tbradfor’s BodyBlog

Ok, so I worked last night.  As soon as I got in the door I was determined to have some chocolate.  I grabbed a handful of tootsie rolls and ate them.  Then I popped a bag of popcorn that had a good amount of fat and salt in it and ate that.  A few hours later my coworker hands me a 1Lb dark chocolate bar and I devour the whole thing in 20 minutes.  Whats worse is that as I was leaving work I grabbed a chocolate mocha bagel (bagel big enough to feed four people) slapped some cream cheese on that baby and devoured the bagel on my way out the door. The worst part is that I still feel hungry–almost like I’m starving.  My metabolism is in overdrive!!!
  When I train with weights on a consistent basis my metabolism kicks into overdrive and I feel starved all the time, even though I eat every 2-3 hours.  To prevent my sugar addiction from getting the best of me I now have to consume healthy food every 60-90 minutes. Now that my metabolism is all out of wack it will be harder for me to gain weight, but I can and will eat clean, gain muscle, and train heavy.
  The brown rice, vegetables and whey that I packed to eat for work last night has been untouched.  I will not let this little mess up on my diet detour me from my goal.  What doesn’t kill one only makes one stronger. Tonight when I work I will eat my brown rice, vegetables, and whey.  I can do it.  I am determined to bulk up and eat clean food.  I will get and stay focused on my goal.

Tbradfor

Today I weighed myself and I’m up two pounds from last week!!!!  I’m happy about gaining the weight, but I think its all going to my tush!!  I think If I keep hitting the gluteal muscles really hard on Leg day that I’ll gain mostly muscle in the tush area.  While I was training my chest today, especially during the flat barbell bench press, my right shoulder was screaming pain.  I have to be careful not to cause any serious injuries to myself.  My shoulder feels fine right now.  If it bothers me tomorrow while I’m doing back training I may take a couple of days off from training to let my body heal.

Weight: 132lbs

Waist: 24inches

Hips: 34 inches

Chest 24.5 inches

Neck: 13 inches

Forearm: 6.5 inches

shoulders: 37 inches

Thighs: 20 inches

Calves: 13 inches

  The chest exercises I did today was the same I did last week.  I did increase the weight in the pullover exercise by 5 pounds.  I plan to increasing the weight in all the exercises I do.  I just have to let my right shoulder heal before trying to lift a lot of weight I’m not accustomed to.  I plan on changing my exercise routine every six weks to get the maximum amount of hypertrophy my muscles can take and to prevent a plateau..

Chest Exercises:

5 minute treadmill walk warm up

*Chest dips 8 reps, 3 sets
*flat dumbell bench press (80 pounds total) 5 reps, 3 sets
*dumbell pullover (40 lb) 6 reps, 3 sets
*incline dumbell flyes (50 lbs total) 8 reps, 3 sets
*flat Barbell bench press (95lbs) 5 reps, 3 sets
*incline barbell bench press (45lbs) 6reps, 3 sets
*decline barbell bench press (95 lb) 6 reps, 3 sets
*decline dumbell bench press (60 lbs total) 6 reps, 3 sets                                  

*Decline push ups 10rep, 3sets

*Decline ab crunches (90 degree angle) 25rep, 3 sets

Nutrition:

  I’m consuming around 2000 calories today from whey, brown rice, vegetables, and cereal. My macronutrient range will stay in the 55/35/10 area.

Supplements:

  Muscle Tech’s Cell-Tech hardcore(creatine, dextrose, glutamine, chromiun picolinate), multivitamin/multimineral, whey, and amino acids.

Tbradfor

  Last week I worked out one muscle group per day (Mon.-Fri.).  Friday I did my leg workout.  Saturday morning it felt like I got hit by a bus.  You know, I actually did get hit by a bus August 2007 while driving and didn’t experience any pain what-so-ever and walked away with no injuries, except a headache.  My pain after leg training is undescribable and excruciating.  But, I’m happy that I have this pain.  This pain means I had a goooood workout.  Also, I know this pain will be gone by my next leg workout.  

