Freebird's Lean Bulk

[freebirdmac]

Ok, since I pester everyone else in their threads I figured I should start one myself. I've never done a journal, never felt the need or wanted to take the time. Anyway, to make a long story short... didn't work out for 15+ years while being the only parent, stayed at a good body weight, didn't realize fat was replacing muscle, then developed food intolerances to milk protein, sulfites, and gluten as well as an allergy to corn. Weight plummeted to 102 as I struggled to figure out what I could eat. Finally got some safe foods together and gained back 10 pounds. All fat of course. Oh, also became hypothyroid. So 2 years ago I was a poster child for skinny fat. All of 112 pounds of walking jello on a toothpick.

So I spent 1.5 years switching between gaining muscle and losing fat. Going by my measurements I figure I swapped out a good 12-15 pounds of fat for muscle. Since July 09 it's been all about a lean bulk. The picts in my album are at the start of the bulk. I'll post up more after the holidays to mark 6 months. So far I'm up 4 pounds. I did lose about 7 weeks due to life happening and not getting as many workouts in. Lost a pound during that time. But that's ok. Shit happens.

Up until this week my workout partner and I were on a 2 day split which we did twice a week. Starting this week it'll be something like;
Mon: Chest/Quads
Tues: Back/Hams/Glutes
Thurs: Shoulders/Quads
Fri: Arms, Traps

We're still figuring out the split and where to add some calves, abductor/adductor, and cable crunches. We rarely work abs directly but this time we're going to try and at least stick to cable crunches

Oh, my workout partner started out as my trainer. It morphed into wo partners about 9 months after I started working with him.

So there's some background. My goal is simply to gain mass. I'd like to add a good 2 inches to my quads. I want to add everywhere else too I just don't have the predetermined size in mind.

[freebirdmac]

Monday's workout:

Chest:
bb flat bench 65x12
85x12
95x10
105x8
115x6 (w/a bit of help for last two)
85x12

bb decline bench 65x12
85x10
95x10
105x8
115x6
85x12
(and here I thought decline would suck after already doing flat)

db incline 25x12
30x10
35x8
40x6 (ready for 45)
(just so ya know, I do not get the db up by myself. Max helps me get them in position)

cable flyes 30x10
35x8
40x6 (35 was easy, this was hard)

Quads:

Leg press (PWO): 180x12
230x10
270x10
320x10
360x8
410x6 (ready for 460 but also felt this set in lower back)
(this is a 45 degree machine, feet mid way up, about shoulder width, going low)

Extension: 110x10 (toes out)
110x10 (toes in)
120x10 (toes straight)
(we do these last but tonight someone was on the machine we needed next)

Vertical press: 140x10
PWO 180x10
230x8
270x6
(Haven't done these in over a year. Using a Matrix (Smith-like), lying on a bench, feet shoulder width)

[bodyhard]

Let me be the first to wish you luck on the journal, although I do not agree with that split. Good luck anyways looking forward to the progress pics for constructive criticism.

[freebirdmac]

I have a new nano that takes video. Fun!

Here's my wo partner doing his second set of cable flyes:

[freebirdmac]

And my second set on cable flyes (I did better at filming than Max)

[freebirdmac]

Let me be the first to wish you luck on the journal, although I do not agree with that split. Good luck anyways looking forward to the progress pics for constructive criticism.

Thanks John! We've done several different programs, we'll see how this goes. One thing about having a workout partner, you gotta negotiate workout routines.

[gman]

congrats for taking the plunge on a journal, Pam. It's going to be a good one, I know.

Baldie has been complaining about no hardcore people posting in the Masters' section, but there is one now.

I also get to do a little payback!

PS- what are Max's stats, height, weight etc? Just curious, he looks great.

[freebirdmac]

congrats for taking the plunge on a journal, Pam. It's going to be a good one, I know.

Baldie has been complaining about no hardcore people posting in the Masters' section, but there is one now.

I also get to do a little payback!

PS- what are Max's stats, height, weight etc? Just curious, he looks great.

I don't know about hardcore, but I do take this seriously for myself.

Max is 44, about 5'7" and I think 165. He's like bodyhard, he can eat until the cows come home and stay very lean. He weighed 112 when he graduated from high school. Lifetime natural too.

He has competed before and won when he did. He blew his knee out (torn acl) playing bball a few years back. So training legs is tough. If he can bring his legs back up he might compete again. But the surgeon told him, mess the knee up again and he'll be in a wheelchair.

[blu2xtreme]

I was wondering when you would get around to this.

Glad to have another woman posting a journal here...
hard to learn anything from these guys

[gman]

I don't know about hardcore, but I do take this seriously for myself.

Max is 44, about 5'7" and I think 165. He's like bodyhard, he can eat until the cows come home and stay very lean. He weighed 112 when he graduated from high school. Lifetime natural too.

He has competed before and won when he did. He blew his knee out (torn acl) playing bball a few years back. So training legs is tough. If he can bring his legs back up he might compete again. But the surgeon told him, mess the knee up again and he'll be in a wheelchair.

Good story, it's nice to know about him. He does look bigger than 165, which proves lean and muscular looks bigger

[Down4whatever]

Kick ass Pam!!! I'm in!!!!

[Baldiewonkanobi]

Whoa...just a minute here baby girl....do you get carded a lot?

You are pure spunk and will be fun to watch.

Baldie

[tifflex]

I'm in.

[fatbackgoal]

Way to get it going. Good job on first realizing you needed to make a change then going out and making that change. Best of luck and look forward to watching the journey.

[Sledge]

Great to see another masters log up and running.