Mr Brittas's Journal - ****NEW PICS on PG-32****

Right, thought it was about time I started one of these things.

After a decent cut I'm now bulking again.  Hoping to gain some mass back that I lost over the last few years and keep the fat at bay, before I cut for a holiday next summer.

Here's my story.......

I first entered a gym at 18 years old.  Skinny fat I think the term is.  Zero muscle and a slightly flabby belly.  For a few years I used machines, did cardio, lost the fat, tonned up a little bit.  At about 21 I switched from Full body workouts to a 3 day split, which developed over the years into a 4 then 5 day split (when time allows).  I went on my first lads holiday at the age of 22 and started following the "bulk then cut" process.  My diet was shocking!

I slowly developed over the years adding in more food, learning how to cut better, gaining a bit more muscle each year and losing a bit more fat each summer.  I still ate a standard 3 meals a day, and didn't use suppliments.  Gains were very... very slow.  But I was happy enough.  I would lose a lot of the muscle I'd gained all winter by not eating enough during the cutting phase, but it was all good.

By the age of about 28, I'd got in decent shape and cut for my holiday to this condition...



I came straight back off holiday into a decent bulk.  Now eating properly for the first time ever.  I did a decent cut, although met my GF in middle of it which threw things slightly.  Anyway, I went on holiday in this kinda shape.




The picture in my avatar is also from that holiday.

But.... thats where things went horribly wrong.  I moved in with the GF, I hit and missed with training, diet went to pot, I went weeks without training, had a come back and got some size back, we had a baby and I lost it all again!!!  Before I knew it, 2 years had pasted and I was a mess.

Then got a new job 30 miles away.  But this actually sorted me out.  I started training in the mornings before work and got some consistancy back.  Eating was better, but not clean.  So in May this year I decided to do a cut for the summer as I was in this shape.....



So, after 15 gruelling weeks of cutting, dieting, cardio, doing weights in my lunch hour so I could do cardio on a morning, I ended up like this.



Not quite as big as I used to be, not quite as lean, but getting there!

So whats next?  I've now been bulking for about 6 weeks and I'm getting size and strength back.  I'm very nearly lifting what I was 2 years ago already.  I've put a bit of fat on, but I've stopped worrying about the lean bulk theory and just making sure I get plenty of food inside me.  I did a successfull cut this summer, so it'll be a lot easier this year as I won't be as fat.

I'll post some diets and training routines next week.

Dam, I'll sort the pics out later!

Time to post my diet......

So this is my current bulking diet.  It's not a crazy amount of calories and on paper doesn't really seem like enough.  But my evening meal can vary quite a lot and can often be a huge meal.  I sometimes eat the GF's leftovers.  And I might have a bit of chocolate now and again, so the calories are much higher.  Plus I don't count the mayo and sauces I use. 

Protein is 220g's which I think is enough for me at the minute.

My short term plan is to clean the diet up a bit, being a bit more consistant with my evening meal, giving me the confidence to up my calories a bit without worrying about getting too fat.


7am - fasted AM cardio  - 30 mins SSCV 2 or 3 times a week

8am - 100g oats, 300ml skimmed milk, 25g whey.... blended into a shake.

11am - tin of tuna/100g chicken - mixed with mayo or regge regge sauce + 2 - 3 slices of granery/wholemeal bread

12.30pm - train

1.15pm - bannana + 25g whey in water + 5g creatine

2pm - tub of quark, 75g oats, 15ml flaxseed oil, flavoured with tesco own angel delight powder, blended into a shake

4pm - Protein flapjack with dark chocolate ontop.  Fatboygingers recipie...... stunning!

6.30pm - evening meal.  On paper for my calculations it's a chicken breast with a sweet potatoe, but in reality it can be anything.  Always contains carbs and protein.  Curry, spag bol, sunday dinner, fajetas etc.

9.30pm - 1 pint skimmed milk

So with the boring chicken and potatoe evening meal it's about 2600 cals.  But it's much more in reality. 

