PROGRESS PICS 13 WEEKS IN MY PREP

I apologies to my fellow reader that I haven't been blogging post that often, the truth is that ive been really busy with work and most of the times im running like a headless chicken. But anyways heres a few progress pics that i took just to get a idea on how im doing.

Love peace and big muscles

WE LIKE TO MAKE THINGS MORE DIFFICULT THAN WHAT THEY REALLY ARE..

Things are more simple than what we think. They truly are, we just like to makes things difficult for ourselves. For some unexplainable reason, it makes us feel better. We like to believe that we have achieved more by making our lives difficult than by sticking to the old basic rules which actually work best most of the time.

The best example is through the diet and training.

Most youngsters that come up to me, shit I said youngsters, maybe I am getting old and wiser  Anyway some of these kids come up to me all stressed out about their diet and training telling me some crazy-ass combos. Sometimes I can’t help but laugh because I was like that once so in a way I understand them. But what I tend to do is sit and explain to them that everything needs a balance; training, diet and life in general otherwise everything falls apart.

In terms of your diet, you should always add protein carbs and fat in your meals and adjust them throughout the day. Morning should have more carbs, that goes for the post-workout meal and towards the end of the day, limit your carbs intake and add more veggies and same more good fats. It’s pretty simple really. And make sure you always listen to your body. If you are hungry, just eat, don’t wait that extra hour because its written down but don’t go crazy, remember keep that balance!

As for the training, I am a firm believer in strong compound movements for the ladies and of course for the guys. But don’t go crazy, keep in form, push yourself to your limits but don’t injure yourself at the same time. To be honest, I like to go a bit crazy every couple of weeks and ‘think’ out of the box and do same intense reps and sets just to shock the body, but even then I keep a balance. I do it for a week then switch back to the type of training I was doing before.

As for my supplements, it’s also pretty straight forward. When I hear the youngsters tell me what they take, I hear some crazy shit, sometimes they need a good 15mins to tell me what is in their cabinet and I need to go home and research most of the new stuff they have because I have never heard of it. What we shouldn’t lose sight of is the fact that we never stop learning; no matter how much of an expert you are in your field, there is always room to learn and take in more knowledge. You’ll actually be surprised to know that sometimes you can learn so much even from a person who hasn’t been in the game for so long! So sometimes just a back seat, listen and learn!

At the end of the day, Rome wasn’t built in a day. The same applies to reaching your goals; you have to be patient and more importantly focused. That six-pack unfortunately won’t form over night. That’s why the trick to reaching your goals is believing in yourself and never give up no matter what anyone says. Be consistent, train like a dog in the gym but at the same time remember to have a positive and humble outlook on life and I guarantee you the rewards will come your way. The sky is the limit so aim as high as you can and want!

Below I will give you guys a rough idea on how I train/eat and what supplements I take. Remember nothing is set in stone so eating/training/supplement intake may vary from day to day.....

MY DAILY MEAL PLAN

MEAL 1

40-60G WHEY ISOLATE

WITH

75G-100G OATS

OR

10 EGG WHITES 2 EGG WHOLES

WITH

200G-300G POTATO

BROCCOLI

ON THIS MEAL ITS HOW I FEEL AND HOW HARD OF A WORKOUT I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME , IF I FEEL I NEED MORE ENERGY AND A BETTER PUMP I EAT THE WHITE POTATOES WITH EGG OTHER WISE I JUST STICK TO THE OATS AND WHEY.

MEAL 2

WHEY ISOLATE 40-60G

WITH

FRUIT OF CHOICE

I PREFER EATING STRAWBERRIES OR PINEAPPLE BUT THAT'S JUST ME ANY OTHER TYPE OF FRUIT IS FINE.

MEAL3

75G-120G RICE UNCOOKED

200-250G EITHER FISH/LEAN PORK/TURKEY/BEEF

GREEN SALAD

PERSONALLY I LIKE TO ROTATE THE PROTEIN ONE DAY PORT OTHER BEEF ECT ECT KEEPING IT A VARIETY SO IT DOESN'T GET BORING

MEAL 4

10 EGG WHITES 2 EGG WHOLES

200G-300G POTATO

BROCCOLI

MEAL 5

WHEY ISOLATE 40-60G

FRUIT OF CHOICE

MEAL 6

75G-120G RICE UNCOOKED

200-250G EITHER FISH/LEAN PORK/TURKEY/BEEF

GREEN SALAD

MEAL 7

40G-60G WHEY CASEIN

I NORMALLY DRINK THIS SHAKE 30MIND BEFORE I GO TO BED

SUPPLEMENTS I USE

• ·      4000MG VIT C A DAY
• ·      1 MULTI VITAMIN PACK A DAY
• ·      4000MG-5000MG OMEGA 3-6-9
• ·      PROBIOTICS
• ·      GLUTAMINE
• ·      BCAA
• ·      WHEY ISOLATE
• ·      WHEY CASEIN

