Progress Pictures

[aka23]

For the past 3 months, I have been attempting to gain muscle while maintaining a low body fat. My goal is to be 177lb and 5% bf or less. The attached six pictures show my progress at various points within the "bulk." Note that the upper three pictures are multiple weeks apart while the lower three pictures are only a single week apart. I had to reduce the image quality in order to fit it into under 100KB.

[galileo]

I don't know how tall you are, but you look no where near 170+lbs. Your arms do look bigger than before.

In my opinion going up to at least 8% wouldn't hurt. Your abs would still be there, but you wouldn't look emaciated. But, as it is, good luck with your goals. I'd shoot for 200lbs based on where you are now though.

[Y2A]

Lay off the donuts, fatty You can really tell an improvement from the second pic to the last one (since they are the same pose). Good work.

[Frozenmoses]

You are a lean mofo. Congrats on the non-fatty weight gain!

[Herc]

Ripped much?

[ericg]

Dam man you are fuken lean - im envious. Keep up the hard work and good luck

[aka23]

Originally posted by galileo
I don't know how tall you are, but you look no where near 170+lbs.

I am 6ft tall. You probably assumed I was average height (5'10"). According to height weight charts 170lb at 6'0" is roughtly equivalent to 164lb at 5'10" or 158lb at 5'8".

Originally posted by galileo
Your arms do look bigger than before.

My arms are the following number of pixels in diameter in the second and final pictures. I chose these pictures because they are in roughly the same pose.

Second Bicep/Tricep: 21 pixels
Final Bicep/Tricep: 24 pixels

Second Deltoid: 22 pixels
Final Deltoid: 25 pixels

These numbers suggest a roughly 14% increase in the diameter of both measures during the 6 week period between those pictures. I expect that the difference would appear more dramatic in other poses, which involved more flexing. By the way my shirts fit, I can tell that my arms have increased in size significantly.

Originally posted by galileo
In my opinion going up to at least 8% wouldn't hurt. Your abs would still be there, but you wouldn't look emaciated. But, as it is, good luck with your goals. I'd shoot for 200lbs based on where you are now though.

I probably have not been up to 8%BF since my freshman year of college 9 years ago. You are entitled to your opinion, but I prefer a leaner look. I am not interested in being extremely large, like a bodybuilder. I prefer more of a swimsuit model type look.

I am not 100% certain that I want to be even 177lb. I think I would like to have a little more upper body strength and size, but I am concerned that increased weight may interfere with weight bearing activities, like running, or may make me less agile. My goal is slightly above the Stillman's "ideal weight" for sprinters my height, and quite a bit above his "ideal weight" for other types of runners. I may change my mind and modify my goals, as time goes on.

[kook]

aka.. you can definetely see some weight gain, abs and waist are a bit fuller and it looks much better, not that the starting you wasnt unbelievable to begin

chest and arms look a bit bigger, and keeping that low bf level? its krazy, wish i had your parents

much luck

[aka23]

Y2A, Frozenmoses, Herc, and EricG:

Thanks for the compliments. I am very satisfied with my progress so far.


kook,

Thanks. I do not think I have a big genetic advantage. My father is obese with a large "beer belly." He may be over 300lb. My mother and most of my other relatives have also struggled with their weight. I used to be slightly overweight near puberty. I first became very lean as an upperclassmen in high school after I cleaned up my diet, started working out, and did a lot of cardio.

[Y2A]

atta boy, way to beat the odds aka Gives hope to those of us who arent genetic freaks

[steveo]

You are one ripped mofo'

Your chest and arms look biggers

nice work

[Manveet]

Some really really good progress aka23.

How did you manage such a lean bulk? What kind of progress where you seeing on the scale week in, week out? 1lb gain, .5lb gain? etc.. I ask these questions because you must of been dead on in terms of calories every day to put on that kind of lean mass.

Gongrats, and good luck with future goals.

[Gavan]

you are probably as lean as (safely) possible !!!!

Excellent !!!

[SoulOfKoRea]

you are my id0l

[aka23]

Y2A, steveo, Gavan, SoulOf Korea:

Thanks for the support.

Originally posted by Manveet
How did you manage such a lean bulk?

I attribute it mostly to the following:

1. I ate a consistent diet only slightly above my maintenance calorie level.
2. I did cardio nearly every day; using a variety of types, durations, and intensities
3. I had just started a new split, with superior training methods
4. This is my first controlled bulk
5. I started doing dumbbell and ez-curl bar exercises a month or two before my "official" bulk
6. I have been lean for many years and have background of cardio/training related adaptions

Originally posted by Manveet
What kind of progress where you seeing on the scale week in, week out? 1lb gain, .5lb gain? etc.. I ask these questions because you must of been dead on in terms of calories every day to put on that kind of lean mass.

