There is no doubt that Welshman are proud patriots. So, you can imagine how I have felt this month after making our way to the semi-finals in the Rugby World Cup and the Gaspari duo of Neil Hill and Flex Lewis obtaining 2nd at the 2011 Olympia and then a 5th place Open Class finish at the Spanish Grand Prix. Even the most elite athletes and teams need that extra push, direction and accountability to further their careers and realize their potential. The winning team-work of Neil Hill and Flex Lewis is well documented and is without exception.

We understand all too well that many people simply cannot train without the parental guide or a personal trainer. Having someone to be accountable to when you miss a meal, cheat on the weekend or slacken' on your training schedule can be the difference between living in your age old residence in the suburb of fat-ville or building a brand new home in the town of fit-ville. Making the wrong or right decisions can change your life forever!

Formerly, I was a professional one-on-one trainer who specialized in 12 and 18 week transformations. Now, I do the same but online for 1000’s of viewers on Bodybuilding.com mainly through video instruction and via my book – Body by Design. I would recommend the 18 week challenge for potential clients whom were morbidly obese that I predicted would take more time to reach their desired goals

During my time training my clients I had created a formula that not only managed to attain an extremely high success rate, regardless of the client's physical, mental, and social background but also one which made them feel accountable for their own actions once they had finished the challenge and began training themselves. Not everyone is in a position to have their own personal trainer to be accountable to, so I would like to offer you the next best thing.

Start By Creating Conscience Below, I outline some of the systems that have been through the trenches and were most successful in helping people reach their desired transformation goal.

Document Every Meal Purchase a pocket sized note pad to write down every single meal that you eat throughout the day. This note pad MUST be pocket sized so you cannot provide yourself with the excuse that it wasn't filled in on a particular day because you couldn't carry it due to its size or inconvenience. Write down every single meal that you eat, especially if it was something that isn't granted on your nutritional program. By writing this down you are being more accountable for your actions. When people cheat the guilt normally follows. When you put that pen to paper and then read over your mistakes, you are blessed with a little more guilt and concern for you actions, and the likelihood of you wanting to go through this again is reduced. Highlight The Bad If you ever have to write down a mistake on your program, whether it was going over your 3 hour meal intervals, forgetting to add protein to your food, or missing a meal or blatant cheating, be sure to highlight this with a neon pen. With every mistake you highlight I want you to penalize yourself a day from your challenge. This is a day in your 12 week transformation that you cannot get back; you lost it and have to be accountable. Every time that neon pen makes its way into your pad, you have to complete another cardio session for your sins. This will be known as your damage control. You damaged it, no matter your excuse, you have to fix it.

The Four Methods Of Personal Punishment

1.1. Cardio For Counter Productive Development. God forbid, cardio can be as entertaining as waiting to watch a pen write for itself, so when you are doomed to do damage control cardio, I want you to remind yourself of these 8 words as you are doing it - "it's not helping you attain your prior goals". For instance, if you set about your 12 week challenge only to hit a road bump and cheat, you have now sacrificed yourself to the sordid depths of damage control cardio. Whist you are doing this cardio, you are only burning off the bagel or the sweet that you cheated on in the first place. Your goal of shredding fat has now been put on the back burner because you decided to put a slab of butter at the front of the pecking order. Ask yourself, what do you want to burn off, your fat or your food?

1.2. The Coin Flip We really hope you don't have to punish yourself due to slacking on your transformation challenge, but if you do tend to loosen the reigns, so be it. Take a coin to the gym and flip it after every single set that you do in the gym. Heads will be your friend and will allow you to have your normal rest interval; tails will be your evil which indicates another set immediately with no rest. Some of my clients have had as many as 10 tails in a row, so you may have to strip the weight in order for you to complete your sets. This agonizing pain will remind you of your sins and will make you ponder on how to rectify this fault in the future as you bath in Epson salts trying to ease your aches.