MY  TRAINING PLAN

WEEK 1-3

REP RANGE 8-12 REPS

USING 1-2 COMPOUND MOVEMENTS PER WORKOUT

KEEPING A QUICK TEMPO

TRYING TO LIFT AS HEAVIEST TO FAILURE IN GOOD FORM AND NO INJURIES

WEEK 4-5

REP RAGE 10-100 REPS

USING SUPER SETS COMBINED WITH REST PAUSE TO REACH HIGH REP RANGE

QUICK TEMPO

MEDIUM –HEAVY  WEIGHT LIFTED

WEEK 6-8

REP RANGE 8-12 REPS

USING 1-2 COMPOUND MOVEMENTS PER WORKOUT

KEEPING A QUICK TEMPO

TRYING TO LIFT AS HEAVIEST TO FAILURE IN GOOD FORM AND NO INJURIES

THIS IS A ALSO A ROUGH TRAINING PLAN OF WHAT I DO HOPING YOU GUYS GET THE 

IDEA,

LOVE PEACE AND BIG MUSCLES...

WE ARE WHAT WE ABSORB...

Sounds strange right? We have all grown up hearing the saying ‘we are what we eat’ but to be honest, it doesn’t quite work that way.

Remember being at school? I know I’m making you think way back now but I remember having 2 hour classes back to back but after about 30-40 minutes I would lose my concentration and start messing around in class. The remaining time in class was an utter waste because I didn’t really absorb or learn anything else after those 30-40 minutes had passed, instead I just became bored of the class and teacher teaching it.

So how does this apply to nutrition...........?

Say I cook a piece of chicken and in terms of protein it is worth 70g. An average male would adsorb between 25-30g. However if that person that trains a lot he can absorb from 35g maybe even 40g (Please put in mind this amounts are just so you guys can get a general picture). 

But what happens to the rest of that protein? 

It becomes waste, extra calories your body will have to get worked up to burn so there isn’t any real value in eating that amount. It would make sense to use that amount of protein to make 2 meals because otherwise you just making your body go under unnecessary strain in order for it can get rid of the protein that it won’t absorb.

The body likes things to get absorbed quickly and easily without a lot of stress. That is why the metabolism works faster when you eat small frequent meals, rather than bigger infrequent meals. I mean it’s pretty simple if you think about it for a sec and the best example is the Formula 1 cars.

Their tanks get filled up with fuel after a certain number of rounds, it is never filled up completely to begin with because if it was it would mean more weight for the car and the car would not go as fast. The same theory applies to our metabolism in a way. Therefore my advice is to keep meals small and spread throughout the day.

A typical male can have approximately 25g-40g of protein per meal, 150g to 250g per day. However this does depends on a number of factors such as body type/activity/needs/target.

A typical female can have approximately 15-25g per meal, 80 to 120g protein per day. This also depends on the female’s body type/activity/needs/target.

In terms of carbs and fat intake im not going to go there im just keeping things plain and simple.

If you guys want any advice, tips etc..... just drop me a message here or find me on Twitter or Facebook Nick Anthony

Love peace and big mucsles.

PROGRESS PICS 7 WEEKS IN MY PREP

Keeping you all up to date with my progress pics, will be also posting this weeks training routine and why i decided to train this way.......

Love peace and big muscles.

FEAR THE LIGHT NOT THE DARKNESS

Fear the light not the darkness, as it is our ability to shine and become powerful that intimidates us the most. 
We are scared because we know we have the ability to become powerful beyond measure. We know that if we push ourselves we HAVE the strength to better ourselves in all aspects of our lives. Yet this creates an undeniable fear inside of us. But why do we fear this ability? We fear this strength as we are not really entirely sure how we should act when we do acquire such a power. What happens when we reach that goal, then what? Is that it? Do we push ourselves more? More importantly, what happens to us in regard to the relationships we have with others? Do those change? Will the people around us, either our close ones or just simple acquaintances treat us in the same way?

As children, we all shined, yet the older we got, we slowly began to lose that shine. This shine began to dim because as adults we got wrapped up in our everyday stressors and we almost viewed this shine in a pessimistic light. However, it’s entirely up to you whether you want to keep that candle shinning bright. All you have to do is just listen to your gut feeling, chase that dream and make it happen. If you know what you want, what your heart desires, go get it. We all have the potential to excel beyond our wildest dreams, so why should your candle light be dim when others around you are blazing?

