From Fat to Fit!

12/30/2010 Nutrition Meal #1 18 oz Lean Beef 6 TBSP of Natural Peanut Butter Whole Grain Bagel 200 grams of mushrooms, 200 grams of broccoli Meal #2 4 Scoops of Scivation Whey 48 Almonds 1/2 Grape Fruit Meal #3 1.5 Cup Cottage Cheese TBSP of Natural Peanut Butter 3/4 cup blueberries 2018 Calories (252g Protein, 90g Fat, 60g Carbs [Not counting fruit & veggies]) Estimate!

I am often asked what keeps me going? From my standpoint it's not like I have some grand goal in mind. I just get up and do it. However, I know where I don't want to be. I don't want to be where I was in November of 2007. That will never happen again.  You all may wonder, if I don't feel like heading to the gym. Of course I do. I mean who doesn't? I have set a specific time to workout, so I workout. You should do the same. They always say, "we make time for what we what to do." Well, when are you going to make time? 

Workout Squat - 225,230,235,240, 245 - This is my new workset Bench Press - 5/5/3/4/3 x 225lbs - I am going to deload about 10% on this exercise and work my way back up. Barbell Rows - 5/5 x 135lbs, 3/3/3 x 185lbs - Deload by 10% and work my way back up. Weighted Dips - Someone stole the weighted belt, so I will buy my own. I performed BW dips at 3x12 . Reverse Crunch - 3x12 Cardio 20 minutes of walking at an incline. Nutrition Meal #1 18 oz Lean Turkey, Fish, Chicken, Beef 6 TBSP of Natural Peanut Butter 2 Whole Grain Bagels 200 grams of mushrooms, 200 grams of brocolli Meal #2 4 Scoops of Scivation Whey 48 Almonds 2 Cups Oatmeal 1/2 Grape Fruit Meal #3 1.5 Cup Cottage Cheese TBSP of Natural Peanut Butter 8oz Sweet Potato 3/4 cup blueberries 3218 Calories (252g Protein, 90g Fat, 360g Carbs [Not counting fruit & veggies]) - Estimated! That is what I was suppose to consume. I barely made it past meal #2. I was so full! I know my body will adapt...

What's going on everyone! I know it's been a while. Even though, I haven't been blogging here, I have been making fantastic progress in the gym. I recently started working with Dave Bohr over at ApexContestPrep.com and the results have been fantastic.  I have also incorporated some intermittent fasting protocols as well. I can't wait to see how things turn out.

I would suggest you all check out  http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html  for more information regarding intermittent fasting and training.  Current fasting protocol  7:15 AM: 5-15 minutes pre-workout: 10 g BCAA. 7:30 AM: Training. 8:30 AM: 10 g BCAA. 10:30 AM: 10 g BCAA 12:30-1:30 PM: The "real" post-workout meal (largest meal of the day). Start of the 8 hour feeding-window. 8:30-9:30 PM: Last meal before the fast. Here is a preliminary review I posted over on bodybuilding.com.  Interesting. After following the protocol listed over at a leangains.com I have never felt better. Meal frequency has reduced dramatically. When I was following a 6 meal a day plan, I stayed hungry. It was not uncommon for me to snack on some nuts when I got home from work. This snack would consist of 1-2 oz of mixed nuts, that's another 200-400 calories added to my daily totals. Now, I have to remind myself to eat. Here is my procedure for w...

Many people have problems with nutrition. They read a meal plan in a magazine or on a website. They try the plan and they wonder why it doesn’t work for them. Below is a test, while it’s not 100% accurate, it will definitely put you in the right direction. It’s look but well worth it. OXIDIZER TEST For each of these questions, circle the response that best applies to you. You may not know the answer right off the bat—it may take a couple of days if you have to see a pattern, but really think about these questions and analyze how different foods affect your body and your moods. The better you know yourself, the greater your odds of achieving exactly the results you want. In the morning, you A. Don’t eat breakfast. B. Have something light like fruit, toast, or cereal. C. Have something heavy like eggs, bacon or steak, and hash browns. At a buffet, the foods you choose are A. Light meats like fish and chicken, vegetables and salad, a sampling of different desserts...

