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Ryan Sullivan!

Congratulations Ryan Sullivan on being our Personal Trainer Of The Month! Ryan was awarded the Bodybuilding.com Personal Trainer of the Month for his health and fitness contributions that he provides for his clients!

He is the owner and creator of Sci-Unison Fitness and, having been overweight when he was younger, is able to help clients from every end of the fitness spectrum.

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Competition Countdown Part 3!

Hey everyone!

As I write this, I’m 13 weeks out from the OBF Spring Spectacular, and one day away from my trip to the Arnold Classic. I should mention that I have all my food for the weekend packed, as I don’t want to take any chances at this point in the competition with not having the time to go grocery shopping for my diet. What IS my diet, you ask?

This is a great segue to introduce what I’m doing in terms of a nutrition plan for my competition.

I’m a Certified bonafide member of the “Carb Haters Anonymous” Club. I know I may receive some backlash for what I’m about to post, but you have to remember that I’ve been dieting for a while now (on and off), and I know what works best for my mind and my body. Yes, I’m 21, and yes, I have a fast metabolism and train hard. So in theory, carbohydrates WOULD BE an okay source of fuel for my body. However, when I’m using them to diet or bulk, I just don’t feel as lean or as energetic.  And so, the majority of my calories come from fats and proteins, with my only carb meal of the day coming from oatmeal post workout. See, carbs add up fast. We know that consuming 400grams of Fruity Pebbles cereal can be done in a heartbeat. This leads to the famous CRASH that occurs when your blood sugar drops after these carbs have come and gone out of your system. This is usually what causes people to have to nap after lunch at their desk at work.

I am one of those people.  I have read enough studies, and done enough self-experimentation to know that for me, Scivation’s CHA (Carb Haters Anonymous) diet provides the finest fuel for my body and mind. I’m about to use a cliché here, but bare with me for a second…For me, comparing carbs to fat for energy is kind of like comparing automobile gasoline. If carbs are 87 octane, then fats are racing fuel! While a racing car can probably run on 87 octane, it will not be running optimally. But on racing fuel, BOOM, pure SPEED AND POWER. The same goes for your fat burning and muscle building and preserving engine. Give it carbohydrates and it will surely run, but then it will CRASH! Give it HEALTHY fats, and you have yourself a lean, mean, fat burning and muscle building MACHINE! I want to be that lean, mean fat burning machine.

I should add, however, that I still consume an abundance of veggies (mostly broccoli, green beans and brussel sprouts) to get my vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. These veggies also help with the acid/base balance in my body, which I consider crucial for optimal health. Not to mention, they really help with satiation!

A typical day’s diet for me:

1600 Calorie Plan

Meal 1       4 Egg Whites
3 Whole DHA eggs
                35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 2 5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
               18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
        ½ cup oatmeal OR 4 ounces sweet potatoe OR ½ cup brown rice
             35g protein, 15g fat, 30g carbs

Meal 3       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 4       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 5        5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 6       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

***I add 3-6 servings of vegetables spread throughout as many meals as I want.

** Meal 2, where I add the carbs, is usually post workout; I  tend to work out in the morning. If I workout later in the day, then I just move the carbs around.

To prevent my metabolism from crashing, and to prevent a crash of leptin/increase in ghrelin, I incorporate a “reefed” meal once a week on Sunday nights. It consists of:

• 1. 1.5 cup steamed green beans or 12 oz asparagus = 15g carbohydrates
• 2. ½ cup oatmeal (measured dry then add water and microwave) = 30g carbohydrates
  2 tbsp raisins = 15g carbohydrates
• 12 almonds or 2 tsp Smart Balance Light butter spread - used in oatmeal = 10g fat
• 3. 8 oz yam or sweet potato = 60g carbohydrates
  2 tsp peanut butter or almond butter = 10g fat

So there you have my nutrition plan in a nutshell. Every Saturday, I sent my weight, measurement and pics to my trainer, who evaluates them, and determines what, if any, changes should be made to my training, nutrition or cardio protocols.

In the next part of the series, I’m going to talk about my cardio regimen and what motivates me inside and outside of the gym. Last night, I had something called my “Phoenix Moment”. In the next installment, I will introduce this concept to those of you who don’t know what it is, and how it could possibly change your life (OK, I may be exaggerating a little, but it will certainly be the kick in the butt you need to start being INWARDLY focused/driven, and get yourself aligned with your personal goals.)
Until then, please feel free to drop by my workout journal, and take a look at what I do, how I eat and what I train on a daily basis: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4701513

Jaime Filers Competition Countdown 4!

Competition Countdown Part 2!

Hey guys and gals!

I’m back with the second installment of my Road to the OBF Spring Spectacular competition. In the first installment, I gave you an introduction, told you a little bit about myself, where I come from, what I’m doing, and where I’m going. I also included some pictures describing my “journey” from anorexia to amateur level bodybuilder.