Love peace and big muscles

PROGRESS PICS 6 WEEKS IN MY PREP

Just came home after a great shoulder workout and I thought ill post something quick to keep you guys up to date with same progress 6th weeks in my preparation, still have a long way to go but enjoying every moment of this journey... 

 LOOKING AT THESE PICS AGAIN, I THINK I SHOULD START SMILING A BIT MORE BECAUSE I LOOK LIKE A REAL MOODY C**T HERE LOL...........

Love peace and big muscles.

HOW DO I GET MOTIVATION? EVEN SOMETIMES IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE....

How do I get the strength to get myself out of bed and train even though I sometimes feel like my body’s energy is on empty?

I’m not gonna lie, there’s day where the idea of having to go the gym is just so unappealing to me. Having to do that cardio is the last thing that I want to put myself through.

So what makes me push myself to do it?

Waking up in the morning, going on Facebook and seeing you guys liking and commenting on my pics, blog posts and statuses really gives me my morning boost to get up and do what I have to do. I feel that I am here not only to better myself but to inspire my fans. Just seeing some of the motivational pictures you guys post or the “likes” you have put is enough to get me out the house and down at the gym. I mean, the way I see it, I don’t really have an excuse to sit and whine and bitch when I can see that you guys are also pushing hard and working out.

What about when it comes down to pumping that iron? How do I manage to lift such heavy weights even though at times it could be considered almost impossible? For me, lifting weights is a type of therapy; I gather together all the negative thoughts, feelings and emotions I have, e.g. past mistakes I’ve made, failures in terms of not achieving a past goal and combine them together to create an intense energy which allows me to have the power to lift those weights.

For me, it’s all about using what you have experienced in your past to better your present.

Love peace and big muscles.

EVERYTHING IS MEANT FOR A REASON........

Coming back to cyprus was a big shock to me after the experiences I had from last year. I wasn't really planning to stay i was just over here to spend Christmas and new years with my family and then i was off again.

But as most thing in life that are planned don't go as they should and other things in my life were meant to happen which looking back now after how many months really helped me for the person Imo now.

The most annoying thing was when i just came back was every body was asking me for that pro card how come you didn't get it why did you come 3rd at the Arnold Classic Europe, you should of places better you need to do this and that and to tell you the truth it was making me more and more annoyed and in my mind i was screaming ....stop talking about this subject!!!!! i just came here to chill with my close friends and family stop talking about this .

But now looking at things it wasn't meant to be. Because i had to live some things  first and meet certain people which would make me a even stronger person so when the time is right i will get it and use it to my full advantage for the challenges i would had ahead of me. But at that time the people I met and i didn't realize what in-packed they would have on me in the future in a positive way.

Yes i did end up drifting away and going off track with my diet training late night also drinking a bit too much.... skipping workouts  and meals, waking up late ect ect. But it wasn't a bad thing at all i was living (normal type of life)which these people had an in-packed on. And after all this it did help me realize who i really am, also made me a stronger person mentally and physically even thought they don't even know it.

Would i do it all again hell yeah im a stubborn f**k never regretted a bit of that part of my life actually looking back at it i do get a smile on my face every so often

So the lesson of this short blog is........well i think i leave it to you guys to figure it out.... :)

Love peace and big muscles.

LIKE IT OR NOT THE BODY NEEDS REST AT TIMES

As time goes by, I learn more and more about my body. One of the most important things I have learnt so far is that sometimes resting is a must to achieve better goals. At times we might think we are a Ferrari, and that we can race ahead until our hearts are content, but even those cars need a servicing now and again.

I am writing this, because in these past, I had been getting injured more and more often. First there was my outer calf muscle, where I had fibers toughen during a heavy set of leg press exercises…. This set me back nearly a month of training legs, and I could walk without crutches for over 2 weeks – it made going to the toilet fucking hard! Lol. Next thing to happen was an injury to my front left delt during a heavy set of front presses on the smith. This time I had felt something after the set but didn’t accept that it could be an injury and that I might need some time off… and yes, I know that I am a stubborn when it comes to these things but I did pay the price.

I’ve been going to get laser treatments on my shoulder every day for weeks and I am still i was not quite 100%. Guess it seems that the only way for me to accept some good rest was to get injured… and if you burn the candle from both ends you will always end up paying the price whether you like it or not.

Its just like back in the day, when we were all in school and our teachers would tell us (or at least mine would) not to revise all night until early morning as nothing would stay in your head – just study a couple of hours a day because the brain needs some rest in order to remember and process all the stuff you have been reading.