Hi mate, glad you have joined me in starting a journal !!!

Good luck, will pop in every so often to see how u are doing

snowball1


Hi mate, glad you have joined me in starting a journal !!!

Good luck, will pop in every so often to see how u are doing

Cheers mate.

Onto my training now.

I'm trying to do some cardio 2 or 3 times a week.  To keep the fat at bay, but mainly to keep in the habit of getting up and doing it so that when it's time to cut again, I just have to up the duration and frequency.  Some weeks I only manage 1 session, sometimes it's 3.  I always get 1 session in, as I train my abs after cardio so I don't want to miss them. 

I do 30 mins SSCV fasted on a morning before work.  I work 45 mins drive away from home, so I get up, have a black coffee, drive to the gym next to work and do my cardio.  Then it's a quick shower, down my breakfast shake and off to work I go.

When I started this new job 7 months ago, I was doing my weights on a morning.  But when I realised I'd got time to do them at lunchtime, I gave it a go and never looked back.  I've got so much more strength after a couple of meals.  But I've still got the option of sticking a morning session in if I have to.... which I will be doing this week.

I'm a big fan of the 5 day split.  I like the fact that I can focus on 1 muscle group, and keep the sessions short and intense.  Plus, I love having a dedicated arms day.  I never feel like I do them justice when they're tagged onto the end of a chest or back session.

Saying that, I seem to never hit the 5 sessions at the minute.  Due to work commitments, or having a day off.... or whatever.  So I do things like back + bi's, chest and tri's or shoulders and tri's.  I feel like my arms are lagging at the minute and I really can't decide whether I need to up the volume or reduce it!

Todays session -  Back + Biceps.

Deadlift      4 x 6      90, 100, 110, 120 (4)
Free weight machine row    3 x 8    40, 45, 50
Latpulldown    3 x 8    65, 65, 72.5

DB curls    2 x 10    20, 20
Preacher curls    2 x 10    7.5 (per side), 10

Not a bad session.  I alternate chins with latpulldowns and change every week, and I also prefer to start with them as I feel my lats need some extra width.  But today the chinning station was constantly busy, so I put it off til the end and still couldn't get on.  So settled with the latpulldown.

I'll just add... I'm quite new to deadlifts, so I don't lift a lot at the minute.  I still can't decide if they are helping me build and worrying about the injury potential.

The bicep session was a bit of a mess too.  Not sure why I started with the DBs.  Usual use the EZ or a straight bar.      I did 2 sets on each exercise as I felt like I didn't need much volume but fancied doing a couple of different things.

I'm busy all day tomorrow at work and won't get a lunch break, so I'm going to train my shoulders in the morning before I start.

I had to do my weights session this morning as I've got a consultant working with me all day, so I doubt we'll have a lunch break.  I'll have to cram food in as and when, but I can see my going a few hours without eating at some stage today.

So today was shoulders..... I had my usual breakfast shake before leaving the house but reduced the oats to 50g so I didn't get too bloated.  I've made this shake too big in the past, and if I drink it before a weights session I feel sick!

Free weight machine press    3 x 8    70, 75, 80
Military press    2 x 8    35, 40
Seated side lat raises    3 x 10    10, 10, 10
Bent over raises    3 x 10    8, 8, 8
DB shrugs    3 x 8    34 (dbs), 34, 34

I was dreading the morning weights session as I haven't done one for a while, but I felt good and my lifts didn't suffer.  I don't think I'll break any records training on a morning, but as long as I can lift my usual weights and feel like I've trained hard, I'm happy.  I'll up the weight at a lunchtime session next.

It's a good job.... as it looks like I may have to another couple of morning sessions this week.  I'm down at our London site tomorrow afternoon, and there all day Thursday.  Work as normal on Friday morning but I've got the afternoon off.

