What is IIFYM(If it fits your macros)

Today's Topic: I.I.F.Y.M. - If It Fits Your Macros
(AKA "Flexible Dieting")

Behold..the ability to CONTROL how your PHYSIQUE transforms. Bulking? Cutting? Maintaining? Want to gain or lose weight? Well here's the information you'll need!

(yes you will see some Q&As from my older my posts, but there are new ones as well!)

Those that follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or this Blogspot know that I've been doing IIFYM/Flexible Dieting and that I'm living proof that it works. I started IIFYM/Flexible Dieting at late June of 2012 because I wanted to see if it worked. And I am truly glad I have. I was going to make a video about this, but I've decided to make a blog about it instead. You all have the ability to read, otherwise you wouldn't be at my page in the first place. Before I go ahead, I would like for you to read this with an OPEN-MIND. Do not frown upon or diss it without first experimenting with it and trying it.

Disclaimer: I am NOT saying IIFYM is for everybody or that you HAVE to do it to reach your goals. There are plenty of other dieting methods out there. No one is putting a gun to your head forcing you to do this. If you wish to educate yourself on this lifestyle and topic, then proceed on reading. :)

Q: What is a calorie?

A: A calorie is a unit of energy.

Q: Is a calorie truly just a calorie?
A: Yes. Thermodynamics proves and dictates that a calorie is indeed just a calorie. Link to evidence provided here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15113737

Q: What is a macro-nutrient(macro)?

A: Macros are the main compounds that provide energy(calories). The three macro-nutrients are Fats, Protein and Carbohydrates

Q: What is a micro-nutrient(micros)?

A: Micros are vitamins and minerals. They are important in taking care of your organs health and function.

Q: What is a maintenance caloric intake?

A: The amount of calories you need to maintain your current bodyweight.

Q: What is a caloric deficit?

A: Eating less than the required calories to maintain your current weight. A caloric deficit will make you lose weight. *Do NOT put yourself too deep into a deficit as this MAY cause metabolic damage.*

*Some of you that have already gone through a fat loss through "clean" eating have blindly put yourself at a deficit without knowing so. The basic "clean" eating meals such as oatmeal, sweet potato, chicken, brown rice, are generally low calorie meals. This is why your weight loss was achieved.

Q: What is a caloric surplus?

A: Eating more than the required calories to maintain your current weight. A caloric surplus will make you gain weight.

Q: What is IIFYM?

A: IIFYM is a flexible form of dieting used to control your body composition. Simply put, it allows you to eat whatever you would like as long as it meets your macronutrient needs. IIFYM allows you to disregard what you believe as "clean" food and "junk" food. emphasizes the focus of meeting your macro and micro needs in regard to changing your body composition according to your desired goals. 

Q: Why should I do IIFYM?
A: Simply because it makes sense and it allows you to enjoy the foods you eat without feeling the guilt and stress of sacrifice all while helping you obtain and achieve your body composition/physique goals. It makes sense and it works. Now I know some of you guys are skeptical, I can relate. When I first heard of IIFYM I thought it was bull-poop and couldn't believe the things that I was hearing. But then I decided to be OPEN-MINDED one day and gave it a shot. It changed my life, for the better. ;)

Q: You're saying I can all the junk I want?
A: Yes and no. You will find that about 70-80% of your daily macros end up coming from "clean" & healthy meals once you start in order to get in your dietary fiber and micros. Plus fitting your macros all from junk is actually pretty hard..I've tried. You can CHOOSE to fit your macros through healthy or "junk" foods. That's the joy of IIFYM.

Q: Great! Now how do I start?

A: First off, you will need to figure out your maintenance caloric intake by using this calculator:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm 

Now realize that maintenance number provided is just an ESTIMATE of your maintenance caloric intake. It doesn't know your exact metabolism so it doesn't know your true maintenance. This number is just a baseline for you to start with. Start by weighing yourself when you wake up on an empty stomach. Then try sticking with this number for a minimum of 1 week and reach that caloric intake religiously daily. At the end of the 7 days, reweigh yourself on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. If your weight goes up then you're at a surplus and would need to bring it down by accordingly to what you think will be your maintenance. If your weight goes down then you are at a deficit so you'll need to bring it up. The key here is to experiment and find your own personal maintenance number. 

Q: I got my maintenance, how do I gain or lose weight?

