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Six workouts—that’s all that remains of the Blueprint trainer. If this were “Pumping Iron,” you’d be down in Pretoria, South Africa, fighting off jetlag and trying to squeeze in workouts while sizing up your competition.

Why not take this opportunity to watch the landmark bodybuilding documentary one more time? Invite over your training partner, or perhaps just your family and friends who are wondering where you’ve been for the last two months. They know Arnold the movie star, politician, and public figure. But if they don’t know Arnold the bodybuilder yet, it’s time they get introduced.

Watching Pumping Iron
Watch The Video – 3:48

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Name: Yalanda Baldon
Email: Missfitness702@gmail.com
Location: Las Vegas, NV

Why I decided to transform

I was a heavy girl growing up. I always felt unlucky and insecure in the shadow of my older sister who, in my view, was perfect. I had thick glasses, was heavyset, and had gaps in my teeth. My sister always tried to lift me up, but it was my personal battle.

In 2004, I moved from Boston, Mass., to Las Vegas, Nev., as a single mother with a newborn and nearly weighed 300 pounds. I got a job at an upscale hair salon and overheard that a few hires, including me, didn’t have the look. That was one of many incidents I recall during that time.

I always covered up my body by wearing a jacket and lots of black clothing, even in the middle of summer in Las Vegas. I never wanted attention and didn’t want people judging me. Finally, I couldn’t be a prisoner in my own body anymore and decided to change.

My life is drastically different now. I don’t hide in the shadows anymore. I came out of a shell and feel alive and present. I feel confident and love myself.

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How I accomplished my goals

I didn’t know anyone when I moved to Las Vegas and decided to join Gold’s Gym after seeing an ad for a low monthly fee. There was also daycare for my child. It was exactly what I needed. I started running on the farthest treadmill from others every day.

A guy used to walk by and ask why I only did cardio. I told him I didn’t want to be bulky. I eventually became a regular and made friends with a pro bodybuilder who took interest in my goals after seeing my dedication to lose weight. He introduced me to weightlifting and said I had to lift to sculpt or I would have loose skin. He also dedicated time to train me, never thinking I would compete one day. I fought with him about weights because I thought I’d get bigger, but I lifted anyway.

I started training during my free time and wanted to get in shape like I wanted to breathe. My trainer wouldn’t give up on me and would go nuts if I made excuses, which rewired my way of thinking.

My first show was the 2011 Muscle Mania Fitness Universe. I was scared but committed. I booked a flight and a hotel, registered for the show, and destroyed my comfort zone. It was the most amazing experience of my life. I bawled when I left off the stage in front of many people with no jacket to hide behind. I’ve been hooked since.

Apply Here To Be A Transformation
Of The Week!

Bodybuilding.com honors people across all transformation categories for their hard work and dedication. Learn how our featured transformers overcame obstacles and hit their goals!

Supplements that helped me through the journey

Diet plan that guided my transformation

I drink a gallon of water per and eat every three hours.

Training regimen that kept me on track

What aspect challenged me the most

My biggest challenge to this day is my diet. I love working out and don’t have problems going to the gym, but I love food. I can’t have cheat food in the house during contest prep. When I’m not competing, my weight fluctuates. I’m still working to avoid slipping away from my contest weight.

My future fitness plans

I’m now an ISSA certified personal trainer and will compete at the 2014 Jay Cutler Desert Classic on April 19, 2014, at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. I hope to gain pro status. Going pro and becoming a face of inspiration for people who feel it’s impossible to transform is my dream. I also want to compete overseas.

“Go to fitness expos, read fitness magazines, and make likeminded fitness friends to hold you accountable.”

Suggestions for aspiring transformers

Commit to leave your comfort zone and don’t fear defeat. Envision change and take steps toward your goals every day. You will transform if you dedicate to it, stay hungry, and engage in the lifestyle.

Go to fitness expos, read fitness magazines, and make likeminded fitness friends to hold you accountable. Enjoy the journey and fall in love with yourself.

How Bodybuilding.com helped me reach my goals

Bodybuilding.com has everything I need for fitness, dieting, workouts, inspiration, and more. It helps me stay updated on new fitness supplements. I met awesome competitors on Bodybuilding.com and received great tips and awesome compliments.

My favorite area of the site is the contest photos. It’s the best one-stop shop in the fitness world.

Yalanda’s Top 5 Gym Tracks

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Vital Stats

Name: Jacob Wilson
Education: PhD in Skeletal Muscle Physiology from Florida State
Occupation: Founder ABCbodybuilding.com
Website: jacobwilsonphd.com
Facebook: Jacob-Wilson

Q Everyone keeps telling me that to get huge I need to eat enormous amounts of food. Is bulking really the answer to gaining mass?

Let’s face it, the core goal of bodybuilding is to develop quality mass. We’re willing to slave for years just to put on another inch or two on our quads or arms. But it’s also true that the obsession with gaining muscle lead athletes to go to extremes, and one of them is clearly the traditional bulk.

Throughout the history of the sport, bodybuilders have separated their diets into two entirely distinct phases: bulk and cut. The first occurs in the offseason and is characterized by consumption of an excess amount of calories in order to gain size—which comes in the forms of both lean mass and fat. During the second phase, which occurs during contest prep, bodybuilders lower their calories and increase their cardio in order to burn off all that fat and get shredded.

This is simply the way things are done. But is it really necessary? Some recent research indicates that there may be a better method. To understand why, let’s start by bulking up on the fundamentals of mass-building diet and training.

It All Starts With Training and Protein

The first thing I must emphasize is that without hardcore training, you are not going to get huge. All nutrition talk aside, training is the most powerful stimulus for muscle mass. As I have pointed out in my earlier articles, effective training for mass is built around three primary techniques.¹

The first is to obtain a large pump during the training session; this cell swelling response triggers muscle growth. The second is to increase the amount of lactic acid in your muscle, which occurs via short rest period lengths and higher repetitions. The final mechanism for growth is mechanical stress, which is accomplished by lifting heavy weights. These training methods should be cycled throughout the week so you experience each growth stimulus frequently.

All nutrition talk aside, training is the most powerful stimulus for muscle mass.

Only once your training is in place do you need to start worrying about macronutrients. And when that time comes, the research is clear that protein is a critical priority when it comes to gaining mass.² However, as I’ve discussed elsewhere, I would like to change the way bodybuilders approach protein. Most people focus on how much protein they obtain throughout an entire day.

However, research by my brother, Dr. Gabe Wilson, suggests that the real focus should be what you consume to maximize growth at each meal.³ His work suggests that for most people, the optimal amount comes out to about 30-40 grams of high-quality protein per meal. Exceeding this amount hasn’t been shown to increase muscle growth.⁴

The main reason you should select 30-40 grams of protein is that this amount contains the optimal amount of branched-chain amino acid leucine to encourage muscle growth. And just in case all that eating sounds like a tall order for one day, there’s another cool thing about Dr. Gabe Wilson’s research. He found alternating meals containing whole protein with snacks of supplemental branched-chain amino acids optimizes growth, too!

Calories

Training: check. Protein: check. OK, now you can start manipulating calories. But this doesn’t mean you need to start eating every calorie-rich food in sight.

Can you gain muscle without taking in excess calories? The answer is actually yes.

Can you gain muscle without taking in excess calories? The answer is actually yes. My lab recently published a study in the “European Journal of Applied Physiology” where we optimized protein intake, but kept calories at maintenance in the subjects.⁵

We found that these highly trained subjects gained muscle and lost fat at the same time, with minimal change in their total bodyweight. In other words, training hardcore while on maintenance calories can actually shift your body to a more muscular, less fat appearance.

The premise for our study wasn’t entirely new; it was the subjects who made it special. Up until recently, nearly all of the studies which overfed subjects were done in sedentary (non-training) subjects. The most-cited study to date took sedentary people and overfed them for 100 days by 1,000 calories per day.

The average body weight increase for the subjects during the overfeed was 17 pounds, of which 67 percent was fat, and only 33 percent was muscle mass.⁶ This research shows that excess calories can lead to both fat mass and lean mass, and it seems to support the idea of a traditional bulk.

My lab is the first to look at the impact of bulking in guys who were actually training hard. In addition to the above study, Sean McCleary headed up another study where we overfed subjects with either a moderate 800 calories or an extreme 2,000 extra calories per day for 45 days.⁷ This was markedly shorter than past studies, which lasted 100 days or longer. Subjects in our study also trained every body part to extreme levels several times per week.

We found that both groups increased their muscle mass by approximately 6-8 pounds. But, the difference when it came to fat gain was more pronounced. While the moderate calorie group lost 2 pounds of fat, the extreme calorie group gained 2 pounds of fat! This tells us that while extra calories can be anabolic, there is a ceiling for their positive effects.

Past this ceiling, excess calories will be stored as fat. The result is that it will take you longer to cut down, and when you do that, it will cost more muscle tissue from catabolic breakdown.

