From Flabulous to Fabulous

Enjoy! You can thank me later.

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Tags: arnold schwarzenegger pumping iron, arnold pumping iron, pumping iron dvd, pumping iron download, pumping iron arnold schwarzenegger, pumping iron arnold, pumping iron movie, pumping iron with arnold

weight loss

Jay Cutler picture: Mr. Olympia post-pic

Jay Cutler picture: Mr. Olympia post-pic

Jay Cutler picture: Mr. Olympia post-pic

Jay Cutler: Mr. Olympia win

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losing weight

Ronnie Coleman picture: Ronnie at his best; in my opinion

Ronnie Coleman picture: Ronnie battles Gustavo

Ronnie Coleman picture: Ronnie at contest

Ronnie Coleman picture: Early days magazine pic

Ronnie Coleman picture: Mr. Olympia promo

Ronnie Coleman picture: Post off-season

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diet tips

Amino acids are a vital supplement that should be in every bodybuilders arsenal of pills, powders, and potions. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Amino acids don’t necessarily have to come from supplements, because they’re also found in protein rich foods such as: meat, fish, dairy, and vegetables. But often times amino acids in food sources only provide the basics foundation of muscle growth.

To get the full effect of amino acids’ potential, it’s vital to take amino acid supplements. Plus, many people are allergic to some of the main food sources amino acids are found in such as fish and dairy.

What’s the science behind amino acids?

Amino acids, much like protein help in the repair, rebuild, and growth of muscle tissue. Think of amino acids as the icing on top of the cake. Amino acids give you that extra boost of muscle growth that protein alone can’t handle. The science behind amino acids is it’s extreme digestive properties; specifically, it’s digestive properties related to protein intake. After protein is ingested, it’s broken down into amino acids. The amino acids then filter out all of the excess "garbage" to send good pure protein throughout the muscles. This process also significantly aids in food digestion.
What are some benefits to amino acids besides muscle growth?

Amino acids are primarily used as a means of creating more muscular development in the bodybuilding world, but amino acids are also responsible for some other major body functions and provide great health benefits for the average individual. Some of these health benefits include: greater concentration, release of aggression and tension, better sleep, and normalizing your mood.

Who needs amino acid supplements and why?

Vegetarians by design don’t eat or drastically reduce their consumption of meat and dairy products. Because of this, vegetarians need amino acid supplements, because they’re almost completely taken out of their diet because of the meat and dairy reduction.
What is the daily suggested serving of amino acids?

For the best results one and a half grams should be taken three times daily.

Are there any side effects of amino acid supplementation?

There are no known side effects of amino acid supplementation when taken properly.

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Every bodybuilder, fitness junkie, or average exercise person knows the importance of protein. Protein supplements on the other hand, may be a different story. When you visit the endless aisles of GNC or your local sports nutrition store, you’ll find that there are several different protein supplements to choose from.

When you read the label, you may become further confused because all of the choices claim to be the best protein supplements. There’s a few things you need to consider when purchasing protein supplements. They are as follows:

- Effectiveness rating: The effectiveness rating is not necessarily a "real" rating. It’s more of a testimonial. To get an effectiveness rating, ask the workers at the store and/or your local gym what kind of protein supplements they think work best for them. You’ll typically have about 2-3 different answers; but this will help you drastically narrow the field.

- Brand: Brand is one of the biggest factors of finding the best protein supplement. There are some brands that are irrefutably the best protein supplements. I have tried off brand supplements and I personally feel they are not up to par. Off-brand protein supplements are macro-filtered and clump when you blend or shake them. Studies have shown that consuming these types of protein supplements can cause irregular bowel syndrome and explosive diarrhea. (sorry if I grossed you out) Higher quality proteins, such as Optimum Nutrition are micro-filtered, and therefore have a much finer powder that’s more easily digestible.

- Price: Price is a personal decision based on your budget. I must say though that when it comes to any health supplements, you typically get what you pay for.

- Servings: Amount of servings, serving size, and the amount of grams per serving is very important. Servings is also based on price. You want to try and get the best bang for your buck. But more important than price is how many grams of protein your getting per serving. Many of the lower quality protein supplements are cheaper but also cheat you because they only have 17-20 grams of protein per serving. A top quality brand like Optimum Nutrition has 24 grams of protein per serving. It’s more expensive than the cheaper, lower quality proteins, but it’s worth it.

- The Verdict: The best protein supplements by consumers and bodybuilders alike are the following:

Optimum Nutrition, Pro Lab N-Large 2, CytoSport Muscle Milk, and EAS Myoplex. Some of these are more specific to weight gain and bodybuilders, so do a little research on each of these proteins to find out which one is best for you.

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In February 2007, I was a flabby fatty. I was living the life of a typical college kid. I was sucking down Miller Lites’ night after night, and I was fueled by Ramen. In high school I played Football for a year until I was in a major car accident. After the car accident, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. Scoliosis is a curvature growth in your spine. Instead of having scoliosis in just the top or bottom of my spine, I had it in both places. That day, I knew my sports career was over. I was always more of a scholar and not playing sports didn’t drive me to insanity like it would do to most people in my position.

The most important thing to me was staying active. After high school and college, was when I resorted to the crap diet. The crap diet consists of high intake of fast food, heavy alcohol intake, and lots of ramen noodles.

In October of 2006, I moved into my first apartment. Me and my roommate got our first real jobs. After 2 weeks we were fired over something really stupid and petty. We couldn’t find jobs for months. I went into a deep battle with depression. And this is where the poor eating habits came in. Not to mention I was broke, so .99 cent fast food and ramen was just about all I could afford.

From November 2006 - November 2007 I went through hell. I couldn’t find a good enough job to pay the bills, so I always seemed to just barely make it. This further progressed my depression. This is starting to sound really depressing

In December 2007 I was diagnosed with Graves disease. It’s a condition that affects your thyroid gland. In my case, just like with scoliosis, I had the worst case of Graves disease possible. My condition spiraled out of control so bad, that I lost 85 pounds, my eyes began to protrude from their sockets, and I was deathly ill. I could barely stand up straight most of the time. It was absolutely awful.

In January 2008 I was treated with radioactive iodine and began to get my body back in check. I was 155 pounds of solid skinny.

Here’s the good and positive part…FINALLY! In January 2008, I got a great job in the field of internet marketing. It’s a work from home job, and I make awesome money. It seemed that things were beginning to turn around for me. My spirits were lifted after nearly two years of hell.

It’s now May 2008. In 5 months I’ve gained 41 pounds of relatively lean muscle mass and I attribute it to good positive thoughts, (mental clarity) good eating habits, and a hardcore workout routine.

I hope I didn’t bore you too much, but I just wanted to share my story and hope it inspires someone. Below are pictures I’ve taken of my journey so far. I’m going from Flab to Fab, and this journey will continue until the end of my time. I want to be the best I can be, and get as naturally big, lean, and cut as possible. So this won’t be the last time you hear about my progression. I will be posting updates every 90 days.

Good luck on your journey of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

January 2007: 225 lbs.

February 2008: 155 lbs.

May 2008: 196 lbs.

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