A: You'll be needing to put yourself at either a surplus or a deficit. Start by adding 75-100 calories above or below your maintenance according to your desired goals. Once again, weigh yourself on an empty stomach in the morning first, then stick with that religiously for at least one week and see whether it was enough of a surplus/deficit or not. Then re-adjust it accordingly until you find out whether it works well for you or not.

**NOTE: If you are gaining weight too fast, you may likely be gaining more fat than muscle(because muscle takes a very long time to develop unless you have god-like genetics or on prohormones/steroids. If you are losing weight to fast, you are most likely losing a lot of hard earned muscle along with that fat. Unless you're completely new to working out(shocking the body into newb gains) or you're on steroids, you would be losing fat and building muscle at the same time. Adjust your macros & caloric intake accordingly.

Q: How do I figure out my macronutrients?

A: Alright, so you got your maintenance number. Now how you decide to split up your protein, carbohydrates and fat needs are personally up to YOU. If you are someone who exercises regularly, I recommend getting in .80grams to 1.5grams of protein per/body weight to maintain and aid in muscle health. After you figure out your minimum protein needs, split your carbohydrates and fats up as you may please. Carbohydrates and fats are forms of energy that provide you fuel to last you through out the day. Carbohydrates are more of the "to-go" sources of energy because your body breaks it down quicker than fat. Fat is a form of energy that breaks down slower in the body.

You can use this calculator to give you an idea of where your macros will be set at. Punch in your daily caloric goal according to whether you want to be at maintenance, surplus, or deficit and it will split the difference to your desires:
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/nutrient_calculator.htm

1g of fat = 9 calories

1g of carbohydrates = 4 calories

1g of protein = 4 calories

Q: How can I TRACK my macros?
A: There are apps and websites out there that will aid you, the only one I currently know of and personally use is MyFitnessPal. You can use the phone application for it or go to www.myfitnesspal.com

It's a very easy to use and self explanatory app. I HIGHLY recommend it for ANYONE using or want to use IIFYM/Flexible Dieting. If you don't know how to use myfitnesspal, there are plenty of How-To's on google and youtube.

Now I know that there will be foods that you won't be able to find on myfitnesspal, if you can't find the exact food but know the macros or want to guesstimate the macros, just type in "macros - carbohydrates" , "macros - fat", or " macros - protein" and just punch in the serving size as the amount of grams of the macro.

Q: How & why will IIFYM work?(Source for this answer from doyoueven.com and http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html)

How can a burger from McDonalds be equivalent to a meal of chicken, brown rice and cashews? It’s quite simple, your body does not recognize whether the food your eating is ‘clean’ or ‘junk’. It will only recognize food’s for it’s nutrients, such as proteins, fats or carbohydrates. For example; a McDonalds Seared Grand Chicken Burger is worth 501 calories which consists of 35.3g of protein, 15g of fat and 53.4g of carbohydrates. Whereas, 130g of chicken, 25g of cashews and 120g boiled white rice is worth 520 calories which consists of 16.5g of fat, 55.2g of carbs and 37.9g of protein. When you consume either of these meals, your body processes the food based on the macro-nutrient values (which you can see are extremely similar) and will yield the EXACT same effects on your body composition. These results are solely on body composition and do not take into account the micro-nutrients which your body needs in order to maintain your health. You can always opt for a multi-vitamin or try to fit foods into your macros with higher micro-nutritional values to help balance the ‘processed’ or ‘junk’ foods consumed. Now, I’m sure that some of you will be asking, “What about the different types of fats in these meals? The burger will be higher in unhealthy saturated fats while the traditional meal will be much higher in the healthy unsaturated fats.” (Probably not in so many words, but you get the picture) However, recently in the U.S, a professor of human nutrition decided to lose weight purely through calorie counting disregarding the rest of the nutritional values of the foods he consumed. He spent 10 weeks in a caloric deficit and consumed “a steady stream of…Hostess and Little Debbie snacks…Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos.” Here’s the most interesting bit of all, “You might expect other indicators of health would have suffered. Not so. Haub’s “bad” cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20% and his “good” cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20%. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39%.”² His results clearly showed that being overweight is what causes the majority of these effects, rather than the nutritional value of the foods consumed. ((Source for this answer from doyoueven.com and http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html)

If you're still reading, then I guess you're really interested! Well now you know what IIFYM/Flexible Dieting is about and how it works.

That pretty much sums everything up. You guys have the ability to educate yourselves. So if it's something you guys really want to jump on, then don't wait for someone to spoon feed you. Look up as much information as you can on your own! :) Thanks for reading, and I hope this helps many of you out there!

