Haitus Recap: Project Jason

Project Jason is my attempt at getting more muscle. Too long have I been a sack of organs barely held in by a thin membrane of skin. I've slowly noticed changes like my arms getting slightly bigger, clothes not fitting properly, and I say to myself, yeah, I think it's working.

And then I take a look at myself from a picture from before I started working out and THEN the differences become truly noticeable.

Those gains...

I guess it's because I see myself everyday so the changes aren't all that apparent. Hence the importance of progress pictures. I know I didn't take a picture back in August when I first started because of how embarrassed I was. But the closest thing I have is a picture from November and that was when I gained about 20 pounds.

And since November I've gained about another 15 pounds. It scares me to think of how thin I used to be. In fact, browsing various online fitness boards has lead to a startling realization. After all my hard work, I am only now considered "skinny".

Let that sink in for a moment. Almost 10 months of going to the gym has finally allowed me to be promoted to skinny.

So what was I considered before? Well, they have a lovely term for men who have noodle limbs and visible ribs: "Auschwitz mode".

Other acceptable terms include "hungry skeleton".

No matter, I'm still going to keep pushing to reach what they call "Ottermode" or the body type most associated with swimmers. For the first time ever, I'm at a healthy BMI at 165 pounds. My goal is to be around 200 pounds of muscle.

But this goal also puts me in an awkward position. Ideally, you want to be able to bench/overhead press your own body weight and squat/deadlift DOUBLE your bodyweight. Over the last few weeks I've finally been able to squat/deadlift 1 plate (45 pounds each side) and I can bench/overhead press maybe half of that.

I'm proud of myself, but I have a long way to go.

What's also funny is that I've developed somewhat noticeable pecs. And I can't stop touching them. Seriously, I'll be standing around and I'll poke them to make sure they're still there. What can I say? They're nice.

I imagine that it's similar for women when they first start developing breasts.

Ok, they're not that impressive yet, but maybe one day.

I'm still with my original trainer Eli, and things are going well. My other trainer (simply named Trainer D) finally had me lifting weight and not nitpicking over form before he disappeared. Yep. High turnover rate for trainers at that other gym.

So they slapped me with another trainer who we'll call Trainer E. He's nice, I like him but he doesn't have the technical knowledge or training that Eli or Trainer D had. I only have 2 dozen sessions left and after that, I'm just going to workout with Eli non-stop for the rest of the summer.

Project Jason: Pre-Workout and Bulking

Project Jason is my attempt to gain some weight. It's been a long journey that started in August and I haven't given up just yet, maintaining an average of at least 3 hours a week in the gym. I've learned that it's not enough to simply go to the gym, and through my trainers (Eli and that "other guy") am learning routines, supplements, and "flexibility" to maximize my time spent in the gym.

Almost none of my pants fit anymore either thanks to leg day. My legs have shown the most noticeable improvement since I've got my trainers. If only the same could be said of my upper body and arms.

But what you do outside the gym played a far greater role than I initially realized as well. If you don't eat enough, the muscle won't develop, no matter how much you workout. You'll look like a slightly meatier skeleton.

So today, let's talk about a supplement called "pre-workout" and my efforts to "bulk".

I can only hope my readers are actually reading.

I started getting my protein powder and other supplements through Eli. I'd be taking the same stuff as him, it certainly tasted a lot better the other stuff I was drinking, but one stuck out. Something simply referred to as "pre-workout". Eli claimed that you couldn't get it in Canada (he was ordering it from the States) and that it allowed you to push yourself harder.

I had no reason to doubt him. But the initially the effects were felt after the workout. Usually after an hour or two in the gym I felt exhausted. But on this pre-workout I left feeling full of energy, as if I could go back and do several more sets. Was it the supplement? Was I experiencing some kind of "weight lifting high"? It was odd, but I kept taking it anyways.

The true power of the pre-workout was finally realized on a leg day. We were doing squats. I go down for my last few reps, almost done a set, when suddenly a familiar sensation hits.

My calf is cramping up.

Experienced weight lifters will likely scoff at the barely 100 pounds that I am squatting. But I'm still getting used to this, this is pretty heavy, and to fall over due to a cramp with this weight on my back? Not going to be a good time.

And then suddenly the cramp goes away.

