From Scrawny to Brawny

riddler

Old member, new journal. Yes, indeed. Long time lurker here.

I chose to keep my journal privately (on a notebook - old school) since I started (June 2011) but had a change of heart the past few days. Now I'm willing to share my daily love and hate relationship and struggles with the iron.

Starting today, I will post journal entries of my journey, day to day struggles, rants, experiences and thoughts from Scrawny to Brawny.

Losing the "Love Handles" (July 2011 - September 2011)

One day, at the age of 31, I was staring my reflection on the mirror, belly starting to bulge (34" waist line) and a body with barely any hint of muscle at all. I asked myself, do I want myself to look like this for the rest of my life? Would I continue living a sedentary life and risk myself getting old and having a disease caused by my chosen lifestyle? The answer was a resounding NO!!! Not on this lifetime baby! Over my dead body...

And so it begins...

First question I asked myself, where do I start? Diet? Exercise? I was clueless. With the power of a few keystrokes and mouse clicks, lo and behold, the almighty and all know everything google provided me search results links on how to lose fat.

"Lose fat and get abs in 30 days!!!"
"The 7 day fat loss diet"
"Superfoods for losing fat"
etc blah blah blah:huh

I was bombarded with a lot of information. As a noob, everything looks promising. After spending quite some time digesting all the information I have, I decided to settle on a simple regimen. As usual, it's the dreaded cardio (running).

Out I go, wearing my hiking shoes, jogging pants and white cotton shirt, I braved the sizzling hot Saudi Arabian summer (around 40 degrees) afternoon and started running like hell!

"Yeaaaahhhh! I'm gonna have my abs soon!"

And so I thought. After around 5 mins of pounding the pavement, I was dead tired, huffing and puffing, dangerously out of breath and dripping with sweat. Reality kicked me in the ass. So hard I almost puked.

After that embarrassing and unfortunate event, I was left with a question. Where the f#$% do I start? The hardest part of the journey is always the START.

Anyway, to cut the story short, I settled with cardio (brisk walk, interval running) paired with low calorie diet. Started with 60kg weight down to 52-53kg by the end of the "Love Handle" journey. Still no sight of my precious abs. Oh noes... =(

I know what you guys are thinking right now, photo or it didn't happen. Ok, ok. You got me. A story would be boring without a photo so here goes nothing...



I am the guy with the black face.

Meeting the IRON (October 2011 - March 2012)
I am now skinny. So what? But still no abs. WTF, I have been tricked! This is BS! The internet says that if I do lots of cardio and eat with a caloric deficit in mind, I should be able to see my abs! I'm a sad panda. =(

One more thing, I don't like how I look. Yes, I lost the dreaded love handles but I look so damn skinny with no muscle to show. That got me thinking, maybe I need to go to a gym? And so I go...

At the gym, I saw a fellow Pinoy working out. Dude, he is old (65 years old!!!), but he is freaking huge and ripped as hell! Turns out, he is the trainer on the gym I visited! I was ecstatic! No words can describe how I felt that day because I can finally ask a guy who knows this shit. No more second guessing.

I approached him and told my intention. "Hey mister, I want to build badass muscles like yours. How do I do that?" He answered:

You have to lift badass weights, eat tons of food and sleep like a baby.

No shit. Short and concise. Direct to the point. I was shocked. No way that my skinny body gonna handle those weights. I told him I'll think about it and come back tomorrow.

With my confusion and disappointment with what the old huge badass guy (I call him Kuya Rudy) at the gym told me, I consulted Mr. Google. There I go, typing keywords about building muscle, and I was also given the same answer. I have to face the hard reality. There is no workaround. None. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. I have to do what Kuya Rudy said.

Off I go. He became my mentor. Gave me a physical test, and I badly failed. I could barely lift an Olympic Barbell (20kg). He started me first with the machines, get familiar with exercises and also build base strength before introducing me to the world of free weights.

