Fygle's road to mass gain

[Fygle]

Hey guys, thought I'd start logging progress, both for feedback purposes and storing data. goal is basically to gain muscle and decent cardio stamina, for both health and vanity purposes. Let's face it, we all want to look better to feel better! Any feedback, tips, comments are more than welcome! Basically story starts when I turned 30 and realized I need to do something to improve lifestyle, else I'd probably get a stroke by the time I turned 50. I've never been overweight, but I have never really worried too much about what I eat (which was mostly crap), until a couple months ago. Now I'm at the point where I really wanna take it seriously, so I'm doing weights 3 times a week, cardio twice or thrice and watch what I eat. I'm not really wanting to count calories/protein/carb/fat just yet (not until I really have to), so I'm just gonna focus on eating healthy, medium portions and relatively often for now. I also read other people's logs to get an idea of volume, how much I should eat of what, etc.

So here goes, backlogged a couple days.

Sunday March 7:

Rest

Diet:
10:30 bowl of oats in skim milk, 2 tsp sweetener
13:00 1 crispbread w/peanutbutter, fistfull almonds, pint water
15:45 homemade whole wheat spaghetti bolognese, side salad, pint water
19:30 2 fists nuts&raisins, pint water
23:00 3 pieces whole grain bread w/eggs and caviar, green te, pint water

Monday March 8: Weights

Barbell bench: 5x5 - 53kg (adding 0,5kg next 5x5)
+Dumbell shrugs: 11+9+9 - 7,5+7,5>10+10>10+10kg (first time doing shrugs, light, adding 2,5kg next)

Dips 6kg backpack: 9+9+9+8 (adding 1-2kg next, surpsised I could keep such a steady rep count per set)
+Barbell squat w/calve raise: 11+9+9+20 dropset - 45>51>51>30kg (good squeeze of legs today, the dropset felt good and burny. I do a calve raise at the top of this movement. I realize these 2 aren't the best to superset, but I have limited equipment at home. I love supersets so I'll pair up anything I can.)

Standing dumbell military press: 9+6+5+6+15 dropset - 30>35>35>35>20kg (taking off 1-2kg next)

Skull crusher: 9+7+6+6 - 20>24>24>24kg
+Seated concentration curl: 9(8 left arm)+7(6)+6(6) - x3 17,5kg (taking off 0,5kg next)

Diet:
6:00 bowl of oatmeal w/1 scoop PP, half a cup blueberries, a few raisins, cinnamon, 2 tsp sweetener + a pint water and a carrot
9:30 apple, ~25 almonds, glass water
11:30 chicken salad w/ 1 whole grain roll, pint water
15:00 leftovers from spaghetti bolognese yesterday, added a turkeydog for volume, side salad, pint water
17:00 pre weights: 1 whole grain crispbread w/peanutbutter, smoothie w/1 scoop PP, cottage cheese, plain yoghurt, misc berries, dash skim milk, fistfull of oats, 1 tsp sweetener + pint water
19:15 post weights protein shake, 1 scoop
20:00 3 slices whole grain bread w/2 eggs & smoked salmon, pint water, green tea, a carrot
21:30 2 fists misc nuts, glass water
23:30 1 whole grain roll with mackerel, 1 kiwi, pint water

Tuesday March 9: Cardio

2:20min plank > 1:50min plank > reverse crunches > 45min jogg (struggled with reverse crunch technique, first time doing, will have to get used to them. Jogg was terribly uncomfortable, full on thick snowfall, but I persevered!)

Diet:
6:00 bowl of oatmeal w/1 scoop PP, half a cup blueberries, a few raisins, cinnamon, 2 tsp sweetener + a pint water
8:30 1 kiwi, ~25 almonds
11:00 chicken salad w/ 1 whole grain roll, pint water
14:00 chicken wok w/2 chicken breasts, plenty vegs, whole grain rice. 1 large platter. pint water.
17:00 pre cardio: 1 crispbread w/peanut butter, smoothie w/, plain yoghurt, blue/raspberries, oats, skim milk, sweetener + pint water
18:30 mid cardio visiting mom cup of coffee, 1 piece of bakery goods
20:00 post cardio: 2 whole grain rolls w/2 eggs omelette w/vegs and (incredibly boring w/o any lean meats in it, never again)
21:00 2 fists misc nuts w/water
23:00 leftovers from chicken wok, green tea, pint water

[Nokie173]

What kind of sweetener do you use?

[Fygle]

I use erythritol, it's not as sweet as sugar and kinda expensive, but a better choice. Stevia is illegal in Norway, else I'd try that.
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsup ... hritol.htm

[feelin-great]

I use erythritol, it's not as sweet as sugar and kinda expensive, but a better choice. Stevia is illegal in Norway, else I'd try that.
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsup ... hritol.htm

Out of curiosity, why is Stevia illegal in Norway?

[Fygle]

We haven't been given a proper reason, just that it's illegal to sell as food to people as of 2004 in the european union, but NOT to animals... Money money money...