As of writing this piece, I’m exactly 14 weeks out and couldn’t be more pumped. The competition officially starts in 2 weeks, but I wanted to get a headstart on the dieting process because I haven’t trained or dieted “Contest Prep style” since my last show in November. So I decided to slowly start easing into it 2 weeks ago. The way I see it, is that this isn’t just a Transformation Challenge; it’s a competition. I’m not getting up in a posing suit against other competitors with Dream Tan and PAM, but I am trying to beat out at least a dozen other hardcore females who are probably working and dieting just as hard as me. So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with dieting a little longer, and trying to bring the best package I can. No one has ever been penalized for being TOO conditioned, right? Right?  *Fingers Crossed*

Training

I’m currently using the Antagonistic Training Sytem (A.T.S. for short), created by Derek Charlesbois. As I stated before, this is my second week on the plan, and I LOVE it so far. I will give you a little explanation of what A.T.S. involves. The norm when it comes to bodybuilding training is to focus on one main muscle group per workout; you know, people have chest day, back day, arm day, etc. In addition, working large muscle groups like back and chest together is often discouraged because people tend to think that you can’t stimulate one larger muscle group enough if it has to share time/volume with another. Contrary to this latter belief, Derek thinks working muscles with opposite actions (antagonists) together is a very productive way to train. What he means is not a super-set per se, but rather alternating between sets of antagonist muscle groups, resting between sets. For example, performing one set of bent over rows, resting one minute, performing one set of bench press, resting one minute, then start over, going back to bent over rows. Using this strategy of muscle pairing he created a workout program called The Antagonistic Training System (A.T.S.)

Utilizing A.T.S. not only saves you time in the gym by allowing you to work two muscle groups in the time it normally takes to work one muscle group, but studies say it may also increase your performance. While your back is working, your chest relaxes. And vice versa. So after a hard set of chest, your back will be somewhat more relaxed, and ready to lift a heavy load again.
For A.T.S. we are going to increase the number of sets per exercise each week just like on The Scivation Tri-Phase Training
Program:

Week 1 = 2 X 6-10

Week 2 = 3 X 6-10

Week 3 = 4 X 6-10

Week 4 = Start back over at 2 sets per exercise

Increasing the number of sets per exercise each week will challenge the body, leading to accelerated gains in muscle growth. In addition to increasing the number of sets per exercise each week, I will always strive to increase the weight/load you lift. This is another key factor to muscle growth. I will run the cycle for 6-9 weeks.

Monday- Back & Chest Antagonist Workout

Wednesday- Biceps & Triceps Antagonist Workout plus Forearms

Friday- Quadricep & Hamstring Antagonist Workout

Saturday- Delts & Traps/Mid-Back/Rear Delts Workout & Core

Jaime Filers Competition Countdown 3!

Introduction

What am I doing?

As of the writing of this article, I am 100 days-8 hours-58 minutes (Thank you, Facebook Countdown), from the Online Bodybuilding Federation’s Slamming Spring Spectacular Competition (www.obfbodybuilding.com). The competition officially starts March 9 – 13, and ends May 31 – June 3. There are two categories “Bulking” and “Transformation”. I will be entered into the Female Transformation category, as I’m planning a serious, 14.5 week cut. Contest prep style, ladies and gents. Just because I’m not getting up on a real stage doesn’t mean this isn’t a real competition. Quite the contrary. This is serious.

Why am I doing this?

Maybe you’ve thought about competing before. Maybe you’ve thought about taking your physique to the next level. Maybe you want to join the ranks for that 1% of people who take their weight training, dieting and cardio so seriously, that they want to show it off to the public by means of a competition. Or maybe you’re already a competitor, and you’re bitten by “The Bug.” I fall into the last category. I can’t get enough of the stage.

A Little History: Who Am I?

It’s ironic that the pastime that brought me to bodybuilding is the same past-time that
almost killed me 8 years ago.

In the year 2000, when I was 13, I was going through the same thing that most girls were
going through; body image issues, self-esteem issues, boy problems, puberty and all that
fun stuff. My problem was that the body image issues hit me harder than it did most girls. It went from counting calories, to restricting calories, to purging calories through exercise. It was an unhealthy lifestyle that consumed every iota of my being from the time I was 13 until I was 15.

For those 3 years, I was getting progressively smaller and smaller, but no one would say anything because I was still so young and the subject was
taboo. My mother and father begged me to eat, but I was genuinely scared of gaining an ounce. I weighed myself compulsively, and couldn’t walk past a mirror without checking myself out from the side to make sure I was smaller than the last time I looked.

