Transformation Update: Week 1, Day 5 |

Transformation Update: Week 1, Day 5

By Brandon Cook

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Thought of the Day:

“Unless you understand the power of the mind in developing your muscles, you will not succeed. The secret is to make your mind work for you- not against you.”
- Arnold Schwarzenegger

Featured Article:

How to Build Muscle Fast By Spending Less Time in the Gym
By Jason Ferruggia

I’ll never forget my first encounter with “Big Joe.” I had just gotten my driver’s license about a week before, so I was 17 at the time. … Click Here to Learn More

Day 5 of My Transformation Journey:

Today is Friday… my brothers… and that is a good thing because that means… TRAINING DAY! I’m ready to do this and am extremely optimistic about this transformation. I’m rising to new levels and failure is not an option for me. I’m putting it all on the line.

My Morning Ritual:
Woke up at 6:30am
Drank 30 ounces of water
10 Minutes of Tai Chi/Qi Gong Exercises
15 Minutes of seated Meditation

Meal #1 Breakfast (7:00-8:00 am)
10 Raw Almonds
1 Banana

3 Whole Eggs (Organic/Cage Free)
Frozen Spinach
Onions, Green and Red Peppers
Pico Degalo
Mushrooms
1/4 Cup Organic Dark Red Kidney Beans
1/4 Cup of Cheese
Add a little Salsa and seasoning

8 ounces Orange Juice
16 ounces of water

GNC Multivitamin
GNC 1000mg Vitamin C
GNC 400 IU Vitamin E
Carlson 2,000 IU Vitamin D
Biotest Flameout Fish Oil – still waiting on my fish oils to come!
2 GNC Super Digestive Enzymes

In the past I used to be “too busy” to make a real breakfast and used to simply drink a protein shake and banana. However, I realized that if I’m “too busy” to make breakfast, one of the most important meals of the day… how serious am I about transforming my body. So, while doing my cutting phase this summer I made the switch and have not looked back!

Alright, shower time!

Warrior Walk #1:
15 Minutes of Walking my dogs while wearing a 32lb Weighted Vest

Time to head to work.
Upon arrival 8 ounces of Organic Coffee (black)

Meal #2: Brunch (10:00-11:00am)
10 Raw Almonds
Protein Cake (see Transformation Update: Day 1 for recipe)
1 Cheese Stick
1 Apple
16 ounces of water

Meal #3: Lunch (1:00-2:00pm)
Today I had an office lunch and the company bought us food from The Mellow Mushroom.

I had a chicken and cheese hoagie on wheat bread with onions, mushrooms, green peppers, and mustard.

1/2 Cup of Carrots
1 piece of 60% Dark Chocolate
16 ounces of water
2 GNC Super Digestive Enzymes- forgot to take these again… bad Brandon!
8 ounces of Green Tea

Meal #4: Afternoon Snack (4:00-5:00pm)
10 Raw Almonds
1 Cheese Stick

1/2 Cup of Brocolli
Big Bowl of Mixed Field Greens
3 ounces of Tuna
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar

1 Biotest Flameout Fish Oil Softgel– out of fish oil
16 ounces of water

Drank a cup of Organic Coffee (black) around 5:15pm.
It’s 5:30pm… time to go home… and unleash the beast!

Meal # 5: Peri-Workout Nutrition (6:00-8:00pm)
Peri-workout nutrition is simply what you eat before, during, and after your training sessions. If you get this right you are on your way to mass. Now, a lot of coaches will just tell you to go get a good supplement. Honestly, that’s better than not doing anything. So, if my strategy is too complex (time consuming) for you I recommend getting Biotest’s Surge Recovery.

I believe whole foods are better than supplements 99% of the time, so instead of paying for tubs of sugar I use fruit. There’s no way you can convince me that processed sugar/dextrose is better than living fruit. So, here’s my strategy:

10-15 Minutes Before Workout:
8-16 Ounces of Orange Juice (Freshly squeezed would be best, but I use store brand)
4 tablespoons (22 grams of protein) Optimum Nutrition Liquid Aminos

During Workout:
To make this drink you’ll need a juicer. I prefer to make fresh juice from actual fruit. This way I’m getting all of the beneficial vitamins, nutrients, and living enzymes that are often destroyed in the pastuerization process when you buy juice from the store.

