Alec B's Senior Project Blog
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Project Title: Road to Progress BASIS Advisor: Andrew Lomas Internship Location: The Gym-Bourne Onsite Mentor: Rudy Juarez, Personal Trainer |
Project Abstract
This topic explores the most effective ways to put on weight and build muscle. I'll investigate exercises and nutritional strategies to maximize muscle growth, comparing clean and dirty bulking methods. Documenting my personal journey with a tailored meal and workout plan, I aim to provide insight for beginners and others in similar situations. Gaining weight and muscle is overlooked in fitness, tending to focus on weight loss. Approximately 2% of the U.S. population is underweight, and many face challenges with poor eating habits. This project will offer practical, research-backed advice on muscle gain, covering diet and exercise. The findings could help others understand how to effectively build muscle. This project will take place at my local gym with the guidance of my personal-trainer. The gym offers a controlled environment to track progress and perform specific exercises. Additionally, I'll collaborate with a chef, creating healthy meal plans that complement my workout regimen. Over 10 weeks, I'll track workouts, caloric intake, and blood work, comparing progress with two diet strategies: a “dirty-bulk” and a “clean-bulk”. I'll document strength gains, energy levels, and recovery, while tracking macronutrients with apps like MyFitnessPal. Metrics like Blood sugar, heart rate, and sleep patterns will also be monitored to assess the full impact of diet and exercise. I expect that the clean-bulk will lead to better long-term muscle growth and health outcomes compared to dirty bulk, despite initial gains from the latter. This project will offer insight into bulking methods for others.
Week 10, Project Complete
And just like that… Week 10 is here, and Road to Progress officially comes to a close. What started as an experiment in fitness, nutrition, and personal discipline turned into something much bigger than just bulking strategies or gym gains. This project has given me insight into how our choices, what we eat, how we... Read More
Week 9: Health in the Details
Week 9 is here, and the momentum is still rolling. At this stage, it’s becoming more than just a bulk. The clean bulk is no longer something I’m adjusting to; it’s just how I operate now. The meals, the training, the recovery, it’s all starting to feel effortless in the best way. That baseline of... Read More
Week 8 Clean Bulk Momentum
Another week deeper into the clean bulk, and the improvements just keep stacking up. At this point, the contrast between how I felt during the dirty bulk versus now is night and day. Clean eating isn’t just a diet choice, it’s feeling more in control, more clear-headed, and surprisingly more motivated. It’s weird to say,... Read More
Week 7, Settling Into the Clean Bulk
One week into the clean bulk and I’m already noticing some pretty major shifts—not just physically, but mentally too. It’s crazy how much of a difference quality food makes when you're trying to perform at a high level. The biggest thing I’ve noticed so far is better digestion and energy throughout the day. Back during... Read More
Week 6 Start of New Routine
I’m now officially 6 weeks into my project where I’ve been consuming 3,800 calories of healthy foods a day and tracking how my diet impacts my overall health and progress in the gym. This week marks the official start of my clean bulk phase, and I’ve made a full switch to fueling my body with high-quality,... Read More
Week 5 Last week of Dirty Bulk
I’m officially in Week 5 of my project. For the past month and a bit, I’ve been eating 3800 calories every single day, not of clean chicken and rice or quinoa bowls, but mainly junk food: pizza, donuts, burgers, chips, ice cream, etc. If it was high-calorie and low-nutrient, I probably ate it. Now that... Read More
Week 4 continuing procedure
Welcome back to my project. We're now officially four weeks deep, and honestly, what once felt like a challenge is starting to feel routine. Hitting 3800 calories a day used to require some serious planning and stomach stretching, but now I find myself eating almost non-stop without even thinking about it. Whether it’s big greasy... Read More
Week 3, Following Procedure
As I wrap up the third week of my project to consistently hit a daily calorie goal of 3,800, I’ve managed to develop a simple but effective routine to ensure I meet this target. By sticking to a structured meal plan and incorporating calorie-dense foods at regular intervals, I’ve streamlined my eating habits. The routine... Read More
Week 2, Setting a Benchmark
Setting the Benchmark: My Starting Point in the Gym Every great journey starts with a baseline, and in my pursuit of strength and muscle growth, I’ve established my benchmark lifts. My bench press, squat, bent-over row, and shoulder press serve as my foundation. Tracking these lifts will allow me to measure my improvements, ensuring that... Read More
Alec B. Week 1, Test Run.
In my first week of this project I created a plan for how many calories I would need in order to gain 1 pound a week. It was 3,800 calories. Since for the first five weeks I need to consume the majority of junk food for it to be a dirty bulk. So then I... Read More