Also wanted to share a great video here! It's long but worth the education and information

and another

"Neil, HOW DO I LOSE FAT / TONE UP?!?!!?"

Happy 2013!

**I created this Blogspot a few years back with the purpose of tracking my progress and following others to stay motivated. If you guys decide to create one, follow me and I'll follow back. Having partners and friends to share this journey will keep you motivated and consistent. Have fitness be a mandatory part of your lifestyle. :)

My basic recommendations on ridding unwanted FAT and TONING UP

(Earn that beach body NOW, don't wait!)

1. Aim for 35-60 minutes of physical activity throughout the day for 3-6 days a week. Preferably a form of weight/resistance/strength training and cardiovascular activity such as running, jump roping and elliptical. When doing cardio or aerobics, be sure it's intense enough to keep your heart rate up. Change up your training methods every now and then so you don't get bored! The higher the heart rate, the better!(Not to the level of a heart attack however.) But remember, it's 80% Diet, 20% Exercise that creates results.

2. Losing weight is all about putting yourself at a Caloric DEFICIT(eating less than what the body needs to maintain weight). 

So use this calculator. http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
The reason to use this calculator is to help you get an IDEA of how many calories you should eat a day to maintain weight or to lose it. The number may or may not work for you depending on your current metabolism. To find out if it works for you, start off with the FAT LOSS calorie daily intake provided with that calculator. Stick with those numbers STRICTLY and consistently for 1 week. If you're not making progress, subtract that number by 100 and use that number strictly for another week. If that doesn't work, repeat. Most likely however, it will work. You should also download an app called MyFitnessPal on your smart phone if you have one. If you don't have a smart phone visit www.myfitnesspal.com. It's a very functional and a great app to use. You can scan the foods you eat or search it up and the app will calculate everything for you. It's a very simple and easy to understand app.

3. Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is when your body goes into fat burning mode. Try to sleep around the same time every night.

4. Resist eating things that you can't calculate or things that you KNOW will screw up your progress. Remember, you're not taking 2 steps forward only to go backwards later on. It all goes down to how bad YOU want IT.

5. Results take TIME. People quit when they don't see what they want within a week or two. Stay consistent, give it a minimum of 6-8 weeks before giving up. If it's not working, you're doing something wrong. Common things that hinder progress include over-eating or eating tooo little, lack of sleep or skipping gym. If you've been losing weight consistently but then it suddenly stops, it means your metabolism slowed down and you've hit a plateau. Break this plateau by doing what is known as a refeed day. Refer to my FAQ post a page or two back from here to learn more or click here to go to page .

7. Drink plenty of water. Aim for about 64oz of water a day minimum which is about 4 water bottles. Water helps to lubricate your organs so that food can better digest and flow through your stomach.

8. Stick to the SAME scale, different scales may tell you different answers because of how they are constructed or set. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning and weigh yourself once every 7-10 days. Do NOT weigh yourself everyday because it may screw you up mentally and may cause you to give up since numbers fluctuate in short periods. Also keep in mind the scale may not always be accurate because you may be bloated, holding poop or full from a meal. The scale doesn't know this. Don't let it bring you down and cause you to lose motivation. You will notice your results in 4-6 weeks. Friends will notice in 8 weeks. The world will notice in 12 weeks.

9. Healthy meal examples:
a) 2 slices whole wheat toast, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp sugar free jelly. 3 servings of egg whites
b) 1 cup brown rice cooked, 3oz chicken breast, 1/2 cup vegetables
c) 5oz sweet potato, 4oz tilapia, 1 cup orange juice
^these are just examples so you get the idea of what you can eat. You can also supplement with Green Tea Extract. It helps in increasing your metabolism and burning fat.

10. Try out Flexible Dieting also known as "If It Fits Your Macros"(IIFYM). Information of IIFYM/Flexible Dieting can be found here: http://vegetadang.blogspot.com/2013/02/iifym-if-it-fits-your-macros.html This is the method that I use.

*The information I provide you all WORKS. Slow progress is better than NO progress. Just stay consistent with it. Take a "Before" picture TODAY. Don't lie or cheat yourself! Remember, the mirror will show you how much it means to YOU. Good luck! You got this!!! :D

If in the past you've done a massive amount of cardio and eat very little. You may have metabolic damage. This is when you're unable to get any leaner now matter how hard you try and you put on a lot of weight the moment you allow yourself to slip. If this sounds like you, please check out my blog post on metabolic damage here: http://vegetadang.blogspot.com/2013/05/metabolic-damage-srsserious-post.html

Living proof of that I'm not feeding you crap:

My progress.