So as I have said previously regarding training…. Too much of a good thing can actually be bad, and often we don’t realize what we have until something bad happens to make us step back and think. Just like with everything else in this world, we need to have some balance…

Love, peace and big muscles.

Off-Season: A Discussion

Bodybuilding, as a competitive sport, is not even 150 years old. While the practice of building muscles for various purposes dates back to the ancient Greeks, we have a long road ahead of us in learning the best ways to develop our muscles safely and as effectively as possible. Bodybuilders don't have the advantage of thousands of years of knowledge and development of techniques. We have to combine techniques with new information on how our bodies work, and quite simply, a discussion of what works and what doesn't from people who have been there, done that.

Off-Season is an important time for bodybuilding, because if done incorrectly, it can be counterproductive. Bodybuilders used to gain as much weight as possible thinking that weight gain equaled muscle gain, so that, closer to competitions, they would diet and exercise to reduce the fat and supposedly uncover these extra pounds of muscle underneath and have a nice shredded look. However, we now know this to be a short cut that simply doesn't work. The ugly truth is... there is NO short cut.

If we don't keep on a clean diet, and do our cardio at least three times a week, we will gain more fat which is counterproductive, because 13-15% body fat is the most anobolic. There is a delicate balance here, because keep in mind that if you stay under 10%, the muscle gain is restricted. Why, then, should we gain more weight during the off-season if it is not productive for our goals? Like in my previous post, "Sets and Reps...Is Less More?", I mentioned the problem of the Ego and training with our hearts instead of our brains. We gain an excess amount of weight that does not help us be our most competitive for different reasons, such as looking huge under our clothes, or because it helps us lift heavier amounts of weights. While this is impressive in the gym, it is not good for our bodies, or ultimately, for our competitive goals. We have to keep in mind that when we gain a lot of weight, we are very lucky if a quarter of each pound is muscle. Let's do some math: 20lbs/4= 5lbs of pure muscle in the best case scenario. Don't forget that with the best anobolics and the best support in training and sponsorships, ten pounds of muscle gain per year is a very idealistic goal. Most people, under the best conditions, will not gain even this much.

Another reason why the practice of gaining a lot of weight in the off-season is counterproductive is because we have certain problem areas that hold fat very stubbornly and it is difficult to burn it. The longer the fat stays, the less chances that it will be gone in time for contests. These areas include lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. Some people share the concern that they could lose their muscle during the off-season if they don't gain the extra weight. However, with proper nutrition, eating high quantities of quality foods and calories, there will be little to no muscle loss. For an example, eating a large value meal at McDonalds gives you 1500 calories. There is so much fat and so little nutrition involved in that meal, that, even though you are eating your target calories, will lead you to gain more than the ideal 15% body fat. Anything higher than that is not productive for off-season. If you eat the same amount of calories in healthier foods that are high in protein with balanced carbs and fats, you are maintaining your muscle while restricting the percentage of total body fat. This will help you look like a bodybuilder, even in the off-season, versus looking like a marshmallow man walking around in 100 layers of clothes.

Remember: pure muscle gains are always small. There should be no slacking off in the off-season because to be at your best in this sport, you need 52 weeks of dedication. When competition time comes, you only need 14-16 weeks of dieting, slowly and smoothly decreasing your weight weekly to reveal your well-maintained muscle underneath with hopefully a few pounds of muscle added. By staying lean throughout the year, you don't need to do extra, crazy restricted diets nearing show time. When you are dieting and cardio training in the off-season, remember that you have to be balanced. Less than 10% body fat and more than 15% will not help you. Keep the balance between those numbers and you will be working at your most effective. So where does it leave us? Well 10kg over your body weight should be the best target in your off-season, give or take a kilo or two, depending on you competitive weight.

The sooner you realize that bodybuilding is not so much what you weigh, but how you look in that weight, the sooner you will get into a great condition to become a winner. To be a champion, or to reach your target, is a lonely road. A lot of people cannot understand this sport, including your partner. Like in my previous post, "Back Like a Boomerang", I talked about my struggles with this sport and how I was torn between my love for the competitions and living a "normal" life, but I've accepted that some people will support me, and some people don't want to see me succeed. That tells me that I'm making choices in my life and that is the right thing to do. The faster you learn to balance this dedication with other aspects in your life, the happier you will be. Remember to keep your focus on your goal and don't focus on other people's ideas. There are a lot of people out there who understand and support these athletes so forget about the ones that don't.

Love and Peace and big muscles.