Fitness Progress Report #1: Putting On Size

A little over two weeks ago, I made a public commitment and video blog that I was going to compete in the WBFF Fitness Modelling Competition on June 23rd, 2012.  In that blog post, I shared my pictures, weight, and measurements on exactly where I was at. To see where I started, click here.

I feel that two weeks is a sufficient enough period of time to post a progress report on where I'm at.

Progress Report: March 5, 2012

(Click here to see my pictures from two weeks ago – February 18, 2012)

WEIGHT: 149.9 lbs. (+ 1.9 lbs.)
BODYFAT: 10.9% (+ 0.2%)
FAT-MASS: 16.01 (+ .40)
FAT-FREE MUSCLE: 130.81 (+ .80)

NECK:  14.25″ (– .25″)
CHEST:  37.5″ (+ .5″)
SHOULDERS:  44.5″ (+ .5″)
RIGHT ARM:  12.25″ (– .25″)
HIPS:  31″ (+/- 0″)
WAIST:  29″ (+ .5″)
RIGHT CALF:  13.25″ (+ .25″)
RIGHT THIGH:  20.25″ (– .25″)

NOTE: Body Fat, Fat-Mass, and Fat-Free muscle is measured on a body composition scale and isn’t 100% accurate. I may be using Body Fat calipers in the future, but for now it’s good to use the same form of measurement for consistency.

As you can see, it looks like I've made some small progress – but it's a bit challenging to tell.

When looking at the pictures, I don't really see too much of a difference.  And while the tape measure says that I've gotten bigger in some areas, it also says I'm smaller in others.  There are a lot of variables and factors that can change my size, however, such as water-retention and whether or not I worked out a certain muscle group a day or two before.

The same goes with my weight, bodyfat, fat-mass and fat-free muscle.  I've gained 1.9 lbs, but it's difficult to say how much of that is muscle, water, and fat.  The ONLY way to really tell is going to be through consistent tracking and to see whether or not the trend is going in the direction that I want.

I can say that I do feel a bit bigger and stronger overall.  I've been eating a lot more, and been tracking my meals daily in an excel spreadsheet and sending them to my coach, Dr. Joe Klemczewski.  But I do feel that I've gained a small amount of fat, which is expected – so no need to freak out!

A Brief Outline Of My Diet And Workout Routine:

My diet started out around 225 grams of protein, 250 grams of carbs, and 50 grabs of fat per day.  We've since increased my carb consumption to around 300 grams per day.  The goal is to gain muscle mass, with very minimal bodyfat.

I've also been working out intensely – 5 days per week.  

My workout routine is as follows:

MONDAY: Chest
TUESDAY: Back
WEDNESDAY: Shoulders
THURSDAY: Arms
FRIDAY: Legs

I am lifting heavy, with low reps (around 4-8 reps per exercise).  I also do abs every 2nd day for at least 10 minutes at the end of my workout, going heavy there as well (around 10 reps per exercise).  Twice a week, I've also been doing 15-minutes of High Intensity Interval Training, and once a week of a 60-minute Muay Thai class.  I also threw in a Hot Yoga class last week as well.

I will most likely share more in-detail my workout routine and nutrition plan in another blog post.

My coach has a close eye on me, and we'll most likely be making more adjustments to make sure that I'm progressing at the rate I'm supposed to.  Overall, I'm happy with the way things are going.

What I Can Improve:

I mentioned that I'm consuming around 225 grams of protein, 300 grams of carbs, and 50 grams of fat per day.  Well, I haven't been following that as consistently as I'd like.  Some days I'm over in some areas, other days I'm under.  I've encountered some challenges when I'm going out and socializing, and end up having to eat another meal at night time since I didn't plan my nutrition properly and I'll end up going over my requirements.

This probably isn't THAT big of a deal – it may just result in bit extra fat gain which I'll have to burn off later, but we'll see.

Other than that, everything else I'm doing is spot-on and I'm excited to see the upcoming changes in my body in the next few weeks.

That's it for now – stay tuned for my next progress report.