FAQ Repost from old post

Frequently asked questions:

Q: What are macronutrients(macros)?

A: Macros are the main compounds that provide calories & energy. Such as Carbohydrates, Protein & Fats.

Q: What are micronutrients(micros)?

A: Vitamins & Minerals from vegetables and fruits.

Q: What is a caloric surplus?

A: It is when you are going above your daily caloric needs in order to gain size whether it'd be fat or muscle. Just depends on how you set your macros.

Q: What is a caloric deficit?

A: The opposite of a surplus. When you are getting in less calories than your maintenance caloric needs.

Q: What is IIFYM?

A: Simply put, it's a way of eating whatever you want, as long as it fits your macronutrition(carbs, fats, protein). Learn more at www.iifym.com. You will be at a caloric surplus if you're bulking, and a deficit when you are leaning out. More details linked here:
 http://vegetadang.blogspot.com/2013/02/iifym-if-it-fits-your-macros.html

Figure out your maintenance with calorie calculator:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Your macros with:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/nutrient_calculator.htm

Also I highly recommend using www.myfitnesspal.com to keep track of your macros. It is truly the simplest way you can keep up with your macros and watch what you eat. If you can't find nutrition facts for what you're eating on myfitnesspal, don't bother eating it. But it usually has everything you need. There is also a myfitnesspal app for smart phones. Be sure to download it. 

IMPORTANT: When your weight goes UP or DOWN, you will have to update the calculator so that you can find where you're supposed to be for calories. So keep track of your weight! Get your bodyfat checked every 10-14 days!

Q: How do I figure out how much of a surplus/deficit I need to be at?

A: This really depends on an individual.

For those trying to bulk, I say 150-300 calories above maintenance caloric needs. The faster you're gaining weight, the more likely that you're weight is actually coming from fat. So the slower you take it the bulking process, the better.

For those trying to lean out, 150-200 calories under maintenance if you're trying to maintain muscle mass while losing fat. The faster you're losing weight, the more likely you're also losing muscle mass.

Q: How do I know what percentages to set my Protein, Carbs, and Fats at?

A: Truth is, there is no magic percentage. Different things will work for different people. This is something you really need to figure out through trial and error and find out what works best for you. Personally for ME. I'd like to have carbs at 45%, protein at 35%, and fats at 20% during a cutting phase. This is what I found to work best for me. I haven't started my bulk phase yet so I don't know how these percentages will be for me once I start. But like I said, Trial & Error.

Q: Are supplements necessary?

A: No. They are exactly what they are. a SUPPLEMENT to your diet. If you're lacking something that you need, they will help you. They are also VERY convenient to use for meeting your macros.

Q: Why do you add carbohydrates to your post-workout shake and what kind do you use?

A: I do it to replenish my glycogen stores and for better recovery. I have used Waxy Maize, Dextrose, and Carbogain(maltodextrin). My favorite has been Dextrose because it mix's easier with my protein shakes and it sweetens it a bit.

Q: What brands of protein do you buy and why?

A: Optimum Nutrition 100% Gold Standard Whey because it's the best bang for your buck.

 BSN Syntha-6 or Intek Evolution because it's delicious.

Q: Is it necessary to do cardio to get leaner?

A: No, I am living proof that you don't need cardio to get leaner. Just putting yourself at a caloric deficit and working out is enough. Cardio however is good for your heart and for building your endurance. More endurance = better weight training performance.

Q: How long do your workouts last?

A: 40 minutes minimum, 60 minutes maximum.

Q: How often do you hit abs?

A: Maybe once or twice a month. I don't do them often because I don't like them being sore on days where I squat and deadlift.

Q: Isn't ATG(ass to grass/ground) bad for your knees?

A: Stop believing in broscience. The people who tell you this are people with big egos who try to go heavy and don't want to go lighter to achieve full range of motion. Everyone I've trained with including myself has gone ATG with our asses right beside our ankles. No knee issues. Even in the olympics and SOME powerlifting contests have athletes going ATG. So the answer is, quit being a lil bish. Drop the weights and your ego. You'll get more respect going full range with lighter weights than going heavy and not even getting parallel.

Q: Does weight lifting stunt growth?

