Might get featured in Muscle and Performance :D

Long story short , my dad's friend's nephew is a fitness model and an actor. So I was lucky enough to get connections with the magazine's people. I sent them a portfolio of me during my on-season (aka right before competing), where I was very trim, at around 180. I'm around 210+ now and going for way more.

Anyway here's the nephew:


And here's an example of the picture I sent:


Me in June 2011^

Update December 29th 2011 with... DELICIOUS FOOD :D

   Hey, been a while.

  Weight-wise I am more less the same, but I have cut some bodyfat. I WILL HIT THAT 220 lmao
   You will see in time. 220 is my goal for the end of winter break. 

 

How my training is going:

 Strength has increased. I am almost on week 6 of Madcow 5x5, and it has been going well! I have hit a new PR on bench press, 220x6, and have been recently practicing weighted pull-ups on wednesdays. I did 

8 reps of 220 (bodyweight+10 lber), 8 reps of 235 (bw+25), two practice reps of 265, and then an attempt at 300 here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2931290210767&set=vb.1516364164&type=2&theater. It was very close, but not quite there. Next week I will get a better video (not a video of a video lol), and will make it obvious that I had it. 

Anyway, here's some of the more tasty meals I've had this week:

I cooked them for my mom but didnt eat any. She needed  a lot of help during Christmas.

(fried fish, pork dumplings with rice)

Noodles with spicy wings

Some nice aragula.

That's all for now. I'll be done with my program in just a month and a half. Then onto 5/3/1. Before I end this post, I'd like to tell you about the philosophy that the stronger you get, the ultimately bigger you get. You will not grow without food, nor will your lifts continue to go up because you would not be recovering. You always have the option to cut and keep your strength (like Frank Yang), but that comes afterwards. The way to looking good comes from getting your strength up on compound movements. Isolations come second, but they still have their place though.

Until next time.

Weight update+back shot+and some yummy food

New haircut:

Dec 18, 2011 at 9pm weight:

212 here. 

Homemade bbq chicken pizza.

Back is getting there...
Took this about a week ago.


That's all for now.

Recommended routines

For beginners:
Starting Strength
Intermediate: 5x5 Madcow
Advanced: 5/3/1 Boring But Big


Or alternatively, if you feel like going mostly for size, use this:

What supplements should I take? Which should I not?

This post does not have any empirical data in it, but it is based on information I have read throughout the years that IS based on empirical data +my own experiences. You can do/believe whatever you want,  this is just my advice. Anyway...

Supplements worth buying:
1. protein (whey, egg, casein)

2. creatine

3. Caffeine pre-workout (I added Jack3d because it is mainly caffeine. It also has 1,3 Dimethylamylamine, arginine, beta alanine, and  A-Schizandrol.  The Dimeth and caffeine will give you the biggest effect. The amount of beta alanine is skimpy). It's perfectly ok to buy 1,3 Dimeth and caffeine separate instead of Jack3d, in fact it would be optimal.

4.  Beta Alanine (effective pre-workout just like caffeine. they can be stacked)

5. Multi Vitamin

6. Omega 3

Omega 3 will provide healthy mind function, joints, and has shown in a study in cancer patients to be anti-catabolic during chemotherapy (prevent muscle loss)

7.  Are you skinny? Are you low on carbs and want to pack on weight? Add this in your diet with copious amount of milk and let them calories fly in. 650 a scoop, 1300 a serving. Add milk or ice cream (not recommended because that's a very high glycemic index) and you can hit 2000 with milk and this supplement alone. Remember to eat food too!



Now for some useless supplements

1.  BCAAs/ amino acids.

amino acids are a complete waste of money. there are PLENTY of amino acids in your diet (meat, whey protein, etc.) There is no reason why you would need Branch Chain Amino Acids alone. Your diet will give you more than this crap. Some companies say to take it intraworkout. This is also bs. Your body does not run on BCAAs, it runs on carbs. Want energy during working out? Eat carbs before working out and take the Pre workout supps mentioned above.