1.3. Lunging for Lax Behavior Another great way to hold yourself accountable for you transformation hiccups is by completing a set of lunges during your supposed rest intervals. At the end of your workout, the thought of crawling out of the gym by your lips will seem more appealing than getting your legs to do the same.

1.4. Shuffle The Deck For Redemption: Take a deck of cards on your next business trip or vacation when you know you might be in a position where you won't have access to a gym. If you want to maintain that physique you work hard for day after day then you will need to find a way to get a quick work out in while you’re in your hotel room. You can easily turn your deck of cards in to a personal trainer that is calling out strict orders to do another set. Here is the method: Shuffle the cards well, then lay them face down on the floor. Get ready to sweat as you’re firing off push-ups and sit-ups with every turn of the cards. For red cards do push-ups and for black cards do sit-ups. The amount of reps for each exercise will be equal to the number on each card, and all face card (kings, queens and jacks) will count as 10. If you think this sounds easy then wait till you get 3-4 cards in a row that are the same color. The goal is to get through the deck without stopping and transitioning quickly between exercises with no rest. Time yourself and try to shave off seconds or even minutes every time you perform this routine. This will keep your metabolism burning fast and make-up for some of those bad eating habits on vacations or business trips.

Kids, relationships, deadlines and traffic are just some of the commodities ready to disrupt a Summer Shape-up plan like a health inspector crashing a cannibal’s kitchen. By implementing (not only reading) my 8 tips below, you can begin controlling your environment, and not get controlled by it.

1. Meeting Meltdown

Have you ever walked into a meeting only to be greeted by the snack packs and tasty treats? I hate to admit it, but even at Bodybuilding.com I have been exposed to these heinous crimes. The counter-attack; BYO baby! Ask my work colleagues, and they will tell you that I often clear a meeting room faster than a tsunami with the smell of my fish-filled Tupperware. You are much better off offending someone else with your food choices rather than negatively impacting your goals because you caved into to an environment suited to others. Control your environment!

2. Your Physique Is Made, Not Bought

If your mornings are rushed, you can guarantee that a trip to the drive-thru, vending machine or the snack counter at the coffee shop is as likely as a rainy day in England. Make sure your meals for the day are prepared the evening before. Cans of tuna, Almonds, Rice Cakes, Protein Powder and Protein Bars are great choices to leave at the office in case you forget to pack yesterdays leftover chicken or beef dinner into Tupperware for the workday.

3. Don’t Breakdown By Passing on Breakfast

If you tend to overeat at lunchtime or choose unhealthy options during the day, it may be because you have skipped the most important meal of the day – breakfast. By eating a healthy breakfast, you will boost your metabolism in order to burn fat, prevent muscle wastage and lower the chance of cravings by leveling your crashing glycogens levels. A couple of scoops of your favorite protein powder added to some oats, fruit and almonds are a great way to keep the cravings at bay and provide you with enough energy to power a rampant rabbit.

4. Sleep To Your Success

If you aren’t getting enough Zzzz’s, you may find yourself reaching for food as a source of energy even though your body may not be hungry. Try to sleep around 7-8 hours every night to avoid feeling tired at work and looking for that quick pick-me-up, which normally comes in the form of something sugary and not-so-sweet on your physique.

5. Power-up Your Protein

Protein is our best friend when it comes to muscle preservation but did you know that it also slows the release of carbohydrates into your bloodstream? Breads and pasta will elevate your blood sugar levels which are normally followed by an afternoon slump. This, in turn, can lead to a vending machine invitation to pick you back up. Protein also requires more calories to digest which elevates a natural thermogenic effect. Include a lean form of protein in each one of your meals to maintain an even blood sugar level and to prevent a craving crisis.

6. How Fat Free Is Your Flat White?

Many clients have told me that they are following a strict diet…..over a cup of coffee. A full cream coffee can contain around 400 calories, and that’s not including the sugar you may be adding to it. If you must have a coffee, take it with fat free milk and a sweetener such as Stevia.