I begin another set. And my other calf starts cramping up but just as suddenly as it arrives it's gone. In fact, for the rest of my leg work out I can sort of feel my legs threatening to cramp up, but it was almost like a barrier was keeping the cramps away. It's the best way I can describe it.

Apparently the pre-workout works by reducing lactic acid build up in muscles. At least, the stuff that Eli got me does that. I've looked online and there are some with caffeine but I think I'm good with what I have right now.

Which brings us to our next topic, bulking and cutting. The idea is that while you workout, you bring your body fat percentage up to 15% by eating 500+ calories above your recommended intake. You'll gain muscle, the resources to build said muscle, and some fat along the way. Then, you "cut" by reducing your calories eaten to 500 below your recommended intake but maintaining your workout schedule.

You don't want to starve yourself (otherwise your body starts breaking down muscle instead of fat) but this reduction will burn away the fat and allow you to keep the muscle. Rinse and repeat.

And one day, you too may look like this.

But as we all know, poor old Damian here has trouble bulking. I need to eat at least 3200 calories a day and I'm used to eating 2000, maybe less. I went to my doctor and for the first time, maybe ever, a medical professional has recommended that their patient eat more fast food.

I'm serious. My doctor told me, "You know, I probably shouldn't be telling you do this, but, ugh... It might do you some good to eat like, an extra Big Mac a day or something. Just to help with the weight gain.". Eating junk food during your bulk phase is referred to as "dirty bulking". And I think all the chocolate milk I've been drinking counts as dirty bulking as well.

I've been on my bulk phase for at least a month now. I'm dying to figure out what my body fat percentage was. Back in August, a machine determined it was at ~3%. Probably inaccurate, but until I get my own set of calipers I'll have to keep using this machine.

I step on, I hold my breath, and a number pops up on a digital display:

10.7%.

My sentiments exactly.

Alright. Need to keep bulking. Maybe in another month something will change. I really just want to start cutting because I'm so lazy. I could go make myself food to eat OR I can load up another video on Youtube. The choice is simple. Eating is a chore, and it's getting expensive. Maybe I should invest in more fast food coupons or something.

Another reason why I don't like bulking is because I'm actually starting to develop a small gut. It's only noticeable to me, when my shirt is off, after I've eaten a lot of food. But still, I don't like this. Give me my abs back.

I've almost gained another 5 pounds since my last post though. There's a few fluctuations but hopefully by the end of the month I'll be at a steady 155 pounds.

Project Jason: New Schedule

One week back into classes I think I've finally gotten a hang of things. Note that because I'm an open studies student (a.k.a. not actively working towards a degree), I can only take 2 courses a term. Which is fine, I'm only missing two per-requisites for the after-degree program that I want to get into. And because I managed to cram both of them on Tuesday and Thursday, this gives me a very nice 4 day long weekend AND Wednesdays off.

Unfortunately, this does not mean I get to relax any time. Oh no, if anything, I'm working as hard as ever.

Yeah! Motivational pictures!

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday consist of me going to the gym with Eli, my personal trainer. Some days things don't work so to compensate, we do double work-outs like chest and back on the same day, or chest and shoulders. It's not fun, I mean, I'm in the gym for over 2 hours on these days. Still preferable to leg day though.

God, I hate leg day.

BUT, I still have those sessions that I purchased from the gym that Eli quit from. I have a bunch of people that are still considering taking them off me, but they're taking such a long time deciding. So, I do another round of working out with who we'll call Trainer D on Tuesday and Thursdays after class, and on Saturdays before work.

For those wondering, No. No I still don't like Trainer D.

Some of you probably think I'm working out way too much now. But that's the thing, despite my heavy work-outs with Eli the day before, I'm fine. Trainer D's workouts do nothing to me. What we've been mostly doing is form.

Listen, I understand that form is important to doing things like deadlifts (which are supposed to be great for mass gain) but it makes more sense to (to me) to do these with low weights, adjust my form during/after each rep/set and go from there.

Do we really need to spend half an hour with me flexing my shoulder blades to make sure my back is straight? Yes, I've had bad posture most of my life and I'm starting to work on that, but if I really wanted to work on posture and flexibility, I'll sign up for a yoga class.

Seriously, the only times we've ever done anything that left me kind of sore after is anything regarding legs. But I've "missed" leg day for a few weeks now, so he only gets half points. Also, I know that if we did these with Eli, we would have kept pushing until I was left a hobbling cripple.

And waddle like this for the rest of the week.