I've got 2 more sessions to get in this week, so it's either..... train Weds and Fri morning, or train at about 10.30am when I leave for London tomorrow, and potentially do a quick session on Friday before I finish for the afternoon.

Can't decide.  I just don't fancy training legs tomorrow morning.... or chest on Friday morning, as I've been upping the weight every week on the BP.

I've just found out that I'm booked into quite a decent hotel with a gym for once (usually end up in a travel lodge).  I've stayed here once before and it's a half decent gym.
 
I'm tempted to have a lay in tomorrow, and do my legs or chest session at the hotel gym tomorrow night.  It didn't have lots of free weights but it did have a smith machine.  So I could squat or bench.
 
It's just a bit of risk getting there and there's not enough equipment to do a decent workout, then I've missed my chance to fit all the sessions in.
 
I might have a swim on Thursday morning too!

Decided to skip the gym this morning, not mess about fitting a session in before I leave, and try the hotel gym tonight.
 
They definitely had a smith machine and I'm sure they'll have a leg press, so I can train my legs.  If there isn't much weight I'll do a high rep session.  It means I get all my sessions in without too much hassle, plus it gives me something to do in the hotel..... and I won't feel as guilty eating a big meal after!!
 
 
 
Speaking of eating... these trips away do mess my diet up a bit.  I've packed my usual food today, which will take me up to 7pm where I'll eat in the hotel.  I'm setting off to London about 11am, so I'll eat before hand, then have my quark shake with a coffee in the services on the way down and a protein bar before I train in the hotel.  I've got my PWO shake in my bag too.
 
Tomorrow will be a nightmare tho.  I'm guessing I won't get chance to eat much until I leave.  I know the hotel breakfast is buffet style, so I plan on loading up on that big time..... bacon, sausage and plenty of eggs..... keep myself full all morning.  I'm in a meeting all day so I'm guessing there'll be some kind of food on, but it won't be much.  I'll have a protein bar as I leave at 5pm, then stop at the services for some junk food on the way home (KFC maybe!).  Then have a shake when I land at home at about 9 - 10pm!!!
 
So lots of gaps without eating, but calories should be high enough with the junk food.  It's only a one off so I'll live!

Well I managed to fit some kind of legs session in at the hotel gym.  I won't detail it, as it was a bit random, and the weights don't compare to my normal training.
 
I did some squats on the smith machine (awful), bit of leg pressing then found a way of doing calfs.
 
I went down for a meal in the restaraunt.  It was very posh and the portions were tiny.  I ordered the steak, but it was only 6oz.
 
I made up for it at breakfast as it was a buffet style.  I loaded my plate up with sausage, bacon, eggs (both scrambled and fried), hash browns, mushrooms, black pudding, beans and bread.  Lovely!!
 
It's a good job I did that, as I barely ate again until after 6pm.  I managed to fit a protein flapjack in midday.  I stopped at the services on the way home, and decided to have a Burger King.  I was starving, needed some protein and their double whoppers looked filling!!  I didn't get home til 9pm and had a pint of milk before bed!

I booked the afternoon off work today, but managed to fit my chest and tri's session in before I drove home at lunch time.
 
Decline BB bench    3 x 8    90, 95, 100
Incline BB bench    3 x 8    65, 70, 70
Dips                        3 x 8    bodyweight, bw +5, bw +5
Skull crushers        3 x 10    20, 25, 25
 
Getting to 40kg a side on the decline bench has been a goal of mine for a while.  This is the most I ever lifted on any kind of bench press, and I got to this a couple of years ago when I was at my biggest.  It's taken a while, but I've got there again.... and it was quite easy.
 
I also did this without a spotter... which is another massive achievement for me.  Decline bench is risky without a spotter, but I now lift without the collars on.  So I can ditch the plates if I have to!

Looks like I might manage a 5 day split this week. 
 
Today was back, and I loved being able to give it my all without worrying about doing my biceps at the end.
 