"As much as I like a latte, I always ask for a black coffee (unless it’s my cheat day), with some fat free milk on the side. I don’t like to overindulge in sweeteners, so I will always carry some Stevia, which is a natural form of sweetener, in my handbag. This way, I can mingle with friends without socializing with calories" Marika Johansson - IFBB Pro and Pro PTA Instructor Examiner.

7. Take a Social Inventory

If you are tempted by the vending machine or unsupportive work colleagues, avoid them…at least until you have gained more self-control. If you can’t avoid them for reasons you can’t control, be sure to have a protein bars or some healthy snacks with you at all times as part of your defense mechanism.

8. Be prepared, or prepare to fail.

If you know you are going to be kept late at work, don’t wait until your 7pm meal time to think about what to eat. Chances are, you may order a takeout or sneak away to the golden arches. Unless your job involves unpicking Dolphins from Chinese fishing nets, head out at your lunch break and grab some low fat cottage cheese and rice cakes for your evening work shift. Your physique will thank you for it, and hopefully you will thank me for these 8 ways to beat your workday weight gain.

Olympian Flex-Appeal

He moves like poetry in motion. There is a calming sense of fulfillment, satisfaction and perfection, yet my heart nervously races at a catastrophic rate. My vocal chords involuntary chant as I sit closer and closer to the end of my seat, gripping tighter and tighter on the one situated in front of me. In-between poses the transition is flawless, gracious and leaving all present breathless. The depth, density, separation and striations connect the dots of a masterpiece pulsating oxygenated and glycogen loaded blood, bringing life to each muscle as if they all posses’ personalities of their own. I think it's time I exhaled.

The evolution I witnessed standing before is something I hadn't predicted. I don't think anyone did. Sure, he had potential but history proves that you can only piggyback off this commodity for so long. Diligent application was needed. Did he have it? Could he deter the distractions? Did the dragon have the fire within him to burn down anything and everything in his way, no matter what the cost? My hairs stand to attention as I nod my head acknowledging the fact that he did possess these qualities. The only resemblance he carries of his childhood is memories. Physically, he has evolved beyond the realms of the mortal ma

His breath exhales confidence and a swagger I have never witnessed before. Is this really the same bodybuilder? Fans of the sport are already familiar with him on a first name basis, only now it’s followed by a moment of shocked silence. His back appears like slab-upon-slab diced meat molded into a pattern of perfection. Veins asphyxiate and riddle the narrow ravines and deep crevices of his rhomboids and striated traps. "Wait; did I just see striated traps when he hit a rear double-bicep?” I quiz nearby onlookers. I chant and shout for another rear double bicep pose. I need a double take to confirm my amazement.

I never imagined that the words monstrosity, symmetry and beauty could complement each other, but now these words have found a reason to bond. Today, they all describe flowing physical lines of the behemoth destroying anyone in its path that dares challenge him for his rightfully title. Those years of diligence, discipline, sacrifice and selfishness was worth these precious minutes. You can't argue with victory, in fact, you shouldn’t even contemplate it when this kind of proportional perfection is staring back at you. Perfection is a bold statement, but challenge my words after you dissect his structure, the flow of muscles, the lines in which they intertwine and the way they interact upon his command.

The world should take note of what I say. Team Gaspari’s Flex Lewis' monumental physique speaks volumes above my words. On September 15-18th in Vegas, you will be deafened by the roar of his victory. Yes, I say victory will be his.

If you can’t make it to Vegas to see Flex fight for his title, you can follow the live and FREE Bodybuilding.com webcast of the 2011 Mr. Olympia here - http://streaming.bodybuilding.com/2011-olympia-webcast/

Kris Gethin

#%K You - I Won’t Do What You Tell Me.....Hmm, yes, you may hear a slight hue of hostility in this week’s blog title, but how many times do I have to hear people’s haunts and taunts about my habits, rituals, and beliefs? “Why do you need to eat that, and so often” or “you can take one day off from the gym”, and the old age classic “you can have just one bite; I would consider it rude if you didn’t.” If you are someone who considers your health, fitness and appearance goals above everything else, I am sure you can relate to this blog title.

