Bodybuilding.com - Ian Matthews - Coming Back From An Injury: Part 3.

On February 7th, after finishing a cycle of my 9-day diet, I began my bulking diet. Less than 12 hours later I had already gained 18 pounds, 1/4" in my arms, 1/2" in my quads, and 3/4" in my waist! How did I do this? I consumed nothing but orange juice, pineapple juice, and water. I didn't even work out that day. My muscles were so depleted of glycogen that they readily sucked up as much glycogen and water as they could. After half a day there was such a visible difference, and I was so pumped I could barely flex without cramping! Over the next 13 days I gained another 9 pounds, 1/4" in my arms, 1/2" in my quads, 1/2" in my stubborn calves, and only 1/4" in my waist. I gained almost 24 pounds of lean body mass in two weeks while only increasing my body fat by 1.5%!

Gaining 24 lbs In Two Weeks

The initial weight gain during the first day was composed of neither muscle nor fat, it was 100% glycogen and water, however the gain over the next 13 days was composed largely of lean muscle. After consuming over 4000 calories exclusively from fruit juice, I ate close to 75,000 calories over the next 13 days. I attempted to eat 7000 calories each day, although some days I had a tough time getting in 5000. My diet was composed of 20-25% protein, 40-50% carbohydrates, and 25-40% fat. Although I did eat a lot of pizza on the weekends, I stayed away from sugar and processed foods as much as I could. I focused on milk, beef, chicken, protein powder, oatmeal, rice, maltodextrin, bananas, pineapple and orange juice, olive oil, peanut butter, flax seeds, coconut milk, and plenty of water to wash it all down. I also consumed plenty of creatine and glutamine in my pre-workout, in-workout, and post-workout shakes.

So what makes this diet so much more effective than other bulking diets where bodybuilders consume massive amounts of food? The secret lies in the all-juice day. As I said, my muscles are so depleted of glycogen, they will readily convert all the simple sugars from the juice into muscle glycogen. This will of course fuel the muscle cells and prime them for growth, but it will also cause the body to utilize protein more readily. During the last few days of the 9-day diet, my protein intake is extremely high while my carbohydrate intake is extremely low.

This causes my body to oxidize protein for energy and down-regulate its utilization of protein for building muscle. The next day my body expects another massive infusion of protein, but receives absolutely none.

In an attempt to adjust, my body down-regulates its utilization of protein. After over 24 hours of protein depletion my body is primed to utilize protein much more efficiently, AND WILL READILY BUILD MUSCLE AS LONG AS IT IS PROVIDED WITH ADEQUATE PROTEIN, SUPPORTING NUTRIENTS, AND MUSCULAR STIMULATION!

The day after my all-juice day, I began working out. Instead of following my usual hour-long workouts, I performed two 30-minute workouts. For instance, instead of doing calves and shoulders, I did calves and rear delts during the first workout, and side and front delts during the second workout. I started of with a warm-up set or two for the first exercise, then did one heavy set each of 3-4 different exercises, resting 2-3 minutes between sets. I also worked my calves 3 times a week rather than my normal 2 times per week. The first day I started off with calves. From the very first set they were already so full of glycogen they felt like they were going to explode! I even tried to do HIIT cardio on the treadmill a few times. After 3 high-intensity intervals my calves would be burning so bad from the constant stimulation, I could barely walk. It was worth it though as my calves gained over half an inch in less than two weeks.

All my other body parts improved considerably as well in both size and strength. My injured pectoral was even able to handle 7 easy reps with 175 pounds on the incline bench after having problems handling 135 pounds the week before. With the exception of my chest and arms, I am more muscular than I have ever been in my life.

Sample Of My Daily Diet:

Meal 1 2 tbs. psyllium seed husks, 1 oz ground-up flax seeds, 8 oz milk, 10 g Maxpro protein, 10 g milk protein isolate, 50 g maltodextrin, 2 tbs. olive oil, 2 tbs. peanut butter

Meal 2 6 oz broccoli, 1 oz ground-up flax seeds, 1 cup oatmeal, 8 oz milk, 10 g Maxpro protein, 10 g milk protein isolate, 2 tbs. olive oil, 2 tbs. peanut butter, 6 oz pineapple juice

Meal 3 2 cups oatmeal, 8 oz milk, 10 g MaxPro protein, 10 g milk protein isolate, 2 tbs. olive oil, 2 tbs. peanut butter, 6 oz pineapple

Meal 4 5 g creatine, 10 g glutamine peptides, 200 mg ALA mixed in 6 oz orange juice and 6 oz water

Meal 5 8 oz orange juice, 50 g MaxPro protein, 50 g maltodextrin, banana, strawberries, 5 g creatine, 10 g glutamine peptides, 200 mg ALA, ice

Meal 6 4 oz lean ground beef, 2 oz yellow rice, vegetables, 1 tbs. olive oil

Meal 7 5 g creatine, 10 g glutamine peptides, 200 mg ALA mixed in 6 oz orange juice and 6 oz water

Meal 8 5 g creatine, 10 g glutamine peptides, 200 mg ALA mixed in 6 oz orange juice and 6 oz water

Meal 9 8 oz orange juice, 50 g MaxPro protein, 50 g maltodextrin, banana, strawberries, 5 g creatine, 10 g glutamine peptides, 200 mg ALA, ice

Meal 10 2 tbs. psyllium seed husks, 1 oz ground-up flax seeds, 4 oz lean ground beef, 2 oz yellow rice, vegetables, 1 tbs. olive oil

TOTAL

360 g protein, 860 g carbs, 245 g fat, ~7000 calories

In the next installment, I will discuss my supplementation routine. From multi-vitamins to prohormones, I will discuss all of the best supplements on the market today. This is a must-read, not only for natural bodybuilders trying to take their physiques to the next level, but for ordinary folks as well who are trying to get better results from their training and improve their level of fitness.