The AFBoard's April, 2008 winner is presented to:
booey
Member of the Month – So Easy a Caveman Can Do It!!!!
First, thanks to the members at AF. Not just those that voted for me, but also to those that make this place head and shoulders above the rest of boards. It amazes me the attitudes, egos, and lack of knowledge I find on almost every other board. This place is truly the best of the best.
Ok, onto myself! Best place to start would be stats: I’m 26, 5’11” and currently at 215lbs give or take a pound, 10% body fat. I’m pretty strong in the gym (stronger than I look). I’m more focused now on becoming much much bigger (as long as I don’t go over 15% b/f!!).
My personal life: I’m in my last year of law school and will soon be moving to California (living right outside Washington DC right now). I’m married, but have no intentions of having kids anytime soon!! At least that’s the plan.
I’d say the gym and everything associated with this life style is a big part of who I am. If it wasn’t for this, who knows what I’d be doing?? I used to drink almost every night, and I dabbled way too much in recreational drugs. I started seriously lifting in 2002 (sophomore in college), when I weighed a whopping 150 pounds!! My first day, I had trouble benching the bar!!! But something clicked. I changed and left those old bad habits behind almost immediately. It just doesn't mix. How can I put in a good workout when I'm hungover?
I was never more dedicated to anything in my life. I researched all I could on the internet and talked to everyone in the gym to find out how I could become bigger and stronger. For the first year or so, I had no clue about diet. So I did gain some newbie muscle (about 10 pounds), but it took a while to even get that (I was the classic ecto-morph). It wasn’t until 2004 that I had a better understanding of diet. With that knowledge, I added a lot of quality mass. I started my first cycle around that time. I didn’t gain as much as I hoped to, but I knew it would become a staple in my life.
Then came law school, and I lost of muscle mass due to the constant studying and barely any workout time. I had replaced one passion for another, and it wasn’t until late 2006 that I was able to manage both of my passions at the same time.
I’m at a good place in my life right now. I’ve been able to keep my priorities in line and set and achieve all the goals I have set for myself. I owe much of this from the discipline I have learned through bodybuilding.
1. What type of training schedule has worked best for you over the years?
Old school heavy training, heavy volume. I’ve tried a lot of programs over the years, and this is the one I keep coming back to. If I don’t completely destroy the muscle in the gym, I do not grow.
I hit most of my body parts once a week, with a few sets for lagging body parts twice a week (for instance, I’ll hit Shoulders on their own day and also an exercise or two with Chest). I usually aim to get 5 exercises in, sets ranging from 3-5 (not including warm ups). I go heavy on the compound movements (3-6 reps) and moderate weight on isolation (6-10).
I also incorporate different intensity principles such as drop sets, rest/pause, supersets and negatives. I’ll usually throw these in based on feeling.
2. What type of diet plan have you found works best for you?
Smart dieting. There are really no tricks. If I want to grow, I up my calories. If I want to cut, I’ll drop the calories and add cardio. I aim for 6-8 meals a day. Keep the protein intake very high and mess around with fats and carbs depending on if I’m trying to gain or lose weight.
Carb manipulation is key for losing fat. I avoid carbs 3-4 hours before bed when cutting and for a couple hours in the morning after AM cardio to maximize fat burning.
3. What type of supplementation do you follow or use?
I figure I’ll be running Test year round from now on, since I lose too much muscle when I come off. It’s not a matter of proper
PCT; my body was just not designed to carry this much muscle mass (poor genetics). When I “blast”, I add Tren and Dbol.
I supplement with T3 when cutting. And in the near future I’ll be adding
Sesapure year round to keep fat gains in check.
I also load up on Vitamin C and B-complex. I feel I get an adequate amount of the rest of the important vitamins from my diet.
4. What are your personal lifting records or accomplishments that you are proud of?
I’m never satisfied, so it’s tough to say. Currently, I’m lifting 255lbs on seated military press. But I’m aiming for 275 in the near future. 315 would be pretty nice too!!!!
Overall, I’m proud of where I am and where I am going. Looking back on how I used to look and feel, compared to now and the future – it’s an amazing transformation!
5. What are your personal short and long-term goals at this time?
I’ll start with long-term. I’m giving myself 5 years to get to 240lbs at 9-10% body fat.
My short-term goal is to pack on a lot of mass before I cut again. During the beginning of this year, I began cutting and shortly after I realized that I was cutting too soon. It was nice getting to a low body fat (I ended up floating around 8-9%), but I missed all the size I was carrying. So I’m not cutting until I get well beyond a comfortable weight. Right now I’m 215, so I think I’ll need to get to 235-245 before cutting again. I’m giving myself 8-10 months.
6. Who do you idolize and look up to in the bodybuilding, powerlifting, or weight training community, past or present?
Arnold!!! I admire his entire life, not just bodybuilding. He has conquered sport, entertainment, and now politics. His dedication and concentration to reach his goals is unmatched. His story has had a big impact on how I live my life.
7. What tips can you share with other people that you have found effective and that they might benefit from?
Nothing can beat consistency and progression. Consistency means following a workout program (one that you have tailored to meet your needs) and sticking to a well-planned diet. Progression means you need to have results every day. If you not, you’re doing something wrong.
Also, try new things – but do not think that you have to stick with it if you don’t like it. All that matters is results. If it doesn’t work for you, drop it.
8. Any closing comments?
There are a lot of people who will say you cannot do something – that your goals are out of reach. I say, don’t listen to them. Anyone can do anything, as long as they have that hunger. I’d rather give something my all and fail then not try at all. That’s what bodybuilding and training is all about. Give it your 100% always and you’ll get to anywhere you want.
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