James' bodybuilding progress thread

[James-Alen]

So, I've been working out on and off for over a year now. I am good at increasing weight and lifting/ definition training, but I have a heck of a time lowering my body fat percentage (which is really annoying). Thus, my muscles are big, but not cut. Anyways, I tried to get my hands on some Chrysin, but the store didn't have it. I read up on a few things and ended up getting my hands on some whey protein and DHEA. I'm hoping these combined supplements will help me in my struggle.

Experiences from first day: I got time released 6 hour pills, recommended by the guy behind the counter. He said that it would be more absorption that the instant release kind. I did feel some differences after taking the DHEA this morning, such as alertness, energy, warmth, sensitive skin, and lessened muscle fatigue (which is good for working out longer).

[James-Alen]

Quick update!

So, I decided that I will start actually taking some measurements of my biceps, waist, ext. Showing them over vlog would be hard to prove progress (because lighting is everything, and I never seem to have enough). Anyways, I'll have a new vlog video up by Wednesday.

Muscle progress: I began to see some obvious definition in my biceps, triceps, and stomach since I started on Monday. I've been using ten lb dumbbells, and doing sets of 15, 12, and then 10 reps. I do two for all arm exercises, one set of squats, and two for my stomach. Every other day, I only do three sets with my stomach. This way I do a ton of reps, with little weight. I plan to up the amount of sets once a week. My body gets used to it sooner, but I go the whole week stretch so that when I up it, it is more of a shock to my muscles. I've also been walking a lot (real cardio makes me sick, LOL!).

DHEA progress: A lot of weird things have been happening. I've been on it 4 days now, and I've noticed some changes. My top lip is constantly burning, like I got chili sauce on it or something. it's not painful, just itchy and uncomfortable. My muscle growth isn't insane, but it's pretty amazing for only a week worth of work (compared to pre DHEA attempts). I'm noticing a slight change in distribution of fat, though, I think that is more from the fat loss/ muscle growth than the DHEA itself. my hair on my arms, stomach, legs, and face have grown bushier and more present, but not darker.

There is growth of peach fuzz on my face. I shaved before starting the DHEA (not related, I do that frequently because it makes me feel good, even if there is nothing to shave). The peach fuzz on my jaw grew back fast and thick (you can really see it in florescent light). The hair on my top lip has grown thicker, not into beard hair, but thicker than fuzz. It's course when I rub it backward with my finger. I plan to shave it all off again and see if it grows back a little more even. Otherwise, my voice hasn't changed (someone mentioned that happening to them slightly in the first week on the stuff, but I have yet to have it happen to me).

[sascraps]

Lucky on the facial hair/peach fuzz there. I've always had peach fuzz on the sides of my face but nowhere else. If I were going to wear any facial hair, it'd probably be just a short goatee. But the DHEA hasn't given me facial hair, like the warning on the label says it can. I think it might have darkened my leg hair slightly, because it's not totally invisible now, though you still have to look really close at my legs to see it.

I was taking the DHEA every other day until I read somewhere, I forget where and what supplement it was talking about, about your body building up a tolerance to it. So I thought if that was the case, then I'd start taking it every day and see what happens. So, 2 days later, here come the zits again. 

[James-Alen]

Yeah I got some acne increase too, but not nearly as bad as I expected from reading other people's experiences. I wonder if the DHEA is affecting me how it is because I'm such a ridiculous lightweight to all things chemical. My body is wuss, though that's not such a bad thing in this case. It didn't give me facial hair, just ever so slightly thickened the fuzz that I have. Though, it is causing certain areas to fill in (the places where my legs had gaps of no hair, the area between my happy trail and downstairs). I've been taking the same dosage as you got about 5 days now... I wonder if the weight lifting has anything to do with stimulating my body to need the increase in potential testosterone (though I had really dark hair on my legs, armpits, ext before I even started the DHEA).

I read that to, or that your body can even stop producing natural DHEA if you take it in high doses for too long. I'm going to start a cycling regimen to make sure that doesn't happen. I'm thinking 1 month on, one week off, or something like that. So my body will not become accustomed

[sascraps]

I don't know but it could be that you're lifting weights. I need to get into a routine myself, I just don't know what to do, like in what order I should do excersizes.

[James-Alen]

Well, I'm definitely not a trainer XD so take what I say with a grain of salt. What I usually do is I'll wait a half hour, to hour after I wake up in the morning, do my arm exercises, then my legs. Either I will do my stomach too, or later that night. Also, you only want to work out your arms and legs every other day, because they need a full 24 hrs rest in between hard workouts. I also do a ton of burn out reps (doing them until I can't do them anymore) as described in my second post on this thread. It works well for me :3

[sascraps]

Thanks, that gives me some idea to start with. I've been busting my head over tons of web sites and videos to get an idea of some kind of routine that I can set for myself. It's hard to come up with anything not being a trainer, and that I can't do much of the stuff in exercize videos either because I'm too big around the middle or because I can't get down on my knees. Though it's mostly the right knee/leg that's the problem. I had an injury a couple of years ago, and not having insurance and left to deal with it on my own, my lower leg's been real sensitive ever since. 

[James-Alen]

It was hard for me too, because there are so many diet plans, workout regimens, and stuff out there that it can be hard to decide which ones are the real deal. My routine was derived from this: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/37815447/ns/today-entertainment/?GT1=43001 The plan listed here is far too much to start with, and I can't do a lot of these workouts because of my bad shoulder. However, I got the 15,12,10 thing from that and it helps me really feel the burn.

I understand that, I didn't get physical therapy after my shoulder injury because I;m an idjit >< though I doubt it would have helped. You just gotta start slow and work your way up. I get in the swing of wanting to go crazy for instant gratification, but all that will do is get you hurt. Also, be really careful on the amount of weight you use when straining your rotator cuff. I know many people who busted tendons that way. I did mine lifting a bed (completely unrelated) but it is NOT fun.