After a month of flirting with machines, he introduced me to the wonderful world of free weights and irons. I also stumbled with "Truth About Building Muscles by Sean Nalewanyj" and used those principles on my training and diet.

From a skinny maggot weight of 52 kg up to 60 kg, I got strong, built a decent amount of muscles and so as my gut sticking out (33" - ewww!). I am back once again to where I started, full circle, trip to jerusalem, merry go round, but this time, much stronger. I'm a happy camper!


OMG! I am a camera whore! :twitcy:

Skipping Meals, 5x5 and Getting Lean - Again? (March 2012 - November 2012)

I'm at the top of my game baby! Forget the bulging gut, I'm strong, I have gainzzzzz, I am now an EXPERT! Or not.:lol

In my continuing quest for gainzzzzz, I stumbled upon this weird trending, hot and controversial topic on the fitness industry. May I present to you, the newest groundbreaking hot (like pandesal) trending diet in town, Intermittent Fasting, or what I personally call as Skipping Meals for a period of time and gorging on food afterwards. I'm the first one to tell you about it, didn't I? Or not.

Anyway, since I badly want to see my abs (don't lie, you want it badly too! :-P), I got into the bandwagon too. Who could resist IF's promises?

Build muscle while losing fat!

OMG! It's the second coming! Must follow. Hahaha! Just kidding. Instead of following the LeanGains cult, I chose the road less travelled. I bought "Jason Ferruggia's Renegade Diet" ($30 ebook, and yes, I paid for it) during it's release and followed it religiously. Coupled with a new found strength training program, Mehdi's StrongLifts 5x5, I embarked to a journey of gaining muscles while losing my big bulging gut.

I am so cool, aight?! At least that's what I felt that time. :^^:lol

I know I am boring you now with this long wall of text (and photos too) so I'll let the my photo speak for itself. This was the result of 8 weeks IF and 5x5 training.


52kg @ 15% body fat

Yes, I was strong. Yes, I was lean. Yes, my abs are dying to come out any time soon, but I am puzzled. Why am I still skinny? Am I forever destined to be skinny?

I was disappointed. Depressed and unmotivated to move further. What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this? Oh crap, enough of this drama. I stopped training for a month, went on with my annual vacation, ate to my hearts content, drank like a madman and once again back to where I started.

See folks, the journey is unpredictable. There are lots of variables to consider. Everyone is unique. What works for others, may not work for you. You have to continue looking for the correct path to your goals.

The journey to your goal is like a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy the journey, every moment of it, however long it is, whether it's up or down. Never let go.

Up I go. Went back to lifting badass weights (Muscle Gaining Secrets by Jason Ferruggia) again coupled with IF, and here is the result.


Holy Camote! Now were talking! Gainzzzzz brah! :^^

Afterwards, I got injured. Bummer!

To Hell and Back (November 2012 - March 2013)

Subject: Adult male who love lifting and moving iron
Prognosis: Strained Lower Back Muscles with Sciatica Pain
Treatment Plan: R(est), I(ce), C(ompress), E(levate)

At the top of my game, disaster strikes. I injured my lower back during a heavy Rack Deadlift session. I was devastated and in pain. Consulted a physician and a physical therapist friend and they both recommended that I should take a break from heavy lifting for 2-4 weeks depending on my recovery rate.

I had to take some painkillers to ease out the pain, Physical Therapy sessions and had to avoid any strenuous form of exercise that aggravates my low back. I was really feeling down and low at that moment. Indecisive to say the least. I have hurt myself, but the call of the IRON is too strong to neglect. So I did my best to rehabilitate my injury and did some core strengthening routines (NROL for Abs). Nutrition went out of control though so I gained a little bit of fat.

Lesson I got from this experience?

Shit happens. It's beyond your control. Just do your best to mitigate the damage and move on.

Am I Insane? (March 2013 - May 2013)

March. One of my most anticipated month every year. Why? It's the time of the year where my wife and kids (YES, I am a family man) visit me here in the land of sands and oils. When the family is here, It's very difficult to find spare time to go to the gym. Besides, every hour spending with them counts. Working away from your family is really tough and as much as possible you want to make up all the time that you were away from them.

