Been a while

Hey guys first I want to start off with apoligizing for not blogging in a few weeks, I have recently moved back to VA. It has bee a busy and stressful few weeks lately but it is what it is and i'm back. I moved back a week ago and weighed 174 at 8%bf. I was pretty happy with the progress I had made in my cutting phase and decided since I am getting married in August that I will not be competiting until the fall now :( but thats ok becuase now I have to decided to gain some weight since I have so long until the next show. With the gaining weight I also switched my trainig routine and I struck gold with this one. I have been doing it only a week and have aleady noticed gains in my strength. I started doing power hypertrophy training by Layne Norton. It is an amazing routine and I just started my second week of it today and already can see my gains which is insane. The way it works is that it is a 5 day a week training split and it looks likek this. Monday- Power upper body Tuesday- Power lower body Wednesday- Rest Thursday- Hypertrophy Back and shoulders Friday- Hypertrophy lower body Saturday- Hypertrophy chest and arms Sunday- Rest This is the split which take a toll on your body so if new to this type of intensive training try to start of light and maybe a few less sets. It is a great program and one that I will be using for a long time, I will be posting the link at the bottom of the page so just follow the link and check it out! http://www.simplyshredded.com/mega-feature-layne-norton-training-series-full-powerhypertrophy-routine-updated-2011.html

Red meat!

There are so many people who will tell you red meat needs to be out of your diet to be healthy and to be fit, these people are wrong. Red meat has many health benefits but with those benefits red meat has it's risks. When selecting your meat at the grocery store be aware or which cut is the right one for you. Yes every now and then I like to go out to dinner and buy a nice big ribeye at a local steak house. But when I am eating on more of a strict clean diet the best cut is from the back of the cow called the round cut. This cut has the lowest amount of fat in it compared to the others and is also the lowest in price. For 3.5 ounces of this cut you are looking at about 8 grams of fat and 25 grams of protein which is great about 2-3 times a week depending on your activity level. Red meat benefit wise is a good source or protein, zinc, iron and B vitamins. Risk wise if eaten on an everyday basis, first off will be the weight gain in fat, aslo it has been known if consumed too much can lead to bowel cancer, osteoporosis, breast cancer, alzheimers disease and ofcourse raise cholesterol. So guys eat your red meat but eat it in moderation, enjoying the health benefits and avoiding the risks!

No excuses for eating dirty!

So I get this all the time, "I don't have enough time to eat right in the day". Guys that is such a terrible excuse, it is really saying "I don't want to be healthy or fit". At some point in the week you have time where you relax and watch tv, so take on of those days and spend about an hour cooking for a few days worth of food. A lot of people in the fitness industry cook about 4-5 days worth of food at once and have it all packeged every meal in a separate piece of tubberware, which is really the best way to do it if you have enough tubberware and space in your fridge/freeer for it. I like to cook a few different foods that eat each day and store them in tubberware such as the picture shows where I have a few days worth of chicken, fish, turkey burger, eggs (not in the picture but a few days worth boiled) and asparagus. So now the only things I have to make is tuna and rice and sweet potatoes which the sweet potatoes i make a few days worht also. So guys try doing this and it will help to ensure that you don't go for that quick meal/ snack.

Inspiration!

So guys I was cruising the internet this morning looking for motivation on youtube. This is something I do on a regular basis especially before workouts while warming up on the treadmill. Something just to get my mind in the place it needs to be so I can go put my body through what needs to be done. This video I will be sharing the link to under the message is amazing. A man who was on the edge oof losing his life did what he had to, to change his life completely. So if you have a few minutes I ask that you watch this video especially if your that person who made a new year resolution to change your life no matter what it is, you have to do whatever it takes to reach that goal you have set out, whatever it takes to change your life! Don't give up guys it is in youur reach! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bO7Hv-2Eybs

Progression

Here is a picture of me that I took yesterday. Thats me at about 175 9.5% bf, I think the diet is going well if I could just figure out how to get my calories higher without eating more fats. I'm thinking if I could afford to throw in steak once a day that would help but we will see. As of right now I think I will for sure hit my goal by the arnold. I believe I could hit it sooner but I would possibly lose muscle which is a no no. This is my nutritional plan as of right now on a low carb days. M1: protein shake immediately upon waking M2: 6 boiled egg whites 45-1 hour later w/ 1/2 cup oatmeal M3: Canned tuna mixed with half avacado M4: 4-6 oz chicken breast with 3.5 oz sweet potato Post workout: Protein shake with BCAA's and Kre-alkalyn M5: 4 oz ground turkey 93/7 with 1/2 cup rice M6: 6 oz tilapia with either spinach or mixed vegetables M7: Bedtime snack 3 egg whites mixed with 1 scoop casein protein

Arnold Classic!

So guys just checked my bf% today at the gym and I am 176lbs at 9.5 % bf. Before the holidays i was 174 at 8.5%bf. So from now until the Arnold is 8 weeks. My training partner kyle and I are dieting hard until this. I am planning on getting down to about 168-170 at 6.5-7%bf. I have 8 weeks to do it so it shouldn't be too hard and I shouldn't lose muscle hardly at all. As i told you before I have been cutting already but really maintaining and was then going to bulk but with my show coming up in may it doesn't really make sense to gain weight right now then lose it again just making my diet harder. So guys be ready by time the arnold comes around I plan to be shredded. I will post a picture of what I look like right now on thursday and we will progress from there. Here is to a new year of shred!

New Years! 2013

Happy New Years everyone! You know this is the biggest time for sales at any supplemental store and for gym memberships. Does your resolution contribute to these sales. If so thats not a bad thing, the bad thing is when people don't see the changes they want and just give up and throw in the towel. These changes most people want is about their looks which is an important part, but the biggeste key about getting into the new lifestyle is about being healthy. You can never throw in the towel on that. These people we see in the magazines don't just look like that after 3 months of hard training and dieting, it is their lifestyles. This new years don't just change your life for a few months and then give up if you don't get the look you desire for. Stick with it and change your life and be healthier this year and for the rest of your life!