3 ice cubes
1/4 cup orange juice (from store)
4 tablespoons (22 grams of protein) Optimum Nutrition Liquid Aminos
6 grams Ultimate Nurition BCAA
5 grams Optimum Nutrition Creatine
5 grams Optimum Nutrition Glutamine
1/4 Pineapple (freshly juiced)
1 apple or 1 cup grapes (freshly juiced)
1 cup cranberries (freshly juiced)
Top off container with orange juice

Warrior Training:

Warm Up:
10 Minutes Foam Roller
10 Minutes Dynamic Mobility Exercises

Step-ups = 10/10 reps

Shoulder/Back Rehab:
1. Facepulls (purple band) = 15 reps
2. Band rows (purple band) = 15 reps
3. Scaptions (10lbs dumbbells) = 12 reps
4. Bentover Lateral Raises (10lbs dumbbells) = 12 reps
5. Cuban Press (10 lbs dumbbells) = 12 reps

Next I move on to a bodyweight circuit. I’m starting off slow and will be progressing over the next six months. I decided to start with bodyweight exercise to build a solid foundation from which I can build on. I typically superset two exercises at a time. So, I’ll start off with exercise #1 and then immediately do exercise #2. Take about 30-60 seconds rest and then I’ll superset #3 and #4 and so on.

Bodyweight circuit:
1. Handstand Push-ups (negatives) = 12 reps
2. Pull-ups = 11 reps
3. Push-ups = 18 reps
4. Inverted rows = 12 reps
5. Dips = 11 reps
6. Rope Chin-ups = 3 reps
7. Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats (Bulgarians) = 16/16
8. Unilateral Deadlifts = 13/13
9. Glute Ham Raise = 7 reps
10. Ab wheel rollouts (red band) = 7 reps
11. Wrestlers Bridge on stability ball = 1:10 minute
12. Forward Leaning Neck Bridge on stability ball = 1:10 minute

Then I did 15 reps Partial Lockout Squats with 315lbs and a 3 second hold at the top.

I’m doing these to get my body used to holding heavier weight. As of right now, I’m not very strong so 315lbs (double my bodyweight) is pretty heavy to me. My goal is to be able to squat this weight by the end of the six months. Every couple weeks I’ll lower the safety bars and increase the depth of the squat. I’ll be working other methods of squats in too. This is just one approach.

Warrior Walk #2:
20 Minutes of Walking my dogs while wearing a 32lb Weighted Vest

Post-Workout Drink: Smoothie
8-16 ounces Orange Juice
1 Banana
1/2 cup frozen Strawberries
1/4 cup frozen Raspberries
1/4 cup frozen Blueberries
2-3 tablespoons Plain Yogurt
1 scoop Optimum Nutrition Natural Whey Protein (Vanilla)
6 grams Ultimate Nutrition BCAA
5 grams Optimum Nutrition Creatine
5 grams Optimum Nutrition Glutamine
1 serving Nutrijoint Formula

Meal #6: Dinner Time (9:30-10:30pm)
3 whole eggs- sunny side up
topped with pico degalo
1 cheese stick
1 apple
2 ounces of ice cream
16 ounces of water

Watched “How the Earth Was Made.” This was a history channel documentary on the planet Earth and how the planet evolved and took shape over the 4.5 billion years of its existence.

It’s amazing what the planet has been through. It started out as a giant ocean of molten lava, which eventually cooled into a water world. At one point the entire Earth froze into a giant snowball and the oceans became mile thick ice sheets.

The planet heated up again and the ice dissipated… that’s just the beginning and about all I’m going into right now. I love studying about cosmology, evolution, and the nature of the planet and universe.

“Life is a process. We are a process. The universe is a process.”

Time for bed!
1 mg Melatonin

Brandon

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About the Author:

Brandon Cook is creator of The Awakened Warrior Blog, and co-creator of HardgainerMuscleBuilding.com, a website specifically designed to teach hardgainers how to build muscle fast using the laws and scientific principles of body transformation.

HargainerMuscleBuilding.com features a free email class covering the basic principles of training naturally, eating a nutritious, muscle-building diet, and understanding the truth about supplements. The website is filled with free articles, videos, and the programs you need to create your ideal body.
Please visit us at http://hardgainermusclebuilding.com

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