Wide grip Chins                4 x 8    BW, BW, BW(6), BW(5).
Close grip latpulldowns    2 x 8    65kg, 72.5kg
Deadlifts                           3 x 8    90kg, 90kg, 90kg         (these seemed really hard today and I couldn't add more weight to the bar)
Wide grip bent over rows 3 x 8    40kg, 45kg, 50kg  
BB shrugs                         3 x 8    70kg, 80kg, 80kg
 
 
A good back session.  I lifted a lot more on the deadlift last week, but then again I did it at the begining of the session.  I try and put chins/pulldowns first as I feel like I need more width on my back.

Day 2 this week was shoulders.  I LOVE training body parts on their own!  Especially when time is limited.
 
DB OH press        3 x 8        30kg (in each hand), 34kg, 34kg.
Military press       3 x 8        40kg, 45kg, 45kg
Seated lat raises 3 x 10      10kg, 10kg, 10kg
Bent over raises  3 x 10      8kg, 8kg, 8kg 
 
Another good session.  Going from the 30kg DBs to the 34kgs was hard work without a spotter.  First time I've managed it.  Pressing them is no problem, but getting them in the air is the hard part!  I managed it though.  Hopefully, I'll give the 38kgs a go in a few weeks.
 
My shoulders have always been a lagging body part, over shadowed by my chest.  But I'm convinced I just need to lift heavy to make them grow.  So I've really started pushing hard.
 
I'm feeling big again when I'm pumped in the gym...... which is something I've missed!

Legs day
 
Squats                        3 x 10        50kg, 60kg, 70kg     (seem to be stuck on this weight at the min)
SLDL                           3 x 10        50kg, 60kg, 70kg
Seated calf raises       4 x 10        50kg, 60kg, 70kg, 80kg        (+ a few drop sets stripping the weight)
Leg extention             3 x 10        20kg, 30kg, 40kg        (done on a different machine which takes free weights)
 
Decent session.  I've never been any good at squatting but I'm getting there.  I don't have the confidence to go too heavy, but I'm now at the stage where I really feel like I've worked my legs after each session.
 
 
 
I've done no cardio at all so far this week.  I really ought to get at least 1 in.  If not, I won't get chance to do an abs session.  Also, i'm feeling a little fat, so I need to keep ontop of it!

Looks good matey keep up the good work also like the sound of:
2pm - tub of quark, 75g oats, 15ml flaxseed oil, flavoured with tesco own angel delight powder, blended into a shake.
Might give something similar a go, good luck.

Moobies08


Looks good matey keep up the good work also like the sound of:
2pm - tub of quark, 75g oats, 15ml flaxseed oil, flavoured with tesco own angel delight powder, blended into a shake.
Might give something similar a go, good luck.

Cheers mate.
 
Yeah, the quark shake is quite a nice meal.  Nice and easy to drink at my desk while I'm working.
 
Only thing is, it can be very thick and hard to drink, but I can't get anymore water in my shaker to thin it out!!  

Managed 30 mins cardio this morning and did an abs session.
 
Chest day then.
 
Flat BB bench            3 X 8            80kg, 85kg, 90kg   (failed after 5 reps and got stuck!)
Incline DB bench       3 x 8            34kg (dbs in each hand), 38kg, 38kg
Dips                          3 x 8             BW, BW + 5kg, BW + 10kg     (really need to get a dipping belt)
Decline flies              3 x 10           14kg (in each hand), 16kg, 16kg
 
 
Really good session.  The flat bench was a new PB lifting 90kg on the flat, and really took it out of me.  After that I felt like I'd not eaten enough food.  Still, got the job done.

Interesting journal mate, will be watching this closely

Cracking read your 15 week cut was

Hi mate, have you considered maybe  pre-exhausting bi's and tri's with some isolations, before hitting the big compounds to make them work harder and perhaps stimulate some growth - as you said you feel they are lagging?
Read about your successful cut in general that time, good to see you with a journal now.
Best of luck with your training.