Oh, and another thing that bothers me about Trainer D is the inflexibility of his schedule. Last Saturday I couldn't make it to my session on time, so I text him and let him know. He then responds back saying that "Sorry, but I still have to charge you for the session. You need to let me know at least 24 hours in advance.".

Well that's just great. Good workout.

Eli never had that problem when he was my trainer back then, and he still doesn't. In fact, that's why I signed up for half a year's worth of sessions with him, because he knew the volatility of my schedule but still allowed me to cancel at nearly any time. So fine, I now proceed to cancel in advance all the sessions that I have that I may not be able to make on time. Trainer D doesn't really like this either.

Too bad.

For those that don't want to turn upside down, it says "Deal with it".

I literally have no good reason to stay with Trainer D. The sessions are more expensive (more than double what Eli charges), the sessions are shorter and are cut short even if we don't finish everything planned, cancellations are inflexible, I don't feel sore at the end of the sessions, the list goes on.

We are working on "foundation" he says. It feels like we're just doing a bunch of warm-up exercises. Welp, the "end" of foundation is coming up and maybe Trainer D will have a second chance to impress me. I've had about half a dozen paid sessions with him so far and I'm unimpressed. Eli impressed me so much with 2 free sessions that I was convinced to buy half a year of training with him.

Anyone interested in buying the rest off me? I really don't want them.

Project Jason: The Pain

Project Jason was about working out and no longer looking like a twig. In my last post I've discussed how I got a personal trainer named Eli because I noticed that I wasn't getting that much out of my workouts anymore. Or rather, I wasn't satisfied with the rate of progress.

Things were going good with Eli, I was satisfied with the intensity of the workouts. Back when I was working late overtime shifts I was still able to pop in late at night and get in a session before going home and Eli didn't mind, he was flexible. And since being laid off I've been trying to go every day. Might as well do something instead of sleep in all the time.

And then suddenly I get a text saying that he quit. Sound familiar?

This is an unpleasant trend.

BUT WAIT. He wasn't quitting being a personal trainer, he quit being a trainer at that gym. He was fed up with management there so he decided to become independent. I liked him as a trainer so eventually we met up and discussed how to continue our sessions. I'm actually paying half as much to just have him (as opposed to before) so I'm saving money. Plus, because we aren't at that gym anymore, we can go longer, be more flexible with times, etc. etc..

Everyone wins.

Well, I'm not entirely in the clear yet. Unfortunately, I purchased a set number of trainer sessions at the old gym. I now need to find a way to sell them off or be sneaky and exploit some loophole and talk my way out of them. Preferably the latter, put my Psychology degree to use right?

Wouldn't be the first time I've talked my way out of something.

Eli is also recommending protein drinks, specific foods to eat, and vitamins to take. And you know what, it can't hurt, especially if it'll supposedly make me bulk faster. The protein shake is a bit gross to be honest, or maybe this vanilla flavouring is just bad. I've been mixing hot chocolate in it to make it more palatable, shhh....

Actually I've noticed more visible progress in myself and I'm not the only one. My fast food job is the only place where I'm forced to wear a short-sleeved shirt and my coworkers claim my arms are larger. Well, my forearms are a bit, but not by that much.

Still, it's nice to see someone taking notice.

With that being said, the workouts have been hurting. One thing that Eli suggested to do to help the soreness is taking a bath in Epsom salts. I haven't taken a bath in years, and the tub in my bathroom is tiny, but I decided to give it a try after a particularly rough back workout session.

Feels good man. Even if it means half my body is sticking out of the water at any given time.

I still hate leg day though. Friday for whatever reason has been dedicated to leg day. And let me repeat, I hate leg day. I am still hobbling around from last Friday and it hurts to bend over to pick something up. If this is what it feels like to be old, I am not looking forward to it.

And my butt hurts. From working out. This is uncomfortable. It hurts to sit.

But hey, might as well do something with all this excessive spare time. Work-out, come home exhausted, and then fall asleep in front of my computer with a half drunk protein shake in my hand.

Is this how other people deal with unemployment? It's not bad.

Project Jason: The Trainer

It's been about three months now since I've started going to the gym. As my shifts at work end up getting later and later it really makes me appreciate that my gym is open 24 hours half the week. Also because the gym is pretty much dead that late at night. No need to wait for equipment.