Gongrats, and good luck with future goals.

You can get a rough idea of the rate of my gains by looking at the dates at weights listed in the picture. I originally planned to gain 0.5lb per week to minimize fat gain. After my body fat measures seemed to drop slightly at this calorie level, I increased to about 1lb per week. I did not attempt to gain more than 1lb per week because I felt is unlikely for a natural, amateur weightlifter to gain more than 1lb per week of muscle.

My calorie intake has been remarkably consistent. My average calorie intake during each week I kept my journal is listed below:

Week 1: 3269 calories
Week 2: 3305 calories
Week 3: 3336 calories
Week 4: 3415 calories
Week 5: 3452 calories
Week 6: 3585 calories
Week 7: 3501 calories
Week 8: 3538 calories
Week 9: 3532 calories
Week 10: 3549 calories
Week 11: 3579 calories

I expect that there was some type of recording error in week 6. With the exception of that week, there is a slow and steady increase related to the increasing requirement to maintain my weight. I mostly used my hunger and internal signals as a gauge for how much food to eat. This led to eating slightly more on training days than rest days. More detail about my diet and weight gain can is listed in my journal at http://www.wannabebigforums.com/show...threadid=29874

[kook]

hey man...doesnt matter if you parents are fat or whatever...they still gave you good genes...


genetics cocks the hammer....your environment pulls the trigger....

go sleep on that

[VERTIGO210]

Excellent work so far, I would up my BF% to about an 8 though. What weight are you shooting for when completing your bulking?

-Danny

[aka23]

Originally posted by VERTIGO210
Excellent work so far, I would up my BF% to about an 8 though. What weight are you shooting for when completing your bulking?

VERTIGO210,

My current goal is to be 177lb and 5% BF or less.

[Rastaman]

Aka you should try to get some pics of different poses in here or in your journal. It's hard to judge a physique from only one angle. Good work on the low bodyfat, but I think you have plenty of size to still put on. Oh, and by the way, I don't know which crazy weight chart you were using, but I find it borderline ridiculous to believe that 170 @ 6 foot is = to 158 @ 5'8.

Great progress from the first pic.

[aka23]

Originally posted by Rastaman
Aka you should try to get some pics of different poses in here or in your journal. It's hard to judge a physique from only one angle.

I take photos of the reflection of my bathroom mirror. The angle and using one hand to take the picture restricts the number of poses available. My chest has been my slowest gaining area. I expect that changes in my back and legs would appear more dramatic.

Originally posted by Rastaman
Oh, and by the way, I don't know which crazy weight chart you were using, but I find it borderline ridiculous to believe that 170 @ 6 foot is = to 158 @ 5'8.

I am using standard height/weight charts, like the one at http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/met.htm . The table lists a large male frame at 6'0" as 164-188lb. Interpolating for 170lb gives a 0.25 coefficient.

164 + (188-164)*0.25 = 170

The table lists a large male frame at 5'8" as 152-172lb . Using the same 0.25 coefficient gives an equivalent weight of 157lb .

152 + (172-152)*0.25 = 157

Using the same method for a medium frame also produces the same result -- 170lb at 6'0" corresponds to 157lb at 5'8".

[WestyHeadbanger]

Originally posted by aka23


I prefer more of a swimsuit model type look.

eh?

[aka23]

Perhaps I was not clear. I meant that I would rather have a lean, muscular look to the very large muscles that are common among well known bodybuilders. This type of body is common among male swimsuit models as well as males who did well on the show "Are you hot?". Galleries and height/weight specs are available at http://abc.abcnews.go.com/primetime/areyouhot/

[ElPietro]

Sorry but for my personal opinion, you are not lean, you are emaciated. There is a difference and I guess it's all in what you want to look like. But in those pics I think it is bordering on sickly thin. Not trying to put you down, just to offer advice on getting your bodyfat levels up higher. To me, wanting to stay around 5% is a poor choice, but it's yours to make.

[Rastaman]

Originally posted by aka23
Perhaps I was not clear. I meant that I would rather have a lean, musclular look to the very large muscles that are common among well known bodybuilders. [/url]

Yeah... I would say you have the lean look but definitely not the muscular look. Too skinny!!

[Harrison486]

Originally posted by aka23
I used to be slightly overweight near puberty. I first became very lean as an upperclassmen in high school after I cleaned up my diet, started working out, and did a lot of cardio.

Hey aka23! I am slightly overweight now. I am no obese or obiously fat (with clothes on ) But I do have pudge in my gut and other areas. How did you manage to get rid of the fat?