At 15, it got to the point where I was hospitalized for 40 days in an inpatient unit and spent an additional two months at an outpatient clinic. I decided that 3 years of the illness was enough; I thought my demons were banished. Once I got out of hospital, I decided to take up weightlifting. I wanted to turn my new mass into muscle. Unfortunately, I had no
one to mentor me or teach me the rules of lifting. So I did what most women at my gym were doing…cardio.

Every morning at 5am, and every night at 7pm, I would sneak off to
the gym around the corner from my house because my parents didn’t want me burning any additional calories. I also exercised during my lunch hour at school.

Needless to say, it wasn’t the most constructive way to get through grade 11 and start off grade 12. It was in January that I started poking around on bodybuilding.com. I also had to start thinking about what I wanted to major in when I went to university in September. I found kinesiology. It was a match made in heaven. I could learn all day about physiology, anatomy, nutrition, Fitness Assessment and then graduate with a degree that made me a “Professional” Personal trainer. It was around the same time that my friends, who were now worrying about my health, started telling me how lean and small I was getting. Rather than taking this to heart and doing some productive about it, I took it as a compliment, and used it as fuel for my raging fire.

I decided to compete in a bodybuilding show in June of 2005, my graduating year. I was hard as rock and as lean as a twig. The mirror, which was NOT my friend at this point, had convinced me that I looked more like Jay Cutler than Kate Moss, and that it was my
destiny to shine on-stage. I was 5”7, 104 lbs and 5% bodyfat. I won that show, and unfortunately, was bitten by the competitive bug. I wanted more. So I went on to do 7 more shows in the course of 2 years.

It wasn’t until my last show in October of 2006 that I realized something was wrong; one of the highly respected judges, who had taken the effort to get my cell phone number from the contest promoter, called me to ask if I was O.K., and if I was eating. He told me I had amazing potential for this sport, but people couldn’t see past the frail looking girl
onstage. I just sat in my car with tears streaming down my face, because what I was doing finally hit me. My friends had abandoned me, my parents were scared that they were going to lose me and the sport that I loved didn’t have a place for me anymore. It was time to make a change, for real this time. I promised myself that I would not compete for as long as it took to get myself healthy.

I started on a long and arduous journey, otherwise known as, a bulk. From October of 2006 to July of 2008 I ate an average of 3000 calories a day, mostly coming from clean carbs like oatmeal and sweet-potatoes, and complete protein sources like ground beef and
chicken. I subsequently went from my lowest weight of 96 pounds, with 4% bodyfat, to 65 pounds with 16% bodyfat. I was still relatively lean, but nowhere near where I wanted to be for a competition. It was time to enlist the help of professionals who knew that they were doing.

The Derek Charlesbois section in the bodybuilding.com forums always struck me as something like an Elite club of friends. Everyone was so helpful, encouraging and
dedicated, I was almost scared to approach them, but I did, because I knew that Team Scivation was the best, and I needed the best. Within weeks of my working with Derek, my physique was undergoing changes that I’d never have expected. I couldn’t stop talking about how happy I was to be working with such a solid, genuine Team. I competed in my first show in 2 years at a LEAN 138lbs with 8 – 10% bodyfat.

Jaime Filers Competition Countdown 2!

Are you happy with the results you’re getting from your training? I mean, really, are you genuinely content with your progress? Well, if you are, go ahead and click on the next article. But, if you feel as though you could be making more progress than you currently are, stick around. I bet that most of you keep reading.

Let’s start with a question:

Apart from the basics (adequate nutrition, smart training, etc), what is the greatest contributor to slower than optimal gains?

Well, if you ask me, the answer is inadequate training frequency. The typical trainee simply doesn’t train often enough to spark optimal gains in muscle mass. It’s really common sense when you think about it: someone who stimulates a muscle to grow twice weekly will likely achieve better gains than someone who only stimulates that same muscle once within a week’s time.

If you’ve made it this far you obviously want to read more on this Topic, click here.

Because of all the different functions of glutamine in the human body, it can be used for a wide variety of purposes by both normal individuals as well as those who are under the care of a medical professional. Learn more.

Article Summary:
Glutamine is one of the amino acids found in the body.
Glutamine is helpful in speeding up recovery from injury.
Glutamine is found in many food sources as well as many supplements.

While a couple days out on the campground may not have too many damaging side effects to your physique, a week or longer may show… Here are ten methods you can use to make your camping experience much healthier.

[ Full Article Here ]

Article Summary:
Staying well hydrated is going to be vital to feeling well.
Consider taking some active games to use while camping.
Make sure you bring a variety of clothing to suit different weather.

Check out VPX NO Shotgun V.3! on Bodybuilding.com.

NO-Shotgun fuels episodes of physical intensity to induce insane muscle pumps that can lead to muscle growth. Try our new Grape Bubblegum flavor!