I was in decent shape back then. Fully recovered from the injury and looking for another challenge to add to my fitness and health journey. The dilemma was like this. I need to find a way to stay in shape without sacrificing family time. So there I go again, consulted Mr. Google, a few clicks later, I got the answer, INSANITY! I told my other half about it and she agreed to do it with me. Great! Hitting two birds with one stone. Couldn't ask for more, aight?

Fast forward, I did some kind of experiment on this one. Instead of following the nutrition guide bundled with the program, I went on with the proven and tested Intermittent Fasting (Renegade Diet protocol) body recomposition. I went on with the plan and fully documented the process.

A photo is worth a thousand words. I'm tired of typing and putting everything on words now so I'll show the before and after result of the experiment. More detail on the experiment was documented on TPC's GYM thread.



Scrawny to Brawny (May 2013 - Present)

At the end of my INSANITY journey, I am left with a big question in my mind. Looking back through the start, I can say that I gained a lot and lost a lot too (at least to my own standards). Experience, wisdom, strength, endurance, power, lean mass, fat etc. I felt like I haven't done enough yet. Of course, It's NEVER ENOUGH! It's a continuous journey and I am still at the infancy stage.

This time around, I won't rely with Mr Google nor with Bro-Science BS. So the idea of having a personal coach comes to mind, after all, even the greatest athletes in the world (i.e. Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi etc) had a coach. Right?

I wanted to stop running and spinning around in circles and then get back again to where I started with very marginal improvement to boot. I wanted HELP (at least from REAL WORLD EXPERTS). Found out about Scrawny to Brawny coaching program which is offered by the guys at Precision Nutrition, swallowed the pill and bit the bullet, I joined the program last May 2013.

And so a new journey unfolds...

Masala Maker

Nice! Excited on the next part of your journey!

riddler

12 weeks in, and I am already on the Phase III of the workout regime recommended with the S2B coaching program.

Body Weight
58.5 kg

Dynamic Warm Up (10-20 mins)
- Foam Rolling
- Stretching
- Mobility Drills

Upper Body Day 1
1a) DB Cuban Rotation(3x8)
- Warm up: 5lb x 10, 10lb x 6
- Work set: 15lb x 8 x 3

1b) Straight Arm Pulldown (3x8)
- Work set: 70kg x 8 x 3

2a) Push Press (4x5)
- Warm up: 20kg x 5, 25kg x 3, 30kg x 1
- Work set: 35kg x 5 x 4

2b) Neutral Grip Pull ups
- Work set: BW + 10lb x 5 x 4

3a) Incline Barbell Bench Press (3x10)
- Work set: 40kg x 10 x 3

3b) Bent Over 2-DB Row (3x10)
- Work set: 40lb x 10, 35lb x 10, 35lb x 9

* Numbers with letters means doing the same group of exercise alternately until all the required sets are done then proceed to the next.


New Habit was introduced today (7th).

EAT A MUSCLE DINNER
Guidelines:
2 palm of meat/protein
2 fist of mixed veggies
2 tablespoon of fat/oil
1 serving of topper (salsa, pesto, etc)

Past Habits:
- Drink 3 supershakes
- Do Corrective Exercises
- Eat a muscle breakfast
- Take multivitamin and fish oil
- Eat a muscle lunch
- Record sets, reps, weights (Workout Journal)

Core

riddler wrote:

I thought you're a guy in his mids-late 20's in this picture
...but then...

riddler wrote:

..."age of 31"...

Bodybuilding really makes you youthful! Hahaha... [size=x-small](Well, except for me...)[/size]

PatrickStarr

Great read. I love your style of writing. Keep it up!

riddler

Thank you for dropping by guys. Really appreciate it.

