Workout Log - Back Progress

Just a quick log to show the progress of my back. Sadly I don't have any pictures from before when I was super underweight; I had no idea of the importance of a strong back then so didn't think to take any.

The first image is from just a few weeks ago (5-6?), so it's nice to see how far I've come in such a short amount of time. Second image taken today. Nice wallpaper, huh?

Certainly added a general 'thickness' and my lats have come along nicely too. I'm needing a bit more work on the mid/lower sections, but more definition will be visible after my cut/fat loss routine which I'll be starting in a couple of weeks.

And although not fully tensed in image one, you can see there's a good level of arm progression and overall arm thickness. That, combined with the lat development, I'll be packing quite the punch at this rate.

My back workout consists of mostly compound moves such as Pull Ups, Stiff Legged Deadlifts, Barbell Rows, Seated Cable Rows, Upright Rows, Lat Pull Downs and various presses.

To give you an idea of how I've progressed on this current routine, we'll use the Stiff Legged Deadlift  (AKA the Romanian Deadlift) as an example. It targets the hamstrings, glutes & lower back. For those who don't know what it is, it is as follows:

Stiff Legged Deadlift

Week 1: 40kg | 88lbs

Week 2: 50kg | 110lbs

Week 3: 60kg | 132lbs

Week 4: 60kg | 132lbs

Week 5: 65kg | 143lbs

Week 6: 67.5kg | 148lbs

Week 7: 70kg | 154lbs

Week 8: 72.5kg ! 159lbs

Week 9: 75kg | 165lbs | 11s7lbs

Although this specific variation of the deadlift targets largely the lower back, deadlifts (and all the variations thereof) are considered one of the 3 staple exercises for muscle building.

I have also seen the amount of pull ups I can do go through the roof.

I am confident that I am not only building muscle but injury proofing my back.

Oh and to finish, a nice 'hero' pose haha.

The Truth Behind What Motivates Me.

So I've been asked recently why I do it. When I'm sat there with serious DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), struggling to make it up and down the stairs or lift my arms - I'm asked why I put myself through it. When checking the nutritional information of everything I eat and drink - I'm asked why I bother, aren't I just being a little pedantic? When I'm drinking a protein shake with Creatine & BCAA's and all but gagging; when I'm stepping out for a run in the pouring rain and cold; when my hands are callused and hard - people are always asking me why I do it. 

So why do I do it?

1. I do it because of them. 

They sit there with their junk food and their television and their carbonated drinks and their internet. They go out on their binges and they sleep all day. They bathe in their own feebleness and fragility. They mock me for my weight gloves, my shakes, my vests and my supplements. But they just want to bring me down to their own level of uninspired weakness. They tell me it's not worth it. They try and pull me off my chosen path to a better me and when they fail they label me with vanity and arrogance. They live unaware that is infact me mocking them as I progress further and further away from them as I grow stronger, bigger, faster and more powerful than they could even comprehend my body would be capable of. 

2. I do it because of who I used to be.

I was once one of them. I was a slave to what I saw as my limits. I succumbed to the binges and the junk at the sake of my health, confidence and pride. When I finally saw the light, I went into working out blindly without knowledge and as a result I ended up at an unhealthy weight feeling sick all the time. My confidence all but disappeared entirely and I settled for what I was; weak. But one day something hit me, and that same thing sticks with me even now. It drives me. It is my fuel. It is renewable and is most certainly sustainable. And that, readers, is the fear of weakness. It is a raging fire burning inside of me which says I will never be weak again. It is a testament to the man I am now and the man I will be in the years to come. It serves as a reminder to everyone that I am no longer to be fucked with and I will no longer take your shit, and a warning to all those people who I would once have questioned fucking with that they will most certainly be fucked with now. It says that I will not back down and I will never surrender. It says that I will fight til the bitter end defending what I love and it says I WILL WIN.

Every last rep I push out whilst my body is screaming at me to stop is a big "fuck you" to everyone who pounded on me, who held me back, who left me behind, who failed me and who stood in my way. Including myself.