WBFF Director’s Rant - “Juiced up or Natural - A Moral Dilemma?”
By: Daryl Gazey

WBFF Director of Operations’

First and foremost, I owe a great deal of gratitude to all those who took the time away from their oatmeal and egg whites to read my last, somewhat lengthy rant about the political side of competition. My goal is to shoot from the hip here, knowing all to well that the people in front of me may catch a bullet or two but those who stand behind me (the WBFF) may revel in my/our viewpoints. Where do I gather my material from you ask? In the past couple of decades or so, concerns from ‘would-be’ competitors, seasoned competitors, spectators, promotors and die hard fans of our industry have always arose and left me scratching my head. Once the splinters were delicately extracted, I would do my due diligence to find the answers sought and then ‘delicately’ provide what I felt was an honest answer. Now I know that when I use the word ‘honesty’, a few feathers will ruffle and more than a few eyebrows will perch. What the heck does this have to do with honesty? Hang fire…I’m getting to it.

With the competitive fitness season finally upon us (dam you people who have year ’round sunshine!), questions and concerns are abounding. Valid questions that would apply to not only the WBFF but every organization’s policies and procedures. I’ve responded ad nauseum to the "How come it’s so expensive?" and the ever so popular "Is it drug tested?" inquiries. Hmmm…a couple of valid zingers huh? I’m sure more than a few contest promoters have wiped the sweat from their keyboards when responding to these requests.
So….why are we gouging you and how come the lady standing next to you weighs 230 and has shredded glutes and a 3 o’clock shadow? Let’s draw our proverbial gun and fire off the first shot.

If they can’t nail down the use/abuse/complement of performance enhancing substances in the Olympics (yes I’m referring to the ’s’ word), using stringent testing protocols and a hefty budget to do so, how the heck do you think "Bob’s High School Auditorium Natural Bodybuilding, Figure and Rib Fest" is going to fare? Oh yes, but they do offer a 10 minute polygraph, a urinalysis, a signed consent form and they take a chunk of money from my entry form to do so. Hello? Any 9th grader who has access to the internet can fly past ANY and ALL of these doping control methods using the right strategy and informed choices. Is a ‘natural’ show natural? One could only hope that the appeal of a natural show is ONLY a reflection of the moral ethics of it’s participants. That is the ONLY thing that will keep a natural show truly drug-free. But, in the spirit of competition, the smell of victory is all too strong for those athletes that want to ‘win at all costs. What’s next for those who ‘gear up’ to compete naturally? Perhaps claiming a disability to garnish a gold in the Special Olympics?

It’s inarguable that those who choose to compete with pharmaceutical assistance vs those who do not, poses a huge dilemma to any organization that presses for ‘fairness and honesty’ amongst its athletes. Does the WBFF drug test it’s participants? In short..no we do not. Absurd right? Do we condone or advocate the involvement of anabolic agents or fat loss products. Well again, that doesn’t matter if we do or we don’t. I know (and you probably do as well) that people will ingest, inject, inhale, implant and for the most part, do what they feel is necessary to ‘win at all costs’. With a team of lab coated, pharmacy gurus standing at stage right, Sylvia Brown the psychic in the audience and the FBI’s team of polygraphy examiners in their midsts, does any show even have a shred of chance in advocating their natural status.

Are we hippocrits? Some may think so but I like to see us as realists. It serves little purpose to run a drug tested show when all of us who are ‘in the know’ realize this to be an ineffective and moot tactic. So whether you opt for good ole’ fashioned creatine or some esoteric doctrine of sports medicine, chance are we’re not necessarily going to know. I’ll humble myself in stating that it’s safe to assume that most high caliber athletes are using ’something’ to better themselves and really it boils down to a matter of personal choice and that has nothing to do with whether a show is ‘drug free’ or not… Competition, as the name implies, is just that. Who is better than whom. Personally, I’d rather stand on stage knowing that the odds are fairly high that the guys standing next to me are anabolically-equipped rather than enter a so-called natural show where the chips are going to fall where they may.

In summation, it took 0.15 seconds for google to return 138,000 responses on ‘how to pass a steroid test’

I’ll let you be the judge the next time you’re paying for a drug testing fee.

Here is what everyone is buying from Bodybuilding.com.

The top ten sellers:

1. Optimum 100% Whey
2. BSN NO-Xplode
3. Universal Animal Pak
4. CytoSport Muscle Milk
5. BSN Syntha-6
6. Gaspari SuperPump250
7. Nutrex Lipo 6x
8. Bodybuilding.com Shaker Bottle
9. Optimum 100% Casein Protein
10. BSN Nitrix

BSN is doing something right holding 3 of the top 10 spots.

These are all great products, so if you are looking to get started on some supplements or want to try some new ones these are some good choices to look into.