Anyway, here's the workout figures for today

Body Weight
58.5 kg

Dynamic Warm Up (10-20 mins)
- Foam Rolling
- Stretching
- Mobility Drills

LOWER BODY DAY 1
1) Barbell Deadlift (4x5)
- Warm up: 40kg x 5, 50kg x 5, 60kg x 4, 70kg x 3, 80kg x 2, 85kg x 1
- Work set: 95kg x 5 x 3, 90kg x 5

* Personal best so far without using wrist straps. Done with raw grip strength. Had to drop down to 90kg on the last set due to exhaustion.

2) Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift (3x6)
- Work set: 60kg x 8 x 3

3a) Barbell Bulgarian Split Squats (3x8)
- Work set: 30kg x 8 x 3

* Goddamn tough especially with your back leg elevated on a bench.

3b) One-Leg Press (3x12)
- Work set: 35kg x 12 x 3

* Do this back to back with the Bulgarian Split Squats (45s rest) and your quads will beg you for mercy. Experienced twitching leg muscles after all sets. :lol

4) Hanging Leg Raise (3x12)
- Work set: BW x 12 x 3

* Numbers with letters means doing the same group of exercise alternately until all the required sets are done then proceed to the next.

monching11

Very well written post. Had fun reading it.

And great job on the progress too!

kopi

Good job sir..inspiration again :^^ kudos!

riddler

By the power vested in me, I hereby declare today as National DOMS day. :twitcy:

DOMS hit me hard today. Erectors, glutes, quads, hamstring, abductors, it bands and calf are all goddamn sore. Could be because of the PR I hit with the deadlifts yesterday.

Anyway, today is INTERVALS/ACTIVE RECOVERY day so I went to the gym and bust my ass.

INTERVALS/ACTIVE RECOVERY DAY 1

Body Weight
58.5 kg

Dynamic Warm Up (10-20 mins)
- Foam Rolling
- Stretching
- Mobility Drills

Stationary Bike (20mins)
3 mins warm up
30s All out (resistance level 5) / 1:00 Active rest (resistance level 3) x 8 rounds
5 mins cooldown

* First time I did intervals on the stationary bike for a very long time and my legs was burning hot (especially the quads) during the 30s all out interval effort. Phew!

PEACE OUT!

allen101

Wow. Long but very interesting read coupled with some good and realistic shots!

Keep us posted!
Goodluck!

riddler

Meet the Coach

For May 2013 participants, S2B accepted 200 clients and divided them equally into two groups with two head coach. I was assigned to Calvin Buhler who also did the same S2B program last 2011 and was awarded as the grand prize winner ($10,000).

Here is his profile:

CALVIN BUHLER

Calvin Buhler is a former NCAA All-American wrestler and a former S2B client who gained 40 pounds of muscle and became the 2011 Grand Prize winner. A certified strength and conditioning specialist, Calvin now helps guys from around the world make the same kind of body and life transformation he did.

Two mentors were also assigned to the group. Two guys who also underwent the same program/scenario and had been successful with their scrawny to brawny transformation. They act as our older brothers guiding us on every step of the way. They also bitch slap us whenever we stray on the path to brawniness.

Meet Kent


Meet Jon

I'll post more details later regarding how the program works. Adios!

badass_vinch

good read bro! excellent progress too! abangan ko mga updates mo

riddler

Just wanna share a story to every IRON bro's out there. Got this from one of our lessons in S2B.

I highlighted some of the best part of the story. Let me know what you think.

The Iron by Henry Rollins



I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself.

Completely.

When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me “garbage can” and telling me I’d be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn’t run home crying, wondering why.

I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy.

I hated myself all the time.

As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn’t going to get pounded in the hallway between classes. Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you’ll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me a hard time. I didn’t think much of them either.

Then came Mr. Pepperman, my advisor. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class. Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard. Mr. P. could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn’t even drag them to my mom’s car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.

Monday came and I was called into Mr. P.‘s office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn’t looking. When I could take the punch we would know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing. In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn’t want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in.

Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. P. would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my books flying. The other students didn’t know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it.

Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn’t say s—t to me.

