ricklyk1
Cathlete
Wendy: I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Titanic 3D!!! 
I'd love to go see it too. Hope you had a wonderful afternoon with your mom.
Kiki: Post and run I see.....chicken!
Wiggie: First of all, let me qualify by saying almost everything I am about to tell you I learned from Kiki. She deserves all the credit. You said you want her arms, well here is how she's got them. Kiki utilizes bulk/cut cycles. She divides the year into 3 segments. During late fall/winter she "bulks"; in the spring/early summer she "cuts"; and in the late summer/early fall she "maintains". Most women (like me) want to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. The problem? These goals utilize opposite training techniques and eating styles. That is, you need to increase your calories/lifter heavier/lower reps to gain muscle but you need to decrease your calories to shed fat/lean out. There is where the various cycles come into play. During the "bulk" cycle, the plan is to eat more (slighty above maintenance), lift heavier (lower reps- think STS Meso 2 and 3), and cut back on cardio. During the "cut" phase, the plan is to eat a little less (slightly below maintenance), increase cardio a bit, and do more full body and circuit workouts. During the "maintenance" phase, the plan is to eat at maintenance, and utilize a mix of full body, split, and circuit workouts.
With all that said, let me tell you why I decide to give bulk/cut cycles a shot. At the beginning of this year, I noticed I had reached (actually surpassed) my ideal/goal weight, and yet my stomach was flabby, my butt was big, and I had little (if any) muscle definition. I was also eating between 1250 and 1500 calories a day and BARELY losing weight. Granted i'm not the cleanest eater on the block, but i'm not the worst either. I also noticed Kiki (who is about my height and age) was eating WAY more and looked soooo much better. What gives? So I started pestering her and she shared the above (and below) knowledge with me. I decided to put that knowledge to good use and started my first bulk cycle a few months ago. I increased my calories to around 2000/2100 per day (post-exercise), decreased my cardio to 2X a week, 45 minutes per session, and lifted heavier than ever before. My goals during this cycle: build muscle and re-set my metabolism. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I did gain 3 pounds and my clothes a little tighter. BUT, that is normal. In 2 weeks, i'm going to start my cut phase. I'm not quite sure how it's going to work, but I THINK i'm going to lower my calories to 1800 per day (post-exercise), increase my cardio to 3Xs a week, and switch to full body workouts. After a few weeks, i'll lower my calories a little more (between 1600 and 1700). Why is this different than what I was doing before? Before my bulk cycle, I was eating 1500 and NOT losing. After my bulk cycle, i'll (hopefully) be eating 1600-1700 and LOSING. Plus (added bonus) i'll have a little muscle to show for all my hard work. After 2-3 months of "cutting" i'll go into maintenance mode.
I know this is a LOT of information (and probably more than you ever wanted to know). Kiki started a blog on MFP and it's a gold mine. Seriously! I highly recommend you check it out. Random Rambles - Get a Free Diet Blog at MyFitnessPal.com
I'd love to go see it too. Hope you had a wonderful afternoon with your mom. Kiki: Post and run I see.....chicken!
Wiggie: First of all, let me qualify by saying almost everything I am about to tell you I learned from Kiki. She deserves all the credit. You said you want her arms, well here is how she's got them.
Kiki utilizes bulk/cut cycles. She divides the year into 3 segments. During late fall/winter she "bulks"; in the spring/early summer she "cuts"; and in the late summer/early fall she "maintains". Most women (like me) want to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. The problem? These goals utilize opposite training techniques and eating styles. That is, you need to increase your calories/lifter heavier/lower reps to gain muscle but you need to decrease your calories to shed fat/lean out. There is where the various cycles come into play. During the "bulk" cycle, the plan is to eat more (slighty above maintenance), lift heavier (lower reps- think STS Meso 2 and 3), and cut back on cardio. During the "cut" phase, the plan is to eat a little less (slightly below maintenance), increase cardio a bit, and do more full body and circuit workouts. During the "maintenance" phase, the plan is to eat at maintenance, and utilize a mix of full body, split, and circuit workouts. With all that said, let me tell you why I decide to give bulk/cut cycles a shot. At the beginning of this year, I noticed I had reached (actually surpassed) my ideal/goal weight, and yet my stomach was flabby, my butt was big, and I had little (if any) muscle definition. I was also eating between 1250 and 1500 calories a day and BARELY losing weight. Granted i'm not the cleanest eater on the block, but i'm not the worst either. I also noticed Kiki (who is about my height and age) was eating WAY more and looked soooo much better. What gives? So I started pestering her and she shared the above (and below) knowledge with me. I decided to put that knowledge to good use and started my first bulk cycle a few months ago. I increased my calories to around 2000/2100 per day (post-exercise), decreased my cardio to 2X a week, 45 minutes per session, and lifted heavier than ever before. My goals during this cycle: build muscle and re-set my metabolism. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I did gain 3 pounds and my clothes a little tighter. BUT, that is normal. In 2 weeks, i'm going to start my cut phase. I'm not quite sure how it's going to work, but I THINK i'm going to lower my calories to 1800 per day (post-exercise), increase my cardio to 3Xs a week, and switch to full body workouts. After a few weeks, i'll lower my calories a little more (between 1600 and 1700). Why is this different than what I was doing before? Before my bulk cycle, I was eating 1500 and NOT losing. After my bulk cycle, i'll (hopefully) be eating 1600-1700 and LOSING. Plus (added bonus) i'll have a little muscle to show for all my hard work. After 2-3 months of "cutting" i'll go into maintenance mode.
I know this is a LOT of information (and probably more than you ever wanted to know). Kiki started a blog on MFP and it's a gold mine. Seriously! I highly recommend you check it out. Random Rambles - Get a Free Diet Blog at MyFitnessPal.com
