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Yeah, it's those damn pecs. I think part of the problem is that perhaps I'm not using the muscle properly when I get heavier with benching. I think this was my major issue before. Lyle wrote a delightful little article about benching and getting the pecs to fire properly by focusing on bringing the arm across the body when benching, which is supposed to be the function of the pectorals. That seemed to help. Before, I must have been using mostly arms and shoulders to move the bar or something? Anyway, I'm going to continue focusing on this until it becomes reflexive.
I think this was compounded by the fact that I didn't even hardly do flat bench at all until later on in my career. I always did incline before that, which looking back now I think was retarded. Oh, and when I started flat benching, I was using a grip that was far too narrow. I don't know when I corrected that. You'd think my triceps would be better developed considering that I was basically doing close grip bench instead for a long time.

Quad - how long did it take you to get up to 315? Clearly your pecs must be strong even if they aren't growing as you'd like. I'd really like to get up to 315 this year, but I'm not sure if that is realistic unless I dedicate a whole cycle to just bringing up my bench.
 
I just noticed your signature...

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Everyone else is doing it.

Deadlift PR 500 lb
Squat PR 315 lb
Bench PR 245 lb

Total 1060</div>

That's fantastic... I hope to join the fun some time this year!
 
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(Totentanz @ Mar. 31 2008,18:59)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> I was at about 15 inches for arms before I started this thing (maybe slightly less...) and now I'm at 16 inches when my arms are cold.  </div>
Hell that quick and impressive!
 
I made a pr of 345, just once, and I'd say the bench came up in about 2 months or more...bulking and simplifying. You may have just inadvertently helped my bench too...I think I do the arms and shoulders thing! We'll see next time.
I used to watch the bar instead of the target spot on the ceiling: that was worth about ten lbs. right off. Stare at the spot you want to put the bar in.
 
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(Joe.Muscle @ Apr. 01 2008,17:36)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(Totentanz @ Mar. 31 2008,18:59)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> I was at about 15 inches for arms before I started this thing (maybe slightly less...) and now I'm at 16 inches when my arms are cold. </div>
Hell that quick and impressive!</div>
Well, not that impressive if you consider that I previously had attained 15.5 inches for a while, but they shrunk for some reason. In January, when I started my bulk at 195 lbs, my right arm actually measures at a mere 14.75 inches, which is a significant decrease. So... I must have done something wrong at some point.

I'll post the rest of my measurements later on at some point.

I've also finally attained a bodyweight of 230 lbs, despite my foray into IF style bulking, which I figured would make it much harder for me to eat enough to gain weight. It is worse mentioning that I quit counting calories a while back and have begun simply eating by feel - this is purely due to laziness on my part because I really got sick of having to find out the nutritional information for everything, plus having to log all my foods.

At this rate, I think I may actually hit my goal of 240 by June. I've got what? Eight or nine weeks? Something like that. About a pound a week would get me there.

I'm going to try for a new max single on bench this Saturday, then try for a triple with 315 on squats on Sunday. I may attempt a new max single on squats too but I'm not planning on it... depends on if I can hold myself back from doing it or not.
 
You are a huge fat pig. And yes, part of me is jealous of your hugeness. Good work. I can't bring myself to keep bulking without drugs, dieting it back off is always such a bitch. But you might as well go for 240, you carry the weight well and it would be an awesome bodyweight PR for you.
 
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(Totentanz @ Apr. 03 2008,21:08)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I've also finally attained a bodyweight of 230 lbs...</div>
Whereas I finally made it down to 130 lbs...
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(scientific muscle @ Apr. 03 2008,21:13)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">You are a huge fat pig. And yes, part of me is jealous of your hugeness. Good work. I can't bring myself to keep bulking without drugs, dieting it back off is always such a bitch. But you might as well go for 240, you carry the weight well and it would be an awesome bodyweight PR for you.</div>
It's not easy. I keep second guessing myself and keep wanting to start cutting... I've never been this heavy or this big. It's a real mind job looking in the mirror at this gut I'm growing each morning. But to be honest, it's steve jones that keeps me going. Haha. Remember his posts about how you should stick to your goals no matter what? Well, I'm trying to take that to heart and go for it no matter what.
Moving to an IF bulk setup is helping, psychologically, even if it probably isn't doing much physically, since I'm still eating upwards of 5000 calories a day.

