So, I’m now 2 days into my new diet and training program…it’s 10:30 at night, I’ve been pretty good so far, hitting my numbers in the first 5 meals of the day, but I’m throwing in the towel, I am sorry to say. There is just no way I can have another meal before bed, especially as I have to get up at 6 to go teach. I’ve created a new diet program for myself to help gain lean muscle over the next few months, but I think it will take some time to get used to the increase in calories and carbohydrates in particular. I’ve gone from controlling my nutrition based on loose guidelines, and my intuition, but to really try to put on muscle, I’ve decided to join the rest of the body-building work, and eat a strict gaining diet, and train to gain as well. Today I hit my legs with a lot of 5 x 5 block exercises, doing some classic exercises like box squats and semi-stiff dead lifts, working hard for a solid hour, and finishing off with a gruelling 3 sets of leg-extension drop sets, and then I wolfed down an enormous shake made with 30 gram protein powder, 1/2 c granola, 2 bananas, 1/2 cup milk, and 1 tsp peanut butter. I used to have a 30 gram protein powder shake made with 1/4 cup granola, 1/2 cup milk, 10 almonds, and ice. I was still short by about 30 grams of carbs from hitting my numbers, but I still did pretty good, and I think you do have to build up to it.
Gaining muscle isn’t easy. To naturally gain muscle, and not too much fat, is a longer process, and involves a lot of heavy, hard work, and I’m up for it. But I have to tell, I haven’t felt this full since Thanksgiving, and that’s saying alot! On the other hand, if this is how much I should have been eating last winter, then I can easily see where I went wrong in terms of gaining muscle. Although I definitely made some great changes in my physique between ’10 and ’11, I really think that with my better understanding of training, and nutrition, and knowing how my body responds to various kinds of protocols, I will really be able to turn it up a notch these next few months! Stay tuned!!
