New YouTube Video: Bulking Update
Below you can view my 7th YouTube video, that starts with a fun intro related to the Idiocracy. What follows is the “bulk” of the content of what I say in the video, written out in case you happen to care about my bulk and would rather read than watch.
Update on weight
Weight has been trending higher, and the 7 day average is approaching 180 pounds, even with a dip the last few days.
Big, If True!
Looking at the statistics below is much more interesting. Average weight gain per week is pretty high at almost 2 pounds per week. That would be more alarming if the body fat percentage average were rising a bunch as well.
The accuracy and consistency of the body fat machine is questionable at best, but it seems to indicate that I’m gaining mostly lean body mass. It seems unrealistic for me to have gained basically only muscle in the last three weeks.
I suppose it is possible if maybe I was just severely under-fed at only 2,000 calories per day for most of the last year, and nutrient partitioning or some other science could explain my body packing on lean body mass when given extra fuel.
The big takeaway of this bulk may end up being that I was starving myself and that’s why I was struggling to gain strength. That’s the early hypothesis.
Strength Gainz
Speaking of strength, it’s still too early to draw many conclusions. Also, I haven’t been doing any singles in my current hypertrophy program, so I’m relying on calculators based on higher rep sets.
It is clear already, though, that my squat strength has gone up. I hit multiple sets of 265 lbs for 6 reps this week at roughly an RPE 8. Next week I will try to hit 270 lbs for 6 reps. If that 270 lbs set comes in at an RPE 8, then my estimated 1 rep max based on calculators would be around 340 lbs.
This is a big deal, because I haven’t ever hit 315 for a single good rep before, so 340 lbs would be a big jump. At this rate, when the program shifts to a top single at 8 to start the squat session in a few weeks, I will be shooting for 315 lbs. I may accidentally PR on this program, which would be a pleasant surprise!
So, the strength is progressing nicely as you’d expect with the additional mass on my frame.
Clothes and Measurements
All my clothes still fit so far, haven’t had to break out the big boy pants yet. My measurements have not changed much. This is also a pleasant surprise. The longer I can delay breaking out my fat pants, the better. They will be necessary at some point.
So, I’m happy to report the bulk is going pretty pretty pretty good…
