Day 0: Getting ready for the 30-day experiment

BodPod

Checking my body fat percentage in the BodPod.

I have nothing to lose and 10 pounds to gain.

I’ve spent the last 2 weeks, right up until today getting ready for Project Bulk, my 30-day experiment in putting on 10 pounds (or so) of muscle on my upper body.

The preparation has been fairly methodical, lots of writing down lists in Google Docs, and re-reading chapters in “The 4-Hour Body” [Amazon | iTunes aff. links]. And shopping!

I hunted for the cheapest options in workout equipment and protein powder. Having ordered them last weekend, they arrived at my doorstep in a few days. No lugging 45- and 109-pound boxes (not that I could even lift the 109-pound box) to my car and then to home.

Yesterday morning, I determined my body fat level: 23.5 percent. For a man my age, that’s average to poor. Ideal is anywhere from 5 percent to 15 percent, according to the body composition chart.

Today, I put together a weight bench which sits in a corner of my bedroom (which I cleared out yesterday). I’m getting a workout just putting everything in place.

I also made my big grocery run today. I’ve obsessed over how to count protein grams and menu planning, a huge disruption in my efficient grocery restocking routine.

But I’m looking forward to the surprises and the challenges that begin tomorrow.