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Post by I AM the Way on Jun 16, 2012 16:49:07 GMT -6
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Post by Kai'zen on Jun 19, 2012 13:06:14 GMT -6
[teal]That's some definite change there, and quite quickly as well. What are you going to have to do to sustain this change, and continue to develop it?[/teal]
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Post by I AM the Way on Jun 19, 2012 16:30:50 GMT -6
[teal]That's some definite change there, and quite quickly as well. What are you going to have to do to sustain this change, and continue to develop it?[/teal] The second part of your question is the key to answering the first. Sustainability is created by continued development.
So, how am I going to keep making progress? Briefly, do more of what works and less of what doesn't work. I must also be mindful of picking a direction, and then continue to move in that direction. It's extremely difficult to simultaneously make great strides in several areas.
Regarding my physical transformation, I can either focus on fat loss or strength gain. In the beginning of this process, I made improvements in both, but now the time has come to specialize. Although, one should not totally ignore that which is being temporarily put aside. It's a matter of balance.
From the very beginning, my chief goal was visible abs. I'll keep going until I reach that goal. This means eating at a calorie deficit most days and those calories must count - high protein, good sources of carbs, and healthy fats. Basically, the emerald 9 foods.
Even though my strength has diminished over the last few weeks, I won't let that discourage me. After I get my sought-after visible abs, I can always do a clean bulking phase using Martin Berkhan's Lean Gains protocol.
Thanks for the reply, brother.
Awake!
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Post by Ankor on Jun 19, 2012 19:28:57 GMT -6
What do you do for biceps, because for me, abs are the easy part, I can never get the arm bulk I want. Swimming mostly works the shoulders. And since most of my exercise routine works on the muscles I need to compete, I need to switch it up a bit.
Any suggestions?
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Post by I AM the Way on Jun 20, 2012 12:02:45 GMT -6
What do you do for biceps, because for me, abs are the easy part, I can never get the arm bulk I want. Swimming mostly works the shoulders. And since most of my exercise routine works on the muscles I need to compete, I need to switch it up a bit. Any suggestions? Biceps haven't really been a problem for me. I like training them, but don't have any magic formula for bicep growth. Martin Berkhan doesn't do anything for them at all, except for weighted chins.
Each individual should first be categorized by type: Ectomorph, Mesomorph, or Endomorph. Respectively, these are naturally skinny, average, and naturally heavy or thick (big boned). Ectomorphs will generally have less trouble seeing their abdominal muscles and a harder time progressing in squats and benchpress. Beyond that, there are genetic considerations. Let's break things down further with two new categories: hardgainers like myself and those gifted few who can pack on lean muscle fairly easily (compared to most people). Plus, everyone has strong and weak points.
A lagging muscle group could be due to over-training, under-training, or poor training technique. About 90% of the people doing curls at my gym are using bad form. The upper arm shouldn't move at all during the entire range of motion - nor should one's entire body sway. If momentum or muscle groups additional to the bicep are needed to get the bar or dumbbells up, then lower the weight. Don't forget to squeeze and hold at the top. Can you give me a rundown of your regimen?
As always, one must focus on nutrition. Just took a picture of my lunch - first meal of the day eaten about 12:30pm after 17 hours of fasting. It's got a lot of everything: cabbage, lettuce, apple, cranberries, tomato, walnuts, almonds, carrots, as well as, a few more odds and ends... I didn't even have room enough for ham, turkey, hardboiled egg, dressing, and croutons - which I normally include. Here's a pic.
Awake!
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Post by I AM the Way on Jun 22, 2012 15:53:26 GMT -6
Surely, I can't be the first person to make BBQ peanut butter chicken, but that's the dish I came up with yesterday... and made it again this afternoon. A little spicy, a little tangy, a little sweet, with an overall roasted peanut flavor. High protein, low carb, and a medium amount of healthy fats. I recommend washing it down with a small glass of skim milk.
Just cook the chicken, pour your favorite BBQ, peanut butter, and some additional whole peanuts (if you want) in a bowl. Then throw the cooked chicken in the bowl and stir until it's all mixed together.
Awake!
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Post by I AM the Way on Jun 26, 2012 18:42:39 GMT -6
I looked all over google images for a suitable photo of Zero Impact's german chocolate protein bar, but the best I found was the pumpkin supreme flavor... also very good, but not as awesome as german chocolate. Tried it today for the first time. While it doesn't taste exactly like the photo below, it comes damn close. This is my new favorite protein bar! Just ordered a case of 12 from amazon (where you can read my product review).
Years ago, a protein bar that tasted good was only a pipe dream. I tried a dozen different kinds and they pretty much all sucked ass. We're living in a golden age - make that emerald age - of delicious bodybuilding nutrition. Zero Impact, I exalt thee.Awake!
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Post by I AM the Way on Jul 3, 2012 12:11:12 GMT -6
I credit Martin Berkhan's website for my progress. Check it out. In fact, he's got a brand new post which is definitely worth reading:
www.leangains.com/
Awake!
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Post by I AM the Way on Jul 9, 2012 9:22:01 GMT -6
I had my first cheat meal since the last picture day, June 15th, on July 4th. Went up a couple lbs. and it only took a few days to get lower still - 156! My wife and parents wanted to go out to eat at Red Lobster last night - I thought about being strict by just ordering a shrimp salad, but realized it was probably going to be my last cheat meal until the next picture day, July 15th. Also, just felt depleted and tired of being on my calorie restricted diet. Went up to 159 this morning.
All in all, I think I'll achieve my goal of weighing 155lbs in a week as some weight gain is due to water retention from all the salt. Posting about my cheat meals and desire to halt them right here on this thread should keep me honest and motivated.
Ab update: they're looking pretty good, but not to the point where I'm ecstatic about them. When I started this journey, I really thought that dropping 10 - 12 lbs. of fat was going to change everything and would yield my dream physique. Apparently, that was wishful thinking.
After July 15th, when I'm down to 155 and still wanting more visible abdominal development, I can do one of the following - keep the calorie restricted diet and slowly drop a few more lbs. of fat, eat just above maintenance for a month of clean bulking before going back to a deficit, or attempt a longer regimen of bulking up and then start cutting again in the spring. As I'm tired of not making strength gains, I might go for the 2nd or 3rd option. As long as I don't use a calorie surplus as an excuse to start eating pizza, soda, and deserts on a regular basis I should be fine.
Awake!
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Post by I AM the Way on Jul 15, 2012 12:02:26 GMT -6
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