I don’t let it get to me though, and it shouldn’t frustrate you either. As a role model, or an aspiring one, it is your call of duty to educate people the importance of your decisions, especially if it is a loved one or someone close you want to help. In cases like this, analogies can come in handy.

You wouldn’t ask a recovering alcoholic to have just one beer for the sake of fitting in. What gets me; most people who drink on a daily basis don’t even get the taunts of its negative health repercussions. You wouldn’t ask someone to change careers because it didn’t suit you or fit into your chosen lifestyle either. And I am yet to hear anyone tell people who are overweight not to eat anymore cake because they will explode. So, why do people direct their vocal attention at the health conscious – sarcastically—about their Tupperware, protein shakes and pill bottles? Inadequate education, lack of motivation and insecurity normally fall into the top 3 answers of my chart.

Let these people know that the benefits to bodybuilding far surpass an inch to the bicep and posing in pants. The day-to-day structure that accompanies the bodybuilding lifestyle provides a platform for stability, organization, discipline, confidence, as well as all the health benefits that delay and destroy the onset of obesity, diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Sometimes it can feel that you are surrounded and the only way out is to cave in because if you can’t beat them, you join them. Remember, there is a whole world of people on social networks such as BodySpace and Facebook that share the same “cult” patterns as you. The more you connect and interact with these likeminded people, the more accountable you will become to your actions, beliefs and rituals. If you are going to become an addict at something, I suggest a social networking addiction with people that you want to aspire to. It can’t be anything but good to your health.

The next time you are at a social gathering and get taunts from finger-pointers, don’t be so quick to react, but act according. Educate them in a subtle manner. Tell them you will be the one trying to spoon feed them a nutrition rich bowl of chicken, potato and greens when they are in the hospital bed suffering the health conditions associated with overconsumption of fast foods, processed food, alcohol, inactivity and negative stress. Okay, maybe a little more subtle than that, but you catch my drift.

Kris GethinTeam Bodybuilding.com Spokesmodel

5 Travel Tips While Dieting

Today I write this blog on a train to Birmingham accompanied by my passenger - a cooler bag of turkey, egg white and oat meatballs, along with some peanut-butter protein powder and oat muffins. Today we are enjoying a journey to the Midlands before jetting off to Marbella, Spain, tomorrow with 6 times Mr. Olympia - Dorian Yates.

Travel and a diet has become second nature to me and the thought of missing a meal doesn't even cross my mind. Frequently I hear my clients voice their disappointment when they return from travel. "I didn't think I could take that on a plane" or "I had to go to a dinner meeting" and "we were at the water park longer than expected so I ran out of food" are only a couple of excuses I have heard.

Successful bodybuilders travel most weekends for seminars, guest posing, signings and store appearances, so they know all too well how to control their environment, and not get controlled by it. The most meals I can recall accompanying me on one trip was 48, and here is how to do it:

1. Shop Smart

When you head to the supermarket, buy dry and pre-made food when applicable. Pre-cooked brown rice, wholemeal rice cakes, beef jerky and tined tuna are all great choices to throw in your check-in luggage. Depending on what type of diet you follow, protein bars, dried fruit and nuts are also convenient.

2. Cook for Convenience

Cooking for travel is quite different when cooking for your normal day-to-day environment. Combining ground turkey or lean beef with oats or rice and bound together with egg whites to mold into patties or meatballs, are convenient to eat on a plane, taxi, on the go, and easy to portion pack into Ziplock bags. The same can be prepared with protein powder, ground oats, baking powder, sweetener and egg whites. These ingredients can be mixed, separated into snack sized portions and cooked into protein muffins - perfect to pack into bags to consume at social gatherings when the desert menu comes out.

