the plan (just reduced the carb intake a bit) and working out lightly to give my muscles a bit of a break. Nothing like being a moron and ruining a good thing. Oh well, still happy...now if Bobo would just reply to my cutting question.....:think:

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Looks like a can't count! I stopped about a week early! what an idiot...The unexpected passing of my aunt a few weeks ago through my timing for a loop. Oh well, I'm actually still eating close to the plan (just reduced the carb intake a bit) and working out lightly to give my muscles a bit of a break. Nothing like being a moron and ruining a good thing. Oh well, still happy...now if Bobo would just reply to my cutting question.....:think:

What cutting questions? Email me.


NOW...when you see someone tell you that supplement "A" doesn't work because they didn't gain a thing, you know the problem isn't with supplement "A"

 

[Vicarious]

I've decided to cut and have been doing so since I ended my bulk. Weight is down to about 208 and I picked up a notch on my belt. Weights took a huge hit already. its amazing what carbs will do. I'm trying to get down to 195, 191 would be ideal.