Short Duration, High Protein

Want to know how to build quality mass? Here’s your roadmap in two sentences:

• Optimize your training.
• Optimize your protein intake.

Optimize your protein intake.

That alone is enough to ensure you add muscle. However, if you want to accelerate this process, then consuming calories above that needed to maintain weight can be advantageous—to a point. There is a limit to the potential anabolic effects of overfeeding, after which you aren’t gaining any more muscle, but only fat.

Our study suggests that any overfeed should probably be no more than 500-800 extra calories per day. Further, keeping your bulks shorter, in the range of 30-45 days, will maximize muscle gains and minimize fat gains.

Now what are you waiting for? Go get those gains!

References

1. Schoenfeld BJ. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Oct;24(10):2857-72.
2. Wilson J, Wilson GJ. Contemporary issues in protein requirements and consumption for resistance trained athletes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2006 Jun 5;3:7-27.
3. Wilson GJ, Layman DK, Moulton CJ, Norton LE, Anthony TG, Proud CG, Rupassara SI, Garlick PJ. Leucine or carbohydrate supplementation reduces AMPK and eEF2 phosphorylation and extends postprandial muscle protein synthesis in rats. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Dec;301(6):E1236-42.
4. Moore DR, Robinson MJ, Fry JL, Tang JE, Glover EI, Wilkinson SB, Prior T, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jan;89(1):161-8.
5. Wilson, J. M., Lowery, R. P., Joy, J. M., Andersen, J. C., Wilson, S. M., Stout, J. R., … & Rathmacher, J. Wilson JM, Lowery RP, Joy JM, Andersen JC, Wilson SM, Stout JR, Duncan N, Fuller JC, Baier SM, Naimo MA, Rathmacher J. The effects of 12 weeks of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate free acid supplementation on muscle mass, strength, and power in resistance-trained individuals: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2014 Mar 6. [Epub ahead of print]
6. Tremblay A, Despres JP, Theriault G, Fournier G, Bouchard C. Overfeeding and energy expenditure in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992 Nov;56(5):857-62.
7. McCleary, S.A., Rauch, J.T., Silva, J., Ormes, J., Lowery, R.P., and Wilson, J.M. Effects of energy load on resistance training adaptations. National Strength and Conditioning Conference; 2013 Jul 9-12; Las Vegas, NV.

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Name: Dillon Hendricks
Email: Vivegfx@yahoo.com
Location: Port Richey, Florida

Why I decided to transform

As a young kid, I ate my favorite foods while playing video games, which were pizza and macaroni and cheese. In elementary school, I was bigger than most kids In middle school, I was the biggest kid and got made fun of a lot, but nobody knew how much it hurt me because I never spoke up.

I knew it was time for a change in eighth grade. If I didn’t make a change, high school was going to be worse. I started running six miles per day for seven months, cut back on food, and lost 64 pounds.

In the beginning of my junior year in high school, my friend asked if I wanted to go to the gym for two weeks for free and I accepted. I didn’t know what I was doing at first, but I liked the feeling and environment. After the two weeks, I became addicted to working out and signed up for a membership.

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How I accomplished my goals

The only way to achieve goals is by working hard, but it won’t happen overnight. It took months to get where I am today and I’m still nowhere near where I want to be. Changing my diet was the largest factor to help me transform. When I started eating right, the results came fast.

After I saw results, I created a training routine and did lots of research. Working out is a science through trial and error. I made mistakes, learned from them, and adapted. I had strong willpower to overcome struggles and ignored people who said I couldn’t do it.

Apply Here To Be A Transformation
Of The Week!

Bodybuilding.com honors people across all transformation categories for their hard work and dedication. Learn how our featured transformers overcame obstacles and hit their goals!

Supplements that helped me through the journey

Diet plan that guided my transformation

Training regimen that kept me on track

What aspect challenged me the most

“My plan is to gain strength and size by summer and enter a physique contest in the near future.”

The most challenging part was dieting. When I started, I thought eating a whole pizza before the gym gave me the intake to get bigger. I rarely crave junk food anymore.

My future fitness plans

I will do anything to make my dreams come true. I don’t work out to be the best bodybuilder. I work out because I enjoy the pain of the barbells tearing my hands up, the sweat dripping off my body, and feeling like I might puke.

My plan is to gain strength and size by summer and enter a physique contest in the near future. I would also like to do another photo shoot and do fitness modeling.

It’s important for me to help others even if it doesn’t benefit me. I want to get my personal training certificate so I can help other people work out and achieve their goals.

Suggestions for aspiring transformers

How Bodybuilding.com helped me reach my goals

From day one, Bodybuilding.com helped me build a diet, make recipes, learn about supplements, and train hard. Bodybuilding.com taught me an unbelievable amount about nutrition and helped me save lots of time and money. I want thank the nice people who work for Bodybuilding.com. They are my heroes.

Dillon’s Top 5 Gym Tracks

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Vital Stats

Name: Paulo Fernandes
Email: paulofernandes15…
Location: Vila Real, Portugal
Age: 26
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 180 lbs
Years Bodybuilding: 3

QHow did your bodybuilding
journey begin?

I’ve been active throughout my life. I grew up in the suburbs of a large town that had forests around and my friends and I would go running, biking, and exploring. Because of my distance from other places, I always walked and ran to several destinations.

I entered the gym for the first time five years ago at age 21. What began as a hobby, turned into a habit that changed my life. Now I can’t imagine living without the gym and healthy nutrition.

What workout regimen delivered
the best results?

Out of all the training programs I tried, I saw the best results for a power and hypertrophy mix method inspired by Layne Norton’s PHAT.

“I can’t imagine living without the gym and healthy nutrition.”

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What nutrition plan fueled your body?

What supplements gave you the greatest gains?

“Motivation and inspiration are locked inside your head along with fears and limitations. You must control them.”

How did your passion for bodybuilding emerge?

Bodybuilding won’t provide immediate, short-term results. It requires you to work, suffer, and feel pain. It’s difficult and that’s what drives me in all aspects of training and dieting disciplines. Bodybuilding became my lifestyle and I couldn’t live without it. It became a part of me.

What or who motivated you to be a bodybuilder?

When I started bodybuilding seriously, I wanted to achieve the most physically appealing body possible. My favorite saying comes from Socrates:

“No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
- Socrates

Where did you go for inspiration?

I’m my own inspiration. I drive myself to be the best I can be mentally and physically. Motivation and inspiration are locked inside your head along with fears and limitations. You must learn to control them.

What are your future bodybuilding plans?

I have no idea where bodybuilding will take me. My current plans are to start competing internationally and go for a pro card.

What is the most important bodybuilding tip?

I believe in hard work, consistency, and intensity no matter the goal. If you don’t get tired from training, then you’re not working out. Get in the gym, destroy your workout, and get out in 45-60 minutes. Get 8-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night and eat good, balanced meals.

Who is your favorite bodybuilder?

I love Kevin Levrone’s symmetry and body balance. He’s the uncrowned Mr. Olympia, in my opinion.

How did bodybuilding.com help you reach your goals?

I use BodySpace to connect with people and exchange opinions. It’s a good place to find different approaches to dieting and exercise. I read most of the training, dieting, and lifestyle articles. I also visit the forums regularly. It’s a great place to gain knowledge.

Paulo’s Top 5 Gym Tracks

1. “The Bond” by Stick To Your Guns
2. “Animal” by Pearl Jam
3. “Deeper Into You” by Ludovico Technique
4. “No Reflection” by Marilyn Manson
5. “Asche zu Asche” by Rammstein

Contest History

• 2013 IFBB-FLCF National Championship – 1st Place 1.78 Meters Men’s Physique

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Joe DeSena, Ultra-Endurance athlete and co-founder of the Spartan Race.

My name is Joe DeSena. I was raised in Queens in a rough neighborhood and a broken home, but I’ve never been interested in using either as an excuse. I’ve been an entrepreneur since age 8, and a successful one for nearly as long. I started a pool-cleaning business when I was a teenager, and I made it a million-dollar enterprise because I was willing to work ’round the clock and many of my clients were members of New York’s crime syndicate families.

After graduating college, I made several million dollars on Wall Street, but like many others before me, I discovered it wasn’t fulfilling. So I started running. First it was a 5K, then a marathon. Soon enough, I was doing three ultra-marathons in one week and the Iditarod on foot, trudging forward even after my eyelids froze shut. Even that wasn’t enough.

I left Wall Street and bought a 140-acre farm in rural Vermont to ponder my next challenge. It was here where I founded Spartan Race, which has gone in the span of 10 years from a crazy obstacle race in a field at our farm to a multimillion-dollar global phenomenon.

Every weekend thousands of people flock to our events, which are staged year-round across the world. They are looking to better themselves, hoping to “Spartan Up!” and embrace all that such a phrase has quickly come to embody. I’m their biggest supporter and their worst nightmare, usually at the same time.