It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn’t want to come off the mat, it’s the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn’t teach you anything. That’s the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.

It wasn’t until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can’t be as bad as that workout.

I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn’t ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you’re not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.

I have never met a truly strong person who didn’t have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone’s shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr. Pepperman.

Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.

Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body.

Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn’t see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads.

I prefer to work out alone.

It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you’re made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live. Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it’s some kind of miracle if you’re not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.

I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.

Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.

The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs.

Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.

PEACE OUT!

Masala Maker

Idol na idol ko si Henry Rollins, growing up under the wings of some of the local punk rock and metal people, I couldn't get enough of Black Flag at State of Alert nung bata ako (Henry Rollin's early hardcore bands) Great share man!

DregPitt

wow. holy kamote nga! nice progress bro.

@TS - i read that last quote before i started bodybuilding, from a transformation video of someone i saw in youtube. i didnt know it came from henry rollins. one of the best.

riddler

No gym open today, it's HOLIDAY here in Saudi Arabia. Today is the start of Eid Al Fitr holiday for our Muslim brothers. Eid Mubarak!

Today is also the schedule of my UPPER BODY DAY 2 workout, but I guess I have to move it tomorrow or even the next day because of the holiday. Maybe I should just do some conditioning instead?

Interval outdoor sprints sounds good. Checked the weather outside, f$%k, 45 degrees! Are you kidding me? =(

@Masala Maker, @dregpitt,
Yes bros. That piece by Henry Rollins is teh bomb! Couldn't be more inspirational and motivational than that, eh?

I'll continue posting things that I learn from the S2B program and hopefully you guys get to learn/pick-up something to help you out on your goals too.

PEACE OUT!

riddler

Since no gym today and it's blazing hot outside, I sucked it up and did my prescribed intervals weekly.

The first 12 weeks of the program was actually more like profiling what kind of gainer are you. Below are the guidelines given to determine what gainer type are you:

What Type of Gainer Are You?

Before recommending a certain number of sprint workouts, it’s important to know what type of gainer you are — hard gainer, medium gainer, or easy gainer.

And guess what — determining your type is easy at this point in the program, assuming you’ve achieved 80% compliance or greater with your lessons, habits, and workouts.

* If you’ve gained less than 6 pounds so far, you’re a S2B "hard gainer"
* If you’ve gained between 6-12 pounds so far, you’re a S2B "medium gainer"
* If you’ve gained more than 12 pounds so far, you’re a S2B "easy gainer"

How Often Should I Do Intervals?

Now that you know what type of gainer you are, it’s time to determine how many intervals you need to build into your program. That part’s easy too.

* If you’re a S2B hard gainer do 1 × 15 minute interval workout per week
* If you’re a S2B medium gainer do 2 × 15 minute interval workouts per week
* If you’re a S2B easy gainer do 3 × 15 minute interval workouts per week

Important Note: these workouts are in addition to your regular training schedule.

Since I gained 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) during the first 12 weeks, I am technically considered as medium gainer so that means I have to do at least 2 intervals/week.

INTERVALS/ACTIVE RECOVERY DAY 2

Body Weight
58.5 kg

Dynamic Warm Up (10-20 mins)
- Foam Rolling
- Stretching
- Mobility Drills

Outdoor Sprint Intervals (22mins)
3 mins warm up
15s All out sprint / 1:45 Active rest x 8 rounds
5 mins cooldown

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/355471849

* Sprinting on 45 degrees temperature is goddamn tough. Must rest... now... Zzzzzzz.

PEACE OUT!

sevenstring

Nice!!!!

riddler

One good thing I learned with S2B is not to worry too much about macronutrients and calories. They taught us simple guidelines for every meal and supershakes.

