Transformation Update: Week 13, Day 87 |

Transformation Update: Week 13, Day 87

By Brandon Cook

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Thought of the Day:

“To be nobody but yourself- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else- means to fight the hardest battle whic any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.”
- E.E. Cummings

Featured Article:

Will Fruit Make You Fat?
By Nick Nilsson

The answer to the question of whether fruit can or will make you fat isn’t as simple as yes OR no…because the answer is yes AND no. Sound confusing? It’s not so bad! There have been studies done on fruit sugar (fructose) and how it’s metabolized in the body and liver, which I’ll get into in a bit, but I’m also going to talk about fruit from a practical standpoint. … Click Here to Learn More

Day 87 of My Transformation Journey:

Today started out cold and rainy taking my dogs for a walk. Later it was snow mixed with rain and even colder than the morning.

Had a good workout… shoulder was a little sore. My shoulder still gets tight and knotted up a little. I hope to totally heal it, but it seems like my job is the cause of it. Sitting at my desk all day causes it to flare up a bit. Oh well, I’ll do my best to stay healthy. Got a ART appointment this weekend.

On the plus side… I’m gaining some muscle. My weight is up to 165lbs. Yeah!

My Morning Ritual:
Woke up at 6:15am
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)
1 Banana
30 grams of Roasted and Salted Pumpkin Seeds (wish they had raw)

3 Whole Eggs (Organic/Cage Free)
Fresh Spinach
Onions, Green and Red Peppers
Pico De Galo
Shitake Mushrooms
1/4 Cup Organic Garbanzo Beans
Add a little Salsa and seasoning

8 ounces of 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
2 GNC Super Digestive Enzymes

Walk #1:
Took my puppy dogs on a walk in the cold rain.

Headin to work!
8 oz. of green tea on arrival.

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

Meal #3: Lunch (1:00-2:00pm)
6-8 ounces of grilled Chicken (topped with lemon juice and pico de galo)
1/2 Cup of Peas
1/2 Cup of Corn
1/2 Cup of Carrots
1 piece of 71% Dark Chocolate
1 tablespoon Olive Oil shot - yuck!
16 ounces of water
2 GNC Super Digestive Enzymes
8oz. of Green Tea

Meal #4: Afternoon Snack (4:00-5:00pm)
30 grams Raw Almonds
30 grams Raw Sunflower Seeds
1 Orange
Big Bowl of Mixed Field Greens
Several pieces of Brocolli
One handful of shredded Carrots
Spicy Banana Peppers
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar

1 Biotest Flameout Fish Oil Softgel
1 Carlson 2000 IU Vitamin D
16 ounces of water.

Left work about 5:40pm.

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 for now)
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

Hypertrophy Phase: Push-Press and Pull-ups Day

This second workout in the week focuses on Push-press and Pull-ups as the main exercises. I will superset these two exercises together. I will perform 3 warm-up sets escalating the weight upwards into my 2 work sets. My last work set is considered my “money” set and that is where I’ll be using the heaviest weight for the most reps I can do with perfect form. The rep range is 5-8 reps.

I’ll be supersetting some rehab exercises for my shoulders and back prior to and into the warm-up sets for the push-press and pull-ups . This allows me to save some time, make use of the rest periods, as well as, increase the thoroughness of the warm up sets.

Shoulder/Back Rehab:
1. Face Pulls (purple + blue band) = 10 reps, 12 reps
2. Scapular Wall Slides = 12 reps, 12 reps
3. Side-lying External Rotations (10lb dumbbell) = 12/12 reps, 12/12 reps
*Note: These are supersetted prior to and with my push-press and pull-ups to save time

Push Press:
1. Warm-up set = 5 reps X 50lbs
2. Warm-up set = 5 reps X 60lbs
3. Warm-up set = 5 reps X 70lbs
4. Work set = 5 reps X 80lbs
5. Money set = 8 reps X 90lbs….. Got all 8 reps.
*Note: Since I got 8 reps I will raise the weight by 5lbs next week.

Pull Ups:
1. Warm-up set = 5 reps X Purple band assist – purple band is the thicker band and gives more help
2. Warm-up set = 5 reps X Blue band assist
3. Warm-up set = 5 reps X Red band assist – red band is the thinnest and gives least help
4. Work set = 5 reps X Bodyweight
5. Money set = 7 reps X 8lbs Weighted Vest… Keep the weight the same, go for more reps.

Did a superset of Standing Dumbbell Presses and Lat Pulldowns:
1. Standing Dumbbell Press = 12/12 reps X 25lb dumbbells
2. Lat Pulldowns = 12 reps X 90lbs

Next, for my core, I superset the following exercises:

Alternate Leg Raises:
1. Work set = 10/10 reps

Wood Choppers:
2. Work set = Purple Band X 15/15 reps

Planks:
1. Work set = Front Plank for time X 1:15
2. Work set = Side Planks for time X 0:45/0:45

Finished with some stretching.

Good workout. Time for food! Yeah!

Post-Workout Drink: Smoothie
8-16 ounces Orange Juice
1 Banana
1/2 cup frozen Strawberries
1/4 cup frozen Cherries
1/4 cup frozen Peaches
2-3 tablespoons Plain Yogurt
1 scoop Nutiva Hemp Protein
6 grams Ultimate Nutrition BCAA
5 grams Optimum Nutrition Creatine
5 grams Optimum Nutrition Glutamine

Meal #6: Dinner Time (8:30-9:30pm)
6 Ounces of Salmon
1/2 Cup of Quinoa
Spinach + Ginger Dressing
16 ounces of water

Made it to bed around 10:45pm.

Brandon

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About the Author:

Brandon Cook is author 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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