Friday, July 27, 2012

This is how I do it and this is how I did it...


So I have been asked a few times by different people how I train, what I eat etc etc...

2011 I made a conscious decision (as I am sure you all now know from my previous blog posts) that not only would I better myself by becoming healthy, losing weight, living a better lifestyle and making Gym my second home LOL, I set a Goal to Compete in the Mr. & Miss Fitness SA 2012 pageant. It’s good to set goals for yourself, it keeps you focused….
So dieting for comp started last August 2011, I had 7 months to drop the massive amount of weight or should I say body fat I needed to while packing on muscle before I moved over to Opus (a diet that cuts you in to get you looking lean, but that’s a story for another rainy day)…I had my work cut out for me but as they say:
Clear Mind ∙ Full Heart ∙ Can’t Lose

My journey has included a lot of trial and error as everyone’s body is different and you have to find what works best for you. I am still learning something new everyday and I will be forever improving on what I already know.

My eating plan as I like to call it because diet is such a dirty word ;) consists of high protein with a balance of good clean carbs and healthy fats. I try to eat as clean as possible all year round but we are all Human so I allow myself a ‘piggy meal’ – not day, just a meal people...let’s not get carried away please.

An example of my daily eating plan would be as follows:

Meal 1:           2 Scoops of SN Explode Whey Protein
                        30g Oats

Meal 2:           50g Beef Biltong or 100g Smoked or Grilled Chicken Breast (No Skin)
                        1 tbspn Flaxseed Oil

Meal 3:           100g Grilled Chicken Fillets or Smoked Chicken
                        120g Sweet Potato
                        1 tbspn Flaxseed Oil

Meal 4:           3 Egg Whites and 1 Whole Egg
                        1 Slice of 100% Rye Bread

Meal 5:           2 Scoops of SN Explode Whey Protein

Meal 6:           120g Fish
                        100g Green Mixed Salad (Cucumber, Lettuce)
                        1 Medium Tomato
OR 150g Broccoli/Asparagus/Green Beans
                        1 tbspn Flaxseed Oil

Meal 1 I will have after my morning cardio work out and Meal 5 will be after my evening weight training session. I try drink a minimum of 3L of water per day and keep my meals 2 to 3 hours apart.

My supplementation is pretty basic:

SN Explode Whey Protein – So yummy it tastes like I am cheating every time I drink it!
SN Detonate Pre - Workout – If I feel I need it, I am not a massive fan of stimulants as I feel funny and light headed but they help give you that extra pump.
BCAA’s – During my workout
Glutamine
A good Multi Vitamin
Vitamin C
Flaxseed Oil

The guys at SN Cape Quarter, Somerset Road, Green Point Shaun and Marco (Find them on twitter @SN_Cape Quarter) help me with information regarding my supplementation and they assisted me with any training tips I needed while prepping for the competition and trying to shed the kilo’s – they are definitely a great team down at that store and anyone looking for some advice or motivation should go check them out, their down to earth nature and willingness to help where they can makes you feel like you’re part of a family and I love that!

My training routine during this time,

1 hour cardio every morning on an empty stomach

Monday:         Chest and Triceps (and calves)
Tuesday:         Back and Biceps (and abs)
Wednesday:   Shoulders (and calves)
Thursday:       Legs and Focusing on Glutes
Friday:            Full Upper Body Workout (and abs)
Saturday:        Take it outside if the weather is nice a walk on the beach or climbing the stairs at Clifton for a great ass workout or any form of functional High Intensity Training
Sunday:           Rest and Recovery Day

When trying to build muscle I keep my weights heavy and my reps at 8-10 and the closer to competition I got and the more I want to cut and define I would move my reps to 12-15 and a lighter weight.

I set realistic short term goals for myself, like 2-3% Body Fat and 1kg down every 4 weeks. To stay motivated I take progress pictures of myself every two weeks and use my clothes as a judge to how well I am progressing. I avoid the scale at all costs – muscle weighs more than fat and until you wrap your mind around this – the scale will be your worst enemy as weeks may go by and the scale wont budge but it is only because you are building muscle and I learnt this the hard way after being left in tears a few times looking at the number on the scale!

If I could give anyone trying to lose weight some tips, they would be as follows:

-         Drink at least 3L of water a day
-         EVERYTHING in moderation
-         Try eat as clean as possible every day and allow yourself that 1 “piggy meal” a week if needed.
-         This one is for the LADIES – DO NOT BE AFRAID TO LIFT HEAVY! You will not look like Johnny Bravo ever, you do not have the testosterone levels to look like a man, what will happen is you will tone and there isn’t anything nicer than a toned, sexy body!
-         Be consistent and remember it took you years to put on the kilo’s so it won’t take you 1 week to lose it all, be patient!
-         Make clean eating and exercise a lifestyle then it won’t seem like a chore. There is NO quick fix, trust me – I know!


Muhammad Ali once said:

DON’T QUIT! SUFFER NOW AND LIVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AS A CHAMPION…