xenon2000’s BodyBlog

So I think I am still getting somewhere now. I need to take new photos and really I don’t think they will look much difference. But I think I am still improving. Now to see if there is anyone out there that is willing to help me dial things in for food, workout, etc…. to burn fat and build muscle. I ultimately want to build lean all the time while keeping the fat off so that I am never doing a traditional bulking phase. But I think I need a low body fat starting point for that method to really be effective at all.

So my BF is somewhere around 23-24% still. Has been for a long time now. So I want to re-focus on blasting fat while reducing muscle loss.

I am not sure how to approach the BB forum in asking for someone to personally help me.

Now that my metabolism is definitely much higher than it was a year ago, I am eating about every 2 hours. But because of that, I think I am not getting my calories low enough over the week to see the fat loss results I want.

I think 2 things need to happen now, More HIT and HIIT cardio. And possibly figure out a way to reduce total weekly calories while still eating often enough.

Rib update. Still painful. But improving. Mostly not in the way for most workouts. Still most painful when first waking up. Will be 3 weeks this Wednesday.

After working with a trainer today to get a better idea of where I really am at, I appear to be weakest with Core workouts. I think building up my core and stabilizer secondary muscles will give me a better foundation for muscle mass building. Jumping hard into mass building is likely why I injuryed my rib and why I often get elbow overtraining. That can still happen after core building, but likely less often and easier to avoid.

So on top of my cardio fat loss high protein diet tuning, I am going to try Core workouts for a while. Likely 4 weeks and see what happens. Though just the short Core workout today and I really find it the least enjoyable workout type I have every tried. I much prefer bike and running cardio and Weights.

So I saw a Dr yesterday about my rib and back pain. I didn’t really think anything was broken or fractured, and it was nice to get confirmation that nothing was broken. I was told the rib pain was costalchondritis. Which seems odd since everything I read online says that is from unknown causes. Never once mentioned as an injury or from exercise. But oh well. I just need to heal and regroup.

Back pain is just from the sudden Deadlifts and then healing was aggrivated by the heavy leg presses. But it’s feeling a lot better now. I should be ready to go as soon as my rib pain goes away.

No pain, no gain…. kinda. So I am getting used to being sore. But making sure I know the difference between soreness and injury is sometimes a little blurry to me. Especially with my lower back. I just started Deadlifts. And maybe I jumped into them too hard too fast. But it felt great. Yet now it’s been almost a week and my lower back is still sore. Though I still think it’s sore and not injured.

Yesterday my lower back soreness was too much for me as I tried to do squats, so I pushed harder on the leg press. But during a 50 Lbs jump up to a higher weight than I usually do, I felt a pop or tear or something happen to my muscles just below my left bottom rib. I wasn’t able to keep pushing hard, even when I immediately dropped the extra weight. So I did something. This is definitely an injury. Hopefully not too bad of an injury. Today I plan to do Back and Biceps, but my lower back soreness might mean I move back to Thursday or Friday this week. I am hoping that avoiding my chest and abs until next week will be enough time for my injury to heal.

I am still trying to get my fiber high enough so I can up my protein. I am still around 170-200g protein a day because of fiber issues. I would like to get my protein up to 240-260 a day. Yesterday was my first 61g fiber day at 200g protein, so we will see how things go and if 60+g fiber will be enough to jump my protein up to 240-260g a day.

I finally have someone to workout with. Not only does he have experience. It’s been very helpful to have someone else motivating and pushing me to reach my potential at every workout. As well as helping me to find new ways to target each group.

I have been leaning towards all machines for a long time now and I think I have been missing out because of that. I won’t go into details now. But new routines this week, a workout partner for motivation and push, as well as new exercises and I really feel like this week has been a big improvement towards my goals.

I really hope to see some actual results in the next 4-6 weeks at this rate. But regardless, it has shown me that I have more potential at reaching higher weights and pushing harder than I thought I could before. That mental block will likely always be a challenge. But if I can keep pushing myself like this week, I should really see the results I want.

This is sad. Almost been a year since I serious started trying to learn about bodybuilding, general fitness, and nutrition. Then I got a gym membership shortly after that. Then joined this site to get help, journal, and research. After all that, I don’t seem to be making the real progress I feel I should be making.

I will post another pic soon, but I really think they all look the same. It seems no matter what the numbers say on the scale or tape, I look the same for the most part. I stopped trying to take my BF% because it varied too much and I really care more about how I look in a photo than on a fat caliper.