   I know this sounds bad, but I get worried when I workout and the next day I felt like I did nothing. I have been getting a lot of rest this weekend and eating whatever I wanted.  The weekend is over and its back to weight lifting, disciplined eating , and more rest. 

    Well, I"m off to get my day started.  Today is Chest day.  I’m going to finish my breakfast, send the kids off to school, and head off to the gym.  Have a wonderful day.

tbradfor

Leg Day:

*5 minute treadmill walk warm up

*45 degree angled leg press 20rep, 1set (90lbs) + 10rep: 2 set (180lbs)

*calve raises on 45 degree angled leg press 50rep, 1set(90lbs) + 50rep, 2set  (180lbs)

*Hack squats 10rep, 3set (90lbs)

*Butt Blaster Machine 10rep, 1 set (100lbs) per leg + 10rep,2set (120lbs) per leg

*lying leg curl 10rep, 3set (100lbs)

*leg press 10rep, 3set (120lbs)

*stiff leg deadlifts (135lb barbell) 10rep,3sets

*unassisted barbell squats going down to flat bench level (narrow stance) 10rep, 3sets (135lb barbell)

  Ooh, today I felt exhausted after completing this workout.  In addition to the exercises I did above I usually do 2 more sets of squats, pop up squats, donkey calve raises, walking and stationary lunges, sitting calve raises, and standing calve raises,  But,  I had to limit my workout today to 45 minutes.  Next time, I’ll make sure to have at least 90 minutes to do a leg workout so that I can incorporate all my exercises I tend to do. Or, I may incorporate 2 leg workouts per week.  I don’t know. If I do Incorporate 2 leg workouts per week, they would have to be at least 48 hours apart from one another. Maybe I’ll do calves and shoulders on the same day(Wendsdays),. I’ll probably do just quads, hams, and glutes on fridays. Yeah, I really need to work on my legs, so, I’ll do 2 leg workouts per week.

Nutrition

I’ll consume between 1800-2000 calories with a macronutrient range of 55/35/10. I’ve been consuming fruit, whey, rice cereals, and brown rice to meet my nutrient needs.

Supplementation:

I supplemented with amino acids, Cell-tech’s Hardcore(creatine, dextrose, glutamine, chromium picolinate), and a ultivitamin/multimineral.  Of course, I drink tons of water everyday.

  Have a fantastic weekend.  Thanks for reading my blog.
tbradfor

Bicep and tricep Day:

*5 minute treadmill walk (warm up)

*unassisted narrow grip pull ups 6rep, 3 sets

*unassisted dip station dips 8rep, 3 sets

*cable tricep pushdown (70lbs) 8reps, 3 sets

*cable bicep curl (80lbs) 5rep, 3 set

*sitting alternating dumbell curls (50lbs total) 5rep, 3 set

*Concentration curls (25lb dumbell) 5 rep, 3set

*skull crushers (30lb barbell) 8rep, 3set

*standing EZ bar curls (60lbs) 8rep, 3 set

*bench dips 8rep, 3 sets

*one arm dumbell preacher curl (30lbs) 8reps, 3 sets

*standing tricep extention (30lb dumbell)

*tricep dumbell kickback (12lb dumbell) 8rep, 3 set

  My right shoulder is hurting, so I didn’t go as heavy as I can on some exercises.  I think I slept on my shoulder in some type of weird fashion.  Overall, I still had a pretty good workout.

Supplementation

  The supplements I used today are whey, EAS RTD shakes, Cell-Tech hardcore (creatine, glutamine, dextrose, and chromium picolinate), multivitamin/multimineral, and amino acids.

Nutrition

   I didn’t eat any wheat/gluten  products today and I notice a big change in the way my stomach feels already. I haven’t even taken any digestive enzymes today.  I’m going to continue to stay wheat/gluten free to prevent stomach/digestion upset.  I have been drinking a lot of protein, eating rice based cereals, and lots of pineapple. I will consume around 1800-2000 calories today. I will continue to keep my micronutrient range as follows: 55/35/10.