People may think I’m crazy, sadistic, relentless, and maniacal, and that I just like to fuck with them, but they trust that there’s a method to my madness. Why else would everyone from Olympic athletes to Fortune 500 executives to Special Forces soldiers trek up to Spartan HQ for individual and team coaching on how to prepare for the unexpected?

When elite groups arrive at our tiny local airport for a weekend of intensive training, they might be picked up or they might be ignored—no cabs, shuttles, or vans wait at the curbside. Nothing. A 10-mile trek to our compound inevitably leaves them tired, pissed, and frustrated, but their immersion in chaos will have only just begun. That may sound cruel, but they quickly learn that it’s no different than the negative feelings we all have to confront in our daily lives.

“I founded Spartan Race, which has gone in the span of 10 years from a crazy obstacle race in a field at our farm to a multimillion-dollar global phenomenon.”

I don’t care if you’re a bodybuilder or other fitness competitor, or an overweight gym-phobe looking to spark the fire of transformation—the principles of Spartan Race can help you. Even if you have no intention of doing a race, embracing these rules will help you crush it in the gym, take your sport to a higher level, or be a better parent or worker. They can be whatever you want or need.

Step 1: Overcome your short-term desire for comfort

Spartan races aren’t long in the traditional sense. Most are just 3 miles, and even a top-level “Beast” race is usually somewhere around 12 miles. But in terms of the strength and resolve they demand—and build—they’re inspired by my experiences with cruel and unusual endurance races like the Iditarod and the Badwater 135.

Anyone who has done an ultra-endurance event has reached a point where they had to distance themselves from their body and keep pushing forward, impervious to every human impulse telling them to stop. In this situation, your rational mind stops functioning, you lose the ability to reason, and you start functioning in a primal way.

It may sound terrifying, but the upshot is that true transformation only happens outside of your comfort zone. Extreme training is all about saying no to comfort, and yes to self-imposed suffering. It’s similar to the way religions around the world demand their followers practice fasting and give up worldly luxuries in order to strengthen their mind, body, and soul. Similarly, after long ordeals with cancer and other illnesses, survivors often speak of being reborn. After enduring so much pain, everything around them becomes more fresh and vibrant.

Try this: If the previous three paragraphs sounded scary or foreign, you need to inject a little hardcore into your life. It doesn’t have to be an obstacle race; it could be one of the hardcore trainers on Bodybuilding.com. Sure, the workouts of guys like Jim Stoppani, PhD, and Greg Plitt may make you intensely uncomfortable in the moment. But when you break through to the other side of hell and finish a workout that almost made you quit over and over, you feel accomplished, incredibly proud of yourself and, in some ways, a different person.

Step 2: Show your body what real stress feels like

Have you noticed how many people stress out over the smallest things? They take something that should be a tiny annoyance and make it into a full-on sweaty, pulse-pounding battle. Here’s the problem: Our body’s fight-or-flight mechanism is supposed to kick in when we are running from a lion to save our lives, not when our coffee is too cold, we get poor restaurant service, or the kids are screaming in the backseat.

To change this tendency takes time and concerted effort. The easiest way to convince your body that sitting in traffic is not worthy of a stress-induced freakout is by training yourself in a controlled setting—your daily workout.

“When you train hard, whatever situations may come up during the rest of your day won’t be stressful in comparison.”

When you train hard, whatever situations may come up during the rest of your day won’t be stressful in comparison. If I was able to push through that last set of burpees when my muscles were all shaking, or that last quarter-mile when my lungs were on fire, I find I can easily handle whatever obstacles come up during my day.

Try this: Every morning, make sure to get in your 60 or however many minutes of pain you can manage. Working out first thing releases all types of post-training pleasure chemicals, and the rest of the day feels easy in comparison.

Step 3: Set a deadline

Deadlines are for time what budgets are for money: a way to force yourself to allocate your resources efficiently and get your shit together. Sure, you could spend two years trying to lose weight and get in shape, but you sacrifice a lot by not moving more quickly. The more time you’re out of shape, the more health damage can accrue, and the more comfortable you get in a state of mental and physical disrepair.

“Deadlines are for time what budgets are for money: a way to force yourself to allocate your resources efficiently and get your shit together.”

Your deadline shouldn’t be random, like, “I need to be in top shape in two months.” Peg it to a specific event, like a race, the end of a transformation contest, or even just a special event such as a wedding or vacation. That way, if you miss the deadline, the consequences are real and measurable, not abstract. This makes you accountable.

Try this: While things like weddings and vacations work for many people, I happen to believe that there’s no substitute for the unpredictable challenges that a race provides. Consider signing up for a Spartan Sprint near you. Once you do, there’s no turning back; you are committed to it.

Step 4: Turn your inner pain into an outboard motor

Am I intense? Yes, and I’ll be the first to admit it. I have an enormous passion for life, as does the whole Spartan team. I completed more than 10,000 burpees a few weeks ago because our new marketing team roped me into it. When I’m surrounded by people with that kind of passion, I feel like I owe it to the world to share it.

“I have an enormous passion for life, as does the whole Spartan team.”

What drives me? I’m sure at some level my intensity is a response to my troubled relationship with my father. As adults we are too often paralyzed by such anguish, and we find ourselves repeating the same mistakes hundreds of times because we ruminate over everything we can’t control. We develop addictions to behaviors and substances that give us the ability to forget our trauma for a few minutes. A far more effective way to respond to emotional pain from childhood is by making a relentless commitment to self-improvement. Build positive addictions!

Try this: Inner pain never really goes away, but this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I have trained my mind and heart every bit as potently as I have trained my body. Next time your workout fades, conjure a past failure and think about how fitness separates you from it.

Step 5: Train for the unexpected until you develop “obstacle immunity”

Anyone can run up a hill. How about going up the same hill while crawling under 300 feet of barbed wire? The obstacles in Spartan races force our athletes to be agile and capable in movements that are lateral as well as linear, and to be physically and emotionally resilient in the face of plenty of surprises.

When the most difficult obstacle that you encounter in everyday life is finding the will to get up off the couch and walk to the fridge, then that is the level of difficulty you are prepared to survive through. When you are confronted with the real-life equivalent of a 12-foot greased wall—getting laid off, getting divorced, or losing a loved one—you’ll be squashed like a bug on a windshield.

Try this: There aren’t many paved roads on our Spartan courses, and the irregular terrain builds character, not to mention important stabilizing muscles. Go trail running once per week in as rough a setting as you can find. You’ll find that you go a lot slower than on a treadmill, but also that you have to pay much closer attention to every inch of ground you cover along the way.

Step 6: Strengthen your weakest link before it’s mercilessly exposed

Each obstacle in the Spartan Race hits the human body in a different way. Here are a few examples of key obstacles that you’ll find in most Spartan Races and the physical attributes they test:

• Monkey bars: upper-body strength
• Log walk: balance and muscular control
• Hill running: cardiovascular endurance
• Spear throw: hand-eye coordination, explosive power
• Cinder-block drag: strength endurance

Of course, the element of fatigue is ever-present in all of these challenges as well. The beauty of obstacle racing is that it inevitably and ruthlessly exposes your weakest link. You might be great at marathons but lack upper-body strength. You might be strong but lack the endurance needed to climb hills. One weak link can do you in, no matter how well prepared you are to meet life’s challenges.

“The beauty of obstacle racing is that it inevitably and ruthlessly exposes your weakest link.”

Try this: Pick a personal weakness and attack it. When you were in gym class, you used to stare at the rope climb and wonder how in the hell you were ever going to do it. But you tried, and you kept trying, and eventually you owned that rope. If you can overcome that obstacle, then you can learn how to overcome an addiction, bad habits, depression, or anything else that drags you down.

Step 7: Don’t be afraid to be outrageous, even if it leaves a mark

Hunter S. Thompson portrayed the Spartan mindset brilliantly when he said: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow! What a ride!’”

Don’t take this the wrong way. It doesn’t mean to abuse yourself; it means to use your time wisely, but with the emphasis heavily on use. Explore, create, and do what you want to get done in life. We are all destined for the grave, but what a tragedy to arrive there without any scars to show that we tried to do something amazing.

Try this: Break out of your routine. Go for a run at night. Swim in open water. Stop the car and climb a hill off in the distance. Go farther during a bike ride than your conservative training plan allows. When you stay within your own guardrails, you aren’t preparing for the unexpected. So when you’re finally confronted by it—and you will be—you won’t know how to succeed.

Step 8: Learn how to cut your losses

I’ll gladly trudge through grueling races for days on end, to the point where my life seems to slow down to a literal crawl. On the other hand, I’ll also make life-changing choices on a dime and deal with the consequences later. These are two sides of the same coin for Spartans: We can endure anything, but we are also decisive.

To “Spartan up!” you must decide things quickly. Wait too long, and you’ll lose. If you are losing, lose fast, get it over with, move along, and start winning. It’s a lesson I learned many times on Wall Street, long before I started Spartan Race.