A: ....Once again, broscience. Do you realize that there are many bodybuilders over 6 ft tall? Arnold Schwarzenegger himself has been lifting since he was 15 and Jeff Seid has lifted since he was 12. Seriously, do research. Stop believing in broscience and use your head. Your height is given to you by genetics.

Q: Is touching your chest with the barbell/dumbbell while benching necessary?

A: Not exactly. But the more the stretch the better in my opinion. And my mentality has always been, "If you want to be strong, be strong throughout the full range rather than just a portion of the range." I would recommend at least going pass 90 degrees just to activate more fibers.

Q: Why do you do weighted dips instead of decline presses?

A: I don't like feeling light headed and having a lot of blood rushing to my head for lying on a decline. Plus I get a better range and stretch from my dips. Both exercises are excellent for building lower chest though.

Q: How often do you workout and how many days do you rest?

A: I train for 5 days a week and take 2 days off.

Q: What is your training regimen? Sets & Rep range?

A: I'm always changing what I'm doing to fit my goals. Heavy weights with low reps for strength training and muscle density. Higher volume sets & reps for hypertrophy. And there are days where I combine Heavy loads + hypertrophy. It's changes every few months so I can't give an exact regimen. 

Q: How long have you been lifting?

A: On & off since August of 2008. But I didn't know what I was doing until September of 2011. I've been consistent since September of 2011. I still have a lot to learn but I've learned a lot.

Q: How should I approach a bulk phase?

A: I personally would only start a bulk phase if I had a single digit body fat. (5-8%) Otherwise I recommend stripping as much fat as you can first until you're at a single digit bodyfat %. That way when you begin your bulking phase, you can bulk with a leaner frame which will in turn make you look more aesthetic and you will know how much muscle you've actually had on you to start off with. You would need to be at a caloric surplus for a bulk phase and you will be needing a lot of protein(1.2-1.5g x bodyweight is recommended). Count your macros but don't go to high on your surplus otherwise you'll just create additional fat soluble cells which basically means your body will be able to carry and hold more FAT(not what you want.) When fat soluble cells are created, they are there FOREVER. Which means you'll be able to store fat faster and easier than someone who has always been leaner. This is why I recommend bulking with a low bodyfat %. Weight training should be kept short because you don't want to be burning as much calories. Longer weight training sessions = increase in cortisol = decrease in testosterone = hinder full potential of protein synthesis. This is why I keep my workouts within 40-60 minutes.

Q: What do you think of pre-workout supplements?

A: I love them. Don't NEED them, but they do help. Gives me the energy and focus that I need and really good pumps. I've been working 11 hours straight a day for the pass 5 days and I immediately head to gym right after, so the extra kick comes in handy.

Q: What do you think of BCAA supplements?

A: Some of them taste good. But you don't need them. There's already added BCAA's in protein supplements.

Q: What is leptin and what does it do?

A: Leptin is a protein produced by fatty body tissue. It regulates hunger, food intake and energy expenditure. When you're on a cutting/leaning out phase, the caloric deficit will eventually slow down your metabolism. Leptin sends the signal to you by having you feel cravings and hunger. When leptin levels become really low, you'll end up making little to zero progress on your fat loss. A refeed day should be taken place to kick start your leptin and bring your metabolism back up. I do this once a week. It works, it's science, it helps.

Q: What is a refeed day?

A: A refeed day is a day in which you up your carbs and put yourself at a caloric surplus to bring leptin levels back up and get your metabolism going again. There's been a debate between bringing up your carbs by 20-50% or by 50-100% of your carbohydrate macro needs in order to kick leptin levels back up. I personally do the 50-100% I've had no problem with it and it allows me to enjoy my pop-tarts and fat free+sugar free angel cakes. So for example if my carb macros were set to 250 for my deficit. I would eat 375-500g carbs on this day. I bring my fat grams down by 10 and protein down by 5g on this day as well.

I will update more Q & A when I remember what others have asked me of when I get new questions. Please read my blog before you ask me questions. I don't like repeating the same thing over 9000 times to every message I get. If you can't find the answer you need here, ask me at www.facebook.com/neildang Also, subscribe to my blog here and comment below. You all have the capability to read, otherwise you wouldn't be using the internet. Doing research does wonders. There's always a lot to learn so keep an open mind, experiment around, try new and different things, find what works best for YOU. Because different things work better for different people. If you've been hitting a plateau, you need to figure out what you're doing wrong. Whether it is lack of sleep, improper dieting plan, not counting macros, doing the same workout routine over and over, lifting the same weights, etc. Get your bodyfat and weight checked often(Every 10-14 days). I recommend getting your body fat checked by the same trainer or same system everytime you check it. Because sometimes different trainers and different machines have their own method of doing things. Stay consistent, train hard, be healthy, be happy.