[James-Alen]

Updates!

I finally nailed down a regimen that would work for me as a consistent 5 week program. I can't discuss specific dosage information in my posts (rules of susan's.org) so I'll try to be as vague as possible.

Week 1: Abs, legs, arms (2 sets) - Glucosamine Supplement (M,W,F) - DHEA (low dose)
Week 2: Abs, legs, arms (3 sets) - Glucosamine Supplement (M,W,F) - DHEA (dose raised by a designated amount)
Week 3: Abs, legs, arms (4 sets) - Glucosamine Supplement (M,W,F) - DHEA (dose raised again by the same amount)
Week 4: Abs, legs, arms (5 sets - Gluscosamine Supplement (M,W,F) - DHEA (Back to original dose)
Week 5: Abs, legs, arms (4 sets) - Gluscosamine Supplement (M,W,F) - DHEA (No dose, off period)

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Muscle progress: I've taken some measurements; My biceps, are at 11 inches, thighs are 17 inches, Calves are 14 inches, and stomach/ waist is 33 inches. These measurements will make conveying progress much easier than trying to show you guys, though I might post some pictures later on. My arms aren't increasing much in size, but they are really showing definition. my calves are popping out especially. I've lost an inch off of my stomach, and I've been walking a lot to burn calories (I have a really hard time with Cadrio like jogging, as it makes me sick). I'm still using the 10 lb dumbbells, and am increasing the sets of reps, as opposed to weight. The other way around would be mass training, which i may switch to after I've gotten sufficient definition.

DHEA progress: There hasn't been much change since my last post. The areas of my legs that didn't grow hair are filling in slowly. I can tell because I don't shave, so when I see little hairs just poking out of the skin that means it's new growth. Also, I discovered something else by accident. I turned to see my back and noticed in the light that a thick layer of blond peach fuzz has grown on my shoulders, neck, and cheeks. I shaved my face again (for kicks) and the same slightly thicker fuzz is growing back on my top lip, though seemingly only on the right side >.>

[James-Alen]

A quick little update, because something weird happened last night. My throat has been bothering me over the last couple of days. Well, not my throat but my tonsils (I can tell especially because they're wigging out my ears). I upper my DHEA dose yesterday, as per the schedule I posted above. I felt awesome that morning, and walked 3 miles to buy a new bus pass. Every time I add a little more to the dose, I feel better (though I'm not implying that I will continually updose for this effect, as that could be dangerous).

Anyways, I started to feel a little nasty last night, so I laid down to take a nap. When I woke, I had a fever of 101. It went up to 102.8 before coming back down, though it never actually broke. It simply went back down to 101, and eventually 98 this morning. I had a horrific ache in my upper pallet, near my tonsils and headaches/ dizziness. Naturally, I flipped out because I haven't had a fever like that since high school. I was scared at first that my dosing had caused this reaction, so I took only one third of the normal dose this morning to be sure. As soon as I took it I felt a lot better, so I this it was a coincidence. I also did even more research on DHEA, and though it mentioned sore throat and fevers as side effects, I could find no accounts of a reaction of that magnitude.

Knowing my track record, I would guess that I have strep throat, especially considering the huge white spot on my tonsil. This set back is frustrating because I really want to work out/ an scared that laying around will mess up my progress. I've dropped from 127.8 lbs to 125.4, likely from eating less while ill. Anyways, I'm going to sit and give this a little time, though I will go to the doc if it gets worse. However, the weight loss could be advantageous to losing some weight.

[James-Alen]

Here are a couple more pics :3

My upper calf:

Arm hair (you'd be amazed how hard it is to photograph when blond >.>):

[James-Alen]

Hey everyone ^.^ I'm going across state to see my mother, so I won't have internet for a week. I decided that I would do a quick update before I go.

Muscle progress: I'm currently at 4 sets per day on the highest dose that I had planned for my routine. I think that I may continue on at the high dose, however, because I don't feel it is necessary to cycle back down before my off period (starting and stopping the dosages isn't as much of a shock to my body as I thought it would be). I took some more in depth measurements of my progress. My biceps are at 11.5 inches (gained 1/2 inch), my lower arms are 9 inches, bust is 34 inches, calves are 14 inches, thighs are nineteen inches (gained 2 inches), my waist is 32 inches, my hips are 36 inches, and lastly my butt is 38.5 inches. A lot of these I should have taken 'before' measurements for, but didn't think to. my only supplements are still DHEA and Whey Protein. I am seeing gradual progress, and am happy with it :3 The only large, surprising progress was my thighs, but I'm pre-T so female strength is naturally in the legs.

DHEA progress: Peach fuzz! Everywhere! I've sprouted peach fuzz on just about everything, and in large quantities. My shoulders, neck, stomach, arms. The hair on my lip hasn't gotten any thicker than it did previously, however. The DHEA is contributing a lot to my muscle growth as well, and I am gradually losing fat on my hips and thighs, creating more of the body look that I wanted. I haven't noticed any voice changes, unfortunately, but I don't think I've been on it long enough yet for that.

I did have an interesting experience the other day, though. I went to the post office and was being helped, and while I filled out my customs paperwork the man walked away to talk to someone. The lady beside him asked as he came back, "Did you already help this young lady?" he looked surprised, then glared at her, meanwhile laughing awkwardly my way and said 'Uh, don't you mean young MAN?" She then looked embarrassed and was like, 'right, you're a boy, sorry." I about melted with happy. I've lost a lot of fat in my face, which I think is helping with my appearance.

Anyways, enjoy yourselves while I'm away. Cheers!