3.Pack for Preparation

I prefer to opt for Ziplock bags over tupperwear containers when traveling because they take up less room and weight. I usually have lean meatballs, protein muffins, protein powder and oats portioned into separate bags but I will always take at least one container accompanied by a plastic spoon to mix my protein powder and oats for breakfast. I will also use the spare containers to fill with cooked food that I plan to purchase at the local supermarket or restaurant at my local destination. Remember to pack plastic cutlery if you plan on taking as part of your hand-luggage.

4. Keeping Your Food Fresh

Be sure to have the food that you will be eating on the day of travel refrigerated but keep the destination food frozen. Put a couple of ice blocks in your cool bag, but if you are flying overseas you will have to discard them at security as it is deemed as liquid. This is where a couple of extra Ziplock bags come in handy. Prior to security, throw away your ice blocks but once inside, head to a bar or a fast food restaurant and ask them to fill up your spare plastic bag with ice. This will serve as a great cooling block for your food in order to keep it frozen during travel.

5. Call Ahead

To make sure that your food remains fresh, contact your hotel and request a fridge to be put in your room if they don't have one already. If that fails, tell them that you are diabetic and you need to refrigerate your insulin. If that fails, ask them to store your food in their kitchen. During your contact with the hotel, it's a good idea to ask how well equipped their gym is. If it seems unsatisfactory, find out where the nearest gym is so you can arrange your workouts into your schedule. For cardio, I always like to use the fire escape stairwell. Just be sure you check that the doors don't lock behind you. I have been stuck inside before but thankfully, I had my mobile phone with me to time my cardio session.....and call for my release.

Practice the above 5 tips if you plan on mixing diet preparation with business or pleasure when traveling. The passengers may not appreciate the smell of your food, but your physique will.

To read more about travel tips and recipes, purchase the Kris Gethin Best Seller, Body by Design.

Kris Gethin

Team Bodybuilding.com Deputy Editor and Spokesmodel

I didn’t quite know what I was going to write about today. I pondered on the week gone by and tossed around the ideas of the social support that I experience on a daily basis via Bodybuilding.com’s BodySpace. And then I figured that a call for a motivational topic could be more tempting. But then, a higher power delivered the perfect intruder I had been looking for; a tweet. As I was performing my 20 minutes of Stairmaster this afternoon, a beep rang on my phone. A tweet came through from one of my followers that read “Kris, can you please tell me how to build muscle and burn fat at the same time?” Knowing that I only had limited characters spare within my tweet, I briefly responded, “All explanations and details can be found in my book – Body by Design. Within, you will learn how to build muscle and burn fat.” As I continued to listen to my new Wu Tang album, no longer than a song later I felt another vibration come from my phone. The response was from the same guy, this time saying, “just give me the explanation, I don’t have time to read your book.” I quickly halted Method Man’s chorus to ponder this person’s priorities; “I don’t have time to read your book.” I wondered if this person would have the nerve to ask Richard Branson or Ryan Deluca if they could explain their years of knowledge, trial and error and business strategies in order to gain millions of dollars because he didn’t have time to read their books and apply what they are already willing to share with the world, in no less than a tweet I might add. I hate to think of the answer I would get if I asked Dorian Yates or Neil Hill to tell me what supplements would get me huge and ripped right now because I don’t have time to lift or diet. In this world, you only reap the rewards if you invest wisely. People are often quick to ask what the special supplement, secret training strategy, or precise ratio of macronutrients are needed in order to develop a professional looking physique in a matter of weeks. What these people don’t realize is that consistency, social support and motivation are the key areas that should have their main focal points of attention. Even with all the information around us, and this blog, are useless without the motivation to apply. So, do yourself a favor, think before you speak and give thought for people who have taken the time to educate themselves before asking for their hints and tips because most of them will only give as good as they get. Give us some respect and we will happily reply with equal amounts. Oh, and go purchase Body by Design but look past my sexy exercise demonstration pictures before asking me for advice. Kris Gethin Deputy Editor and Spokesmodel of Bodybuilding.com Thursday 11th August

I write this blog within the walls of PRET A MANGER. I am surrounded by cakes, pizza wraps, and the person sat next to me is slurping on what smells like a delicious mushroom soup….wait, now he is diving into a packet of Chedder Cheese & Onion crisps. I don’t even have to look at what he is eating; my sense of smell has the talent to describe it to my taste buds like fine wine connoisseur sipping on a 60’s Sauvignon. Yes, you have guessed it; I am on a freakin’ diet.