And in my last post I was pretty happy. I had gained a bit of definition, about 10-15 pounds, and I'd like to think I'm feeling healthier with more energy? I was able to lift a bit more each time and things were looking good.

And then things started to plateau.

Wut.

I was lifting more, pushing myself harder but I wasn't making progress as fast as I had during the initial few months. I mean, I wasn't expecting to be buff but come on, to an outsider I probably look the same. Thin.

Maybe I was doing something wrong, or my work-outs just weren't as effective as I could be doing them. By some coincidence, my gym was offering a few free personal trainer sessions again. For those who aren't familiar with the last few personal trainers I tried out here's a quick recap:

Trainer #1: Good workouts, but mysteriously bailed.
Trainer #2: Nice guy, but didn't really push me.

And so here I was with Trainer #3, Eli. Seemed nice enough, but the important thing was, would he be able to help me build the muscle I wanted?

Short answer: Yes.

OH GOD MY ARMS.

We only had enough time to do a few half workout sessions, but they hurt. I don't think I could have pushed myself this badly on my own. At least, not without worrying I was going to injure myself due to improper posture or something.

My arms were sore for the next 3 days. I couldn't even get through his chest workout because my shoulder's were literally giving out. This was perfect, this was exactly what I wanted. I felt completely beat up after the work-out and for days later.

If this doesn't get me out of my spaghetti arms and malnourished-looking body, I don't know what will.

Asides from using this.

One of the original reasons that I didn't sign up with Trainer #2 was not only because I wasn't getting much out of the work-outs, but also because I couldn't afford it at the time. This was before I got my full-time job.

Eli is pushes me, I can afford it (still really expensive though), and bonus: he also can work around my stupid late schedule. I signed up for roughly half a year of sessions and we'll see where this goes.

Our first official session begins tomorrow. And I'm excited to see how battered I'll be by the end.

Project Jason: Initial Impressions

When my work hours suddenly spiked and adjusted into later in the day I grew a bit concerned. Up until that point I had been heading to the gym after work before heading home, making it just in time for dinner, and then collapsing in my bed.

But with these extended hours, I'd be making it back home around 9PM each evening if I went to the gym after work. So I decided that I would start going to the gym in the morning, and then driving off to work when I was done.

Clearly, I overestimated my love of sleeping in.

ZZZZ...

Unperturbed, I simply did the obvious. I went to the gym late. And I came home late. Problem solved. The fact that my family knew that I was working late added credibility to my fatigued body as I stumbled into the house.

I've been pushing myself. If I don't feel like a bruised meatbag the next day, I know I haven't done my job right. In fact, one issue that I've been having on leg day is that my calves and soles of my feet keep cramping up. This often forces me to cut my session short. Stretching only gives me an extra 10 or so minutes, I've eaten plenty of bananas for potassium and drank milk for calcium but this doesn't seem to help much either.

Anyone with any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Oh god I can feel my leg twitching in anticipation of a cramp just by thinking about it.

But for some positive news, I have gained weight. I know, some of you may be shocked or surprised or horrified. But for someone who has stayed at the same weight (or less) for the last decade, the sudden addition of 5-10 pounds is incredible. My body is actually changing.

I've also had an improved appetite and have been eating like crazy. And because I've been recording the amount of weights lifted each session I can see a definite improvement for each day. 5 pounds here, 10 pounds there, even double what I was initially lifting.

If only my progress reflected on my physical appearance.

Maybe one day.

They say that within 6 weeks of working out, you notice the changes. In another 6 weeks, your close friends and family begin to notice, and after 6 more weeks, everyone else notices. I've been working out since the beginning of August so I can definitely say that I'm following this outline so far.

Also, an unexpected outcome of working out has been improved posture. I had a terrible tendency to slouch due to my height. But I realized that even if I had a more toned body, it was all wasted if my back was constantly curved.

So I stand and sit straighter now too. More health benefits.

Now I can't tell if my back hurts from the gym or from sitting up for the first time in years.

I'm fairly proud of myself. This is one of the few projects that I've been able to consistently dedicate myself to regardless of obstacles.

I hope I can keep it up. I'd rather not stop at a mere 10 pound weight gain.

Project Jason: Getting swole

I've been consistently working out now since the beginning of July, 2-3 times a week whenever I can. When a fitness center opened up in the mall where one of my part-time jobs was, I really didn't have an excuse anymore for not going to the gym. After about a month, I haven't really noticed any chances to my physique but hey, this stuff takes time right?