[Nokie173]

Interesting its illegal ... ever tried honey? It might be more calories but might give you different taste?
I like to change it with brown sugar, or honey, or steiva, or salt & pepper.... Mind you i like oatmeal mixed with eggs!
Ohhh... and I put some almond butter (People at work thinks i'm crazy... but hey... i like to have different taste once in awhile... )

[feelin-great]

Interesting its illegal ... ever tried honey? It might be more calories but might give you different taste?
I like to change it with brown sugar, or honey, or steiva, or salt & pepper.... Mind you i like oatmeal mixed with eggs!
Ohhh... and I put some almond butter (People at work thinks i'm crazy... but hey... i like to have different taste once in awhile... )

LOL! You really do like your honey I have a feeling you are going to get me addicted to honey pretty soon Question, you mentioned brown sugar - is that better than using regular sugar? Is there a benefit to using that other than taste? I guess I don't really know much about it, other than that I like it in oatmeal

[Nokie173]

I personally don't think it's way better than regular sugar... but I have packets of it at work so i use it... hehehehe...
Here is an article about it...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/healt ... 2real.html

About HONEY... Yes... I can DRINK it if I could and have cavities... But I control myself becuase it is high in calories and sugar even though it's natural!
So... I only use it for oatmeals, cottage cheese, and yogurt (maybe other stuff but can't think of it now... i'm just thinking of honey.. oops i mean work )

[feelin-great]

Thanks

[Fygle]

Yes I do use honey for green tea, and sometimes for oatmeal

[Fygle]

Weights:

Chinups: 5xFail - 8+7+5+4+3
+Dumbbell Front Raises: 9+7+7+7 - 20>23>23>23kg (adding 0,5kg next)

Pushups: 4xFail - 29xWide>17xMedium>10xNarrow>17xWide
+Upright Barbell Rows: 11+9+9 - 15>20>20kg (adding 1-2kg next)

Flyes incline pos 1: 11+9+9 - 15+15>17+17>17+17>17+17kg (had to ditch dropset, upper body was done, no more energy)
+Lunges: 9+7+7+7 - 15>21>21>21kg (adding 1kg next)

Barbell deadlift: 11+9+9 - 60>71>71kg (adding 1-2kg next)

Diet:

6:00 bowl of oatmeal w/1 scoop PP, half a cup blueberries, a few raisins, cinnamon, 1 tsp sweetener, 1 tsp honey
9:00 ~25 almonds, a banana
11:00 3 wg thick crispbreads w/omelette leftovers
15:00 pea soup w/lean beef, loads veg, wg rice, wg spaghetti (awesome, plenty leftovers)
17:15 pre weights: 1 wg thick crispbread w/lf cheese and ham, small glass skim milk, smoothie w/frozen smoothie mix (blue/rasp/banana), handful oats, a little plain yoghurt, and skim milk
19:00 post weights 1 scoop PP shake
19:30 post weights 3 slices wg bread w/salmon, glass skim milk, a carrot
21:00 Fygle's special pancakes (rye, whole wheat, oats, , grated carrot, tsp honey, tsp sweetener, eggs, skim milk, blueberries)
23:30 1 thick wg crispbread w/ veg omelette

[Fygle]

They are sensational!

[Fygle]

Rest day

Diet:

6:00 bowl of oatmeal w/1 scoop PP, half a cup blueberries, a few raisins, cinnamon, 1 tsp sweetener, 1 tsp honey + a carrot
9:00 ~25 almonds, an apple
11:30 3 slices wg bread w/lf cheese & ham
15:00 pea soup from yesterday, 1 turkeydog added
17:00 smoothie w/ 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, handful oats, skim milk, 2 tbsp , 2 tbsp plain yoghurt, 1 tsp sweetener
19:30 whole wheat tortilla wrap w/turkey cold cuts, a little grated lf cheese, guacamole, cucumber, iceberg, pepper, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegrette, red pesto, salt&pepper, chili paste, soy sauce. (Wow... this blew me away, insanely good!! Nuke the vegs, mushrooms, garlic quick in a pan with a little oil while heating up the tortillas in the oven. Add pesto, chili, soy, spices. Apply all the goodness in the wrap with a small drizzle of vinegrette, eat )
22:30 rest of the soup, a carrot, green tea

[Fygle]

Cardio day:

2:25 plank > 1:55 plank > 12x tuckcrunches > 45min jogg.

On usual jogging route I start out fast walking, slowly building up to high speed until I reach interval hill. Here I do 3x ~1:20min sprints for the top, walking back down as recovery. Jogging back I keep steady high pace until I get back to house. From here I end the session with a 1,6km (1mile) lap around the block running as fast as I can (I measured with car, it's exactly 1 mile. 1 fairly steep down hill, and same up hill), and today I broke record by 6 seconds. New record is 6:36! goal is to get under 6 mins... seems hard, but maybe some time during this summer No snow/ice is surely gonna help on the time.

Diet:

6:00 bowl of oatmeal w/1 scoop PP, half a cup blueberries, a few raisins, cinnamon, 1 tsp sweetener, 1 tsp honey + a carrot
9:00 ~25 almonds, an apple
11:00 1 slice wg bread w/lf cheese & ham, ww tortilla wrap w/turkey and vegs
13:45 fish soup w/salmon, corn, green peas, green beans, onion, carrot, rye bread
16:30 pre cardio: smoothie w/2 tbsp , 2 tbsp plain yoghurt, handful oats, 6 strawberries, 1/2 banana, skim milk, 1 tsp sweetener + 1 thick crispbread w/ham
18:30 post cardio: 2 1/2 thick crispbread w/mackerel, glass skim milk (is fatty fish bad to have right after a workout?)
19:30 2 fists misc nuts and a few raisins, a can lite beer
21:00 small smoothie w/frozen smoothie mix (blue/rasp/banana), skim milk, plain yoghurt
22:30 rest of the fish soup, a carrot

[feelin-great]

I broke record by 6 seconds.

Awesome!