I can’t even figure out where to post in the bb forum for a personal trainer. I don’t trust the trainers at my specific gym location. I want to find a trainer that believes and has experience in year round lean bulking. I don’t like the idea of separate cutting and bulking phases. And I don’t care if the trainer is physically with me or just online. I am diciplined and still highly motivated. And I can take photos, measurements, etc. But like I said before, I can’t even figure out what section of the bb forum I should post such a Wanted Ad.

All my BB searches say that the BB forum, store, and articles are enough… and I consider myself a good learner. But based on almost a year of trying with high motivation and dedication, I am apparently not figuring it out by doing my own research here. If someone could actually help me figure out something that really works, I am sure I could keep it up on my own. Now I just need to find that person.

Well, I was trying to do about 20-25% carbs in my macro… but even though people said to just get through 1 week… I just wasn’t having it. I got through 1 week and felt terrible. I have increased my carbs to 30-45%, varies based on workout days, rest days, weekend, etc. And it’s made a HUGE difference in my energy levels.

My biggest reason for the macro change was because I felt I was completely unsuccessful with my 12 week fat cutting phase based on photos. I will try to re-evaluate myself and my plans each month now to try to prevent that disappointment again.

Also, I want to master a lifestyle of year round lean bulking to see how I do at small slow gains. I am finding other issues with my new diet changes. Sorry to say that digestive issues have been the biggest challenge. Specifically constipation and gas. A very uncomfortable and annoying issues to have. I am chating the the forum for more direction. I think the extra whey protein shakes are the main issue and need to see if I can solve it while still taking large amounts of Whey protein, or if I need to use a more expensive blend, or more protein from foods.

The supplements are very handy while easily controlling carb intake, fat, salt, and cholesterol intakes… vs food. So I would like to solve the supplement issue if possible.

I have started a new mix for my 2-on, 1-off, 2-on, 2-off workout split. I will get into that in another post.

Sunday I decided I would try a low carb diet. Not the Atkins or Anabolic diet. Just a simple lower carb diet. Lower, as in a smaller percentage. I went from just counting calories and averaging 50% carbs 20-25% protein and 20-25% fats… down to about 30% carbs 45% protein and 25% fats. And I am so tired. My muscles feel so week and I feel like I could just fall asleep for 12+ hours.

If this is just a reaction to the new diet, that’s fine, I will get over it. But if it’s going to be like this most of the time on a lower carb diet, then I just can’t do it.

Oh, my calorie intake is also higher than it was on the 50-60% carb dieting. Before I was eating about 1600-1800 cals a day with tons of cardio. And now I am getting 2000-2200 cals and 1/3rd of the cardio time. Of course it’s only been 2 days…. but should I be this tired in just 2 days of more calories but less carbs and less cardio?

If this is a temporary effect, how long before I can expect to have more energy again?

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=114006741 - this is a thread I started right after taking new progress pics. Only to find out they look exactly the same as when I started. Some people in the forum are not being too helpful, but there are some great suggestions.

First, even though there was weight drop changes and no visual difference, I would say this last 3 weeks has likely lost muscle mass which doesn’t take up much space. So that may be why I see the scale dropping but I still look like the same fatness.

I am going to change my diet completely to try something new. People should understand that I have NOTHING to gain from posting false info. I joined this site and others to help myself get fit and to look better. I am looking for help, not ways to waste my time away. So trust the data and the pictures. The only thing that is a variable is my body. Sure the calorie counting sites estimate how I burn calories, but the only thing they can really measure with some accuraccy is calorie intake. So my body is obviously using my diet in a way that I did not expect.

I was doing 50c/25p/25f , but I am going to try 25c/55p/20f and see if that helps a lot. I was under the general impression that a calorie was a calorie, but maybe I am wrong. I just figured if my cals were lower than I burned, I would lose fat. But that didn’t appear to happen over 12 weeks. I lost weight, but it must have been muscle mass.

So last week after Christmas and a huge Oregon snow storm, I decided to call that week 8. But then after 1 day back at the gym I realized that I have more holiday days off of work and gym because of New Year’s Eve and Day. So now THIS week will be week 8. So now I am 3 weeks behind where I thought I would be originally. But my biggest worry about moving to a bulking weight lifting phase is that I still have tennis elbow from 8 weeks ago and a the Pantar’s foot issue. Not to mention my right wrist is hurting from shoveling snow still. I did not expect the pain to be in my wrist. And of course the shoveling hasn’t been kind to my tennis elbow issue.