Generally I try to get an hour or so before I start a shift at work but sometimes things don't go in my favor. This results in me trying to get in a quick work-out during my short, half an hour break. It's a good thing I don't really sweat that much. It's also a good thing that I'm working around grease all the time so that's all anyone can smell anyways.

Mmm... French fries..

Somehow, I got roped into getting a personal trainer for a little bit. It was pricey, but my rationalization was that because I haven't worked out in a long time, it might be a good idea to make sure that I'm using all the equipment properly. Don't want to hurt myself. Plus, there are tons of new machines that I haven't used before and I wanted a chance to learn how to use the free weights.

And so my sessions start. Nothing too crazy. I like my trainer, he was pretty good, I liked what we were doing and I went home feeling more sore and tired than I normally would. Which is a good thing, what's the point of heading to the gym or getting a personal trainer otherwise?

And then suddenly I was informed that my old personal trainer had suddenly disappeared.

Wut.

It was really weird too, because we were scheduled to have a work-out at 1PM. He calls me in the morning, asking if we can move it to 3PM. Sure, no problem. At 2PM, the gym calls me and says that he's no longer working there.

I'm given a new trainer, and while he was nice, I certainly didn't feel as exhausted as I was accustomed to. In his defense, we were doing more free weights and posture related things. And it was to make sure that my form was correct for future exercises.

My last session is on Friday. And unfortunately, I can't really afford to keep hiring a personal trainer. So that's that. Time to start working out again on me own.

Project Jason: Time to Lift

I've been blessed cursed with a ridiculous metabolism. It's to the point where I can eat anything and not gain weight. I mean, you'd think you'd notice some change in your physiology after eating an entire dinner of just fatty pork belly, working in fast food for years, sleep, stress, junk food, etc. etc..

I've maintained the same weight for the last decade, thin as a stick. I have abs thanks to just being so slender, I don't even need to try. Fellow bloggers like Matt and Mark are around my age, both were/are unhappy with their physical appearance, and both have been hitting the gym. And often have to go through hoops and hurdles to get there and back.

So when a fitness center opened up in the mall where I work I realized that I didn't have an excuse anymore. So I went in and purchased a year-long membership and hired a personal trainer for a bit.

No time like the present to get buff.

The idea is that because it's in the mall where I work AND it's open 24/7, I can drop by right before I start a shift at my fast food job, work-out for an hour, and then head to work. The facilities are fairly decent, new machines, I don't have to wait for equipment like some of the other gyms I've been to.

Oh, and private showers. Yeah, I'll be honest, there are few things I hate more than communal showers. Give me a little bit of privacy and we'll go a long way. Private lockers are also nice, just make sure to bring your own lock.

I'm considering buying towel service too, because I don't want to lug around a towel, and have a damp piece of cloth sitting in my work bag during my shift.

Seriously though, I don't like looking at other naked guys. Not for me.

So I went in for my first workout in years today. And it wasn't so bad? I hope I'm using the equipment properly because again, I haven't touched some of these things in ages, and some, not ever. I guess that's what the trainer will come in for.

I'm slightly stiff, my joints feel more sore than the rest of my body so far which worries me a bit. Suggests that maybe I was using at least one of piece of equipment wrong. I generally work 3 times a week so that's 3 workouts a week.

In theory. Public transit is horrendous at best. It's hard to tell if you missed a bus or if it's 10 minutes late.

I guess I could also walk/run to work. It'll only take half an hour.

Note that almost no one except you guys are aware of my work-out sessions. My extreme thinness has been a bit of a sore spot with me so I don't want people to find out I'm trying to fix it. Well, until it becomes odd that I'm not longer so thin.

I especially don't want my family to find out. I know parents can mean well, but I also know that if I decide to sleep in one day or something I can hear my Mother already. "Why aren't you at the gym? Why are you sitting around? You should be at the gym right now. What a waste of money and time, you could be working out.".

So few things are more demotivating than having someone nag you to do it. It doesn't matter what your intentions are, the end result is the same.

Can't lecture me about something if you don't know about it.

Oh, and for anyone wondering why this project is called Project Jason, it's because one of the staff members working at the gym is named Jason who happens to be an ex-coworker of mine. And if I can't land a full-time job anywhere, I might just take up one at the gym.

Money and free gym use? I'll definitely consider it.