*Supershakes (around 500-600 calories) x 3
- 2 scoops protein powder
- *1 piece of fruit
- 1 fist of vegetable (spinach, zucchini, celery etc)
- 2 tbsp of nuts/fats
- (optional) topper (chocolate sprinkles, cinnamon etc)

Muscle Breakfast (around 800-1000 calories)
- 4 whole eggs
- 1-2 palms of meat (ground lean beef/chicken/lamb)
- 2 fist of vegetable (spinach, kale, lettuce etc)
- 1/4 cup nuts (almonds, cashew, pecans etc)
- *1 piece fruit (banana, apple, mango etc)
- *1/2 cup oatmeal

Muscle Lunch (around 700-900 calories)
- 2-3 palms of lean meat
- 2-3 fist green leafy veggies (spinach, kale, lettuce etc)
- 1 fist other veggies (tomato, cucumber, peppers etc)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup nuts
- *1 piece fruit (banana, apple, mango etc)

Muscle Dinner (around 500-600 calories)
- 2 palms of lean meat
- 2-3 fist of vegetables
- 2 tbsp of coconut oil/butter/ghee
- 2 tbsp topper (salsa, pesto, tomato sauce etc)
- *1 fist starchy carb

* Subject to modification depends on your gainer type and discretion of the coach.

Eat all of those and you've got yourself around 4000+ calories for the day. Good and clean source of calories and perfect raw materials for building lean mass.

Of course, they didn't introduce those meals all at once, they introduce it one habit at a time for two weeks until such time that it becomes your second nature and part of daily routine. It'a a lot easier than learning everything at once.

riddler

To visualize what my usual meal looks like, here are some photos:

Muscle Breakfast


Muscle Lunch

* Nuts, Fruit and Olive oil not shown

Muscle Dinner

*During Resistance Training days



*Intervals/Active Recovery/Rest Days

These meals follows the templates laid up by the S2B Nutrition Protocol.

One good thing I also learned on the program is how to prep my own food like a pro. Yes, they also teach you how to cook and prep your own food. How cool is that? :^^

kiddo

wow... Nice ah. Natuto ka talaga mag prepare ng sarili mo na food. haha Galing... sana lang magawa ko rin yan

riddler

Body Weight
58.6 kg

Dynamic Warm Up (10-20 mins)
- Foam Rolling
- Stretching
- Mobility Drills

UPPER BODY DAY 1
1a) Weighted Inverted Row (3x8)
- Work set: BW + 5kg x 8 x 3

1b) Weighted Decline Push-ups (3x8)
- Work set: BW + 10kg x 10, BW + 15kg x 10, BW + 15kg x 8

2a) Pronated Grip Barbell Row (4x5)
- Work set: 37.5 kg x 5 x 4

* Tight form, could increase weight next time.

2b) Slight Incline DB Bench Press (4x5)
- Work set: 50lb x 5 x 4

* I think I can handle 55lb but settled with 50lb because there was nobody to spot me.

3a) Rope Grip Lat Pulldown (3x10)
- Work set: 30kg x 10 x 3

* Finally nailed the form on this one. Ready to move up with the weight.

3b) DB Scott Press (3x10)
- Work set: 25lb x 10 x 2, 25lb x 8

* Last set was goddamn tough. Traps and shoulders are already fatigued and couldn't move further after 8 reps, had to stop to avoid going into failure.

* Numbers with letters means doing the same group of exercise alternately until all the required sets are done then proceed to the next.

Over all, MEH workout. It's good, but definitely not great.

PEACE OUT!

monching11

Hi brah! care to name those sexy foods and how you do them? those look god damn delicious!

riddler

monching11 wrote:

Hi brah! care to name those sexy foods and how you do them? those look god damn delicious!

Will make a mini bootcamp style tutorial on how to make those meals. Typical cooking time only takes around 10-15 mins. Perfect for tight schedules. Stay tuned!

riddler

REST DAY today, so I took it easy by just watching replays from the TI3 DOTA2 tournament. Go Na'Vi! :lol

MUSCLE BREAKFAST 101



For this meal, I typically follow this template:

Muscle Breakfast 101
- 4 whole eggs
- 1-2 palms of meat (ground lean beef/chicken/lamb)
- 2 fist of vegetable (spinach, kale, lettuce etc)
- 1/4 cup nuts (almonds, cashew, pecans etc)
- *1 piece fruit (banana, apple, mango etc)
- *1/2 cup dry oatmeal

Here’s the “why” behind the meal, and some tips on how to make it.