I guess the fact that I'm making the best progress I've made since my first ever bulk also helps keep me going.

So, I'm going to keep going with my plan to GFH. I don't know if you've been following the Hunky/Nikk drama on bodyrecomposition.com but at least I haven't turned into a whale like that guy...

Cutting is probably going to suck. And to be honest, gaining this much weight in such a short period has affected my cardio vascular ability, but... I think I'm the happiest I've been in a while.
 
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(scientific muscle @ Apr. 03 2008,21:13)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">You are a huge fat pig. And yes, part of me is jealous of your hugeness. Good work. I can't bring myself to keep bulking without drugs, dieting it back off is always such a bitch. But you might as well go for 240, you carry the weight well and it would be an awesome bodyweight PR for you.</div>
Yeah, look at my PITA of a road to a state of leanness!

Tot, as far as your eventual cut is concerned, I am sure the IF protocol will work just fine. I wonder how many of us are doing IF right now? There is Quad, you and I - and probably bluejacket, not sure who else?
 
I think we are the only ones doing IF?

Pretty soon I'm going to cut back calories on non-workout days to probably 20% below maintenance. I keep wanting to start doing it... especially since people at work keep making comments now. Apparently, the women at work expect me to be in perfect physical condition at all times. I've been having them pointing out my growing gut to me the past few weeks.
I've gotten a lot of comments about how my arms, etc look huge too, so it's not all negative... but anyway, the point is, it keeps making me want to cut.

However, I keep setting PRs so that keeps me on this bulk. For instance...
NEW PR'S TODAY!!

Flat Bench - 135 x 10, 165 x 3, 185 x 3, 205 x 3, 215 x 2, 235 x 1, 255 x 1, 215 x 5 x 5

Incline Bench (45 degrees) - 135 x 10, 145 x 3, 165 x 3, 185 x 3, 200 x 1

Squat - 185 x 5, 235 x 5, 265 x 5, 305 x 5, 325 x 3, 345 x 1, 360 x 1

My goal for squat was only to get a single on 325, but I kept hitting PRs on the squat so I kept on going. That 360 barely went up... I knew then that I was finished.

I was going to do chins but didn't. I wasn't even going to do incline but then just kinda did to see how it felt. The most I ever did on incline, if I remember correctly, was 165 but that must have been years ago now.

I did attempt 505 on deads this past Sunday but didn't manage it. I was only able to pull 465. However, I had been up until 4:30 am entertaining guests and tried to do the 505 on only four hours of sleep - I really had no business even working out at all that day. Bench had been a train wreck before I tried deads, so I shouldn't have even tried.
Oh well. In another week and a half, I'll attempt the 505 again.

Anyway, time to update the sig...
 
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(Lol @ Apr. 01 2008,10:34)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(Totentanz @ Apr. 01 2008,11:59)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Anyway, in other news, I've decided to quit weightlifting. I'm getting really into sewing and knitting lately. I think I'm going to focus my energies on that instead.</div>
A wife is wyce eneuch that kens her guid man's breeks frae her ain kirtle.
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Eh, raise nae mair deils nor ye can lig!

Have fun working that one out!
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Couldn't figure these out... I don't really know any Scottish. Luckily google came to the rescue!

Haha. Anyway, that was good for a laugh. I think my wife has already pretty much left me in control of everything. We both work so we end up splitting household duties an even 90/10. I do the 90. That's okay, I think I have some kind of hyperactivity disorder, so I need to stay busy anyway.
 
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(Totentanz @ Apr. 04 2008,05:52)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">It's not easy.  I keep second guessing myself and keep wanting to start cutting...  I've never been this heavy or this big.  It's a real mind job looking in the mirror at this gut I'm growing each morning.</div>
my bodyweight is ~ 242, which is 4 pounds shy of the heaviest *fattest* I've ever been.

pr's keep increasing, in keeping w/ current strength goals. strength has gained in proportion to my weight (though I don't believe that to be an absolutely linear relationship).

it's a temptation to cut for the summer. it's good to be reminded as to the benefits of staying the course.

cliff notes: I empathize with you. Outside your PR's dwarfing mine, we're in a similar situation.
 
