Mergal's muscle quest

Right ho lets get some decent meat on my puny frame!!!
 
 Start off stats: 5ft 3", 8 stone, 22% BF, 32,26,35.  flexed bicep 11".   I can squat 10 on the bar,  bench press a bar (!), and shoulder press 7.5.    Pretty pathetic huh?  But I can read Flex in the bath, do the splits, sea swim for 3 miles, dance all night, do lotus while standing on my head, and get one leg behind my head (not all at the same time)
 
Goals are to lift some real weights, get some visible abs, LIFT my middle aged ar$e, repair my weedy post op left shoulder & get some damned hard muscles all over.   I have fantasies about prancing about on stage in a glittering bikini - but have a long way to go.
 
Would be grateful for any comments and advice from anyone mad enough to read about my diet, training and life trivia
 

Go for it! Too many people sit back these days and think far too long about what they want to do, by then too much time goes by and its too late!
Its good to have a goal, im just starting out on mine also so good luck and keep it going.
 
Neil

Nice to see you're raring to go after SUC!
I think you should put your 'post' pics in here as your start point - trust me, you'll be glad to look back on them and the SUC thread won't stay open forever 

BACK & TRIs tonite, really enjoyed getting back in t'gym:
 
wide grip pull downs - 2 x 6 at 40, 2 x 8 at 35 & 2 x 10 at 30
machine single rows - 3 x 10 at 20
bbell row - 3 x 15 at 20
narrow grip push downs - 3 x 10 at 15
wiggly bar pull downs - 3 x 10 at 20 (a new one I like this one)
 
all of these with trainer's help.   nice warm back now :)  
 
Diet ok - ish:

• soya yoghurt, granola and nuts
• mango smoothie (mr tickle kids range ;) )
• chicken and brown rice (kids portion)
• energy bar before training
• pineapple water during training
• protein drink after

cycled to and from work as usual (30 mins uphill in morning, 20 mins nice whizz down hill later)
lots of water and green tea all day
too tired to cook now and nothing in fridge except raw lamb, so will have to get food prep together soon.  still got a ton of work to do in evenings and some work travelling to do tho so wont be quite as diligent as I'd like for a while
willl put my end SUC pix here in abit, had enough fun and games with image bucket for a few days...!
 

no training tonite cos of work gnarrrrr!  but back feels good from yesterday (I fancy I can feel a slight DOM either side of spine and its a good reminder of posture whilst at the pc). Diet quite clean:
soya yoghurt with oats and dried fruit
small baked pot, tuna and salad
mango smoothie
lamb and prune couscous
lots of water

Ooooooerrrrrrr check you out gittin' darrrrrn on da dieting missis.....lol...
 
 
note to onself....apply some food discipline and all will be well....lol

I'm enjoying this blog already! :)
Loving the positivity

Also - splits! Damn girl I would looooovveee to be able to do them! Oh so jel! :) any good tips on how to get there?

And wiggle Bar pull downs. I am intrigued! What are these exciting things?

Happy Tuesday to you :)
X

Wiggle bar = EZ-Bar no?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ez-bar/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=ez%20bar&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aez%20bar&page=1
But with lat pulldown attachment...

jenabenabowden


I'm enjoying this blog already! :)
Loving the positivity

Also - splits! Damn girl I would looooovveee to be able to do them! Oh so jel! :) any good tips on how to get there?

And wiggle Bar pull downs. I am intrigued! What are these exciting things?

Happy Tuesday to you :)
X
 
Thank you Jen - wiggle bar - its the bar thats shaped like a W - sure its got a proper name but dunno what it is!   liked it cos seemed to feel it on the outside of the ole bingo wings!
 
As for splits; current yoga teach gives out men's ties - you rest the fat end under your foot putting it between your big toe so you can slide along the floor while holding the other end..... a good practice is lying on your back and holding one ankle in hand (or holding tie around ankle if you cant reach) and then just pulling back gently with each exhale.  
 
xxxx

.  

flick161


Wiggle bar = EZ-Bar no?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ez-bar/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=ez%20bar&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aez%20bar&page=1
But with lat pulldown attachment...

Aha! thanks Flic - EZ bar......! 

So no training today due to prepping work presentation tonite - hmmph.  but have cooked up a load of food - fridge now full of tupperwared spinach sweet potato curry and split pea curry.   Have no excuse not to eat after training now!
 
Would welcome advice on this business:  trainer says I should just eat loads over the winter and concentrate on building muscle.   But I am really scared of losing my waist having whittled away considerable blubber over the last year.    Does building muscle always involve "bulking".   Grateful for any help!
 
Yoga tommoro then FRIDAY NIGHT IS SQUAT NITE  - wooooohooooo!
 
    

CHEST and BI's tonite ( swopped with LEGS cos during SHOULDERS on Monday and thought I'd give delts a rest in between)
Got up to 10 on dbell press - woop - first time byself - failed at 8 but a good step forwards :) then some 7.5 flyes and bar bench press.  bar was snaking around badly on press so will leave putting teensy weights on there for a while.
Tried them evil bbell 21s that NG was on about - oooh NICE/NASTY.  last set was only 19 but lovely warm BIs after, then did some rope hammer drop sets to polish off my arms and they still good and tight :)
So a wee bit of progress there, nice one.   But then one of the trainers who has been advising me on BACK asked if I wanted to try chin ups.... I knew it would be a disaster but had a go CRINGE - about 1" of movement on my own and and about 2" with him helping - CRINGE!!!   "I think you need to build up your back on pull downs a bit more"  Yes, mate I think youre right!!  SUPER CRINGE.  Ack well I will do it one day....
Had a bacon sarnie this morning :)  grilled bacon on brown but still very naughty - but hey, first one in 3months.....and the rest of the day clean
Ive got a job interview next week (on my birthday for crying out loud) so that will mess training up as will need to swot in evenings - may brave Temple Gym after the interview to depressurise
Happy training chaps & chapesses x

hi megal pal good to see the journol up pal . and good luck with yoour journy in adding some nice muscle to your frame

today:
 
at the pc for 8 hours on work stuff
spinach curry & plantain
 
gnnnnarrrrr!

Good luck with this!
Wiggle bar made me smile 

cant train this week - working every day & evening bah!
normal service will be resumed - with vengence - next week

Great to see so much enthusiasm ! Well done !
 
Re bulking, yes if you want to build muscle you need to eat a surplus of calories and yes that means some additional curves but this is the BUILDING side of bodybuilding and some fat gain is inevitable but doesn't need to be excessive

Thanks Welshy - "additional curves and some fat gain.." - strikes terror into my heart - but yes, know I need to build...
will just make sure I eat lots of the good stuff :)

Mergal


Thanks Welshy - "additional curves and some fat gain.." - strikes terror into my heart - but yes, know I need to build...
will just make sure I eat lots of the good stuff :)

Aw Mergal, i feel your pain!
I went and had an assesment with Kimberley Ann Jones saturday and have come away with a diet plan that would feed at least 2 people! 9 meals - only 2 of which are liquids.
Def makes me feel nervous and super worried about turning into a lump, but i think Welshy is right. I guess you have to take in more calories if you want to see an increase in muscle mass.
 
But still... AGHHHHH
 
Hang in there - we can 'bulk' together! x

Ladies, it is HARD !
 
As women, we are conditioned to think that smaller =  better and if we are adjusting our diet we always adjust to eat less
 
It don't half take some time to get your head around it and I'm still trying in my 2nd off season but stick with it and you will see the results x