Try this: Before deciding on a course of action—any action—think quickly about the positive effects and negative effects of it, weigh them, and decide. It’s that simple. I’ve always been really good at making quick decisions. “What’s my downside?” This is the question I ask myself dozens of times per day.

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Every once in a while, a hot new supplement comes along and generates a buzz based on a single study that sounds—and often is—too good to be true. And then there are the supplements that gradually build up a solid body of research without much hype. Then, years later, they finally get the recognition they deserve. Betaine is one of these.

In recent years, betaine has become a common ingredient in new pre-workout and post-workout products. But it’s actually not a new supplement. People have been taking it for health reasons for many years. Only now, researchers are showing how powerful of an ally it can be for athletic performance and body composition.

If you like to be ahead of the curve, then it’s time you get behind the label of your favorite pre-workout and see what this promising supplement can do for you.

Stoppani Expert Guide Betaine
Watch The Video – 09:21

What is betaine?

Betaine (pronounced “BEET-uh-een”) is also sometimes sold under its technical name of trimethylglycine, or as TMG, for short. The names are pretty much interchangeable; no matter what you call it, it’s made of the amino acid glycine with three methyl groups attached to it.

In the human body, betaine is naturally derived from the breakdown of choline, and it’s also found in a number of food sources. One of these, you probably guessed, is beets.

Betaine got its name because it was originally isolated from sugar beets, known by their Latin name of Beta vulgaris. But ironically, a number of other foods are far richer sources. For example, 3 oz. of wheat germ contains more than 1,000 mg, which is more than four times the betaine in the same amount of beets. Spinach and quinoa both provide more than twice the amount of betaine as beets. But the name has still stuck.

In all of these plants, betaine serves the same crucial function: protecting the cells from stress, like what happens during droughts or extreme temperatures. It has also been used as a supplement in animal feeds for decades, in order to make pigs, chickens, and salmon healthier and more resilient.

In human health circles, betaine has also been revered for its health promoting effects. People have taken it to aid in joint and liver repair, injury recovery, and healthy inflammation levels.* In some studies, betaine was even been found to support healthy cholesterol levels.*

What does it do?

In humans, most of betaine’s purported benefits derive from its role as a methyl donor. A methyl donor is any molecule that can transfer a methyl group, which is a carbon atom attached to three hydrogen atoms, to another molecule. Many important biochemical processes in the body rely on methylation.

The most critical reaction where betaine performs this function is in the methylation of the amino acid homocysteine to form methionine. Methionine is important in the body’s internal synthesis of creatine. So one way that betaine may boost muscle strength and size is by increasing creatine production in the body.*

Methionine also plays an important role in muscle protein synthesis, and specifically the process known as “translation.” By having more methionine available for this process, protein synthesis is ramped up, and therefore so is the potential for muscle growth and strength gains.

Betaine may also has the beneficial effect of supporting healthy homocysteine levels.* High homocysteine levels have been shown to impair insulin signaling, which can interfere with muscle growth and fat loss.

And finally, betaine supplementation has also been suggested to raise levels of S-adenosylmethionine, also known as SAMe. Having healthy levels of SAMe may support positive mood, promote liver health, and aid joint recovery.*

Betaine supplementation may support positive mood, promote liver health, and aid joint recovery.*

What are the Performance and Physique Applications?

In the last few years, clinical studies have looked at betaine supplementation in a number of modalities, from strength, to muscle growth, to endurance and sprinting performance. What do they all have in common? Betaine left the placebo in the dust.

One of the first studies to look into betaine’s performance-supporting effects was done in my old lab at the University of Connecticut in 2010. The UCONN researchers found that weight-trained athletes taking 1.25 grams of betaine twice per day increased their muscle strength by 25 percent, and their muscle power by 20 percent.* They also determined that betaine significantly increased markers for muscle protein synthesis following a workout as compared to the placebo.*

Since this initial study, other researchers have found that betaine supplementation helped lifters complete more total reps in bench press workouts, pedal with more power in cycling workouts, and sprint for almost 40 seconds longer than subjects drinking just water. Like the similar-sounding beta-alanine, it has also been suggested to significantly lower levels of lactate, which can delay muscular fatigue and allow athletes to train harder, for longer.*

Researchers have found that betaine supplementation helped lifters complete more total reps in bench press workouts.

And then there’s the latest study on betaine, which comes from the College of Springfield in Massachusetts. Weight-trained males followed an undulating periodized weight-training program for six weeks. One group supplemented with 1.25 grams of betaine twice per day and one group supplemented with a placebo twice per day. They reported that the subjects supplementing with betaine increased muscle mass by 4 pounds and arm size by 10 percent, all while decreasing body fat by 7 pounds.* The placebo group experienced no increase in muscle mass or arm size and no loss of body fat.

What’s to explain these incredible results? A recent study from UCONN indicated that these increases in muscle strength, power, and endurance may be due to betaine’s ability to increase levels of important anabolic substances like growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I, while lowering levels of the catabolic hormone cortisol.*

Previous research also suggests that betaine supplementation increases nitric oxide and helps regulate cellular fluid volume, which could further promote muscle pump and overall muscle size.*

Are there any side effects?

There are no known serious side effects of betaine supplementation. However, it can cause nausea, upset stomach, and/or diarrhea in some people. This is one good reason to split your intake into two smaller daily doses, as several of the recent studies have done.

How should I stack it?

It’s no coincidence that betaine is in pre-workout supplement blends alongside ingredients like creatine, L-citrulline, and beta-alanine. Its effects are definitely complementary to these tried-and-true performance supports, and it indirectly helps your body produce and process creatine to boot.*

Several of the most promising recent studies focusing on betaine have included it as a pre-workout, either on its own in water or mixed into a drink with elecrolytes and carbs. Then, the subjects took a second dose later in the day.

That seems like a solid approach to me. Either add betaine to your current pre- and post-workout stack, or look for a blend that includes it.

Should I cycle it?

At this time, there doesn’t appear to be any reason to cycle betaine. It can be taken continuously.

When should I take it?

It is estimated that most people consume about 1-2 grams of betaine in their daily diet. However, research does confirm that supplementing with extra betaine provides distinct health and performance benefits. Plus, research confirms that a good deal of betaine is lost in the sweat during exercise. This further supports the notion that you should supplement with betaine daily, and not only before working out.

Given that betaine has been suggested to boost greater levels of muscle protein synthesis and can decrease cortisol levels, it makes sense to put those doses on both ends of your intense training. This is when you work hardest to create an anabolic environment.

So look for products which supply betaine in the form of betaine monohydrate, betaine anhydrous, or simply listed as trimethylglycine (TMG). Take 1.25-1.5 grams of betaine twice per day, preferably pre- and post-workout.

It makes sense to put doses of betaine on both ends of your intense training.

What’s the Bottom Line?

The bottom line is that betaine can help to take your strength gains and lean mass gains to new levels. It may not have the name-recognition of a classic supplement like creatine yet, but its star is definitely is on the rise.

It appears to be safe and effective, is easily stacked with other supplements, and has the potential to support your general health and well-being outside of the gym to boot.*