I’ve never wanted to try Lemon Cake or the new Flake Sundae before, so why the hell does my body convulse like I have just tipped a hot cup of coffee on my lap every time I sense one near. Oily Indian foods have never tantalized me in years past but all of a sudden I am tempted to go on a curry house crawl this coming Friday.

It’s true what they say: diets suck, but I like it that way. It’s what makes us, the bodybuilder, unique to the average Joe.

I, the bodybuilder, am prepared to sit here and watch the attractive woman sat next to me eat what smells like a cheese, tomato and pesto toasted sandwich on freshly baked bread. All the while, I Iook at the hands on the clock encouraging it to speed up so I can crack open a Ziploc bag filled with dry turkey, egg white and oat meatballs all weighed out to deliver 42gms of protein and 58gms of carbs. It’s almost been 96 minutes and I need to eat!!

It was never meant to be easy. If it was, I wouldn’t get stares from other members of the gym when pressing the 150Lb dumbbells, my wife would look at other guys, and my parents wouldn’t have a shrine of published pictures and achievements dedicated to their simple little country lad who grew up on a their farm. If it was easy, everyone would look great and there would be little sense of achievement for us that control our environment, not getting controlled by it.

Keep your Flapjack, Strawberry Cheesecake and Vanilla Sticky Toffee Latte, I am going to reap the rewards of a sliced six pack, a commodity of confidence, strength of a Saxon, and the sexual performance of Prince Charming. Okay, the last statement maybe stretching the truth but spread the word.

Anyway, have any of you tried mixing Peanut Butter Myofusion with Low Fat Cottage Cheese? That’s tastes as good as any desert, so, take your PRET A MANGER Caramel Sauces and spread it on your ass so the rest of us hardcore messengers can continue to stick out from the crown and be part of the cult underground family we call freaks and uniques….I mean… bodybuilders, hurrah!

Kris Gethin - Deputy Editor and Spokemodel of Bodybuilding.com, and Author of Body by Design.

Last week I hiked up Snowdon - the highest mountain in Wales as part of my cardio program and mental exercise. It was so wet and windy that the cafe was closed when we got to the peak and they had cancelled the little train that I had planned to take back down. It was a great challenge and it felt awesome to achieve another goals. Here is a brief clip:

/KagedMuscle/admin/redir.aspx?C=e8f916c914614bb0978326c90f630739&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3dkzCaeqSnGWM

After four weeks of mass gaining, I have put on 20lbs. I hope to stay at this weight and focus on hardening up my physique. I will increase my cardio, training instensity but keep my calories around the same - all in clean form.

I am much stronger at this weight, and I will use this to my advantage for major muscle gain. I am really looking forward to see what changes I can make to my physique before the year is up.

I have had some great training sessions of the past few days.

Early friday I travelled to south-west Wales to train legs with the UK guru, Neil Hill. As usual, it was a crazy session which had Yoda throwing up his pre-workout supplement within 20 minutes. In the afternoon, we then drove to Cardiff where we spent the weekend shooting video episodes for the enhanced ebook version of Body by Design. I used this time to take advantage of the Village Training Center and train some chest with some heavy smith machine presses DTP style.

As soon as we wrapped up filming, I quickly rushed to Peak Physique for a back session. This is quite possibly the best gym I have ever trained in. There are machines that go for miles for every purpose you could think of.