Eggs (4 whole)
Whole eggs are a phenomenal source of protein, and are rich in vitamins and minerals. You can cook them however you want — scramble, microwave, boil, fry, or bake. (We prefer scrambling.)

Lean meat (2 palms)
Adding a little ground beef, turkey, or sliced ham to your scramble bumps up the muscle-building protein and gives your breakfast a “restaurant” look.

Oats (½ cup dry)
Cortisol, a stress hormone, makes it harder for us to gain muscle and even promotes fat storage. In the morning, our cortisol levels are higher, so we want to get it down fast. The best way is to eat complex carbs like oats.

Nut butter (2 tbsp)
Healthy fats add some much-needed calories and taste amazing in the oatmeal.

Fresh veggies (2 fists)
On top of providing all of the micronutrients needed to sustain life, brightly-colored veggies can make any meal look like a masterpiece. Two servings (two fists-worth) is perfect. Mix them into your omelet, sauté them on the side, or just enjoy them raw. Sweet bell peppers, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, and olives are just some of the options at your disposal.

Fresh fruit (1 cup berries or 1 medium piece)
Rounding out the meal, you have the choice of any fruit on the planet. You can choose from apples, bananas, strawberries, oranges, pineapples, mangos, raspberries, blueberries, peaches…the list goes on and on. Experiment and enjoy “nature’s candy.”

Topper (2 tbsp)
These foods add flavour and texture, as well as variety to your morning meal.

[Note: You can easily estimate portion sizes of these ingredients by using your palm, fist, cupped hand, or thumb as a guide. One cupped hand of oats or berries is approximately ½ cup, and one thumb is approximately 1 tbsp of healthy fats or a "topper".]

How To Make Your Muscle Breakfast – 9 Easy Steps

With all the ingredients ready to go, here’s how to put ’em together:

1. Put everything on the counter.
2. Slice veggies, meat, and fruit. Crack eggs, portion oats, and scoop 2 tablespoons of nut butter.
3. Using a fork, scramble the eggs and put an omelet pan on medium heat.
4. Throw a little butter or ghee into the pan. (Or use a coconut oil, or olive oil spray.)
5. Sear the veggies and meat on medium heat
6. Drop to low/medium heat. Add eggs. Mix and/or flip into a fancy omelet.
7. Boil water for oatmeal. (Or warm up in microwave.) Add fruit (plus maybe some vanilla/cinnamon/cacao).
8. Finish cooking eggs, add salt/pepper/spices/herbs and 2 tablespoons of your topper of choice (eg. sundried tomatoes for this meal)
9. Put it all together. Enjoy.

Yatez

Sir post mo naman yung itsura ng meals mo na cucurious ako haha

riddler

Yatez wrote:

Sir post mo naman yung itsura ng meals mo na cucurious ako haha

Check previous page bro. I posted my typical meal there. Will post some tutorials on how to make Muscle Lunch and Dinner soon. Stay tuned.

Yatez

I meant the one that you really cooked by yourself i think the pictures you posted came from the website of the program you are currently following right now am i right?

riddler

Yatez wrote:

I meant the one that you really cooked by yourself i think the pictures you posted came from the website of the program you are currently following right now am i right?

Except for the muscle breakfast photo, all of the photos I posted here are the result of my own cooking. They really tastes good and look damn sexy.

Yatez

I was actually drooling for the muscle breakfast lol )I'd love to splatter that shit with ranch/aioli sauceeee

riddler

Yatez wrote:

I was actually drooling for the muscle breakfast lol )I'd love to splatter that shit with ranch/aioli sauceeee

Fair enough. I'll post my own version of Muscle Breakfast tomorrow morning. It may not be as sexy as the original one, but it has the same macronutrient and calorie density.

PEACE OUT!