3. I do it for so much more.

I do it for the progression. I do it to see my charts go through the roof. For my before and after picture comparisons to be baffling. For the compliments that never grow old. For the shock and awe on the faces of people I've not seen for a while. For the sex appeal. For the 'this is what you could've had'. For the strength. For the power. For the confidence. For how safe I feel in my skin. For how alive I feel when finishing a session. For the making of new friends. For the achievement. For the realization of dreams; lifting something and looking like I could have only dreamt just weeks ago. For me. For you. For her. And for so much more.

And some of you might take all of this as arrogance - believe me, you're not alone. Arrogant is a word I hear all too often. But I don't see it as arrogance. It isn't arrogance to enjoy the fruit of your labours or to reap what you've sewn. I have worked fucking hard to be where I am now. I have poured blood, sweat and tears into the fire and out of it I have forged a new and better me. I have had my ups and I have most certainly had my downs. I have failed a thousand times and will fail a thousand more. But I get back up and I keep pushing because I know that I will get there in the end. I will see people fail, give up and fall by the wayside but I will keep on going where they could not. I will set a goal and hammer and hammer and hammer away until I smash it and then I'll set another.

I walk like a king. Perhaps not as one, but in the knowledge that I one day will be.

2 Year Weight

Click to enlarge

This is my weight over the period of around 2.5 years. It began with me at my heaviest in my Freshers year - holding onto a lot of 'freshers flab' from all the boozing. 

You can clearly see where I began running a lot and started losing weight, and where it continued to come off until I was at an unhealthy weight. 

You can then see where I start bulking. Notice how the line isn't as steep as the weight loss angle - this is because packing on muscle is much harder than losing fat.

You can even see where my weight dipped again during my time in Bristol in September when working Freshers Week haha. 

And now (although most recent weights aren't in this image), I'm pleased to say I'm at the heaviest I have ever been and it's all muscle.

Onwards and upwards from here.

I will finish this routine up in 5 weeks. I will then be a on 2-3 week 'cut' where I'll burn away all the inevitable fat build up you make whilst bulking and get nice and lean (just in time for Winter, eh?). Then I'll see how I'm looking and no doubt start a new bulk over the cold winter.

Next goal is the 75kg mark which I should hit within a couple of weeks. And then we're looking to the 80kg. 

I'm putting on roughly 0.8kg a week. 5 more weeks * 0.8kg = 4kg. So hopefully I can be about 77kg before I finish this routine. I'll then cut down to about 75kg probably. And then have just 5 weeks left til Christmas! Holy hell, is that it?! 

By the new year I'll be 80kg and ready to hit the beachers. In January. Let's hope I'm in Australia!

Weight Comparison

Here's a comparison between Pre-Skinny and Post-Skinny, both roughly around the 10st 5lbs mark. (Maybe a bit heavier now). 

The first picture was taken in Magaluf in 2008, just after I lost the 'Freshers Fat'. The latter taken a week or so ago. 

I even tried to recreate the pose! Haha. Finally filling out a little bit! Woop.

Workout Progress - Front Edition Pt.1

So yeah. Here's a quick front comparison. I will get proper pics soon in the same posture etc for an accurate comparison. But this is just to show the overall progress I've made.


It's odd. I still consider myself quite skinny. But when I look at that picture there, it's actually quite gross and I'm sure you'll agree! I look deathly thin. Much better now!
Still a long way to go. Just starting 4-6 weeks of some serious gaining with a few more supplements than I normally take - just to bust through my current plateau. After that (or when I run out of supps - not wasting 'em, they're fecking expensive) I'll resume back to just the protein. 

All along trying not to gain any fat so am trying to eat right. I'm a changed man now compared to what I was just a months ago with regard to snacking. I would pig out on biscuits, chocolate, crisps, ice creams every day - convincing myself that cos I was working out it was okay. But now I've cut it out dramatically. Was hard at first but cravings soon went away. I still allow myself a cheat day every week where I can eat what I want. What's the point in working so hard if you can never reward yourself or have stuff you like? 

So then after this bulk up, will be off the carbs (or lowering them anyway) and trying to cut my body fat percentage right down. Then we might be getting somewhere! 

All in time for me to go travelling and completely fuck the diet and the working out and lose all the gains I've made! haha. Least I'll be smoking hot for the beaches for a little while though! Besides, I'm sure they have gyms. If not, bodyweight circuits it is.