New Personal Record! 405 lb. RDLs for 6 Reps!

For years, I have never paid much attention to my legs.  It was only up until a year ago that I really started focusing on them.  This morning, I was training a buddy of mine and it was a hamstring-focused leg day.  I was particularly proud of this moment because I have never deadlifted over 3 plates for reps before.  My increase in strength is greatly attributed to this high carb bulking diet that I am on.  I have been achieving new personal records on my lifts on a weekly basis!  So here it is!  My first attempt at performing Romanian Deadlifts for 4 plates.  I achieved 6 reps.  My new goal will be 5 plates for a 5-6 rep max, a total of 495 lbs.

This week, I have not experienced any weight gains, however my strength is increasing!  My caloric level and macros remained the same since my last post.  A strength increase is an indication of muscle growth.  Perhaps my body composition is changing for the better?  More muscle and less fat?  Still, it is too early to tell.

Another observation I must point out is non-bodybuilding-related.  I have psoriasis.  I have noticed while I was on my pre-contest cut diet (practically carb-less), my skin has cleared up.  It is not scientifically proven, but gluten has been a prime suspect in causing psoriasis to flare up.  Now that I am on a high carb diet, it appears psoriasis lesions are slowly appearing again.

So are all carbohydrates created equal?  Is a carb just a carb?  Does the glycemic index matter?  Should I go gluten-free?  At the grand scheme of things, all carbs end up as glucose in the body.  Perhaps it doesn't effect bodybuilding, but maybe it effects other things, like psoriasis?

This observation gives me reason to consider cutting the high carb bulking diet experiment short, and substitute the carbohydrate energy source for equal parts fat instead.  I may need to bump up my daily caloric intake again, or cut out cardio completely.  Just a thought for now, but I will let it brew in my medula and we'll just see what happens next week!  This is the beauty of bodybuilding.  I am always analyzing and tinkering, making impromptu modifications to my short term plans to achieve my ultimate goal - to be the best that I can be.

Current Weight: 166.8 lbs.
Current Daily Caloric Intake: ~2900 calories
Current Macros: 360g C, 240g P, 50g F