Lastly,  I will take and post my before pictures on Saturday. I hope you all have a wonderful day.  Thanks for reading my post

tbradfor

Shoulder Day:

*behind the neck shoulder press (45lb barbell) 8rep, 3set

*Clean and press (45lb barbell) 5rep, 3 set

*front raises with dumbells (30lb total) 5rep, 3 set

*shoulder shrugs with dumbells (90lbs total) 8rep, 3 set

*barbell upright rows (30lbs) 10rep, 3set

*bent over rear lateral raise (10lbs) 8rep, 3 set

*standing lateral raise (15lb) 8rep, 3 set

*dumbell shoulder press (60lb total) 5rep, 3 set

Abs: 3 sets of 30reps of decline bench crunches

*5 minute treadmill warm up

Nutrition:

I’m eating another box of cereal (around 11-12 servings) and about 7 whey shakes.  I ate some toast today and got sick to my stomach.  I notice that everytime I eat cereal I get bloated.  I hope I’m not a celiac sprue.  I noticed this summer, when I eliminated starchy carbs from my diet that I didn’t experience gastrointestinal problems. Maybe, I’ll avoid wheat for a while and see what happens.  But, if I eliminate wheat what the heck am I going to eat to get the high amount of carbs I need to gain muscle? I’ll figure things out.

Supplements: Met-RX Amino acids, digestive enzymes, Cell-Tech hardcore, Mutivitamin/multimineral, and Optimum Whey

    Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  Have a fantastic day.

Tameka

Back Workout:

5 minute treadmill walk warm up

*unassisted wide grip pull-ups 6reps, 3sets

*unassisted narrow grip pull-ups 6reps, 3sets

*Lat pulldowns (100lbs) 8reps, 3sets

*dumbell bent over rows (50lb dumbell) 5reps, 3sets

*good mornings (55lbs) 10reps, 3sets

*weighted hyperextentions (25lb) 10reps, 3sets

*T-bar rows (45lbs) 8 reps, 3sets

*dead lift (135lb) warm up 8 rep, 1 set

*deadlift (185lbs) 5reps, 3 sets

*15 minutes in sauna

Nutrition:

Basically, I’m eating around 2,000 calories today with a 55/35/10 (55% carb, 35%protein, and 10%fat) micronutrient range. Today I ate a little over one box of cereal with a total of 7 whey protein shakes.  I used creatine, glutamine, chromium picolinate, dextrose, multivitamin/multimineral, amino acids, and digestive enzymes for supplementation today.

  I was thinking on the way home from the gym that I’m not a hardgainer after all.  I’m actually a easy loser.  What do I mean by the term “easy loser” is that its very easy for me to lose weight (especially muscle) and get lean fairly quickly.  I just have to make it a point to make sure I keep my calories high and my cardio limited.

Thank you for reading.

Love,

Tameka

Oh my Goodness,
I just realized as I was typing out my body fat %, lean muscle mass, amd fat mass that I have gained about 10 pounds of muscle on my little workout hiatus. For the last two months, I have been going to the gym inconsistently lifting weights with long-long (about 1 week) before heading back to the gym for another weight training session. Also, prior to yesterday, I was eating anything and everything my heart desired. I gained 10 pounds of muscle!!! Wow, so I should have no problem gaining 15 pounds of muscle within the next few months unless I mess everything up by being a cardio queen. I think that I have recovered from being a cardio queen and I should have no problems. I do love running, swimming, and the elliptical. Bye, Bye cardio. Hello, free weights.

Tameka

Monday 10-22-07

A.M. Chest workout:

5 minute treadmill walk warm up

*Chest dips 8 reps, 3 sets
*flat dumbell bench press (80 pounds total) 5 reps, 3 sets
*dumbell pullover (35 lb) 6 reps, 3 sets
*incline dumbell flyes (50 lbs total) 8 reps, 3 sets
*flat Barbell bench press (95lbs) 5 reps, 3 sets
*incline barbell bench press (45lbs) 6reps, 3 sets
*decline barbell bench press (95 lb) 6 reps, 3 sets
*decline dumbell bench press (60 lbs total) 6 reps, 3 sets

Abs: Roman twist crunches (with 25lb weight; 40 rep, 2 sets) supersetted with regular crunches (40 rep, 2 sets)

*15 minutes in sauna

I haven’t received my new bikini that I want to take pictures in for the Body-for-Life challenge as of yet. However, when I receive my bikini, I will post weekly pictures of myself to view progress. Hopefully, I’ll receive the bikini today or at the latest by the end of the week.