For a stack that can’t be beat, don’t forget to include betaine.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. Craig SA. Betaine in human nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Sep;80(3):539-49.
2. Atkinson W, et al. Dietary and supplementary betaine: acute effects on plasma betaine and homocysteine concentrations under standard and postmethionine load conditions in healthy male subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar;87(3):577-85.
3. Steenge, GR, et al. Betaine supplementation lowers plasma homocysteine in healthy men and women. J Nutr. 2003 May;133(5):1291-5.
4. Schwab, U., et al. Betaine supplementation decreases plasma homocysteine concentrations but does not affect body weight, body composition, or resting energy expenditure in human subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 Nov;76(5):961-7.
5. Graybiel A, et al. Use of betaine and glycocyamine in the treatment of patients with heart disease: preliminary report. Ann West Med Surg 1951;5:863-75.
6. Morrison LM. Results of betaine treatment of atherosclerosis. Am J Dig Dis 1952;19:381-4.
7. Barak AJ, Tuma DJ. Betaine, metabolic by-product or vital methylating agent? Life Sci. 1983 Feb 14;32(7):771-4.
8. Barak AJ, et al. Betaine effects on hepatic methionine metabolism elicited by short-term ethanol feeding. Alcohol. 1996 Sep-Oct;13(5):483-6.
9. Barak AJ, et al. Dietary betaine promotes generation of hepatic S-adenosylmethionine and protects the liver from ethanol-induced fatty infiltration. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1993 Jun;17(3):552-5.
10. Junnila M, et al. Reduction of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxic effects by oral administration of betaine in male Han-Wistar rats: a morphometric histological study. Vet Pathol. 2000 May;37(3):231-8.
11. Junnila M, et al. Betaine reduces hepatic lipidosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in Sprague-Dawley rats. Vet Hum Toxicol. 1998 Oct;40(5):263-6.
12. Wettstein M, et al. Betaine as an osmolyte in rat liver: metabolism and cell-to-cell interactions. Hepatology. 1998 Mar;27(3):787-93.
13. Zapadniuk VI, et al. Corrective effect of trimethylglycine on the nicotinamide coenzyme and adenine nucleotide content of the tissues in experimental atherosclerosis. Farmakol Toksikol. 1986 Jul-Aug;49(4):71-3.
14. Panteleimonova TN, Zapadniuk VI. Effect of trimethylglycine on lipid metabolism in experimental atherosclerosis in rabbit. Farmakol Toksikol. 1983 Jul-Aug;46(4):83-5.
15. Zahn A, et al. Effects of methionine and betaine supplementation on growth performance, carcass composition and metabolism. Poult Sci 2006, 47:576-580.
16. Maresh, CM, et al. The effects of betaine supplementation on strength and power performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 39(5 suppl.): S304, 2007.
17. Hoffman JR, et al. Effect of betaine supplementation on power performance and fatigue. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009 Feb 27;6:7.
18. Lee EC, et al. Ergogenic effects of betaine supplementation on strength and power performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Jul 19;7:27.
19. Trepanowski JF, et al. The effects of chronic betaine supplementation on exercise performance, skeletal muscle oxygen saturation and associated biochemical parameters in resistance trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Dec;25(12):3461-71.
20. Pryor JL, Craig SA, Swensen T. Effect of betaine supplementation on cycling sprint performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012 Apr 3;9(1):12.
21. Czapla, R., et al. Effect of betaine on cycling sprint power. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Apr;7(Suppl 1):P23.
22. Armstrong LE, et al. Influence of betaine consumption on strenuous running and sprinting in a hot environment. J Strength Cond Res. 2008 May;22(3):851-60.
23. Apicella JM, et al. Betaine supplementation enhances anabolic endocrine and Akt signaling in response to acute bouts of exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2013 Mar;113(3):793-802.
24. Kraemer, W.J., et al. The influence of betaine supplementation on work performance and endocrine function in men. Annual Meeting of the National Strength and Condititoning Association, 2010.
25. Cholewa, J. M., et al. Effects of betaine on body composition, performance, and homocysteine thiolactone. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013 Aug;10:39.
26. Iqbal, O. Betaine induced release of tissue factor pathway inhibitor and nitric oxide: Implications in the management of cardiovascular disease. FASEB 2006 Mar; J 20: A655.
27. Lever M, Slow S. The clinical significance of betaine, an osmolyte with a key role in methyl group metabolism. Clin Biochem. 2010 Jun;43(9):732-44.
28. Craig, S. S., et al. The betaine content of sweat from adolescent females. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Jan;7:3.

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Jen Jewell has one of the best bodies in the industry. She also has one of the most fun personalities.

This killer combination of awesomeness and aesthetics has made her a star in the WBFF and a go-to expert for training advice and motivation.

Jen didn’t earn her fitness-industry fame by chance, though. You better believe that Jen works hard for career and her physique.

Meet her in person, check out her BodySpace, or look at her Instagram and you have to wonder what kind of music a bubbly person like Jen listens to when she’s crushing a workout.

The answer might surprise you. Here’s Jen Jewell’s barbell beats playlist!

How does music influence your workouts?

Music makes all of my workouts better! Whether I’m stepping away on the step mill, running stairs by the beach, or pushing some weight in the gym, music plays a key role. There are days when I head out to do cardio and my energy levels aren’t quite as high as they usually are, but once I put the headphones on and tune into some of my favorite Pandora stations, I automatically crank up the intensity.

The music played in most gyms can be a real drag, (you know, the random assortment of sad 80s love songs to the latest top 40 Bieber hit), so when I want to listen to music that motivates me to push harder, work out longer, lift heavier, I turn to the Dr. Dre or Jay-Z stations on Pandora. I love the assortment of old school rap, new releases, and greatest hits. The beats really help my workouts. I may even rap along sometimes?

How has fitness improved your life?

Fitness has improved my life in more ways than I can count. Since embracing a healthy and fit lifestyle year-round, I am now at my healthiest and happiest I’ve ever been. I am far more productive in my professional life as well; the work I do now is truly rewarding because I help others on a daily basis.

I have also found that the more fitness-related goals that I set for myself, the more motivated I become to achieve those goals. Then I aim higher, set more goals, and repeat. It is amazing what achieving even just one simple goal can do to improve your mindset and determination!

Fitness also helps me stay focused—there is always room for improvement in one way or another. Whether I have a new physique goal, or am challenging myself to run a few extra miles than normal, or setting a new personal record in the weight room, the fire to improve is always ignited.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

I stumbled across this Mark Twain quotation a few years ago. It prompted me to finally give fitness a real shot. I dare you to read it and not be called to some sort of action:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

What sort of tips would you give to a newbie?

“Too often I’ve seen people give up and shrug off their fitness if they don’t achieve drastic results in a short amount of time. Understand that you’re making the commitment for the long haul.”

I always have my new clients create short-term goals (within the next 30 days) and long-term goals (3-6 months). Having established goals automatically provides more focus and direction to your fitness.

These goals don’t have to be weight-loss centered; they can be as simple as “I want to go to the gym 3-4 times per week for the next 30 days.” A goal like that can be a bit less daunting and far more realistic than “Lose 15 pounds in the first two weeks.”

Setting an aggressive weight-loss goal often does more harm than good. Too often I’ve seen people give up and shrug off their fitness if they don’t achieve drastic results in a short amount of time. Understand that you’re making the commitment for the long haul. You’re making a lifestyle change, not going on a two-week crash diet.

Once you have established these goals, make sure that you also have a plan of attack. Even an outline of the steps you need to take in order to achieve this goal will make your success seem much more achievable.

If your goal is to go to the gym 3-4 days a week for the first 30 days, plan ahead to eliminate excuses. Pack your gym bag before you go to work or always have workout gear in your car. That way you’ll never “not have time” to get to the gym after work!

Lastly, cast aside any and all self-doubt! Having a positive mindset and truly believing that you are capable of achieving these goals can really change the game. Results will not happen overnight, but all progress—no matter how large or small—is progress and will ultimately bring results!

Who is your biggest fitness inspiration?

My clients! I interact with my clients via Skype or email and I cannot stress enough how much inspiration I get from them on a daily basis. My clients are all ages, male and female, and have various fitness goals. But the one thing that they all have in common is how incredibly determined they all are to achieve their goals. Many of them are married, have children, and work full-time, but they still make their health and fitness a priority.

What’s also amazing is that they are all so incredibly supportive and encouraging of whatever I am doing in fitness, too. Whether I am preparing for a shoot, have written a new article that’s been published, or am counting down to the WBFF World Championships, my clients are every bit of supportive of me as I am of them.

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Jen Jewell’s Back-Blasting Workout

Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not important. Give your back the same TLC that you give your abs, shoulders, and quads. Let me show you the way!

Life gets busy and chaotic, and taking an hour to train your legs every Tuesday and Thursday isn’t always possible. Good news: Daily workouts don’t have to take all day! These fast-paced circuits are a great way to maximize your time, burn fat, and get the most from your trip to the gym.. Crush your workout and spare your schedule with these athlete-recommended training sessions!

1 HIIT Leg Training

BPI co-founder James Grage carves out killer quads with a leg workout which combines high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and weights. HIIT keeps your heart rate elevated for the entire workout. Not only does it burn fat, it kicks your cardio up a notch by turning standard steady state into explosive movements that help build muscle.

Here’s a workout that will help you own leg day. These exercises will target your quads, glutes, hammies, and even calves. The best part? HIIT keeps you burning calories long after your workout ends. This might be a 20-minute workout on the clock, but the real benefits of strength, size, and speed will last much longer.

HIIT keeps you burning calories long after your workout ends.

2 HIIT Chest Training

James combines isolation chest exercises with high-intensity cardio to make the most of minimal workout time. Jumping rope between strength-training exercises, like the bench press, elevates your heart rate and burns more calories. You’ll leave the gym pumped and conditioned.

3 20-Minute Full Body Tabata Workout

Brendy Scheerer, franchise sales director at BPI Sports, follows a cardio-strength-inspired Tabata routine. Each segment of her workout requires 20 seconds of high-intensity cardio followed by 10 seconds of rest, and then 20 seconds of high-intensity strength moves followed by 10 seconds of rest. This workout burns fat and builds muscle. It will kick your butt in minimal time. But, don’t be fooled, you’ll certainly be covered in sweat by the end!

This workout burns fat and builds muscle. It will kick your butt in minimal time.

4 Deadmill Sprints

What’s harder than jumping on the treadmill and booking it at 7 mph? Jumping on treadmill and booking it when the treadmill’s off! This zero-powered modification to a traditional run forces you to become your own powerhouse as you push against the machine with maximum force. Turn the power off and revv your metabolism up.

