Measurements over 3 Months

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I’ve taken measurements of my weight, Body fat %, and various body parts fairly consistently since October. I generally took it at the same time every week. The body fat % is from calipers, so probably not too accurate but at least the trend should be fine.

The body measurements are probably more accurate the shorter the measurement is (so, for instance, I wouldn’t put too much on the shoulder measurements, but the calves are probably fairly dead on). I use a cloth belt wrapped around it, mark where it ends, and measure that distance with a tape measure.

Biceps are measured relaxed. Shoulders is all the way around the shoulders. Chest is around, above the nipples. Waist is right above the bellybutton.

I’ve taken measurements before but this is the first time I’ve been really consistent with doing them

I’m currently 5’8

General routine:
Weeks 1-2 was a full body olympic lifting + Waterbury-style bodybuilding, 5 days a week. (I started it before these measurements.
3-8 was a 5 day a week bodybuilding split
9-11 were the holidays and I was traveling
12-14+ is a strenght/mass routine based off of Westside

My nutrition plan: overall P+F meals except during working out, wherein I have 4 scoops of Surge (2 during, 2 after training) and a P+C meal (tuna and fruit) about an hour after that.

Week Weight BF%
1 195 12
2 195 13
4 199 16
5 200 15
6 201 14
7 202 14
8 203.6 16
12 201 14
13 201.4 14
14 206.9 16

Week ArmL ArmR ForeL ForeR Chest Shoul Waist ThighR ThighL CalfR CalfL
1…14.375 14.5 12.25 12.5 43 48.125 34.75 24.5 24.5 16.25 17
2…14.875 15.125 12.625 12.5 43.75 47.5 35 24.5 24.5 16.5 17
4…14.5 …15.25 12.75 12.75 45 48 35.5 24.625 25.75 16.5 17
5…14.5… 15.125 12.5 12.5 44.375 48 35 24.125 25.375 16.375 17
6…14.75. 15 12.875 12.25 44.125 48 36 25 25.5 16.625 16.875
7…15.125 15.25 12.75 12.5 44.125 47.25 35.5 25.375 25.75 16.25 17.375
8…15.5… 15 12.625 12.5 44.25 47 35.75 25.25 25.625 16.5 17.25
12…15… 15.5 12.625 12.5 44 48.25 35.5 25.25 25 16.5 17.125
13…15… 15.375 12.5 12.5 44.25 47.75 35.75 25.25 25.75 16.5 17.25
14…15… 15.375 12.75 12.5 44.5 47.75 36 26.25 25.75 17 17.375

EDIT: FUCK I can’t seem to get the spacing alright
My thoughts:
I think I’ve definitely not been bulking cleanly enough, as my waist and BF% has ballooned up (and I’ve noticed as such). What do you think is best for that? Reducing carbs during P+C meals or just fewer calories the rest of the day?

Seems like I gained maybe 4, at best 5 pounds of lean body mass, which is less than I’d hoped. It’s hard to tell how effective the TBT-style program was, but in general the bodybuilding program didn’t seem to do too much for me. The measurements seem to show an upward trend only with my left arm, my waist, and my thighs.

Maybe there’s a more accurate way to measure body parts, because there seems to be more than a realistic amount of variation in these numbers. Any suggestions?

Are there additional ways you guys measure progress that you’ve found helpful?

2

A few things…

It’s not like you gained weight all that fast. Because of that and the amount of fat you say you gained I am thinking you’re just not training hard enough in the gym.

I measure progress by the mirror mostly.

3

Why are you measuring your arms relaxed?

4

Tumbles,
My workouts are 5 days a week and I’m often sore, so I doubt I’m not training hard enough

MeinHerz,
That’s how they are most of the time, and I measure everything else relaxed.
Is it better to measure them flexed?

5

Measure them flexed. Everyone else does it.

6

Actually, you gained 2.2 lbs of LBM if those measurements are correct.

And I don’t know why you’d need 80-90grams of sugar, even if it is when lifting. And then you follow that up with more sugar in the fruit (yes, I realize its a different kind)

Perhaps get someone else to do the measurements.

Maybe you should have also stuck with the bodybuilding routine longer (ie 10-12 weeks instead of 5). I have friends who do westside and aren’t really big because they don’t do enough muscle damage…yes, I just opened a can of worms right there.

7

He was bulking. Since when are simple carbohydrates frowned upon peri-workout?

8

MeinHerz,

wasn’t aware. ok. but why does everyone else do it that way? is it also more common to measure the other muscles flexed too?

Trenchant,

So how how many grams of carbs would you recommend peri-wo and an hour later?

I remember reading somewhere that it’s recommended to switch routines in general every 6-8 weeks.

As for the mass benefits of westside, I think it depends. Though for glutes, chest, and triceps, sounds like even the straight from Louie Simmons standard approach can pack on some meat. I’ve also adjusted it to be more bodybuilding-focused and added an extra upper body day so I’m doing a pretty solid amount of volume.

Burst,
word

9

[quote]TheBlade wrote:
MeinHerz,

wasn’t aware. ok. but why does everyone else do it that way? is it also more common to measure the other muscles flexed too?

Trenchant,

So how how many grams of carbs would you recommend peri-wo and an hour later?

I remember reading somewhere that it’s recommended to switch routines in general every 6-8 weeks.

As for the mass benefits of westside, I think it depends. Though for glutes, chest, and triceps, sounds like even the straight from Louie Simmons standard approach can pack on some meat. I’ve also adjusted it to be more bodybuilding-focused and added an extra upper body day so I’m doing a pretty solid amount of volume.

Burst,
word[/quote]

You measure the peak of the muscle which your incapable of doing relaxed.

10

[quote]Burst wrote:
He was bulking. Since when are simple carbohydrates frowned upon peri-workout?[/quote]

When you’re fat.

11

dude, according to your calculationsyo have gained 2 lbs of muscle 10 lbs of fat in 14 weeks. not good.
my guess is you gained a bit of muscle at the start, lost it during a 2 week party fest over the hoildays, and probably added the fat during this period too.

tip. clean up the diet pick one program and…

STICK WITH IT!

12

I’d agree with alit4 on this one. Did you follow your diet relatively closely over the holidays? Did you still work out?

Also, you mentioned that your diet is mostly P+F with carbs all around your workout period which is great. Can you post what you’d eat on a normal day?

If the fat gain isn’t from the holidays then chances are it’s from you cheating and not noticing, you’re using the pink dumbbells for your clean and jerk lol, or maybe you’re just switching up your programs so much that you don’t give your body a chance to adapt and grow stronger. Chances are it’s a mix of the 3.

Clean up your diet, bust your ass in the gym, and stick to the same program. You’ll get better results. Good luck.

13

wilmerfest,
So do you measure other muscles flexed as well or just the biceps?

alit4,
There’s clearly a good amount of error in the measurements. Taking them as moving averages, the trend is more like 4 lbs of muscle and 7-8 lbs of fat.

Which is still not good, both in terms of muscle gained and fat gained.

What do you mean by “clean up” my diet. What adjustments could I make to make the bulk cleaner? What do you reckon the problem is?

I do stick with a program for about 6-8 weeks before changing. I’ve seen that recommended by several different trainers who write articles here.

14

Today was measuring day. No real change in weight. A bit of improvement in size for a couple muscles. I measured my arms flexed and they were 16.5 (R) and 16 (L). That’s pretty solid for being 5’8, so I think after I’m done with my current program an extended cut should be a good call.