For my reference…
First thoughts
- I feel stronger
- More energy
- More focused
- I feel that I am pushing harder each week
- Diet is off track
My legs seem to have got much stronger over the last 3 months. I have a put on enough body fat to bulk, yet I don’t think I have piled on excessive amounts of fat for the progress I seem to be making. However, if I don’t get my diet back on track tomorrow, I can see me putting on much more excess body fat quite quickly without really noticing. (That’s why I do a monthly check -in, so I can sort everything out before waiting 6 months and realising I’ve gained no strength and piled on loads of fat)
My legs have always been my most uncomfortable part of my body as they held the most fat and still do. I never wore short or showed my legs in public until a year or so back. This just gives me more drive to push harder with my legs and turn my worst part of my body into one of the best parts.
3 month comparison (old – New)
Chest
- Decline smith – 60kg x 8 -d- 40kg x 4 – 70kg x 6 -d- 40kg x 6
- Seated Press – 90kg x 8 – 100kg x 7
- Incline dumbbells – 32.5kg x 6 – 35kg x 8
Shoulders
Seated press -22.5kg x 8 (Slight decline seat) – 25kg x 6 (Vertical seat)
Back
- Narrow pull downs – 77kg x 6 th – 70kg x 9
- Pull overs – 70kg x 9 – 90kg x 9
- Pull downs HS – 80kg x 10 – 110kg x 8
- Iso Row – 90kg x 8 – 100kg x 8
- Seated Cable rows – 60kg x 7 th – 65kg x 8
- Bent Over row – 100kg x 6 th – 130kg x 6 th (100kg x 8)
Legs
- Leg extensions – L16 x 11 – L 20 x 11
- Leg Press – 180kg x 11 – 300kg x 15
- Hack Squat – 60kg x 12 – 82.5kg x 8
- Lunges – 5kg x 8pl – 40kg x 6
These are only the final set weights and I haven’t added them all in due to changes of routine over the weeks. On most of my exercises I am starting of with the weight I was finishing on 3 months back.
Left
- Bicep 35.5 – 36.5
- Forearm 30 – 31
- Quad 54.5 – 59
- Calve 37 – 39
Right
- Bicep 36.5 – 37.5
- Forearm 31 – 31.5
- Quad 56 – 61
- Calve 39 – 39.5
- Chest 99 – 103
- Stomach 75 – 79
Skin Fold
- 7mm – 12mm
- 5mm – 12mm
- 11mm – 16mm
Findings.
I have put on size and strength overall. I’m not saying this is a good thing when it comes to size, as I have put on a fair bit of body fat which will obviously take up more room when it comes to using a measuring tape. By looking at my body fat percentage, weight, skin fold and strength I think I’m going in the right direction. I’m certainly not falling in the trap of thinking that the bigger my measurements are the more muscle I hold. I will be able to give an accurate reading of progress when I am back down to my cut in May 2015.
My quad measurements have been the biggest difference in terms of measurements and strength. I am also very aware that my legs hold the most fat and so the reading will always be inaccurate until I cut down again.
I have also used my measurements from when I was at my lowest body fat percentage. From next month I will use my measurements from the end of month 1. I can’t use them yet though as there is not enough time between the two measurements to see what’s going on.
My main focus now are my shoulders!
TBC…
Health and HIT 