As the name implies, the third day was a shake day. What this means is that all five meals were protein shakes. The first three shakes (spread three hours apart) were protein + carb shakes, the other two were protein + fats shakes. I had a strong workout and finished off with 30 minutes of cardio. I tried to keep my heart rate up around 80% of my max but it was very hard.

Fasting after a day of eating a massive amount of calories provides a few benefits. You’re placing the body in a calorie deficit. With the help of the cheat day, the leptin in your body is primed to burn fat. That’s a two-punch combo. All day I consumed water and Branch Chained Amino Acids or BCAA’s for short. The BCAA’s are used to prevent any catabolism of muscle. The amount of BCAA’s required to take depends on your body weight and amount of body fat. My calculation put me around 60 grams of BCAA’s for the day. To make things easier I broke the 60 grams up into 5 dosages spread throughout the day. Just in case you’re wondering, I choose the Optimum Nutrition BCAA Mega Size pills. I worked out in the morning and a little later in the day, I went outside and ran around the block. Following that, I preformed a series of sprints.

It's been a very long time since I have updated this blog. I told myself that I was going to regularly start doing it. Over the last few months, I have leaned out at an alright pace. Over the weekend I had a photoshoot that turned out pretty well. The shots showed my strong and weak points. I know what I need to work on and that was the whole point of this shoot. Prior to the shoot, I was carb depleted for two weeks. I went through the whole process as if I was preparing for a show. I must admit it wasn't that bad. However, by the day of the shoot I was starving for carbs. Well, that's it for now. I will keep you all updated. :)

That's right! I am now AFAA certified in personal training. I look forward to moving from my current career into the fitness industry. I am a little scared but I know this is the right thing for me. As always, I here to provide whatever assistance I can.

Being the face of bodybuilding.com has been a blessing. The number one question that I am asked in my training routine.  Currently my routine is Chest, Back, Shoulders, Arms, and Legs.  Monday would be chest, Tuesday would be back. Once I reach Friday and do legs, that following Saturday I will do chest again. Normally, my "off" day is Sunday. That following Monday, I will do back because I hit the chest on Saturday. I am currently doing a pyramid. It's 4 sets with reps of 12,10,8, and 6. As I go lower is reps, I increase my weight. On my last rep, I perform a burnout. I drop the weight in half and keep moving until my muscles burn. 

I would have never thought, that I would be in full page advertisement that will reach millions worldwide. When I first entered the gym, that was the furthest from my mind. I just knew what I wanted to do and I knew it had to be done. I don't consider myself great or better than anyone else.  Most people say they don't have enough time. Well, I find that very hard to believe. Tally all the time you spend on Facebook or watching t.v.  You make time for what you want to make time for. It's as simple as that. Here are a few tips: 1. Water is important. 2. Consume carbs around your workout and in the morning. Do not eat carbs prior to going to bed. Your body should be carb free four hours prior to hitting the bed. 3. Consume the right amount of calories. If you have any questions just ask.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the new fad training techniques that promises quick strength gains and immediate weight loss. HIIT is a training technique that involves many strenuous, short intensity workouts, such as doing wind sprints and super sets. In this post, I'll explain the magic behind the weight loss involved in HIIT. From my experience, most people who follow HIIT believe that HIIT is the best, most efficient workout when it comes to burning fat. This belief is supported by the fact that they end up losing 5-10 lbs in their first week of HIIT. This doesn't happen with most workout plans, so HIIT must be the real thing! Most horses can't answer math questions, but that doesn't mean Clever Hans could do arithmetic. The secret behind the quick weight loss resulting from HIIT can be found by looking at the fuel you burn when you are doing high intensity exercises. During high intensity exercises, your muscles' demand for oxygen ex...