12/26/12 Leg training update

Day 68 of logging. Leg day progress.

12/19/12 Leg Training

So I had my first leg day coming back from my rest/deload. Strength increased by 15lbs on squat. From my last video in my older post and leg session before the rest week, I was at 245 4x5. Today I got up to 260 for 4x4. I was only expecting to go up 5lbs from the last session but I was just feeling tooooo good tonight so I had to bump it up. Can't wait to join the 300+ squat club! Anyway, here's the video. Felt like 4th set was my best set lol

12/18/12 Back Training

Day 61 of logging. Hit back with my buddy Arnold Hwang. Got a great pump and feel out of it as usual. You'll notice I jerk my body some as I do one arm dumbbell rows, it feels MUCH better than it looks, trust me. When I train I really do focus on a mind-muscle connection. If I don't feel it I wouldn't do it. Anyway, after seeing a picture of my back today I found that I really need to bring out more thickness and lower lats. I plan on adding reverse lat pull downs on my next back session to target the lower lats more. Overall my strength for pull-ups has increased and I've made progress. Although I call it back training, I do add a bit of deltoid work in there. I love hitting rear delts with back day because I feel like they go very well together. I also add lateral raises because I feel like it. lol anyway,

Back training video here:

 

12/17/12 Chest training video

Yesterday was my day back from my "deload" week. Although I didn't do the deload, rather I used it as a rest week. Took about 5-6 days off gym to recover. Came back and hit chest right on a Monday :) I thought I wouldn't be able to lift as much as my last chest session only because usually whenever I come back from a  deload/rest week I tend to go lighter as a warm welcoming. I actually went from 85lbs incline db press for 4 x 4 to 4 x 5 and my 185lbs for 4 x 4 went up to 190lbs for 5, 5, 4, 4. I finished up my chest workout with one set of dips today. Haven't done weighted dips in a while so decided to toss them in and see where I'm at with them. Was happy I was able to rep 90lbs nine times even after hitting heavy sets(heavy for me, might not be for you) on incline and flat. Also as you'll see in the video I make sure that the db or barbell always taps/touches my chest before I push it back up and that I go beyond that 90 degree half range bend. I'm a firm believer that full range of motion = more muscle fibers = more gains. The session was pretty short because I had to take my girlfriend home. Overall, great chest day. Going to keep making progress and keep you guys updated. IIFYM(If it fits your macros) video coming soon. No weight gain so far. Still at 146lbs. And for those wondering my height, it's 5'5".

Current Split:
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Back
Day 3: Legs & Abs
Day 4: Arms
Day 5: Rest
& Repeats.

After 3 cycles of the 5 day split(every 15 days), I take 5 consecutive days off. Then start again. The goal for each session is to increase either the weight or the amount of reps done for an exercise. In other words, progressive overload. I have been able to make consistent progress in terms of strength each session so I've been pretty happy. :) Just trying to beat myself each session and cycle. Hope everyone else's fitness or life journey is going well!

Training legs & abs 12/11/12

So yesterday I felt like filming my leg & abs training session and sharing my progress. So as said in my previous post, I started my bulk September 27th. However, I unfortunately wasted my first month not keeping track of how much weight I was lifting nor my progress in lifts. On October 19th I decided to start using this notebook I got a while back from www.bodybuilding.com to record my lifts and training sessions. Yesterday was Day 54 of recording and logging my lifts into my notebook. I must say guys, keeping track of how much you lift really helped me improve in the gym. My strength for all of lifts has gone up literally in every training session. I'm loving this bulking/surplus/strength gaining phase! Ex: Day 4 of logging was my first logged leg day. 190lbs for 4 sets of 5 on October 22nd. The week before this leg day I was only at 185 for 4 sets of 5. Now I'm at 250lbs for 4 sets of 5 at 146lbs. A 65lbs increase in my squat in 61 days. Still getting stronger every session so can't wait to see where I'll be in the future!! Anyway guys, here's the video. Hope you enjoy it.

Shot from 11/26/12. 2 months into my caloric surplus/bulk phase/whale war

Here's a picture of me from when I was 16(left) and where I am now.(right) Man..how I've changed..