Measurements:

130 pounds (ooh, a couple of months ago I weighed 112lbs, but I’m not supposed to look great on my before pictures anyway-whole purpose of my two month hiatus)

suprailliac skinfold measurement= 4mm

Body fat %= 14.8%  (ooh, a couple of months ago I was at 13.5% body fat)

I have 110.76 pounds of lean body mass and 19.24 pounds of fat.

Chest 34, waist 24, hips 34, neck 13, thighs 20, calves 13, arm (relaxed)12, arm ( flexed)13

Diet: 1885 calories, 17gFat (10%)  265.5g carbs ( 55% ), 166g protein (35%)

27gfiber

55/35/10 macronutrient ratio

Meal 1:

Kix (1 ser) 110 cal, 25c, 2p, 3 fiber

Whey (1 ser) 120cal, 3c, 24p

Meal 2: Post weight train nutrients

Cell-Tech (1/2 ser) 155cal, 32.5carbs (dextrose), glutamine, and creatine

Amino Acid 3000 (2) 20cal, 2p

Meal 3:

Kix(2) 220, 2f, 50c, 4p, 6fiber 

Whey(1) 120, 1f, 3c, 24p

Meal 4:

kix(2) 220, 2f, 50c, 4p, 6fiber

whey(1) 120, 1f, 3c, 24p

Meal 5:

Cheerios (2) 200cal, 4f, 40c, 6p, 6gfiber

whey(1) 120cal, 1f, 3c, 24p

multivitamin/mineral

Meal 6:

whey(1) 120cal, 1f, 3c, 24p

kix(1) 110cal, 1f, 25c, 2p, 3fiber

Meal 7:

whey (1) 120cal, 1f, 3c, 24p

kix(1) 119, 1f, 25c, 2p, 3 fiber

I had a really good workout today.  I feel happy refreshed and rejuvenated.  I love the gym.  I wish I could live there.

Love,

Tameka

Dear BodySpace members,
   I need your help and encouragement.  My goal for the next 5 ½ months is to gain 15 pounds of muscle.  I would like to gain 15 pounds of muscle and get down to 9% body fat to compete in a bodybuilding contest and a fit challenge contest. I’m determined to compete in my very first bodybuilding competition and to earn my pro-card this year.  The contests that I want to compete in for sure, in 2008, are the FAME muscle model contest and the Body-for-life fit challenge contest.

  On a weekly basis, I will submit photos, stats, workout plans, and short-term goals.  On a daily basis, I will submit a food diary, my workout for that day, and my thoughts.

  What I need from you is your encouragement, feedback, and tips.  Gaining 15 pounds of muscle is extremely hard to do, especially for me.  It’s easy for me to gain fat, but hard to gain muscle.

  It’s particularly hard for me to gain muscle because I’m a vegetarian.  I’ve been a vegetarian since the age of 7.   I’m allergic to soy.  So, I can’t consume high amounts of soy or I will get sick. Also, I’m severely allergic to beans, broccoli, cabbage, apples, greens, and most fruits and vegetables. I don’t eat eggs, but do eat things that contain egg in it. I can’t drink milk because it makes me sick to my stomach, but I can digest whey really easily and some milk containing products that have digestive enzymes like lactase added to them.  So, you can probably see from the food restrictions that I have, that it’s really hard for me to gain muscle.  

  I will attempt to gain as much muscle as possible while keeping my body fat percentage down as low as I can.  Gaining muscle means that I will gain weight, and I think muscle is beautiful, empowering, and displays mental will power.

  I know that anything is possible if I ask for it from God through Jesus Christ.  Thank you all in advance for your help and prayers.  I will start working towards my goal on Oct 22, 2007.  

Tameka