Damn...you put on that weight fast.  The last vid I saw of you breaking the bar on one of your Deads (and cursing the bar off if I remember) must have been about 4-5 months ago or so.  You were pretty lean in that video...definitely below 200 lbs.  Have you put on mostly muscle or is it a combo deal?  I'm glad to see your focus on chest is paying off...your pushing and pulling multiples of your weight with legs.  You need 295 on Bench before the cut.
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Great lifting Totz. After just over a week away I return to find a slew of new PRs under your belt. I'm watching your benching progress with particular interest as that has always been my weak point too.
 
Great PR's Tot! That 255 bench had to feel amazing - and those squat PR's lining up like that - WOW. Great lifting!
 
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(soflsun @ Apr. 09 2008,18:42)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Damn...you put on that weight fast. The last vid I saw of you breaking the bar on one of your Deads (and cursing the bar off if I remember) must have been about 4-5 months ago or so. You were pretty lean in that video...definitely below 200 lbs. Have you put on mostly muscle or is it a combo deal? I'm glad to see your focus on chest is paying off...your pushing and pulling multiples of your weight with legs. You need 295 on Bench before the cut.
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Actually, that video was almost a year ago... July of 2007. I don't remember what my stats were then either, though it's probably in my old log somewhere.

It's definitely been a combo, though I'm thinking it's been more muscle than fat... I hope anyway.

But you're right, I need to get that bench up. It's progressing, sure, but there are still guys benching more than me while only squatting and deadlifting a fraction of what I do.


Thanks for the props everyone, it does help keep me motivated.

So... what were my goals again?

Deadlift 500 lbs - done
Row and Bench 250 lbs - done
Pullup, Chin and Dip my bodyweight + 100 lbs for reps - Haven't checked yet
Push Press 200 lbs for reps - Not doing overhead presses anymore (for the time being)
Weigh 225 lbs - done
Achieve upper arms larger than 16 inches - done
Squat 355 lbs - done

I'm going to just remove the push press goal because I won't be doing those again until my forearm stops bothering me. Might be a while.
I'll test my pullups, chins and dips this weekend. I haven't tried a maximal single on any of those in a while. I've dipped with 100 hanging before but I weighed about 40 lbs less then, so it might be a challenge.

So... I need new goals. I'll test those this weekend and figure out where I am going from there. I already know my squat goal will be 400 and my bench will be 300, but I need to come up with a reasonable time frame in order to achieve them.
 
I dipped BW + 100 for 3 reps today, so that one is out of the way. Chins didn't work out, but I did a ton of rack pulls before hand, which I know wiped out by chance of getting BW + 100 on chins. I did manage BW + 70 for 3 though.

Bodyweight is down to 220 today because I didn't eat enough all week. I've been having some personal problems which are effecting my diet... I don't know if it will all be resolved anytime soon either, so I may as well just plan on not bulking for the next couple weeks. Some of that weight loss is carbs and water, of course, but I don't know what the rest is. I don't feel weaker or anything, so I doubt I lost any significant muscle.
I've reached all my goals except for the chins/pullups and the push presses which I had to ditch, so I'm not torn up over this change of plans or anything. Once I get personal things back on track, I'll set new goals and start eating big again. This is only a small set back... and maybe it's a good thing anyway as I could stand to strip off a little fat real quick.

Rack pulls went great though. Here's how it looked:

315 x 5
405 x 5
455 x 5
505 x 5
555 x 5
585 x 1
605 x 1

The 605 is a PR. My previous PR was 600, so that's only a 5 lb improvement but this is mainly due to the fact that I only have six 45s, four 35s, four 25s, two 10s, ten 5s and two 2.5s. 605 is all I can fit on the bar. I'll have to go invest in a pair of 45s soon. Maybe I can use some chains to chain up my other bar to the first bar and let it hang there, adding another 45 or so. Haha.
 
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