5 Sled Workout

Whitney Reid, BPI east coast sales manager and fitness model, incorporates sleds into his workouts. But, these aren’t your standard concrete-slab sled pushes. Whitney uses carpet for a more intense workout.

“Dragging the sled while walking backward is a killer workout for your quads,” he says. “The key is to stay low and take longer strides.” Whitney also integrates pulling into his routine. By pulling the sled when walking forward, he places focus on the hamstrings and glutes.

6 Bodacious Booty Circuit

IFBB Pro Barbara Bolotte loves training legs but, when she only has a few moments to squeeze in a workout, she targets her glutes. “Glutes are one of the largest muscles in your body, and you can spend plenty of time and lots of reps sculpting and toning them to perfection,” she says. Get creative with exercises which allow you to isolate that major muscle.

The glutes connect the top and bottom of the posterior chain. Train this large muscle group in creative ways to get the definition you desire.

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Vital Stats

Name: Galambosi Gabriel
Email: rsnail_valy@yaho…
Location: Baile Borsa, Maramures, Romania
Age: 17
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 185 lbs
Years Bodybuilding: 2

QHow did your fitness
journey begin?

I was fat as a young child and became skinny by eighth grade. I always wanted to go to the gym to get stronger and live healthier, but my parents made me wait until I matured more. Thinking about lifting weights was exciting. I loved with the idea of bodybuilding.

When I turned 15 years old, my parents allowed me to start lifting. Until then, my mind was focused on big guys that I saw in movies and on TV. When I started working out, I felt fulfilled. That feeling still exists today and keeps me on track.

What workout regimen delivered
the best results?

I focus on compound movements with heavy weights and high intensity. When I want to burn the muscle even further, I include dropsets and rest-pause sets in my training routine. I find them very effective to build muscle.

“When I started working out, I felt fulfilled. That feeling still exists today and keeps me on track.”

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What nutrition plan fueled your body?

I keep my diet as strict as possible and allow myself a maximum of two cheat meals per week.

What supplements gave you an edge?

“I will do anything it takes to get bigger and stronger so I can compete at a professional level.”

How did your passion for fitness emerge?

I always thought muscular men were cool. Your body is what you wear. Take care of it and it will take care of you.

What or who motivated you?

My motivation comes from myself, my ideas, and my thoughts. Bodybuilding personalities like Phil Heath, Victor Martinez, Ronnie Coleman, Lazar Angelov, and Ulisses Jr. motivate me too.

Where did you go for inspiration?

If I felt tired or didn’t feel like going to the gym, I thought about somebody out there who was training harder than me. That inspired me every time I lost focus.

What are your future fitness plans?

My plans for the future are to work harder and focus more on details so I can get better. I will do anything it takes to get bigger and stronger so I can compete at a professional level. Hopefully, I earn a pro card and work my way up to the biggest pro shows.

What is the most important fitness tip?

Anyone can quit. Quitting is easy. The pain of not trying is the worse pain you can experience. Not having the will and confidence to finish what you started is unacceptable.

Who is your favorite competitor?

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, Phil Heath, Victor Martinez, Flex Wheeler, Lazar Angelov, and Ulisses Jr. are my favorite bodybuilders.

How did Bodybuilding.com help you reach your goals?

Bodybuilding.com provided lots of training and nutrition information that delivered results. I can interact with the worldwide bodybuilding community on Bodybuilding.com every day.

Galambosi’s Top 5 Gym Tracks

1. “Greyhound” by Swedish House Mafia
2. “Hungry” by Rob Bailey
3. “Ich Will” by Rammstein
4. “Killing In The Name Of” by Rage Against The Machine
5. “TSUNAMI” by DVBBS & Borgeous

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Name: Ben Lee
Email: benlee526@gmail.com
BodySpace: Benlee526
Location: Glendale, Arizona

Why I decided to transform

I grew up being active and played high school sports. I always had free time to engage in physical activity. As I became more engulfed in college, marriage, and my career, time to myself became rare. After I got married, I gained 30 pounds in the following months.

Life started to get stressful and my body reacted to my environment. Food became stress relief. I eventually contracted a stress-related illness shortly after my first child was born and realized I needed to do something. Regardless of my desires to change, life became increasingly busy which left less time to take care of my health. I moved states five times in five years and constantly battled yo-yo dieting and training.

I turned 30 years old last year and realized that I had terrible eating habits and didn’t take care of my body. Some people have a midlife crisis around this age, but mine was the opposite. It was an awakening to become the person I always wanted to be.

I started burning excess fat by cutting calories and eating smaller portions throughout the day. I dropped weight quickly but had no recognizable muscle, so I decided to put on lean mass. It was a long process that became more daunting than I anticipated because I’m an ectomorph.

Post To Fitboard

It wasn’t a secret at work that I was making an effort to get in shape. A friend introduced me to Bodybuilding.com and I became a sponge. I read many helpful articles, diet plans, workouts, and motivational stories. It was a game-changer. Armed with the knowledge of nutrition, supplementation, and training, I began to see results.

Through Bodybuilding.com, I learned about the men’s physique division and set a goal to compete. It took me a year to prepare. The last four months were the most intense and disciplined, but nothing can compare to the sense of pride and accomplishment I felt walking on stage in front of 1500 people, including friends, family, and other supporters.

One of the most satisfying parts about competing is having others reach out and ask for help to start their fitness journey. I want to help those around me to find happiness and confidence that comes from being the best you possible.

How I accomplished my goals

Staying on track comes down to understanding the impact of everything I do. If I eat like a champ, I feel like a champ. Holding myself accountable is a must. Having a support system is good, but I can’t solely rely on others for help.

“It’s about being willing to make the sacrifice necessary to succeed. It’s a matter of confidence and commitment.”

There were tough times, but I didn’t want to quit. Nobody wants to quit. It’s about being willing to make the sacrifice necessary to succeed. It’s a matter of confidence and commitment. If you want to do it and believe that you can, then you will.

Accountability is important. I had a concrete goal and didn’t give up because everyone knew about it. I learned about myself in the process and will carry those lessons forever. The most important lesson I learned was that I can do anything I set my mind to. If I want it bad enough, it will happen.

My biggest inspiration is my family. I wanted my wife and kids to know that I committed to something worth passing on. My daughters were always there to encourage me to take my muscle food. Health affects lots of aspects; happiness, mood, and more. I wanted to be positive and energetic around my children. Fitness helped me do that.

Apply Here To Be A Transformation
Of The Week!

Bodybuilding.com honors people across all transformation categories for their hard work and dedication. Learn how our featured transformers overcame obstacles and hit their goals!

Supplements that helped me through the journey

Diet plan that guided my transformation

Training regimen that kept me on track

I do a quick 5-10-minute warm-up shooting hoops or getting on cardio equipment. I don’t rest more than 30-45 seconds between sets. I end most workouts with a 20-30-minute cardio session.

What aspect challenged me the most

“The hardest part is committing to change. As creatures of habit, we resist change.”

The hardest part is committing to change. As creatures of habit, we resist change. Actions as simple as going to the gym take lots of adjustment. I have to balance family, career obligations, and fitness goals. Striking a happy medium is crucial.

Forming healthy habits is difficult in the first few months. I kept my goals at the forefront of my mind. Now when I wake up, it’s part of my mental checklist. I have certain things I want to accomplish each day. Eating right and exercising are now part of my daily plan.

My future fitness plans

I want to focus on becoming the best version of myself. I love helping others achieve their goals and finding success, so I plan to pay it forward to friends and family who want to take the next step.

I plan to compete again because it’s a motivating experience. I don’t know where fitness will take me, but I’m ready for the challenge.

Suggestions for aspiring transformers

• Trust yourself and never give up.
• Be willing to make sacrifices.
• Find balance.
• Don’t let minor setbacks change your path.
• Have a support system.
• Step outside your comfort zone.
• Push your limits.
• Be confident.
• Seek trusted information.
• Be humble and grateful.
• Make a plan!

How Bodybuilding.com helped me reach my goals

Bodybuilding.com is my best resource. I read the articles daily. It’s amazing how much information is here. Bodybuilding.com compiled trusted fitness experts on cardio, competition prep, bodybuilding, and nutrition.

Cory Gregory’s Get Swole program helped me prepare for my first competition to get stronger and leaner.

Ben’s Top 5 Gym Tracks

1. “Now is the time” by Darren Tate
2. “Cascade” by Hyper
3. “Neno Itome” by Marksun & Brian
4. “Remember The Name” by Fort Minor
5. “Body Language” by Jesse McCartney

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Vital Stats

Name: Gina Ostarly
Email: GinaOstarly@gmai…
Location: Florida/Virginia
Age: 46
Height: 5’4″
Weight: 124 lbs
Years Bodybuilding: 16

QHow did your fitness
journey begin?

