Let me know how you like the samples! Oh and don't forget to like the Aesthetic Muscle facebook page as I prefer to post quick updates/supplements deals/samples there instead of writing a blog post!
It is now 18 weeks into my bulk and I sure am feeling fat now especially after the holidays. My last "bulking" update was my 10 Week Bulking Progress Pics post where after a no carb/cardio day, I was weighing in at 172.5 lbs.
Eight weeks later, after a no carb/cardio day, I am weighing in at 178.5 lbs. This is up 6 lbs since my last update 8 weeks ago. This isn't quite the 1 lb gain per week I was shooting for, but I think that may be a good thing as I feel like I'm really starting to pack on the fat.
Can still see my abs but looking very blurry
At 14 weeks, I had finished up my 8 week run of Anabeta. So what did I think of the Anabeta? Well, initially after the first 4 weeks I thought things were going well as I was feeling better and stronger both in and out of the gym. I also thought I looked better in the mirror.
However, with the last 4 weeks of Anabeta, it didn't seem to make any difference. I started to gain more fat and wasn't really gaining strength like I had been. I'm pretty sure the holiday eating had lots to do with it but it seems that perhaps Anabeta is best used in 4 weeks spurts (or maybe not at all).
After my Anabeta run was done, I was not using any extraneous supplements. For the previous 4 weeks I was just taking the basics: Protein, creatine, BCAA's, fishoil, and multivitamins...preworkouts also used on chest days. I still had the T2-Xtreme left from my first 4 weeks of bulking but decided not to use it since it didn't seem to do anything.
Looking bulkier with no more xmas tree :(
Actually looks like I've lost muscle due to the fat covering it up!
After this 4 week break of not using any extraneous supplements, I will be using the Testopro and DAA stack by AI Sports Nutrition. I grabbed this stack for a great price during their Black Friday sale and decided it would be a good addition for my last 4 weeks! Both Testopro and DAA supposedly boost testosterone so I'm hoping it will help pack on some extra muscle/strength during these last 4 weeks of my bulk.
It's been almost a week since I started the stack and I feel "something" already. Strength has increased in the gym, my libido is even higher than normal now, and I just have an overall alpha-male feeling. It feels great actually!
I'm looking forward to seeing what other results this stack will bring. But what I'm really looking forward to is being done with bulking. Being fat sure is a difficult mental barrier to get over. I don't know how the average person can do it. It's hard for me to look into the mirror looking so bulky and blurry after achieving levels of leanness I never had before. I don't know how the average person can be okay with looking seeing so much flab on their body.
Can still see abs and striated delts but I really hate looking so blurry!
Wish me luck with my next 4 weeks! Anybody else bulk up or still bulking during the winter? How are things going for you?
I usually workout at Snap Fitness which is a smaller 24 hour type of gym. However, these past few weeks I was visiting my parents so I was working out at a different bigger chain type of gym known as LA Fitness. My brother has their "elite" membership where he can bring in two guests with him, so it was awesome I got to workout at the gym for free :)
I used to workout at this LA Fitness years ago when it first opened and have worked out at several different LA Fitness locations since then as well. Since moving to Minnesota, I've been at Anytime Fitness and currently Snap Fitness. I chose these gyms instead of the bigger gyms mainly due to location and cost.
My transformation occurred working out at Snap Fitness :)
After working out at a smaller type gym for two years, what I realized coming back to this LA Fitness is that there are a lot more tools, douchebags, and people doing the strangest things at these bigger gyms!
Here are some of my observations during my three weeks at LA Fitness.
Kipping pullups I've heard about these kipping pullups before. I've read they're a part of Crossfit, something I had no interest in and didn't know what it was until I recently read about it in Men's Health (I still don't have any interest in it and don't really agree with their principles). I've seen a video of someone doing these before and thought to myself "what's the point....these are just extreme cheating pullups". Extreme cheating on anything is pointless in my opinion. I thought it looked stupid in the video, but seeing it done in person was even more ridiculous!
WTF!!! Just as the commenter on youtube said: Fifty-four Butterfly Kipping Pull-ups, yet zero real pull-ups!
Kipping dips Same thing as the kipping pullups...these looked reeeeeaaally stupid. I don't understand the point of doing these movements if you're going to kip in order to do them!
Large groups working out together By large, I mean any more than two people together. You normally see these groups in three's but I actually saw a group of four too! These guys do more talking with each other than working out. I don't see how anybody can get a good workout rotating with more than one other person. The rest periods are too long and they end up socializing more than exercising. The worse part is if you need the equipment they are using...you can't really ask to work in and then you have to wait forever until they are done with it!
Socializers These guys come to the gym mainly to socialize. They might fit in a couple sets of chest and biceps in between their socializing. They wander around and look for people to talk to. Whether the person is resting, doing cardio, or even in the middle of a set, it doesn't matter. These guys will want to talk to anybody....anything to avoid actually lifting a weight.
It's gym time...Not social hour.
Partial rep guy It seems there's always at least one of these guys at every gym I go to (even my small gym). I'm not talking about the guys that do partials in order to lift more weight. These guys actually seem to do a total body partial workout...on every exercise they do! It's like their doing it because they think it's more effective or safer for their joints or something. Looks very odd (not to mention ineffective)!
Everyday bencher There's seems to be one of these guys at every gym I've been at too. Everyday is a chest day for them. They start off with flat barbell bench, usually bouncing big weights off their chest. And they seem to do 50 sets before finishing off with a couple sets of lat pulldowns and bicep curls. LOL!
Ridiculous outfit guy Whenever I saw this guy at the gym, he was wearing the same thing: cut off jean shorts, under armour headcap, a black string racerback tanktop, and workboots. WTF! Firstly, how can he workout in cut off jean shorts?! Secondly, how can he go out in public like that?! I wish I could have snapped a picture to upload here to show the ridiculousness! This is a specific example but I've seen a few other very odd outfits as well.
It looked something like this but imagine a fat guy instead of Marzia Prince LOL!
LA Fitness...where you might see the weirdest things in your life
Have you guys seen any of these same things at your gyms? What other weird, odd, or toolish things have you seen at your gym?