I managed to film the leg session in Dungeon gym with Neil Hill - enjoy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypKrOH2Yl0s

 

Over the past year, I have been putting in some extra hours to complete the new (and first) Bodybuilding.com book. Its so much more than a book though, its an event. The content is so much more than a plain diet a exercise regime (although a great diet and exercise program is included . Attention is placed on how the mind thinks and adapts depending on our social networks. Do you know that your route to the office, or even your best friend could be the net that is holding you back from achieving your goals?

Check out the summary of the book here in a great commercial that was filmed by our awesome Bodybuilding.com crew - http://videos.bodybuilding.com/watch/73032/body-by-design-promo-long

I have to say, I was a little shocked when I jumped on the scales to find that I had again put on another 7Lbs. I did feel much more out of breath this week and I was starting to feel stiff and uncomfortable.

My protein has been around 50-60gm, carbs 120gm, fats 5-10gm per meal. I have still been doing cardio 5 times per week at 20 minutes but I think it is time to ramp it up to 7 sessions and bring the carbs down on my non-training days. I will hold this weight, take advantage of the strenght increase, and tighten up my condition.

Training with Dorian has been great, and I am feeling sore all over. Here is a clip of us hitting legs - http://sharing.theflip.com/session/93e5f3e0e2132ad835125f53c54c6871/video/21020711

 

I type this with very sore pecs from yesterdays training session Dorian. We trained in typical Yates HIT fashion - several warm-ups followed by 1 all-out set BEYOND failure. We pushed out some negative reps at the end of each set, and this was after several assisted reps. My pecs felt like they were going to tear off the bone and I could almost feel myself growing. The atmosphere in Temple Gym, and with Dorian screaming at you, really brings out the best in your physical abilities. I always say "control your enviroment, dont get controlled by it", but even I got controlled by it yesterday - in a good way - it provided me with one of my best chest workouts. Training in Temple Gym is so awesome, I would exchange an African Safari for it. This is what my life is all about - I was born for this, and I love it!

I am sat in Yates' living room in front of the Sandows waiting for the UFC to come on while his beautiful wife cooks us Brazilian food.

I will soon update you on the brutal leg workout I endured earlier today

Here's 3 clips from yesterdays workout -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ-VKxQq3kA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmR6Ko6tSZA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMLnl3OGGZ8

 

Following the completion of week 1, I am up to 209lbs. Thats an increase of 7lbs in one week. Okay, some of that is water and fat, but I plan on going up for another 5-6 weeks and then I will begin to harden these gains into denser muscle.

I have increase my food portions, dramatically increased carbs, especially around my workout times, and I am currently loading on salt and creatine to make sure strength and nutrient transportation is optimal.

I am performing 20 mins of cardio 5 times per week to be sure that I dont gain too much fat, and to maintain cardio for my intense training sessions, which in-turn, will assist with my recovery between sets and workouts.

Here are a couple of video updates -

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/b2e7151cd04dedea088ebf35605ae254/video/19242471

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnPtcxuwJn4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnPtcxuwJn4

 

When I left the sunny state of Idaho for wet Wales a last week, Brandon "Poe Show" and I decided to make things interesting when we challenged one-another to a game of off-season bulking. This isnt a contest to see who can put on the most fat, but who can put on the most quality weight. Sure, there will be a little fat and water added to that mix of muscle gain, as with most off-season physiques, but I plan to keep this weight gain clean, as will my diet.

My full stack of supplements arrived yesterday, and I am ready for war. This is just the motivation I need, and I hope Brandon is even more hungry - he will need to be.

I am happy to say that, as friends, we are very close, but now, we are also enemies (oh, I forgot to mention that to you, Brandon . Brandon, you are now my motivation to take my training intensity to another level, so I will not be thinking of you perched upon "pink fluffy clouds" when I picture you prior to my working sets. There will be blood my friend. Are you ready? Are you motivated? Are you going to take the challenge? Lets do this! I filmed a little message for you, Brandon - http://sharing.theflip.com/session/6550489d0538a3c7886860e29cc14c25/video/19071999

Although we are worlds apart at present, you cant hide, my soon to be hairless friend