The desire for a better body started where it must: in my mind. I was a young mom with three kids and didn’t want to be a chubby wife wearing “mom jeans.” I thought to myself that I wanted to instead feel and look as good as possible for as long as possible. Fast-forward years later, what started as a goal fully bloomed into a lifestyle. I no longer work out merely to look good; at the risk of sounding cliché, I work out to feel good. Plus, the lifestyle really is its own reward.

What workout regimen delivered the best results?

There is no best workout regimen, if you ask me. I just do something for five days a week. I am an 80s chick at heart. One of my favorite things to do is go in-line skating—pretty old-school, I know—but I love what it does for my lower body, and it never gets boring. I don’t mind the looks either!

I encourage others to not always think of exercise as gym time, but as activity time: Just move is what I say!

GYM = (G)et (Y)ourself (M)oving

“I no longer work out merely to look good; at the risk of sounding cliché, I work out to feel good.”

Amateurs Of The Week

Bodybuilding.com honors amateurs across all categories for their hard work, dedication, and great physiques. Learn how our featured amateurs built their bodies and hit their goals!

What nutrition plan fueled your body?

There are certain habits that work, and always will. Reducing sugar, for example, helps most people in a hurry. When we think of eating “clean,” most people actually eat “pretty clean.” I use an 80-20 balance, meaning that I eat healthy 80 percent of the time. And the other 20? A girl needs to have a little fun!

Specific food types, sizes and portions? I’m not one of those people who goes around measuring and weighing everything I can. To me, that takes you down that dreaded diet road. I’ve never known anyone who can stick with a diet for long. In the end, it takes consistency and common sense to eat in a healthy manner. Have the choice between a grilled chicken sandwich or one that’s breaded and fried? You know what to do. The question is: Do you actually do it?

What does work for me is eating six small meals a day and alternating high and low carb days. I know you’ve heard it before, but it keeps my metabolism, energy levels, and mental mood all positive. Eat small portions of good stuff every few hours. That’s a plan I can stick with easily.

On a typical high carb day, I eat the following:

What supplement schedule gave you the greatest gains?

Creatine has by far been the best thing to help me recover from workouts and get muscle gains. Other than that, I must have my morning coffee!

How did your passion for fitness emerge?

My interest was immediate, but my passion developed when I started training others. I truly love being part of a person’s transformation process. They often start off with a frown (because I work them hard), but after a few weeks of sweat and soreness, something happens. There’s a glint in their eyes because they want to be at the gym. They’re excited to check the scales once a week and see their weight improve. They notice that their clothes fit better. They get to buy new clothes. They get to buy new shoes! Yeah, I know that shoe size has nothing to do with it, but a gal deserves new shoes with her new clothes and body…right?

What drives you to
get better?

Not sure that I do get “better,” but I sure get different. Recently I’ve gone through many of my old photos. My body has changed almost as often as my hair color. When I first got serious about lifting, my goal set was to add muscle to my frame. Then when I started doing bodybuilding shows, that goal morphed into becoming more cut and proportioned. Now it’s more about how I feel and doing what I love. I don’t look at my body and think, “Wow, that area needs work; I better get after it.” I come to the gym excited to try new things and have fun. Lately, I have been practicing walking on my hands! Don’t care if it makes me look better or not… it’s just fun!

What aspects about the sport fascinate you?

When I did more shows, it was fascinating for me to see how the body could be manipulated for appearance. Look at a competitor on stage day and then again two weeks later: The difference is astounding. And the weight can change by up to 20 pounds! Cut carbs, cut fat, load carbs, load fat, cut sodium, load sodium, deplete water – it’s really like a science experiment. Seeing how each body responds so differently is even more intriguing!

Now my fascination is about what lasts far beyond the stage lights and ever-smaller show suits. Keeping a healthy body lets me play with my grandchild without tiring. It lets me travel to see my three wonderful kids. It keeps me going when the day is too long and the demands are too many. I’ve learned over the past couple of years that even though we might desire to “do it on our own” that we’re actually doing it through the support of others and our religious beliefs. Lots of people talk about going for a walk as part of a healthy lifestyle? My walk with faith is the most important I’ll ever take and the only one that lasts forever.

What or who motivated you?

Maybe the most life-changing conversation of my life happened as my grandmother’s life ended. She told me to get out there and live life to the fullest, to not miss a thing. Her words changed my life. So I would ask anyone reading this to remember that it’s okay to love the gym, but realize that the gym will never love you back.

Where did you go for inspiration?

I found inspiration in my religious faith. I also find inspiration in rollerblading by the beach, looking up at the moon, or watching tiny spring flowers that signal the coming of summer. It’s hard not to be inspired. To me, inspiration starts with having a grateful heart.

Sometimes I don’t want to work out, but I have found that mental battle cannot be won. The best way for me to handle it is to just go anyway. After working out, I tend to feel better. I always believe that feelings follow actions, not the other way around.

What are your future fitness plans?

The more years I spend doing this, the less I realize it’s possible to really plan. Life changes fast and hard. My only plans are to pray a lot, continue working out, and help others reach their goals.

“Bodybuilding is not for sissies. It isn’t even for tough guys. It’s for tremendously dedicated people who are willing to sacrifice a lot to reach a goal.”

Where will bodybuilding take you?

As I already mentioned, life changes so fast. I honestly have no idea, but I know it’s going to be exciting and fulfilling. It’s already taken me through some of the best and worst years of my life. And I am better for having been a part of it.

What is your most important fitness tip?

Eating right is more important than working out. If you work out like a beast and eat like a pig, it won’t do you much good. Start with a base of healthy eating and then—whatever your choice of exercise—it will count.

If you are looking to be a bodybuilder, just realize your life will change. You will lift six days a week. You will watch everything that goes into your mouth. You might spend more on supplements than your electricity bill. You will be sore and tired many days, but have to push through it at the gym. Bodybuilding is not for sissies. It isn’t even for tough guys. It’s for tremendously dedicated people who are willing to sacrifice a lot to reach a goal. How bad do you want it?

Who is your favorite bodybuilder/fitness athlete?

In my opinion, Laura Combs was a groundbreaking female athlete. She had amazing biceps back when the public wasn’t sure whether a woman should have biceps or not. Despite naysayers, she followed her dreams and didn’t let the drama drag her down. We could all look to her as a role model who paved her own path.

Among the more modern fitness stars, how can you not love Jamie Eason? The girl has a passion for others. She loves her husband, her new baby, her supporters, and her friends. And after all those, she loves fitness. That’s an impressive order of priorities.

How did Bodybuilding.com help you reach your goals?

Without exaggeration, BodySpace helped me reach my goals by being a valuable resource for any question I might have had. Within that community is such a depth of experience and sense of camaraderie that, if you have an issue, someone there has already worked through it and written an article about it. Try it yourself. Type something in the search box and see. It’s hard to get lost in the sometimes confusing world of fitness when you use BodySpace as a resource. It’s just the truth.

The other thing I love about Bodybuilding.com’s site is that there are countless articles and examples of different ways to train. Some people like to lift heavy. Others like cardio. Still others are more into yoga and flexibility. If you ever get bored, simply search around the site to find something fresh and motivating.

Gina’s Top 5 Gym Tracks

1. “Colourless Colour” by La Roux
2. “Bloodstream” by Stateless
3. “Too Close” by Alex Clare
4. “You My Everything” by Ellie Goulding
5. “Take Me With You” by Serge Devant

Competition History

• 1999 NPC National Championship
• 2003 NPC Junior Championship
• 2003 NPC Junior Championship
• 2003 NPC USA Championship
• 2003 NPC National Championship
• 2004 NPC Junior National Championship
• 2005 NCP Junior USA Championship
• 2006 Shannon Dey Classic
• 2007 NPC Junior National Championship
• 2008 Flex Arnold Classic Model Search
• 2009 NPC National Championship
• 2011 Fitness Universe Weekend Miami
• 2011 Top 10 Fitness Universe Las Vegas
• 2012 Fitness Universe Weekend Miami

Photography Credits

• Eva Simon Photography

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Vital Stats

Name: Brandan Fokken
Age: 34
From: Sioux Falls, SD
Sponsors: Team Bodybuilding.com; Beast Sports Athlete

When I began my fitness career, I didn’t know anything about muscle-building nutrition other than the standard “eat lots and lift heavy” rule. So that’s what I did. All through my 20s, the only macro I ever worried about was protein. I never counted anything and ate what I wanted when I wanted it. I never felt guilty.

My goal was to be a bodybuilder. As a fan of the sport, I would watch my favorite athletes get insanely shredded for shows and then shortly after go back to eating massive amounts of food so they could come back the next year even bigger. I figured they had to be doing something right, so that’s how I approached my own nutrition. I cut way down for my shows, but the second the season was over, I would start eating whatever I wanted again. This type of plan was actually difficult because I would get so big I’d struggle to cut back down in time for my next show.

