Dave's VIF Mass Building Routine

Link to the routine: Dave's Volume, Intensity & Frequency Mass Building Routine 

Recently, I started a new routine; The Power Muscle Burn or PMB, so I figured it best to write up my previous one while it's still fresh in my mind.

So straight to it - it's a mass building routine - how much weight did I put on?

20/08/2010        67.6kg

06/09/2010        68.1kg

11/09/2010        69.7kg

04/10/2010        69.1kg

07/10/2010        69.9kg

11/10/2010        70.7kg

15/10/2010        73.3kg

18/10/2010        72.5kg

24/10/2010        73.5kg

02/11/2010        74kg

07/10/2010        74.5kg

And now I'm hovering around the 75kg-75.5kg mark. That's an overall weight gain of 6.9kg, 15.2lbs or 1st1lbs in just 10 weeks (excluding 2 weeks where I was away in September). Very solid gains indeed. 

And for fun if we compare that to when I was at my lightest - 58kg - I have put on 17kg, 37.5lbs or nearly 2½ stone of solid muscle.

Measurements
But what about your measurements, George? Well I'm glad you asked. I've put 1" on either arm when relaxed, 1.5" on either bicep when tensed. And 0.5-0.75" on either tricep, also when tensed. I have also added just over 1" to my chest and over 1.5" to my quads. Overall, very pleased, though the expensive pair of jeans I bought recently are now preeeetttyy snug round the thighs.

Strength
And my strength? Here is a graph of the 'Big 3' (bench, squat & deadlift) and leg press over 8 weeks - I've yet to add weeks 9 & 10 but they all increase at an equally steady rate. All weights recorded are NOT my 1 Rep Max's (which are significantly higher) but weights I can lift for at least 3 sets of 6 repetitions.

All increasing. But numbers aside I'm feeling a lot stronger. Since that graph and the start of the new routine I have now bumped my squat up to 85kg for 4 sets of 5 repetitions and am well on my way to the 100kg milestone. My bench press is now over 60kg, Stiff Legged Deadlift is over 80kg and my leg press is over 250lbs/113kg. I also feel a lot more energetic, have a lot more confidence in myself both in the gym and outside of it, and am often complimented about 'filling out'. 

Fat Gain

Of course, as with most bulking routines there has been a degree of fat gain but keeping a fairly clean diet I have managed to keep those gains as minimal as possible. My bodyfat percentage has only gone up from 10% to around 13% or so, but I have subsequently lost ab definition. A 3-4 week 'cut' with some HIIT (high intensity interval training) and a calorie defecit will shed that, however, given my recent travel developments, I am tempted to continue my bulk for a few more weeks to gain more mass and then cut ready for the beaches in a couple of months.

Nutrition

For those interested in the nutritional side of things, I was aiming for 3497 calories a day, consisting of 150g of protein, 462g of carbohydrates and 116g of good fats, spread over 4-5 meals a day. Though typically I only ever manage around 3000-3200 calories a day before being too stuffed to eat anything else! 

I discovered how many calories I needed per day by working out my Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR (how many calories your body needs when not doing anything) and adding a calorie surplus to calculate my Total Daily Energy Expenditure or TDEE. The typical recommendation is to add 500 calories to your BMR. But everyone is different, so exercise caution here and add 10%. If you find that your not gaining 0.5 to 1lbs of body weight each week, then you can bump it up to 15%.

From those numbers you can then calculate your macronutrient or PCF (protein/carb/fat) ratio.

I rarely drink and I have cut most junk food out of my diet. I'll have the occassional biscuit or two but for those who knew me before, this is a vast improvement - I was a biscuit fiend. Not to mention chocolate... mmm chocolate. 

Supplements
I did a cycle of a Weight Gainer (which is pretty much equal parts protein and carbohydrates) and after that settled into standard Whey Protein - taken pre work-out, post work-out and in the evening before bed. I also took L-Glutamine for while to aid recovery and keep my immune system up but substituted that for a standard daily Multivitamin and Zinc if I felt under the weather. Recently I have also added BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) and Creatine Monohydrate to my supplement cycle to aid muscle growth and recovery.

Summary
This routine busted me through a plateau at the 66kg mark and put on a further 9kg on top of that. The workout changes every four weeks which keeps you interested and motivated but my favourite phase was certainly the first four weeks or 'volume' phase - the arm day was brutal! I loved it. 

The hardest part, as with any routine - bulking or cutting - was the nutrition. Getting my desired level of calories per day without eating bad or dirty foods was certainly a challenge. And I'm sure if I had managed a couple of hundred more calories per day I would've seen even better gains. However, I'm super pleased with how far I've come in just 10 weeks. I have recommended this routine to others and will certainly do so in the future. I don't doubt that I will probably come back to it myself at some point, too.

I'll update this log with pictures asap and do a few more comparisons for you.

Thanks,

G