Of course you may be right. I tend to think I’m still on the “newb gains” stage meaning currently rapid muscle growth. That could account for slower scale change. There is some evidence of that between physical body appearance, clothing fitment, lifting ability, and consistent % drop of BF.
I’ll do a scale and body fat check in the morning. It’s been a few weeks. My last check in was July 12, so I’m due. If I’m right, I would expect scale numbers to start picking up as muscle growth slows.
I wouldn’t be against a trial though as well. How long of a period would be required to give it a honest go at a higher level of intake? A month? 2500 isn’t much of a bump.
Also, still interested in form checks on the deadlift above. My physical therapist says it’s good but she’s not a lifter.
Hello all. I decided to give it a whirl. I figured what was the worst that could happen by increasing intake, a few pounds? No biggie.
So, I’ve been up to 3000 calories since Monday. The only real difference I’ve noticed as of now is an increased appetite. I find myself hungry far more often during the day. Hopefully that is a sign of increased metabolism? I’ll give it at least 2 weeks before I step on the scale, maybe a month.
My knee has been feeling solid lately and I’ve been having the urge to do some squats. Never been a barbell squatter but have done a few sets on the smith during physical therapy.
After work the other day I stepped into one of our small “gyms” that has a squat cage and set it up at 135. I played with foot positioning a bit and found that feet forward and feet turned out a little really flare up both knees on descent. However, if I widen my stance a little bit past shoulders (or so it felt) and turn my feet out to more like 45 degrees, my knees didn’t hurt at all.
So I did a set of 10 with the 135 and felt good so I started adding weight. I did 2 sets at 225 without issue and was going to call that a day but decided to go a little higher and see if I could get in the ballpark of a 1 rep max.
Added 10lb/side and did 1 squat. When I got to 315 it was getting heavy, so I stopped. But I’m pretty damn happy with 315, full range of motion (best I can tell without someone there watching me), for never really squatting before. Might have had a little bit more but that search is for another day. Carrying around all this fat for years sure builds some length strength, I guess.
I’ll see if I can take some video soon for a form check.
Stepped on the scale after however many weeks it’s been… 3 or 4… not really sure.
Overall weight with the food intake bumped to about 3000 is… relatively unchanged. Maybe up a pound. At my mass, a single pound isn’t really significant.
So, unchanged. Not up. Not down.
Now, in that same time period my 1 rep maxes have all continued to climb and I’ve actually started squatting as my knees are doing well. So that’s all good I suppose. It would probably behoove me to start doing measurement… I used various body measurements the first time around but I haven’t bothered with it this time.
In any event, I’ll keep working. I don’t know how long it is supposed to take for my body to stabilize with this new eating level if I was indeed in “starvation mode” so I’ll just keep at it for now.
Next week I should break 200lbs on my strict overhead press, 315lbs on the flat bench, and maybe, just maybe, 495 on the deadlift. That’d be cool.
Keeping up the higher intake, scale weight remains the same. Strength has continued to increase though progress is slowing to what I would think are more normal levels in my heavier lifts, such as deadlift and bench. I’ve got the 315, but it took a week longer than previous increase rates indicated. Deadlift at 495, maybe next week, also a week or two behind schedule. OHP is still cruising, now at 210. Squat also cruising, now 365 I think.
I just a local nutrition/supplement store that offers $10 InBody scans. I wish I had known they were there, I would have been used that to establish a solid baseline months ago.