By chance, I injured one of my quads the day after a bodybuilding show. I had another show only two weeks away, but my leg was swollen, I couldn’t flex it, and it hurt to work out. That’s when my trainer suggested I try a new division called men’s physique. At first I was hesitant and thought people would make fun of me, a heavyweight bodybuilder, for entering a contest. Eventually, though, I agreed.

I had a blast at the show and placed second to my friend and now IFBB physique pro Trevor Larsen. I loved the class and decided from there that I would switch divisions and train to compete. This switch changed my entire nutritional approach.

I switched divisions and started training for physique. This switch changed my entire nutritional approach.

Enter “Aesthetics”

As the physique division progressed, it got more and more popular. I started to hear the word “aesthetics” more often and guys started to stay lean year round for photo shoots and fitness expo appearances. To be competitive and make a name in the industry, I had to learn how to hold my shape much longer than a month. Some guys were doing more than seven shows each year!

For some athletes, staying lean all year works. For others, it’s a little harder. I fall into the second category. After a long season, I can definitely see how constant dieting affects my body. I’ll appear to have lost mass and fullness and my body won’t respond quite as well as it normally does to my diet. So I take an offseason. It can last anywhere from 4-8 months.

During my offseason, I don’t just jump right into eating more calories. I gradually increase until I get up to the 3,800-4,200 mark, which is plenty. I gain slowly, I have better workouts, my mental state does great with this method, and I have plenty of energy throughout my prep. I don’t go crazy eating whatever I want, though. I try to be smart about how I bulk so I can be back in stage shape within 30-60 days.

Even after I get to my max calories, I still do a cheat meal once per week. My cheat meals are pretty light, though. They usually consist of three quest bars, one or more cups of oats, 4-6 tablespoons of peanut butter, and maybe some ice cream. If there’s a social event or a weekend date night, I may have a burger and fries, but that’s rare.

During my bulking process, my workouts are great. I tend to lift a lot heavier and really push myself for optimal growth. That’s the purpose of having an offseason.

When I start to schedule shoots and shows that I need to be in shape for, I slowly start pulling back a bit on calories until I hit my maintenance levels. That’s my starting point for a contest or photo-shoot prep diet.

Keep the emphasis on frequent protein, quality calories, and ample carbohydrates.

Beast Bulking Plan

This is my last bulking plan. It may not work perfectly for you, so feel free to eat more, less, or even substitute foods, but keep the emphasis on frequent protein, quality calories, and ample carbohydrates. Try it out, and good luck with your gains!

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Vital Stats

Name: Kristina Olson
(a.k.a. Kristina Allison of Kristina and The Dolls)
Age: 31
Weight: 114 lbs
Contest Weight: 112.8 lbs
Height: 5’4″
Occupation: Undergraduate Researcher
Education: UC San Diego B.S. Earth Science (completion Fall 2014) Athletic Background: Junior Olympic Softball, Advanced Certified Scuba Diver

Kristina Olson has tread a long and interesting path to come to where she is today. She’s a scientist in training with her nose in earth science textbooks at UC San Diego. She’s also an aspiring bikini model. For a time, she sang lead for a rock band, but also stood in as the singing voice of Barbie. Seriously!

You can call her a dreamer, but this month’s featured BodySpace Member has her eyes wide open to the possibilities of life. She’s going to do what she wants, taking care of her body and her planet along the way. She uses BodySpace for support and sharing, to access a unique community of people singing in the fitness chorus.

QWhat led you to the decision that you needed to get in shape?

Being a full-time student at the University of California San Diego, I found myself sedentary for long periods of time with no outlet. I’ve always been an active person, and I could feel the stress and lack of exercise taking its toll on my body. I’ve never had an affinity for junk food or sweets, so I knew something wasn’t right when I started craving things like soda, Slim Jims, and Funyuns late at night.

You are studying earth science, but you’ve also worked with music and now fitness. What do you want to be when you grow up? Can you have it all?

Straight out of high school, I went to work in the music business. Over the course of about 10 years, among other things, I was the lead singer and founder of Kristina and The Dolls. I wrote songs for major motion pictures and was the singing voice for Barbie. I decided to leave the entertainment industry and pursue another dream of mine. While working in the music business, I always wanted to go back to school to get my degree in earth science. I read an article in “The Economist” about geothermal energy and I was hooked. I never thought I’d go from singing for Barbie, to taking hardcore earth science classes like isotope geochemistry.

When I started training weights, I decided to reach out to one of my friends who used to write for “Oxygen” magazine. She was always supportive and I knew she’d be able to provide some good insight. Every time I get a wild idea, I think I must be crazy, but then I do it anyway.

Truthfully, I never want to grow up. I’m a child and dreamer at heart. I love to laugh, take calculated risks, and try new things. I tend to catch a lot of flak for some of the choices I’ve made in my life. It’s those choices to chase down dreams and make them reality that make me who I am. Life’s too short to be unhappy and pursue things you aren’t passionate about. You can’t have it all, but you can do what you love, be great at it, and find balance. Then if you decide you want to try something else, do it!

How did you discover BodySpace?

My husband introduced me to Bodybuilding.com, and that’s when I started to look at different BodySpace pages for inspiration. I would find people who had physiques that I admired so that I’d have a “goal” physique in mind and something to strive for. I still love to look at different photos and admire bodies of work. I’m always striving to be better, and BodySpace helps me connect with people who are like-minded.

“Nothing in life has ever come easily for me. Anything I’ve accomplished has been from hard work and determination.”

What would it mean to you to win your IFBB pro card? How close are you?

It would mean a great deal for me to win my IFBB Pro card. Nothing in life has ever come easily for me. Anything I’ve accomplished has been from hard work and determination. Some people can just show up for a show and take the overall, but that’s not the story with me. It’s just like the entertainment industry, and also similar to any other sport. When I played softball, I was not the most naturally gifted, but I had enough talent and drive to surpass many of my peers and play competitively.

In the entertainment industry, you can be the most naturally talented person, and you can also work extremely hard, but luck plays a huge part in what separates the people who are able to make a living at it from the artists who barely get by. I’m hoping that with my hard work, drive, determination, and a little luck, that I’ll be able to win my IFBB pro card.

I haven’t had the opportunity to compete on the national stage yet because of personal reasons, but this year I plan on competing in as many national shows as I can. You never know until you try. My dad always says that success is when opportunity meets preparedness with a sprinkle of luck.

How has BodySpace helped you reach your goals?

The motivation and inspiration from other BodySpace users is really helpful. They’re so supportive. I recently had final exams at UCSD and was taking four difficult classes—geochemistry, isotope geochemistry, structural geology, and a grad class on marine geology—and I really had no time to go to the gym. Iwas absolutely stressed to the max.

I posted a fit status about my guilt for not being able to make it to the gym much because of finals. Many users left supportive comments like “Handle your school stuff. The gym will be there when you’re done,” or “You’re making the right choice.” It really helped me feel better. Outside of family and close friends, the extra support is great to have!

We see a gigantic influx of people each January, and an exodus by March. Do you have any advice for people who are thinking about quitting?

Don’t quit! If you need to shorten your workouts, then do it. As long as you’re consistent and continue to show up, you’ll be fine. During my finals, I did have a chance to go to the gym for one session. I was on an extreme time crunch, but I felt good about getting in a short workout, however brief it may have been. I find that when I start eating bad it’s hard to get back on it. It’s the same thing with the gym. The more you don’t go, the less you want to go.

I think that some people may also stop going because they’re not seeing the results they want and become disenchanted with the process. You have to be patient with yourself. It takes a great deal of time to transform your body, even more so if you’re not sticking to a healthy diet. I say “diet” loosely because I consider my food intake to be in line with a nutrition plan versus a diet.

What is your favorite feature on BodySpace?

This isn’t necessarily a BodySpace feature, but I love the BodySpace app. I use it all the time. It’s convenient. I use it when I do cardio at the gym. I can update my fit status and scroll down and check out what other people are posting.

I also like the tracking feature for weight, strength training exercises, and measurements. I recently updated all my measurements. I wish that I started sooner because my legs have grown so much since last June. It would have been nice to see those gains in inches. It helps to turn something that’s qualitative—the changes you see in your body—into something quantitative—numbers. I was sad to see that I dropped weight recently because I’ve worked so hard to gain weight.

What is your favorite muscle group to train, and can you give us a sample workout?

I don’t have a favorite muscle group to train. I go through periods of liking to train one muscle group better than the others. For a while it was shoulders, then triceps, and just recently I’ve been into training biceps. There were times last year when I was competing that I didn’t train my biceps much because that’s not a muscle group they care about in the bikini division. In December during the winter break, I started hitting them hard again.

“There were times that I didn’t train my biceps much because that’s not a muscle group they care about in the bikini division. In December during the winter break, I started hitting them hard again.”

I also train legs 3-4 times per week. It was my weakest body part. I know a lot of women tend to focus on their legs, though, so I’m providing a back and biceps workout. The judges for the bikini division may not care much about upper body definition, but it’s important to have upper body strength and a balanced physique.