Before: Age: 20 Height: 6'4" Weight: 278 lbs Body Fat: 22%	After: Age: 21 Height: 6'4" Weight: 223 lbs Body Fat: 11%

Why I Got Started

I started weightlifting back when I was 15 because I was a lengthy person. At 15-years-old, I was 6-foot-3 and 155 pounds. For the first few months I just used free weights that we had at my house and I saw minimal results. Having such a fast metabolism, it was hard for me to put weight on so I knew I had to eat a lot of food. To be perfectly honest, I didn't eat well at first. My diet would consist of pizzas, Chinese food, junk food and protein shakes. I was completely clueless on how to put on good, lean muscle. I did put on around 40 pounds the first year and surprisingly you couldn't really tell by my physique that my diet was awful.

When I was 16 I joined my first gym and I started to put on more size and strength as well. For the next couple years my diet got consistently better and my results were also getting consistently better. I would say that it was when I was 19 and in my second year of college that I started bodybuilding to my fullest potential. I got extremely serious with my diet and started a bulking period to put on size and strength. It was at this time when I started to do more research on bodybuilding.com for information on nutrition, workout plans and the human body. I felt like the more I educated myself about how the human body works, it would help me be a better bodybuilder.

Click To Enlarge.
I Got Extremely Serious With My Diet And Started A
Bulking Period To Put On Size And Strength.

In the next year and a half during my bulking cycle, I put on about 55 pounds of weight. I did this knowing that eventually I would do a drastic cut period and shed all the fat. During my bulking period my strength was going through the roof and I was putting on some serious size. During that year period my bench press went up 60 pounds and I maxed out at 365. I wanted to put on more weight so I could gain more lean mass and get stronger. Putting on the weight slowly you don't realize how much extra body fat you actually put on. It got to the point where I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "Wow, I'm fat." I wanted to lose the weight but I didn't want to lose my hard earned strength during the process, but I eventually gave in. A few days after Christmas of 2009, I started to cut.

How I Did It

Having a fast metabolism it really wasn’t that hard for me to drop the weight. The biggest thing I did to my diet was cut my carbohydrates down drastically. I went from about 500 grams down to about 150-225 grams depending on the day of the week or what I was lifting that day. On leg and back days I would have more carbs and on off days I would have less carbs, pretty simple. I would try and keep my protein anywhere above 325 grams a day to retain muscle mass and I would just keep my dietary fats at a minimal. I also added in cardio 5-6 days a week for about 25-35 minutes. My cardio sessions would either be after my workouts or at other parts of the day depending on my school schedule. One thing that was very hard to give up at first was drinking alcohol. Going to Michigan State University, drinking is a normal, routine thing to do on the weekends. For the first 5-6 weeks I completely gave it up, but after that I couldn’t do it anymore. I didn’t want to waste a semester of fun at college for this so I would do a very hard cardio session in the morning and then drink at night. I would toss a re-feed carb day in every 5 days to try and jump start my metabolism again which I felt worked great.

Click To Enlarge.
The Biggest Thing I Did To My Diet Was Cut
My Carbohydrates Down Drastically.

Supplements

Upon Waking:

• Optimum Whey Protein - 2 scoops
• Omega 3,6,9 - 1 capsule
• Multivitamin - 1 capsule

Pre Workout:

• NO Shotgun - 1 scoop
• Scivation Xtend - 1 serving

Post Workout:

• Scivation Xtend - 1 serving
• Optimum Whey Protein - 2 scoops
• Glutamine - 5g

Before Bed:

• Glutamine - 5g

Diet

Meal 1:

• 1 packet of Oatmeal
• 2 scoops Optimum Whey Protein

Meal 2:

• 2 Low Carb Wraps
• 9oz Chicken Breast
• 1/2 cup of Strawberries

Meal 3:;

• 3/4 cup Brown Rice
• 9oz Chicken Breast
• 3/4 cup Green Beans

Meal 4: Post Workout

• 3/4 cup White Rice
• 2 scoops Optimum Whey Protein
• 3/4 cup Broccoli

Meal 5:

• 2 Low Carb Wraps
• 8 oz Turkey Breast
• 1/2 cup of Nuts

Meal 6:

• 8oz Chicken Breast
• 1/2 cup Blueberries

Training

This was my training regime during my weight-loss. I can almost guarantee you will not see someone train harder in the gym. I compare myself to Arnold when I train, hard and intense. I usually try to lift for no longer than an hour when I'm at the gym.

Year round I train with low reps for the first part of my workout for strength then towards the middle I start to add reps for more size. I feel that this works extremely well for me because although I like to add size, adding strength for me is key. For my compound exercises I like to pyramid down in reps and up in weight load. The exercises listed below are just sample exercises I use, I like to switch up my exercises every time I lift.

Day 1: Chest

• Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 8,6,4,2 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 6 reps
• Weighted Dips: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Cable Crossover: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Machine Bench Press: 2 sets to failure
• Cardio: 30 min on Treadmill

Day 2: Back

• Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8,6,4,2 reps
• Bent Over Barbell Rows: 3 sets of 8,6,4 reps
• Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Seated Cable Rows: 3 sets of 8,6,6 reps
• Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets of 8,10,10 reps
• Cardio: 30 min

Day 3: Legs

• Barbell Squat: 4 sets of 5 reps
• Leg Press: 3 sets of 6 reps
• Barbell Front Squat: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Leg Curls: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Dumbbell Calf Raises: 2 sets of 12 reps
• Machine Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Cardio: 30 min

Day 4: Shoulders/Traps

• Barbell Shoulder Press: 4 sets of 8,6,4,2 reps
• Side Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Reverse Cable Crossover: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Upright Rows: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Barbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 12 reps

Day 5: Arms

• Straight Barbell Curls: 3 sets of 6 reps
• Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Hammer Curls: 2 sets of 8,10 reps
• One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curls: 2 sets of 10,12 reps
• Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 6 reps
• Skullcrushers: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Rope Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 10,10,12 reps

Day 6: Cardio

• 60 min on Treadmill

Day 7: Rest

Suggestions For Others

If you've read my article you know how passionate I am about nutrition. I feel that a proper nutrition regime is roughly 65-70% of your progress. What you put in your body will determine your results and your progress. Another big thing I suggest is try training with a partner. I owe a lot of my results in the gym to my training partner Jason. He pushes me to my limits on all of my exercise. You will get better results training with someone because of the motivation that person can give you.

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I Feel That A Proper Nutrition Regime Is Roughly 65-70% Of Your Progress.

One last thing I would suggest is learn as much as you can about the sport of bodybuilding as you can. Bodybuilidng.com has helped me get to the point I am right now and it will help me get to the point where I want to be one day.

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