2. Nitric Oxide

Not necessary and expensive. Mainly caffeine, with some arginine. Arginine is a precursor to NO, but oral supplementation has not show any effects in vasodilation in athletes. Basically just really expensive caffeine with some artificial colors and a bunch of fluff. Save your money.


I'll be reviewing this for errors and whatnot later since my head is killing me from being sick :( lol
Remember though, food>supplements. It is not necessary to take supplements to meet your fitness goals. It is ultimately diet and hardwork. Don't be bullshitted by these companies.

Been pretty sick. Short update

Have no camera atm so no weight updates. I'll be uploading some pics Saturday of my weight and my supplements that just came in the mail (aww yeahhh)

Trying to get enough calories even though I've been really sick the past few days. Managed to push myself to workout, and I even was able to do a little bit more than I was supposed to.

Here's what I ate today

1) 3 eggs sauteed in canola oil with egg challah roll and ketchup (500 calories**)
2) Chicken Tandoori with brown rice (400 calories**)
3) ON hydro whey vanilla one scoop (really tasty and creatine is already inside) (150 calories)
4) ON Serious Mass mass gainer (lots of carbs)  (650 calories)
5) spinach, carrots, brown rice and cod (est 300 calories)
6) 4 servings of whole milk with a scoop and a half of myofusion cookies and cream protein (fat macros well met in this) (800 calories)
7) Beef with tamale pie. (**600 calories)

About 3k calories.

Diet advice for new weightlifters trying to put on mass

-If you're trying to bulk up, make sure you are not only counting your protein intake. Also be sure to count your calories. A lot of people trying to gain weight make this mistake. You'll get carbs and fat through meeting your calories. There are bulking calculators online. They will give you an idea of how much food you need to gain weight. Ex: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/weight_gain_calculator.htm
Some good foods for bulking are:

Amys pizza. 1000 calories a pie. Healthy ingredients. About the same price as 3 slices (6$)


Gallon of milk a day (GOMAD) (**Some studies from Harvard have shown drinking a lot of milk accounts for most estrogen consumed.  "Dairy, she added, accounts for 60 percent to 80 percent of estrogens consumed." (http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/12.07/11-dairy.html)



Cheeseburger


It's best to eat calorie dense foods that are with quality ingredients. For a lot of people, if you eat nothing but a ton of shit, you're gonna feel sick and end up stopping.

Here's an example of a cutting meal btw, just made it for my grandma's bulking meal lol


Salmon, sweet potato, black beans.

Some photo updates

Pretty much a normal saturday at home. Also an update on my weightlifting.

Woke up at 5ish am.

Breakfast: 3 whole eggs with 2 egg whites, banana, package of tortellini. Not too many carbs, but I have none really here.

Gonna go make lunch for my grandma. She has osteoperosis and breaks bones all the time, so I'm gonna go head out and make her some lunch, keep her company, and clean her place. Here's what's for lunch:

Cherry tomatoes, black beans, sourkraut (sp?) sweet potatoes, grapefruits, salmon, and some other stuff. Ignore the date.

She's really the coolest.

Today is my day off, I was gonna go to the gym today for injury prevention workouts, but instead of doing that, I'll just do some rear delt and rotator cuff workouts. I workout MWF and 7:30 and am on Madcow 5x5. Gonna go on 5/3/1 Big But Boring in a few months when I'm done probably. But I still got ways to go lol.

Here's the supplements I bought recently
 

From left to right: intraworkout, creatine, protein, protein, joint complex animal flex, and weight gainer. I never  tried a intraworkout, but it came with a free case of creatine, so I had my bets hedged. Both had good reviews too.

I also picked up some shakers and other stuff:


Weighing in at 208 this morning after eating+with clothes. I'll weigh in again tomorrow without clothes to see how much of a difference it'll make.

My target weight is 220 at least, by February. Gonna be eating like a horse and taking weight update pics every two weeks.