Bodybuilding.com - Male Transformation Of The Week - James Dalton.

Printable page

Did you know?
Say no to cheat meals...

James had thought being overweight was normal until he met a girl; he asked himself why someone would be interested in someone with his problem. At that point he decided to change - Learn how he went from 319 lbs to 191 lbs and only 15 % body fat!

Male Transformation Of The Week - James Dalton.

By: James Dalton

Before:
319 lbs

After:
191 lbs

Vital Stats

Name: James Dalton
Email: kio_lordmars@hotmail.com
Age: 23
Height: 179 cm (5' 10")
Duration: 1 year of losing weight (2003-2004) and 18 months of building muscle (2006-now)
Favourite Body Parts: Quads and Back
Favourite Exercise: Squats, Barbell Row and Leg Press
Favourite Supplements: Universal Animal Pak and BSN NO-Xplode
Hobbies: Fitness: Resistance Training, Running, Cricket, Chess and Reading

Before:
Weight: 145 kgs. (319 lbs.)
Body Fat: Unknown

Middle:
Weight: 69 kgs. (151 lbs.) while at my lightest
Body Fat: 8%(?)
Waist: 32"

After:
Weight: 87 kgs. (191.4 lbs.)
Body Fat: 15%
Waist: 34"

This transformation took me a little over two years. Less than one-year weight loss and a year and a little gaining muscle.

How It Started

All my life I had been overweight - the larger kid out the bunch - and that never really bothered me because my entire family was overweight as well, thus it made me think super-size meals and take-away was normal.

Click To Enlarge.
James Dalton.

After years of gaining weight I was in grade 9 and packed on more than ever which made normal socializing a nightmare and I retreated into online video games. One day I met a girl - something inside of my unconscious mind just clicked, why would anyone want you the way you are when you don't even like yourself. So I set about changing it!

How I Did It

It all started with the most important factor, diet. The food I ate. I removed all high GI food from my life style, white bread, potato, added sugar, and replaced them with lower GI whole grain foods.

Combined with low impact exercise - if I needed to go anywhere - I walked... I walked into work, to the ship, etc. This ensured I had a minimum of 2 hours of light cardio a day. The walking turned into jogging, which turned into running - the weight dropped off "very" quickly.

RELATED ARTICLE

How Can One Create A Walking Workout?
People love to walk. Maybe they do it for exercise, to get a breathe of fresh air, or to take their dog out. Walking can not only be enjoyable, but also a good form of cardio.
[ Click here to learn more. ]

As a result I had managed to get down from a XXXXXXXL (7XL shirt) to a small, this was an amazing result I thought. I had loose skin from the large amount of weight lost and I had a little muscle on my frame. I had surgery to remove "some" of the skin around my abdominal and chest area. In time I should continue with future surgery to remove the rest.

Click To Enlarge.
James Dalton.

As time past I was still not happy with my body. I wanted muscle mass and strength (most importantly strength) so I decided to pick up a barbell and do it. While not getting the best results size-wise, my strength has gone through the roof compared to where I started.

Click To Enlarge.
James Dalton.

Before I was unable to bench press the bar (45lbs) once, now I am able to bench press 80kgs (176lbs) and squat is similar. Before I could barely squat 30kgs, now I can rep 115kgs (253lbs). The same goes for cardio - before I was unable to score a 3 on the beep test (I recall this fact from a very embarrassing grade 10 PE class), now I can get an easy 9.

RELATED ARTICLE

The BEEP Test.
If you have been involved in team sports then you are probably familiar with 'shuttle runs' as part of your training program. The beep test is used by Physical Training Instructors to assess fitness of soldiers.
[ Click here to learn more. ]

The Supplements

Being overweight for all my developing years has left me with bad knees so I believe a good joint support supplement is key, I have gotten good support from this type of supplement.

Whenever I had a long day at work or needed that extra get up and go for a hard morning workout, BSN NO-Xplode has never let me down.

I also am currently using ON 100% Whey and Universal Animal Pak.

My Training

This is an example program I've used, I tried FBW's, 5-day splits, but I've found out 3 heavy days work best for me. I did my cardio and abs on Saturday.

Monday - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps:

Flat Bench Press: 4 sets 12, 10, 8, 4 reps
Incline DB or Military Press: 3 sets 10, 8, 4 reps
Flies: 2 sets 12 reps
Side raises: 3 sets 8 - 12 reps
Triceps Extension: 3 sets 8-10 Reps

print Click Here For A Printable Log Of Monday.

Wednesday - Legs:

Squats: 5 sets12, 10, 8, 5, 5 reps
SLDLs: 4 sets 6-10 reps
Leg Press: 3 sets 8-12 reps
Hamstring Curl: 3 sets 8-12 reps
Standing Calf raises: 2 sets Drop Sets

print Click Here For A Printable Log Of Wednesday.

Friday - Back/Biceps:

Barbell Rows: 5 sets 12, 10, 8, 5, 5 reps
Pull Down / Pull Up: 4 sets
Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets 8-12 reps
Chin ups: 2 sets Failure
Bicep Curl: 3 sets Drop Sets

print Click Here For A Printable Log Of Friday.

Tips Of Advice

If it tastes good and you think it's unhealthy. Do not eat it.

Say no to cheat meals - once you stop giving your body that unhealthy food, keep it away. Cheat meals only make your will weaker and make you crave the food more.

RELATED ARTICLE

Cheat Meals Are Not Necessary!
Cheat meals have some nutritive value, and while such food can serve a physiological need, refeed meals will provide all the physiological benefits of cheat meals while maximizing fat loss.
[ Click here to learn more. ]